December Headlines - click to see the full story

23/12/2009 - Be smart, be sustainable – Restructuring the city of tomorrow
22/12/2009 - Unity of the local and sub-national levels of government in the fight against Climate Change
21/12/2009 - EU Sustainable Energy Week 2010
20/12/2009 - Study: Copenhagen is Europe's "greenest" city
19/12/2009 - Putting ‘people and places’ at the heart of EU policy
18/12/2009 - Urban Greenhouses Aim to Help Cities Combat Climate Change
17/12/2009 - Migration Policy Institute: top 10 migration issues 2009
16/12/2009 - Two Czech cities preselected for designation as ‘European Capital of Culture 2015’
15/12/2009 - Former Slum Named City's Most Beautiful Street
15/12/2009 - US DOT has $1.5 billion for livable communities
14/12/2009 - Cooperation: call for proposals open to municipalities and regions
13/12/2009 - Key figures on European local and regional government now available
13/12/2009 - Beginning of the GOAL Project
12/12/2009 - UCSEEC Conference “Cities Facing the Economic and Financial Crisis”
11/12/2009 - 2010 Great American Main Street Awards Semifinalists Announced
11/12/2009 - Energie-Cités bakes fortune cookies for the Copenhagen negotiators
10/12/2009 - Europe’s big cities go ‘smart and green’
10/12/2009 - Girls Try Bikes, Discover New Freedom
9/12/2009 - Europe’s Mayors push for green and inclusive recovery
9/12/2009 - New York Governor Sees Smart Growth Planning as Crucial
8/12/2009 - International Environment Forum in Jeju, South Korea
7/12/2009 - Organise an "Energy Day" in your city or region
6/12/2009 - Cities to raise their voices when nations gather at the Climate Summit
6/12/2009 - How to mobilise people for better mobility in cities?
5/12/2009 - Tibaijuka shares world’s top environment prize
5/12/2009 - LG positioning at COP15
4/12/2009 - Can Free Fares Save Public Transit?
4/12/2009 - "Local currencies" to beat the crisis?
3/12/2009 - Search Begins for the Next Green Capitals of Europe
2/12/2009 - Nine locations given go ahead to become eco-towns
2/12/2009 - "Place d'Europe": a new EU website for French mayors
2/12/2009 - The European Commission Making Urban Transport Greener and Safer
1/12/2009 - Boomburb Growth Must Go Up, Not Out, To Retain Viability

Be smart, be sustainable – Restructuring the city of tomorrow
Under the auspices of the Spanish EU Presidency, EUROCITIES’ Forums on Economic Development and Environment will hold a joint event in Madrid on 10-12 February 2009 to debate how cities’ can rethink their role and structure against today’s challenges of climate change and recession.
The meeting will look at strategies that cities are adopting to address climate targets and improve economic performance. Presentations will be given on the various measures which cities are taking such as investments in green jobs, eco-innovation, greening SMEs and use of appropriate planning tools in order to maintain and improve standards of sustainable and economic development in today’s financial context.
Representatives of the Spanish Presidency of the EU, the European Commission and the European Parliament have been invited to comment on how the EU can help cities move towards greater sustainable economic development.
A session will be held for local politicians specifically to debate how they can be stronger leaders in the sense of taking bold actions that contribute towards a green recovery.
The event will also feature a series of workshops dealing on planning in restructuring the city; eco-innovation; and the role of SMEs. Working Groups associated with the Forums will prepare these workshops.
Interested in taking part? Contact:
Eva Baños de Guisasola, EUROCITIES Policy Officer – Environment: eva.banos@eurocities.eu
Marie Ranty, EUROCITIES Policy Officer - Economic Development: marie.ranty@eurocities.eu

Unity of the local and sub-national levels of government in the fight against Climate Change
At the initiative of United Cities and Local Governments and its partner networks, Mayors and regional Presidents called upon Heads of State to reach an agreement and affirmed the readiness of the local and other levels of government to work with them as committed and responsible partners.
At the press conference, Amos Masondo, Mayor of Johannesburg and Co-President of UCLG, insisted on the fact that ‘well-managed urban areas are an important part of the solution to climate change.’
Marcelo Ebrard, Mayor of Mexico City, stated that up until now, regarding climate change, ‘cities have acted and achieved more than their national governments.’
Amazonino Mendes, Mayor of Manaus, recalled the importance of the forests and the necessity of conservation; in particular conservation of the Amazon rainforest, which he wishes to see included in the international climate agreement.
Mrs Jane Davidson, Minister of the Environment of Wales, spoke of his fight for ‘the recognition of the fundamental contribution of regional authorities for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.”
Jean-Marc Ayrault, Mayor of Nantes, applauded the recognition of local governments in the negotiating text but expressed the need to go further by involving local governments in the definition of policies.
All speakers emphasized the unity, in their objectives and recommendations, of the local and sub-national levels of government, in the framework of this Conference and in the wider picture of the global struggle against climate change and the pursuit of climate adaptation. They further stressed the enormity of the stakes at Copenhagen and the absolute necessity of reaching an ambitious agreement.
The political outcomes of Copenhagen will need to be further defined in 2010 at the next summit on climate taking place in Mexico City immediately after the third UCLG Congress in the same city.

EU Sustainable Energy Week 2010
In 2010 the EU's Sustainable Energy Week (www.eusew.eu) will take place in Brussels from 22-26 March, in what is considered to be "the reference event for sustainable issues in Europe."
Our project Sustainable Now will host a workshop in the context of this conference, on the subject of guiding cities toward an effective, integrated Local Energy Action Plan. It will be held on March 25th, between 14:30 and 18:30. Please click on the link below to see the workshop's announcement.
http://www.eusew.eu/page.cfm?page=event_content&sby=3&sval=0&sd=40260&id=395

Study: Copenhagen is Europe's "greenest" city
Copenhagen is the "greenest" major city in Europe, followed by Stockholm, Oslo, Vienna, and Amsterdam. This is the conclusion reached by a study of the environmental sustainability of 30 major cities in 30 European countries.
The study conducted by Siemens evaluates the 30 cities in eight categories: CO2 emissions; energy, buildings, transportation, water, air quality, waste and land use, and environmental governance.
It shows for instance that the best-performing city to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is Oslo. Stockholm is the index's leader in environmentally friendly transport, followed by Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Vienna. And Vilnius performs exceptionally well on air quality, for which it is ranked in first place.
This study also seeks to provide context, with in-depth city portraits that not only explain the challenges, strengths and weaknesses of each city, but also highlight emerging best practice and innovative ideas that others might wish to emulate.
The eight categories are based on 30 individual indicators — 16 of which are quantitative (e.g. consumption of water and energy per capita, recycling rate, and use of public transportation) and 14 qualitative (e.g. CO2 reduction targets, efficiency standards for buildings, and support for environmental protection measures). http://w1.siemens.com/entry/cc/en/urbanization.htm?section=green_index

Putting ‘people and places’ at the heart of EU policy
Cities see Lisbon Treaty as opportunity for new ways of working
In a letter addressed to re-appointed Commission President José Manuel Barroso, EUROCITIES President Jozias van Aartsen, Mayor of The Hague, has asked the new Commission to shift EU policy-making towards integrated EU policies that focus both on ‘people and places’.
Mr van Aartsen stressed that “the global challenges of economic recession and climate change will be won or lost in our cities” and for this reason, “cities must be real partners in EU policy-making and implementation.”
Pointing to the framework of the Lisbon Treaty and its new objective of territorial cohesion, Mr van Aarsten highlighted this as a perfect opportunity for the EU to work differently, partnering with local authorities and stakeholders to deliver solutions that are appropriate to the challenges and potential of each area.
EUROCITIES will continue to follow the Commissioners-designate’ hearings in the European Parliament, focusing particularly on how they plan to work with cities in the next five years.

Urban Greenhouses Aim to Help Cities Combat Climate Change
With its massive glass dome, the Plantagon Greenhouse wouldn't look out of place in a sci-fi movie. And if all goes smoothly, one may soon crop up in a city near you. In these days of global warming, its creators argue, it's not a question of if it will become reality but, rather, when.
Nestled among the skyscrapers is a gigantic glass sphere housing a mysterious spiral pathway. At first glance, the structure may look like an alien spaceship or a modernist architectural fantasy. But, in fact, it is an unusual response to climate change and the challenges of urbanization.
This UFO look-a-like is an ambitious take on the classic backyard greenhouse. Towering up to 100 meters (328 feet), it is designed to grow plants on its carefully lit and heated spiral platform. Crops are planted at the bottom of the sphere and gradually climb higher before ultimately being harvested at the top. The idea for the Plantagon Greenhouse comes from a Swiss-American company of the same name -- and they are confident that their dramatic creation will one day become a reality.
"We've moved a long way away from the drawing board," Plantagon CEO Hans Hassle told SPIEGEL ONLINE. "We expect to build the first Plantagon greenhouse within the next three years."
The design was dreamt up two decades ago up by Swedish innovator and eco-farming expert Åke Olsson. But now, backed by Plantagon, a business run by the consulting company SWECORP Citizenship AB and North American Indians of the Onondaga Nation, it is finally looking feasible.
Plantagon, which says it is the first company in the world to create a practical urban agriculture system of this scale, is currently in talks with 15 cities about constructing its vertical greenhouses in them. Hassle declined to give more detail on possible locations for his futuristic dome, but he would say that talks involve cities spread out on four continents. Plantagon already has an agreement to work toward building a Plantagon Greenhouse in India, he says.
http://www.eukn.org/eukn/news/2009/12/Urban-Greenhouses-Aim-to-Help-Cities-Combat-Climate-Change_1016.html

Migration Policy Institute: top 10 migration issues 2009
The Migration Policy Institute (mpi) has published its 2009 edition of worlds top 10 migration issues. The mpi is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit think tank in Washington, DC dedicated to analysis of the movement of people worldwide.
This year some interesting migration developments around the world are described in the top 10. The global recession's effects on migration flows, employment, and remittances are rated as the most noteworthy issue of 2009. Here an overview of this years top 10 migration issues:
1. The Recession's Impact on Immigrants: The recession that began in the United States two years ago and spread to most other parts of the world has had a deeper and more global effect on migration than any other economic downturn in the post-World War II era. Among the immigrants most affected are those in North America, Asia, and Europe.
2. Enforcement tactics shift in the Obama Era – But What About Immigration Reform?: In the absence of congressional action on any broad immigration reform, the election of President Barack Obama was expected to lead to changes in US immigration policy at the executive level.
3. Buyer´s remorse on immigration continues: The global recession has caused countries that once welcomed foreign workers by the tens and hundreds of thousands - particularly Spain - to rethink generous immigration policies as unemployment rates have risen.
4. What the recession wasn´t: Some speculated that increasing unemployment could prompt thousands of immigrants to head home and citizens of hard-hit countries to assault immigrants for taking " their" jobs and causing other problems. However, no country in 2009 has seen a mass exodus of immigrants due to the recession, and immigrants have not been systematically attacked.
5. Recession prompts some governments to cut immigrant integration funding: Commitments to immigrant integration have proved hard to keep in Spain, Ireland, and some US states as governments re-examined their recession-battered budgets in 2009.
6. Canada bucks the trend and keeps immigration targets steady Despite the highest unemployment rate in nearly a decade, Canada chose to leave untouched its long-standing points system and the number of immigrants admitted for permanent residence.
7. The world is talking about climate change and migration: Discussions about climate change and migration ramped up in 2009, in large part due to a number of conferences and reports surrounding the highly anticipated United Nations (UN) Climate Change conference in Copenhagen.
8. More countries entering into post 9/11-era information-sharing agreements: Over the past year, long-standing discussions and negotiations have resulted in several new information-sharing initiatives that seek to boost security while facilitating travel for legitimate travellers.
9. Some relief for immigrants in the developing world: South Africa, Brazil, and Costa Rica - all destinations for migrants from the region - sought to make the lives of immigrants a little better in 2009.
10. Asylum seekers unnerve governments: As violence flared from Afghanistan to Iraq to Mexico this year, hundreds of thousands fled over land and by boat in search of safety. Asylum seekers' main destinations - Europe, Australia, and Canada - were not new, but the governments in these countries took a harder line in 2009.

Two Czech cities preselected for designation as ‘European Capital of Culture 2015’
The selection panel appointed to assess the cities applying to be European Capital of Culture 2015 met today in Prague and recommended that Plzeň and Ostrava be preselected for the 2015 title. Once this recommendation has been ratified by the Czech Republic, the preselected cities will have to flesh out and complete their applications by the summer of 2010.
In the words of Maroš Šefčovič, the Member of the European Commission responsible for education, training, culture and youth: ‘I would like to congratulate Plzeň and Ostrava on their nomination following the first round of the competition for the title of Capital of Culture 2015. This event provides an opportunity — which must be seized — for the long-term development of the cities concerned, not only in the cultural sphere, but also from the socio-economic and touristic points of view. The key to being designated remains the event’s European dimension and civic participation. I would encourage the three cities in contention to pursue their efforts in this direction.’
In accordance with the Decision on the European Capital of Culture event, Belgium and the Czech Republic are the two Member States entitled to host a European Capital of Culture in 2015. The Belgian city that has already been preselected is Mons.

Former Slum Named City's Most Beautiful Street
A Philly street once dubbed the "Skid Row" of Fishtown has been transformed by a handful of determined residents through years of painting, sweeping and fixing broken windows.
The block recently received the Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee's highest honor - and a $1,000 first prize - the culmination of a years-long effort to clean up and reclaim the 2500 block of East Gordon Street.
"[Resident and Instigator Kathy] Berry stood with this Daily News reporter in front of her house recently and asked the same question she had asked the army of Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee judges who descended on her tiny, narrow block of Gordon Street, near Belgrade, in early October.
"Can you tell me," she said, gesturing to the homes on the block, "which houses are empty and which houses are occupied?"
http://www.planetizen.com/news/redirect_new.php?id=41988-0

US DOT has $1.5 billion for livable communities
The US Department of Transportation (DOT) is seeking to use stimulus spending to support livable communities, says Beth Osborne, deputy assistant secretary for transportation policy. DOT has $1.5 billion in multimodal discretionary funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Osborne said in a November 9 Internet conference sponsored by the Center for Transportation and the Environment at North Carolina State University. The multimodal funds are also known as TIGER grants.
“When we put together the criteria by which we would evaluate projects, we put livability at the top,” said Osborne. “It’s up there with safety and economic competitiveness. We could not have made a stronger indication about what our priorities are.” http://www.newurbannews.com/livablecommunitiesdot.html

Cooperation: call for proposals open to municipalities and regions
EuropeAid, the Commission's co-operation office managing EU external aid programmes, published early December a new call for proposals dedicated to local and regional authorities.
The call covers the 3 objectives of the programme for a total amount of 27,3 million Euro:
- Objective 1: actions in partner countries (multi-countries): at least two partner countries together with a European country to be involved
- Objective 2: public awareness of development issues and development education in Europe
- Objective 3: coordination and networking activities in Europe
It is a restricted call, which means that submissions will be made in 2 steps: submission of the concept note by 25 February 2010, then only shortlisted applicants submit a full application form.
Registration in PADOR is compulsory for applicants as well as for partners. Local and regional authorities or associations of local governments already registered in PADOR need to update their profile in PADOR.

Key figures on European local and regional government now available
Dexia and the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) have released their new factsheet on the state of sub-national government in Europe.
The latest edition covers 2008. It includes key indicators on.local and regional government such as socio-economic data, number of sub-national governments, public sector expenditure, public balance and debt, allocation of EU structural and cohesion funds, women representation and number of twinnings. One of this year's innovations is a calendar of local and regional elections in each country.
The document reveals that there are around 92 000 local, regional and federated governments in the EU, that 80% of European municipalities are located in only five countries and that the municipal average size is about 5 530 inhabitants.
It also shows the economic importance of the sub-national public sector, whose expenditure represent some 16% of the European GDP, and, in particular, its leading and key role as a public investor: sub-national public sector capital expenditure made up 65% of all EU public investment.
Figures on women in local politics in Europe reveals that Sweden holds the largest percentage of women in the municipal bodies (45%).
http://www.ccre.org/docs/nuancier_2009_en.pdf

Beginning of the GOAL Project
EFUS is glad to announce that the GOAL project, co-financed by the European Commission, will start on December 1st. This project aims to the exchange of practices that will enable the publication of a guide for local partners in the field of violence prevention in sports, especially in the field of football. The partners of this project are the cities of Charleroi, Liege, Lille, Genova, Sassuolo, Solna and Eurofan association.
More information: blaise@urbansecurity.org

UCSEEC Conference “Cities Facing the Economic and Financial Crisis”
This year’s conference of the Union of Central & South-Eastern European Capitals was hosted for the first time by the City of Vienna. It was held from 11 to 13 November 2009 and addressed the issue of “Cities Facing the Economic and Financial Crisis”, with a focus on Central and South-East Europe. At the conference, which was planned and organised by Europaforum Wien on behalf of the City of Vienna, participants from different European capitals addressed and discussed the issues of urban tourism, urban development and municipal services of general interest in times of financial crisis.

2010 Great American Main Street Awards Semifinalists Announced
Ten semifinalists have been selected for the 2010 Great American Main Street Awards (GAMSA). Collectively, the 2010 semifinalist communities have created more than 1,100 new businesses and nearly 4,800 new jobs, rehabbed more than 950 buildings and decreased their vacancy rates by an average of 31 percent. They have generated an average of $24 million in public investment and $43 million in private investment. The semifinalists also have demonstrated their ability to create and maintain vibrant, successful commercial districts that serve as the heart of their communities.
www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7415

Energie-Cités bakes fortune cookies for the Copenhagen negotiators:
10 inspiring local policies for 10 days of the Summit
Proven and successful local experiences in climate and energy matters are the best support the EU negotiators can get in Copenhagen. That is why Energie-Cités, with 20 years of experience in sustainable energy policy, has prepared 10 electronic fortune cookies to inspire the decision-makers during the Climate Summit COP 15.
Starting on December 7th, the European city network will publish one fortune message per day on its blog www.energie-cites.eu to demonstrate that climate change is already being tackled with creativity and success by local authorities in various policy fields (building, transport, stakeholder participation, financing etc.).
On the one side, Energie-Cités and its 1,000 member cities from 30 countries are aware that their fields of action would be limited without an efficient international agreement. On the other side, the transition towards “low energy cities with high quality of life” is largely dependent on the commitment from the local level.
The commitments under the Covenant of Mayors to exceed the EU objectives as well as the actions taken to translate said objectives into facts, are already spurring momentum and enthusiasm and accelerating change. Local and regional authorities, Member States and the European Union need each other – in Copenhagen and even more in the future– to face the upcoming challenges.

Europe’s big cities go ‘smart and green’
First 14 cities sign up to the EUROCITIES Green Digital Charter
The mayors of 14 of Europe’s biggest cities have signed a charter which will commit them to reducing emissions through Information and Communications Technologies (ICT). An official signing ceremony was held on 27 November as part of EUROCITIES 2009 Stockholm, where around 400 delegates including mayors, politicians and stakeholders discussed local government action for a green recovery.
By signing the ‘EUROCITIES Green Digital Charter’, the mayors of these first 14 cities - Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Genoa, Ghent, The Hague, Lisbon, Murcia, Nantes Metropole, Reykjavik, Tallinn, Stockholm, Vienna and Zaragoza - have agreed to:
- Deploy five large-scale ICT pilot projects before 2015;
- Decrease ICT’s direct carbon footprint by 30% by 2020; and
- Create a partnership of cities on ICT & Energy Efficiency to work until 2011.
Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council, which is the lead city behind the intiative said:
“Real opportunities exist today for harnessing digital technologies to address climate change, especially to increase energy efficiency. Cities have a crucial role to play in achieving Europe-wide climate change targets in partnership with EU institutions and Member States.”
The EUROCITIES Green Digital Charter advances work around ‘Greenshift Europe’, an initiative of a group of UK cities and Clicks & Links. Visit: www.greenshifteurope.eu

Girls Try Bikes, Discover New Freedom
The question of how to get more women on bikes has received quite a lot of attention recently, in part because of a recent article in Scientific American that suggested women are an "indicator species" for bike-friendly communities.
A group of people in Darlington, United Kingdom, decided to approach the problem of getting women on bikes by getting girls on bikes. The result is Beauty and the Bike, a multifaceted project -- a book, a documentary, and perhaps most excitingly, a bike-share program. Watch the short version of the film below. It's so wonderful to see how the girls move from skepticism about cycling to exhilaration about how "liberating" it is.
http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/12/01/girls-try-bikes-discover-new-freedom/

Europe’s Mayors push for green and inclusive recovery
Some 400 participants, nearly a quarter of them Mayors or senior politicians gathered for ‘EUROCITIES 2009 Stockholm’ held on 25-28 November. Videos and streamlined sessions are available to watch from the event's website for those of you that missed it.
Addressing the effects of climate change while pursuing economic growth was the ambition for the mayors of Europe’s biggest cities meeting in Stockholm at the 2009 EUROCITIES annual conference on 25-28 November.
With some 400 participants, nearly a quarter of them Mayors or senior politicians, ‘EUROCITIES 2009 Stockholm’ stimulated debate on the views and actions of cities in addressing the environment-economy connection.
EUROCITIES President Jozias van Aartsen, Mayor of The Hague, shared his vision on the issue:
“Climate change is not just about the environment. It is THE social, economic and political issue for every city in Europe and worldwide. Any growth strategies of the future must be green and inclusive. Cities have a key role to play in enabling local economies to anticipate and adapt to climate change to achieve economic recovery and sustainable growth.”
The EUROCITIES conference could not have been timelier, taking place under the auspices of the Swedish Presidency of the EU and just weeks ahead of the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen. The conference’s political highlight was the joint ‘Stockholm Appeal’ by European and US Mayors to world leaders negotiating the climate change deal at COP15.

New York Governor Sees Smart Growth Planning as Crucial
“Smart growth has to be more than a concept. It has to be a protocol in government,” said New York Democratic Governor David A. Paterson in a keynote speech at Vision Long Island's 2009 Smart Growth Summit in Melville, Suffolk County. Paterson called smart growth planning crucial for the economy and stressed that, had the state invested earlier in such endeavors as revitalization of downtown Wyandanch and the Route 347 corridor, it wouldn't have been “teetering on the edge” of financial insolvency for years.
www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7423

International Environment Forum in Jeju, South Korea
The speakers, panellists and audience expressed a strong interest in themes related to sustainability in response to climate change. The audience represented academics, private corporations, NGO’s and the general public and was greatly inspired by the presentations, raising awareness of global warming and sustainability.
Raising awareness of climate change
In the opening address, ICLEI Korea Office director Chin Dae-shik stated: ‘We must strive to highlight the need for awareness and preparedness for natural hazards and find solutions for climate mitigation and adaptation on a cooperative basis of pooling wisdom and strategies in a bid to reduce or drive away CO2 emissions. Now is the very chance and time to repair our Earth through tangible and realistic efforts.’
http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=1487&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=4294&tx_ttnews[backPid]=983&cHash=893af17139

Organise an "Energy Day" in your city or region
Become part of Europe's green energy revolution and sign up for an "Energy Day" in your city or region.
Energy Days consist of a wide range of activities organised in the framework of the sustainable energy week between 22-26 March 2010. These activities should aim to promote energy efficiency or the use of renewable energy. They may include exhibitions, conferences, online events, performances, guided tours, open door days, workshops, celebrations, media campaigns...
The EU Sustainable Energy Week is the reference event for sustainable issues in Europe. It forms part of the Sustainable Energy Europe Campaign which is an initiative of the European Commission launched in 2005.
The Sustainable Energy Europe Campaign contributes to achieving the European Union's energy policy targets within the fields of renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, clean transport and alternative fuels. http://www.eusew.eu/index.cfm

How to mobilise people for better mobility in cities?
The Move Together project is organising its final conference “Better Mobility – Move Together towards a New Culture of Urban Mobility”, on 7 December 2009, in Brussels.
At the conference, experts, citizens and representatives.of local authorities will discuss with EU policy makers and various stakeholders the key outcomes of the project, and how to mobilise people to create a “move together” culture for better urban mobility in Europe.
http://www.move-together.net

Cities Meet in Brazilian Capital To Articulate Demands on Climate Change
Brazilian municipal leaders, groups and associations of local governments, gathered in the political capital of Brazil, the City of Brasília, on 6 October 2009, during a dialogue promoted by the Brazilian Forum on Climate Change and ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability. The main objective of the meeting was to discus local governments proposals to be forwarded to the Federal Government in contribution to Brazil's efforts to implement commitments under international agreements on climate change.
The meeting emphasized that the role of local governments is fundamental for the formulation of regional, national and international policies on climate change issues. Represented local authorities committed to adopt voluntary municipal goals to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. They equally agreed to negotiate with the relevant sectors of civil society and collaborate with the federal government to reduce rates of deforestation and forest degradation resulting from land use.

Tibaijuka shares world’s top environment prize
UN-HABITAT’s Executive Director Anna Tibaijuka on Tuesday was given the coveted Göteborg Award for Sustainable Development. Widely known as the “Nobel Prize for the Environment”, she shared the 2009 award with Enrique Peñalosa, the former mayor of Bogotá, Colombia, and the world renowned hero of the environment, Sören Hermansen, of Samsö, Denmark.
The ceremony on Tuesday marked the 10th anniversary of the award, which this year stressed the the urban dimension of the climate change and environment debate.
“Rapidly growing cities and towns house half of the world’s population. They represent 75 percent of all energy consumption and generate 80 percent of greenhouse gas emissions,” said the Jury Chairman Stefan Edman.
“This means that the battle to create more sustainable cities and urban environments – environmentally and socially – is one of the most decisive factors facing the UN Climate Change Conference Copenhagen in December. For this reason the Göteborg Award, one million Swedish crowns, is shared equally by three people who have found new solutions to these enormous challenges,” he said. “We are thrilled to award our jubilee prize to these brilliant visionaries, strategists and system transformers.”
The Jury cited Mrs. Tibaijuka for raising the profile of UN-HABITAT and the importance of urban sustainability as a key to a better future.

LG positioning at COP15
COP15 will result in a Copenhagen agreed outcome. However, it is still unsure, if there will be a new, ready-made climate agreement that Head
of States and Ministers can sign and take home for ratification.
Too many issues have yet to find agreement between nations and more time for negotiations seems necessary.
ICLEI has been present at each UN meeting preparing COP15 to advocate on behalf of local governments and emphasise their key role in tackling
climate change. In Copenhagen our advocacy work will culminate in the Local Government Climate Lounge. More than 1200 registered local
government representatives at COP15 will make the Climate LOUNGE their advocacy base to manifest local government responses to global warming.

Can Free Fares Save Public Transit?
With 100 percent subsidies, transit agencies could drop the pretense of being businesses and serve many more people -- or so proponents say. Agencies aren't so sure.
"Just as websites have attracted millions of users by offering services for free and public schools have long waived tuitions in favor of the ability to offer guaranteed universal education, some contend that by opening up turnstiles and getting rid of the farebox, transit agencies could serve legions of new riders for whom the typical fare presents just enough of a financial or psychic barrier to keep them in their cars."
"Proponents argue that free transit’s ability to remove cars from the road and therefore decrease congestion, curb pollution and foster more livable cities would more than justify the added burden on public coffers. It would even reduce insurance claims, since cars that stay in garages don’t get into accidents. Olsen also argues that fare-free transit would save money because it would eliminate what he considers an unacceptably costly infrastructure to collect fares." http://www.planetizen.com/news/redirect_new.php?id=41789-0

"Local currencies" to beat the crisis?
More and more European local authorities resort to issuing their own "local currencies" as a way to boost local trade and create jobs.
The Brixton Pound (B£) has become the fourth new currency introduced in the UK since 2007 and, according to sources, is now accepted by more than 60 local businesses. Traders in Brixton say the introduction of the local currency has been a boost for its economy. The town of Lewes in southern England has had its own currency since 2008.
In Ireland, the tourist resort of Kilkenny is set to launch its own local currency (the Kilkenny Cats) as from 2010, in an effort to encourage tourists to spend their money locally before leaving the city. As an incentive, the Kilkenny Cats can be bought for 95c but will buy £1 worth of good in the town shops.
Other towns and cities in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Latvia have already their own local currency.
It is worth stressing that such currencies are not backed by national governments and are not legal tender outside the boundaries of the issuing local authority.

Search Begins for the Next Green Capitals of Europe
Last week the European Commission launched the search to find the cities that will become the next European Green Capitals for 2012 and 2013. The European Green Capital Award recognizes cities that are taking the lead to make our urban areas more healthy, sustainable and attractive places to live.
The general aim of the initiative is to improve the European urban living environment – and thus the environment as a whole. With 80 percent of the European population living in an urban area, cities must play a key role in making the environment greener and improving the quality of life of its citizens. Candidates will be assessed on the basis of 11 environmental indicator areas including local transport, sustainable land use and environmental management of the local authority.
In February ICLEI members Stockholm (Sweden), and Hamburg (Germany), beat off strong competition to be named as the first winners of the award for 2010 and 2011, respectively. All cities in Europe with more than 200,000 inhabitants can apply for the Award 2012 and 2013 via an online application form before the deadline on 1 February 2010. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital/index_en.htm

Nine locations given go ahead to become eco-towns
Nine new locations have been given permission to develop plans to become environmentally friendly eco-towns, the Government has announced.
Among the “second wave” of proposals for new eco-towns being developed by local councils is land alongside the Bradford Shipley canal corridor, and Shoreham Harbour in West Sussex.
In July, John Healey, the housing minister, gave four locations the go ahead to become eco-towns from an original shortlist of 15 sites.
To qualify to become an eco-town a development must have 5,000 homes, at least 30 per cent of which should be affordable for those on low incomes, and contain low-carbon services, buildings, transport and energy.
Shoreham Harbour and a second site in Northstowe, Cambridge, have already begun development and will be redesigned to meet higher levels of sustainability.
Five more local authorities are seeking to set up potential eco-towns across 10 locations.
They are: Monkton Heathfield and Corneytrowe in Taunton, Yeovil, the Lincoln area and Gainsborough, Coventry, and the Leeds City Region – which covers four sites at Aire Valley, York North West, North Kirklees and Bradford Shipley canal corridor.
Councils in Cornwall and Sheffield have been given the go ahead to carry out a survey of potential eco-town development in their areas.
The Government’s aim is to build 10 eco-towns by 2020.

"Place d'Europe": a new EU website for French mayors
The European Commission has launched a new website that aims to help French local elected representatives set up and run European projects.
Place d'Europe has two main purposes: to help local representatives understand.how the EU operates ; and to assist them in the setting up of European projects.
It includes four main sections: "How does the EU work", "Key issues about the EU", "EU funding", "Projects set up in regions" that includes an inteactive map.
Place d'Europe is a joint initiative of the French Government and the European Commission, in association with the European Parliament and in partnership with the French associations of local governments including the French Association of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (AFCCRE).
The website is only vailable in French. http://www.placedeurope.eu/

The European Commission Making Urban Transport Greener and Safer
On 30 September the European Commission adopted its first comprehensive Action Plan on Urban Mobility, proposing twenty measures to encourage and help local, regional and national authorities in achieving their goals for sustainable urban mobility.
More than 70 percent of the EU population lives in urban areas and some 40 percent of CO2 emissions and 70 percent of emissions of other air pollutants from road transport are due to urban traffic. In this context the Action Plan has come at a crucial time. It reinforces the work of ongoing European initiatives such as CIVITAS, a project “of cities for cities” in which ICLEI is a partner, working for cleaner and better urban transport.
As described in the Action Plan, the Commission will continue to support research and demonstration projects on lower and zero-emission vehicles. To accelerate the take-up of sustainable urban mobility plans by local authorities the Commission will prepare information material and launch training and promotional activities. In addition there are plans to improve the availability of harmonised statistics, facilitate the exchange of information, including with Europe's neighbours, and set up a database with information on best practices for urban mobility.

Boomburb Growth Must Go Up, Not Out, To Retain Viability
As reported here, many boomburbs have ceased growing, if only temporarily. Streetsblog notes that experts are suggesting that in order to maintain their economic viability, these fast growing communities will have to, gasp, become more urban in form
Planetizen reported recently on USA Today's "Housing bust halts growing suburbs". Now Streetsblog connects some of the dots to show how boomburbs can regain their growth - by booming upward rather than outward, and thus moderating it as well.
"The most interesting angle in the article, however, isn't the decline of suburban fortunes and the real estate market that fueled them. It's what municipal leaders and researchers are saying will be necessary to make those places economically viable in the future. Which is this: they'll have to become more like cities. Denser. More walkable. Not bedroom communities, but self-contained communities.