August Headlines - click to see the full story

31/8/2009 - Indian mega-cities creaking
30/8/2009 - UK builds smallest homes in Europe!
29/8/2009 - Trends in Local Renewable Energy
28/8/2009 - Photographing the dynamics of fast growing cities
28/8/2009 - Map from Transport for London shows hottest spots on the Underground
27/8/2009 - 6th European Sustainable Cities & Towns Conference
26/8/2009 - 'Limited Progress' so Far on Copenhagen Climate Deal
25/8/2009 - The Future of the Human Relationship with the City
25/8/2009 - 2009 Review of the European Union Strategy for Sustainable Development
24/8/2009 - Cities reach out to MEPs
23/8/2009 - New York aids homeless with one-way tickets home
22/8/2009 - CCP-NZ Actions Profile released
22/8/2009 - Mexico City, 100 millions pesos to promote bikes in 2009
21/8/2009 - Purchasing IT equipment for 14 municipalities, sustainably
20/8/2009 - US cities in crisis but new solutions are taking hold
20/8/2009 - Singapore to share its progress in waste management infrastructure at World Toilet Summit
19/8/2009 - Smart Growth Principles at Heart of Proposed Livable Communities Act
19/8/2009 - “Madrid will be the third city of Europe”
18/8/2009 - Amazonian Towns Voicing Concerns on Climate
17/8/2009 - African Cities Firmly Part of Copenhagen Preparations
16/8/2009 - Help support the Copenhagen Climate Summit for Mayors
15/8/2009 - Covenant of Mayors at Open Days 2009
14/8/2009 - Paris's Electric Car Sharing Plan
14/8/2009 - 2010 UN-HABITAT Cities Lecture
14/8/2009 - Minister launches landmark planning initiative
13/8/2009 - Chengdu citizen feedback portal
13/8/2009 - Conference announcement - Cities of the Future 2010
13/8/2009 - The changing face of urban terror
13/8/2009 - EU Commission releases survey results on "the Europeans in 2009"
12/8/2009 - Conference announcement - Urban River Restoration 2010
12/8/2009 - City Planners’ Forum at PLDC 2009
12/8/2009 - Brainstorm: Who Are the Top Urban Thinkers?
11/8/2009 - Perth Works: How to Create a Sustainable Neighborhood
10/8/2009 - EUROCITIES survey on recession and recovery in cities
10/8/2009 - White House Office of Urban Affairs launches
10/8/2009 - Register now for Green Streets!
9/8/2009 - New Jersey governor to freeze scandal-hit city's development
7/8/2009 - European mobility week: cities' and towns' contribution
7/8/2009 - Cyprus joins forces with the EIB for sustainable city development
7/8/2009 - NALAS declaration on the economic crisis: do not forget the local level!
7/8/2009 - Youth curfews popular with American cities but effectiveness and legality are questioned
6/8/2009 - 52 Cities in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka involved in Post-Kyoto discussions
6/8/2009 - A new start in Iraq
5/8/2009 - The Copenhagen world catalogue of city commitments to combat climate change
5/8/2009 - Advisory Group to assess alleged evictions in United States
5/8/2009 - Share your succes with the Scottish Urban Regeneration Forum (SURF)
4/8/2009 - IDRC Davos 2010 - what topics would you like to have covered?
4/8/2009 - TINA VIENNA – Launch of “Urban Technology Survey” project
3/8/2009 - European Transport Conference Programme
3/8/2009 - 5 Green Cities of the Future
3/8/2009 - CEMR calls upon Swedish presidency to work with EU's towns and regions
3/8/2009 - Cost for Buildout of Melbourne's New Urban Growth Boundary More Than Twice That of Urban Infill
2/8/2009 - What are the knowledge needs of cities on sustainable urban development?
2/8/2009 - Social dialogue in the local and regional government sector: an overview
1/8/2009 - Istanbul's Most Important Challenges is to Expand its Rail System
1/8/2009 - Supporting innovation for recovery

Indian mega-cities creaking
The mega-cities of the developing world hold an irresistible attraction for migrants from the countryside. But as the cities swell, their need for food, water and energy multiplies. The BBC's Chris Morris asks whether urbanisation is sustainable.
Ujjwal is a 22-year-old labourer sitting outside a makeshift tent in a posh part of New Delhi. By day he works on repaving the road. By night he sleeps on the pavement.
Like millions of Indians, he has migrated to the big city to find work and earn money. It is the only way he can gain any benefit from the mainly-urban economic boom which has swept through this country.
"There are so many more opportunities available here than there are at home," he says.
"You have to work hard and the hours are long. But I don't want to go back to my village in Bengal. I want to stay here in Delhi."
Hundreds of thousands of migrant construction workers live in Delhi alone, many of them working on big marquee projects in advance of next year's Commonwealth Games.
Ujjwal earns about 5,000 rupees ($102) per month and manages to send at least 1,000 rupees home to his family.
But as more and more migrants arrive in Delhi, the pressure on land, on water supplies, and on urban infrastructure intensifies.
India's capital is creaking at the seams.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8219480.stm

UK builds smallest homes in Europe!
"Living in a shoe-box" is becoming the norm for UK residents according to a report from CABE (the British Commission for Architecture and the Built environment).
After a number of UK residents complained about the small size of their new homes, the agency compiled a report "Space in new homes", published earlier this month. According to it, new homes in the UK are the smallest in Europe, offering on average a living area of 76 m².
The average living area is said to be 88 m² in Ireland, 97m² in Spain, 113 in France and 137 in Denmark.
According to residents' complains, the lack of space means that children cannot play indoors, it is impossible to keep several bins for recycling and there is no storage room for an ironing table or the vaccum cleaner.
Previous reports from CABE included topics such as the benefits of open space in local public administration, procurement strategy, school design, etc.

Trends in Local Renewable Energy
The Renewables Global Status Report, 2009 Update tracks renewable energy investment, deployment, and policy developments, among other useful data. It has been published by REN21 - Renewable Energy Networks for the 21st Century a partner of ICLEI.
The report provides a useful overview on city and local government activities on renewable energy. Found on page 20, this municipal update indicates that hundreds of cities worldwide are actively pursuing renewable energy policies as part of their climate strategies.
ICLEI and the Local Renewable Initiative contributed to this city policy section presenting the achievements of the member cities Nagpur, Sao Paulo, and Porto Alegre.
http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=1487&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=4100&tx_ttnews[backPid]=983&cHash=5775a114ef

Photographing the dynamics of fast growing cities
UN-HABITAT has undertaken a worldwide photographic campaign to capture the contemporary dynamics of the city, with a special focus on the interactions between citizens and their urban landscape.
The agency has selected five cities around the world - Johor Bahru in Malaysia; Tetouan in Morocco; Sao Jose dos Campos in Brazil; Hunchun in China and Onitsha in Nigeria. These cities epitomize fast growing and dynamic intermediate sized cities. Although often unexplored, such intermediate and smaller cities are the habitat of the majority of today’s urban dwellers. Additionally, each of these cities is part of a new world of growing trans-border agglomerations.
The world famous photographer Alessandro Scotti – who has also served as United Nations Goodwill Ambassador - will document life in these five cities for UN-HABITAT to contribute to a better understanding of the process of rapid urbanization today.
Mr. Scotti has started working in the first of the five cities, Johor Bahru, which is providing considerable support for the photographic project. This city is the capital of the Malaysian state of Johor, located just across the causeway from Singapore, making it an important trans-border city cluster.
The work will be showcased by UN-HABITAT at up-coming events like the fifth session of the World Urban Forum in Rio de Janeiro and the Shanghai World Expo in 2010.

Map from Transport for London shows hottest spots on the Underground
It is easy to feel sorry for commuters on the London Underground at this time of year, crammed into stuffy carriages with the temperature rising. But some passengers, it appears, are more deserving of pity than others.
A map compiled by Transport for London (TfL) has revealed the hottest spots on the Tube network, notorious for its lack of air-conditioning.
The map, which covers most of the Underground lines in zones one and two, was compiled by TfL officials to identify areas most in need of cooling, but it will be a handy aid for travellers anxious to avoid the worst spots.
For many, it proves that London has indeed become a melting pot. The Central Line — which serves some of the most popular tourist spots such as Oxford Street and St Paul’s Cathedral — is one to avoid on a hot day.
Appropriately coloured red on the London Underground map, the Central Line boasted some of the highest temperatures when the heat map was compiled on July 28 last year — the hottest day. The section covered by the map was above 30C (86F).
The Bakerloo Line, which runs deep under ground, did not fare much better. Between 4pm and 7pm, the majority of its stations were in the highest temperature band, although the discomfort eased as the trains moved south. But even in the coolest stations the temperature hovered at about 25C. In previous tests, temperatures in some carriages during the summer have exceeded 35C, which would make the network officially unfit for transporting cattle.
At the beginning of June, the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, announced the first trial of air-conditioned trains, which should provide welcome relief for commuters on the Metropolitan Line next summer. By 2015 they will be running on the District, Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith and City lines at a cost of £1.56 billion for 191 trains.
But TfL faces a bigger problem when it comes to the rest of its network, which is built far deeper under ground — more than 220ft in the case of the Northern Line. The new trains, which have air-conditioning units installed in the roof, do not fit into the smaller tunnels of the deep-level network.
TfL has set up a Cooling the Tube team to look at options for air-conditioning its deep-level trains. A long-term solution has proved elusive so far, however, and efforts have been limited to expanding ventilation shafts and installing industrial fans.
http://www.eukn.org/eukn/news/2009/08/Map-from-Transport-for-London-shows-hottest-spots-on-the-Underground_1011.html

6th European Sustainable Cities & Towns Conference
Delivering Sustainable Cities – The Local leadership Challenge
The Dunkerque 2010 conference will explore how local sustainability can represent an answer to the current economic, social and climate challenges and how it can be further implemented at the European level under the actual financial and political frameworks. It will also offer a unique opportunity to assess and push forward the progress and achievements of European local governments in the field of sustainable development.
After the successful conferences of Aalborg 1994, Lisbon 1996, Hanover 2000, Aalborg 2004 and Sevilla 2007, more than 1000 local government leaders as well as representatives of local government networks, European institutions and NGOs are expected to take part in the largest European conference dedicated to local sustainable development.
The conference is jointly organised by the Metropolitan Council of Dunkerque and the ESCT Campaign partners, who bring together the experience of several European local government networks and cites.
For more information on the conference, please visit www.dunkerque2010.org .
Do not hesitate to contact us at secretariat@dunkerque2010.org

'Limited Progress' so Far on Copenhagen Climate Deal
On 14 August 2009, the latest round of week-long, international climate talks concluded in Bonn. The informal consultations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) were intended to cut down the negotiating text, which swelled to over 200 pages after the last talks in Bonn in June.
Whilst some progress in Bonn was made in narrowing down options in the negotiating text, governments also discussed technical issues such as how mid-term (2020) emission reduction pledges of industrialised countries could be translated into legally binding targets as a key component of the Copenhagen deal.
http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=1487&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=4096&tx_ttnews[backPid]=983&cHash=0c2c4ab82c

The Future of the Human Relationship with the City
A recent episode of the Australian radio program Future Tense examines how humans interact with the city and how it will likely change in the future.
"In this program we look at the way we engage with the city. What do we need to take into account to ensure greater harmony between our future needs as individuals and the needs of the metropolis."
The show looks at the city, "its location, how it now senses and interacts with us, and how we can start understanding it in a more meaningful context."
The program includes interviews with Adam Greenfield, author of Everyware: The Dawning Age of Ubiquitous Computing, architect Bert de Muynck, Professor Richard Florida, and Dr Tony Fry of the Design Futures Program, at Griffith University.
http://www.planetizen.com/news/redirect_new.php?id=40166-0

2009 Review of the European Union Strategy for Sustainable Development
The report provides information on the evolving role of sustainable development in European Union (EU) policy-making, policy progress on the EU’s sustainable development strategy and how this strategy can be taken to the future.
http://ec.europa.eu/sustainable/docs/com_2009_400_en.pdf

[ANCHOR:47]Cities reach out to MEPs
The European Parliament (EP) will resume its work from next week and EUROCITIES already approached most Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) with an invitation for closer cooperation with European major cities during the coming 5-year term of the EP.
Following the June EP elections, only around half the previous MEPs returned to Brussels. EUROCITIES decided to launch a manifesto to introduce itself to new MEPs, as well as reconnect with the returning ones.
This is also an opportunity to spell out EUROCITIES’ priorities for the coming years and invite MEPs to work on those issues alongside European cities. Among these key issues are
- the future EU budget
- cohesion policy, as well as the delivery on the EU’s main strategies including
- economic recovery,
- high-quality public services and
- climate change.
From September, the European Parliament will be in full swing, with all its Committees back at work. EUROCITIES will be following all relevant committees, and in particular the EP Committee for Regional Development, which is now chaired by Danuta Hübner, until recently the European Commissioner for Regional Development.
EUROCITIES would welcome the re-establishment of an Intergroup on urban issues, an initiative currently being driven by MEP Jan Olbrycht and which counts on the support of several MEPs, including Ms. Hübner.

New York aids homeless with one-way tickets home
New York City offers one-way tickets to any homeless person wishing to leave the city. This is New York mayor's solution put into effect to reduce homelessness in the city.
In New York, the legislation requires.the provision of emergency shelter to homeless people. It costs New York's taxpayers $36,000 to put up a homeless family in a night shelter for a year, awhile the cost of shelter for a homeless individual is $23,000 per year.
In two years, the Bloomberg administration has paid for more than 550 families to leave the city, as a way of keeping them out of the expensive shelter system. Some families were repatriated to South Africa, some others to Puerto Rico and even France.
This solution to the homeless problem is source of much criticism. Anywhere but here is the mentality, Arnold Cohen, head of Partnership for the Homeless, a leading advocacy group, said. In a short time, those folks can fall in homelessness again and become a burden on that municipality or they might come back to this city.

CCP-NZ Actions Profile released
New Zealand councils’ climate change abatement actions save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
A new report shows that a programme working with New Zealand local government has helped the sector save over 400,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas since 2004.
“While climate change policy is high on the global agenda, local government councils are actively engaged in implementing measures to reduce the size of the problem.
“Emission-reducing actions range from capturing landfill gas and methane from wastewater treatment to generate electricity, to cutting electricity and costs by retrofitting buildings, improving street lighting, and through support for public and active transport measures,” said Mr Steve Gawler, Interim CEO of ICLEI Oceania.
http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=8502&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=4026&tx_ttnews[backPid]=6112&cHash=006b12c0fb

Mexico City, 100 millions pesos to promote bikes in 2009
In an effort to get people to use their bikes instead of their cars, the government of Mexico City is building bike parking as part of its Cambiate de Carril, or Change Your Lane, project. The Institute for Transport and Development Policy in Mexico provided advice to the city government for the design and location of bicycle parking facilities along streets and at mass transit stations.
Martha Delgado Peralta, Secretary of Environment of Mexico City and elected ExCom member of ICLEI says: “Mobility Strategy seeks to return time, money, health and life quality, to the city’s inhabitants by fostering a mobility model based in people not using cars. The intention is to make bicycle a safe and viable transportation option, adapting international experiences to the conditions and necessities of Mexico City. Our Government’s goal is to raise the percentage of daily trips by bike from one to five percent by 2012, currently, around 120 thousand trips by bicycle take place in the City every day, and this year the budget assigned to the tasks of increasing bicycle use is of 100 million pesos for the creation of cycling infrastructure, like bike parking facilities, and to foster the bicycle culture”
http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=1487&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=4095&tx_ttnews[backPid]=983&cHash=b350fad849

Purchasing IT equipment for 14 municipalities, sustainably
The Procura+ Sustainable Procurement Campaign keeps growing. This June the 29th Member joined from Portugal, an agency purchasing for 14 municipalities in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. So far the organisation's activities since 2007 have saved the municipalities 1,5 million Euro.
This new Member is the CCE or Central Electronic Purchasing Organisation of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. Joining the Procura+ Campaign was their first step to implement sustainable procurement.
Already in 2009, the tenders issues by CCE include a wide range of environmental criteria. Thanks to a collaboration with the National Institute of Engineering, Technology and Innovation (INETI), new criteria for tenders are created and spreading throughout the region. Already associated with Procura+, INETI is fostering the kind of cooperation that develops national sustainable procurement networks.
http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=1487&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=4094&tx_ttnews[backPid]=983&cHash=254c7f5ae4

US cities in crisis but new solutions are taking hold
America’s cities are fighting foreclosures, stalled development and budget shortfalls on a scale not seen in a generation. But innovation is taking root in the empty spaces left by economic retreat. A look at how tomorrow’s American cities will be leaner - and greener.
Empty water bottles littered the table in front of Ray Nagin, whose shaved head reflected the florescent lights above. On a damp night in early December 2008, the New Orleans mayor had come before the city council to discuss the US$1.1 billion municipal budget it had just passed after 12 hours of contentious debate. To Nagin’s dismay, the council had unanimously rejected the property tax increase he’d proposed to counter a looming $24 million deficit. As he struggled to control his infamous temper, the embattled leader warned that the city, still struggling after Katrina, was headed for fiscal calamity. “2009 will be a challenge,” he said. “2010 will be a train wreck.”
Ray Nagin is not the only one quaking in city hall. Go to nearly any American city and you’ll see the red ink bleeding onto the pavement. On Smith Street, the epicenter of Brooklyn’s erstwhile brownstone boom, a note taped to the window of a hipster clothing store advertises a two-for-one sale on $98 “vintage-inspired” sweaters. In Fresno, California, skateboarders perfect ollies in the drained swimming pools of foreclosed homes. On the shore of Lake Michigan, an unmoving crane guards the inactive construction site of the Santiago Calatrava–designed Chicago Spire condominium tower. Once touted as a glamorous symbol of the Second City’s resurgence, the twisting, undulating skyscraper is now making humbler headlines.
http://www.eukn.org/eukn/news/2009/08/US-cities-in-crisis-but-new-solutions-are-taking-hold_1007.html

Singapore to share its progress in waste management infrastructure at World Toilet Summit
Participants of the World Toilet Summit 2009 can draw useful lessons from Singapore’s tremendous progress in its waste management infrastructure evolving from the bucket system 40 years ago, to the state-of-the-art Deep Tunnel Sewerage System today, says Singapore’s Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong.
In a congratulatory message for the World Toilet Summit & Expo 2009 (WTSE 2009), Mr Goh said: “In fact, we have gone beyond the provision of basic sanitation to the business of recycling used water, which is a solution that may appeal to cities with severe water shortage.”
WTSE 2009 is organised by the Singapore-based World Toilet Organization (WTO) and MP Asia, in partnership with Asian Development Bank (ADB), with support from local partner Restroom Association, Singapore. The three-day conference and trade exhibition will be held from 2 - 4 December 2009 at Suntec Singapore. WTSE will be opened by Mr Lim Swee Say, Minister, Prime Minister’s Office.
Mr Goh further points out in this message that more work needs to be done to raise standards of sanitation.
“Beyond the provision of infrastructure and public health facilities, there are areas where work needs to be done, such as changing people’s mindsets concerning design, maintenance and proper usage of toilets. In this regard, NGOs, such as the WTO, together with government, private sector and community stakeholders, can play an active role to help develop, educate and propagate sustainable sanitation solutions and standards.”
He observes too that today, 2.5 billion people around the world still do not have access to proper sanitation.
“I am glad that the WTO, a non-government organisation that started in and continues to operate from Singapore, has taken up the challenge to garner support and action for this critical but unglamorous area of life,” he says.
WTSE 2009 will focus on “Creating the Blueprint for a Sustainable Sanitation Marketplace”.
The three-day summit will feature two keynote addresses: by Mr Arjun Thapan, Director-General, ADB Southeast Asia Department, Philippines, and Professor Tommy Koh, Chairman, Asia-Pacific Water Forum.

Smart Growth Principles at Heart of Proposed Livable Communities Act
Increasingly, "people are commuting longer distances on more crowded roadways," at the twin cost of "precious hours they could be spending with their families" and "precious dollars wasted on gas," said Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee Chairman Chris Dodd of Connecticut, moving to help towns and regions cut congestion, greenhouse gas emissions and fuel consumption while saving open space, expanding affordable housing and revitalize Main Streets and urban centers, through his Livable Communities Act with more than $4.1 billion in grants.
http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7223&state=52

“Madrid will be the third city of Europe”
"When Polish people want to express that they are living in luxury, they say they feel like they are living in Madrid. In other words, to people in Poland, Madrid stands for greatness," Ignacio Niño, Chief Executive Officer of 'Madrid Global' states. “However, in general the international perception of Madrid is still very different from this reality of the city. In the past few decades many things have changed in the city, for example in relation to public transport, culture and human resources. These changes have taken place so rapidly, that the international perception of Madrid could not keep up with it.” In order to adapt the international perception of the city to its current reality, the Madrid Global Strategy, an extensive city marketing plan, was set up. “We believe that in the future, Madrid will be seen as the third city of Europe, after London and Paris. In international rankings and benchmarks we are often listed as the third or fourth city already. Now people should also come to perceive the city as such.”
Through Madrid Global, the Office of International Strategy and Action attempts to portray Madrid as a great place, a city that symbolizes the good life. The city is striving to gain international strength and spread its influence beyond its role as Spain's capital. Madrid does not only aspire to become the third European capital after London and Paris, but also to be the motherhood of Spanish and Latin American cities, a node between cultures and continents, and a dynamic urban reference for developing cities.
http://www.eukn.org/eukn/news/2009/08/interview-ignacio-nino_1009.html

Amazonian Towns Voicing Concerns on Climate
From 7 to 10 October 2009, the Amazonian Summit of Local Governments will take place in Manaus, Brazil, promoted by The National Confederation of Municipalities (CNM), the Amazonian Association of Municipalities (AAM) and the City Hall of Manaus; The event is supported by ICLEI-LACS, FLACMA/UCLG and CIFAL Atlanta.
The aim of this event is to strengthen the municipalities of nine countries that integrate the Amazon region trough a strategic representation for the 15th Conference of Parties, in Copenhagen, December 2009.
The Summit focuses on promoting the potentiality of the local governments of this region, by formulating a strategy to include the Amazon forest in the global climate negotiations and also to share experiences and know-how.
Taking into account the vital importance of the Amazon forest for the world climate balance, the Summit will address the engagement with economic sustainability, local governance and forest management.

Among other issues, it will be discussed:

• fair remuneration for sustainability
• life improvement and forest people rights
• integration of local public policies

For more information, please visit www.cupula.cnm.org.br (website in Portuguese).

African Cities Firmly Part of Copenhagen Preparations
Cities from all over Africa prepared their contribution to the Local Government Climate Roadmap, at a summit in July 2009.
The main aim of the Summit was to mobilize African Local Governments to actively engage towards a strong Climate Agreement in Copenhagen in December 2009 at the UNFCCC COP15 and to ensure that local governments are formally recognized as key climate change role players.
These outcomes will also be formally presented to the National Department of Environmental Affairs National Climate Consultation session on 4 August 2009 and subsequently fed into the African National Climate Change negotiating process.
http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=1487&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=4069&tx_ttnews[backPid]=983&cHash=4a7c7031e7

Help support the Copenhagen Climate Summit for Mayors
All cities and local authorities committed combatting climate change are invited to share their climate protection targets in the new World Climate Catalogue of City Commitments to Combat Climate Change.
This initiative is a supportive element of the Copenhagen Climate Summit for Mayors, which is set to take place in parallel with the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP 15) in December 2009.
The catalogue is an interactive tool which pools information that will be used to build a strong case for local climate action to persuade national governments negotiating the international climate negotiations in 2009. Copenhagen, host of the COP15, together with ICLEI, are responsible for the catalogue.
The aim is to capture and disseminate useful information on as many local targets as possible. In a second phase the objective is to also collect and share interesting local developments and effective climate protection implementation actions that lead to substantial GHG reductions in the Catalogue. The focus is on energy savings, energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources.
All cities, towns, villages and counties may contribute to the catalogue, at no cost. As a minimum contributors must provide information on their existing targets, e.g. carbon dioxide reduction targets, renewable energy and energy saving targets - for the corporate (municipal) and whole community; current status in meeting these; main results achieved thus far; city website address; city logo; city image; and a contact person.
Sign up now! The more cities join the catalogue, the greater the support for local climate action.
http://www.iclei-europe.org/index.php?id=6860

Covenant of Mayors at Open Days 2009
The Covenant of Mayors Office warmly invites all Covenant signatories and Supporting Structures to two thematic workshops that will take place on 6 October 2009 in Brussels during the Open Days 2009 - the major European event targeting cities and regions.
One thematic workshop will focus on the process of preparing a Sustainable Energy Action Plan and an Inventory of Emissions. What methodologies are popular and efficient? How does the Covenant deal with different needs of cities? How much flexibility is there regarding the Action Plan? Cities and local authorities will find the answer in this workshop.
The second thematic workshop is about the role of Supporting Structures in the Covenant of Mayors. Are you a national and regional public body, county, province, agglomeration, NUTS III area, potential mentor city or network of local and regional authorities with an ambition to support the cities in your territory in achieving their Covenant objectives? Do you wish to become a Covenant Supporting Structure? Do you want to know how to join and what benefits you get from joining the Covenant of Mayors? Interested partners will find the answers in this workshop.
Registration to the Covenant thematic workshops is open at the Open Days website. We strongly recommend you to register as soon as possible as the workshops are open for all Open Days participants (not reserved for Covenant signatories only) and the number of places is limited!
http://www.eumayors.eu/calendar/show_event_en.htm?id=44

Paris's Electric Car Sharing Plan
A plan to make 4,000 electric cars available for Parisians to pick up and drop off at rental stands still has some kinks to be worked out. Could the City of Lights soon become the City of Electric Cars? Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoë, building on the success of the city's popular Vélib curbside bike rental scheme, is planning to deploy a fleet of 2,000 electric cars that customers can pick up and drop off at rental stands around the city. Another 2,000 vehicles will be offered in two dozen surrounding cities.
The green scheme, dubbed Autolib (short for "automobile" and "liberté"), is scheduled for launch as early as the end of 2010, although city officials say the startup date could be closer to mid-2011. Advocates say the system would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 22,000 tons a year while improving traffic congestion as fewer Paris residents would need to own cars. It would be the first major city to offer such a service. "This could revolutionize transport," Delanoë told French radio station RMC when he first proposed the program in June 2008.
Now, after numerous delays, Autolib is finally going forward, with the formation this summer of an intergovernmental council for Greater Paris that will oversee the scheme. The city hasn't yet revealed how much Autolib is expected to cost, but French newspaper Le Parisien pegs the price tag at $14 million (€9.9 million) to build some 1,400 self-service rental and recharging stations around Paris and adjacent suburbs. The government for the French region that includes Paris, known as Île-de-France, will also reportedly contribute $4 million, according to daily paper Le Figaro. (Spokespeople for both government bodies would not confirm the figures.) http://www.eukn.org/eukn/news/2009/08/Paris-s-Electric-Car-Sharing-Plan_1005.html

2010 UN-HABITAT Cities Lecture
UN-HABITAT is pleased to inform you of the opening of nominations for the 2010 UN-HABITAT Cities Lecture which will be held during the fifth session of the World Urban Forum (22-26 March, 2010, Rio de Janeiro).
The UN-HABITAT Cities Lectures is a series organized by the Global Research Network on Human Settlements (HS-Net) to stimulate global dialogue on cities as well as capture and disseminate new thinking and approaches intended to address the multi-faceted challenges of sustainable urbanization. The Lecture Series is also designed to enhance global awareness of sustainable urbanization issues in particular, and of the Habitat Agenda in general.
Individuals who meet the following criteria will be eligible:

• Prominent personality within the human settlements field with an international reputation and recognition;
• Significant and original contribution to human settlements research, thinking and practice;
• Development of cutting-edge, innovative and influential human settlements concepts and approaches; and
• Ability to deliver an exciting and thought-provoking lecture.
• The selected individual receives an Award of US10,000 and a commemorative plaque signed by the Executive Director of UN-HABITAT. He/she is expected to deliver a lecture during WUF 5.

To nominate a candidate, please submit the following documents to the HS-Net Secretariat (hs-net@unhabitat.org):

• Full CV of the candidate, including a list of publications; and
• Statement of support for the candidate (not more than two pages).

The deadline for nominations is 30 October 2009. Further information on the UN-HABITAT Cities Lectures is available at the following page: http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?typeid=19&catid=328&cid=6994

Minister launches landmark planning initiative
Planning that prioritises walking, cycling and public transport ahead of motor cars is the centrepiece of Healthy Spaces and Places, a major national initiative, unveiled today at the annual Built Environment Meets Parliament (BEMP) Summit at Parliament House Canberr
In an Australian first, health, local government, planning and design experts have worked together to produce a national guide for creating sustainable communities in which healthy living is a key priority.
Funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing and announced by the Minister for Indigenous Health, Rural and Regional Health and Regional Service Delivery, the Hon Warren Snowden MP, Healthy Spaces and Places is a unique collaboration between the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), the National Heart Foundation of Australia and the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA).
‘Australia has unprecedented levels of preventable disease,’ said Dr Lyn Roberts, CEO – National, Heart Foundation. ‘Cardiovascular disease kills one Australian nearly every 10 minutes. It affects more than 3.7 million Australians and prevents 1.4 million of us from living a full life because of disability caused by the disease. Overweight and obesity is affecting about half of Australian adults and up to one in four children.’
‘The Heart Foundation is dedicated to helping all Australians reduce their risk of developing preventable conditions such as heart disease. Healthy Space and Places helps professionals create environments that encourage us to be active,' Dr Roberts said.
Neil Savery, PIA’s National President, said Healthy Spaces and Places is ground breaking for planners, designers and the related professions. ‘Healthy Spaces and Places spells out why we planners and our design colleagues must give priority to planning for people rather than private transport movements.
ALGA President Cr Geoff Lake said the recent announcement by the Australian Government of the $1 billion Community Infrastructure Program underlines the importance of designing and creating healthy environments to nurture active and vibrant communities.
“I strongly believe councils and governments can work together to plan sensitive, well-designed facilities and public spaces that will meet the needs of local residents now and into the future,” he said. “Healthy Spaces and Places achieves this important goal.”
For more information about Healthy Spaces and Places, go to: www.healthyplaces.org.au

Chengdu citizen feedback portal
Chengdu, the capital of China’s Sichuan province, has launched an interactive forum on its government web site (chengdu.gov.cn/xinxiang) and a “Mayor-mail” hotline to give citizens the opportunity to give feedback and make suggestions regarding public services.
The City Information Office has integrated the telephone and internet platforms so that contacts made via the 12345 mayoral telephone number are inputted into the same information management system.
The portal will be open to all city, county and district departments to enter directly. Currently, the authorities receive on average 36 letters from the public every day.
Meanwhile, the municipal government of Chengdu is setting up an intranet that offers a consultation service that for local authorities on how to deal with public complaints and administrative matter, and what and how to publish online.
By the end of the year, most Chengdu authorities are expected to be posting web content for public consumption on the internet.
Zhang Wen, the Deputy Secretary for Urban Management in Chengdu, commented: “The idea is to make the government more transparent by opening it up to the citizen, to promote openness and justice, and effective governance.”

Conference announcement - Cities of the Future 2010
As a new, innovative conference, Cities of the Future will address the unprecedented stress put on our infrastructures and ecosystems via exponential population growth, climate change, water shortages, economic turmoil, and environmental degradation. Fortunately, technological advances, volunteerism, and citizens of sustainability offer a promise for the future. Taking place in Boston, Massachusetts, March 7 – 10, 2010, this conference will connect energy-efficient infrastructure with green, water-centric landscapes in order to conserve water resources, reduce energy use and it’s associated carbon footprint, and improve quality of life.
Cities of the Future will be held in conjunction with an equally new and innovative conference, Urban River Restoration, which will discuss how to blend the functional aspects of a working aquatic ecosystem with the urban needs for recreation, parklands, transportation, and urban ecology. The variety of topics covered in these two conferences offer participants the ability to customize their learning agendas. Please visit www.wef.org/CitiesoftheFuture for more information.

The changing face of urban terror
The media has focused on urban terrorist attacks in New York, London and Madrid but paid little attention to the impact of terrorism – much of it state-led – in cities in the south. The effects of urban terror – on livelihoods, development and governance – are greatest in the cities of less developed countries.
A paper from the London School of Economics, in the UK, shows that cities in the world’s poorer countries experience terrorist acts with greater frequency and with more devastating effect than in economically advanced countries.
When cities in developing countries – particularly those in the Islamic world – are discussed in relation to terrorism, it is often in the context of ‘breeding grounds’ for international terrorists, trained and headed for urban targets in the north. What is forgotten is that many cities in the south have been targeted – from Karachi and Mumbai, to Nairobi and Bogotá. http://www.id21.org/urban/u1jb1g3.html

EU Commission releases survey results on "the Europeans in 2009"
The European Commission has published a Eurobarometer survey “The Europeans in 2009”. Citizens were asked about their opinion towards the European institutions, the economic crisis, their living conditions and expectations for.the future.
This survey of 30.232 people across Europe was carried out from 16 January to 22 February 2009, at a time when European public opinion was engulfed by an economic crisis. The main developments in European public opinion at the beginning of 2009 were as follows:
Support for EU membership remained stable. Half of Europeans continued to believe that their country's membership of the EU was a good thing. They remained convinced that their country had benefited from being a member of the Union. Trust in the EU was also intact, and trust in the national governments increased slightly.
Trust in the European institutions had declined: a strong drop in confidence in the European Parliament is noted (-6%, 45%). For the European Commission, a considerable drop in trust had also occurred since autumn 2008 (-5%, 42%).
Close to a quarter of Europeans felt that the EU's role in the national economy was negative, over a third held this view when it came to fighting unemployment and over two out of five Europeans gave a negative verdict about the EU's role in fighting rising prices and inflation.
Europeans most want the European institutions to emphasise economic affairs (40%) in order to strengthen the European Union in the future. Social and health issues are mentioned next (27%), followed by the fight against crime (24%), immigration and energy issues (23% each).

Conference announcement - Urban River Restoration 2010
Lately, urban rivers and waterways are at the center of two major trends: an increased focus on sustainable practices and a population shift back into cities. Past industrial practices have often made the urban waterway a maintenance-laden eyesore in otherwise vibrant cities, but advances in management of stormwater and urban water quality have caused dramatic improvements in the functionality and utility of our rivers.
Held in Boston, Massachusetts, March 7 – 10, 2010, the Urban River Restoration conference will focus on accelerating this recovery that will restore the river to the heart of the city, by blending the functional aspects of a working aquatic ecosystem with the urban needs for recreation, parklands, transportation, and urban ecology. As an equally new and forward-thinking conference, Cities of the Future 2010 will be held in conjunction with Urban River Restoration, offering a diverse range of topics in which participants may customize their learning curriculums. Please visit www.wef.org/UrbanRiver for more details.

City Planners’ Forum at PLDC 2009
On Wednesday, 28. October, 2009, prior to the three-day Professional Lighting Design Convention, PLDC in Berlin, the PLDC team will be staging a one-day forum dedicated to urban planners and decision makers at local government level. The forum will comprise lectures on Urban Lighting Strategies: What they are and what benefits they incorporate; reports on Urban Lighting Solutions that demonstrate the economic and social benefits of designed lighting schemes; real information about Energy Issues: What is energy efficient lighting, which technologies are sustainable and what perspectives do LEDs offer.
All papers will allow ample time for questions and answers.
The afternoon session will offer a first-time-ever opportunity for public clients to meet lighting consultants and designers in a Client Meets Designer format.
In this day and age urban lighting strategies are the intelligent way forward for towns and cities that wish to enhance their respective urban environments for people living and working there, improve the town’s economy by attracting people to spend more time and money in town centres, and make their urban centres interesting and attractive for visitors and tourists.
Attending the City Planner’s Forum, CPF will upgrade the knowledge in all matters regarding designed lighting in the urban environment. You can put yourself in a position to make an educated decision when it comes to the lighting in your town or city. Invest sensibly to get the best result for your town and its communities.
The City Planners’ Forum is supported by the Professional Lighting Designers’ Association, PLDA, who have contact to lighting professionals around the globe and LUCI, Lighting Urban Community International.
The Forum will be held in English, but professional lighting designers from different countries will be available to consult. The Client Meets Designer session can therefore be held in a language of your choice.

Brainstorm: Who Are the Top Urban Thinkers?
Planetizen is creating a list of the most important people who have shaped urban places, and we want to know what you think. Vote on people nominated by the Planetizen community, or suggest your own.
Planetizen is pleased to announce a new crowdsourcing experiment to rank the most influential urban thinkers of all time. Using our online polling system, users get 15 votes to nominate their own choices and vote on the choices of others. On Sept. 10th, we'll release the official results of the Top 50 Urban Thinkers poll. We've thrown in a small handful of ringers to get the conversation started.
Whenever we put together a list such as this, there is inevitably controversy. First is the question of what we actually mean by the "top" urban thinkers. What about Le Corbusier (below), who remains an influential figure in architecture but has been labeled Enemy Number One by urban planners? Like Time Magazine, we've left the definition deliberately vague to encompass those who've had the most influence on the way we think about cities and/or how cities are shaped, for better or for worse.
We invite you to be creative and suggest urban planners, architects, artists, or everyday people. Author Upton Sinclair, for instance, would be a legitimate choice for his work as a muckraker and social activist in the city of Chicago. Reaching back to historical figures like Vitruvius or figures outside of the Western canon is also highly encouraged. Have fun, and as another Chicagoan once said, vote early and vote often. http://feedback.planetizen.com/pages/25539-who-are-the-top-urban-thinkers-

Perth Works: How to Create a Sustainable Neighborhood
Inspired by ''The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of American Dream'' (2004) documentary, a small group in Perth -- 6,200 residents, some 47 miles west of Ottawa, Ontario -- began to discuss the possibility of local green housing in 2005, created Perth Works, ''a concept and a process'' for a real sustainable neighborhood, and involved students from Algonquin College's Construction Carpentry Advanced Housing program to build the first SmartHome and the first DoubleSmart duplex, with Victoria Times Colonist writer Patrick Langston commending the project for its new urbanism, smart growth and green construction principles.
Expected to eventually include a 30-to 40-unit mix of single-family homes, townhouses and condos on a 2.3-acre former public-works site, the project was shepherded through a community planning charrette and public hearings hearings by architect Geoff Hodgins, consultant Alfred von Mirbach, and Town Director of Planning Eric Cosens, and launched with seed money from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).
''There's lots of green interest in Perth, but a lot of those people don't actually live in the town,'' pointed out architect Hodgins, noting that they ''have to wait for an old house to come up for sale'' and then decide on its retrofit. http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7213&state=54&res=1280

EUROCITIES survey on recession and recovery in cities
As part of EUROCITIES' ongoing work on the recession and cities, a new online survey has been developed in conjunction with city representatives. Building on smaller scale research undertaken earlier in the year, the purpose of this investigation is to determine true impacts of the recession in cities, what trends may be observable in these impacts, and what actions cities are undertaking to respond to the challenges presented.
To undertake the survey please visit http://www.surveymonkey.com/City-Recession-Recovery
Note that only one survey should be taken per city, and that member cities should contact their internal EUROCITIES contact officer who has received information on the research already.
For more information please contact john.dodd@eurocities.eu

White House Office of Urban Affairs launches
The president’s pet project for American cities finally gets off the ground. Can it stand out in a crowd?
After weeks of uncertainty and anticipation, the White House Office of Urban Affairs has rolled off the assembly line. The office is designed to facilitate and coordinate programs that improve the lives of city dwellers, from the food served in urban classrooms to the bolts that gird subway lines.
President Barack Obama has finally addressed what had been a prominent pledge during his campaign, to “stop seeing cities as the problem and start seeing them as a solution.” Via a combination of city-centric forward planning in the 2011 federal budget and Recovery Act projects already underway, Obama plans to enact “a vision of vibrant, sustainable places that provide our children with every chance to learn and to grow, and that allow our businesses and workers the best opportunity to innovate and succeed.”
The crowd at the rollout of the office spoke to the multifaceted mandate it has been given. From Labor Secretary Hilda Solis to green jobs adviser Van Jones to drug czar Gil Kerlikowske, the White House gathering underscored the ambition of the Urban Affairs office. “This is a full-court press,” said Adolfo Carrion, the Bronx borough president turned director of the Office of Urban Affairs, speaking for the first time in public about the office. “We need to run on two tracks. We're dealing with a current crisis, and we also have to look at long-term events.”
It’s this tension—between a national mandate and Washington bureaucracy, sweeping ambitions and desperate immediate needs—that defines the office’s unique challenge. http://www.eukn.org/eukn/news/2009/08/Live-From-Washington--It-s-Urban-Affairs_1002.html

Register now for Green Streets!
Already 100 representatives of the public and private sector across Europe have signed up for the Green Streets conference taking place on 7-8 September in Brussels.
Supported by EUROCITIES, the Committee of the Regions, and media partner Regional Review, this event will open discussion on aspects of the EU’s future urban transport policy and how to reduce carbon emissions from this sector.
Specifically, the event will enable the exchange of best practice and provide practical information about funding sources, suppliers and policy instruments. The main objective will be to help develop greener, more sustainable transport networks fit for the 21st century.
The conference is expected to gather around 150 participants including high level speakers, representatives from Europe’s regional and local authorities and European Commission project leaders.
EUROCITIES’ Secretary General, Paul Bevan, the Mayor of Murcia and Chair of EUROCITIES’ Mobility Forum, Miguel Ángel Cámara Botía, and Gilles Vesco, Vice-President of Grand Lyon, will attend as keynote speakers.
For the full programme and to register, go to: www.theparliament.com/greenstreets

New Jersey governor to freeze scandal-hit city's development
New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine plans to issue an order freezing the development approval process in cities and towns whose mayors have refused to resign despite being charged in a federal corruption probe, the governor's spokesman said on Monday.
"The executive order would direct every department, agency and authority of the state to freeze all applications, permits or approvals for development in municipalities where a mayor charged with corruption has not yet resigned," Corzine's spokesman Robert Corrales said by e-mail.
Unless more mayors are charged in the federal probe unveiled on July 23, the Democratic governor's executive order would apply to only one municipality -- Ridgefield.
Though he was charged with taking $10,000 from a developer, Mayor Anthony Suarez of Ridgefield has declined to relinquish his post, according to local media, including The Record. A lawyer for Suarez, a Democrat, was not immediately available for comment.
In contrast, the two other mayors who were charged, Hoboken's Peter Cammarano and Dennis Elwell of Secaucus, relinquished their offices last week.
The two Democratic mayors were among the 44 individuals charged in an investigation of bribes paid to speed real estate developments, as well as money laundering and the sale of human organs after FBI agents fanned across northern New Jersey to make scores of arrests on the morning of July 23rd.
Source: REUTERS

European mobility week: cities' and towns' contribution
Local authorities are invited to take an active role in the European mobility week from 16 to 22 December 2009. Any local authority can set up its own "in town without my car" day by involving its citizens as well as socio-economic stakeholders such as shop-keepers, companies, associations, schools...
Practically, several streets in the towns are closed to traffic; this also enables comparative reports to be drawn up on air quality, noise pollution or the reduction of motor traffic during the operation and in the normal situation.
nterested local authorities can contact their national coordinators to seek practical information.
The European mobility week (available in English and French) features a section dedicated to towns and cities. http://www.mobilityweek.eu/-Participating-

Cyprus joins forces with the EIB for sustainable city development
The European Investment Bank and the Planning Bureau of the Republic of Cyprus have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen cooperation in financing integrated sustainable urban development in Cyprus.
Arrangements for the signature of the Memorandum have been made by Mr Plutarchos Sakellaris, EIB Vice-President and Mr Andreas Moleskis, Permanent Secretary of the Planning Bureau of the Republic of Cyprus.
The Memorandum represents an intention to use the Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas (JESSICA) initiative in Cyprus through the establishment of a JESSICA Holding Fund.
EIB Vice-President in charge of operations in Cyprus, Plutarchos Sakellaris said: “I am happy to see Cyprus joining forces with us to deploy EU Structural Funds in support of integrated and sustainable urban development projects. More and more EU Member States and Regions have decided to benefit from the innovative financial engineering mechanisms to support investments in priority urban projects. This is of particular importance in the current crisis.”
http://www.eukn.org/eukn/news/2009/07/Cyprus-joins-forces-with-the-EIB-for-sustainable-city-development_1022.html

NALAS declaration on the economic crisis: do not forget the local level!
The network of associations of local authorities of South Eastern Europe (NALAS) urges national governments to better involve local governments in designing and implementing responses to tackle the current.economic crisis.
This is one of the issues raised in a declaration in response to the global financial crisis and adopted following the meeting of NALAS members' presidents in Dubrovnik, on 11-13 July 2009.
The declaration particularly underlines certain basic principles that should govern the relationship between local governments and national governments to meet long-term challenges posed by the crisis and its aftermath. Special highlight is given to the need to consult with local government associations prior to any adverse changes in the intergovernmental finance systems; discuss the crisis regularly with these associations; and make the best possible use of all investment funds earmarked for local infrastructure development.
http://www.ccre.org/docs/nalas_declaration_dubrovnik.pdf

Youth curfews popular with American cities but effectiveness and legality are questioned
At least 500 US cities have curfews on teenage youth, including 78 of the 92 cities with a population greater than 180,000. In most of these cities, curfews prohibit children under 18 from being on the streets after 11:00 pm during the week and after midnight on weekends. About 100 cities also have daytime curfews to keep children off the streets during school hours. The curfews are designed to prevent crime, increase parental responsibility for their children, and give police greater ability to stop people involved in suspicious activity.
Youth curfews are popular with the public because they are inexpensive relative to other crime-fighting tools and have an easy-to-understand logic: If kids are home, they won’t commit crimes or be victims of crimes. However, there is little empirical evidence that curfews deter crime and reduce juvenile victimization. Curfews are also challenged on constitutional grounds.
http://www.eukn.org/eukn/news/2009/07/Youth-curfews-popular-with-American-cities_1018.html

52 Cities in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka involved in Post-Kyoto discussions
ICLEI - South Asia Secretariat has generated 'Energy Status Reports and Carbon Emissions Inventory' for 52 South Asian Cities complemented with Action Plans.
This initiative falls under the 'Roadmap of South Asian Cities and Local Governments for the post 2012 global climate agreement' supported by the British High Commission.
The Reports and the Action Plans are being discussed with the 52 project cities at workshops in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan.
These gatherings are also the occasion to discuss various activities undertaken internationally to address Climate Change. The goal is to build awareness on international negotiations and environmental treaties.
The workshops have received an overwhelming response. Three Calls have been signed in Kathmandu, Mysore & Bhopal. They outline the awareness amongst local governments on climate change and their role in confronting this global problem on behalf of their communities.
http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=climate-roadmap

A new start in Iraq
UN-HABITAT joined the government of Iraq on Monday to launch a new USD 70 million programme that will focus on urban governance, housing, infrastructure and basic services as the country recovers from years of conflict.
Unveiled by the Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation, the launch of the UN-HABITAT Iraq Country Programme was attended senior representatives of Iraqi ministries, and the international community in Baghdad including UN agencies and donors.
Ali Baban, Minister of Planning and Development Cooperation said the national unity government in Iraq is committed to the making the programme work: “This programme aims to stimulate growth, deliver better services to all, especially the poor and the most vulnerable, create employment, reduce poverty and maintain social and political stability in Iraq,” he said. “I welcome the partnership with UN-HABITAT in modernizing the Iraqi institutions of Housing and Urban Governance.”
In a televised address, UN-HABITAT’s Executive Director, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka said: “This is a historical moment in marking the partnership between the Government of Iraq and UN-HABITAT.” She reminded the International Community of its obligation to help Iraq achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
The new programme will focus on providing technical assistance and capacity building support to ministries and local authorities in Iraq.

The Copenhagen world catalogue of city commitments to combat climate change
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.
The City of Copenhagen, host of the COP 15 in December 2009, together with ICLEI, are in the process of compiling the international Local Governments' Climate Commitments Catalogue. In this exercise cities, towns and counties around the globe are invited to contribute their greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets, in a first stage of information collection.
This collection of local climate commitments will help build a strong case for local climate action. The aim is to capture and disseminate useful information on as many local targets as possible. In a second phase the objective is to also collect and share interesting local developments and effective climate protection implementation actions that lead to substantial GHG reductions in the Catalogue. The focus is on energy savings, energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources.
http://www.eukn.org/eukn/news/2009/07/City-Climate-Catalogue_1020.html

Advisory Group to assess alleged evictions in United States
The Advisory Group on Forced Evictions (AGFE) is currently undertaking a fact-finding mission to the city of New Orleans, in the United States.
The assessment is taking place between July 26 to 31st 2009 and the mission will present its report with findings and recommendations to the Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka. The insights from the AGFE mission are expected to inform UN-HABITAT’s global work on forced evictions in the context of post-disaster reconstruction.
AGFE advises the Executive Director of UN-HABITAT in addressing unlawful forced evictions and promoting alternative solutions. UN-HABITAT established AGFE in 2004 in response to a resolution by its Governing Council. The Group comprises individuals from academic, governmental, nongovernmental and community-based organizations from around the world. (www.unhabitat.org/unhrp)
http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=7015&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0

Share your succes with the Scottish Urban Regeneration Forum (SURF)
The SURF Awards, first presented in 1998, are now well established as the major independent awards for community regeneration projects in Scotland. The prestigious award certificates are presented each year to initiatives that are judged to be doing outstanding regeneration work in Scotland's underprivileged communities.
The awards are about recognising and rewarding best practice, and the process is intended to promote all of the excellent, but often unsung, work being done day-to-day in our disadvantaged neighbourhoods. If you are involved with, or know of, such a project or initiative, you should consider nominating it for a SURF Award this year in one of the three categories - People, Place and Partnership.
http://www.eukn.org/eukn/news/2009/07/SURF_1021.html

IDRC Davos 2010 - what topics would you like to have covered?
The International Disaster and Risk Conference will be back again in Davos, Switzerland from May 30 - June 03, 2010.
To make this conference a success, we would like to ask your opinion on what topics should be covered.
Please give us your input by filling out the short questionnaire (takes about 3-5 min)
>>> Go to the questionnaire http://www.idrc.info/questionnaire_2010.php
The topics will be announced in the next newsletter and on our website www.grforum.org. More information on the conference (deadlines etc.) can also be found at www.idrc.info.

TINA VIENNA – Launch of “Urban Technology Survey” project
Vienna’s quality of life and of the environment are highly regarded and recognised all over the world, and the city always holds a top place in international rankings. Vienna’s top rankings can also be attributed to the particular efforts and outstanding services of its administration and enterprises, whose high quality standards, innovations and solutions in the fields of urban technologies and strategies have been tried and tested and are used, often invisibly, on a daily basis for Vienna and its citizens.
In order to increase the visibility of these excellent Viennese urban technologies and strategies at international level, we want to unearth the treasures of Vienna’s urban technologies and urban strategies, identify the city’s best and most innovative urban technology products and strategies in the individual entities and enterprises of the City of Vienna, bundle the related knowledge and present it in the context of our work with a geographic focus on Eastern/South-East Europe, and help to build and establish contacts.
http://www.tinavienna.at/index.php?p_id=1248865532&last_id=1248865532&l_id=en&s_id=de600de3a18e503c48928fbe9f66334f

European Transport Conference Programme
The three-day programme for the European Transport Conference has been finalised and over 200 speakers from throughout Europe will present on a variety of current issues in transport.
The Association for European Transport are delighted to this year welcome the following keynote speakers - Bert van Wee, John Bates and Brian Souter.
When not in sessions, the programme provides a number of networking opportunities, including Conference Dinner at The Den Hartogh Ford Museum, the largest private collection of Ford automobiles in the world.
Download a copy of the European Transport Conference brochure here: http://www.aetransport.org/lc_files/files/ETC%202009%20Programme%20Booklet.pdf
Or request a printed copy of the brochure, booking forms or for further information contact the Conference Manager, Christine Carr (christinec@aetransport.org). 020 7348 1970
Share your solutions to transport challenges - European Transport Conference 2009
5 - 7 October 2009 Leeuwenhorst Conference Centre, The Netherlands
Visit www.aetransport.org or email christinec@aetransport.org for further details.

5 Green Cities of the Future
By greening cities and neighborhoods around the world, we have the opportunity to make a positive impact on global warming. How do green cities help in the effort against climate change? Eco-cities all share similar characteristics: They aim to reduce or eliminate fossil-fuel use, adopt sustainable building practices, promote "green space" and clean air quality, implement energy-efficient and widely available public transportation, create walk-able city designs and develop well-organized mixed-use neighborhoods that combine living, working and shopping. These qualities add up to sustainable urbanism. http://science.howstuffworks.com/5-green-future-cities.htm

CEMR calls upon Swedish presidency to work with EU's towns and regions
The President of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) Michael Häupl and its First Vice-President Anders Knape addressed a letter to the Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, expressing their views.on the programme of the Swedish Presidency of the EU.
“We are convinced that the major challenges confronting the EU, and which are addressed in the Swedish Presidency's programme, cannot be successfully met without cooperation with and support from Europe's local and regional governments.”
CEMR shares the view that the economic crisis is the top priority on the political agenda of the coming months. However, we believe that the potential contribution of local and regional government in combating the economic crisis has not yet been fully understood or utilised. Municipalities, cities and regions are responsible for some two-thirds of public capital expenditure... but the European Economic Recovery Plan does not appear to take this into account. http://www.ccre.org/communiques_de_presse_detail_en.htm?ID=282

Cost for Buildout of Melbourne's New Urban Growth Boundary More Than Twice That of Urban Infill
As the Victoria government ended the comment period on plans to expand Melbourne's urban growth boundary to accommodate 134,000 new homes by 2030, it was embarrassed by its commissioned Residential Intensification in Tramway Corridors report that their total cost -- including infrastructure extensions -- would be over two times higher than for urban infill, which could house the same number of additional residents for about $40 billion less.
The report, prepared by the renowned SGS Economics and Planning firm, Design Urban and the city, note Melbourne Age writers Jason Dowling and Clay Lucas, found that ''for every 1000 dwellings, the cost for infill development (in existing suburbs) is $309 million and the cost of fringe developments is $653 million,'' with the City Council's director of design and urban environment Professor Rob Adams, who was named the Prime Minister's Environmentalist of the Year in 2008, criticizing these massive ''hidden costs'' of outer development at a Planning Institute of the Australia-Victoria Division forum as the price for ''building in the wrong places.''
http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7203&state=54&res=1280

What are the knowledge needs of cities on sustainable urban development?
Findings revealed in new URBAN MATRIX surveys’ report
Based on the results of three on-line surveys, the URBAN MATRIX project has just finalised and published its overall analysis of the knowledge needs of European cities on Sustainable Urban Development (SUD).
The report is based on the results of survey responses from 2006, 2007 and 2008. Responses were provided by over 250 individuals from more than 80 cities in 23 European countries. EUROCITIES members were invited to take part in the exercise to help identify the knowledge gaps that may limit effective action on SUD.
The survey covered a range of areas including integrated approaches to sustainable development; energy and climate change; urban transport; sustainable economic growth and social cohesion; all of which EUROCITIES members identified as key drivers of SUD. The persistence of those core issues, consistent with the overall EU agenda on SUD reflects a need for more support and better coordination between knowledge exchange initiatives targeted towards European cities.
This report was produced by Rob Atkinson and Eileen Lepine of the Cities Research Centre at the University of West of England.
URBAN MATRIX provides a knowledge transfer platform designed to support European local authorities in addressing SUD. http://www.urban-matrix.net/

Social dialogue in the local and regional government sector: an overview
The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) and the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) have published an overview report on the different forms of social dialogue in the local and regional government.sector and at EU level.
The report gives an overview of the existing position on social dialogue – discussions and negotiations between employers and the unions who represent employees. Is there a definition of social dialogue? What are the different forms of social dialogue and consultation within the 27 EU Member States? Is collective bargaining applied everywhere? Are there discussions between unions and employers which go beyond the immediate negotiation sessions on pay and conditions, and look at wider issues?
The publication "Social dialogue in the local and regional government sector: an overview" will soon be available in English, French, German, Spanish, Bulgarian, Czech, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Swedish and Turkish (under the "Publications" part of CEMR's website).
http://www.ccre.org/docs/overview_paper_cemr_epsu_en.pdf

Istanbul's Most Important Challenges is to Expand its Rail System
The new Secretary General of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Prof. Dr. Adem Baştürk spoke on the main problems of Istanbul during his first press conference held on 1 July 2009. Mr Baştürk noted that the most urgent and crucial problems of Istanbul were traffic, pollution and earthquake. He said that urban transformation and public transportation were at the top of municipality's agenda.
Speaking to the press, Mr Baştürk said that the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality's budget, missions and responsibilities have broadened with the increase in population of the city. "People became much more demanding as a consequence of the increase in their income and life standards. Private cars increased enormously in last 10 years. It is not possible to destroy the settlements and build new roads in the city. Therefore we have to work more on public transportation. We are going to invest on underground metro systems. Our primary goal is to build new rail systems and finish the ones we are working on now." http://www.marmara.gov.tr/eng_bulten/001/h8.html

Supporting innovation for recovery
EUROCITIES’ Economic Development Forum (EDF) will turn its attention to the role of cities in supporting the development of innovative jobs, products and services.
This will be the subject of the EDF’s next meeting in Tallinn on 8-9 October 2009.
To tackle the current recession, Tallinn, the business centre of Estonia which is well-known for its use of innovative ICT solutions, invites EUROCITIES members to discuss creative ways to move towards economic recovery.
Specifically, the meeting will look at fostering new entrepreneurial behaviour; innovating in the delivery of
services through ICT; and developing skills and new jobs in ICT.
The EDF meeting in Tallinn will also be the opportunity for the EDF and associated Working Groups to discuss their work priorities for 2010.