Mayor Garcetti poses with leaders from China and New Zealand. (courtesy of the Mayor’s office)

The cities of Los Angeles, Auckland and Guangzhou entered into a landmark partnership to develop and share expertise in urban design, architecture and sustainable technologies that will define how cities look and operate in the 21st century. Mayor Eric Garcetti joined Mayor Len Brown of Auckland, New Zealand and Vice Mayor Wang Dong of Guangzhou, China in signing a business-to-business agreement, as part of the Tripartite Economic Summit hosted on May 14 and 15 in Auckland. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) builds on the Tripartite Economic Alliance formed by the three cities in 2014 and calls on each to “showcase and highlight each others’ projects” at a special event in each respective city. In 2017, the Los Angeles Business Council (LABC) will feature the best urban design projects from Auckland and Guangzhou at its annual Architectural Awards luncheon. Beyond sharing design principles, sustainability measures and technological solutions for urban problems, the three cities will also identify business partnerships, public/private projects and bidding processes designed to improve market access for local businesses. “It is a global imperative for cities to grow their capacity for, and commitment to, sustainability,” Garcetti said. “Los Angeles is making remarkable strides toward meeting the goals of my Sustainable City pLAn, and I know that sharing best practices and supporting each other on the world stage will only accelerate progress around the globe. This agreement strengthens our bonds with Auckland and Guangzhou and solidifies our commitment to a more healthy and prosperous future between our cities — and the world.” Guangzhou and Auckland are two of Los Angeles’ most established and economically important sister cities. The three cities aim to set a new standard for how modern cities can collaborate in the 21st century, and they are working together to enhance trade and economic relations.