November Headlines - click to see the full story
25/11/2008 - Dubai International Awards for Best Practices to improve the Living Environment
23/11/2008 - Local governments at the European Development Days, Strasburg, from 15 to 17 November 2008
23/11/2008 - Water conference cancelled
23/11/2008 - Conference in Human Rights: Concrete commitments of cities
20/11/2008 - The European Platform of local and regional government is born
20/11/2008 - African mayors in cooperation pact with Chinese district
18/11/2008 - In Total, $75 Billion Approved for Mass Transit
18/11/2008 - 100% Twinning; CEMR website goes live
17/11/2008 - President Obama and Local Governments: A Partnership With Potential
17/11/2008 - Bringing about sustainable change in markets
17/11/2008 - ‘Access to services is not only defined by distance’, says EUROCITIES
14/11/2008 - European Bike Sharing Programs Transform Cities
13/11/2008 - Governance & Mobility
13/11/2008 - UN-HABITAT report projects steep growth of African urban population
12/11/2008 - South East Europe Local Governments meet at CEMR Conference
12/11/2008 - 9th Metropolis World Congress a great success.
12/11/2008 - THE U.S. Conference of Mayors call for a mainstreet stimulus plan to create jobs, stimulate economy
10/11/2008 - New Towns for the 21st Century: the Planned vs. the Unplanned City
10/11/2008 - ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability welcomes Mumbai as 1000th Member
10/11/2008 - World Toilet Summet opens in Macau
6/11/2008 - UN-HABITAT Launches Opportunities Fund for Urban Youth-Led Development
5/11/2008 - Harmonious urbanization, the talk of all Nanjing
5/11/2008 - The IACP book on port cities goes on sale!
4/11/2008 - A glittering opening of the Fourth Session of World Urban Forum
4/11/2008 - European Development Days update
4/11/2008 - Developing local government in the Balkans (CEMR conference)
4/11/2008 - How well does your region fare? Check the regional yearbook 2008
4/11/2008 - World Urban Youth Forum draws to a close
Dubai International Awards for Best Practices to improve the Living Environment
An independent international jury, chaired by Ms. Banashree Banerjee of India, has announced the winners of the 2008 Dubai International Awards for Best Pactices to improve the Living Environment.
An international jury of experts meeting in Dubai, earlier this month chose 12 winners deemed to have made outstanding contributions to improving the quality of life in cities and communities.
The jury reviewed some 436 submissions for the 12 awards which each carry a USD 30,000 prize. The prize money, a trophy and a commemorative certificate will be presented to the winners at an award ceremony still to be scheduled.
The five-member jury, chaired by Ms. Banerjee, an urban management specialist, included Dr. Beacon Mbiba of Zimbabwe, who lectures at Oxford Brooks University, UK; Dr. Paolo Salvida, a professor at Sao Paolo University in Brazil; Dr. Roberto Ottolenghi, an urban development expert from Italy; and Mr. Abdulla Mohammed Rafia, Assistant Director General of Dubai Municipality. The Chair of the Technical Advisory Committee which undertook the pre-selection, Dr Jose Antonio Corraliza from the University of Madrid, Spain, assisted in the deliberations.
The jury based their decisions on criteria of tangible impact, partnership, and sustainability and also took into account additional criteria of leadership and community empowerment, gender equality and social inclusion, and innovations that can be replicated. They also looked at responsiveness to climate change and inclusive technology.
Local governments at the European Development Days, Strasburg, from 15 to 17 November 2008
The European Development Days, the European Commission’s principal event for development co-operation, convened for their third edition in Strasburg (France) from 15 to 17 November 2008.
The role and activities of local governments came under specific focus thanks to the central theme of this year’s event ‘The Local Dimension of Development Cooperation’.
An important participation for United Cities and Local Governments
On behalf of UCLG and local and regional governments around the world, Mr Alhaj Adam Omari Kimbisa, Mayor of Dar es Salaam, participated in the opening ceremony and several UCLG members were given the opportunity to give addresses over the course of the sessions and workshops.
Furthermore, UCLG held a stand, next to the CEMR stand, the three days and took advantage of this occasion to take video testimonies on development co-operation and decentralized cooperation from mayors, regional presidents and locally elected representatives. http://www.cities-localgovernments.org/uclg/index.asp?pag=newsD.asp&L=EN&ID=268
Water conference cancelled
The conference about "water efficiency in urban areas" (29th and 30th of January 2009) will not take place due to a lack of registrations.
We will postpone the conference to 2010 but we will inform you about all the details to a later point in time.
The organisers are very sorry about the postponement and hope that you will still come to their next conference!
Conference in Human Rights: Concrete commitments of cities
The city of Geneva is organising on 8 and 9 December 2008 the 6th conference of the European Charter for Human Rights in the City, in Geneva.
The conference will be an opportunity to highlight the challenges that face municipalities and their commitments in addressing these. Particular focus will be given to issues surrounding Humain Rights in the city: migrants and minorities, social integration, solidarity with other cities, housing.
Elected officials, representatives of local associations, academicians and civil society are expected to participate in the conference. Speakers include mayors of Geneva, Lyon, Barcelone, Cordoba, Santa Tecla (El Salvador), Gjilan (Kosovo) et de Saint-Denis (France).
The conference is organised in association with the Cities of Barcelona, Lyon and Saint-Denis to celebrate the 60 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. http://www.ville-ge.ch/en/media/pdf/dudh60_1208_e.pdf
The European Platform of local and regional government is born
The European Platform of local and regional government for development was launched on 16 November 2008 to a packed audience on the occasion of the European Development Days, in Strasbourg.
Mayor of Stuttgart.and Vice President of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), Wolfgang Schuster, said: This new Platform brings together European local and regional government and its associations to co-ordinate and strengthen their voice at European level on all development co-operation issues. It will also help to exchange information, promote mutual learning, and facilitate dialogue between them and other actors such as NGO's.
Director General for Development of the European Commission, Stefano Manservisi, welcomed the creation of the platform and emphasized the role played by local government in development cooperation. Other representatives from EU institutions expressed their support to the platform, including Deputy Mayor of Paris and Member of the European Parliament, Pierre Schapira ; Director of EuropeAid, Aristotelis Bouratsis; and Member of the Committee of the Regions, Christophe Rouillon. http://www.ccre.org/news_detail_en.htm?ID=1471
African mayors in cooperation pact with Chinese district
African Mayors from the Lake Victoria region signed an agreement with the Yangpu District of the Municipal Government of Shanghai for enhanced cooperation and exchange programmes. The agreement was signed during the fourth session of the World Urban Forum in Nanjing.
Ms. Zong Ming, Magistrate of Yangpu joined the mayors of 21 towns from Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda which all border Africa’s greatest lake at a colourful signing ceremony was witnessed by UN-HABITAT Executive Director Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka .
http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=6047&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0
In Total, $75 Billion Approved for Mass Transit
United States Government / Politics Mass Transit The Wall Street Journal Transit Funding Transportation Voting
"To be sure, last week's votes won't guarantee a prolonged boom for rail and transit systems -- or for companies supplying the equipment. Gas prices could stabilize at lower levels, diminishing growth prospects for bus and rail service. The impact of the economic slowdown on budgets may constrain funding for transportation. And big undertakings like California's prospective high-speed rail system will depend on equal participation from the federal government and private sector.
'The clear risk is...can California go out and raise $10 billion to do this at a cost that makes sense?" said Art Hatfield, an analyst at Morgan Keegan in Memphis, Tenn. "Is the appetite there to invest in these projects from private money?'
Mr. Hatfield noted that companies such as Bombardier and Siemens need to show they can step up production as they bid on projects. 'That is a huge risk these companies run,' he said. 'They build up expectations on infrastructure spending, and then either these things move forward or don't move forward.'"
100% Twinning; CEMR website goes live
A virtual multilingual meeting place for local government from Europe and beyond: the new twinning website of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) is now online!
The new website (www.twinning.org) is made of two parts: One door leads to twinning in Europe. It is open to European local authorities seeking European partners for twinnings on any theme (environment, social inclusion, services to citizens, economic development...). It is available in over 20 languages (from English and French to Icelandic, Serbian and Ukrainian) with instantaneous translation in all languages of any "find a partner" form filled in by a town. Therefore, regardless of the language in which a town has filled in the form describing itself and its ideal twinning partner, that form will appear online in over 20 languages.
The second door leads to the worldwide twinning and partnership for development part. It was developed with the support of DG Development of the European Commission and focuses on North-South local cooperation. That part is currently available in English, French and Portuguese with Spanish to be added within a days and other international languages in future.
President Obama and Local Governments: A Partnership With Potential
Editorial by Michelle Wyman, ICLEI USA Executive Director
It’s no secret that President-elect Obama has instilled a new sense of optimism in people who are passionate about climate protection, both in the United States and across the globe. In President-elect Obama, local governments have a new partner who has promised to listen to their needs and address their priorities.
Obama’s Promises: Stronger Cities, Cleaner Energy
Throughout his campaign, Obama pledged to address the needs of urban communities. In June 2008, at a speech before a U.S. Conference of Mayors gathering, Obama expressed his commitment to urban revitalization and offered to form new partnerships with urban leaders.
“We need to stop seeing our cities as the problem and start seeing them as the solution,” said Obama. “Because strong cities are the building blocks of strong regions, and strong regions are essential for a strong America. That is the new metropolitan reality and we need a new strategy that reflects it. As president, I’ll work with you to develop this kind of strategy and I’ll appoint the first White House Director of Urban Policy to help make it a reality.” More
Bringing about sustainable change in markets
Freiburg, 12 November 2008 - An energy-efficient future was on the international agenda at the Procura+ Seminar on ‘smarter engagement with the market’ on 6-7 November 2008 hosted by the City of Birmingham (UK).
The Senior Procurement Manager from the Greater London Authority (UK) expressed his satisfaction: “Procura+ gives most value for money and offers great networking possibilities, combined with new and interesting information on latest approaches such as pre-procurement of sustainable innovations.“ said Collan Murray, his city participating in the Campaign since early 2008. Procura+ is the European Campaign designed to help support public authorities across Europe in implementing sustainable procurement and help promote their achievements. This year’s participants meeting was held on 7 November 2008 following the Seminar.
Birmingham City Council’s Sustainability Team and Corporate Procurement Services, in conjunction with the regional development agency Advantage West Midlands, and the local strategic partnership for Birmingham, 'Be Birmingham', organised the event with ICLEI. http://procuraplus.org/
‘Access to services is not only defined by distance’, says EUROCITIES
Presenting the views of Europe’s biggest cities at an EU Conference on Territorial cohesion and the Future of Cohesion Policy held on 31 October in Paris, Hella Dunger-Löper, Permanent Secretary for Building and Housing of Berlin, emphasised the importance of territorial cohesion for strengthening cohesion policy and addressing disparities that remain between and within EU territories. Dunger-Löper spoke on behalf of EUROCITIES, which was among the main partners invited to speak at the event organised by the French Presidency of the EU.
Addressing around 1,200 participants, Dunger-Löper presented the network’s initial responses to the European Commission's Green Paper on Territorial Cohesion published on 6 October 2008, stating, “We hope that territorial cohesion can help us address persisting disparities within cities, which we believe will continue to be barriers to territorial cohesion within Europe as a whole”. http://www.eurocities.org/main.php
European Bike Sharing Programs Transform Cities
Paris' bike sharing program is well-known, but not alone - these programs are flourishing throughout Europe. The key to their proliferation lies in the new technology they utilize. This article highlights the 'third-generation' Barcelona program.
"The expanding program in Barcelona is typical of so-called third-generation programs, which rely heavily on technology. (In its first generation, bike-sharing involved scattering old bikes around the streets, where they could be used for free; second-generation programs accepted coins.)
Here in Barcelona, streets during rush hour are lined with commuters and errand-goers on the bright red bicycles of Bicing, the city’s program, which began 18 months ago. Bicing offers 6,000 bicycles from 375 stands, which are scattered every few blocks; the bikes seem to be in constant motion."
"Car owners complain about the removal of parking spots to accommodate new bike lanes; the city has about 80 miles of lanes, after rapidly expanding the lanes in the past two years.
Officials in Lyon, one of the first cities to institute a large technology-driven bike program, estimate that bike-sharing has eliminated tons of pollutants since its inception in 2005. But more than that, they say, it has changed the face of the city."
'The critical mass of bikes on the road has pacified traffic,' said Gilles Vesco, vice mayor in charge of the program in Lyon. “Now, the street belongs to everybody and needs to be better shared. It has become a more convivial public space."
Governance & Mobility
1er Forum mondial de la Mobilité Durable
initialement prévu à Nantes-France du 6 au 8 juillet 2009, est ANNULE.
(Informations complémentaires sur demande par Email à info@governance-mobility.org)
Governance & Mobility
1st World Forum on Sustainable Mobility,
initially planned in Nantes-France from 6 to 8 July 2009, is CANCELLED
(for further information, please contact info@governance-mobility.org)
UN-HABITAT report projects steep growth of African urban population
Although worldwide urban growth is expected to slow, a new report by UN-HABITAT is projecting the reverse in Africa with the continent’s urban population being projected to more than double by 2030.
According to the State of African Cities Report of 2008, by last year, Africa’s urban population stood at 373.4 million. However, the figure is expected to rise, the report says. “Projections show that by 2030 there will be 759.4 million African urban dwellers, more than today’s total number of city dwellers in entire Western hemisphere,” it says.
The report which was launched at the just concluded Fourth Session of the World urban Forum held in Nanjing, China adds that the world’s shortest urban population doubling time, less than nine years, is found in the East Africa region, from 50.6 million in 2007 to a projected 106.7 million by 2017.
Among the report’s highlights is that Africa is in a historic period of demographic change. Around 2030, Africa will enter its urban age with 759.4 million people - half of its total population - living in cities. It is projected that by 2050 there will be more than 1.2 billion African city dwellers. That means that by 2050 there will be more people living in African cities than the combined urban and rural populations of the Western hemisphere. http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=6041&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0
South East Europe Local Governments meet at CEMR Conference
Over 100 representatives of local governments and associations from over 20 countries attended the “South-East Europe – Meeting the challenges” conference, on 6-7 November 2008 in Vienna. The final declaration was unanimously adopted, stressing the participants' commitment to “building stronger links with and between local and regional governments in the countries of South-East Europe, enabling the exchange of experience and good practice” since these “constitute the necessary and vital path to overcoming past differences”. It also stresses that the process of EU integration and reunification must proceed. http://www.ccre.org/communiques_de_presse_en.htm
9th Metropolis World Congress a great success.
Overall, the Congress featured 58 sessions and gathered approximately 150 speakers. Additionally, the Congress held social events at such remarkable venues as Sydney Opera House and the Overseas Passenger Terminal. The press conferences and the media results include the front- page sory in the Sydney Morning Herald, articles in all major Sydney Metropolitan Newspapers, local television and radio coverage including Channel 7 and ABC TV, SBS radio interviews in many languages.
THE U.S. Conference of Mayors call for a mainstreet stimulus plan to create jobs, stimulate economy
“Mayors have been saying all along that the job situation is dire and only getting worse. Today’s unemployment numbers indicate a rapid deterioration in the job outlook for Americans; and thousands more jobs will possibly be lost before President-Elect Obama takes office in January. The bottom line is Main Street is hurting. Americans need jobs now and our economy desperately needs help at the Main Street level.
“If we are going to reverse the current economic situation and create jobs, the only way to do so is to invest in Main Street, metropolitan economies, which comprise 90% of our gross domestic product. Simply put, until we stimulate local economies, the national economy will continue to suffer, and we will not begin to see light at the end of this gloomy tunnel.
“Last week, the nation’s mayors called for a MainStreet Job and Infrastructure Stimulus plan totaling $89.8 billion that includes funding in the areas of transit and roads, green jobs, school modernization, and community development (plus unemployment benefits, Medicaid, food stamps and other measures). The mayors presented this plan in testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
“In light of today’s report, the nation’s mayors are renewing their call for Congress to act quickly on a ‘MainStreet Stimulus’ bill that would immediately put Americans back to work on infrastructure projects that provide short and long-term benefits to our struggling economy. Cities are ‘ready-to-go’ with transit, energy-efficiency and community development infrastructure projects that will immediately employ people, support small businesses, and stimulate mainstreet economies.
“Mayors are confronted everyday by city residents about the economy and how it is impacting their jobs, their long-term savings, their mortgages and their pension funds. Further, severe state and local cutbacks are resulting in a loss of significant services on Main Street.
“We cannot wait for the new President and a new Congress to take office. This crisis is happening now and stimulus funding for infrastructure projects can rapidly be spent by directly funding cities and counties, so that work can begin NOW. “
New Towns for the 21st Century: the Planned vs. the Unplanned City
Conference: June 4-5, 2009 International New Town Institute, Almere
What happens after planners leave the brand new New Town and complexity of society takes over? Does overruling of the planners’ concepts imply the failure of planning? Or are these ‘unplanned’ additions and unforeseen use of the planned city actually the key to its success? In a two-day conference in June 2009 the International New Town Institute (INTI) wants to explore the relations between the planned city and the unplanned city.
The New Towns of the 20th Century were built according to a blueprint designed by an architect or planner. Complete cities, rationally designed with a certain image of the city’s future in mind, projected a perfect equilibrium of infrastructure, housing, services and a social-economic and cultural identity. But what has happened after this initial phase? New plans are being made, the original design is being adjusted, inhabitants appropriate the city. While the planned city corresponds roughly to a top down approach, the unplanned city does with a bottom up approach.
The conference aims at drawing lessons for the future: by speculating how the planning of New Towns in the 21st Century can anticipate unplanned activities, be responsive to inhabitants’ input and to unexpected changes in political, economic or cultural context, thereby enriching both the planning profession and the city itself.
http://newtowninstitute.org/?q=node/2
ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability welcomes Mumbai as 1000th Member
Organization doubles in size since 2007
Nanjing, China, November 6, 2008 - Mumbai, the financial capital of India, joins metropolises such as Johannesburg, Sao Paolo, Seoul and Los Angeles, as well as smaller communities, as the 1000th Member of ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, a global association of local governments committed to sustainability. ICLEI Secretary General, Mr. Konrad Otto-Zimmermann and the South Asia Director Mr. Emani Kumar made the announcement in Nanjing (China) at the World Urban Forum organized by UN-HABITAT.
WORLD TOILET SUMMIT OPENS IN MACAU
Summit urges the international community to work together to improve global sanitation standards to prevent the spread of waterborne diseases that endanger millions every year
The eighth annual World Toilet Summit and Expo will commence in Macau today with a keynote address from His Royal Highness, Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Chair of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation.
The summit, organised by the World Toilet Organization (WTO), MP Asia (MPA) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), will bring together United Nations agencies, civil society groups, industry pioneers, and other stakeholders in the international development community to discuss strategies for accelerating progress on worldwide sanitation issues.
The three day agenda, which facilitates an exchange of ideas between the public and private sectors, will focus on tackling the sanitation challenges of the world including promoting clean toilets in poor areas as well as improving hygiene standards in developing countries such as China and India.
UN-HABITAT Launches Opportunities Fund for Urban Youth-Led Development
UN-HABITAT on Tuesday unveiled a groundbreaking US$2 million fund to finance inspiring youth-led development projects around the world.
The Opportunities Fund for Urban Youth-Led Development, announced at the Fourth Session of the World Urban Forum in Nanjing, China, was created to engage the partnership and leadership of young women and men in achieving sustainable urbanization. The Fund is initially being financed through a US$2,000,000 grant over two years, provided by the Government of Norway. Other governments and donors are being invited to contribute to the fund.
“Youth are the future of our cities, but often are rendered voiceless due to unemployment, lack of education and other issues,” said Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of UN-HABITAT. “Through this new fund, we are recognizing the urgent need to bolster youth-led initiatives, and are at the forefront of a growing movement to place youth at the center of sustainable development strategies.”
http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=6031&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0
Harmonious urbanization, the talk of all Nanjing
As delegates from around the world exchanged views in the newly built giant Nanjing convention and exhibition centre on Tuesday, the buzzwords on everyone's lips at the fourth session of the World Urban Forum were "harmonious urbanization".
Barely a speaker at the UN-HABITAT biennial gathering missed a chance to give their views of what a harmonious city is all about.
Setting the tone in the first opening statement, Mr. Jiang Hongkun, the Mayor of Nanjing, said: "Building harmonious cities is our vision. This session of the Forum convened to discuss the theme, harmonious urbanization, will promote new ways of building cities at home and abroad. Nanjing will use the precious opportunity of the Forum to borrow new ideas and experiences from Chinese and international cities for its betterment in the most harmonious way possible." http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=6028&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0
The IACP book on port cities goes on sale!
13h28 GMT. At the same moment, in all the ports of the world, there is magic to be discovered.
The IACP invites you on a superb voyage to port cities with the brand new book published by the association: Portcities 13:28 GMT. 80 port cities all round the world have taken part in the preparation of this work which is exceptional not only for its contents but also for the quality of the edition.
Through 12 themes, in the hands of 12 international experts, you will discover all the facets of port cities in today’s world through pictures with commentaries by the creators of their modernity. World trade and spectacular ships alongside inventive architecture and the transformation of waterfronts; learn about all the challenges which our ports and cities must meet in the 21st century.
Published last June for the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the IACP at the recent international conference in Stockholm, Portcities 13:28 GMT is a book for all those who are fascinated by port cities; a book which is as much a joy to give as to receive. http://www.book-aivp.com/index_en.html
A glittering opening of the Fourth Session of World Urban Forum
The mayor of the Chinese city of Nanjing, Hon. Jiang Hongkun, China's Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Hon. Jiang Weixin, and H.H. Dejiang Zhang, the Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China, welcomed delegates to the fourth session of the World Urban Forum, which was officially opened today. The Chinese officials told delegates that the theme of the Forum -- Harmonious Urbanization -- was critically important to the Chinese government, which attached great importance to integrated development. They noted that China was focusing on coordinated development between its cities and regions, and was placing special emphasis on energy saving and climate change mitigation. http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=6026&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0
European Development Days update
Issue 5 of the European Development Days 2008 newsletters is now available at: http://devdays2008.officity.com/Public/Mailing.php?ID=1813&language=eng
Developing local government in the Balkans (CEMR conference)
The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) is organising a conference on the most concrete issues facing local government in south-east Europe, in Vienna on 6-7 November 2008. The conference is organised in.cooperation with the Österreichischer Städtebund and NALAS (Network of Associations of Local Authorities of South-East Europe).
Around 100 delegates from around over 20 European countries are expected to debate issues such as municipal finances, urban planning, energy and the environment, twinning and the way towards EU membership.
How well does your region fare? Check the regional yearbook 2008
Eurostat's 2008 regional yearbook is available: some 200 pages on life in the regions of the European Union, candidate countries and EFTA countries.
The yearbook covers a wide range of parameters such as population (regional pattern and ageing...), urban statistics, gross domestic product, household welath, business, employment, transport, health, tourism...
It shows that the inhabitants of Aalborg (DK) feel the safest in Europe, with Oulu (FIN), Oviedo (ES) and Groningen (NL) close behind, whereas the least safe cities according to their inhabitants are Istanbul (TR), Naples (IT) and Sofia (BG).
The most advanced region in term of high technology is Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire in the UK, followed by Stockholm (SV) and Île-de-France (FR).
Catalonia is deemed the most touristic region, ahead of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Languedoc, Aquitaine and Rhônes-Alpes, all in France. http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-AF-08-001/EN/KS-AF-08-001-EN.PDF
World Urban Youth Forum draws to a close
The hugely successful World Urban Youth Forum drew to a close in Nanjing with calls for more inclusion of young people in decision making.
Speaking at the forum's closing ceremony; the Vice chairman of Jiangsu Youth Federation, Mr. Zhang Guoliang emphasized the importance of promoting dissemination of information and communication amongst young people in effective ways. He also welcomed suggestions from the young delegates on how the federation can be more involved in addressing the challenge of urbanization and incorporation of the views of the young people.
The two-day conference, hosted by the Nanjing Municipal Committee of the Chinese Communist Party Youth League, is third biennial session of its kind, and takes place traditionally on the eve of the World Urban Forum. This year, youth delegates discussed theme, "Harmonious Urbanization: The Challenge of Balanced Territorial Development."
The opening ceremony of the forum on Saturday affirmed the commitment of global leaders on urbanization to fostering youth led development. The Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, noted that now is the "dawn of a new urban era," with half of the world's population already living in towns and cities, and a projected increase to two-thirds, by the year 2030. She emphasized that the only way to meet the challenge of urbanization was through genuine "dialogues among young people." She recognized, as is evident in the area of information communications technology, that creativity and innovation are the hallmarks of youth, and that this is key to overcoming the challenges of poverty and urbanization.
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