31/5/2011 - Munich's mobility becomes more eco-friendly (Germany).
31/5/2011 - Data Reveals Big Cities Safer Than Ever Before.
30/5/2011 - Biogas: the energy efficient alternative for Local and Regional Actors .
30/5/2011 - Shimla and Tirupati declared ‘Environmentally Sustainable Cities’.
29/5/2011 - UN-HABITAT supporting favela peace and integration programme.
28/5/2011 - Floating Walkway Planned for London Olympics.
27/5/2011 - How European is your city?
27/5/2011 - The Case for Roundabouts.
27/5/2011 - Bi-State Sustainable Communities Consortium Launched.
26/5/2011 - UN-HABITAT, Kuwaiti government hold workshop on safety.
26/5/2011 - Urban Bikeway Design Guide.
25/5/2011 - New World Population Peak Forecasted: 10.1 Billion.
25/5/2011 - Regions at Risk of Energy Poverty.
25/5/2011 - First launch Hungarian EU presidency handbook on climate-friendly cities.
24/5/2011 - Controlling New York City's Traffic.
24/5/2011 - Youth Urban Arts and Design Competition launched.
23/5/2011 - U.S. Mayors Get Crash Course in Planning.
23/5/2011 - Livable Cities in a Rapidly Urbanizing World.
23/5/2011 - The Fastest-Growing City in the U.S.
22/5/2011 - Different visions on how to avoid the non-city in an ever increasingly urbanized Europe.
22/5/2011 - New Tools for Broke Cities.
21/5/2011 - Three cities in Vojvodina (Serbia) adopt Agenda 21 for culture.
21/5/2011 - Crowdsourcing Street Trees.
20/5/2011 - Urban Hotspot 2.0 - The challenge of integrating knowledge hubs in the city.
20/5/2011 - Billion Dollar Rail Proposed in Victoria.
19/5/2011 - Paper on the costs of bicycle traffic wins Eltis award.
19/5/2011 - Seattle's Answer to Affordable Housing.
19/5/2011 - EU-wide study assesses different perceptions of quality of government in regions.
18/5/2011 - Urban Gondola to Light Rail.
18/5/2011 - Resource Centre launched by SCI-Network.
18/5/2011 - Getting EcoMobile: cities to be rewarded for greener urban mobility.
17/5/2011 - "Cycle Tracks" for Safety in Cities.
17/5/2011 - Budapest Communiqué on European Urban Areas Facing Demographic and Climate Challenges.
17/5/2011 - How Chinese Megacities Avoid Problems.
16/5/2011 - Local governments stress their role at the UNCSD19 policy session
16/5/2011 - Can Pod Cars Transform Traffic in Delhi?
15/5/2011 - Nominations Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize 2012 extended to 31 May 2011
15/5/2011 - Involvement of Managing Authorities in the URBACT Projects : Results from the survey
14/5/2011 - UN-HABITAT launches a global youth help desk.
14/5/2011 - Launching event - Reference Framework Sustainable Cities.
13/5/2011 - Many Americans Prefer Short Commutes Over Large Homes.
13/5/2011 - Legible London Gets People Walking.
13/5/2011 - Innovative Yokohama plan aims to conserve greenery.
12/5/2011 - Building the Broadband Economy 2011 Welcomes Finland's Minister of Communications, Consumer Electronics Association CEO.
12/5/2011 - Making Cities 'Age-Friendly'.
12/5/2011 - Building capacity to build capacity: Strengthening Training Institutions for sustainable urban development.
12/5/2011 - Kazakhstan's Shiny and Empty New Capital.
11/5/2011 - CHAMP: preparing local authorities for climate change.
11/5/2011 - Adding Warmth and Life to Sidewalks.
11/5/2011 - Icelandic local authorities cooperate to address needs of those affected by crisis.
10/5/2011 - Salt Lake City Offers "Bike Corrals" to Downtown Businesses.
10/5/2011 - Carbonn Cities Climate Registry reaches 180 signatories after UN Bangkok climate talks.
10/5/2011 - Habitat Partner University Initiative launches Logo Competition.
10/5/2011 - Urban Regeneration in Lecce - Building Healthy Communities Project Video.
9/5/2011 - Quezon City develops ‘green lungs’.
9/5/2011 - Why Intercity Bus Travel is Growing.
9/5/2011 - Cities showcase urban biodiversity projects.
8/5/2011 - Covenant of Mayors going east! .
8/5/2011 - London's Skyscraper Boom Trickles Off.
7/5/2011 - RegioStars 2012 awards: applications are now open.
6/5/2011 - Tel Aviv's Controversial Skyline Plans.
6/5/2011 - Private sector committed to support a new positive vision towards better cities.
5/5/2011 - In Post-Quake Japan, Bicycle Use on the Rise.
5/5/2011 - Are Compact Cities Environmentally Friendly?
5/5/2011 - $1 Homes to Urban Homesteaders in Buffalo.
5/5/2011 - Sustainable energy: Two new EU financial tools to support municipalities and regions.
4/5/2011 - Sprawl, European Style.
4/5/2011 - Cities get column inches in new European media.
4/5/2011 - Urban Sustainability – Learning From The Best.
3/5/2011 - Urban Design Marathon Comes to Los Angeles.
3/5/2011 - University Workshop on Urban Climate Change Education to be held in Bonn.
3/5/2011 - America’s Mayors Say No More Bridges To Nowhere.
2/5/2011 - German municipalities underline importance of new forms of town twinning links.
2/5/2011 - Segregation Not Going Away in American Cities.
1/5/2011 - Transport Research Arena' (TRA) Conference.
1/5/2011 - Tall and Urban - An analysis of global population and tall buildings.
Munich's mobility becomes more eco-friendly (Germany)
Thanks to a sustained effort in smart mobility planning including access restriction and improvement of cycling and walking conditions, the city of Munich evolves towards a more sustainable mobilty pattern.
The share of motorised individual traffic is shrinking, especially in favour of bicycles. Compared to other cities the share of car drivers (27 %) and car passengers (10 %) of the total traffic is quite small. Fortunately the share of bicycles has increased from 10% to 14% since 2002. Public transport is frequently and willingly used with a total share of 21%. Notably high is the rate of pedestrians (28%).
Among others this fortunate development of Munich's modal split is based on a successful mobility and land use policy. The strategy behind the success is a combination of access restrictions for cars and appeals for eco-friendly mobility. In the course of eco-friendly aims, Munich wants to become Germany's capital of cyclists with by implementing several measures.
Data Reveals Big Cities Safer Than Ever Before
Even amid a stalled economy, new data from the FBI reports that big cities, those with a population of at least one million, are seeing huge declines in crime.
According to an annual crime report released by the FBI, there has been a substantial decline in both property and violent crimes across the nation. Most noteworthy is data revealing that America's biggest cities are seeing greater declines in burglaries, car thefts, murder, robbery, and assault. Big cities, stereotypically perceived as crime-ridden and violent are safer then ever before. The FBI's findings are surprising criminologists because they contradict the notion that crime rises with unemployment. A population shift back to the city has helped to change the urban crime landscape,
"one factor frequently cited by criminologists is demographics. Crimes are more likely to be committed by young people, so the crime rate drops when the cohort of young people shrinks, as it has in the past few years. Better policing surely helps too, as has urban revitalization, which is bringing relatively prosperous singles, couples, families, and empty nesters into neighborhoods that had been in decline in years past, improving neighborhood quality and safety."
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/05/dont-fear-the-city-urban-americas-crime-drops-to-lowest-in-40-years/239366/
Biogas: the energy efficient alternative for Local and Regional Actors
"Cities like Gothenburg in Sweden and regions like Burgenland in Austria have demonstrated that biogas should have a prominent role in the future renewable energy mix of Europe”, was the message from Sebastian Marx, Head of Gothenburg’s EU Office at a workshop entitled ‘Biogas: the energy efficient alternative’, which just took place at this year’s Green Week.
In collaboration with the ICLEI European Secretariat, the City of Gothenburg hosted the workshop, which focused on local and regional actions exploring biogas potential. It also looked into ways to optimise resource efficiency, while using waste as an energy resource together with other renewable energy sources. An excellent line-up of speakers delivering practical examples, addressing the latest developments at local and regional level, demonstrated that integrated bio-energy partnerships work.
Gothenburg is ahead of the game when it comes to energy-efficient alternatives. Anneli Hulthén, Mayor of the City, has already stated that, “It is important that the European Institutions recognise the great potential of biogas and support its deployment as one of the most efficient renewable energy sources throughout the EU”.
In Sweden, the Gothenburg Biomass Gasification Project, GoBiGas, demonstrates the city’s substantial investment in biogas production and is expected to deliver biogas equivalent to 1 TWh in 2020. It represents about 30 percent of current deliveries in Gothenburg or fuel to 75,000 cars. Using biogas to fuel vehicles is being explored in many countries, with FordonsGas Sverige sharing their experiences on setting up 37 filling stations and stakeholder cooperation. But it is not only in Northern Europe where advances are being made. The City of Güssing continues to inspire and has succeeded in transforming itself from the poorest municipality in Austria, to one of the most prosperous, all because of bio-energy.
Ian Shearer, Technical Project Officer at the ICLEI European Secretariat, shared highlights of the MAKE-IT-BE project, co-funded by the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme. The project addresses integrated bio-energy partnerships, offering a methodology and range of tools to support local planning and roll-out. Success stories in bio-energy are multiple and diverse, making the development of a regional/local bio-energy agenda extremely interesting as it can be shaped into tailor-made solutions. These solutions can respond to local needs, ideally also using and developing local know-how and institutional capacity to continue with a process that has huge win-win potential.
Shimla and Tirupati declared ‘Environmentally Sustainable Cities’
The Indian Governments Ministry of Environment & Forest (MoEF) has declared ICLEI Member cities Shimla and Tirupati as Environmentally Sustainable Cities under the East Asian Summit (EAS) Forum for their positive initiatives in the field waste management and efforts to mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions. The forum is an initiative by 16 East Asian Summit member countries to foster concrete activities in selected cities in the region.
UN-HABITAT supporting favela peace and integration programme
Representatives from several of the poorest neighbourhoods in Rio de Janeiro recently praised the authorities for instituting a new peace and anti-crime drive, aimed at making the streets safer, cleaner and ensuring better basic service delivery.
The peace programme, known by its Portuguese acronym, UPP (Unidade de Policia Pacificadora), was started in July 2008 by the State of Rio de Janeiro using highly police academy graduates to break the stranglehold of drug dealers and gangs in 18 of the city's favelas, as the poor districts are called.
As Rio de Janeiro gears up to host the giant United Nations Rio + 20 gathering in 2012, the 2014 football World Cup, and the 2016 summer Olympics, the city authorities are seeking to help bring peace to 30 favelas a year. Once the first 18 are considered safe, the neighbourhoods then get the added value of the UPP Social Programme, which is supported by UN-HABITAT as part of a new USD 3 million dollar project
http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=9902&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0&AllContent=1
Floating Walkway Planned for London Olympics
Officials in London are considering a plan to build a 1-kilometer floating walkway on the Thames River in time for the 2012 Summer Olympics.
"The award-winning London River Park design is now being submitted to the City of London Corporation for consideration.
It is being backed by private companies who have signed an agreement with Mayor of London Boris Johnson that would see 30% of revenues raised going to the public purse.
Mr Johnson, said: 'The sheer beauty and design brilliance of this structure will provide yet another amazing attraction for the capital.'"
The bridge would be approved for use during the Olympics, but could be granted permanent approval after the games
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-13388378
How European is your city?
Local authorities have the opportunity to raise awareness about European citizenship, to promote their municipality's own European identity, and to cooperate with other local governments and civil society organisations all across Europe.
Indeed, the initiative dubbed “My European City” will highlight the European influences that can be found in municipalities, such as the name of a street, an architectural style or a statue of a famous European, thanks to a number of guided tours, documents, brochures and discovery trails.
A dedicated website will also allow users to take virtual tours of the cities involved and to consult documents on the European heritage.
The organisations involved in the launch of this initiative, which is supported by the European Commission “Europe for Citizens” programme, are Graine d'Europe (Nantes, France), Mioritics (Sibiu, Romania), Xena (Padua, Italy), and Polites (Szczecin, Poland).
The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) is very active in the field of citizenship and town twinning and thus encourages local and regional authorities to join the “My European City” network.
http://www.myeuropeancity.eu/
The Case for Roundabouts
While some Americans find them confusing, traffic roundabouts are good for the environment and cut down on time spent in traffic, say transportation planners.
This lightweight public radio piece sets up the premise that roundabouts "cause a rift between cities and drivers", but only quotes one "unimpressed" local, who says that people find it confusing. Meanwhile, planners tout that the roundabout could inspire development, make the area pedestrian-friendly, and be good for the environment.
Tony Arnold reports on a new roundabout being constructed in Tinley Park, Illinois:
"It's just the latest example of a growing trend in suburbs around the country. The goal is to cut down on traffic congestion as well as accidents."
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/05/04/am-roundabouts-cause-riffs-between-cities-and-drivers/
Bi-State Sustainable Communities Consortium Launched
The New York/Connecticut Sustainable Communities Initiative was announced on April 15. This initiative, funded with a $3.5 million U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant, will help reposition the New York-Connecticut region to fully harness its innovation capabilities in a competitive global environment, build on its strong foundation of energy efficiency, and become as equitable as it is efficient.
The consortium members include five New York and four Connecticut cities, the Nassau County and Suffolk County Executives, the New York City Planning Commissioner, and the heads of six regional planning organizations.
http://www.sustainablenyct.org/
UN-HABITAT, Kuwaiti government hold workshop on safety
Some 52 participants from across the globe gathered in Kuwait City late last month for a workshop on integrated safety priorities in cities for sustainable development.
Held under the leadership of Mr. Fadhel Safar, Minister of Public Works and State Minister of Municipalities of Kuwait, the international workshop brought together participants from 10 Sub Saharan Africa countries, 10 Arab States and from Europe, Kuwait, Japan and Canada.
During the workshop titled "Toward a framework to foster international cooperation for better access to public safety service in Africa and Arab States", experts exchanged knowledge and shared experiences on integrated safety priorities for sustainable urban development from Police, researchers and planners perspectives.
The overall goal of this international workshop was to contribute to the development of South-South cooperation framework between Arab States and Sub Saharan countries on urban development and safety issues. This was achieved through the formulation of the Declaration of Kuwait on Fostering Cooperation in Africa and Arab Regions on Integrating Safety in Sustainable Urban Development, the draft safer cities strategic plan for Africa, and the concept note developed to increase collaboration between Kuwait and African countries on urban safety according to UN-Habitat mandates.
Besides, the workshop was an opportunity to establish dialogue and to harvest constructive inputs on the issue of access to public safety and on crime prevention at municipal level in the context of decentralization. This information are being analyzed for the formulation of an action plan with the aim to foster institutionalization of integrated urban safety and social cohesion for the promotion of sustainable development in cities in Africa and Arab States.
http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=9871&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0&AllContent=1
Urban Bikeway Design Guide
The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) has announced the publication of the Urban Bikeway Design Guide. The guide provides cities with state-of-the-practice solutions that can help create complete streets that are safe and enjoyable for bicyclists.
http://nacto.org/cities-for-cycling/design-guide
New World Population Peak Forecasted: 10.1 Billion
The U.N.'s population division has increased their world population projection, previously set to peak at mid-century at 9 billion. Now they say it will continue growing to reach 10.1 billion by 2100, with Africa tripling its numbers.
"The new report comes just ahead of a demographic milestone, with the world population expected to pass 7 billion in late October. Dr. Zlotnik, director of the United Nations population division said in an interview that the revised numbers were based on new forecasting methods and the latest demographic trends. But she cautioned that any forecast looking 90 years into the future comes with many caveats."
While Africa's population is expected to more than triple from 1 billion currently to 3.6 billion by 2100, the "United States population will rise from today’s 311 million to 478 million by 2100." By comparison, "Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa...will rise from today’s 162 million to 730 million by 2100."
And what of the world's most populous country?
"China, which has for decades enforced restrictive population policies, could soon enter the ranks of countries with declining populations, peaking at 1.4 billion in the next couple of decades, then falling to 941 million by 2100."
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/04/world/04population.html?_r=1
Regions at Risk of Energy Poverty
The Japan nuclear disaster and the recent unrest in the Arab world might change the energy policies in Europe. According to the International Energy Agency, Europe receives over 85% of Libya’s crude-oil exports. Therefore, oriented policies towards clean energy supplies and sustainable energy sources become more and more urgent. ESPON provides policy makers with detailed knowledge on the development of the European territory; this is clearly reflected in the recently released ESPON ReRisk (Regions at Risk of Energy Poverty) Final Report, which puts the results of the project into an interesting policy perspective.
Speaking to the ESPON Coordination Unit, policy makers emphasized the ways they can make use of the findings from the ReRisk Project while scientists highlighted evidence and scenarios on the impact of rising energy prices.
First launch Hungarian EU presidency handbook on climate-friendly cities
In an age where global challenges will significantly influence the life of each city, the Hungarian EU Presidency pays special attention to sustainable development of cities and towns. The Presidency aims to contribute to European urban policy thinking by focusing on climate change, a major challenge that our cities face. The ‘CLIMATE-FRIENDLY CITIES, A Handbook on the Tasks and Possibilities of European Cities in Relation to Climate Change’ supports European cities and towns in their combat against climate change by widening the European knowledge base.
http://www.eukn.org/Dossiers/EU_presidencies/Hungarian_Presidency/Climate/CLIMATE_FRIENDLY_CITIES_the_Handbook_on_the_Tasks_and_Possibilities_of_European_Cities_in_Relation_to_Climate_Change/First_launch_Hungarian_EU_presidency_handbook_on_climate_friendly_cities
Controlling New York City's Traffic
Urban Omnibus ventures into the New York City Department of Transportation's Traffic Management Center to find out how technology is changing the way the city manages its traffic signals and traffic flows.
"This Urban Omnibus video is the first in a series called City of Systems, a suite of short videos intended to offer a poetic peek behind the scenes of some of the complex systems that enable New York City to function. This video series is made possible by IBM as part of its commitment to use technology and information to help build more sustainable and intelligent cities.
Most talk of urban systems these days seems to focus on efficiency and effectiveness, with a particular emphasis on using digital technologies to increase both. At IBM Smarter Cities New York in October of 2009, IBM CEO Samuel Palmisano posed questions to illustrate the significant role that technology plays in building smarter cities. With four billion cell phones, 30 billion RFID tags and two billion internet users constantly providing and collecting data, what happens when we apply analytics to guide more strategic resource allocation as our digital and physical infrastructures converge?"
http://urbanomnibus.net/2011/05/city-of-systems-traffic-signal/
Youth Urban Arts and Design Competition launched
UN-HABITAT invites young artists, young urban planners, designers and other creative young people from around the world to show case their skills in an Urban Arts and Design Competition. Under the theme “My Vision of an Ideal City”, the competition will showcase the diversity of future cities as envisioned by young people in the form of visual designs, imagery and artwork.
This competition is an acknowledgment and celebration of young people’s contribution to visual arts in sustainable urban development. The aim is to capture young people’s contributions in terms of youth empowerment, employment, safety, sports, culture, social services, infrastructure and housing.
Four winners will be awarded a cash prize of USD 500 and their work will be shown in an online exhibition on the UN-HABITAT website, the Urban Gateway and the Global Youth Helpdesk for at least one month.
The Competition is open to young people aged 15-34 years and will close on 28th June 2011.
As a leader in sustainable urban development, UN-HABITAT recognizes that urban young people face enormous challenges, but also have creativity, enthusiasm and vast skills that are crucial for promoting socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. Without inclusion of young people, efforts in creating livable cities will not be fully complete. To support and engage urban youth, UN-HABITAT implements a number of programmes. Some of these programmes are the Messengers of Truth programme, the Youth Envoy Initiative, the One Stop and We are the Future Centers, and the Opportunities Fund for Youth led development.
For more information on UN-HABITAT youth programmes please click link below;
http://www.unhabitat.org/youth
U.S. Mayors Get Crash Course in Planning
Tom Wright, Executive Director of the Regional Plan Association, traces the history of the Mayors' Institute on City Design from its creation 25 years ago to last week's conference which was attended by some of the country's most important mayors.
The idea for the MICD, explains Tom Wright, came from Joe Riley (then-mayor of Charleston, SC) and Jaqueline Robertson (then-Dean of the University of Virginia School of Architecture). Their hope was to create a "forum to educate mayors about architecture, design, and planning" at a time (the mid-1980's) when anti-urbanism was at its peak, writes Tom Wright.
From the article by Wright at Citiwire:
"The Institutes follow a common agenda. Instead of asking public officials to show off their successes, the mayors ... bring a problem. They present a case study to a team of planners, urban designers, landscape architects, preservationists and fellow mayors about something they are struggling with back home ... Around a large table, the mayors and resource team members discuss the projects and how they would approach them. While the mayors get excellent advice on their specific case studies from the resource team, the real goal of the Institute has always been to educate the mayors, to make them better consumers and stronger advocates for their communities."
http://citiwire.net/post/2691/
Published recently by the Philips Center for Health and Well-Being, this study helps define how future cities can be created and sustained in emerging markets. Success is not judged solely in terms of economic growth and efficiency, but also on more subjective factors including social, economic and environmental resilience.
http://tinyurl.com/livableurbanworld
The Fastest-Growing City in the U.S.
Would you believe its Olive Branch, Mississippi? Since 1990, the Memphis suburb has grown an astonishing 838 percent.
Bloomberg Businessweek crunched the numbers, attributing the rapid growth to "a relatively low unemployment rate and relatively high income levels."
Ron Maxey got the local perspective:
"Vickie Dupree, executive director of the Olive Branch Chamber of Commerce, said it isn't just low unemployment and high income that make the city a nice place to live.
"It's also the good schools, the small-town atmosphere, the good tax rate," she said."
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/apr/28/desoto-city-fastest-in-growth/
Different visions on how to avoid the non-city in an ever increasingly urbanized Europe
During a conference, confrontationally entitled ‘Non-City?’, organized by the European Forum for Architectural Policies (EFAP) and the Urban Intergroup on February 9th2011, the future of European urban development was discussed. The blunt title captured the open spirit of the conference, in which a wide variety of different professionals, ranging from architects to policymakers and even the odd philosopher, expressed their views on the challenges and solutions for European Cities. Do we need European urban policy? How do we avoid depressing suburban areas which nonetheless cost us our nature and rural areas (urban sprawl)? And what are the consequences of the omnipresent theme of greenness for architecture?
http://www.eukn.org/E_library/Urban_Environment/Urban_renewal/Urban_restructuring/Different_visions_on_how_to_avoid_the_non_city_in_an_ever_increasingly_urbanized_Europe
Howard Blackson looks at new tools for fixing cities, including form-based codes, plans for complexities (neighborhoods, urban patterns, architecture), classification of character, and funding systems.
Blackson decries the current state of planning:
"Let's be honest. Our cities are broke and redevelopment was unpredictable at best — except in causing a lot of angst among the general public. And, despite Einstein's definition of insanity, a majority of our nation’s Planning Departments have stubbornly continued to use the same Land Use-based planning tools over and over again, expecting different outcomes."
"It is time to bring out a new set of tools to help our cities grow more strategically in our new economy and re-focus new development to contribute towards a sense-of-place that is socially, culturally and economically valuable."
http://placeshakers.wordpress.com/2011/04/29/coding-for-character-the-architecture-of-community/
Three cities in Vojvodina (Serbia) adopt Agenda 21 for culture
Agenda 21 for Culture has been recently adopted by the City Council meetings of the cities of Novi Sad (www.novisad.rs), Vrsac (www.vrsac.com) and Zrenjanin (www.zrenjanin.rs); these three cities are the major economic and cultural centres of the Province of Vojvodina, in Serbia. The cities have great cultural tradition and rich heritage, and were looking for international guidelines to elaborate a new cultural policy. The Agenda 21 for Culture, with its principles, has introduced many new elements into the cultural governance of the cities: the importance of strategic planning, the relation between culture and sustainable development, a process of local decentralization, the support to the cultural industries and the participation of citizens in cultural life. The adoption has been coordinated by the Government of Vojvodina, which will also support the local implementations.
Crowdsourcing Street Trees
A new online tool uses the power of crowdsourcing to "map, inventory, and preserve the Philadelphia urban forest."
From the press release:
"Urban street trees have myriad proven benefits for communities including providing shade, improving air quality, assisting with stormwater runoff, raising property values, decreasing utility bills, and enhancing the look and feel of communities. While tree inventories ensure that municipalities have data to consult when managing the urban forest, creating a complete inventory is a time consuming and resource intensive process. PhillyTreeMap provides an easy-to-use public inventorying platform that encourages the public to contribute to an interactive and dynamic map of the city’s tree population."
170,000 trees have been pre-loaded into the system, but the developers are counting on the public to add the rest. The site was commissioned by the City of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission.
http://www.azavea.com/news/archive/2011/4/25/azavea-launches-phillytreemap-org-a-geographic-web-application-t/
Urban Hotspot 2.0 - The challenge of integrating knowledge hubs in the city
Cities all over Europe are developing "knowledge hotspots" - physical concentrations of knowledge intensive or creative activity. Increasingly such hotspots are being developed inside the city rather than at suburban Greenfield sites. Read the article published in the URBACT Tribune "Urban Hotspot 2.0 - The challenge of integrating knowledge hubs in the city" which looks at how cities can avoid these areas becoming elitist "ivory towers" and how they can integrate them economically, socially and physically into the urban fabric. Written by Willem Van Widen, Lead Expert of the REDIS project, this article draws on experience gained in the URBACT REDIS project made up of 8 cities that are developing such knowledge hubs.
http://urbact.eu/en/header-main/news-and-events/view-one/urbact-news/?entryId=5059
Billion Dollar Rail Proposed in Victoria
Planners in Victoria, British Columbia, are proposing a new light rail line for the city. Despite its $1 billion price tag, the transit line is expected to see wide support.
Transportation planners in Victoria say that buying more buses "isn't sustainable, given projected population growth and limited road space."
B.C. Transit President Manuel Achadinha says that the light rail plan will likely not face much opposition, because it was developed in collaboration with the public and various agencies.
The Goldstream New Gazette, however, reports that reception for the plan has been mixed.
Mayor Dave Saunders of Colwood thinks it is too expensive:
"Saunders criticized BC Transit's public process of setting out a transit corridor and evaluating technologies without a clear notion of price.
'Transit is getting false information,' he said."
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/04/26/bc-victoria-lrt.html?ref=rss
Paper on the costs of bicycle traffic wins Eltis award
Michael Meschik from the Institute for Transport Studies (Austria) received this year's Eltis award for the best paper at the Velo City Conference in Seville. He submitted a paper on the results of a comprehensive study regarding "Costs of bicycle traffic for the overall economy - Comparing Bicycle and Car Traffic in Vienna"
Seattle's Answer to Affordable Housing
Zach Patton details the effects of Seattle's zoning regulation which allows for the construction of "backyard cottages." These cottages, writes the author, are a viable way to increase urban density and provide affordable housing.
From article by Zach Patton on Governing. com:
"Today, almost two-thirds of the city is zoned for single-family homes, so it's harder for Seattle to accommodate its growing population -- the city swelled from 563,374 residents in 2000 to 608,660 last year -- without spreading farther and farther into the forests of the Pacific Northwest. That's partly why the city saw backyard cottages as an attractive new alternative, a way to add affordable housing options without a wholesale redesign of the city's signature neighborhoods."
Patton explains that backyard cottages and granny flats are actually a throwback to common urban design practices of the first half of the 20th century. By the 1950s, however, Americans fled to the suburbs in pursuit of large single-family homes on large tracts of land. Further, "many urban zoning codes of the second half of the century essentially banned the construction of new backyard cottages."
http://www.governing.com/topics/economic-dev/seattle-looks-cottages-affordable-housing-options.html#next
EU-wide study assesses different perceptions of quality of government in regions
An EU-wide study assessing the different perceptions of quality of government in regions was recently published, with a special focus on education, health care and law enforcement, all of which are often administered.or financed by regional authorities.
The impact quality of government can have on economic development and well-being as well as on regional cohesion was highlighted in the study, which supports the expansion of administrative capacity building in the EU cohesion policy.
Several factors with a significant and positive influence on quality of government were also underlined in the study. These include strong independent media, more merit-based hiring practices, less bureaucracy and a reduced administrative burden, more flexibility in decision-making and more regional autonomy in terms of policy and administration.
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/newsroom/pdf/20110504_shortnote_governance.pdf
Urban Gondola to Light Rail
Calgary, Alberta is getting inventive with its transit system and considering building an urban gondola to soar high above the city and connect light rail stops.
The CBC reports:
"The gondola, similar to those used at ski resorts, could have several stops, covering three to five kilometres in a horseshoe shape, said Neil McKendrick Calgary's manager of transit planning."
Cost is one of the considerations: McKendrick says the gondola would cost less than half what building a light rail would cost.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2011/05/02/calgary-gondola-lrt-service.html?ref=rss
Resource Centre launched by SCI-Network
A new online Resource Centre has been launched by the Network for Sustainable Construction and Innovation through Procurement (SCI-Network). The website provides resources for public authorities procuring innovative and sustainable buildings:
• A catalogue of environmental assessment tools which can be applied by in the renovation of buildings. A brief description of each is given with examples of how it can be used in the procurement process and during the construction and lifetime of a building. The baseline data needed and scope for user involvement are also highlighted.
• State-of-the-art reports on innovative cooling concepts, mechanical ventilation systems and multifunctional façade systems. Each of these technologies can make a significant contribution to the energy efficiency of buildings. The reports look at what is available on the market, identify advantages and drawbacks of each technology and provide recommendations for procurers.
• A brief study of the income opportunities associated with retrofitting projects in different EU countries, including feed-in tariff schemes, white certificates and joint implementation projects (using Emissions Reduction Units – ERUs). This is a key component of whole-life costing, and is complemented by a literature review of methods for forecasting energy and water prices in construction project planning.
• A report on European funding and financing instruments for sustainable construction, and the application of innovative financing and contracting methods such as energy performance contracting, public private partnerships and works/services concessions. A critical review of each of these approaches is given, along with consideration of how sustainability and value-for-money can be addressed in the procurement process.
An initial discussion of these outputs was held on March 24th as part of the first SCI-Network webinar. The five working groups set up within the Network will continue to gather examples of best practice and produce recommendations specifically tailored to the public procurement of construction. A series of case studies examining innovative and sustainable buildings is also being developed.
Public authorities and experts who are interested in getting involved are invited to send an e-mail to sci-network@iclei.org, outlining their interests, questions, and potential projects to contribute.
The next meeting of the SCI-Network will take place as part of the High Level Event on Public Procurement of Innovation taking place in Turin, Italy on 27-28 June 2011. Special break-out sessions on the topics being addressed by the SCI-Network working groups will be held and public authority participants are invited to attend. Further information is available from PPI2011Turin@comune.torino.it.
Getting EcoMobile: cities to be rewarded for greener urban mobility
The Global Alliance for EcoMobility will officially launch the EcoMobility SHIFT project on 19 May – a project which started in June 2010 and aims to recognize local governments’ achievements in promoting sustainable and diversified mobility.
EcoMobility SHIFT will create an innovative certification scheme awarding an ‘EcoMobility Label’ to cities. The scheme will reward achievements, but also support local governments in reaching further improvements through a quality management system for enabling processes, products and services, tangible results and long term impacts. EcoMobility is thought to be the future corner stone for sustainable urban mobility and transport.
One of the first steps in launching this project is the workshop ‘Improving cities sustainable transport policies by benchmarking and quality management’, at the 15th European Conference on Mobility Management (ECOMM) in Toulouse, France. During this workshop participants will both discuss other reward schemes in order to draw lessons from their experience, and encourage debate on how a scheme like this could be most effective.
Today cities are often planned around the car rather than the needs of their residents. The Global Alliance for EcoMobility aims to promote sustainable and diverse transport options while focusing the planning process on the people and not the mode of transport. The concept of EcoMobility refers to mobility without dependency on the private fossil-fuelled motorized vehicle, such as a car or a motorcycle, but covers both public transport and active means of transport such as cycling and walking. EcoMobility can provide real solutions to the challenges cities are facing in sustainable urban transport.
The EcoMobility SHIFT project, which will run from June 2010 to May 2013, can stimulate cities to embark on practical measures contributing to the EU Road Map 2050. It aims to develop a method to assess, improve and promote the environmental sustainability of local governments’ transport and land-use planning policies. The certification scheme and its ‘EcoMobility Label’ are designed to achieve this by giving recognition to local governments’ achievements and by offering a quality management system.
"Cycle Tracks" for Safety in Cities
Public health researcher Anne Lusk argues that installing bike routes separate from motor vehicles will boost cycling and make compact communities work better.
Dr. Anne Lusk, a research associate at Harvard University's School of Public Health, argues that from a health-perspective, biking is more effective than walking. And the way to encourage biking, she says, is to make it safer:
"One of the reasons biking is so much safer in the Netherlands and Denmark is that the principal bicycle facilities in those two countries are cycle tracks — bike paths physically separated from motor vehicle traffic. Cycle tracks run parallel to the sidewalk, and are exclusively for bike riding. The 18,000 miles of cycle tracks in the Netherlands help to explain why 27 percent of Dutch trips are made on bicycles."
http://newurbannetwork.com/article/%E2%80%98cycle-tracks%E2%80%99-cities-could-save-bicyclists-lives-14657
Budapest Communiqué on European Urban Areas Facing Demographic and Climate Challenges
In course of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the attention was drawn to some of the most pressing global challenges of urban areas. Having cross-border influence, demographic and climate challenges can only be tackled with international cooperation adjusting to the principles of sustainability. That is what the Budapest Communiqué on European Urban Areas Facing Demographic and Climate Challenges stands for. The document was accepted on 2nd May 2011 by the Directors General of the Member States responsible for urban development.
http://www.eukn.org/Dossiers/EU_presidencies/Hungarian_Presidency/Conclusions_Hungarian_Presidency_urban_development/Budapest_Communiqué_on_European_Urban_Areas_Facing_Demographic_and_Climate_Challenges
How Chinese Megacities Avoid Problems
Megacities are quickly on the rise in China. But as this post from New Geography argues, they've managed to avoid problems currently faced by other megacities in developing nations.
"How has China been able to avoid the pitfalls facing other developing megacities? No one is denying that Chinese cities don’t have problems including unequal income distribution, pollution and growing traffic congestion. Yet China’s megacities seem to have largely avoided social dangers such as violent crime, disease and slum proliferation that plague urban areas of other developing countries.
How have China’s cities avoided these issues?"
Adam Mayer suggests that among the reasons China's megacities have avoided problems is that they have developed a large amount of new housing and new transit options.
http://www.newgeography.com/content/002205-how-china%E2%80%99s-megacities-have-avoided-problems-other-developing-cities
One of the most anticipated outcomes of the session is the adoption of the 10-year Framework of Programs for Sustainable Consumption and Production (10YFP for CSD), a framework seeking to support countries, cities and other actors to move towards sustainable consumption and production.
The Local Authority Major Group has made its priorities clear in its Opening Statement delivered Monday 2 May.
Speaking on behalf of the local authorities, ICLEI’s Susanne Salz stressed the role of cities in implementing CSD's themes such as sustainable transport and waste management, while also highlighting the purchasing power of cities in executing green procurement programmes.
The session ends today after two weeks of negotiations and advocacy for the role of local governments. This is final CSD session before the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, also known as “Rio+20”, to be held in Rio de Janeiro on 4-6 June 2012.
All eyes are now turned to the preparatory process towards Rio+20, where ICLEI will again take on its task as the local authority major group organizing partner.Can Pod Cars Transform Traffic in Delhi?
Delhi is considering installing "pod cars," known in the U.S. as personal rapid transit or PRT, as a form of public transportation.
Itir Sonuparlak of The City Fix has the details on a report prepared by Delhi Integrated Multi Modal Transit System Ltd. (DIMTS) for options on preparing a green transit system for the city:
"The pod car system, also known as personal rapid transit (PRT), is a public transportation mode featuring small automated vehicles operating on a network of specially-built tracks. 'In a pod car system, vehicles are sized for individual or small group travel, typically carrying no more than six passengers per vehicle,' the report explains.
Is this the future of mass transit in Indian cities?"
http://thecityfix.com/can-pod-cars-transform-traffic-in-delhi/ Nominations Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize 2012 extended to 31 May 2011
The Lee Yuan Kew City Prize is a biennial international award to recognise individuals and organisations that have made outstanding contributions to the creation of vibrant, liveable and sustainable urban communities around the world.
http://www.eukn.org/News/2011/January/Nominations_Lee_Kuan_Yew_World_City_Prize_2012_extended_to_31_May_2011 Involvement of Managing Authorities in the URBACT Projects : Results from the survey
The URBACT programme strongly encourages the participation of Managing Authorities of Operational Programmes (ERDF and ESF) in projects' activities in order to increase the impact of these activities and link project Local Action Plans to be produced by partners to funds available in the Operational Programmes. The URBACT Secretariat conducted an online survey in January 2011, among the Managing Authorities of Operational Programmes involved in URBACT II projects. Read the results of this survey.http://urbact.eu/fileadmin/general_library/MAStudy.pdf
UN-HABITAT launches a global youth help desk
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's first manned space flight, movie stars serving as UN-HABITAT youth envoys last week joined Norwegian Junior Minister, Mr. Arvinn Eikeland Gadgil and agency officials at the glittering launch ceremony of a new internet help desk for urban youth.
The launch was attended by UN-HABITAT Youth Envoys, Mr. Vikram Kenny aka Chiyyan Vikram (KENNY), the actor and philanthropist from India, Mr. Ramsey Noah, the Nigerian actor, the artist Mr. Wolfgang E. Riegelsberge from Germany, and the renowned Nigerian actress, Ms. Ini Edo. All pledged to work harder to address the concerns of young people in their own countries and regions.
The help desk is a multimedia, interactive portal for all interested in UN-HABITAT's Urban Youth Fund. It is offers a virtual space for interaction among youth-led organizations in developing countries working to improve the lives of young people and their communities. The Fund will provide grants for innovative projects which promote employment, good governance, shelter and secure tenure.
"The help desk is a first step in allowing youth from around the world the ability to learn from one another and experts in youth issues," said Mr. Tayiona Eldanous Sanaguria, a youth representative from Zimbabwe, who cited the importance of using new technology to network across borders.
One of its main fuctions will be to enable all Urban Youth Fund projects to upload and share information. Also attracting interest is a unique youth research section where updated research material from urban youth research is published and where researchers can talk to one another. The help desk, headquartered at IRIS Knowledge Foundation in India, is a product the Urban Youth Research Network and UN-HABITAT.
The Help Desk can be accessed at www.globalyouthdesk.org
Launching event - Reference Framework Sustainable Cities
An integrated approach of sustainability in cities. That is where the Reference Framework for Sustainable Cities (RFSC) aims at. The RFSC is an online tool that helps cities to prioritise the actions needed to meet their objectives regarding sustainable development. On 15 and 16 March 2011 Nicis Institute assisted in the organisation of the launching event for the Reference Framework for Sustainable Cities (RFSC).
http://www.eukn.org/News/2011/April/Launching_event_Reference_Framework_Sustainable_Cities
Many Americans Prefer Short Commutes Over Large Homes
The National Association of REALTORS® recently released a study indicating that Americans favor walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods. The Community Preference Survey found that 80 percent of respondents still prefer detached single-family homes, but 56 percent were willing to trade such neighborhoods for less driving. Similarly, 59 percent would trade their larger home preference for shorter commutes – 20 minutes at most.
Legible London Gets People Walking
New pedestrian signs installed throughout London aim to encourage more people to walk by providing them with information on walking times and local attractions.
From This Big City:
"Research found that most Londoners mental map of London is based on the tube map which is geographically distorted and can be very misleading. For instance there are over 100 connections on the underground where its quicker to walk than take the tube! Legible London maps will often show users that their destination is closer and more walkable than they think."
Thus far, the new maps have led to a 5% increase in pedestrians in London, according to This Big City.
http://thisbigcity.net/will-londons-new-wayfinding-system-get-more-people-walking/
Innovative Yokohama plan aims to conserve greenery
The city of Yokohama, the capital of ICLEI Member Kanagawa Prefecture, has developed new tax mechanisms and participative approaches to conserve privately-owned green areas and their important biodiversity.
To preserve precious green areas for its citizens, the city has introduced a new tax system, with the revenue used to conserve privately-owned green areas and their biodiversity. Citizens, corporations and developers are all encourage to take part. Tax reductions are offered mainly to farmlands in urbanized areas on the condition that these farmlands cannot be developed or resold. This is particularly successful at tackling the problem of elderly famers selling off their land, either because they have no heirs able to carry on the farm or due to falling incomes.
Despite various conservation measures, nearly 100 hectares of forests and farmland are lost in the city every year due to development, and the green coverage rate fell from 35 percent in 2004 to 29.8 percent in 2009. The development of concrete river walls, fewer open water channels and increasingly isolated green areas have caused dramatic changes in habitats for animal species.
Japan’s second largest city, and one of its most important ports, Yokohama has a population of 3.7 million inhabitants. The city’s continued growth and the necessary urban development has put pressure on its mountainous forest regions and farmland.
Conserving farmland has multiple advantages, including disaster prevention, beautification of the landscape and it can help urban food security by maintaining agriculture in suburban areas.
Building the Broadband Economy 2011 Welcomes Finland's Minister of Communications, Consumer Electronics Association CEO
1-3 June, 2011 – New York City
The seventh annual Building the Broadband Economy summit will gather the leaders of the global Intelligent Community movement to hear, among others, Suvi Linde, the Minister of Communications of Finland, which declared broadband a universal human right. Also featured will be Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association, whose famous annual show debuts the gadgets that shape our future. He will speak on the transformative impact of healthcare information technology. America's most advanced smart grid is in the city of Chattanooga, and its Mayor will describe the decisions that led its municipal-owned utility to leap to the front of the pack.
Building the Broadband Economy is an international summit for community leaders and their technology partners from around the world. BBE offers a unique opportunity to learn how to use information and communications technology to build prosperous economies and meet the social challenges of the 21st Century. The 2011 edition of BBE, produced in partnership with the Polytechnic Institute of New York University, focuses on "Health in the Intelligent Community ." Information and registration are available at www.icfsummit.com.
Making Cities 'Age-Friendly'
Americans are getting older. But are cities responding to the needs of their older residents?
Most cities aren't very age-friendly according to this article. But they can be.
"Despite the clear trend toward an older, more urban population, most experts agree little is being done to make cities more age-friendly. Some of the necessary changes will be challenging. It won’t be easy or cheap to provide more public transportation or to build more affordable and accessible housing for seniors who are on fixed incomes and are less mobile.
But there are steps cities can take to make a place more attractive to the elderly without costing an arm and a leg. Take crosswalks. By adding more time, cities can turn what seem like fast dashes for some into less stressful pedestrian crossings. If lengthening crosswalk time might trip up traffic patterns, the use of pedestrian islands at major intersections could be another solution to this small but nagging problem."
http://www.governing.com/topics/health-human-services/seniors-city.html
Building capacity to build capacity: Strengthening Training Institutions for sustainable urban development.
Representatives of training institutions from 27 countries around the world convened in Nairobi, 28-30 March, to discuss the challenges and opportunities they face for building the capacity of their government and civil society counterparts to address the pressing development challenges of today.
The meeting was a first step in a three year initiative funded by UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs that aims to enhance the contribution and role of local authorities and their partners in achieving the Millennium Development Goals and in the realization of improved local governance and sustainable development by strengthening the capacities of local government training institutes.
It was organized by UN-HABITAT in cooperation with the Danida Fellowship Center, a Danish organization aiming to sustain development through training, and the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies of the Erasmus University Rotterdam.
http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=9859&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0&AllContent=1
Kazakhstan's Shiny and Empty New Capital
Kazakhstan built a new capital city in 1997 in far-off Astana. This piece from The New Yorker takes a tour of the city, and finds a unique architectural development underway, but a city still in its early years of formation.
"Astana has been the capital of Kazakhstan only since 1997, three years after the country’s leader, Nursultan Nazarbayev, told a stunned parliament that a prosperous, independent country like Kazakhstan ought to have its capital “in the center” of the country, rather than on the border. Almaty, the old capital, was pleasantly situated in the foothills of the Tian Shan Mountain range, and was famous for its apple orchards. And Astana? It was six hundred miles to the north—that is to say, toward Russia—and bitterly cold."
CHAMP: preparing local authorities for climate change
Local and regional authorities are key actors in combating the challenges of climate change. For this, cities and regions need to develop integrative instruments and climate strategies. However, adjusting their existing policies turns out to be more difficult than expected. The CHAMP project supports European local actors in implementing climate-friendly policies by promoting and providing trainings in implementing Integrated Management System (IMS) for climate change mitigation and adaptation.
http://www.eukn.org/E_library/Urban_Environment/Urban_Environment/CHAMP_preparing_local_authorities_for_climate_change
Adding Warmth and Life to Sidewalks
Sidewalks in Holland have for years utilized piped-in waste heat to melt snow. Now, they've added an additional sidewalk amenity: a hearth.
"A gas-powered hearth rises up from the sidewalk near the corner of 8th Street. On cold days, people gather around it, just as they do around a fireplace. These al fresco get-togethers build community spirit – just as the downtown promenades have been doing for years.
The low walls built up around the fireplace invite people can sit, stay, and chat."
The hearth helps add to what is already a lively sidewalk life in the city, according to this post from Metropolis.
http://www.metropolismag.com/pov/20110406/places-that-work-holland%E2%80%99s-sidewalks
Icelandic local authorities cooperate to address needs of those affected by crisis
Velferðarvaktin provides Iceland's local authorities, national government, social partners and non-governmental organisations with a platform for cooperation with the aim of identifying and addressing the needs.of social groups and individuals most affected by the financial and economic crisis.
The platform monitors the social and economic consequences of the crisis and the ensuing collapse of the Icelandic banking system on the population in order to propose measures to best address its needs. Velferðarvaktin especially focuses on safeguarding the interests of children and adolescents as well as the needs of immigrants.
As a next step, Velferðarvaktin is currently developing a set of social indicators, notably in terms of income, social and educational factors, household finances, health, demographics and labour market. These indicators, which should be finalised in May 2011, will provide information on the state of welfare in Iceland as well as an array of data for comparison with other countries belonging to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
The Association of Local Authorities in Iceland is actively involved in Velferðarvaktin, as well as the City of Reykjavik, a number of ministries and some of the country's largest trade unions. Also implicated are the Confederation of Icelandic Employers, the National Church, the Icelandic Red Cross, the Association for Disabled Persons and the Association for People with Intellectual Disabilities.
Salt Lake City Offers "Bike Corrals" to Downtown Businesses
Salt Lake City has launched a program to replace automobile parking spaces in front of downtown businesses with protected bicycling parking.
The "bike corrals," each of which will hold 10 bicycles in the space formerly used for a single car parking slot, will remain in place from April through November. There is no cost for businesses to give up a parking slot for a corral, which the city already owns and installs. The bike corral comes with reflective, flexible posts and a bike-parking sign, all provided at no cost to the business owner. The bike corrals give bikers a safe option for parking, usually in view from the window of a brewery, eatery or coffee shop. The goal is to encourage more people to leave their cars at home and bike downtown instead.
Carbonn Cities Climate Registry reaches 180 signatories after UN Bangkok climate talks
Just after the latest round of the UN climate talks, 180 mayors and local authority representatives had signed the Global Covenant of Mayors on Climate - the Mexico City Pact –with Melbourne, Australia, and North Vancouver, Canada, being amongst the most recent signatories.
While nations continued their negotiations towards a climate deal in April in Bangkok, cities and local governments are showing that they are far ahead in taking action. The 300 million citizens now represented by the signatories is almost equal to the total population of half of the countries currently negotiating at the UN.
Habitat Partner University Initiative launches Logo Competition
UN-HABITAT, in partnership with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, announces an international competition for the design of the logo of the Habitat Partner University Initiative. The winner will be announced on the Habitat Partner University Initiative website on 1 July 2011 (www.unhabitat.org/HPUI) and will receive a prize of USD 1000.
http://www.unhabitat.org/downloads/docs/Logo_competition_rules_guidelines.pdf
Urban Regeneration in Lecce - Building Healthy Communities Project Video
Building Healthy Communities (BHC) is an URBACT project made of 10 European cities looking for joint, effective and sustainable solutions on urban factors influencing health and opportunities for cities to shape and implement healthy policies for their citizens. In February 2011 the Italian city of Lecce, partner in the BHC project, has organised an info-day on the project. Following the event, an interesting videoclip has been produced. Take a look at the video and discover BHC project objectives, challenges and first achievements at local level in Lecce.
http://urbact.eu/en/header-main/news-and-events/view-one/urbact-news/?entryId=5057
Quezon City develops ‘green lungs’
In many highly-urbanized cities there is a lack of open spaces, green areas for biodiversity conservation and public recreation areas. ICLEI Member Quezon City, Philippines, responded to this problem with a park development program between 2003 and 2009 through which 111 open spaces and parks were created and rehabilitated.
The newly created green spaces provide recreation opportunities for the cities approximately 2.9 million residents and those of nearby Metro Manila, shelters for biodiversity, a network for wildlife movement, and a 'green lung' for the city.
To implement the massive project the local government worked together with the Parks Development and Administration Department, the city development council and other stakeholders. To date, 44 percent of the city’s open spaces have been recovered and developed into user friendly green spaces.
As part of the initiative the Parks Development Program was created to support the long-term sustainability and management of parks. It provides full funding or co-financing support and help to neighborhood groups to access and design their own parks.
Why Intercity Bus Travel is Growing
Intercity bus travel is the fastest growing mode of travel for the third year in a row. This piece from New Geography looks at why.
New bus services have cropped up in recent years, offering cheap service between major city hubs, often operating as "curbside" services that sidestep bus terminals.
"The comeback of the intercity bus is noteworthy for the fact that it is taking place without government subsidies or as a result of efforts by planning agencies to promote energy efficient forms of transportation. Instead, it is a market-driven phenomenon that is gradually winning back demographic groups that would have scarcely contemplated setting foot on an intercity bus only a few years ago. Our DePaul University study estimates that curbside operators like Megabus expanded the number of daily departures by 23.9% last year. In the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states, service grew at an even faster rate.
As recently as a decade ago, traditional bus services were all but written off as a “mode of last resort.” A painful and unrelenting decline had pushed intercity buses into the margins of travel. The opening interstate highways, increased automobile ownership, and the deterioration of downtown business districts in major cities had weakened demand for intercity bus services starting in the 1960s. Continued retrenchment took place throughout the 1980s and 1990s—a downturn that pushed Greyhound into bankruptcy and continued even after the terrorist acts of September 11, 2001, which dramatically affected the demand for air travel."
Cities showcase urban biodiversity projects
Eleven new ICLEI Case Studies, numbers 127-137, demonstrate the ability of local governments to involve stakeholders in improving local biodiversity.
The 11 practical examples were collected by ICLEI Japan and ICLEI Southeast Asia in preparation of the local government input to the UN Conference of the Parties on Biological Diversity (COP 10) in Nagoya in October 2010.
The new case studies showcase urban biodiversity projects in Indonesia, Japan, Philippines and Thailand. They cover themes such as the creation of botanical gardens on spoilt lands, mangrove conversation, soil and water conversation, the greening of urban spaces, green tax incentives and coastal management.
Among the key findings are that early and intensive stakeholder involvement not only accelerates and improves action but in many cases is the pre-condition for lasting achievements in biodiversity management. At the same time the case studies provide various examples of successful involvement of local business, the positive impacts of seed money (e.g. for biodiversity surveys) and new facilitating and moderating roles of the local administration.
See the full the series on biodiversity, 127-137, at iclei.org/casestudies
Covenant of Mayors going east!
Eastern Europe to benefit from new funding for local climate action
Local authorities from countries based in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia now have a chance to apply for financial support through a new European Commission call for proposals.
Launched under the Covenant of Mayors, the €2.5 million made available under this call is intended to support eastern European countries in contributing more actively to climate change mitigation.
Through the initiative, the commission wants to foster partnerships between existing EU covenant signatories and local authorities from:
- Eastern Partnership countries: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Republic of Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine; and
- Central Asian countries: Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
The Covenant of Mayors is broadly recognised as one of the EU’s biggest success stories, with almost 2,500 municipalities across Europe having signed up to it. Since its launch in 2009, EUROCITIES, representing the network of Europe’s biggest cities, has worked in partnership with several other networks on the project.
The covenant's initial aim has been to encourage mayors of cities and towns based primarily in EU countries to significantly reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Signatories enter a formal commitment to curb their CO2 emissions by at least 20% by 2020, as already set by the EU’s climate action and energy package.
This latest expansion to the east of Europe will no doubt open up new horizons for the Covenant of Mayors and the EU’s green agenda. Those interested in taking advantage of the new funding opportunity available should attend the information session scheduled for 23 May in Kiev.
Deadline for funding applications: 22 July 2011
London's Skyscraper Boom Trickles Off
A number of large skyscrapers in London, approved and financed before the recession, are being completed. But with no new ones planned, these skyscrapers are looked at as the end of an age of large-scale building.
"While skyscrapers with nicknames such as the Shard, the Cheesegrater and the Walkie Talkie are joining the 40-story Gherkin as part of the British capital’s skyline, those buildings reflect past rather than present considerations. All of the office towers that are due to open in London by 2014 were conceived before the financial crisis and developers are increasingly adopting cheaper, less ambitious plans.
Commercial Estates Group Ltd., a privately held developer, last month said it will review a plan to build a 63-story property adjacent to Canary Wharf. Hammerson Plc (HMSO), a real estate investment trust that owns seven London office buildings, in January abandoned its design for a 32-story tower and block in the City in favor of a 15-floor office complex."
Real estate watchers in London are predicting a much smaller and more reserved era of building in the coming years.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-19/london-skyscraper-boom-ends-as-city-goes-from-vanity-to-sanity-.html
RegioStars 2012 awards: applications are now open
Are you implementing an innovative project and do you want to showcase it as an example of its kind in Europe? Are you in charge of a project geared to innovation, sustainable development, demographic change or urban development? Have you created a website that tells the general public all about projects supported by the European Union’s regional policy? If so, you are invited to visit the RegioStars 2012 website in order to download the application forms and be in with a chance of winning a prize for your region.
“RegioStars – The Awards for Regional Innovative Projects” were launched in 2007. Each year they single out and reward innovative projects receiving support as part of the EU’s regional policy. Applications have to be submitted by the (national or regional) managing authority in cooperation with the project partner. The official closing date for submitting applications is 15 July 2011.
The RegioStars 2011 award ceremony will be held in Brussels on 23 June next. This year, the projects of 31 finalists will be competing for the top prize.
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/cooperation/interregional/ecochange/regiostars_12_en.cfm?nmenu=4
Tel Aviv's Controversial Skyline Plans
Once low-slung, Tel Aviv has seen a number of towers shooting up randomly around the city. A new master plan gives the green light to more towers, but tries to pull them into a more coherent urban form.
Jesse Fox writes that the plan is controversial because it gives the rubber stamp to future tower construction in "certain sensitive and controversial areas, in some cases ignoring the vociferous opposition of neighborhood groups."
For one, "...despite the widespread recognition that designating the city’s beachfront for hotel towers was a mistake, the plan nevertheless designates almost the entire beachfront for hotels in 25 story towers."
Fox details the struggles of local communities to propose alternatives to the development plans.
http://www.sustainablecityblog.com/2011/03/tel-avivs-skyline-in-2025/
Private sector committed to support a new positive vision towards better cities
A Private Sector Strategy Meeting held on Thursday 14th April as a side event of the 23rd session of the Governing Council gathered about twenty representatives of the private sector, including the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the US Chamber of Commerce and the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as representatives of companies such as BASF Social Foundation, Capital Markets for the Marginalized, Veolia Environment, Siemens, Philips, Arcadis, GDF-Suez, Pricewaterhouse Coopers and Mega Consultores.
Executive Director Dr. Joan Clos presented his vision on the future of cities and thanked the private sector for supporting the urban agenda, stating their key role as development partners: 'Cities are the place of innovation and interrelations. It is now clear that we cannot build the city without the Private Sector (...) We need to help cities and private sector understand each other and build on productive alliances'. Dr. Clos particularly alerted the audience on the challenge of creating wealth and employment while reducing energy consumption in cities.
http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=9848&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0&AllContent=1
In Post-Quake Japan, Bicycle Use on the Rise
Bicycle use is on the rise in Japan, where recovery from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami has made driving and transit use much more difficult.
"Mr. Kobayashi is director of the Bicycle Usage Promotion Study Group, a nonprofit organization that promotes usage of bicycles in Tokyo. Since March 11, when an earthquake devastated northern Japan and rattled the Tokyo metropolitan area, the streets of Suginami ward, where he lives, have teemed with wobbly bikers pedaling their way to work.
'The increase was sudden and visible,' he said during an interview.
Over the past 20 years, more commuters in urban areas like Tokyo have been switching gears and choosing to bicycle to work instead of using trains and cars, citing concerns for health, environment, costs and an escape from packed trains. The catastrophe last month has now converted some of the holdouts by proving one more benefit to cycling: you have a means to go home when the trains stop moving."
And the trains did stop moving, stranding nearly 9 million people the day of the earthquake. As a result, more people have turned to bicycles as a reliable transportation choice amid fears of another shutdown.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/18/business/global/18iht-rbog-bicycle-18.html?_r=4&src=tptw
Are Compact Cities Environmentally Friendly?
There is a large consensus among international institutions and national governments to favor urban-containment policies-the compact city- as a way to improve the ecological performance of the urban system. This approach overlooks a fundamental fact: what matters for the ecological outcome of cities is the mix between the level of population density and the global patterns of activities. As expected, when both the intercity and intra-urban distributions of activities are given, a higher population density makes cities more environmentally friendly. This paper shows that policies favoring the decentralization of jobs in big cities may be more desirable because they both reduce pollution and improve welfare.
http://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/46/65/69/PDF/1001.pdf
$1 Homes to Urban Homesteaders in Buffalo
City of Buffalo program has inspired a small and growing movement of "homesteaders" who are buying City-owned houses for one dollar and rehabbing them.
The City of Buffalo announced the long-vacant Lyth Cottage, a City landmark at 16 Harwood Place in the Hamlin Park Historic District, will be rescued from the brink. The keys to the historic brick and terra-cotta house, built as a servants quarters by Hamlin Park industrialist John Lyth in 1886, were ceremoniously handed to a new owner-occupant moving to Buffalo's distressed East Side from suburban East Aurora. The new owner was joined by several "homesteaders" who make up a movement in Buffalo to reclaim vacant, historic properties that have acquired by the City through tax foreclosure.
http://www.wkbw.com/news/local/A-Buck-Saves-Historic-House-From-Demolition-119779979.html
Sustainable energy: Two new EU financial tools to support municipalities and regions
The European Commission announced the upcoming launch of two new financial tools to support municipalities and regions in developing sustainable energy investment projects, at the occasion of a conference co-organised by the Covenant of Mayors.Office on 13 April 2011 in the framework of the European Sustainable Energy Week.
First, the European local energy assistance facility (ELENA) is to be extended so as to help build up local and regional capacities in terms of energy efficiency and renewable energy. ELENA will thus be divided into three parts: ELENA-EIB for projects of over €50 million, ELENA-KfW for projects of less than €50 million with a focus on carbon crediting, and ELENA-CEB for projects of less than €50 million with a focus on social housing.
Second, the European energy efficiency fund, which will be up and running starting May 2011, will dispose of €200 million to help render local and regional sustainable energy projects more attractive to the private sector. This new fund will aim at encouraging participation and investment in these projects.
http://www.ccre.org/news_detail_en.htm?ID=2057
Sprawl, European Style
The U.S. often gets a bad rap for its sprawling suburbs and unplanned development, but Robert Kwolek notes that many European cities and other parts of the world aren't far behind.
Europe is known for its quaint, compact villages and old city centers. But take a close look at its land use patterns, and you'll see that many European cities like Zug, Switzerland and Canary Wharf in London are experiencing the same kind of sprawl that's common in the U.S. In the post-war years, apartment complexes and industrial parks also spread out from the center of old European cities: cheap buildings built on cheap land with little thought to architecture and planning.
Robert Kwolek notes that this has some different (though still destructive) consequences in Europe, where most workers still live in city centers. Workers disperse from the cities during the day, cars are on the rise, and historic cities become nothing more than tourist attractions.
http://sustainablecitiescollective.com/recities/23919/disjointed?utm_source=scc_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newslet
Cities get column inches in new European media
PublicServiceEurope.com makes space for local views in EU debates
EUROCITIES has taken advantage of a brand new pan-European media portal to raise awareness of the role of big cities in the EU's most pressing debates concerning climate, inclusion and recovery.
Started up in March 2011, www.publicserviceeurope.com is an EU spin-off from the UK focused Public Servant magazine. Among senior EU officials and politicians, EUROCITIES was one of the handful of contributors featured for the website’s launch. Our lead article discussed the value that should be accredited to cities in negotiations on the future EU cohesion policy and their role in getting the EU’s economy back on track.
PublicServiceEurope.com aims to be the online knowledge hub for those wanting the inside track on European politics, public administration, management issues and key developments in the business world. The website covers the broad spectrum of EU policy and has a section dedicated specifically to municipalities. Speaking to EUROCITIES about this feature, editor Dean Carroll said:
“Municipalities are the engines of economic growth as well as the best place for politicians to learn their trade. We recognise this at PublicServiceEurope.com and will give just as much credence and prominence to municipal debates as we will to national and supranational discussions.”
Cities that have a story to tell or would like to write for PublicServiceEurope.com should get in touch with Dean at dcarroll@publicserviceeurope.com; tel. +44 (0)1782 711000.
Urban Sustainability – Learning From The Best
This report presents a catalogue of best practices of the eight finalists for the European Green Capital Award 2010 and 2011. A total of 35 cities from all across Europe applied for the 2010 and 2011 European Green Capital Awards.The eight shortlisted finalists were: Amsterdam, Bristol, Copenhagen, Freiburg, Hamburg, Münster, Oslo and Stockholm. Stockholm was selected as the 2010 European Green Capital, while Hamburg will take over the title in 2011.These eight cities have shown that they can lead the way in environmentally friendly urban living and act as role-models to inspire other cities within the fi eld of sustainable urban development.
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital/docs/cities/egc_bpcatalogue_2010-2011.pdf
Urban Design Marathon Comes to Los Angeles
The 72 hour event is intended to challenge the idea that creating change in public space is long and difficult, explains the event's founder, Karem Halbrecht.
From Good Magazine:
"A hundred designers, 10 urban challenges, very little money, and no sleep. That's the recipe for 72 Hour Urban Action, a three-day marathon for designers to improve their city."
The first 72 Hour Urban Action debuted in Israel in September 2010.
"With such a successful model to build upon, it's time to bring the experience to other cities. So Los Angeles designers, hold onto your hardhats: Halbrecht will be coming to Los Angeles on Wednesday, April 20, at 8:00 p.m. as part of a 72 Hour Urban Action road show."
http://www.good.is/post/what-if-you-had-72-hours-to-transform-your-city/
University Workshop on Urban Climate Change Education to be held in Bonn
UN-HABITAT in collaboration with the International Institute of Environment and Development, the research and education initiative:
"Climate Change and Urban Vulnerability in Africa (CLUVA)", Technical University Munich, and the United Nations University will host a global workshop for Universities from 1-2 June 2011 aiming to strengthen urban climate change courses.
The meeting aims at conceptualizing generic modules to be used in urban planning and related courses. It further aims at setting up partnerships between universities for the development of the prioritized course modules. The meeting is a pre-event of the 2nd World Congress on Cities and Adaptation to Climate Change (http://www.iclei.org/bonn2011)
America’s Mayors Say No More Bridges To Nowhere
The United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) will release a 176-city survey focusing on local transportation infrastructure investments on Tuesday, May 3, at the National Press Club. Atlanta (GA) Mayor Kasim Reed, USCM Transportation Committee Chair, will deliver the survey findings. Given the economic problems
facing the nation, mayors believe it is more important than ever that federal transportation priorities be targeted to metropolitan areas - home to two-thirds of U.S. residents. A majority of mayors said they will oppose a gas tax increase unless funding is directed to these areas to improve roads, bridges and expand transit, instead of highway expansion. Mayors are saying that we don’t need another bridge to nowhere. Other findings include:
· Ninety-eight percent of mayors point to investment in affordable, reliable transportation as an important part of their cities’ economic recovery and growth.
· Eighty percent of mayors indicate that highway expansion should be a low priority.
· Ninety-three percent of the mayors urge reforms in federal transportation programs to allow cities and their metropolitan areas to receive a greater share of federal funds directly.
Metropolitan areas account for 86 percent of employment, 90 percent of wage income, and over the next 20 years, 94 percent of the nation’s economic growth, but they are saddled with the nation’s worst traffic jams, its oldest roads and bridges, and transit systems at capacity. Simply put, these areas are receiving significantly less in federal transportation investments than would reflect their role and importance to the nation’s economy. This survey of mayors and their transportation infrastructure investment needs was sponsored by Parsons Brinckerhoff.
German municipalities underline importance of new forms of town twinning links
The Franco-German Committee, established by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions' French (AFCCRE) and German (RGRE) sections, underlined the importance of introducing new forms of town twinning links,.at the occasion of their annual meeting held on 20 and 21 January 2011 in Berlin, Germany..
Indeed, participants stressed the need to involve younger generations and more disadvantaged populations, as well as cover a larger scope of fields such as mobility, professional training and exchanges.
This willingness notably comes from a desire to renew the town twinning movement between French and German municipalities, the notion of twinning having changed and evolved over the years.
Other challenges addressed during the Franco-German Committee meeting included the provision of quality social services in the context of an aging society, as well as enhancing the birth rate, better integrating women into the labour market and increasing solidarity between generations.
Segregation Not Going Away in American Cities
Recent figures from the 2010 U.S. Census highlighted the fact that many cities remain racially segregated. This commentary argues that this situation is unlikely to change.
Earl Ofari Hutchinson writes that trends of whites fleeing for the suburbs and urban centers increasing in minority populations have been going on for decades and that they will continue.
"A casual drive through any of the major urban neighborhoods in America, a walk through the neighborhood schools, hospitals, and clinics reveal the stark pattern of the two Americas. In fact, even three or four urban Americas: an America that is poor, black and Latino; an America that is black and middle class; an America that is white, working class and middle class; and one that’s white and wealthy.
But whichever urban America one travels through, the line dividing the neighborhoods is as deep as the Grand Canyon. There are the usual suspects to blame for the rigid segregation. Poverty, crime, lender redlining, a decaying industrial and manufacturing inner city, white and middle-class black and Hispanic flight, crumbling inner-city schools, the refusal of major business and financial institutions to locate in minority neighborhoods, and cash-strapped city governments that have thrown in the towel on providing street repairs and basic services."
http://newamericamedia.org/2011/03/americas-most-segregated-cities-likely-to-stay-that-way.php
Transport Research Arena' (TRA) Conference
Athens, Greece, 23-26 April 2012.
Call for Abstracts / Papers
The TRA 2012 Programme Committee has the pleasure to invite all those involved in any surface transport mode to present their work and their vision of greener, safer, and smarter surface transport for Europe and for the rest of the world. Abstracts should relate to one of the conference topics cover all areas of surface transport. The conference proceedings will be published through Elsevier in the e-product of Procedia. Moreover, all successful full papers will be considered for publication in Special or Supplementary Journal Issues of Elsevier.
Call for Special Sessions
The TRA 2012 Programme Committee is pleased to invite National European and International bodies, Federations, Associations, Projects, Initiatives, Professional Institutions and Unions to organize a Special Session on topic of their priority / interest falling into the six Pillars of the Conference. Interested parties should submit: a) proposal including title of the thematic session, b) motivation statement and c) potential invited speakers.
For further details please visit the website www.traconference.eu.
Tall and Urban - An analysis of global population and tall buildings
Tall buildings, once almost exclusively a product of North America, are spreading across the globe at an ever-increasing rate. The global number of buildings 200 meters or more in height has risen from 286 to 602 in the last decade alone. Currently, these buildings exist in 32 countries across the world. This study demonstrates the relationship between population and tall buildings across those countries and presents information on the average height and age of each country's tallest buildings.
The recent dramatic increase in tall buildings has been fueled by a large variety of local and global motivations, and therefore cannot be directly related to any single factor (such as an area's population, density, government, etc). The historical and statistical contexts of the "tall typology" thus vary dramatically across the globe. At one end of the spectrum is the UAE, which can now boast 44 buildings over 200 meters in height. For a country of 4.7 million people, this means that there are only 100,000 citizens for every 200 m+ building. In contrast, China, with 200 buildings at the 200 m+ level, has nearly seven million citizens for every 200 m+ building. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the research demonstrates that the lowest population-to-building ratios can be found in Middle Eastern counties like the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar. The highest population-to-building ratios, meanwhile, are less geographically predictable, with India, Vietnam, Turkey, France, and Mexico topping the list.
http://www.ctbuh.org/Publications/Journal/InNumbers/GlobalHeightandPopulation/tabid/2160/language/en-US/Default.aspx
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