Archived News Items - January 2008

Tibaijuka commends the Government of Poland 1/29/2008
The Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, has commended the Government of Poland for its support to the organization. Mrs. Tibaijuka made the commendation on Thursday while receiving the credentials from the new Polish Permanent Representative to UN-HABITAT, Ms. Anna M. Grupinska. The Executive Director recalled that Poland and UN-HABTAT have had a long history of working together, which resulted in the setting up of the Warsaw Office of UN-HABITAT in 2006 with US$2.4 million support from the Government of Poland. She stated that one of the objectives of the Warsaw Office is to widen and strengthen the cooperation between Poland and other Central and East European States with UN-HABITAT and other UN agencies, Programmes and Funds. She stated that the organization is very pleased to have the office in Poland. http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=5526&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0

New Beijing mayor promises cleaner air before Olympics 1/29/2008
Beijing’s acting mayor, Guo Jinlong, has been elected mayor of the Chinese capital by the city’s legislative body. Guo takes over from Wang Qishan, who was mayor from 2003 to 2007. Like his mentor, Chinese President Hu Jintao, Guo ran China's Himalayan region of Tibet for several years. He then took over as party chief of Anhui, the poor and mainly agricultural eastern province. Guo, who is 60, was selected acting mayor in November 2007 following a party leadership reshuffle. In a speech to Beijing councillors, Guo stressed that reducing the city’s notorious air pollution ahead of the 2008 Olympics in August would be his main task. "The task of bringing environmental pollution and traffic congestion under control remain arduous," he said. Despite a range of measures taken by the city government over the years, Beijing's air remains perpetually smoggy. International Olympic Committee chief Jacques Rogge warned last year that endurance events such as the marathon could be postponed or cancelled to protect competitors.

US government offers cities more money to fight crime 1/29/2008
The US government proposed cities a new crime-fighting deal and offered to provide some US$200 million. The money is likely to target regional crime-fighting programmes and is unlikely to cover the cost of hiring more police officers. Trenton Mayor and US Conference of Mayors President, Doug Palmer, said the money was a start but certainly more was necessary. The new money will be targeting cities and states that agree to share it with neighbouring localities to combat crimes spreading across regions. Last year, US Attorney General Michael Mukasey told mayors, the Justice Department made $75 million available to communities after studying 18 cities and suburban regions over a six-month period for clues on curbing surging crime rates. Mukasey also condemned the US Sentencing Commission plans to allow some 19,500 federal prisoners, most of them black, to seek reductions in their crack cocaine sentences. The attorney general described many of the inmates as violent gang members who could threaten public safety if released sooner than initially expected. "A sudden influx of criminals from federal prison into your communities could lead to a surge in new victims as a tragic but predictable result," he warned. Mayor Palmer agreed: “I don’t think our cities could handle that right now.”

Tehran mayor attends Davos to promote foreign investment 1/29/2008
Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf said at the Davos World Economic Forum that the West should not deprive itself of investment opportunities in Iran because of political differences over the nuclear issue. He said his city wants to attract some US$4 billion in foreign investment to fund construction projects. In a press interview, the mayor said he was talking to potential investors also attending the Davos Forum. “The Iranian capital is looking for investors to build and run hotels, recreational centres and shopping malls,” he explained. The mayor stressed that private sector involvement would improve the services of the municipality. Mayor Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, who has been short-listed for this year’s World Mayor Award, declined to confirm whether he would contest the 2009 presidential election. The mayor also took part in a panel discussion about urbanisation, headed by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

Pisa Conference "Acting Locally for Equality": opening of registrations until 8 February 2008 1/29/2008
Participate in the Pisa conference on “The Implementation of the European Charter for Equality between Women and Men in Local Life”, on 20 and 21 February 2008. Contact your national association to register (before 8 February 2008). The conference "Acting locally for equality" will mark the 25th anniversary of the first conference of local and regional elected women representatives of CEMR, which took place in the same city. It will be the occasion to evaluate the first steps towards the implementation of the Charter, as well as allow for an assessment of European policies and CEMR actions for equality carried over the last 25 years. Based on the early experiences of the signatories and examples of implementation gathered throughout the project by CEMR, this conference will focus on key priorities for local and regional government in their work on implementing the Charter, in order to begin to draw up means to support the Charter in years to come at European level. Venue: Teatro Verdi, Via Palestro, 40 / 56127 Pisa

CEMR and urban mobility: “No need for new EU plans, harmonize existing ones instead!” 1/29/2008
The political debate organised by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) on the Green Paper on urban mobility, on 24 January 2008 in Brussels, saw local and regional stakeholders call for more harmonization. European Parliament's rapporteur Reinhard Rack told participants that though his future report is at a very early stage it already seems to him that we need to clarify what the EU should do on urban mobility and what measures should be applied to achieve these objectives. He considers his main task to define a European concept, provide guidelines to the key actors and to reduce the complexity of the topic by concentrating on five major ideas that he wishes to develop in the coming weeks. http://www.ccre.org/news_detail_en.htm?ID=1233

New housing for the vulnerable in Serbia 1/25/2008
It was a fitting New Year present for the residents of Pancevo in Serbia when UN-HABITAT through the Settlement and Integration of Refugees Programme (SIRP) unveiled a housing block of 76 units on Tuesday. At the ceremony, the Vice Prime Minister of Serbia Bozidar Djelic together with the Ambassador of Italy Alessandro Merola officially opened the housing block. SIRP is delivering 670 sustainable housing solutions for refugees and other vulnerable groups and supports the development of national and local capacities in social housing and local development. In his speech, Ambassador Merola announced the decision of the Government of Italy to further support a regional programme based on concepts developed through SIRP that are relevant for countries with economies in transition. The Settlement and Integration of Refugees Programme (SIRP) is rooted in the 2001 pledge of the Government of Italy to support the sustainable settlement and integration of refugees and vulnerable households in Serbia. The Government of Italy signed a Memorandum of Understanding with UN-HABITAT in September 2002 for the formulation and implementation of the fifteen million Euro project.

Some 19 Indian cities ready to tap into the bond market 1/25/2008
In a press interview India’s urban development minister M Ramachandran said that following a credit rating process 19 Indian cities received high enough scores to enable them to float municipal bonds. While none of the cities under scrutiny obtained triple-A ratings, four cities were given AAs, four others As and eleven received BBBs. A triple B is considered good enough to issue bonds. While the minister declined to name the cities until after a ministerial consultation process, he was more forthcoming in praising cities that have been on the forefront of recent urban reforms. He said that Vizag, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kochi, Coimbatore and Rajkot were some of the cities which had undertaken more urban reforms in the last couple of years than their peers. Ramachandran also told India’s Economic Times that urban water supply projects were on the top of the list of projects scheduled to receive financial support from central government. “That’s where is the need and hence there will be more investment in this sector,” he stressed.

EU Commission unveils climate change, energy package 1/25/2008
The European Commission published a package of proposals that aims to tackle climate change and promote the use of renewable energy, on 23 January 2008. The main proposals are as follows: Emissions Trading scheme (ETS): extend this to include more greenhouse gases (currently it covers only CO2) and to all major emitters of greenhouse gases (including air traffic). Emissions allowances would be put on the market and their number reduced annually. They would be European rather than national allocations. Renewing renewable forms of energy: Renewable energy currently accounts for 8.5% of final EU energy consumption. That means an increase of 11.5% to meet the 20% target. Biofuels: the aim is to have 10% of Europe's transport sector powered by bio-fuels by 2020. Carbon capture and storage: (storing carbon underground rather releasing it) the Commission plans a legal framework and guidelines for state aid. If no measures are taken, the world's energy needs will be well over 50% higher in 2030 than today, said the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso. The European Commission estimates that acting now will limit the inevitable cost of curbing climate change to well below 1% of GDP, as opposed to the 5-20% needed if no action is taken. This works out at roughly 150 euros per person each year until 2020. It is hoped that this proposed package will be adopted by the end of 2008.

Erika oil spill ruling "a victory for local and national government!" 1/25/2008
The Erika ruling might set a legal precedent in favour of Europe's local and regional government. French oil company Total has been found guilty of negligence that led to the sinking of the tanker Erika off the coasts of Brittany.in 1999. The court has imposed a €375,000 fine and ordered Total and other parties to pay some €200m in civil compensation, on 16 January 2008. Three French regions (Brittany, Pays de la Loire, Poitou-Charentes), four "départements" and a dozen of municipalities have been awarded a total of €15 million in damages. President of the Pays de la Loire Regional Council and chair of CEMR's transport working group, Jacques Auxiette states : This is a victory for local and regional governments since they got what they asked for. Total has been sentenced to the maximum allowed penalty, and for the first time a French court has recognised the principle of ecological prejudice. Though Total can still appeal, the fact remains that a court in a EU Member State has set a legal precedent in favour of local and regional government, adds CEMR director of policy Angelika Poth-Mögele. This landmark ruling could help towns and regions sue companies and individuals in future ecological disasters. In December 1999, oil tanker Erika sank off the coast of France releasing around 20,000 tonnes of oil into the ocean and causing one of the worst environmental disasters in Europe. The catastrophe prompted the EU to adopt a series of measures (Erika I and II packages) to improve maritime safety. One of such measures was the banning of single hull tankers in the EU.

Third plenary session of the Alliance of Civilizations chaired by Kadir Topbas 1/21/2008
The Mayor of Istanbul and Co-President of United Cities and Local Governments chaired the third plenary session as part of the first Alliance of Civilizations Forum, under the title: “From Global talk to local action”. The Mayors and local elected officials attending the meeting, namely the Mayor of Paris and UCLG President together with Mayors of Madrid, Barcelona and Cordoba and the Governor of El Cairo, jointly called the Alliance Members and States to recognize the daily contributions of local governments to the achievement of the objectives of the Alliance of Civilizations. The Mayors shared their experiences and current city-based programs aimed at managing diversity and promoting a culture of peaceful co-existence in their cities and regions. In the inaugural speech of the First Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations, UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations called for action and confirmed the importance of all levels of government in the work of the Alliance. Now the time has come for the Alliance to deal with the challenges that arise in the governance of cultural diversity, understood in the multiplicity of its dimensions at local, national, regional and international levels of its players: citizens, communities, civil society organizations, local or central governments and the international community; and also in terms of the policies involved, which as you know the Alliance has selected four: education, youth, the media and migration. http://www.cities-localgovernments.org/uclg/index.asp?pag=newsD.asp&L=EN&ID=220

Experts mull urban planning 1/21/2008
The Expert Group Meeting “Urban planning best practices on Creating Harmonious Cities” was held in Rome, Italy, from 29 to 30th November 2007. The workshop which brought together experts representing local authorities, urban planning practitioners and professional associations of planners from all around the world, aimed at exchanging methodologies and experiences of urban planning as a tool that can create sustainable urbanisation, in other words “harmonious cities”. Participants were asked to present the impact of their planning approach on key criteria, which included inter alia: adaptation to climate change, vulnerability to disasters, housing conditions, urban poverty, conflict resolution and the creation of civic capital. Through very stimulating debates, a list of success criteria and innovative focuses for urban planning was drafted and presented as preliminary conclusions. The meeting not only contributed to the identification of interesting urban planning case studies to be included in the Global Report on Human Settlements 2009, which will focus on Revisiting Urban Planning, but prepared the ground for the substantive preparation of the Dialogue on “Spatially Harmonious Cities” to be held at World Urban Forum 4.

UN greatly concerned at situation in Kenya 1/21/2008
The Director General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, on Thursday said she and the entire UN family in Kenya were greatly concerned at the deadly outbursts of violence that have gripped Kenya following the announcement of election results last week reportedly claiming more than 300 lives, including dozens burned to death inside a church. “Thousands of people are displaced and at risk. Supplies of food, water, fuel, essential medicines are acutely low in many densely populated areas. Transport corridors from the Port of Mombasa through Kenya are restricted, causing supply chain disruption to our humanitarian and peace-keeping operations in the region, for example for Southern Sudan, Uganda and parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo,” Mrs. Tibaijuka said. http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=5512&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0

Worldwatch State of the World 2008 now available 1/21/2008
The Worldwatch Institute publication, State of the World 2008: Innovations for a Sustainable Economy, is now available. Pioneering entrepreneurs, nongovernmental organizations, and governments around the globe are now inventing the Earth's first sustainable global economy, according to State of the World 2008: Innovations for a Sustainable Economy. In response to climate change and other environmental problems, these leaders are field-testing a remarkable array of economic innovations that offer surprising and hopeful new opportunities for long-term prosperity. "Once regarded as irrelevant to economic activity, environmental problems are drastically rewriting the rules for business, investors, and consumers, affecting over $100 billion in annual capital flows," say project co-directors Gary Gardner and Thomas Prugh. The world economy is now at grave risk from environmental threats, but those threats are also creating an unprecedented wave of innovation from both the private and public sectors, Worldwatch President Christopher Flavin said at the recent press conference in Washington, D.C. "That is now giving us a fighting chance of stabilizing the world's atmosphere and dealing with the array of other environmental problems we now face," said Flavin. The Worldwatch Institute recommends this Report for business leaders, book clubs, advanced students, classrooms, faith-based groups, policymakers, and their staff. To purchase a copy of State of the World 2008: Innovations for a Sustainable Economy, please go to the following page on the Worldwatch Institute website at www.worldwatch.org/node/5559. The publication costs $US 18.95 plus shipping for a paperback version, or $US 15 for a pdf version.

Liberia decides mayoral elections too expensive 1/21/2008
The Liberian Supreme Court has angered opposition politicians with the announcement that forthcoming mayoral elections would be cancelled on cost grounds, with city leaders instead chosen by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. Municipal elections have not been held in Liberia since 1985 on account of successive civil wars, with many hoping the scheduled elections of 2008 would see a resumption of local democratic norms in the beleaguered West African state. The decision to accord the powers to Johnson-Sirleaf, a former World Bank official and finance minister, was slammed by the official opposition. However a spokesperson for the court said: "The decision of the supreme court is based on what the government told us - on its complaints that there is no money in the coffers to hold elections,"

Rising sea levels threaten Shanghai 1/21/2008
Sea levels off Chinese cities rising at an alarming rate because of climate change and depleting groundwater threaten coastal economies, officials from the Chinese State Oceanic Administration (SOA) warned. The cities, Shanghai and Tianjin, are among those facing the biggest threat, In the last 30 years, the financial hub of Shanghai has seen the sea level rise 115mm, or the length of half a chopstick, while Tianjin, a major port about two hours' drive from Beijing, has seen the level rise as much as 196mm. In the past 30 years, the country's overall sea level has risen 90 mm with the average offshore surface temperature going up by 0.9C. In comparison, when the global sea level rose 1.7mm every year between 1975 and 2007, the Chinese sea level rose 2.5mm every year. In the next decade, the SOA forecasts, China's coastal sea level is likely to rise by 3 mm, or 3.2mm every year. This is the first time the SOA has reported the cumulative figures of sea level rises in the last 30 years. The report is now being released annually, instead of every three years.

Bloomberg derides politicians who have adopted xenophobia 1/21/2008
In a passionate state of the city address, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg praised the contributions made by immigrants from all parts of the world to the city. He called on politicians who “all of a sudden have embraced xenophobia” to come to New York and open their eyes. Bloomberg specially invited to his 2008 address five families with immigrant backgrounds: the Ramóns, who came to New York from Colombia 20 years ago; the Chens, originally from Ningbo, China; the Snreenivasans, originally from Madras, India; the Bias family, who moved here in 1953 from South Carolina; and finally, the Farruggios, who came from Sicily. The mayor said that New York gave families like these unlimited opportunities and in return they made the city the nation’s economic engine, its financial hub, its fashion center, its media mecca, and its cultural capital. “And that's one of the messages I've been speaking out on, to those who are wailing against immigration, to those politicians who, all of a sudden, have embraced xenophobia, I say: open your eyes. Take a look behind me. This is what makes America great. This is New York City. This is Freedom. This is Compassion, and Democracy, and Opportunity.”

Athens becomes member of C40 in battle against climate change 1/21/2008
Athens has become a member of the C40-Cities group, an initiative established by originally 18 cities in London in October 2005. C40 aims to coordinate efforts by cities throughout the world to tackle global warming and climate change. In August 2006, the initiative was strengthened when former US President Clinton and London Mayor Ken Livingstone announced a partnership between the Clinton Climate Initiative and C40. C40, as the name suggests, comprises 40 cities including London, Berlin, Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Mumbai, Delhi, Lagos, Shanghai and Sao Paulo.

Pope chastens mayor over poverty in Rome 1/21/2008
Pope Benedict XVI has chastened Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni over the Italian capital’s increasing poverty and degradation. At a meeting with the centre-left mayor, the Pope highlighted the problems caused by poverty in the city. He was particularly concerned about inadequate pensions, unemployment, the threat to traditional family life and the high cost of housing. It was reported that Mayor Veltroni was taken aback by the criticism during what he considered a courtesy visit, particularly since only one month ago, Rome city council won favour with the Vatican when it rejected the creation of a register for unmarried cohabiting couples in Rome. The proposal was put forward by the radical left but turned down by centre-right councillors as well as members of Veltroni’s centre-left Partito Democratico. After right-wing opponents of the mayor used the Pope’s concerns to severely criticise the mayor and his administration, the Vatican issued a press release saying it was not the Pope’s intention to undervalue the work of the city administration, merely to point out some of the problems in the city of which the Pope was bishop. Meanwhile the people of Naples are hoping the Pope will similarly reprimand their local authorities over the southern Italian city’s garbage crisis.

Biodiversity: Europeans feel concerned but badly informed 1/21/2008
An overwhelming majority of Europeans believe that the loss of biological diversity is a serious problem, according to a Eurobarometer survey on attitudes to biodiversity. They however feel badly informed about the topic.of biodiversity... One third of Europeans actually knows what "biodiversity" means (December 2007). Two thirds of Europeans say they already make a personal effort to protect biodiversity, while a third say they would like to do more. A fifth of Europeans surveyed say they would act if they knew what they could do to stop biodiversity loss. Watching news and documentaries on TV, searching the Internet and reading newspapers and magazines were the three most typical ways of finding out more about biodiversity issues.

What role for local governments in peace-building? 1/21/2008
How can local governments contribute to peace-building and conflicts prevention? This will be one of the main questions raised during the ever first conference on "City Diplomacy", taking place in The Hague, from 11 to 13 June 2008. The conference aims to get a better understanding of the factors for success or failure of local government peace-building initiatives. It will lead to proposals so to improve policies and practices in this field, with concrete opportunities for those who want to become more active in this field. Case studies analysing concrete experiences from all continents will be presented. At the end of the conference, working group sessions will be organised to develop concrete products like a "Template for a City of Peace". The conference is open to local governments (politicians and staff) and local government associations. The total number of participants is limited to 300. It is organised by UCLG, United Cities and Local Governments; VNG, the Association of Netherlands Municipalities; and the city of The Hague.

Run for the 2008 edition of the Rome Millennium Cities Prize 1/21/2008
Local governments and cities are invited to submit their candidacies for the 2008 edition of the Rome Millennium Cities Prize (until 29 February 2008). The prize will be awarded to local governments and cities who.have distinguished themselves through special Millennium Development Goal achievements, thus improving the conditions of their poorest citizens. The winning local governments and cities will be invited to an award ceremony in Rome scheduled for September 2008. Two winners will be selected each year: a city/local government from the North and a city/local government from the South. The prizewinning city from the South will receive the sum of € 50.000, to be devoted to the implementation of its Millennium City Strategic Plan. Submissions for the Prize will have to be e-mailed by 29th February 2008 to: romemillenniumcitiesprize@uniroma1.it

Getting local authorities involved in the drive to tackle climate change 1/14/2008
UN-HABITAT urged decision-makers at the UN climate convention in Bali to get local authorities in cities around the world more closely involved in the drive to tackle climate change. More than 60 city managers, representatives of international organizations, non-governmental organizations and the private sector attended a special seminar to examine the UN-HABITAT strategy on cities in climate change. Ms. Axumite Gebre-Egziabher, Director of the agency’s New York office, outlined UN-HABITAT’s mandate to promote sustainable urban development and adequate shelter for all, and stressed its local-level focus. She explained that UN-HABITAT is one of the few un bodies that works with organizations at every level, including local governments to build, manage, plan and finance cities without slums that are livable places for all, which do not pollute the environment or deplete natural resources. At the dawn of a new urban era with most of humanity now living in cities, UN-HABITAT is at the frontline of the battle against fast growing poverty in cities, rapid urbanisation, unemployment, disasters and the scourge of climate change that is caused by cities and hurts them most. UN-HABITAT experts also told the seminar jointly organized with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that experts had met in Nairobi 22-23 November to discuss the agency’s role in supporting local adaptation strategies in developing countries’ cities. Participants agreed on the importance of working with secondary cities and recommended focusing on multi-level governance and multi-hazard approaches. http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=5499&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0

China reports widening gap between urban rich and poor 1/14/2008
While China's urban poor are struggling because of rising inflation and medium income earners are precluded from up-market consumption, the urban rich are spending more and more to pursue a luxury lifestyle. The end-of-year report by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences found 10 per cent of low income families in urban areas had per capita incomes 38.3 per cent of the national average while the disposable income of urban high income earners was almost 2.26 times the national average. Almost half the incomes of poor families went on food and medical costs took another 15 per cent, the report said. Lives of the impoverished, mostly farmers, the unemployed and laid-off workers, became even harder with last year's rising inflation. China's consumer price index, the main gauge of inflation, climbed 6.9 per cent in November, marking the fourth consecutive month when the index rose more than six per cent. The price rises have already affected ordinary people, according to a previous report by Xinhua news agency.

Violent crime declined in many big US cities 1/14/2008
During the first half of 2007, violent crime declined in many big US cities. A national fall in violent crime was helped by a significant fall in murders in cities with more than one million people, where the drop amounted to 6.5 per cent compared to the same period 2006. The figures, released by the FBI, also showed falls in rape, armed robbery and aggravated assaults. During 2007, New York City reported a fall of murders from 596 to 494, while the number of unlawful killings in Houston dropped from 376 to 351. Cities with declines in murders also include Minneapolis, Sacramento, Boston, Los Angeles, Charleston (South Carolina) and Milwaukee. Although the FBI figures showed a decline in many large urban areas, not all cities followed that trend. Murder was up in Cleveland, Washington DC and Baltimore. In the US capital there were 181 murders in 2007 compared to 169 in 2006, while in Cleveland the murder rate jumped from 119 during 2006 to 134 in 2007.

German cities ban ‘dirty’ cars from entering downtown areas 1/14/2008
On 1 January 2008 three German cities introduced a ban on polluting cars entering their downtown areas. Cars without catalytic converters or diesel dust filters are no longer allowed into the centres of Berlin, Cologne and Hannover. Cars, which comply with the clean-air regulations, will be given a green window disk. In Berlin, almost 80 per cent of the city's 1.2 million registered cars have received the green disk. In Cologne 280,000 disks have been distributed while Hanover has given out over 36,000. A car entering Berlin city centre without displaying the green disk will be fined 40 euros. On 1 March, other German cities, including Stuttgart and Mannheim, will be introducing similar schemes. Supporters hope that by banning ‘dirty’ cars from the centres of cities will reduce the amount of fine-particle dust to 50 micrograms per one cubic metre of air. However, some mayors argue that air pollution should be tackled nationally and not city by city. Christian Ude, mayor of Munich, said Cities coulod not win the fight against fine particles alone. “It is the job of the federal government and the European Union to regulate fine particles, not German cities,” he added.

UN Agency calls for more urban farming 1/14/2008
As a precaution against extreme weather conditions, Asian countries should invest in urban and indoor farming, says the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). The organisation’s Secretary-General Michel Jarraud said Asia needed secure food supplies for its rising population, and indoor and urban agriculture was receiving special attention to make most efficient use of space using controlled environments. WMO research shows that among the ten countries most affected by extreme weather in 2006, seven were from Asia: Afghanistan, China, India, Indonesia, North Korea, the Philippines and Vietnam. These countries suffered from a range of bad weather conditions including droughts, floods and hurricanes. WMO, a UN agency, also called for improved seasonal prediction, early warning systems, and monitoring for regional droughts, to help farmers decide which crops to grow.

China and Germany launch city-to-city rail freight service 1/14/2008
The railways of Germany and China are planning to launch direct freight rail links between the two countries major cities. The first such link will be between Beijing and Hamburg. On 8 January, the first train left the Chinese capital for the German port city. Loaded with containers, the train will travel Beijing through the Mongolian Republic, along the Trans-Siberian Railroad, through Belarus and Poland and then to Hamburg. On arriving at its destination in just under 20 days, the train will have traveled more than 10,000 kilometers. Germany’s railway (Deutsche Bahn), cooperates with five other rail companies on this project: the Russian and Chinese Railways as well as the national railroads of Mongolia, Poland and Belarus. The six rail companies intend to develop competitive offerings to gain market shares from ocean- and airfreight. The booming economies in Asia and the upswing in Russia have lent further importance to the Asian-European transport corridor.

Metropolitans: EuroNews new magazine to spotlight on European cities 1/14/2008
EuroNews will launch Metropolitans, the new monthly magazine on the current issues and future challenges of urban life in Europe, on 23 January 2008. The eight minute news magazine will shed light on the various aspects.of cities across Europe, viewed from all facets: from politics to economy, from societal issues to environmental, or from education to art and culture. Each month, the magazine will zoom in on a European city to interview political leaders, economic decision makers, citizens and all stakeholders focusing on a subject connected to an international current affairs topic covered by EuroNews. The first spotlight will be put on Manchester (United Kingdom) in January, followed by Düsseldorf (Germany) in February, Gijón (Spain) in March, Lyon (France) in April and Katowice (Poland) in May. Each edition of Metropolitans will also be posted on-line on the website euronews.net in seven languages: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

Final conference on CEMR's Charter: acting locally for equality between women and men 1/14/2008
How to implement the European Charter for equality of women and men in your municipality or region? This will be the main theme of the conference organised by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), on 20-21.February 2008, in Pisa (Italy). The conference "Acting locally for equality" will mark the 25th anniversary of the first conference of local and regional elected women representatives of CEMR, which took place in the same city. It will be the occasion to evaluate the first results achieved through the Charter, as well as allow for an assessment of European policies and CEMR actions for equality carried over the last 25 years. Based on the early experiences of the signatories and examples of implementation gathered throughout the project by CEMR, this conference will focus on key priorities for local and regional government in their work on implementing the Charter, in order to begin to draw up means to support the Charter in years to come at European level. At the conference, participants will debate on regions' contributions to the implementation of the Charter, examples of good practices at the local level, and the implementation of the Charter in the years to come. A final declaration and conclusions ‘Pisa - 25 years later: continuing towards equality' will be presented at the end of the conference.

Call for Papers - Barcelona Walk21 1/14/2008
Catalunya Camina and the City of Barcelona are proud to co host the 9th annual Walk21 conference, Walk21 Barcelona 2008: 'Walk with Barcelona - a moving city'. This exciting conference will bring together hundreds of delegates from around the world, including leaders from government, academia, the private sector, non-profit, community, and advocacy groups as well as professionals, practitioners, politicians and advocates in the disciplines of transportation, planning, design and health. The conference themes - Political Vision, Civic Pride and Technical Expertise - reflect our desire to make this a conference that focuses on the relationships that enable people to develop sustainable and vibrant healthy communities, where people can and do choose to walk. Pre- and post-conference workshops and activities will be held and there will be a range of walkshops offered as part of the conference itself. An International Active and Safe Routes to School Forum will be held on the pre-conference day and a Youth Forum, organized by young people for young people, will take place during the conference. In association with FEVR a forum on pedestrian accidents and victims shall be convened. The results of these conference related activities will be presented to the conference. Papers, presenters and workshop proposals are now being sought for Walk21 Barcelona that can provide insight, guidance and support within each of the conference themes, from local to international levels. Submissions must be forwarded to the following mail address: papers@barcelonawalk21.com by Friday February 8th 2008.

Biofuel end-users in Central & Eastern Europe 1/14/2008
In the second of a series of workshops for biofuel end-users, from, the Biofuel Cities European Partnership brought together 35 stakeholders from Central and Eastern Europe in Sofia, Bulgaria. On the agenda was a discussion of the biofuels for transport sector and a reflection on the challenges facing biofuel end-users in the region, such as overly bureaucratic procedures, lack of institutional support and security of feedstock supply. Kicking off the workshop were two regional success stories with very different backgrounds. A Czech case study examined the interconnection between agri-industrial feedstock production and end-use, while a Romanian case focused on the use of alternative fuels in the public transport sector. Having been provided with plenty of food for thought, the participants then discussed the challenges and opportunities facing Southern, Central and Eastern European biofuel end-users.

Dubai and Shanghai examples of wasteful urban development 1/14/2008
The danger of treating climate change only as a man-made phenomenon that impacts nature’s systems is that it posits the problem in some distant remoteness and absolves all of us of immediate responsibility. The facts tell us that three-quarters of the carbon dioxide in the world, which is the biggest greenhouse gas, is emitted by cities. Dubai and Shanghai are models that ought to be avoided, as they are examples of environmentally wasteful urban development. One has only to remember that half the population of the globe is urban today. Half this carbon dioxide is contributed by buildings, which need to heat or cool their interiors; the rest is generated by motorised transport, which is growing exponentially in this country. This puts quite a different spin on climate change: it locates the problem squarely in our midst, as urban-dwellers. As a recent issue of Down To Earth, the fortnightly magazine from the Centre for Science and Environment, puts it, cities are “earthscrapers”, rather than pockmarked only by skyscrapers. They consume inordinate amounts of energy and materials and are thus parasitical by nature. Cities account for one-sixth of the fresh water the world guzzles, a quarter of the wood harvested, and two-fifths of the material and energy flows. According to the recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which is the most authoritative source on the issue, cities are responsible for 26 per cent of direct greenhouse gas emissions.

Heart and Soul Community Planning Request for Proposals 1/14/2008
The Orton Family Foundation invites proposals from small cities and towns, with partnering organizations, committed to developing and implementing plans for future growth inspired by their communities’ “heart and soul.” The Foundation anticipates selecting two (2) projects in New England and two (2) projects in the Rocky Mountain West. Each selected project will be eligible for up to $100,000 over two years. The Foundation would like to collaborate with communities on an in-depth listening and visioning process that leads to development and implementation of plans to protect and enhance the places, values, and desires identified through the heart and soul community planning process. Communities must be: ready to use innovative project design, planning and communication tools; eager to work with community stakeholders; and committed to achieving citizen engagement and consensus building by seeking and listening to all residents, including those who are under represented in traditional planning processes. Visit the Foundation’s website: www.orton.org/rfp to download the full Request for Proposals and application form, to review expectations and project details, and for updated information.

Call for Papers - NECTAR 08 1/14/2008
Transition towards Sustainable Mobility: the Role of Instruments, Individuals and Institutions 15-16 May 2008, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands The workshop will bring together scholars from various disciplines and countries interested in sustainable mobility. The aim of the workshop is to discuss how policy instruments, individual behaviour and institutional practices support or impede the transition toward sustainable mobility. We encourage presentations of completed research, work in progress, as well as examples of practice and implementation. SUGGESTED TOPICS Papers on any topic relevant to transition toward sustainable mobility are welcome. Topics of special interest include: · Transitions towards more sustainable transport energy consumption and emissions · Transitions towards more integrated land-use and transport strategies · Influencing attitudes and changing behaviour in transitions towards sustainable mobility · Evaluating transitions to sustainable mobility · Appraising policies for transitions towards sustainable mobility · Identifying the role of politics in transitions towards more sustainable transport policies · Identifying how institutional processes can affect transitions towards more sustainable transport policies Those interested in presenting a paper are invited to send an abstract of 500-1000 words by email to the cluster co-chairs (NectarRotterdam@mail.com) by 1 February 2008. Papers will be selected according to the quality of the abstract and relevance to the workshop theme.

Cities are the most neglected layer of American government 1/14/2008
Eighty per cent of Americans live in metropolitan areas comprised of hub cities and surrounding suburbs. Metro economies account for 87 per cent of America’s total economic output. Central cities, in other words, are major generators of wealth that attract business, labor, tourists, and investment. One might expect that the health of central cities would be at the forefront of debate during the presidential election campaign, yet candidates pay little attention to cities. Certainly, issues like immigration, jobs, schools, crime, and poverty are debated vigorously. But these are suburban and rural issues, as much as urban, and there is no acknowledgement from the presidential candidates that cities could be agents for national change in these and other areas. Cities are the weakest level of American government. Most depend on the property tax – one of the most regressive taxes – as their primary revenue source. Compared to the federal and state governments, American cities have limited spending powers. They cannot run deficits, and their ability to issue and manage debt is relatively restricted. Moreover, federal and state governments routinely underfund social services, education, infrastructure, public safety, and other services crucial to cities. http://topics.developmentgateway.org/urban/rc/ItemDetail.do?itemId=1127903