April Headlines - click to see the full story
24/4/2009 - CEMR's general assembly: A Resolution for the future
24/4/2009 - Mekong region governments commit to UN-HABITAT initiative
23/4/2009 - Cities of Migration webinar
22/4/2009 - Cities and SMEs – lessons learned for effective business support
22/4/2009 - Commission sets out climate change adaption strategy
21/4/2009 - European Development Days Stockholm 2009
20/4/2009 - “Regional Governance in a Global Context”
19/4/2009 - Three Indian Cities Awarded for Environmental Performance
18/4/2009 - Helsinki hailed as Europe’s number one city for entrepreneurs
16/4/2009 - World Habitat Awards 2009
16/4/2009 - Urban Nature
16/4/2009 - 900 Participants at CEMR General Assembly and a wide range of speakers
16/4/2009 - REAL CORP Proceedings now online
15/4/2009 - PLAN4ALL - EU-funded project on HARMONISATION of PLANNING DATA according to INSPIRE-directive
15/4/2009 - ISOCARP Awards for Excellence
15/4/2009 - UNESCO reaffirms its commitment to fight racism at the Durban Review Conference
14/4/2009 - Struggling US towns print their own currency
14/4/2009 - Local authorities come together to prepare a post-Kyoto agreement
11/4/2009 - Lessons from floods in Fargo
10/4/2009 - Hong Kong Government launches $450 million Building Energy Efficiency Funding Scheme
9/4/2009 - Twinning in the Balkans : A CEMR seminar in Sarajevo
9/4/2009 - City Climate Catalogue to influence international climate negotiations
9/4/2009 - UN-HABITAT adopts new gender strategy
9/4/2009 - European cities play key role in implementing local integration policies
8/4/2009 - Creative City Network Call for Presentations
8/4/2009 - mobil.TUM 2009 - International Scientific Conference on Mobility and Transport
8/4/2009 - Effective Emergency Management Organizational Structures to aid local governments
8/4/2009 - Consultation of Regions and Cities on a new strategy for sustainable growth
7/4/2009 - Urban SOS: Distressed Cities, Creative Responses open ideas competition
7/4/2009 - Latin American group discusses urban security
6/4/2009 - Copenhagen aims to be the World's first CO2 neutral capital city
5/4/2009 - Montpelier & Olympia - Capital City Sustainability Challenge
4/4/2009 - UN-HABITAT avails funds for pro-poor housing
3/4/2009 - 22nd Governing Council of UN-Habitat, Nairobi: Cities are part of the answer of the future challenges of humanity
3/4/2009 - World Water Forum in Istanbul: enthusiasm and disappointment
2/4/2009 - New project boosts cities’ role in EU social policy development
2/4/2009 - Territorial subsidiarity IS a word
1/4/2009 - Rio de Janeiro gears up for World Urban Forum
1/4/2009 - UN-HABITAT project to boost urban policing
1/4/2009 - Flemish cities share their experience on urban development
1/4/2009 - New Centre for Sustainable Cities in Bonn!
1/4/2009 - Cities and nations commit to reducing their carbon footprint by consuming sustainably
1/4/2009 - World Toilet Summit & Expo 2009 returns to Singapore
CEMR's general assembly: A Resolution for the future
Over 1,000 representatives of European local and regional authorities have adopted the final declaration and the resolution at the end of CEMR's general assembly, on 24 April 2009 in Malmö.
The Final Declaration puts forward some core principles about the direction we want Europe to take. Amongst these are the need to reinforce the European Union in all its dimensions, and in particular to confront the economic and social crisis; it also stresses the need to guard against the risk that individual governments look to protect their own citizens no matter the cost to others. http://www.ccre.org/communiques_de_presse_detail_en.htm?ID=273
Mekong region governments commit to UN-HABITAT initiative
After a highly successful meeting, representatives from a group of countries from Mekong region reaffirmed their commitment to an initiative by UN-HABITAT aiming to provide water and sanitations to their citizens.
More than 70 representatives from the Governments of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Lao PDR and S.R. Vietnam, the donor community and partner organisations deliberated at the Regional Stakeholders’ Consultations of the Mekong Region Water and Sanitation Initiative (MEK-WATSAN), to obtain broad consensus of participating Governments on the objectives and implementation modalities of the UN-HABITAT supported programme.
At the end of the meeting, the participants appended their signatures to the ‘Hanoi Declaration’, a statement jointly issued by the participating Governments. http://www.unhabitat.org/downloads/docs/Hanoi_Declaration.pdf
Cities of Migration webinar
Join the Cities of London, Toronto and Chicago for Maslaha: Supporting Muslims through the Everyday Dilemmas of Life, an online discussion on the innovative ways that religion and cultural tradition are being used to provide practical advice and promote intercultural understanding in the areas of health, education, finance and civic engagement.
Learn how the Maslaha project is using a rich mix of multimedia, practical advice and cultural tradition to bridge cultural differences and create common ground between Muslim and non-Muslim communities. www.citiesofmigration.ca/integrationlearning-exhange/calendar
Cities and SMEs – lessons learned for effective business support
As part of the first European SME Week taking place on 6-14 May 2009, EUROCITIES is organising a seminar on the practical experience of SME support at the city level. The event is coordinated by EUROCITIES with support from the European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (UEAPME), BarcelonaActiva and the city of The Hague.
The seminar will be held on 8 May 2009, 14.00 - 17.00 at the House of Cities, Regions and Municipalities in Brussels. Ms Maive Rute, EU Commission Director for SME's Competitiveness will join an expert panel including representatives of both cities and SMEs in exploring the experiences of businesses, cities, and decision makers . The objective is to both identify best practice in SME support as well as future challenges, opportunities and tools required to successfully address them.
Deadline for registrations: 4 May 2009 http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/entrepreneurship/sme-week
Commission sets out climate change adaption strategy
On 1 April the European Commission published a White Paper outlining actions needed to strengthen the EU’s resilience in coping with a changing climate; The paper entitled 'Adapting to climate change: Towards a European framework for action' presents a framework within which the EU, Member States and regions can prepare for the impacts of climate change.
A first phase of the strategy will run until 2012 and will lay the groundwork for preparing a comprehensive EU adaptation strategy from 2013 and beyond. It will focus on increasing our understanding of climate change and possible adaptation measures and how adaptation can be embedded in key EU policies. The paper outlines the need for a Clearing House Mechanism to exchange information on climate change risks, impacts and best practices.
Phase II commencing in 2013 will involve the implementation of the EU adaptation strategy with the objective of mainstreaming adaptation and mitigation policies embedding them in key EU policies affecting most sectors and Member States. On 1 September, the Commission will set up an Impact and Adaptation Steering Group with representatives from EU Member States involved in the drawing up of national and regional adaptation programmes and will consult with representatives from civil society and the scientific community. http://www.ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/adaptation/index_en.htm
European Development Days STOCKHOLM 21-23 October 2009
Stakeholders' registration for stands and parallel events are still opened
European Development Days 2009 : please register for participation as exhibitor(stand, exhibition) or as (co)organizer of an event by completing the Stakeholder' participation form. Stakeholders are also invited to suggest speakers to intervene during the event. Requests shall be returned before the 1st June 2009 via dev-days@ec.europa.eu. Concerning Medias partnerships suggestions, please send us your proposals via dev-days-press@ec.europa.eu.
We would also like to invite you to read the form on information and recommendations about the DEV-DAYS website including the list of materials you need to sent to us (via DEV-DAYS@ec.europa.eu) as logos or Success story (it is the new presentation requested from your organisation : one page of success related to one of the main EDDs themes (Climate change, citizenship and democracy, global economic situation).
“Regional Governance in a Global Context”
The European Commission is organising a conference on “Regional governance in a global context” to take place on 11 and 12 May. This conference will focus on how to organise effective systems of governance capable of applying regional development policies. It aims to promote the sharing of experiences between the European Union and other parts of the world.
This conference will bring together representatives from the EU and from countries such as Brazil, Russia and China, and also representatives from regional organisations such as the African Union, MERCOSUR, and WAEMU.
The EU will share its experience gained through Cohesion Policy. In addition, the conference will look at different models of development, cross border co-operation, and the role of European regions in fostering direct partnerships with regions elsewhere. http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/conferences/globalreggov/index_en.htm
Three Indian Cities Awarded for Environmental Performance
ICLEI South Asia (SA) through GTZ ASEM awarded three cities for their performance on environmental and sustainability issues under the Urban Environmental Accords on 13th March in Coimbatore at the International Workshop on Improved Urban Environment.
At the workshop, the final results of the assessment were presented by ICLEI SA. Dr. Regina Dube from GTZ ASEM also presented on the opportunities of implementing urban projects by Municipal Corporations. The Municipal Corporation of Ahmedabad received the first prize, Hyderabad the second and Bhopal the third as the top performing cities according to the review conducted last year. It was also suggested that this review be made an annual affair and all cities were encouraged to participate in this process.
In this context, ICLEI SA has also launched an initiative to document good practices in different cities along with the National Institute of Urban Affairs. All cities are invited to send in their good practices to iclei-southasia@iclei.org. A format for this is available in the website. For more information please contact Ashish Rao Ghorpade at ashish.rao-ghorpade@iclei.org
Helsinki hailed as Europe’s number one city for entrepreneurs
EUROCITIES member Helsinki has come top of the poll in a survey to find the European city that entrepreneurs like best. Other members of the network such as Stockholm, Munich and Malmo, rounded out in the top five.
Nearly 2,400 small-business leaders in 37 cities across 19 countries took part in the ‘European Cities Entrepreneurship Rating (ECER)-Banque Populaire’ survey which checked levels of satisfaction regarding public support for various stages of setting up a company, promotion of entrepreneurship, availability of funding and overall business environment.
Overall, the results show that European entrepreneurs are increasingly satisfied with the environment and level of support for their endeavours in Europe’s cities. According to the survey’s authors, this rise in satisfaction signals that Europe is making progress towards a more entrepreneurial society.
WORLD HABITAT AWARDS 2009
Adequate shelter is crucial for everybody. Whilst its importance is widely recognised there remains massive need - massive need for innovative and sustainable approaches to housing that put people first.
Despite the enormity of the challenges, there are many examples of innovative solutions that finely balance environmental, social and financial aspects. Through the World Habitat Awards, now in its twenty-fourth year, the Building and Social Housing Foundation seeks to identify these solutions and then support the exchange and transfer of good ideas.
Last year’s World Habitat Awards were presented to Champlain Housing Trust, USA and Preventing Typhoon Damage to Housing, Vietnam. Further details of these and many other projects can be found on the World Habitat Awards website at www.worldhabitatawards.org.
There must be many more examples that we don’t yet know of, and that others facing similar challenges could learn a great deal from. Could you contribute to this process? Do you know of projects, people or communities that have a good idea that needs to be shared?
If so, please consider entering or publicising the World Habitat Awards. Entry is simple and full details can be found on the World Habitat Awards website at www.worldhabitatawards.org.
Winning the World Habitat Award not only brings with it a prize of £10,000 and international recognition of your work, but also the opportunity for transfer of the approach through an international study visit to the project, sponsored by the Building and Social Housing Foundation.
Urban Nature
ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability, ICLEI’s Local Action for Biodiversity (LAB) Programme, and IUCN Countdown 2010 invite you to Urban Nature 2009. This international forum on local governance and biodiversity conservation is taking place 12-13 June, 2009, just prior to the ICLEI World Congress 2009 in Edmonton. This event will provide a forum for exchange of ideas and experiences between practitioners in the management and conservation of urban nature in city environments around the world. Participants expected to attend are planners and conservation managers in local government, conservation biology researchers, urban ecologists, communications practitioners, ecotourism practitioners, natural resource economists, social scientists and others. http://www.iclei.org/urban-nature2009
900 Participants at CEMR General Assembly and a wide range of speakers
Some 900 people have registered to take part in CEMR's general assembly in Malmö, between 22 and 24 April 2009.
The final programme features prominent speakers from different backgrounds:
Former CEMR president and chair of the Convention on the future of Europe Valéry Giscard d'Estaing will address delegates in the opening session on 22 April. His contribution will focus on the future of the European Union in the light of the economic and financial crisis and the recent institutional developments (including the Lisbon Treaty).
The vice president of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Eva Srejber, also in the opening session, will address the role of the EIB in relation to the crisis and how the Bank is helping local and regional authorities tackle the worst effects of the economic crisis.
The mayor of Reykjavik Hanna Birna Kristjansdottir will explain how her city, once one of the richest in Europe, is now in the grip of one of the worst crises in its history, and what measures have been taken. http://www.ccre.org/communiques_de_presse_detail_en.htm?ID=269
REAL CORP Proceedings now online
PROCEEDINGS for the international conference REAL CORP 2009, CITIES 3.0: smart, sustainable, integrative, 22 - 25 April 2009, Sitges / Catalunya are already available online for free at www.corp.at
PLAN4ALL - EU-funded project on HARMONISATION of PLANNING DATA according to INSPIRE-directive
Plan4All, co-funded by European Union in the framwork of the eContentplus-programme, will start in May.The harmonisation of spatial planning data according to the INSPIRE Directive based on the existing best practices in EU regions and municipalities and the results of current research projects is the main focus of the eContentplus project Plan4all. The expected results are European forums for SDI in spatial planning, a database of best practices and analysis of best practices in terms of organisation, sharing, harmonisation and SDI recommendations for spatial planning. The whole sector should profit from the availability of understandable and more transparent planning information across Europe. Although there are basically the same ideas and concepts behind urban and spatial planning across Europe, the legal situation is completely fragmented. Current planning laws are disjointed and even experts from one country might have difficulties to understand the planning regulations of a neighbouring country. For investors and decision makers it is almost impossible to compare planning regulations across Europe. Plan4all will significantly contribute to improve this situation. http://www.plan4all.eu/
ISOCARP Awards for Excellence
The International Society of City and Regional Planners – ISOCARP Awards for Excellence are conferred in recognition of exceptionally innovative urban and regional initiatives that best express the theme of the 45th ISOCARP World Congress on “Low Carbon Cities” in Porto, Portugal.
These Awards were created as the highest honour that ISOCARP can award to a city, region or an institution.
The International Society of City and Regional Planners has the pleasure to invite to submit entries for the 2009 ISOCARP Awards for Excellence. http://www.isocarp.org/index.php?id=414
UNESCO reaffirms its commitment to fight racism at the Durban Review Conference
The United Nations will be holding the Durban Review Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, from 20 to 24 April 2009. The main purpose is to evaluate the progress made so far in achieving the goals set by the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in Durban, South Africa, in 2001.
Organized by the United Nations, with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) serving as the Secretariat, the Review Conference will act as a catalyst in fulfilling the promises of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action agreed at the 2001 World Conference. Participants are expected to push forward initiatives and practical solutions to pave the way toward equality and justice everywhere around the world. They will review the progress and assess the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA). http://www.unesco.org/shs/agenda
If you're fresh out of dollars, perhaps a Detroit Cheer, Bay Back or BerkShare will do. Communities across America are bypassing the dollar and creating their own currencies in an attempt to help both consumers and businesses struggling in the recession.
The idea, borrowed from the Depression era when the currencies were known as "scrip", is designed to boost local spending and keep money circulating within the community. Typically, a group of businesses print a new currency which shoppers can then buy at a discount – typically one dollar will cost 90 to 95 cents – and spend at full value with participating companies.
Some of the currencies have been around for years but the recent economic downturn has encouraged others to follow suit. According to some estimates, there are now more than 75 local currency systems across the country.
Others include the Ithaca Hours in upstate New York and the Plenty in North Carolina.
Under US law, small communities can produce their own currency so long as it does not include coins and does not resemble federally-issued money. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/5126185/Struggling-US-towns-print-their-own-currency.html
Local authorities come together to prepare a post-Kyoto agreement
Copenhagen will host the Local Government Climate Change Leadership Summit on the 2-4 of June, 2009. Local authorities from around the world will debate about their role in the new Climate Change agreement, which will be in effect in 2012, succeeding the Kyoto protocol.
Local authorities will aim at strengthening their commitments to counter the consequences of climate changes. They will also present the measures they have taken and their achievements on climate and energy issues.
Local governments will call on national governments to include in the post-2012 climate change agreement, to be adopted in Copenhagen, in December 2009, a reference of local governments' role to help tackle climate change. http://www.kl.dk/ncms.aspx?id=90e67c3c-ec12-40e7-b410-d69a2d4a819e
Lessons from floods in Fargo
People across the nation watched with baited breath last week as residents of Fargo, ND, worked together to save their city from the floodwaters of the Red River. Although their efforts seem to have paid off and the river appears to have crested below the level of the sandbag levees they constructed, the scene easily could have been a replay of the last major floods to hit the region—the ones that swamped Grand Forks, 80 miles downriver, in 1997. But this time, as Fargo grabbed the headlines, there was hardly any mention of Grand Forks; and no news was good news. http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=1487&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=3759&tx_ttnews[backPid]=983&cHash=b3d08ea505
Hong Kong Government launches $450 million Building Energy Efficiency Funding Scheme
The $450 million Building Energy Efficiency Funding Schemes were formally launched today (April 8) with funding from the Environment and Conservation Fund (ECF).
Officiating at the launching ceremony, the ECF Committee Chairman Professor David Lung said,“The funding schemes will encourage building owners to take concrete action for enhancing the energy efficiency performance of buildings.”
The funding schemes provide subsidies to incentivise building owners to conduct energy-cum-carbon audits and energy efficiency projects for their buildings. http://www.c40cities.org/news/news-20090408.jsp
Twinning in the Balkans : A CEMR seminar in Sarajevo
“The efforts Balkan countries have made to move closer to the European Union and to strengthen citizenship through twinning must be supported". This was the message addressed by the mayor of Mostar, Ljubo Bešlic, during. the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR)'s seminar on “Balkan countries participation to the European twinning programme”, held in Sarajevo on 27 March 2009.
The aim of the seminar was to strengthen cooperation between local authorities from Balkan countries and their other European counterparts as part of the twinning programme. The working sessions focused on the needs, objectives, and eligibility conditions for participation of the Balkans to the European programme, as well as on the role national associations could play in this process. http://www.ccre.org/news_detail_en.htm?ID=1581
City Climate Catalogue to influence international climate negotiations
All communities committed to reduce their contribution to climate change are invited to share their climate protection targets in the new Copenhagen World Climate Catalogue of City Commitments to Combat Climate Change.
This new interactive tool was launched on 1 February 2009. Information pooled in the Catalogue will be used to compile a substantial argument for national governments in the international climate negotiations during 2009. http://www.iclei.org/climate-commitments
UN-HABITAT adopts new gender strategy
Member States of the Governing Council that oversees UN-HABITAT's work programme and budget last week gave their blessing to a landmark new gender strategy that will enable the agency to better promote equal opportunities and benefits for women in developing towns and cities, especially in light of the global economic crisis and climate change.
The Gender Equality Action Plan (GEAP) is UN-HABITAT’s most comprehensive and ambitious strategy to date on incoporating gender issues into housing and urban development and into the work needed to create better conditions for the world’s one billion slum dwellers.
http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=6504&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0
European cities play key role in implementing local integration policies
At the INTEGRATING CITIES III Conference "Embracing Diversity - Achieving equal opportunities" in Berlin on April 2, leading policy-makers, experts and practitioners explored options on how cities and their administrations can best contribute to promoting a welcoming, peaceful and productive culture and society. They sent out a clear statement to fight against a roll-back of the achievements made so far due to the economic crisis, and announced a City Charter on Diversity and Equality, that will be published in 2010. http://www.eurocities.eu/include/lib/sql_news_card.php?id=1498
Creative City Network Call for Presentations
The Creative City Network of Canada is pleased to be putting out a Call for Presentations for its upcoming conference in Fredericton, NB, September 9-11, 2009. Researchers, academics and practitioners are invited to submit an abstract detailing a research paper, case study or recent planning initiative on a topic relevant to CCNC conference delegates.
The Creative City Network of Canada (CCNC) is an organization of municipal staff working in communities across Canada on arts, cultural and heritage policy, planning, development and support. The CCNC exists to connect and educate this community of practice, so that they can be more effective in cultural development in our communities. www.creativecity.ca
mobil.TUM 2009 - International Scientific Conference on Mobility and Transport
This year’s international scientific conference mobil.TUM 2009 - ITS for Larger Cities focuses on the dialogue between research on, and applications of this important and multi-faceted field of traffic engineering. State-of-the-art research findings, latest surveys, product innovations, exemplary solutions, and international up-to-date approaches concerning the following topics will be presented and discussed in eight topic specific sessions, a poster session and an international panel discussion. We invite you to discuss these fascinating issues with renowned experts from around the world on 12th and 13th May, 2009. http://www.vt.bv.tum.de/mobil.TUM2009
Effective Emergency Management Organizational Structures to aid local governments.
The Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI), a nonprofit research institute focused on risk management training and education, has released a new book to help local governments prepare and respond to events in their communities. The revised and updated version of Characteristics of Effective Emergency Management Organizational Structures helps emergency managers understand the responsibilities inherent in their jobs, while providing information regarding the expectations citizens have for local government.
Characteristics of Effective Emergency Management Organizational Structures supplies a detailed checklist that can be completed by the emergency manager to help answer the question: How prepared is your community to respond to a disaster? The checklist has been designed to allow the Chief Administrative Officer to quickly determine the capabilities of their local emergency management organization and to identify areas that have the potential for improvement. http://www.riskinstitute.org/bookstore
Consultation of Regions and Cities on a new strategy for sustainable growth
The Committee of the Regions (CoR) has launched a broad consultation on the future of the EU growth and jobs strategy after 2010. The consultation, which will last until 20 April, is open to all local and regional authorities. The current "Lisbon strategy" launched in 2000 to increase Europe's competitiveness runs until 2010.
The local and regional authorities are invited to submit their comments on the future of the Lisbon strategy by answering a questionnaire available in all EU languages: http://www.cor.europa.eu/pages/EventTemplate.aspx?view=folder&id=bb54a097-28c8-4025-88cc-b9f8a63caeb7&sm=bb54a097-28c8-4025-88cc-b9f8a63caeb7
The results of the consultation will be presented and discussed in Brussels during the Open Days week, and be incorporated into the new opinion on the Future of the Lisbon Strategy by CoR member Christine Chapman (UK/PES). This will then constitute the political message that the CoR will address to the 2010 Spring European Council, where the final decision on the future of the Lisbon strategy will be agreed.
Urban SOS: Distressed Cities, Creative Responses open ideas competition
The competition is open to individual or teams of undergraduate and graduate students from all countries in the design and planning fields. Today's built environment needs creative, thoughtful ideas to stabilize challenged urban communities. If you have them, this is your chance to let them shine. $20,000(US) prize; top four entrants will attend the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona in November 2009. http://www.edaw.com/urbansos
Latin American group discusses urban security
Participants from Latin America and Caribbean countries at the 22nd Session of the UN-HABITAT Governing Council held a meeting where the security in urban centres formed the main point of discussion.
Some 38 representatives from the region, including Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Secretariat staff working with Latin American Countries attended the meeting.
With increasing crime and insecurity in cities, the event discussed a road map for the strengthening and establishment of UN-HABITAT’s Safer Cities Programme in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The meeting featured feature presentations on the Guide for Local Governments in Latin America: Local Prevention Guide towards Social Cohesion and Citizen Security Policies developed by University Alberto Hurtado Santiago, Chile and UN-HABITAT. It is based on Safer Cities Programme’s global experience in many cities with many partners. http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=6498&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0
Copenhagen aims to be the World's first CO2 neutral capital city
Copenhagen has set itself the ambitious target of becoming, by 2025, the world’s first CO2 neutral capital city. Within just 16 years, Copenhagen’s total contribution to CO2 emissions is to be reduced to zero.
Copenhagen’s seven mayors are today launching the city’s new climate plan. This comprises 50 specific initiatives to achieve the city’s target of a 20 % reduction in CO2 in the period 2005-2015. With this plan, the mayors are also formulating an ambition for Copenhagen to be CO2 neutral by 2025.
"We are launching an ambitious plan containing very specific initiatives to reduce CO2 emissions significantly. We are inviting the business community and the city's inhabitants to work closely with us to demonstrate that the growth of the city and climate-friendly initiatives go hand in hand", says the Lord Mayor, Ritt Bjerregaard. http://www.c40cities.org/news/news-20090317.jsp
Montpelier & Olympia - Capital City Sustainability Challenge
Two US PLUS Network cities, Olympia (Washington) and Montpelier (Vermont), both state capitals, have launched their Capital City Challenge with a resolution outlining 13 specific sustainability goals. More of a collaboration than a competition, the challenge is a unique co-operative effort between two capital US cities to introduce measures and actions that will accelerate their journey towards sustainability.
Both City Councils prepared parallel resolutions last fall supporting the challenge, and both cities' efforts involve extensive public engagement. The resolutions welcome other cities to take up the challenge. Both cities define sustainability in terms of ensuring that meeting our present needs does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their needs. http://sustainablecities.net/plusnetwork/news-plus/367-montepelier-olympia-challenge
UN-HABITAT avails funds for pro-poor housing
In an attempt to confront the current economic crisis by encouraging pro-poor investment in housing, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, today signed six agreements with project partners from Argentina, Bangladesh, Kenya, Nepal, Tanzania and Uganda with the aim of providing funds for affordable housing and infrastructure.
Known as Experimental Reimbursable Seeding Operations (ERSO), the initiative operates on the basic premise of providing loans, rather than giving grants or donations, as has been the norm in the past for the UN. The loans are provided to local financial institutions, rather than to end users, and these institutions in turn leverage the ERSO loan to provide loans to the urban poor, for house building, improvements and infrastructure upgrading. http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=6488&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0
22nd Governing Council of UN-Habitat, Nairobi: Cities are part of the answer of the future challenges of humanity
On 30 March, over 1000 representatives of national governments, local authorities, UN agencies, NGO and observers gathered in Nairobi, Kenya, for the opening of the 22nd Governing Council of Habitat with the special theme “Promoting affordable housing finance systems in an urbanizing world in the face of the global financial crises and climate change.”
Achim Steiner, Director General of the United Nations Office in Nairobi set the tone of the meeting stating that, in this world facing crisis and climate change, “cities are part of the answer of the future challenges of humanity.”
The message of the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon to the members of the Governing Council further stated that persistence of human poverty was the result of persistence of weak cities’ finances and insufficient access to financing tools. He warned the international community of the risk of not attaining the Millennium Development Goals.
Anna Tibaijuka acknowledged the presence of United Cities and Local Governments and its members as active partners of the deliberations. She further emphasized the fact that the issues of affordable and adequate housing could not be left to the market alone. Regulatory frameworks have to be put in place.
UCLG and the local government delegation are in Nairobi calling for international challenges, such as climate change, the housing and financial crises to be looked at from a governance perspective and not as specialized separate matters. They have further requested that climate change is seen as interlinked with the development agenda of developing countries.
UCLG is further supporting the adoption of international guidelines for service delivery which acknowledge the link between the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals and strengthening the capacity of local authorities to provide basic services for all.
World Water Forum in Istanbul: enthusiasm and disappointment
Population growth, rapid urbanisation and climate change … heighten the pressure on water and sanitation resources, specifically in cities” re-emphasised Kadir Topbaş, Mayor of Istanbul and Co-President of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), at the opening of the Local and Regional Authorities Days of the 5th World Water Forum last week.
More than 250 mayors, vice-mayors and other representatives of cities, towns and regions from 43 countries met on 18 and 19 March 2009 in Istanbul at the invitation of UCLG, ICLEI and the World Water Council to debate key challenges in water and sanitation. “Mayors and local authorities are the pillars of water governance” stated Loïc Fauchon, President of the World Water Council, co-organising the Forum. This was further underpinned by Stephen Kabuye, Mayor of Entebbe (Uganda) and Vice-President of ICLEI, by saying “if there is a concerted effort … tangible improvements can be achieved by actions organised at the local level.
http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=1487&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=3701&tx_ttnews[backPid]=983&cHash=2c7dd8096c
New project boosts cities’ role in EU social policy development
The EUROCITIES Network of Local Authority Observatories on Active Inclusion
A new network which is set to significantly boost the position and visibility of cities in EU social policy development has just been launched by EUROCITIES. Supported with funding from the European Commission, the EUROCITIES Network of Local Authority Observatories on Active Inclusion’ (NLAO) puts cities’ concerns right at the heart of EU and national policy-making in the field of social affairs.
Set up together with member cities Bologna, Prague, Rotterdam, Southampton and Stockholm, the EUROCITIES-NLAO aims to give cities a greater role in the Open Method of Coordination, a method which relies on intergovernmental voluntary cooperation. The five involved cities will set up ‘observatories’ to monitor the local implementation of social policies and identify good practice. These cities will report on governance arrangements; commissioning and procurement practice; and provisions for quality management in a range of social service areas. Particular emphasis will be put on the areas of training/employment as well as social and supported housing. In their research, each observatory will engage with NGOs, the research community and public bodies at national level. EUROCITIES will coordinate this work and produce comparative reports. http://www.eurocities.eu/include/lib/sql_news_card.php?id=1489
Territorial subsidiarity IS a word
The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) has launched a call to the EU institutions to recognize “Territorial Subsidiarity” (TS) as a crucial key towards unlocking a Closer Multilevel Partnership to bring Europe closer to its citizens.
“Territorial Subsidiarity is a new Conceptual and Policy-Oriented Tool (C-POT) for Integrating Territorial Cohesion and Subsidiarity in new forms of Sustainable Governance to meet the objectives of the Post-Lisbon Strategy” said CEMR Secretary-General Jeremy Smith. “It represents an Innovative Bottom-up Framework for Vertical and Horizontal Interaction between the European Institutions, Governments at all levels and stakeholders from civil society and the private sector, where appropriate involving new Proactive Public Private Partnerships (PPPP). We are drawing up a Multi-Dimensional Roadmap to drive forward this initiative.” http://www.ccre.org/news_detail_en.htm?ID=1578
Rio de Janeiro gears up for World Urban Forum
The Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro on Monday formally started preparations of the world’s premier conference on cities which it will host 22-26 March next year under the banner, bridging the urban divide.
At a colourful cocktail party for delegates attending the 22nd Session of the Governing Council of UN-HABITAT in Nairobi, Brazilian Ambassador Mrs. Ana Maria Sampaio Fernandes said her country was ready for the conference known as the World Forum.
Held every two years, the session in Rio will be the fifth following earlier conferences in Naning, China, in 2008, Vancouver, Canada 2006, Barcelona, Spain 2004 and Nairobi, Kenya in 2002.
“As most of you are aware, the World Urban Forum has become, in a few short years, the world’s pre-eminent gathering of minds, of ideas and of actions to make our cities greener, cleaner, economically vibrant and socially more inclusive,” said UN-HABITAT Executive Director Mrs. Anna Tibaijiuka in an address to guests.
UN-HABITAT project to boost urban policing
Police departments in urban centres are being encouraged to have closer collaboration with local authorities and communities, thanks to a new initiative by UN-HABITAT and the Swedish National Police Board.
“This initiative, which is a first of this kind, will address sensitive issues of relationships between police and communities, the role of law enforcement in urban governance, management and planning, and the promotion of democratic policing in cities, and in particular in the context of slum upgrading,” UN-HABITAT Executive Director Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka said in a statement.
This collaboration has been made possible with support from the Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency (SIDA). Over the next three years, UN-HABITAT and Swedish National Police Board will work together to develop and implement a Police Platform for Urban Development which will support partnership between Police, Local Governments and communities. The platform is to be launched on the 5th October 2009 in Stockholm, Sweden, on Word Habitat Day. http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=6449&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0
Flemish cities share their experience on urban development
The Flemish region and the Liaison Agency Flanders-Europe (VLEVA) are organising a conference on urban development in Flanders, on Thursday 28 May in Brussels.
The conference “Urban renewal in Flanders” aims to.encourage the exchange of experiences and views on urban development, through the examples of three Flemish towns. Special attention will be given to the financing of development projects.
Speakers will present and analyse the successes and failures of the cities of Antwerp (470 000 inhabitants), Ghent (220 000 inhabitants) and Deinze (29 000).Patrick Janssens, the mayor of Antwerp, will brief participants on a decade of spatial policy and urban innovation in his city. http://www.ccre.org/news_detail_en.htm?ID=1570
New Centre for Sustainable Cities in Bonn!
Local sustainability has a new home in Bonn, Germany, the ICLEI Bonn Center. Opened officially on 30 March 2009, “it strengthens global advocacy by local governments where actions on climate, ecomobility, and business relations are combined to influence the world’s agenda”, said David Cadman, ICLEI’s President, in the presence of Mayor Bärbel Dieckmann. ‘ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability’ is an association of more than 1050 cities and towns worldwide working to advance sustainability.
The official opening coincided with an important week of climate negotiations in Bonn, underlining the strategic importance of the city for ICLEI.
Cities and nations commit to reducing their carbon footprint by consuming sustainably
Reykjavik, 27 March 2009 - In Iceland's captivating capital, Reykjavik, public authority delegates from 41 nations at the seventh EcoProcura Conference pledged to use their vast economic purchasing power to help fight climate change, by strongly boosting the market for climate friendly products and services. They also called on national governments to put the issue firmly on the agenda in the decisive round of global climate negotiations that are to take place in Copenhagen later this year.
Few are as familiar with the perils of unsustainable consumption as the host of the EcoProcura conference; the City of Reykjavik in Iceland. Over 220 representatives from local governments, national governments and other public sector bodies spent three inspiring and intensive days discussing how sustainable public purchasing practices can make a substantial contribution to climate change mitigation and adaptation. It was all the more fitting when the host nation seized the momentous opportunity to allow delegates to witness the official signing of a new Icelandic public procurement policy, containing firm commitments to buy sustainably by the Ministers of the Environment and Finance.
Home to 313.000 people, the island nation thrives on an abundance of natural renewable energy sources due to its volcanic construction. Iceland's renewed commitment to more responsible purchasing practices will make it easier for its public authorities and businesses to tap into the opportunities offered from increased savings, not only of greenhouse gas emissions, but also from savings in local energy bills from reduced consumption.
World Toilet Summit & Expo 2009 returns to Singapore
Sanitation experts to meet and discuss creating the blueprint for a sustainable sanitation marketplace
31 March 2009, Singapore - Since the inaugural event in Singapore in 2001, the World Toilet Summit series has been held in different countries across the globe annually - from cities in Europe, China and India, to the most recent event held in Macau last year.
The ninth World Toilet Summit & Expo (WTSE) returns to Singapore, and will be held from 2 to 4 December at Suntec Singapore. The event has received strong local support from Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), Restroom Association (Singapore) and Singapore Exhibition and Convention Bureau.
The Driving Theme for 2009 - Continuing discussions from the 2008 event, WTSE 2009 will focus on ‘Creating the Blueprint for a Sustainable Sanitation Marketplace’.
More information on this year’s event is available at www.worldtoiletevents.com.
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