31/3/2011 - Seattle's 'Unsustainable' Parks System.
30/3/2011 - City of Almada wins prestigious European Mobility Week Award 2010.
30/3/2011 - Dominance on the Most Livable Cities.
29/3/2011 - EU to ban cars from cities by 2050.
29/3/2011 - 2011 Creative City Summit.
28/3/2011 - Homegrown Carpooling Makes A Difference in D.C.
28/3/2011 - UN-HABITAT responds to criticism.
27/3/2011 - Suburbs Left Out of Toronto Transit Plan.
27/3/2011 - Forum focus: citizens’ engagement through ICT.
26/3/2011 - World's Biggest Mall A Ghost Town.
25/3/2011 - Spanish winner receives the Scroll of Honour.
25/3/2011 - Latin America’s Bus Rapid Transit Boom Offers Lessons for the U.S.
24/3/2011 - Sustainable Mobility & URBACT Cities: Watch Euronews Reportage!
24/3/2011 - Three Indian Cities nominated to Green Pilgrim Cities Network.
23/3/2011 - LEED for Neighborhoods Debuts.
23/3/2011 - EU Sustainable Energy Week: Covenant of Mayors on the starting blocks.
22/3/2011 - Abu Dhabi Enlists the Help of Former Vancouver City Planner.
22/3/2011 - Launch of web-based instrument prototype for sustainable urban development.
21/3/2011 - Historic Preservation Vs. Height and Density.
20/3/2011 - Does London Have the Most User-Friendly Public Transit? .
20/3/2011 - EUROCITIES 2011 Genoa – Planning for People.
20/3/2011 - Steps Towards Inclusive Growth: Lessons for the Recovery.
19/3/2011 - Which is More Livable: Eco-Cities or Mega-Cities? .
19/3/2011 - New Cities for Active Inclusion publications.
19/3/2011 - Perth Unveils Massive Waterfront Redevelopment Plan.
19/3/2011 - Making Suburbs Sustainable.
18/3/2011 - The Importance of Cities to the World.
18/3/2011 - Top Ten Most Liveable Cities of 2011.
17/3/2011 - How can the digital agenda for Europe be more relevant to municipalities and regions?
16/3/2011 - Tourist-Centric Venice Loses Population.
16/3/2011 - Vienna’s Development Plan for Agricultural Structures as a guiding model for other cities.
15/3/2011 - L.A. City Council Approves New Bike Plan - Unanimously.
15/3/2011 - Biodiversity Management for Local Governments – new LAB guidebook.
14/3/2011 - Tokyo, Seoul and Taipei are among Asia's greenest cities.
13/3/2011 - UN-HABITAT and UNDP hold a donor roundtable meeting.
13/3/2011 - New Overhead Transit System Opens in Brazilian Slum.
12/3/2011 - City Planning for First-ring Suburbs' Future as Boomtowns.
12/3/2011 - More Urban Highways Seeing Demise.
12/3/2011 - London to host Habitat Partner University Initiative meeting.
11/3/2011 - Local authorities compete for biodiversity crowns as second round of European Capitals of Biodiversity is launched.
11/3/2011 - Prioritizing Pedestrians.
11/3/2011 - From Creative Industries to the Creative Place.
10/3/2011 - China's Growing Traffic Problem.
9/3/2011 - How can municipalities help stimulate cycling?
8/3/2011 - Risks in City Marketing.
8/3/2011 - Financing the Resilient City.
7/3/2011 - How Detroit's Mayor Attempts to Save the Great American City.
7/3/2011 - Twenty four graduate with diploma in urban studies.
7/3/2011 - Top Ten Cities For Public Transportation.
6/3/2011 - Economic Recovery Observatory launched for local and regional levels.
6/3/2011 - Preparing New York City for Extreme Weather Events.
5/3/2011 - Efus prepares a European project on crisis-management.
4/3/2011 - Tracking Growth in World Cities.
4/3/2011 - LEDs, the future of streetlights?
4/3/2011 - "Urban Sprawl is Finished," Claims Author of Australian Study.
3/3/2011 - Building Healthy Communities Project – Turin Local Support Group.
3/3/2011 - Solar Roads: The Next Revolution in Solar Power.
2/3/2011 - Which European city is the ideal capital of the European Union.
2/3/2011 - Egypt's Prosperity Lies in Urbanization.
2/3/2011 - Back to the future - a gathering of UN-HABITAT veterans.
1/3/2011 - The Best Downtown Revitalization Projects of 2010.
1/3/2011 - Give Europe’s cultural policy a boost, says EUROCITIES.
Seattle's 'Unsustainable' Parks System
As the parks system grows in Seattle, it is becoming more difficult to afford to maintain. One local official calls the system "unsustainable".
The city is trying to figure out what to do to save it.
"Each new gem means a little skimping elsewhere; a bathroom gets cleaned less often, a ballfield goes unlined. "We're giving with the right hand," says interim Parks Superintendent Christopher Williams, "and taking away with the left."
That's why, with the city swimming in a pool of red ink, the Department of Parks and Recreation eliminated 112 jobs representing 11 percent of its staff, cut hours at community centers, increased fees by almost $1 million, deferred repairs on leaky roofs and shut down programs. The department now uses the $750,000 Environmental Learning Center at Carkeek Park, which attained a gold rating for green buildings, only for rentals."
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw/2014312829_pacificpparks06.html?syndication=rss
City of Almada wins prestigious European Mobility Week Award 2010
Almada, Portugal, member of ICLEI – Local Governments for sustainability, has been announced as the winner of the prestigious European Mobility Week Award 2010. European Commissioner for the Environment Janez Potocnik presented the award to the Portuguese city at a ceremony in Brussels, Belgium, on 14 March 2011.
An independent jury of experts deemed Almada the winner for strongly promoting alternatives to private vehicle use, and innovatively highlighting the positive impact of other means of transport on public health and the environment. Speaking at the ceremony, Commissioner Potocnik said, “Too many Europeans rely on their cars even for short journeys. The effects of increased pollution and congestion are harmful for both the environment and our health. European Mobility Week shows how local authorities can encourage people to use other ways of travelling and in doing so improve their health and well-being.”
The coastal city, which has been an ICLEI member since 1999, introduced dozens of long-term measures during the week, including making improvements to road infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, and held a week of activities to promote sustainable transport as a means to improve health and well-being. On 18 September the city held a major event titled “Mobility Festival Day”, which saw an impressive mix of films, exhibitions, street markets, demonstrations of electrical vehicles, bicycle fairs, concerts, sport activities, dance and street performances, bike sprints, workshops and street art demonstrations. The city also increased the number of bicycle parking spaces available and created charging stations for bikes and electric vehicles. For the required “Car Free Day” Almada converted the historic and commercial centre of Cacilhas into a pedestrian zone.
Dominance on the Most Livable Cities
Why do cities in Australia and Canada consistently dominate livability ratings?
The former British Territories account for 7 out of the top 10 livable cities, with three Canadian spots and four Australian cities; New Zealand also has the tenth place.
John Copstake believes it is because "mid-sized cities in developed countries with relatively low population densities tend to score well by having all the cultural and infrastructural benefits on offer with fewer problems related to crime or congestion."
http://www.good.is/post/88/
EU to ban cars from cities by 2050
Cars will be banned from London and all other cities across Europe under a draconian EU masterplan to cut CO2 emissions by 60 per cent over the next 40 years.
The European Commission on Monday unveiled a "single European transport area" aimed at enforcing "a profound shift in transport patterns for passengers" by 2050.
The plan also envisages an end to cheap holiday flights from Britain to southern Europe with a target that over 50 per cent of all journeys above 186 miles should be by rail.
Top of the EU's list to cut climate change emissions is a target of "zero" for the number of petrol and diesel-driven cars and lorries in the EU's future cities.
Siim Kallas, the EU transport commission, insisted that Brussels directives and new taxation of fuel would be used to force people out of their cars and onto "alternative" means of transport.
"That means no more conventionally fuelled cars in our city centres," he said. "Action will follow, legislation, real action to change behaviour."
2011 Creative City Summit
The 2011 Creative City Summit will take place May 10-12, 2011 in the City of London, Ontario at the London Convention Centre. The theme of this year's Summit is "The New Old: Culture as a Revitalizing Tool in your Community". Registration is open and the full schedule is available online here: http://www.creativecity.ca/english/in-person-meetings-mainmenu-146/2011-summit
The 2011 Creative City Summit will encompass 2.5 days of facilitated professional development dialogues for practitioners in the arts and culture field, in addition to study tours, networking events, and pre and post activities and entertainment. The Creative City Summit not only provides the host municipality with an exciting opportunity to showcase its culture and commitment to local cultural development, it also provides a greater opportunity for the community of practice across the country to come together and share ideas.
The Support and Sponsorship Opportunities outlined in the attached package (PDF) allows your organization to show your support to the Creative City Network of Canada in addition to raising your profile in the arts and cultural sector. All sponsors will receive recognition of their level of sponsorship with signage throughout the Summit.
Homegrown Carpooling Makes A Difference in D.C.
In Washington, D.C., 28 miles of HOV lines make it very tempting to add a couple of passengers in your back seat. A booming, informal system has formed around just that, which locals call "slugging."
Emily Badger of Miller-McCune looks at the impact of slugging on the local streets. An expert she interviews estimates that almost 10,000 cars are being taken out of the commute in D.C. through this new form of carpooling:
"Every morning, these commuters meet in park-and-ride lots along the interstate in northern Virginia. They then ride, often in silence, without exchanging so much as first names, obeying rules of etiquette but having no formal organization. No money changes hands, although the motive is hardly altruistic. Each person benefits in pursuit of a selfish goal: For the passenger, it’s a free ride; for the driver, a pass to the HOV lane, and both get a faster trip than they would otherwise. Even society reaps rewards, as thousands of cars come off the highway."
http://www.miller-mccune.com/culture-society/slugging-the-peoples-transit-28068/
UN-HABITAT responds to criticism
The current economic climate calls for increased accountability, efficiency, effectiveness and transparency. In view of this, UN-HABITAT welcomes any constructive criticism.
Now under new leadership, the organization is more than ever committed to change: Dr. Joan Clos, the Executive Director of UN-HABITAT has already embarked on an internal review and rationalization process. In this context, UN-HABITAT appreciates the UK Multilateral Aid Review. Despite some concerns about the research methodology, the agency agrees with some of its conclusions.
However, UN-HABITAT is seriously concerned about some critical omissions. Indeed, the report is in danger of losing sight of the importance of urbanization as a transformational process: Cities are strategically important for sustainable development through wealth creation and poverty reduction.
Withdrawing the funding to UN-HABITAT of about 7 percent of the agency's core budget is in danger of sending a signal that well planned and managed cities do not matter.
UN-HABITAT is disappointed by this decision especially as only two years ago, the UK's own House of Commons International Development Committee Report on Urbanization and Poverty praised UN-HABITAT: "We commend the work of UN-HABITAT on human settlements and urban development across a wide range of contexts". This cross-party report called for an increase in contributions and was welcomed by DFID in a Government Response, at that time
Suburbs Left Out of Toronto Transit Plan
Critics in Toronto are blasting a new transit plan from Mayor Rob Ford that they say overlooks the city's suburban areas.
The Toronto Environmental Alliance has criticized the plan for not equally sharing the benefits of the $8.7 billion plan with suburban residents.
"Only 217,000 commuters would benefit from light rail under Ford’s plan, which is still being considered by Metrolinx, the provincial agency that approves transit funding.
That compares with about 460,000 commuters who could have accessed light rail under the old plan, which Ford has declared dead.
TEA’s ridership numbers are based on the population living or working within 500 metres of the proposed light rail lines."
http://www.thestar.com/news/transportation/article/949859--ford-shortchanging-suburbs-with-transit-plan-critics-charge
Forum focus: citizens’ engagement through ICT
Knowledge Society Forum meets in Ghent 7 & 8 April
The city of Ghent is hosting the next Forum event on 7 & 8 April 2011 on the theme of “Involvement and engagement through ICT”.
This meeting will launch Vienna and Ghent’s presidency of the Forum. Cities involvement and engagement will be a centre focus, following the idea that the knowledge and practices shared within the Knowledge Society Forum will also lead to a better integration of ICT in cities so that citizens become more involved and engaged.
Challenges to be discussed will include:
• How can we augment the involvement and engagement of citizens and cities through innovative use of ICT tools and strategies?
• How is involvement and engagement in the information society different from traditional involvement and engagement?
Involvement can be interpreted as mutual involvement between citizens and their (local) governments. But also as a more general attitude of involvement and engagement of citizens in their street, neighbourhood, city.
This be a firm base for citizens, together with their local governments, to be the driving force for change, for transforming into an inclusive knowledge society. The first day of the conference will feature a series of interactive workshops and the launch of three new working groups. The second day of the event (8 April) will be dedicated to Working Groups work meetings and will allow a members meeting to take place.
World's Biggest Mall A Ghost Town
A huge mall in China -- the largest in the world -- has just a 1% occupancy rate.
The mall is located in Dongguan, between two emerging megacities. But growth has not reached the midpoint soon enough for the mall.
"While China recently announced 45 new airports due to booming travel growth, several of their development projects have been enormous duds. The New South China Mall is twice the size of Minnesota's Mall of America, but hovers at around a 1% occupancy. The rows of empty shops are piped with serene elevator music, and guards police the empty halls with echoing footsteps."
http://i.gadling.com/2011/03/02/largest-mall-in-the-world-is-a-chinese-ghost-town/?ncid=&a_dgi=aolshare_twitter
Spanish winner receives the Scroll of Honour
The third Vice President of Spain Mr. Manuel Chaves, on Monday this week received the UN-HABITAT Scroll of Honour (Special Citation) on behalf of the Spanish organisation FEIL.
UN-HABITAT Executive Director Dr. Joan Clos presented the award at a colourful ceremony in Madrid. The Local Investment State Fund, known by its Spanish acronym FEIL, won the Scroll of Honour in 2010. It was a celebration of the organisation which in 2009 had investments worth 8 billion Euros in Spanish towns and cities.
First given in 1989, the Scroll of Honour award recognises those initiatives that have most contributed to improving the quality of life in urban areas and the development of more sustainable cities and is of the highest international prestige in its field. In the case of FEIL, the judges were impressed with the contribution made to creating jobs, stimulating the economy and improving the quality of life in Spanish towns and cities.
This is the first time that Spain has received a Special Citation (the highest category within the Scrolls of Honour) the granting of which is decided upon by a jury of international experts in urban development.
UN-HABITAT is the United Nations agency that manages the programme for Human Settlements to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.
Latin America’s Bus Rapid Transit Boom Offers Lessons for the U.S.
Bus rapid transit (BRT) is often the most feasible, quickly implemented and cost-effective way to improve mobility in the United States, concluded a distinguished panel of transport experts at a Brookings Institution event.
The event, organized by the Latin America Initiative, invited guests to discuss lessons learned from some of the widely regarded best practices of BRT in Latin America and their applicability in the U.S., where rapid population growth, increasing congestion and shrinking municipal and federal budgets present an urgent need to find appropriate transportation and infrastructure improvements.
Panelists included Marc Elrich, councilmember for Montgomery County, Maryland; Robert Puentes, senior fellow at Brookings; Sam Zimmerman, urban transport advisor for The World Bank; and Dario Hidalgo, director of Research and Practice for EMBARQ (the producer of this blog). The discussion was facilitated by moderator Mauridio Cardenas, senior fellow and director of the Latin America Intiative at Brookings. The looming question: If BRT works so well in Latin America, how come we don’t see as many examples of it in the U.S.?
http://thecityfix.com/latin-americas-bus-rapid-transit-boom-offers-lessons-for-the-u-s/
Sustainable Mobility & URBACT Cities: Watch Euronews Reportage!
Sustainable mobility and the use of electric cars is currently one of the major preoccupations of the automotive industry and of urban policy-makers and actors. Several URBACT projects deal directly or indirectly with this issue. The EVUE 'Electric Vehicles in Urban Europe' project focuses specifically on the development of integrated, sustainable strategies and dynamic leadership techniques for cities to promote the use of electric vehicles. Lisbon, city partner in EVUE project, is in the spotlights in a Euronews reportage!
http://urbact.eu/en/header-main/news-and-events/view-one/urbact-news/?entryId=5045
Three Indian Cities nominated to Green Pilgrim Cities Network
Dwarka, Somnath and Ambaji, three of Gujarat, India’s holiest cities may soon join the network of green pilgrim cities.
The announcement was made on 25 February in a meeting between Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and representatives from the Green Pilgrim Cities Network. ICLEI President David Cadman and South Asia Secretariat Executive Director Emani Kumar were present during the meeting.
The Green Pilgrim Cities Network is a new initiative facilitated by the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC). ICLEI has been an active partner of the Network since its inception.
With at least 100 million people becoming pilgrims each year, the Network aims to help faiths green their holy cities according to their own theology and understanding. It also calls on pilgrims to leave a positive footprint on the cities.
Several cities have come forward as pilot Green Pilgrim Cities. These include Amritsar for Sikhs, Assisi for Catholics, Etchmiadzin for Armenian Orthodox Christians, Haifa for Baha’is, Jerusalem for Jews, Christians and Muslims and Trondheim for Norwegian Lutherans and other Christians.
Action plans to green these cities are being drawn up by each local faith community, in cooperation with the local authority, mayor or city council, and ICLEI.
http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=1487&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=4609&tx_ttnews[backPid]=983&cHash=539eff83c0
LEED for Neighborhoods Debuts
The LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) guidelines have existed for some time now, but are getting a new focus with an exhibit in Chicago and the launch of the first comprehensive city plan to include LEED-ND guidelines.
From the USGBC's press release on the exhibit, called "Neigbhorhoods Go Green!":
"The exhibit features text, photographs, and illustrations representing the features of a model green neighborhood, and showcases successful national and local projects. Today’s popular culture often promotes sustainability with technological solutions, like light bulbs, hybrid cars, or green buildings. The Neighborhoods Go Green! Exhibit reveals the enormous potential of a whole neighborhood approach, and challenges visitors to think big."
Phillip Langdon writes that governments are starting to bring these ideas into their plans:
"The first explicit reference to LEED-ND in a municipal comprehensive plan appears in the comp plan of the City of Bellingham, Washington. It is mentioned there as a tool to assess the long-term sustainability of master plans for Urban Villages — part of Bellingham’s growth management strategy."
http://newurbannetwork.com/article/leed-nd-focus-exhibit-gaining-use-among-governments-14265
EU Sustainable Energy Week: Covenant of Mayors on the starting blocks
The Covenant of Mayors Office is organising a series of conferences and workshops at the occasion of the next European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW), held on 13 and 14 April 2011 in Brussels, Belgium.
These events will aim at.debating and exchanging with European local and regional authorities willing to boost their sustainable energy policies.
On 13 April, a special highlight will be put on local and regional actions for sustainable energy. The conference will be divided into morning and afternoon sessions.
In the morning, concrete examples of the close collaboration between energy agencies and local authorities will be showcased. The latest developments in EU policy will be presented as well as in the area of technical support for energy efficiency and renewable energy at the local and regional level.
The afternoon will be devoted to the following questions: What local actions are being undertaken in the context of the Covenant of Mayors? How is European funding being used? What difference has the Covenant made thus far?
http://www.ccre.org/news_detail_en.htm?ID=2038
Abu Dhabi Enlists the Help of Former Vancouver City Planner
Larry Beasley, Vancouver's former chief city planner, was hired to help develop Abu Dhabi's very ambitious Plan 2030.
The goal of Abu Dhabi Plan 2030 is to establish the city as a world leader in sustainable urban planning.
According to Jessica Hume of Regarding Place Magazine , "the plan, like most, looks perfect on paper." "Where it gets slightly more difficult to understand is when you compare Plan 2030 to the reality of life on the streets here," she writes.
To make the point that Abu Dhabi is a city built for cars and not pedestrians, Jessica Hume explains the difficulties of walking in the city as such:
"Abu Dhabi is an island, shaped like a uterus. I began my walk at the offices of the newspaper where I work; and, like a sperm, I attempted to make my way to the egg, which, also not unlike that of a sperm, is not an easy trip."
http://regardingplace.com/?p=11198#more-11198
Launch of web-based instrument prototype for sustainable urban development
Starting in March 2011 and on a voluntary basis, some sixty cities will test the Reference Framework for Sustainable Cities (RFSC) prototype, an internet-based instrument which helps local authorities pursue sustainable urban development policies and implement the Leipzig Charter for Sustainable European Cities.
Indeed, this Reference Framework will guide users through a series of questions on the economic, social, environmental and governmental aspects of sustainable development. This questionnaire will then allow for an assessment of whether the municipality's strategy or project is coherent with principles outlined in the Leipzig Charter and in sustainability in general.
The feedback obtained from the prototype's test phase will serve to finalise the Reference Framework and to determine how to successfully implement this web-based tool. The final version is scheduled to come out by the end of 2011.
The Reference Framework for Sustainable Cities is free of charge and has no preconditions for European funding. It is being developed by a working group composed of representatives from the EU member states, the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), and the European Commission. A team of experts from CERTU, in France, is lending their support to the working group, which has been chaired by CEMR since September 2010.
http://www.ccre.org/news_detail_en.htm?ID=2040
Historic Preservation Vs. Height and Density
The Seattle City Council is considering allowing buildings of up to 150 ft. in parts of the historic Pioneer Square neighborhood. Some say the scale is out of character; others say, not high enough!
The Downtown Seattle Association is pushing for greater heights, aiming for 180 ft., saying that the area needs a serious injection of population to boost its economic engine.
Meanwhile, preservationists fear that the density will cause neglect to the historic buildings in the neighborhood. Developers point to Portland's Pearl District as an example of a community that added density without destroying the historic character of the area:
"Preservationists agree that Pioneer Square needs more housing to bolster the struggling business district. One of its biggest draws, The Elliott Bay Book Company, departed last year for the trendier, and busier, Pike-Pine corridor.
But those charged with protecting the historic legacy worry that 18-story buildings would be out of scale with the 19th-century Romanesque facades that make up the historic district."
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014437992_pioneersquare09m.html
Does London Have the Most User-Friendly Public Transit?
In preparation for the 2012 Olympics, the City of London has announced its plans to introduce a revolutionary ticketing system to allow easier access to its public transit network.
From ThisBigCity.net:
"Londoners and visitors to the city will soon be able to pay for public transport simply by using their contactless debit or credit card."
"The timing of this change is, of course, vital. With the eyes of the world on London, and millions of visitors flocking to the city in 2012, a simple and accessible transport network will improve London’s functionality for both tourists and locals, presenting the city in a positive light at the same time."
According to Joe Peach of This Big City, the London transit network is currently accessible by cash or a public transit card (called an Oyster card).
http://thisbigcity.net/londons-transport-system-to-become-a-world-leader-in-ticketing-technology/
EUROCITIES 2011 Genoa – Planning for People
Mark your calendar! 2-4 November 2011
Too often in the past the social dimension of urban regeneration has been neglected. Because it is easier to see the results of our investment in physical change we have sometimes focused much more on ‘place’ e.g. on infrastructure and buildings, architecture and space, rather than ‘people’.
EUROCITIES’ conference taking place in Genoa this year will highlight the importance for city planners to explore different ways of achieving inclusion and prosperity. Discussions will delve into the challenges and opportunities of social cohesion and processes that involve citizens in the changes that affect their cities. The so-called ‘participative democracy’ - planning ‘for people’ but even ‘with people’.
Managing flows of migrants will also be at the heart of our debate. Being at the front-line of southern Mediterranean migration, Genoa has much to share on issues of legal and illegal economic migrants and refugees. Our host, together with EUROCITIES mayors from southern Mediterranean cities and elsewhere across Europe will exchange perspectives on better managing this politically sensitive agenda.
As always, a full programme of networking opportunities and practical workshops is to be expected. In the meantime, make sure the EUROCITIES dates - 2-4 November 2011 - are marked firmly in your agenda!
Steps Towards Inclusive Growth: Lessons for the Recovery
Inequality and poverty remain features of Europe. It is matter of concern for economic as well as social growth. Finding the tools and measures that can be used to create inclusive and sustainable jobs and enterprises with social as well as economic objectives is crucially important if inequalities have to be overcome and the well-being of residents promoted. Read the article "Steps Towards Inclusive Growth: Lessons for the Recovery" which explores the lessons several URBACT projects can provide about how cities can develop "a more sustainable, inclusive and innovative way of thinking and living". Published in the URBACT Tribune, this article was written by Gill Scott, Lead Expert of the WEED project.
http://urbact.eu/en/header-main/news-and-events/view-one/urbact-news/?entryId=5039
Which is More Livable: Eco-Cities or Mega-Cities?
Are greenfield developments designed with sustainability in mind or already-built metropolises better for the environment and the people?
Future communities such as the solar-powered Babcock Ranch in Florida or PlanIT Valley in Portugal will have to prove that they are actually livable cities that people want and demand for.
"If there is market demand for these communities, these developments may prove to be scalable and replicable. Only the early residents who buy in can determine if these places are truly livable. However, it remains to be seen whether these new developments will actually be sustainable when all construction CO2 emissions are factored in on these greenfield sites. How are these developers accounting for those emissions?
In contrast with these bold visions, pragmatic New York City, already one of the world’s most sustainable cities, is focused on improving what it has. The city’s model climate change mitigation and adaptation plan, PlaNYC, is being used to guide smart investments in the environment, and water and energy infrastructure."
http://dirt.asla.org/2011/02/24/will-the-eco-cities-of-the-near-future-be-livable/
New Cities for Active Inclusion publications
Ten city reports on local active inclusion policies have just been published on the website of the EUROCITIES Network of Local Authority Observatories on Active Inclusion (EUROCITIES-NLAO).
The publications present the main trends and challenges for the EUROCITIES-NLAO partner cities in implementing active inclusion policies on the ground. They focus on the two research topics of the project over the period September – December 2010:
- Quality of social services of general interest; and
- The role of social economy initiatives in promoting active inclusion policies on the ground.
The studies include a variety of examples of good practices and innovative projects taking place in the EUROCITIES-NLAO cities, promoting high quality standards of social services and pilot measures to support social entrepreneurs and social economy organisations.
Perth Unveils Massive Waterfront Redevelopment Plan
The Western Australian city has an urban renewal plan by the waterfront estimated to cost $440 million AU.
The design will contain over 1,700 apartments, 100,000 square meters of office space, and 39,000 square meters of retail; it is to be completed by 2014.
The State Premier Colin Barnett has this to say about the plan:
"'The 'Waterfront Promenade' is the main feature of the project. It covers 1.5 hectares and links up with 'The Island'. 'The Island' is designed to be a relaxed place for children and adults and is connected to the 'Waterfront Promenade' by a sculptural pedestrian and cycle bridge. Station Park is the gateway to the new waterfront. The park will be filled with trees and native plants and includes a water feature. Cafes, bars and restaurants will open out to the waterfront from surrounding buildings. People will have access to the water from The Landing on the northern edge of the inlet or the 'The Jetty' with short term mooring."
http://www.perthnow.com.au/business/news/perths-440m-waterfront-plan-revealed/story-e6frg2qu-1226006364763
Making Suburbs Sustainable
A recent urban design conference held at North Carolina State University focused on the concept of the "Sustainable Suburb" and how to achieve it.
Ellen Dunham-Jones, author of Retrofitting Suburbia , was a guest speaker at the conference.
From a post by Next American City on Sustainable Cities Collective:
According to the conference's participants, "rather than suggesting that the suburbs simply be abandoned to reflect the fact that they may be ill-suited for contemporary needs, the answer may be reconfiguring them."
Bill Hundut, a former Mayor of Indianapolis, said "in terms of planning, we have gone beyond the stage where each city can plan for itself. Urban problems are suburban ones, and the only way we'll be able to resolve any of them is by working together."
http://sustainablecitiescollective.com/nextamcity/21026/imagining-more-sustainable-suburbia
The Importance of Cities to the World
Neal Peirce expounds on the increasing power and importance of cities, a dominant message in the new book "Triumph of the City" by economist Edward Glaeser.
"That doesn’t mean there aren’t great scourges of city life — disease, crime, congestion, social tensions. 'For every Fifth Avenue,' Glaeser notes, 'there’s a Mumbai slum; for every Sorbonne, there’s a D.C. high school guarded by metal detectors.' He’s candid about the need for farsighted city leadership to mobilize support for major infrastructure. A prime example: the safe water and sewage systems cities that New York and other cities began in the late 1800s, all but erasing waterborne disease and extending life expectancies — essential services still missing in many slums of the developing world."
Peirce's review shines kindly on Glaeser's work, but notes that the impact of cities on the global population is not given enough attention.
http://citiwire.net/post/2534/
Top Ten Most Liveable Cities of 2011
Australian and Canadian cities dominate the Economist Intelligence Unit report.
For the fifth straight year, Vancouver was unsurprisingly placed on top of the city livability rankings.
Rankings are "based on a combination of environment, health care, culture and infrastructure," according to the EIU analysis of 140 cities.
Australian cities account for four of the top ten cities, and Canada has three of the top ten. The top U.S. city came at a measly 29th place.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/21/worlds-most-liveable-cities_n_825964.html#s243568&title=10__Auckland
How can the digital agenda for Europe be more relevant to municipalities and regions?
The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) is co-organising a European conference on “Local Digital Agendas Meet the Digital Agenda for Europe”, which will discuss supporting local development through digital local agendas (DLA).and rendering the digital agenda for Europe (DAE) more relevant to municipalities and regions.
How can local and regional authorities better tackle today's societal challenges? How can the need for change at the local and regional levels be better addressed at the European level via the DAE? What impact could ICT have on the economic and societal development of communities?
http://www.ccre.org/news_detail_en.htm?ID=2033
Tourist-Centric Venice Loses Population
As floods increase and the tourist-focus of the city pervades, Venice, Italy is losing much of its charm -- and its native population.
Venetians are increasingly fed up with the "theme park" version of their city that is more interested in appeasing foreign tourists than meeting local needs. Many locals are moving out.
"This is the Venice of Chinese markets, gambling dens and fast food stands. Ship terminals are being excavated, and there are plans to build a metro to the new city airport and an offshore port. Everything is in fast motion, and everything is geared toward mass processing and profit. At its gateway, the city seems artificial, a fairground with old walls. Entry is still free.
"Welcome to Veniceland!" a clown shouts. People dressed in rat suits unfold Disney-esque city maps and tout the attractions. "Here you can surf the wakes of the cruise ships in the 'Tsunami Channel' and race up to the bell tower on a roller coaster at the 'St. Marks Fun Camp.' Shop to your heart's content at 'Little Shanghai,' the former Murano glassblowers' island. Be there live when police officers beat up handbag sellers from Africa. A show starts every hour. And visit the last real Venetians -- on the San Michele cemetery island.""
http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,747429,00.html
Vienna’s Development Plan for Agricultural Structures as a guiding model for other cities
As agriculture becomes ever more globalised, it becomes increasingly prone to crisis, among other things because agricultural products are increasingly linked to other sectors, such as the energy sector. Simultaneously, consumers’ demand for organically produced agricultural goods is increasingly linked with a rising demand for regional products. Vienna is a large city, which produces part of its agricultural products within the city. This production is based on the Development Plan for Agricultural Structures, which secures agricultural areas and coordinates them with Vienna’s land development. The Development Plan for Agricultural Structures was designated as best practice by UN-HABITAT in 2004
http://tinavienna.at/viennas-development-plan-for-agricultural-structures
L.A. City Council Approves New Bike Plan - Unanimously
The new plan is touted by Alissa Walker of Good Magazine as "perhaps the most ambitious pro-cyclist action in L.A. history."
While celebrating the pro-bike plan, Alissa Walker warns "the real challenges may prove to be finding the proper funding to drive the plan towards implementation. That will take some massive commitment on behalf of the city."
Among the proposed improvements, "the Citywide Bikeway System will introduce three new interconnected bike path networks—Backbone (long crosstown routes on busy streets), Neighborhood (short connectors through small streets) and Green (along recreation areas)—throughout the city," writes Walker.
http://www.good.is/post/what-l-a-s-new-bike-plan-means-for-cyclists-and-the-city/
Biodiversity Management for Local Governments – new LAB guidebook
The global need for a practical biodiversity management guidebook for local governments was recognized from the beginning of the Local Action for Biodiversity (LAB) Programme. LAB is ICLEI's biodiversity flagship programme, coordinated in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 21 pioneering local governments from all around the world piloted the LAB Programme between 2006 and 2009. Drawing on the experience and insights gained through working intensively with these LAB Pioneers, the LAB Guidebook has a very practical focus, with many case examples throughout.
The topics covered include: biodiversity assessment, planning and management; linking biodiversity with other sustainability issues; mainstreaming and integrating biodiversity; Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA); local and global partnerships and context and other mechanisms for enhancing biodiversity management at the local level. The key partners include ICLEI, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD), UN-HABITAT, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) and the South African National Department of Environmental Affairs.
LAB has now diversified into a programme consisting of various projects with different biodiversity management focal areas such as its links with climate change protection, the UNCBD’s CEPA programme and Cities in Biodiversity Hotspots.
Visit the website to learn more about LAB.
http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=6237
Tokyo, Seoul and Taipei are among Asia's greenest cities
The Asian Green City Index, a research project conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit, sponsored by Siemens, examined the environmental performance of 22 major Asian cities in eight categories: energy and CO2, land use and buildings, transport, waste, water, sanitation, air quality and environmental governance.
The greenest metropolis was Singapore, which placed “well above average” in the overall findings.
Tokyo is the only city to rank “well above average” in the energy and CO2 category. It has also topped the water category, due largely to its ambitious policies.
Taipei, the third-richest city in the Index, has the second-lowest energy consumption level, a large amount of green spaces and, in comparison to other high-income cities, the lowest CO2 emissions per person.
Seoul, on the other hand, scored well in having the densest metro and bus rapid transit system of all cities and for being consistently strong on policies to maintain and improve the urban environment. However it faces its biggest challenges in air quality, affected by the surrounding province’s manufacturing industries.
UN-HABITAT and UNDP hold a donor roundtable meeting
United Nations Human Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) this week held a one day donor roundtable meeting in Beirut.
The objective of the meeting was to launch the newly published report 'Investigating Grey Areas: Access to Basic Urban Services in the Adjacent Areas of Palestinian Refugee Camps in Lebanon'.
The meeting, which gathered representatives of the embassies of Canada, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom and USA, the European Union Delegation, Italian Cooperation, Swiss Development Cooperation, United States Agency for International Development in addition to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), aimed at sharing the key findings of the study and to discuss the way forward for enhancing dwellers' access to basic urban services in the Adjacent Areas of Palestinian Refugee Camps.
New Overhead Transit System Opens in Brazilian Slum
A new gondola cable car system is opening in a Rio de Janeiro slum to improve accessibility.
"Simply getting from point A to point B requires a sub-alphabet of zigzaggery up stairs, over switchbacks, and through alleyways that can be just a few feet wide. There’s nowhere for public transit to go. Nowhere, that is, but up.
That’s the direction for the newest transportation system in Rio, slated to open in March: a six-station gondola line running above a collection of favelas known as the Complexo do Alemão. The government says that 152 gondolas will carry 30,000 people a day along a 2.1-mile route over the neighborhood, transforming the hour-and-a-half trudge to a nearby commuter rail station into a 16-minute sky ride."
The new system is seen by some as a transport solution, but by others as public relations ahead of the city's hosting duties for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics.
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/02/st_riogondola/
City Planning for First-ring Suburbs' Future as Boomtowns
Columbus community leaders are gathering to envision what their city and region will look like in 2050 and develop a long-range strategic vision. Experts are advising that first-ring suburbs around the city could become boomtowns in future decades. The Urban Land Institute found that both baby boomers and Generation Y want to live in more pedestrian-friendly areas that are close to work, shopping and mass transit. The Columbus 2050 group will focus on making the best use of the existing infrastructure—roads, utilities, parks—as leaders work to redevelop neighborhoods.
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/02/17/first-ring-suburbs-getting-second-look.html?sid=101
More Urban Highways Seeing Demise
Cities across the country are beginning to realize the mistakes they made years ago dividing their downtowns with urban highways. The city of New Haven has decided to do something about it.
New Haven, Connecticut will raze its urban highway.
"Some people in New Haven have been waiting to see this for 40 years, ever since it became clear that a modern roadway slicing through the heart of downtown would not bring the hoped-for suburban shoppers and revitalization. That waiting list is long, it turns out, as cities across the United States look to erase some of the damage from urban highway construction of the 1950s and '60s – tearing up or replacing the roadways and attempting to restitch bulldozed neighborhoods...
'One is the simple fact that many highways built in the postwar years are nearing the end of their useful lives,' says Joseph DiMento, a professor of planning and law at the University of California, Irvine, who is at work on a book about urban highways. The other, he says, is a growing faith that urban centers, including some that have been long neglected, have development potential."
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2011/0302/Downtown-need-a-makeover-More-cities-are-razing-urban-highways
London to host Habitat Partner University Initiative meeting
UN-HABITAT in collaboration with the University of Westminster will host the first global workshop of the Habitat Partner University Initiative to discuss the future of the initiative.
With the meeting UN-HABITAT aims to lay the foundation for a sustainable Initiative, based on the needs and interests of universities.
The global workshop of the Habitat Partner University Initiative will bring together approximately 50 representatives from universities from all continents. It is expected that the meeting will agree on the governance structure of the Initiative; the priority areas of the initiative in the fields of education, training, research and knowledge management as well as key components of the e-Platform of the Initiative on concrete implementation mechanisms
Local authorities compete for biodiversity crowns as second round of European Capitals of Biodiversity is launched
Municipalities in France, Spain, Slovakia and Hungary will once again have the chance to become the national “Capital of Biodiversity”. The 2011 edition of the competition was launched in Paris last week and will tie in with the UN’s International Year of Forests, by focusing on biodiversity-friendly management and use of all types of forests.
The winners in each country will be revealed in autumn when the four new capitals of biodiversity in Europe are announced. The competition rewards villages, towns and cities for innovation, commitment and excellence in preserving the wealth of nature. In addition, municipalities are provided with capacity building and management tools for local biodiversity preservation. In 2010, over 330 municipalities from small villages to large cities participated in the competitions by filling out a comprehensive questionnaire covering all aspects of local biodiversity preservation.
Prioritizing Pedestrians
Daily pedestrian trips in Vancouver, Canada are at 318,000, while bike trips are at 60,000. So why do bikes have a committee and pedestrians don't? City planners are rectifying that situation now, with a new focus on walkers.
City manager Penny Ballem said recently that a pedestrian advisory committee will be formed as the city works on a new transportation plan. Meanwhile, the city's engineering department is revising its entire outlook on pedestrians by including them in a new department they're calling "Active Transportation."
Reporter Allen Garr writes:
"It includes all human-powered methods of moving. Actually, rather than have a pedestrian advisory committee, don’t be surprised if they are blended with the cyclists into an active transportation advisory committee."
http://www.vancourier.com/Department+pedestrians+horizon/4219453/story.html
From Creative Industries to the Creative Place
Refreshing the Local Development Agenda in Small and Medium-sized Towns
Testing how quite small cities with a rural hinterland, can generate a dynamic creative environment and creative industries is the objective of the project Creative Clusters. This URBACT project, led by the city of Obidos, gathers 10 European partners dealing with creative clusters in low density urban areas. Written by Creative Clusters Lead Expert Miguel Rivas, the article "From Creative Industries to the Creative Place – Refreshing the Local Development Agenda in Small and Medium-sized Towns" draws attention to the potential role of creative industries in building the new post-crisis economic landscape, and how this is promoting a re-view of local development strategies in most innovative cities.
http://urbact.eu/en/header-main/news-and-events/view-one/urbact-news/?entryId=5035
China's Growing Traffic Problem
Imbalances between the amount of cars being added to the roadways in China's cities and the amount of roads for them to drive on is brewing a major traffic problem.
"'The number of cars is going up much faster in China than the length of the roads in the cities,' Schipper said. 'The greatest ‘communist’ society ever invented doesn’t know what to do. That’s what worries me. Cars are not something any kind of government can easily control if they’re cheap to buy and cheap to drive.'
In Shanghai, a city of more than 20 million where new car registrations are restricted to 6,000 monthly, commuter traffic has slowed to 6 to 10 miles per hour, well under the speed of a bicycle. The traffic’s a mess, even though only 20 percent of all daily trips in Shanghai are by car, compared to 80 percent in U.S. cities. For the majority of Shanghaians, who are walking or biking or waiting at the bus stops, it means breathing in a lot of bad air."
But some researchers say it's not too late for China to avoid crippling car traffic problems.
http://www.miller-mccune.com/environment/can-china-avoid-getting-stuck-in-traffic-27997/?utm_source=Newsletter147&utm_medium=email&utm_content=0208&utm_campaign=newsletters
How can municipalities help stimulate cycling?
Local decision-makers and technicians wishing to develop cycling as part of their municipality's sustainable mobility strategy can now benefit from a number of policy guides and factsheets to help stimulate cycling as a daily transport mode..
Indeed, four policy guides and 25 factsheets have been published in the context of Project PRESTO, so as to answer questions such as: How to develop an effective cycling policy? How to provide high-quality infrastructure? How to promote cycling use and foster a cycling culture?
The first guide presents a general framework for the setting up of an integrated cycling policy, all the while distinguishing cities according to their level of cycling development: “starter cities”, “climber cities” and “champion cities”. The other three guides respectively cover the issues of cycling infrastructure, cycling promotion and electric bicycles. The implementation fact sheets complement the guides with more detailed and technical information on how to implement various cycling policy measures.
All guides and factsheets are available in Croatian, English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Lithuanian and Polish.
Project PRESTO (Promoting Cycling for Everyone as a Daily Transport Mode) is a project developed in the framework of the EU's Intelligent Energy Europe Programme.
http://www.presto-cycling.eu/en/policy-guidelines-a-fact-sheets
Risks in City Marketing
Grist's Sarah Goodyear takes a look at a Superbowl TV commercial's focus on Detroit, and how selling a city can either work or fail.
Reviewing the response from a variety of commentators and news outlets, Grist examines ways that marketing efforts can bring unintended consequences to cities.
"When governments and the private sector scramble to market urban areas, both can trample on the cities they are touting -- in effect killing the goose that lays the golden egg.
You can see it in Manhattan, which has been relentlessly promoted as a product for years by government and by privately owned media, from Seinfeld to Sex and the City to Gossip Girl. Sadly, what we have in Manhattan today is a Disneyfied city core that has lost much of its local flavor, as small retailers, artists, and working-class people are forced out by rents that only multinational corporations and the super-rich can afford.
You can also see the pattern in Istanbul, which recently finished up a year as the official "European capital of culture," spending $3 billion and welcoming 8 million tourists."
http://www.grist.org/article/2011-02-10-how-do-you-sell-a-city-without-selling-out
Financing the Resilient City
A Think Tank on “Financing the Resilient City” composed of twenty experts was convened by ICLEI in Bonn/Germany from 10-12 February 2011. Participants brought to the table expertise from local governments, city networks, private financial services, development banks, development agencies, United Nations agencies, and foundations.
The meeting presented a stepping stone in the follow-up to a proposal made by ICLEI Secretary General Konrad Otto-Zimmermann in conclusion of the first world congress on cities and adaptation to climate change, Resilient Cities 2010, in May of last year. Otto-Zimmermann suggested that the world might need an inversion of the climate adaptation finance mechanisms in order to abandon the usual top-down approach by international banks and finance agencies.
http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=1487&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=4597&tx_ttnews[backPid]=983&cHash=59239ab2d6
How Detroit's Mayor Attempts to Save the Great American City
With the challenges facing American cities of tight budgets and lost revenues, Major Bing openly asks how to shrink the size of Detroit and makes an open call for plans, concepts, and strategies to save the failing city.
As Mayor Bing explains, "The key to our coming back is being focused and making sure that we've got the right kind of density in the right parts of the city."
Krissa Thompson writes that consultants, nonprofits and other groups are responding to the call, bringing an energy to Detroit not unlike post-Katrina New Orleans:
"There is an urban farming proposal, which would turn over whole sections of the city to corporate farming operations. Many of the country's leading foundations, including Kresge, Ford, Rockefeller, Kellogg, Skillman and Knight, are funding arts, education and development projects.
The Urban Land Institute is helping to revitalize a downtown corridor."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/07/AR2011020705338.html
Twenty four graduate with diploma in urban studies
Twenty-four students serving as town clerks, department heads, committee chairs, and council officers from the East African region last week graduated with a new Diploma in Urban Development Studies at a colorful ceremony attended by family, friends and invited guests.
The Diploma Course, is run in collaboration with the Institute for Housing and Development Studies of Erasmus University, Rotterdam, the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development Studies and UN-HABITAT.
The course is aimed at encouraging better urban management in countries bordering Lake Victoria.
http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=9457&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0&AllContent=1
Top Ten Cities For Public Transportation
Does Salt Lake City have the second-best transit in the nation? U.S News and World Report released its choices for the top American cities for public transportation.
The study considers key factors such as ridership and safety, and includes the greater metropolitan areas of the cities. The data comes from the Federal Transit Administration and the American Public Transit Association.
Danielle Kurtzleben writes:
"All of these cities' systems have unique features that set them apart. Portland's public transit provides riders with a variety of travel options, including buses, light rail, commuter rail, streetcars, and an aerial tram. New York is unique simply by virtue of high ridership: in 2008, 4.2 billion trips were taken on New York metro area subway lines, buses, and railroads, six times the number of trips taken in Los Angeles, the No. [7] city. Minneapolis and Portland both feature fare-free transit routes in their downtown areas. And the Salt Lake City area's Utah Transit Authority runs ski transit lines in the winter, in addition to its usual rail and bus services, and also features wireless Internet on its buses."
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2011/02/08/10-best-cities-for-public-transportation
Economic Recovery Observatory launched for local and regional levels
The Economic Recovery Observatory was launched on 18 February 2011, bringing together main stakeholders who monitor different aspects of the financial and economic crisis and economic recovery.at the local and regional levels.
This proposal was put forward at the occasion of a coordination meeting organised by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) in Paris. During this meeting, participants highlighted the potential aims of this observatory, which include: collecting data, tackling the main challenges associated with the crisis and recovery process, and identifying key experts on the ground. Also among its objectives are identifying and disseminating innovative practices and solutions which have led to successful recovery, and providing a platform of exchange on on-going and upcoming initiatives.
http://www.ccre.org/news_detail_en.htm?ID=2024
Preparing New York City for Extreme Weather Events
Climate change and sea level rise are expected to increase the amount of major storm events worldwide. For coastal parts of New York City, the effects could be catastrophic. The city is trying to plan now for the storms to come.
WNYC takes a detailed look at how extreme weather events are likely to affect New York City, and what the government is doing to mitigate those impacts.
"Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Panel on Climate Change said an increase in the number of such devastating storms is “extremely likely.”
John Nolon, a Pace University law professor with an expertise in sustainability law, said city officials have done a good job of at least describing the problem. “A lot of New York City is less than 16 feet above mean sea level," he said. "Lower Manhattan, some points are five feet above sea level. These areas are vulnerable and New York City knows it. Compared to other cities, which are only now beginning to wake up to this issue, I think New York City is much further ahead.”
http://www.wnyc.org/articles/wnyc-news/2011/feb/09/climate-change/
Efus prepares a European project on crisis-management
The Directorate General ECHO (Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection) of the European Commission has a funding mechanism in the field of civil protection.
It provides funding opportunities for a number of activities such as cooperation projects on prevention and preparedness, as well as exchange of experts, in the framework of the EU mechanism.
Efus is aware of the raising interest of its member cities about this theme, and has decided to prepare an EU cooperation project: “KAPITAL”, bringing together appropriate local actors and civil protection policies throughout the entire process of crisis-management.
http://www.efus.eu/en/topics/places/crisis-management/efus/1905
Tracking Growth in World Cities
Mega-cities of 10 million people or more are getting a lot of attention these days. But smaller big cities are really where interesting and potentially hazardous growth patterns are occurring, according to this piece.
Neal Peirce reviews new research from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy that looks at growth patterns over time in cities across the globe -- particularly cities with populations smaller than 10 million.
"Cumulatively, the unfolding land consumption will be the most extreme in cities above 100,000 and below the 10 million mark. There are 3,646 of these in the world. And many tell amazing growth tales.
Take Accra, capital of Ghana. Between 1985 and 2000 (latest available count), its population grew 50 percent — from 1.8 to 2.7 million. But its urban land cover spiraled 135 percent.
Using a Landsat-based sampling of physical expansion of 120 word cities between 1990 and 2000, Shlomo (Solly) Angel and his associates at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy found they were all growing physically at least twice as fast as their populations were actually increasing."
http://citiwire.net/post/2524/
LEDs, the future of streetlights?
Street lighting can be responsible for as much as 60 per cent of municipal electricity spending, making it a big consideration for municipalities finances. And, with the vast majority of electricity worldwide still being produced by coal fired power plants, street lights are also responsible for the production of a huge amount of greenhouse gas. This means street lighting is also a big environmental consideration.
Cities and local governments around the world are looking for more efficient options to light their streets. One such option is to switch current street lights to long-lasting, highly efficient light-emitting diode (LED) technology.
In many cases ICLEI member cities are leading the way, with LED’s already lighting streets from Gwangju, South Korea, to Bremen, Germany, and from Toronto, Canada, to Sydney, Australia.
http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=1487&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=4594&tx_ttnews[backPid]=983&cHash=ae8b6e77d2
"Urban Sprawl is Finished," Claims Author of Australian Study
The Planning Institute of Australia released a report that predicts a grim future for Australia's suburbs, unless the government moves to radically overhaul its transport and urban policies.
According to Professor Peter Newman of Curtin University, one of the authors of the report, Australia's trade deficit and dependence on foreign oil will sky-rocket if current policies remain unchanged. As a result, he claims, suburbs that are car dependent will become "the slums of the future."
The solution, according to Professor Newman : "every state should duplicate a Queensland law that requires local councils to conduct an ''oil dependence study'' when approving new developments."
http://www.smh.com.au/national/oil-shortages-could-turn-outer-suburbs-into-slums-20101227-198lm.html?skin=text-only
Building Healthy Communities Project – Turin Local Support Group
Led by the city of Turin, Building Healthy Communities (BHC) is an URBACT project working on urban factors influencing health and opportunities for cities to shape and implement healthy policies for their citizens. To comply with URBACT programme requirement, Turin has set up a Local Support Group to make sure that exchanges have an impact on local practices and policies. This group gathers the main interested parties and local actors concerned by the project topic. As BHC Lead Partner, Luisa Avedano has interviewed Maria Carmela Ricciardi and Silvia Bighi, members of the Turin URBACT Local Support Group. Here is a look at their objectives, challenges and first achievements.
http://urbact.eu/en/header-main/news-and-events/view-one/urbact-news/?entryId=5033
Solar Roads: The Next Revolution in Solar Power
A prototype bike path is being built in Amsterdam. When complete, it will combine the best aspects of earth-friendly transportation and eco-friendly energy, say the project's developers.
From WebEcoist.com:
"Once successfully installed, SolaRoads [as they are called] can be used to power street lights, traffic lights and even homes. They can produce up to 50 kWh per square meter per year, so the more bike paths constructed, the more clean energy will be available to a city."
http://webecoist.com/2011/02/12/sol-mates-bike-path-makes-clean-energy-from-flat-surfaces/
Which European city is the ideal capital of the European Union?
Which European city can claim to be the ideal capital of the European Union of today and tomorrow, given the possibilities for future enlargements? Based on four different indicators, this article considers several alternative locations. Is there a chance that such a movement will take place?
http://www.eukn.org/E_library/Urban_Policy/Which_European_city_is_the_ideal_capital_of_the_European_Union
Egypt's Prosperity Lies in Urbanization
New York Time's columnist David Leonhardt contends that what Egypt really needs to do is refocus on urbanism.
Egypt's economic growth has stalled over the last 30 years due to the fact that it has become less urban. Development has faltered, says Leonhardt, who also points out that Egyptians have had difficulty using their skills to advance the city.
"So one of the tasks facing Mr. Mubarak’s successors will be creating places within Egypt where Egyptians want to move,"
"These will be the places where Egyptian companies become less reliant on the state and more exposed to global competition. They will be places where research and development, which is scant in Egypt today, take off. They will be places where ingenuity — the same kind of ingenuity that just toppled a dictator — creates jobs."
"Whatever the details, you can be sure that a more prosperous Egypt will be a more urban one."
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/16/business/economy/16leonhardt.html?_r=2&scp=3&sq=David%20Leonhardt&st=cse
Back to the future - a gathering of UN-HABITAT veterans
A group of 25 retired UN-HABITAT veterans from countries around the world returned to the agency's headquarters this week to share their experiences and insights with a view to helping establish a new direction for the agency.
The group, all of whom once held senior positions at UN-HABITAT, signed up for a Human Library Conference convened to enable these veterans, who have worked in the field in many countries around the world, to provide on-camera interviews to ensure that UN-HABITAT's collective body of knowledge is duly recorded for posterity. Each was also asked to prepare a paper looking at the agency’s future direction in a rapidly urbanising world, based on their own experience.
http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=9447&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0&AllContent=1
The Best Downtown Revitalization Projects of 2010
Urban Land Institute's Award for Excellence winners include projects in Fort Worth, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C.
The three revitalization projects varied in their method of completion, but ULI maintains they did not in terms of outcome and success. The projects are:
•Sundance Square in Fort Worth, Texas
•Columbia Heights revitalization in Washington, D.C.
•L.A. LIVE in downtown Los Angeles
Theodore Thoering maintains, "all three neighborhoods have become vibrant destinations and economic engines for their respective cities."
http://urbanland.uli.org/Articles/2011/Feb/ThoerigAwards
Give Europe’s cultural policy a boost, says EUROCITIES
EUROCITIES has recently responded to two important EU consultations: one on the future culture programme for the period 2014-2020 and another on the European Capital of Culture (ECoC) scheme which will be introduced as of 2019.
On the first of these, EUROCITIES has called for a strong culture programme that adequately reaches cities. Our main message is that with the right resourcing, cities are able to maximise the benefits of culture and creativity towards the delivery of the EU2020 strategy, which calls for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
Among the list of key objectives proposed in the consultation, EUROCITIES has stressed the importance of:
- the promotion of urban and regional development through culture;
- a better equipped framework for creative industries, culture and the arts;
- intercultural dialogue and cultural diversity; and
- access to culture.
On the ECoC, EUROCITIES has recommended that the future scheme contributes to ‘sustainable integrated urban development’ where culture is connected to other policy areas. In addition, we have asked for greater emphasis on intercultural dialogue, citizens’ participation and culture as part of integrated urban development.
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