Archived News Items - March 2008

Corporate Social Responsibility : Conference to launch the "toolkit for local government" 3/31/2008
The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), the European Parliament's Liberal Democrat group, is organising a conference in Brussels, on 14 May 2008, to launch the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) toolkit.dedicated to local and regional governments. The conference “Local meets Europe” will present the new toolkit produced by “CSR Vaderegio”, a European platform that endeavours to boost responsible business practice across European regions. The toolkit aims to help local and regional governments influence, inspire and collaborate with businesses in order to promote responsible business practice. The event will be hosted by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) including as Josu Ortuondo, Siiri Oviir and Anne Jensen. Speakers will also include representatives of the Commission's directorate general (DG) for employment and social affairs, enterprise and industry and regional policy, as well as representatives from the regions. This conference is organised in partnership with CSR Vaderegio network and in association with the Commission's DG Employment and Social Affairs.

Conference: “Cities of the Future” (8-10 april 2008) 3/31/2008
The Committee of the Regions (CoR) is organising a Forum “Cities of the future” on sustainable urban development in Brussels on 8-10 April 2008. The Forum will highlight the challenges that European towns and cities are facing in the field of sustainable urban development, concerning.for example energy, mobility, transport and housing. It will also showcase local initiatives that have already been successfully implemented to combine economic growth and sustainability. EU Commissioner for Energy Andris Piebalgs will present the “Covenant of Mayors” - a tool to make cities sustainable. This initiative was launched by the European Commission in January 2008 with the intention of mobilising mayors and leaders of Europe's cities and towns, giving them the opportunity to go beyond the objectives in the field of sustainable energy adopted on 9 March 2007 by the EU's heads of state and government. The forum is organised in cooperation with the European Commission's Directorates General for Energy and Transport and for Enterprise and Industry, and in partnership with Eurocities. The ‘Cities of the Future' Forum will be held alongside the next CoR plenary session on 9 and 10 April. http://www.cor.europa.eu/pages/PresentationTemplate.aspx?view=detail&id=42e982bf-7dff-4a55-860a-ad8cfe126748

US cities join forces to fight urban poverty 3/31/2008
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced the launch of Cities of Financial Empowerment (CFE), a coalition of city governments seeking to address and expand the role of municipal government in improving the financial health and security of residents on low and moderate incomes. The CFE Coalition will be co-chaired by the City of New York led by Consumer Affairs Commissioner Jonathan Mintz and the City of San Francisco led by Treasurer José Cisneros. They will be joined by the cities of Miami, Florida; San Antonio, Texas; Savannah, Georgia; and Seattle, Washington as the founding members of the coalition. "CFE will provide us with a great opportunity to develop and share innovative solutions to one of the toughest challenges facing all cities: poverty," said Mayor Bloomberg. "This is not a problem that can be solved by the public sector alone, or the non-profit sector alone, or by any one city. It will require all of us - working together with the private sector - to find creative new ways to help more Americans increase their earnings and maximize their savings. By joining forces, our cities will spread best practices and strengthen our voice on Capitol Hill. Reducing poverty isn't easy, but we believe it is possible - if we are willing to embrace innovative new ideas and leverage the power of public-private partnerships."

China urged to concentrate urbanisation on mega cities 3/31/2008
The scale and pace of China's urbanization promises to continue at an unprecedented rate. If current trends hold, China's urban population will expand from 572 million in 2005 to 926 million in 2025 and hit the one billion mark by 2030. In 20 years, China's cities will have added 350 million people—more than the entire population of the United States today. By 2025, China will have 219 cities with more than one million inhabitants—compared with 35 in Europe today—and 24 cities with more than five million people. For companies—in China and around the world—the scale of China's urbanization promises substantial new markets and investment opportunities. At the same time the expansion of China's cities will represent a huge challenge for local and national leaders. Of the slightly more than 350 million people that China will add to its urban population by 2025, more than 240 million will be migrants. This growth will imply major pressure points for many cities including the challenge of managing these expanding populations, securing sufficient public funding for the provision of social services, and dealing with demand and supply pressures on land, energy, water, and the environment.

Grant funding for five CCP Australia Councils 3/31/2008
Five councils in Australia that are active in ICLEI’s Cities for Climate Protection™ Campaign have received an Accelerated Action Grant from the Australian Government. The grant, from the Australia Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, will be used to produce the Hobart Integrated Regional Bicycle Network Plan. The plan will include a regional on- and off-road cycling network, end of trip facilities and recreational destinations. The councils also intend to drive momentum within the community to plan and create the facilities identified in the regional plan. This project will create a positive environment for an increase in cycling activity while decreasing car-dependence and thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

New Oceania Climate Website for Mayors 3/31/2008
The Australasian Mayors Council for Climate Protection (AMCCP) has developed a new website. 2008 presents opportunities for Australian and New Zealand local government to build on its experience and success in tackling climate change through ICLEI's international Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) Campaign. The Australasian Mayors Council for Climate Protection (AMCCP) initiative can harness these opportunities by providing over 260 CCP councils across Australia and New Zealand with a political focus for furthering their action on climate change. Please go to www.climatemayors.com to visit the new climate mayors website.

Mrs. Tibaijuka to carry Olympic flame in Africa run 3/31/2008
UN-HABITAT Executive Director Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka is one of the high profile individuals selected to take part in the Olympic Torch Relay in Tanzania – the only African country through which the torch will be carried en route to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Among others taking part in the relay holding in the Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam are Kenyan track legend Kipchoge Keino and Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai. They will be participating under the banner of the Coca Cola Company which is a worldwide partner of the Olympic Torch Relay for the sixth time in 12 years. “This is a great honour both to me as a person and to UN-HABITAT. The Olympics symbolizes the unity of humankind and to be chosen to participate in the Torch Relay is a once in a lifetime opportunity which I will greatly treasure,” said Mrs. Tibaijuka who is known to keep herself fit by jogging regularly. Commemorating the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus, the torch’s origins lie in ancient Greece, when a fire was kept burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics. The fire was reintroduced at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, and it has been part of the modern Olympic Games ever since.

Second edition of the Rome Millennium Cities Prize 3/31/2008
The Chair of the UCLG MDGs Committee, the city of Rome has just launched the second edition of the “Millenium Cites Prize. In this new edition, the awards will be given to cities who have distinguished themselves through special Millennium Development Goal achievements, thereby contributing to the improvement of the living conditions of their most vulnerable constituencies. The first edition was inaugurated with the award to the former UN Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for his role in the promotion of the UN Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals. In the ceremony to be held in Rome in September 2008, the distinguished cities of the south will be awarded €50.000. Please note that all nominations for the awards should be presented before the 30 April 2008. Full information on the prize can be found at the website: • w3.uniroma1.it/romemillenniumcitiesprize

Introducing participatory budgeting for better service delivery and transparency in Africa 3/25/2008
Senior officials representing governments, local authorities and NGOs from 29 African countries gathered in Durban last week for Africa’s first regional seminar on participatory budgeting – a system that gives the public a say and an eye on how municipal funds are spent. UN-HABITAT helped explain how the public benefited from better access to budgetary decision making in Asia, Latin America, and Europe in a series of presentations by delegates from those regions. The ministers responsible for local government in Rwanda and Somalia, who attended the March 10-14 meeting, said they intended to see how they could introduce public participation into their municipal budgeting cycles. UN-HABITAT and the Harare based Municipal Development Partnership Eastern and Southern Africa used the occasion to launch a new publication, Participatory budgeting in Africa – a training companion with cases from eastern and southern Africa. The system is intended to ensure more transparency and better governance in Africa’s rapidly growing towns and cities.

Eco-buildings Conference : how buildings can reduce energy consumption? 3/25/2008
How do Eco-buildings contribute to reduce energy consumption? This will be one of the main themes of the second symposium of Eco-buildings Projects, organised by the European Commission together with the city of Stuttgart, on 7-8 April, in Stuttgart. The conference will offer various presentations dealing with the lessons learned from the Eco-buildings projects. Speakers will include the mayor of Stuttgart and vice president of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions Wolfgang Schuster; representatives from The European Commission and Parliament; as well as experts in the field of sustainable architecture. The building sector is at present responsible for more than 40% of EU energy consumption declares Mayor of Stuttgart Wolfgang Schuster. There are technologies under development, which could substantially improve the energy performance in buildings. This is what Eco-buildings projects want to show. http://www.ccre.org/docs/Eco-buildings_programme_and_registration_final.pdf

Second round of France's local election: socialists take over major cities 3/25/2008
Opposition parties take over at least 30 major cities from President Nicolas Sarkozy's ruling party, in the second round of French local elections, on 16 March 2008. The opposition Socialists seized power from the right in Toulouse, Strasbourg, Reims, Caen and Saint-Etienne. It now holds fourteen out of the twenty biggest cities of France. Sarkozy's center-right (UMP) holds Bordeaux and Nice, as well as Marseilles. The elections saw Bertrand Delanoe, Mayor of Paris and president of the world association of local government (UCLG), reelected in the capital. The left-wing also confirms its previous scores in the elections for the “departments”, seizing Corrèze, Allier, Deux-Sèvres, Somme... Nationally, partial official results showed parties on the left leading slightly, with 49.5% of the overall vote to 47.5% for the centre-right. Abstention beat the record to 35%.

Carfree areas seeking municipalities… (call for applications - new deadline: 30 Avril 2008) 3/25/2008
European municipalities are invited to express interest in co-operating to realise carfree model settlements in their area (deadline: 30 April 2008). The responding municipalities will be selected by a jury to participate in the international.“Carfree Area Pilot Project”. The proposal for the project will then be submitted to the European Commission under the programme “Intelligent energy – Europe”. The project is organised by the "World carfree network" (WCN) and is supported by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR). http://www.ccre.org/news_detail_en.htm?ID=1290

Mayor sets out his priorities for women at London Capital Woman event 3/24/2008
The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone underlined his top priorities for London’s 3.1 million women at the Capital Woman conference (Saturday March 8th), including a new initiative for safer street lights. Crime rates have fallen in London, especially in relation to domestic and sexual attacks against women, but safety, particularly at night, remains a concern for women. To address this issue the Mayor has supported the increase in police numbers and there are now more police in the capital than at any other time in history. http://www.london.gov.uk/view_press_release.jsp?releaseid=16153

London no longer favoured by real estate professionals 3/24/2008
Moscow and Istanbul are ranked first and second, respectively, among this year’s top real estate markets in Europe for both investment and development prospects. Hamburg and Munich held the third and fourth spots as top investment markets, and the two cities switched places as the third and fourth top development markets. Paris, which held the top investment rating in past years, slipped slightly, taking fifth place for investment prospects and sixth place for development prospects. London fell to 15th place. http://www.citymayors.com/economics/real-estate-europe.html

2007: A Banner Year for Renewables in the U.S. 3/24/2008
Last year was a banner year for renewable energy in the United States, especially for the wind industry. As the recent REN21 Renewables 2007 Global Status Report highlights, the industry broke all past global records, installing 5,244 megawatts (MW) of new wind energy capacity in 2007, or 30 percent of all new U.S. capacity added. This brings the cumulative national total close to 17,000 MW—enough to power more than 4.5 million U.S. homes. http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5648

Three “Garbage Crusaders” in Modern Cosmopolitan Beijing 3/24/2008
Every city needs someone to take care of its garbage. The most resource-efficient way to dispose of urban trash is to recycle and reuse it. But recycling and reuse are more difficult than they sound, especially in cities where residents mix up all kinds of solid wastes. In 1996, encouraged by the nongovernmental environmental education group Global Village of Beijing, the Beijing government tried to begin garbage sorting. A decade has passed, and there has been no obvious improvement except for the heroic deeds of three lonely “garbage crusaders.” What these individuals have experienced and encountered illustrates the predicament of urban solid waste in China. http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5435

World Habitat Awards 3/24/2008
The Building and Social Housing Foundation is currently seeking entries for the World Habitat Awards 2008 competition, which we hope will be of interest to you and your readers. We would be very grateful if you would consider publicising the competition and I attach a small poster and our relevant logos for your editorial use if required. Please also see the World Habitat Awards eFlyer (sent separately). The World Habitat Awards were initiated in 1985 and seek to identify practical, innovative and sustainable solutions to current housing issues faced by countries of the Global South as well as the North, which are capable of being transferred or adapted for use elsewhere. The competition is open to all individuals and organisations, including central and local governments, NGOs, community-based groups, research organisations and the private sector. Each year a panel of international judges assesses the projects entered for the competition and selects two winners. An award of £10,000 is presented to the winners at the annual United Nations global celebration of World Habitat Day. Last year’s World Habitat Awards were presented to ZukunftsWerkStadt Leinefelde, Germany and Ecomaterials in Social Housing Projects, Cuba. Details of these two winning projects and the competition finalists can be found on the World Habitat Awards website at www.worldhabitatawards.org. Please note that Stage I entries must be received by 1st June 2008.

"Virtual Water” Innovator Awarded 2008 Stockholm Water Prize 3/24/2008
Professor John Anthony Allan from King’s College London and the School of Oriental and African Studies has been named the 2008 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate. Professor Allan pioneered the development of key concepts in the understanding and communication of water issues and how they are linked to agriculture, climate change, economics and politics. People do not only consume water when they drink it or take a shower. In 1993, Professor Allan, 71, strikingly demonstrated this by introducing the “virtual water” concept, which measures how water is embedded in the production and trade of food and consumer products. Behind that morning cup of coffee are 140 litres of water used to grow, produce, package and ship the beans. That is roughly the same amount of water used by an average person daily in England for drinking and household needs. The ubiquitous hamburger needs an estimated 2,400 litres of water. Per capita, Americans consume around 6,800 litres of virtual water every day, over triple that of a Chinese person. http://www.siwi.org/sa/node.asp?node=25

Eco-driving for developing cities 3/24/2008
Many countries are exploring various alternatives to reduce fuel consumption and preserve air quality in urban areas. There is a variety of attractive measures, such as promoting public transit and bicycle use, deploying congestion pricing or fuel taxes, etc, which have been proven successful in the past. Another measure is applying the concept of Eco-driving, a simple, low-cost, yet effective approach to save fuel and preserve the environment. Previous implementations have demonstrated that simply changing driving style can save fuel consumption and CO2 emissions as much as 7 -20%. http://www.sutp.org/content/view/262/48/lang,uk

Fourth Session of The World Urban Forum in Nanjing now to be held between 3 -7 November 2008. 3/17/2008
The Government of the People’s Republic of China has confirmed that the Fourth Session of the World Urban Forum, which is to be held in the city of Nanjing, will now take place between 3-7 November 2008. UN-HABITAT Executive Director Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka thanked the Chinese government saying that it was a great honour to have them host this increasingly popular event in the UN calendar, especially as the meeting is dedicated to discussing urban issues and China is now one of the fastest urbanizing countries in the world.

Islamabad to become Pakistan’s ‘green city’ 3/17/2008
Pakistan’s government has approved a charter declaring Islamabad a Green City. According to the charter, the government, residents of the city and business stake holders will work together to protect and promote greenery in Islamabad. While the aim of the charter is to make Islamabad a pollution-free city, it’s urban environment is deteriorating with increasing population and economic activities, which have given birth to high-rise buildings, residential apartments, housing schemes, industrial units and new markets. The charter counted steel and marble industry, kilns, stone crushers and cement plants as major sources of pollution. “Natural water streams were being contaminated with domestic and industrial waste while development schemes, both in public and private sectors, were being implemented without any regard to environment protection,” it’s authors wrote. Massive cutting of trees, dust and noise pollution had raised public annoyance, it said, and a coherent action by all stakeholders was imperative for sustainable development and environment protection. The charter points out that unsustainable urban development had also attracted attention of the UN and a “Green Cities Declaration” had been included in the UN programmes, as majority of the world population lived in cities that consumed 75 per cent of natural resources, creating environmental challenges.

Common Agriculture Policy: CEMR disappointed by European Parliament's resolution 3/17/2008
The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) expresses serious reservations after the adoption by the European parliament of the resolution on “Health Check” of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). CEMR regrets that the Parliament is against more transfers from the “first pillar” (support to agriculture) to the “second pillar” (rural development). CEMR is disappointed that according to the European Parliament, any money spent for rural development needs to be directly targeted to farmers, declares CEMR's Secretary General Jeremy Smith. Supporting rural development needs measures beneficial to all citizens.To live in rural areas does not necessarily mean to work in agriculture. Therefore we need more investments in job creation and infrastructures to ensure rural development and to help ending rural depopulation. CEMR shares the EP's position that the Commission's proposal goes in to the right direction and that it is necessary to secure appropriate financing for a sustainable policy for rural areas. However a progressive transfer from pillar one to pillar two woud be welcome. We also share the EP's view that local actors have to be closely involved in the planning, implementation and monitoring process of the funds transfer. Rural development is first and foremost a local matter. A top-down approach would thus not be right declares Jeremy Smith.

Strong increase in heart disease in African townships and cities 3/17/2008
Heart disease is a growing threat to people living in African townships and cities. According to research carried out by the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto (South Africa), African women are at greater risk than men, whereas in western Europe and North America men suffer most. The researchers warn that, while in the past heart disease was caused by infections and malnourishment, nowadays more and more cases are due to obesity and high blood pressure. Simon Stewart, a visiting professor in Soweto from Australia's Baker Heart Research Institute told Reuters that in Soweto, like in other urban areas of Africa, the population had gone from abject poverty to signs of affluence and that was driving more affluent disease. "The traditional risk factors found in the developed world are appearing - things like high blood pressure, obesity, sedentary behaviour and poor diet, with the emergence of fast food outlets," he warned.

ICLEI South Asia planning workshops on energy efficiency in buildings 3/17/2008
ICLEI South Asia will host a series of four regional workshops on ‘Energy Efficient Buildings’ across India. The workshops will be held in Noida, Bhubaneshwar, Nagpur and Chennai (India). The overall purpose of these workshops is to promote energy efficient building design in Indian Construction Sector. The workshops are expected to raise the awareness of the participants regarding energy efficient building techniques and motivate them to adopt techniques which will help to reduce the energy consumption of energy by the construction sector. The workshops target local architects, builders, and developers, development authorities, city municipal corporations, environment consultants, and students of architecture. These workshops are being supported by the Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy

International Women’s Day 2008: “Investing in Women and Girls” 3/17/2008
Local governments around the world are commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Worldwide Declaration on Women in Local Government that was ratified by hundreds of local governments in 1998, and charted the way forward for UCLG advocacy and lobby at international levels. International Women’s Day will be celebrated on 8 March. The theme “Investing in Women and Girls” for 2008 responds to growing awareness of the difference that investing in women and girls makes to all people through its “multiplier effect on productivity, efficiency and sustained economic growth” as highlighted by the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women has been the main topic of the Commission on the Status of Women this year and the focus of the local government’s position paper prepared by the UCLG Committee on Gender Equality concerning the indispensable role of local governments as the first rung on the ladder for the advancement of women. http://www.cities-localgovernments.org/uclg/index.asp?pag=newsD.asp&L=EN&ID=228

EUROCITIES has now published its contribution to the consultation opened by the European Commission's Green Paper on Urban Mobility 3/17/2008
In its response, entitled 'Cities developing a new culture for urban mobility', EUROCITIES makes a number of points which are aimed at feeding into the future EU Action Plan on urban mobility - to be adopted by the autumn: For EUROCITIES members, modal shift should remain a priority for the European Commission as well as for national, regional and local levels. The path to a modal shift lies in comprehensive Urban Mobility Plans at city level, which not only address urban mobility but also a range of other policies that have a strong impact on the choice of transport modes available. EUROCITIES' response emphasizes how crucial it is to achieve modal shift away from private vehicles to other, less polluting, modes of transport, and to link the urban mobility dimension with environmental, social and economic concerns. EUROCITIES members are convinced that the European Union has the potential to bring added value to local mobility policies. Whilst respecting the principle of subsidiarity, it is important to ensure that local actions are coherent within the general framework on an overall integrated strategy, which is consistent at local, national and European levels. EUROCITIES encourages the European Commission to work with Member States to overcome national barriers to urban charging schemes, without proposing legislation which would limit the local flexibility that is required to solve the problem.

World Toilet Organisation Events 3/17/2008
In support of the United Nations International Year of Sanitation, World Toilet Organization presents two action-led events, World Toilet Summit & Expo (WTSE) and World Sanitation Fund Forum (WSFF) from 4-6 November 2008 in Macau. The events are organised in partnership with Asian Development Bank, and supported by Ashoka Innovators of the Public, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, Sustainable Sanitation Alliance and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and The Pacific. They will tackle sanitation challenges of the world through action-oriented platforms which feature high-level discussions among the public and private sectors, and leading-edge sanitation solutions showcases with innovative and practical solutions from leading industry names. More information can be found at www.worldtoiletevents.com.

EUR 4 million for poverty reduction in 90 cities 3/14/2008
The executive branch of the European Union, the European Commission, has signed an agreement with UN-HABITAT that will see 90 municipalities in 30 countries improving living conditions in a sustainable way. The agreement signed at the beginning of February, marks the first time that the agency has received a grant from the EuropeAid Co-operation Office and its ACP fund benefiting the African Caribbean and Pacific group of countries. The partnership, between the ACP Secretariat, the EC and UN-HABITAT, aims at managing rapid urbanization challenges and contributing more efficiently to urban poverty reduction. In March this year, UN-HABITAT will launch activities and a regional dialogue on urban development policies. The Intra-ACP funds as part of the European Development Fund will enable 18 countries to assess their major urban challenges and produce urban sector profiles. In the meantime, 12 countries that have already completed the profiling will move on with the second phase, preparing feasibility studies for integrated slum upgrading pilots. http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=5555&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0

A bright future forecast for India’s largest cities 3/14/2008
The contribution of India’s urban population to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is forecast to grow by 16 per cent and touch 70 per cent by 2011. Currently, urban population is contributing some 60 per cent in the GDP. Cities like Mumbai and Bangalore would become major epicentres for large-scale economic activities for domestic and overseas businesses, India’s industry association Assocham said. Metro areas and large townships in next five years would have ample of infrastructure and adequate input access to industrial renaissance. This would result for higher urban per capita income which would rise by minimum of Rs 10,000 (US$250) per annum and touch Rs 36,000 per annum by 2011, they authors of the paper 'Urban India: Growth, Opportunities & Difficulties' explained. The major cities including metros will offer a large variety of job opportunities to a large number of job seekers and qualified professionals in areas such as IT, ITeS, manufacturing, services and biotechnology. Cities to profit will include Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Haryana, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Uttar Pradesh, Kolkata followed by other emerging states like Kochi, Pune, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Dehradun and Jaipur. With almost 300 million Indians living in towns and cities, India’s urban population comprises some 28 per cent of the total population and accounts for more than 90 per cent of the government revenues.

How to curb emissions from transport? Report from the European Environment Agency 3/14/2008
The unrestrained growth of transport activities creates many side-effects, such as air pollution, noise, or hours lost in traffic jams. Many solutions however exist, according to the European Environment Agency. The report "Climate for a transport change" is an annual publication from the EEA, which examines performance of the transport sector vis-a-vis potential future targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions. The report suggests different ways of reducing emissions from transport. These include the setting of areas with restricted access at different times of the day, the integration of land use and transport in urban planning, and increasing densities to increase the viability of local services that are accessible on foot or by bicycle, as well as increasing the viability of public transport. According to this EU-wide study, cities account for roughly 80 % of traffic congestion costs, including loss of working hours

Football, Europe and local government: an Austrian tournament 3/14/2008
Ahead of the EURO 2008 (Football European championship), the Austrian association of municipalities is organising a football tournament open to Europe's mayors. The tournament will take place in Salzburg from 28 May.to 1 June 2008. Teams should consist of 15 mayors. National associations of local governments are welcome to spread the news among their members. The registration fee (€7,000 for a team of 15 players) include full-board accomodation in a **** hotel for 5 days. http://www.ccre.org/docs/mayors_football_tournament.pdf

Philosophy and the City website 3/14/2008
This site contains resources for thinking about what public philosophy means in today's age of globalization. Philosophy has something to say about the city, and the city can also instruct philosophy. Here we explore those links. http://www.philosophyandthecity.org/

Historical Districts Seminar 3/14/2008
The City of Seville is organising together with UNESCO and UN-HABITAT an International Conference “Historical Districts for all: A social and human approach for a sustainable revitalization” , May 7-9th 2008. This International Seminar is intended to gather demonstrative cases of good practices from Mayors and experts at national and international level, relating to urban regeneration in inner historic districts. Based on the 7 principles and Methodology for an inclusive approach to historic districts revitalization identified by both UNESCO / UN-HABITAT, the Seminar will also promote the exchange of experiences between Spanish and international participants. There is a number of limited places available, if you are interested in participate please contact the Secretariat at SevilleC2C@unhabitat.org. Subscription is free but participants should cover their own travel and accommodation

Johannesburg City-level Comprehensive Development Framework and Slum Up-grading 3/14/2008
Summary: The City of Johannesburg, the premier metropolitan area of South Africa, is undertaking a major city development strategy, including a fiscal, financial, and institutional reform of the city. Objectives: Upgrading of one of the largest urban informal settlements in South Africa; Design of a local economic development program; Creation of metropolitan utilities; Implementation of an urban safety net program; Development of a unified fiscal management system. Activities: Complete technical, fiscal, and community plans; Deepen participatory process; Design of community delivery systems, especially in water and sanitation; Design programs for SME development in the city using Johannesburg public procurement reform to enable SME access to economic opportunity and credit; Design of metropolitan health district, especially the community primary health systems; Complete the formation of utilities (water, electricity, and waste); Design community policing and community process for addressing the problems of violence, especially in the informal sectors. Expected Impact & Results: Amalgamated city management system created; Financial management and treasury system implemented; Utility and district structure for water/sanitation, electricity, waste, transport, health, and security implemented; Slum-upgrading program in place with key indicators of increased access to services and secure tenure arrangements implemented; Poverty and service access tracking system implemented; A local economic development strategy with pilots focused on small and medium industry implemented

The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change 3/11/2008
The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change is an exhaustive review of existing research on the relationship between urban development, travel and the CO2 emitted by motor vehicles. http://sgusa.convio.net/site/DocServer/Executive_Summary.pdf?docID=4021

SCUPAD 2008 (May 15-18, 2008): Call for papers 3/11/2008
Salzburg Congress on Urban Planning and Development(SCUPAD) invites to submit a paper for presentation at a workshop at the SCUPAD Congress 2008, “Planning for the Carbon Neutral World: Challenges for Cities and Regions,” to be held in Salzburg at Schloss Leopoldskron, May 15 -18, 2008. www.scupad.org

Informal Sector Networks and Intra-City Variations in Activities: Findings from Delhi Slums 3/11/2008
Based on a micro-survey of around 800 slum households in Delhi this paper highlights the role of networks in accessing jobs in the urban labor market. Primarily three types of networks have been identified, which operate through kinship bonds, caste and ethnicity bonds, and formal channels like NGOs and employment exchanges. The type of networks used seems to vary across occupations. Based on a multinomial logit model the paper notes that given the differences in the nature of economic activities performed in different parts of the city, factors like networks and the urge to reside near the contact person and the work place make the urban labor market highly segmented. Hence, certain pockets within the city tend to get crowded by the growth of slums, and secondly interspatial variations in terms of activities/occupations make slum population in the city a heterogeneous set, and thus their problems and need vary substantially. Hence, any uniform policy for clusters located in different zones may not be able to tackle effectively the problems of slum dwellers in the city. http://topics.developmentgateway.org/urban/rc/ItemDetail.do~1134768?intcmp=700

Does Migration Reduce Regional Disparities? The Role of Skill-Selective Flows 3/11/2008
The existence of income per capita disparities is a striking feature of European regional development, while increasing internal migration is often cited as a convergence factor. This paper states that this argument is too simple if migration concerns skilled workers. To support this statement, the focus is on skill-selective migration flows: first, it is shown how easily they can happen (for instance, they can be caused by different regional wage settings); then, a model is used to investigate the effects of different regional endowments of immobile factors on migration. The model shows that skill-selective migration can, in some cases, lead to increasing income per capita disparities and, for this reason, policy makers need to pay attention when attempting to narrow regional disparities by easing interregional migration. http://topics.developmentgateway.org/urban/rc/ItemDetail.do?intcmp=700&itemId=1134735

25 European cities and regions provide a model for local and regional sustainability in EU27 3/11/2008
I am convinced that the Managing Urban Europe-25 integrated management system is a very good tool that can help towns, cities and regions to tackle the increasing impact of human activities on the urban environment, said Berlin's Senator for Health, Environment and Consumer Protection Katrin Lompscher at the BerlinForum: Managing a Sustainable Future for Cities and Regions, held 12-13 February 2008. About 150 participants and key persons responsible for the urban issue from 25 European countries gathered in Berlin's Max-Taut-Aula to present and discuss an integrated management approach, including representatives from Local Governments, Regional Authorities, National Governments, European Commission and EU Parliament. During three years, 25 European cities and regions have cooperated to develop an integrated management approach for local and regional sustainability in the project Managing Urban Europe-25. The approach is a response to the EU Thematic Strategy on the Urban Environment (2006) and the EU Leipzig Charta on Sustainable Cities (2007). The BerlinForum served as discussion platform for a variety of issues around urban integrated management for a sustainable future of cities & regions - from climate change to equity, from the EU Lisbon Strategy for Growth to the Aalborg Commitments. As the project draws to an end, the 25 forerunner cities and regions are now ready to share their experience and motivate their peers to follow them on the path to sustainability. A manual Integrated Management towards local and regional sustainability has been launched in 9 languages. In- depth guidance and more city cases on how to work with the model will also be found on www.localmanagement.eu

International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology 2008 3/11/2008
The fourth International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology 2008 (ICEST2008) sponsored by the American Academy of Sciences will be held from July 28-31, 2008 in Houston, Texas, USA. The conference will host presentations on a wide range of environmental problems. Please visit the conference website at http://www.AASci.org/conference/env/2008/index.html for more information

Think attracts leading global sustainability figureheads 3/11/2008
This week Prof Herbert Girardet, Director of Programmes of the World Future Council and Ché Wall, founder of the Green Building Council of Australia and Managing Director of the Lincolne Scott Group of Companies, have confirmed their roles as headline speakers at Think, the landmark event focusing on sustainability in the built environment. Ché Wall commented: “I am delighted to participate in an event that will be discussing sustainable best practice, both within and beyond the UK and with the broadest demographic of participants. I expect Think will make a major contribution to moving the sustainability discussion to the next level”

International Conference on urban safety 3/11/2008
The City of Budapest, Vice President of the EFUS, invites the network’s members to attend the 2008 Urban Safety Conference organised on April 29-30, 2008. This event will bring together European community safety specialists, and focuses on new cities’ challenges in the field of security. http://www.fesu.org/index.php?id=1752&L=0

CEMR: 25 Years working on Women’s Political Advancement at Local Level 3/3/2008
21 February 2008 The Pisa Conference “Acting locally for equality” marks the historic anniversary of 25 years of the European Section of UCLG – CEMR’s dedicated action for gender equality ever since the celebration of the first conference of local and regional elected women representatives in Pisa. Leaders and representatives from all over Europe will gather on 20-21 February 2008 to reflect on and evaluate the first steps and future priorities towards the implementation of a pioneering tool developed by the CEMR Committee of Women Elected Representatives: the European Charter for Equality of Women and Men in Local Life. “The European Charter on Gender Equality is both a testimony of the important steps taken and a tool for the long road ahead where the level of female participation in local governments is stagnating for the first time in two decades” said Ms. Elisabeth Gateau, Secretary General of United Cities and Local Governments during the international event. http://www.cities-localgovernments.org/uclg/index.asp?pag=newsD.asp&L=EN&ID=227

Forum of Local and Regional Authorities of the Mediterranean 2008 3/3/2008
The first Forum of Local and Regional Authorities of the Mediterranean will be held in MARSEILLES ON THE 22ND AND 23RD JUNE 2008. It will be organised by the Mediterranean Commission of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), and is being set up in response to the need expressed by local and regional authorities to create a permanent forum for expanding their involvement in the relaunch of the Barcelona Process, as agreed during the meeting of the Euromed Towns and Regions Forum of 26th November 2005. This forum presents a formidable opportunity for Mediterranean local and regional authorities to express the expectations and suggestions of the people they represent ahead of the Head of Mediterranean and European Union State and Governments summit in Paris on 13th and 14th July, as announced by the French president and the Italian and Spanish heads of state, during their Call from Rome on 20th December 2007. Local and regional authorities from around the Mediterranean intend to take part in a Mediterranean strategy for relaunching the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. This impetus aims to create the conditions for a renewed partnership to foster peace, solidarity and sustainable development for the benefit of populations. This Forum will provide a space for political expression for the Mediterranean territories, communes, towns, departments, provinces, autonomous communities, regions, governorates, districts, wilayas and their networks. The creation of a Euro-Mediterranean partnership for increased prosperity, solidarity and dialogue would be impossible without the active participation of local governments, working with and for their citizens and in close partnership with local community organisations.

UN-HABITAT completes EUR 1.2 million housing rehabilitation in Lebanon 3/3/2008
UN-HABITAT has completed two operations in Lebanon funded by the European Union that have rebuilt and renovated thousands of homes hit in Israeli air raids in July 2006. Some 3,640 families or about 18,200 individuals were the beneficiaries of the EUR1.2 million projects in various neighbourhoods of the capital, Beirut, southern Lebanon and the Bekaa valley. The European Union’s Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO) was the sole funding source for the 2 projects. In the first project costing approximately Euros 700,000, UN-HABITAT teamed up with the Municipality of Choueifat, the Ministry of Social affairs and local neighborhood committees. It closed in December last year. The second project, which wound up February 15 2008, and worth about EUR 400,000, was implemented by the Danish Refugee Council and other partners working in 30 municipalities in southern Lebanon and Bekaa. Mr. Adnan Hammound, a beneficiary in Beit Lif village said, “the project has achieved what we were dreaming of. Lands were surveyed and maps were drawn…we can do nothing but thank them for what they did.” http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=5579&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0

EUR 4 million for poverty reduction in 90 cities 3/3/2008
The European Union and UN-HABITAT have signed an agreement that will see 90 municipalities in 30 countries improving living conditions in a sustainable way. The agreement signed beginning of February marks the first time that the agency had received funding from the collaboration with the Secretariat of the African Caribbean and Pacific Group of States and the European Commission (EC). The partnership developed in 2004 aims at managing rapid urbanization challenges and contributing more efficiently to urban poverty reduction. In March this year, UN-HABITAT will launch activities and a regional dialogue on urban development policies. The EC funds will enable 18 countries to assess their major urban challenges and produce urban sector profiles. In the meantime, 12 countries that have already completed the profiling will move on with the second phase, preparing feasibility studies for integrated slum upgrading pilots. http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=5555&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0

UNEP Governing Council meets on climate finance in Monaco 3/3/2008
“Mobilizing Finance to Meet the Climate Challenge” was the theme of the 2008 Governing Council meeting of UNEP in Monaco. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) held its tenth special session of the Governing Council / Global Ministerial Environment Forum in Monaco from 20-22 February 2008. This year’s theme was “Mobilizing Finance to Meet the Climate Challenge”. While last year’s session was dedicated to the theme “Trade and Environment”, UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner’s vision for the 2008 meeting was to initiate a dialogue between the world’s environment ministers and the world of finance. The plenaries and ministerial roundtables saw the participation of bankers, brokers and representatives of the investment community. UNEP’s Finance Initiative has been working with the finance sector for many years. The discussions showed that there is a significant gap between the need for public finance for climate protection and development on the one side, and incredible amounts of private finance for greenhouse gas reduction projects waiting to be invested. ICLEI Secretary General Konrad Otto-Zimmermann participated in the GC meeting and its ministerial roundtables as well as in the session of the Global Civil Society Forum, in which ICLEI organizes input from cities and local governments as Facilitating Unit for the Local Authorities major group. ICLEI Training Center Director Monika Zimmermann used the opportunity of the Monaco session to hold meetings with partners on the Local Action for Biodiversity project, and to discuss the Local Government Climate Roadmap “Bali-Poznan-Copenhagen” with several agencies and ministries.

Smaller cities will grow most in coming decades 3/3/2008
By the end of 2008, for the first time in history, half of the world's population will live in urban centers, according to a revised United Nations population study. The survey also predicts the world's urban population will almost double to 6.4 billion people by the year 2050. Most of the growth will be in cities with fewer than half a million people and not in mega cities like Tokyo, New York and Mexico City. The report's findings imply that urban areas must be prepared to absorb enormous numbers of people over the next four decades. UN population officials say the growth of cities will not only be caused by populations migrating from rural areas, but also by the transformation of many rural areas into urban centers.

Melbourne offers best all-round environment 3/3/2008
Melbourne offers the best environmental qualities of all major cities in Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. At the bottom of the table of 21 cities are New Delhi and Mumbai. Only months before this year’s Summer Olympics, host Beijing occupies a lowly 15th place. Johannesburg and Singapore are placed second and third respectively. The survey, commissioned by MasterCard, used data from the World Health Organisation, other UN agencies and national agencies such as the US geological survey as well as Mercer, the consultancy. Cities are ranked highest to lowest in terms of environmental quality as measured by water potability and availability, sewage system, waste removal, air quality, infectious diseases, potential climate change impact and natural disasters.

Consultation on the Covenant of Mayors for energy efficiency 3/3/2008
Take the lead to tackle climate change and get involved in the European Commission's consultation on the Covenant of Mayors for energy efficiency. The Covenant of Mayors brings together mayors of Europe's cities.and local governments in a permanent network to make better use of energy in cities and towns. It was officially launched in January 2008, as a response of cities, local and regional governments to global warming: a formal commitment to reduce their CO2 emissions even beyond the EU 20% objectives through the development of a sustainable energy action plan. The European Commission has now opened a wide consultation with the aim of gathering opinions and comments of cities, local and regional governments on the content of the Covenant. A draft text, prepared in informal consultation with many cities and networks of cities, is already available in all EU languages. Interested parties are invited to contact the European Commission before 30 April 2008. Based on these recommendations and comments, the European Commission will produce a final version of the Covenant which will have to be adopted by the councils of adhering cities, municipalities and regions, by the end of 2008.