The CityLinks™ model was designed by ICMA as a way to enable municipal officials in developing and decentralizing countries to draw on the resources of their U.S. counterparts to find sustainable solutions tailored to the real needs of their cities. It was formalized in collaboration with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in 1997 and has continued to date under several different awards. CityLinks leverages the experience and expertise of ICMA’s membership of 9,000 local government administrators and their professional staffs. It is based on the premise that well-managed cities are the key to efficient service delivery, economic growth, sound management of resources, and political stability. Through CityLinks™ partnerships, the best management practitioners from the United States share technical expertise and resources that help develop the capacity of municipalities to improve the lives of urban residents.

CityLinks partnerships under the Georgia WMTR program will match Georgian municipalities in Kakheti and Adjara with US cities and counties and their communities for hands-on training in innovative and practical solid waste management approaches. Two-way exchanges between pro bono experts will provide tailored assistance and coaching to these municipalities and an opportunity for Georgian municipal and collection company employees to visit the United States and learn about innovative integrated solid waste management (ISWM) practices. The communities and experts that work with WMTR’s Georgian counterparts will include communities that have successfully worked with private sector recycling companies to market and manufacture recycled products as well as cities with ISWM systems aimed at reducing GHG emissions expertise in areas such as optimizing collection routes, methane capture, landfill remediation, and cost/energy saving technological innovations.