The event is being held for recently elected "new" mayors from across the country and will also be open to the students and faculty of the Harvard community.

While in Boston, Hannemann will meet with transit officials to discuss that city's transit system and tour transit-oriented development communities.

His second stop takes him to Concord, N.H., where he will address the ArtsVoteNH group on behalf of the nation's mayors. The organization's Arts & Politics event also offers presidential candidates, who are vying for the New Hampshire primary vote, an opportunity to share their positions on the arts and creative economy.

Hannemann was an early signatory of Mayor Nickel's U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement that encourages cities to take the initiative on climate protection and subscribe to the principles outlined by the Kyoto Protocol. In the absence of federal ratification, the U.S. Conference of Mayors has responded in order to fill the leadership void. The Climate Protection Agreement has now been joined by 720 U.S. mayors.

"We have a very compelling story to tell about our 21st-century ahupua'a and the city's new sustainability plan. It combines the issues of climate protection, sustainability, and self-sufficiency that are critical for Hawaii's future," Hannemann said.

The mayor is a member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors' advisory committee and chairs their standing committee on tourism, arts, parks, entertainment and sports. He was instrumental in having these issues, important to Hawai'i, included in the mayors' 10-point plan.