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With 7 billion people expected to live in urban centers by 2050, the stakes are enormous for building them right. There are many things to think about — traffic, trash, water, connectivity and more. Whether you're a new mega city being built in Saudi Arabia or old Liverpool trying to rejuvenate yourself, you face a lot of the same issues. Hundreds of mayors, private sector actors, think tanks and citizens groups convened in Paris this week to share ideas.

Newly elected French President Francois Hollande is meeting with President Obama at the White House and bringing along his companion, Valerie Trierweiler. The idea of a ringless first lady may have raised some eyebrows, but a friend of Trierweiler's says she's someone the average French woman can identify with.