News Archives

November Headlines - click to see the full story

29/11/2009 - ICLEI Europe joins with UNDP
29/11/2009 - Small Cities Struggle Through Recession
28/11/2009 - Cities for Mobility 2010
28/11/2009 - The Nature of Cities
27/11/2009 - Cities and regions unite for sustainable and shared development
26/11/2009 - Cities of Migration Newsletter
25/11/2009 - Call for Abstracts: International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology 2010
25/11/2009 - Economic and Financial Crisis: Impact on towns worse than thought
24/11/2009 - Countering Terrorism in a Changed World
24/11/2009 - HABITACT website now online
23/11/2009 - IDRC Davos 2010 - extended deadlines until 13 December 2010
23/11/2009 - World Urban Forum 5
23/11/2009 - Energie-Cités' opinions on Action Plan on Urban Mobility and the EPBD policy process
22/11/2009 - Making cities safer for women
22/11/2009 - Local Governments Take Proof of Strength to Copenhagen - Line Up Stories Now
21/11/2009 - ECOMM call for papers now open!
21/11/2009 - Chrysler drops three vehicles
20/11/2009 - No sustainable Europe without local and regional authorities
20/11/2009 - Crisis still a top priority for the Council of Europe
20/11/2009 - Unsustainable Public Consumption Addressed in Zürich
19/11/2009 - Launch of the 5 City African Adaptation Network
19/11/2009 - Japan Government: Improvement in Recycling Due to Local Governments
18/11/2009 - Water for African Cities
18/11/2009 - City Mondial: Looking Forward from the Past
18/11/2009 - The Most Polluted Metro Areas in America
17/11/2009 - Local and regional associations join forces against "renationalisation" of cohesion policy
16/11/2009 - Barcelona Deputy Mayor Welcomes Growing Recognition of Local Governments at Barcelona Climate Talks
16/11/2009 - ICLEI, First Local Government Network to Support UNFCCC Nairobi Work Programme on Adaptation
15/11/2009 - Apply now for workplace travel award!
15/11/2009 - The Lisbon Treaty has been ratified: more respect and power for the Regions and Cities of Europe
15/11/2009 - ICLEI, First Local Government Network to Support UNFCCC Nairobi Work Programme on Adaptation
14/11/2009 - ‘Sustainable city’ criteria takes shape
14/11/2009 - Take part in the CoR online survey on the recovery plan in regions and cities
13/11/2009 - "Twinning is a way to avoid repeating mistakes of the past"
13/11/2009 - Rio group gets Bahrain award
12/11/2009 - Integrated Local Development: key to tackling EU-wide challenges
12/11/2009 - Reasonable Purchasing is Green purchasing
10/11/2009 - Chinese city launches citizen feedback system
10/11/2009 - Alicante : New case study in database of regional development projects
9/11/2009 - There is no competition for poverty
8/11/2009 - Open Days 2009 – European Week of Regions and Cities
8/11/2009 - IDRC Davos 2010 - Call for Papers
7/11/2009 - The Great Cities in History
6/11/2009 - America's Safest Cities
6/11/2009 - German and Nordic cities perform well in European economic report
6/11/2009 - Suburbs Sprouting in Cairo Deserts
5/11/2009 - Serbia plans to cut 15% staff in local government
5/11/2009 - 6th European Sustainable Cities and Towns Conference
4/11/2009 - Third annual DunaLog Congress in Budapest
4/11/2009 - UN-HABITAT's Opportunity Fund for Youth-Led Development
4/11/2009 - A Message to Local Governments from UN World Water Assessment Program
3/11/2009 - £100m of green initiatives to regenerate deprived areas of London
3/11/2009 - Decentralisation and local governability: take an online course
2/11/2009 - 1000 U.S. Mayors commit to Kyoto targets
2/11/2009 - URBAN ERA-NET launches second call for research proposals
2/11/2009 - Will your city be the next European Green Capital?
1/11/2009 - Europe's Top Cities for Urban Mobility
1/11/2009 - EU Parliament resolution on climate change: "a victory for local and regional government!"

ICLEI Europe joins with UNDP
ICLEI European Secretariat joins forces with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Croatia to work on implementing and promoting sustainable public procurement via the Procura+ Campaign.
UNDP will act as National Partner for the Campaign and support public authorities in Croatia. Also today, the Croatian Procura+ Manual on cost-effective and sustainable procurement is being launched. The manual provides clear and simple advice on how public authorities, such as local governments, universities, schools, and hospitals, can implement sustainable procurement - no matter what their size or level of experience.
The second edition of the manual has been prepared by experts with experience in working in public sector procurement. It provides practical advice on integrating sustainability into procurement, information on the cost of sustainable procurement, a model for systematically implementing sustainable procurement, and actual purchasing criteria for six high-priority product groups - construction, IT equipment, cleaning products, food, buses and electricity - as well as a simple approach to monitoring performance.
The manual is a key tool for ICLEI's Sustainable Procurement Campaign, Procura+. The aim of this campaign is to bring together a critical mass of public authorities committed to applying environmental and social criteria in their purchasing policies and practices to bring about real change. Participants receive both support in implementation and the opportunity to promote their achievements internationally.
To download the Croatian version of the manual and for more information on ICLEI's sustainable procurement Campaign Procura+ go to www.procuraplus.org or contact Philipp Tepper, Procura+ Campaign Manager, email: philipp.tepper@iclei.org

Small Cities Struggle Through Recession
Smaller cities are showing signs of struggle, as the amount of college-educated residents continues to drop. Coupled with the economic recession, smaller cities seems to be taking a harder economic hit than their larger counterparts.
This article looks at a variety of indicators that show troubled times ahead for America's small cities. The trends are based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
"A review of newly released census data shows, for example, that smaller cities of between 20,000 and 50,000 residents have lagged behind their larger counterparts in attracting higher-educated residents in this decade. The smaller locales include remote towns, inner suburbs, the distant suburbs known as "exurbs" and other distinct areas.
In 2000, the smaller cities ranked at the top in the share of people with college diplomas. They slipped to No. 2 last year with 30 percent holding degrees - in between medium-sized cities, which had 31 percent, and big cities, at 29.8 percent."
http://www.kansascity.com/438/story/1572505.html

Cities for Mobility 2010
We are pleased to inform you that the next World Congress of the network will take place on 4-6 July 2010 in the city of Stuttgart. Please block this date in your calendar. The event will be focused on economy-promoting mobility in cities addressing municipal decision makers, transport practitioners, researchers and civil society. The World Congress is an ideal location, which offers plenty of space for networking and exchange of experiences as well as excellent facilities for in-depth presentations and discussions.
In addition to the various sessions, the World Congress will provide networking opportunities during several social events offered by the City of Stuttgart. During your visit in Stuttgart you will also have the opportunity to participate in interesting site visits, covering different topics in the field of mobility.
More information on the 2010 World Congress will be available soon. We recommend you to check from time to time our website www.cities-for-mobility.org where we will be informing regularly on the event.

The Nature of Cities
The Nature of Cities is a one-hour documentary about people in cities across the world who believe that, even as we become more urbanized, we must reclaim an essential piece of our humanity: our connection to the nature around us. It underscores the importance of moving toward sustainability and a regenerative way of living. Amazing projects in cities around the globe have already begun this task. The DVD explores the nature of our backyards (Austin and San Diego) as well as the possibilities for the future of urban landscapes (Malmo, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Freiburg, Amsterdam and Paris).
Timothy Beatley hosts the film as he tours these places with city planners, landscape architects, ecologists and residents. Beatley is co-director of the film and Professor of Sustainable Communities at the UVA School of Architecture. He has authored numerous books, including The Ecology of Place (Island Press 1997), Green Urbanism: Learning from European Cities (2000), and most recently, Native to Nowhere: Sustaining Home and Community in a Global Age (2004).
Special guest commentary in the film features Richard Louv (Last Child in the Woods) and Dr. Stephen Kellert (Biophilic Design), who provide a context for looking at the possibilities of how we can live in an urban environment that's integrated with the nature around us.
Resource(s): http://www.thenatureofcities.org/

Cities and regions unite for sustainable and shared development
Around 500 representatives of local and regional authorities, as well as their partners - international institutions and national ministries - gathered together in Guangzhou from 10 to 13 November2009 at the invitation of the Mayor of the City and UCLG Co-President, ZHANG Guangning, for the World Council and Executive Bureau meetings of the world organization of cities and regions.
The 30 meetings, which included sessions held by most of UCLG’s 18 Committees and Working Groups, were presided over by Bertrand DELANOE, Mayor of Paris, France, UCLG President, and UCLG Co-Presidents Amos MASONDO, Mayor of Johannesburg, South Africa and Kadir TOPBAS, Mayor of Istanbul, Turkey.

Cities of Migration Newsletter
This month, Cities of Migration looks at different ways that migrant youth are leading and contributing to social change, and what they have to tell us about the migrant experience in our cities. Stories of identity and belonging invite us all to think about how our stories can shape, distort or reflect the communities we live in.
It is the focus of our December webinar, "Youth Participation and Migrant Voice," which features the cities of Paris, London, Lisbon and Toronto.
Good Ideas in action: Youth-themed integration stories include a literary project in Toronto; a community leadership initiative in Oldham and Manchester. http://citiesofmigration.ca/conversations-in-integration/lang/en/#NovemberP1

Call for Abstracts: International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology 2010
The 5th International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology sponsored by the American Academy of Sciences will be held on July 12-16, 2010 in Houston, Texas, USA. The conference will provide a multidisciplinary platform for environmental scientists, engineers, management professionals and government regulators to discuss the latest developments in environmental research and applications. Please visit the conference Website at http://www.AASci.org/conference/env/2010 for more information or send email inquiries to env-conference@AASci.org.

Economic and Financial Crisis: Impact on towns worse than thought
Contrary to statements by EU and international institutions that 2010 will see an economic and financial improvement, Europe's local and regional authorities fear that 2010 will be as difficult as 2009 or even worse. This is the main finding of CEMR's second survey on the impact of the crisis on Europe's towns and regions. The survey was compiled from the data provided by 32 national associations of local and regional government members of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions.
According to the survey, 76% of local and regional authorities feel that the situation has worsened over the last 6–9 months whereas only 6 % perceive a slight improvement (in Portugal, Sweden and Wallonia). When asked about the prospects for 2010, only Cyprus, Norway, Portugal and Sweden, amounting to 6% of the population covered by the survey express optimism, whereas 44% are pessimistic for 2010 and 50% do not foresee any change. The findings concerning access to investment resources make equally grim reading. Respondents representing 90% of the population covered state that access to borrowing for investment has worsened. http://www.ccre.org/communiques_de_presse_detail_en.htm?ID=287

Countering Terrorism in a Changed World
Counter Terror Expo 2010, has become the largest Exhibition and Conference globally to focus solely on counter terrorism across the public and private sector.
At the 2010 event there will be three conferences, including one supported by the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO).
The conferences feature over 75 internationally recognised speakers taking part in a range of key-note presentations, case studies, industry debates and panel discussions.
Registration for the conference will open on the 2nd of December to register your interest for the conference please go to: http://www.counterterrorexpo.com/page.cfm/EMSLinkClick=44_24_20_165417_101849_1843

HABITACT website now online
Please note that the HABITACT (European exchange forum on local homeless strategies) website is now online: www.habitact.eu
HABITACT is a European exchange forum on local homeless strategies. It was launched in June 2009 by a core group of cities to develop European
cooperation between local social policy administrations on tacking homelessness.
Local homeless strategies are developing throughout Europe. The launch of HABITACT also coincides with the growing political momentum at EU level on the need to tackle homelessness in Europe (see European Parliament Written Declaration
<http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?reference=P6_TA(2008)0163&language=EN> on ending homelessness), and with the European Year 2010 for combating poverty and social exclusion.

IDRC Davos 2010 - extended deadlines until 13 December 2010
You are kindly invited to submit an abstract until 13 December (max. 300 words) describing the goal and content of your presentation: Submit an oral or a poster presentation at: https://www.conftool.com/idrc2010/index.php?page=submissions

World Urban Forum 5
As you may already know, the fifth session of the World Urban Forum is to be held in Rio in March 2010. Its theme is The right to the City– bridging the urban divide. Debates at the Forum will run under six broad topics or ‘Dialogues’: Taking Forward the Right to the City; Bridging the urban divide; Equal Access to Shelter; Cultural Diversity in Cities; Governance and Participation; and Inclusive Sustainable Urbanization.
As in previous renditions, e-Debates are running ahead of the Forum with the aim of enriching and guiding the Dialogues. e-Debates provide an invaluable way of opening the Forum to as many people as possible and injecting the process with new ideas and ways of thinking: the reports compiled at the end of the six e-Debates will be presented at the ‘live’ public Dialogue sessions in Rio. Two e-Debates have already run their course and two are currently ongoing; they can be checked on http://forum.unhabitat.org
We would be delighted if you could join the next e-debate on ‘Governance and Participation’. The debate will run for three weeks, from 16 November to 7 December, and will cover a number of themes including: participative democracy; participatory urban management; participatory budgeting; public participation and citizenship responsibility; social justice; livelihood benefits that derive from democratic decision-making, (pro-poor) prioritisation between competing urban development imperatives; urban politics; accountability; inclusion/exclusion, structural barriers to participation; grassroots organisations; institutional readiness; vision; transparency/corruption; repression/ violence; special needs; cultural pluralism. These will be explored through a number of ‘topics’ that will structure the debate.
We are hoping for a lively, informed and engaged discussion that will really help to push the boundaries of current thinking on participatory governance and/for the inclusive city. We’re also particularly keen to think through the pragmatics of participatory governance, and to think through these implications in as many contexts as possible.
We believe that your input (and that of your networks) will be invaluable in the discussion. What we are looking for is: 1. your direct participation; 2. your prodding of other people, organizations and networks that should enrich the debate; and 3. an openness to use the benefit of cross-context discussion to sharpen current thinking and practice.
Your views will contribute directly to the Forum’s recommendations on Governance and Participation, so use this critical opportunity and go to http://forum.unhabitat.org
You can start registering now (‘register’ icon on the top right hand side); the debate itself will kick-off on Monday 16th November.
Please note that UN-Habitat will invite a select number of those judged to have made the best contributions in the e-Debate to join us at the Forum in Rio de Janeiro!

Energie-Cités' opinions on Action Plan on Urban Mobility and the EPBD policy process
Energie-Cités is pleased to inform you about its two last opinions on the European Action Plan on Urban Mobility and on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) policy process.
Oct. 2009 - Position paper of Energie-Cités in response to the Action Plan on Urban Mobility [COM(2009) 490/5]
Energie-Cités welcomes the release of the Action Plan on Urban Mobility and thus focusing long awaited attention on urban traffic that is responsible for 40% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 70% of pollutants deriving from road transport. Energie-Cités sees different positive actions in the Plan but wonder if it goes far enough. Are the 20 actions it contains aligned with the EU’s “20-20-20” objective and - unrevised - will they meet the challenges related to energy and climate that the EU and its citizens will have to face before 2020 and beyond?
Read more online http://www.energie-cites.eu/-OPINIONS,10-
Sept. 2009 - Display – ahead of its time Voluntary common: EU public building certification
Energie-Cités’ opinion paper on the EPBD policy process based on the Display Campaign experience. This paper strongly supports the recently accepted EU parliament amendment 94 of the EPBD recast. The idea to implement a voluntary common European Union certification for the energy performance of non-residential buildings in 2012 is something that has (since 2004) and continues to be carried out by Display Campaign participants. It is felt that this common approach will go a long way to reducing confusion and it is hoped that the gulf between Europe and its citizens be reduced.
Read more online http://www.energie-cites.eu/-OPINIONS,10-

Making cities safer for women
UN-HABITAT recently launched two new publications aimed at making cities safer for women. The books were released at the 2nd Metropolis Women International Network Forum in Seoul.
UN-HABITAT initiated the Global Assessment on Women’s Safety to fill a void in information-sharing between organisations and community bodies, many of which conduct innovative work to promote safety and security for girls in cities, but are largely unaware of each others efforts.
“To create inclusive cities that respect the rights of everyone, we need to create conditions and physical environments where women, men, girls and boys can live, work, go to school, move around and socialise without fear of harm,” says Mrs Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, in the foreward of the publication. http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=7547&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0

Local Governments Take Proof of Strength to Copenhagen - Line Up Stories Now
Whether or not a deal emerges from international climate negotiations in Copenhagen in just a few weeks is fodder for open debate and speculation. At ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability we're still highly optimistic. Our staff have been present in Barcelona, Bangkok, and all the earlier negotiating sessions advocating that local governments - cities alone account for 73% of global emissions - be recognized in any final negotiating text.
With our observer status we're lining up legions of mayors and other local elected leaders from points across the globe to be part of our delegation in Copenhagen, and we're setting up the Local Government Climate Lounge in the Bella Center to be the hub of local advocacy activity at COP15. www.iclei.org/climate-roadmap/cop15
It's a story you can't afford to miss. Local governments offer stories of success, challenges, perseverance, leadership, innovation - stories of intrigue! One way or another, local governments from every country in the world will be integral to any worldwide solution to climate change.

ECOMM call for papers now open!
The European Conference on Mobility Management (ECOMM) calls for papers for the 2010 edition in Graz. The form to fill in can be downloaded from the ECOMM website.
Abstracts must be written in English and should follow the format of the submission form. The structure of your submission follows the ELTIS case study format - if considered suitable, submissions could provide the basis for a publication as a case on the ELTIS and EPOMM websites.
Deadline for applications: 14 December 2009
You can download summarised information on the main theme and subtopics of the conference, workshop formats and the call for papers from the website. The authors of the selected papers will be informed about the further proceeding by the end of February.
Instructions on content
We strongly advise to focus on specific measures and projects related to the subtopics. Please mind the instructions on content! We are looking forward to hear about related projects people work on!
Good to know! : Gender mainstreaming
ECOMM recognises that female participation in Mobility Management is high and that higher participation in the transport policy decision making and planning is important. Therefore ECOMM aims to have a general participation of 50% females. To support this, EPOMM aims for 50% of the chairs, of plenary panel participants and of invited keynote speakers to be female.
Contact: ecomm2010@stadt.graz.at

Chrysler drops three vehicles
If you believed all the talk from Chrysler about how our tax dollars would help finance its fast-track electric-vehicle future, you're in for a big disappointment.
Chrysler has disbanded the engineering team that was trying to bring three electric models to market as a rush job, Automotive News reports today. Chrysler cited its devotion to electric vehicles as one of the key reasons why the Obama administration and Congress needed to give it $12.5 billion in bailout money, the News points out. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2009/11/620001133/1

No sustainable Europe without local and regional authorities
No sustainable Europe without local and regional authorities. This was the clear message from Sweden's Minister for EU affairs, Cecilia Malmström, in Göteborg at the conference on “growing together for a sustainable Europe” organised.by the Swedish EU-Presidency and in cooperation with SALAR, the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions, on 10 and 11 November.
Some 150 representatives from the EU Member States were invited to reflect about the future of the Lisbon Strategy, aiming to stimulate growth, creating jobs and developing Europe into a sustainable society. http://www.ccre.org/news_detail_en.htm?ID=1711

Crisis still a top priority for the Council of Europe
The Ministers responsible for local and regional government of the Council of Europe countries adopted, on 17 November 2009, the Utrecht Declaration, a document focussing on the economic and financial crisis.
The Council of Europe emphasises the leading role to be performed by local and regional authorities in ending the economic and financial crisis. At the Utrecht conference, which concluded with the adoption of a Declaration, Ministers drew particular attention to the respective roles of local authorities and central governments, stressing the responsibility of the latter for guaranteeing the resources of local authorities. http://www.ccre.org/news_detail_en.htm?ID=1714

Unsustainable Public Consumption Addressed in Zürich
On 22-23 October 2009, the Procura+ Seminar took place in ICLEI member city Zürich (Switzerland). Co-organised by the City of Zürich and ICLEI, the Seminar was a great success and brought together 65 participants representing local governments, national governments and other stakeholders from 15 nations.
Procura+ is a campaign supporting public authorities in making their purchasing practices more sustainable and aims to mainstream this practice across the public sector. “If cities leveraged their spending power and purchased environmentally friendly goods and services, this would make a significant contribution to climate-friendly markets”, explains Mark Hidson, Director for Sustainable Procurement at ICLEI.
The latest event was part of a series of Procura+ Seminars giving opportunity for face-to-face exchange amongst purchasers from all levels of government, suppliers, manufacturers and policy-makers on specific topics related to sustainable procurement.

Launch of the 5 City African Adaptation Network
Representatives from the ICLEI Africa office, recently visited Walvis Bay, Namibia, to launch the 5 City African Adaptation Network. The aim of the visit was to assess the current vulnerability of the city and surrounding communities to climate change impacts. Workshops were also held with a number of stakeholders in Walvis Bay in order to give an overview of the predicted threats of climate change in Namibia and to share knowledge and understanding about the projected impact of sea-level rise and other climatic variables.
This workshop launched the consultative processes that are to be undertaken as part of this project, entitled ‘Sub-Saharan Cities: A five City Network to Pioneer Climate Adaptation through Participation Research and Local Action’ which ICLEI AS will be embarking over the next 3 years. ICLEI AS has been awarded funding by the IDRC/CCAA and will be working in partnership with UN-Habitat throughout the process.
For more on the 5 City Adaptation network see (ICLEI Adaptation page: www.iclei.org/index.php) and (news article: www.walvisbaycc.org.na/n225.htm)

Japan Government: Improvement in Recycling Due to Local Governments
The Ministry of the Environment in Japan announced total amount of domestic waste mission was 50.82 million ton in 2007 and this has decreased 2.3% compare to 2006. Total amount of emission is decreasing every year since 2000, except the peak of emission in 2003 which was 54.83 million ton.
The quantity of waste reused was 10.3 million ton in 2007, an improvement of 0.8% on 2006. Recycling rate was 20.3% a record high both in amount and rate. The ICLEI Member, Kikakyushu City had the highest recycle rate (29.2%) compared to others cities with more than 500,000 inhabitants.
And the amount of carbon emission per person was 1,089g which decreased 2.4% compare to 2006 in 2007.
The Ministry has concluded that "resident have increased their environmental consciousness to reduce aste as a result of awareness raising through local governments”.
The OECD has projected that 45% of municipal waste within the OECD area would be landfilled by 2020, 25% would be incinerated, and 30% would be recycled or composted. For comparison purposes, in 2005 the recycling rate in the US was 32%, in Europe 41%.

Water for African Cities
City managers from 18 cities across Africa met in Johannesburg in recent days to review progress of UN-HABITAT’s Water for African Cities’ Programme.
The meeting was held at the second Africa Water Week at the Gallagher Convention Centre, in Midrand, Johannesburg, November 8-14.
The Water for African Cities’ Programme will place greater emphasis on improving sanitation among the urban poor and enhancing the technical and managerial capacity of local utilities to absorb and manage increased levels of investments in the water and sanitation sector.
http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=7553&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0

City Mondial: Looking Forward from the Past
How a city presents itself to its residents and visitors is a good reflection of how it sees its past, its present and its future. It is also a good position from which to develop its local business development priorities and tourism strategy. In addition to classic sites such as the Peace Palace (Vredespaleis in Dutch) and the Mauritshuis museum, visitors to The Hague are also encouraged to experience the contribution and culture of the over 123 nationalities and ethnic groups living within the city. This expanded tourism focus is the result of the City Mondial program.
City Mondial is a multicultural tourist information centre that offers walking tours to introduce visitors (and residents) to Turkish mosques, Hindu temples and the local multicultural markets located within the Hague. The walking tours also go through the diverse neighbourhoods of the city, such as the Schilderswijk, Transvaal and Stationsbuurt - where more than 80% of the population are of non-Dutch ethnic background.
A Deliberate Decision…
The creation of the City Mondial program was part of the Hague’s strategy to use the international character of the city to increase where and how tourism dollars were being spent
Working with local entrepreneurs and businesses, the local government used City Mondial to offer fun opportunities for both residents and tourists to learn more about the different cultures that have settled in the city and simultaneously support more local business development.
City Mondial offers a variety of programs including guided tours through Chinatown or through the Transvaal area to see the Indian goldsmith shops and visit the Ram Mandir Hindu temple. One of the most popular programs is a chef-led visit to the De HaguesMarkt (the biggest market in Europe) to pick out the ingredients for special ethnic dishes to use later in a City Mondial organized cooking class.
http://www.eukn.org/eukn/news/2009/11/City-Mondial--Looking-Forward-from-the-Past_1017.html

The Most Polluted Metro Areas in America
Poor air quality, lack of clean water and a high rate of environmental hazards make these metros most contaminated
In Atlanta, you'll find southern gentility, a world-class music scene--and 21,000 tons of environmental waste. In spite of its charms, the city's combination of air pollution and atmospheric chemicals makes it the most toxic city in the country.
An urban skyline dotted with puffing smokestacks isn't the only measure of a city's cleanliness (or lack thereof). Most major cities suffer from a range of unseen hazards. Contaminants can seep into the ground from bygone chemical spills or shuttered steel mills. Invisible leaks at industrial complexes discharge harmful substances into the air, or the normal course of business requires factories to expel toxins that eventually find their way to the water supply.
While it may be the U.S. metro in the worst environmental shape, Atlanta isn't the only place whose residents contend with contamination. Top spots for toxicity are distributed throughout the country, with Detroit, Houston, Chicago , Philadelphia, Cleveland and Los Angeles right behind it. Cleaning up these cities is neither easy nor cheap. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expects that it will cost $10.5 billion in federal money in 2010 to improve the U.S. environment's health in general and to craft clean energy solu tions.
http://www.eukn.org/eukn/news/2009/11/The-most-pulluted-metro-areas-in-America_1019.html

Local and regional associations join forces against "renationalisation" of cohesion policy
Seven organisations representing Europe's local and regional authorities addressed a letter to the Members of the European Parliament, on 3 November 2009, stating their concerns about the draft Communication “Reforming the budget, changing Europe”, prepared recently by.the European.Commission.
“The draft communication”, say the local and regional associations, “sets out a series of proposals which, if implemented, would challenge sustainable recovery and development in Europe. Those proposals do not reflect the goal of territorial cohesion, as introduced in the Lisbon Treaty.”
The seven associations support the priority areas of action that have been identified as a basis for the future European budget: sustainable growth and jobs, energy and climate, and the EU as a global player. Indeed, they respond to a fundamental need for the EU to adapt to a global and multi-polar world. However: “It is regrettable”, continues the letter, “that the draft document does not sufficiently address the objectives of social inclusion and social cohesion in its proposals.” http://www.ccre.org/news_detail_en.htm?ID=1702

Barcelona Deputy Mayor Welcomes Growing Recognition of Local Governments at Barcelona Climate Talks
Barcelona’s Deputy Mayor Imma Mayol today welcomed the growing recognition of local authorities at the Climate Change talks taking place in Barcelona this week.
Mayol pointed to the position adopted by the European Union two weeks ago in Luxembourg that: “Highlights the role which local authorities will play in implementing mitigation and adaptation actions and calls for recognition of that role in a Copenhagen agreement.”
http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=1487&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=4171&tx_ttnews[backPid]=983&cHash=3552950a2d

ICLEI, First Local Government Network to Support UNFCCC Nairobi Work Programme on Adaptation
Resilient Cities 2010 is the first edition of a series of annual world congresses on all aspects of urban resilience and adaptation to climate change, preceding the meetings of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies in Bonn. This event aims to bring together partners from all sectors to share knowledge and experiences on vulnerability and risk assessment, social and economic dimensions of climate change, municipal strategies and policies, financing, technology, and case examples of local adaptation practice. http://resilient-cities.iclei.org/

Apply now for workplace travel award!
Coorganised by EPOMM and COMMERCE, the Pan-European Workplace Mobility Plan Awards are now open for applications.
The Pan-European Workplace Travel Award (PEWTA) recognises efforts aimed at reducing CO² emissions in urban areas through the implementation of workplace mobility plans. More specifically, it offers applicants a chance to be rewarded for their efforts in achieving a shift away from single occupancy car use and to be recognised across Europe.
The PEWTA is awarded in three categories: public authorities; employers; and networks.
The prize includes an expenses paid trip to a city of choice to learn from a pioneer public authority, organisation or network in workplace mobility plans, plus a cash prize of €1000 to further develop mobility plan measures. The official award ceremony will be organised alongside the European Conference on Mobility Management, ECOMM, which will take place in Graz on 5-7 May in 2010.
Deadline for applications: 25 January 2010 http://www.epomm.org/index.phtml?id=1593

The Lisbon Treaty has been ratified: more respect and power for the Regions and Cities of Europe
The entering into force of the Lisbon Treaty will improve the standing of regions and cities in the European Union's political system, and boost the role of their representative body in Brussels, the Committee of the Regions (CoR).
After more than two decades of discussions on the EU's functioning and institutional set-up, the Lisbon Treaty intends to adapt the European Union to the challenges of the 21st century by making it more democratic, transparent and efficient. The Committee of the Regions has championed the new Treaty from the start, emphasising the substantial progress it makes with regard to Europe's local and regional authorities.
As CoR President Luc Van den Brande declared after the Irish "Yes" vote on the Treaty in October: "With the Lisbon Treaty, European legislation will be adopted more democratically in future, with a stronger Parliament and a Commission which listens to the people, is sensitive to the regional and local impact of European initiatives and is committed to respecting the subsidiarity principle. In addition, the Lisbon Treaty gives territorial cohesion, which is the cornerstone of future regional policy, a fundamental legal basis."
http://www.eukn.org/eukn/news/2009/11/The-Lisbon-Treaty-has-been-ratified--more-respect-and-power-for-the-Regions-and-Cities-of-Europe_1012.html

‘Sustainable city’ criteria takes shape
The future European reference framework for sustainable cities, which EUROCITIES is helping develop, is steadily taking shape.
EUROCITIES and others involved in the work - the European Commission, EU Member States and the Council of European Municipalities and Regions, - have most recently agreed on a structure for the framework and will now focus on making it operational by mid-2010.
This new framework intends to set a common practical vision of what a sustainable city should be and how cities can get there. An ‘operational toolbox’ which translates the goals of the Leipzig Charter for Sustainable Cities into concrete and achievable objectives, will also be integrated into the framework.
Other core elements will include:
- An assessment tool for cities to quickly assess their sustainability status;
- Targets and indicators allowing cities to monitor their own developments according to their specific conditions, characteristics and ambitions; and
- A knowledge bank that cities can tap into to find good practice examples, research and reference materials.
Another core aim of the tool is to offer EU cities a reference point and a common language to help them discuss effective ways of achieving sustainability at environmental, social and economic levels. The framework will offer enough flexibility for cities to adapt it to their own specific needs.
An interesting development stemming from this work is that some EU Member States have created National Support Groups (NSGs) to discuss the process with local authorities at national level. Many Member States already indicated that NSGs will be institutionalised for regular discussions with local authorities and other actors on general issues linked to integrated solutions for urban sustainability.
On next steps, the project will be discussed in the URBACT annual conference and the URBAN MATRIX final conference, both taking place in Stockholm on 25 November.
EU Ministers responsible for urban development are expected to adopt the pilot reference framework in June 2010. It will then be tested by an URBACT working group and other cities that volunteer to test it.

Take part in the CoR online survey on the recovery plan in regions and cities
The Lisbon Monitoring Platform of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) has launched an online survey on "The European Economic Recovery Plan in Regions and Cities: One Year On". The aim of the survey is to assess the impact of the economic and financial crisis at local/regional level. It will also provide a first evaluation of measures taken by local and regional authorities to tackle the downturn, within the context of the European Economic Recovery Plan. All EU regions and cities are invited to participate in this survey
The aim of the survey is to assess the impact of the economic and financial crisis at local/regional level and provide a first evaluation by local and regional authorities of actions taken on the ground under the European Economic Recovery Plan (EERP). It aims at stimulating a debate about the past, ongoing and future anti-crisis measures and the involvement of local and regional authorities.
The results will be presented in a report early next year at the 2010 Territorial Dialogue event, where they will be discussed with top representatives of the European Commission, the EU Presidency, the European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee.
The Consultation is open to ALL EU Local and Regional Authorities until 30 November 2009.
http://www.selectsurvey.cor.europa.eu/corsur/TakeSurvey.asp?PageNumber=1&SurveyID=6JK5540H2m2KG

"Twinning is a way to avoid repeating mistakes of the past"
The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) organised a seminar that looked at the tie between reconciliation and town twinning, in Oswiecim (Poland), on 30 October 2009.
Three round tables brought together representatives from local government and the European Commission to discuss town twinning achievements, 70 years after World War II broke out, and 20 years after of the fall of the Iron Curtain.
The first round table was about the role of town twinning in the reconciliation process in the wake of the Second World War. As representative of a French-German twinning link, deputy mayor of Brest, Reza Salami, underlined how the links tied after the war now play an important role in building a Europe based on solidarity and citizenship. Lessons should also be learnt from the war in the former Yugoslavia. In his speech, the mayor of Mostar, Ljubo Beslic, said: "Mostar was a great example of co-existence. But it suffered hard times, from 1992 until 1995. All the dialogues among people who live there have been interrupted... I am pleased that the countries of Western Balkan now have a chance to participate in European twinning programmes.", he added. http://www.ccre.org/news_detail_en.htm?ID=1704

Rio group gets Bahrain award
A Rio de Janeiro-based foundation that promotes land, housing and human rights has been selected as the winner of the 2010 Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa UN-HABITAT Award. The award which carries a cash prize of USD 100,000 will be presented to the Land and Housing Programme of the Bento Rubião Foundation at the fifth session of the World Urban Forum in Rio next March. The announcement was made as a UN-HABITAT team visited the Kingdom this week for talks with senior government officials.http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=7508&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0

Integrated Local Development: key to tackling EU-wide challenges
EUROCITIES explores potential for EU to support ILD approach
On 3 November, EUROCITIES held a seminar exploring the potential for the EU to support ‘Integrated Local Development’ (ILD) in the next funding period after 2013. Over 60 representatives from European cities, the European Commission and the European Parliament, as well as external experts shared their views.
Integrated local development involves strategies and measures that tackle physical and social, economic and environmental issues together. Speakers including Dirk Ahner, Commission Director General for Regional Development, Thomas Bender, Commission Director for the European Social Fund (ESF) and MEP Jan Olbrycht, saw it as the most effective way of addressing strategic EU-wide challenges.
Other contributors demonstrated the real-world application of ILD with city examples. Malmo highlighted the way in which different EU funds (ESF and the European Regional Development Fund-ERDF) can be integrated at the local level to improve results. Lille Metropole discussed the opportunities and challenges of inter-local authority cooperation, whilst Budapest explained the Hungarian requirement for integrated city plans as a prerequisite for EU support.
In a discussion on the place of integrated local development in the future EU budget, attention focused on the recently leaked draft Commission Communication on the future of the EU Budget and its implications for cohesion policy in particular. Participants raised concerns over changes that would limit financial support to the poorest regions. http://www.eurocities.eu/include/lib/sql_news_card.php?id=1625

Reasonable Purchasing is Green purchasing
Hosted by the City of Suwon, South Korea, the 3rd international Conference on Green Purchasing ended successfully with the unanimous adoption of the Suwon Declaration. At the final plenary, participants phrased the key message of the conference: "Reasonable Purchasing is Green Purchasing – for a Sustainable Future."
The Suwon conference was the third milestone in the work of the International Green Purchasing Network (IGPN), which was founded in Sendai, Japan in 2004 and held its second conference in Barcelona two years ago. ICLEI has been a founding member of the IGPN.
The conference began with a welcome speech by Korean Environment Minister Lee Maan-Ee and a keynote presentation of former US Vice President Al Gore. On the second day, ICLEI Secretary General Konrad Otto-Zimmermann gave a special lecture on "Local Action Moves the World: Call for Rapid and Radical Action", conveying the key messages of the Edmonton ICLEI World Congress 2009.

Chinese city launches citizen feedback system
The Chinese municipal government of Dalian has launched a user evaluation and electronic monitoring system to gauge the popularity and usefulness of its citizen-facing web sites, and to respond faster to complaints from the public.
The system will serve as a one-stop response centre for citizens, who will be able to file a complaint directed at any government department on a single platform. Until now, coordination between government departments on citizen queries has been a weak spot in public service delivery, admits Liu Yan, a spokesperson for Dalian’s Municipal Government E-government Agency.
The new system will enable the authorities to detect citizen dissatisfaction quickly and respond accordingly. “Agencies will no longer be able to pass the buck,” she said. http://www.futuregov.net/articles/2009/oct/23/chinese-city-launches-citizen-feedback-system/

Alicante : New case study in database of regional development projects
The construction of the second desalination plant in Alicante (Spain) was undertaken in response to the need to increase the region's own water resources. This new plant entered into service at the beginning of 2009. Producing an average of 65.000m3 of drinking water everyday, it serves a population of 355.000.
In recognition of the innovative aspects of this project, it features as the latest case study adding to the 124 examples already published in the database part of the "Regions for Economic Change Initiative". These detailed case studies highlight, in particular, the project activities and results achieved, the partnership developed and innovative aspects, any obstacles encountered, and conclude with lessons learnt and good practices identified.
If you know a good project in your region which could be part of the database, please send an email to: REGIO-REGIONS-ECONOMIC-CHANGE@ec.europa.eu

There is no competition for poverty
The United Nations has designated the first Monday each October as the “Day of the Cities” to foster global discussion on the state and the future of our cities. As in the years before, the day was celebrated in 2009 with numerous simultaneous events taking place in many cities of the world. The global theme was “Planning our urban future”.
Vienna also organised a World HABITAT Day event, which was held as part of the “In Zukunft Stadt” exhibition. The Vienna Best Practices Hub and its responsible organisation TINA VIENNA Urban Technologies and Strategies GmbH invited interested guests to the Planungswerkstatt exhibition centre to discuss the role of housing in the city of the future with an expert panel and to launch a call for contributions to the next Best Practices Award – an award system aimed at collecting and sharing urban solutions and innovations for contemporary urban problems.
http://www.tinavienna.at/index.php?p_id=1243255141&last_id=1243255141&l_id=en&s_id=e18cdf684967ed2f30c70e158ef81478&e_id=1256854788

Open Days 2009 – European Week of Regions and Cities
“Global challenges, European response“
From 5 to 8 October 2009, the 7th European Week of Regions and Cities, better known as “Open Days”, took place in Brussels under the title “Global challenges, European response”. This event is organised each year by the European Commission, the Committee of the Regions and about 250 other partners.
The thematic focus of the Open Days 2009 was on the economic crisis and on the fight against climate change. The topics addressed at the four-day event included:
- Restoration of growth: innovations in Europe’s regions and cities
- Regions and changes in climate: Europe’s way towards sustainable regional development
- Territorial cooperation: cooperating across borders
- Producing results, looking into the future: an assessment of EU cohesion policy and future prospects
These topics were at the centre of about 125 workshops and seminars on European issues, which were attended by more than 6,000 representatives from 33 countries. TINA VIENNA was represented at this event as well.
Please find more information on http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/conferences/od2009/index.cfm

IDRC Davos 2010 - Call for Papers
You are kindly invited to submit an abstract until 13 November (max. 300 words) describing the goal and content of your presentation
IDRC 2010 approaches disaster and risk from an interdisciplinary point of view. http://www.davos2010.org/

The Great Cities in History
A new book edited by John Julius Norwich with that title selects the 68 cities that have made the most impact on history. The Wall St. Journal has a review.
"The world has, for much of its history, been a place of fragments. During the Middle Ages, many cities were so far-flung as to be virtually unknown to each other. Cairo, Palermo, Benin, Angkor and the Incan capital of Cuzco were "great" but only in isolation. And greatness, often, was a product of the imagination." http://www.planetizen.com/news/redirect_new.php?id=41404-0

America's Safest Cities
Forbes Magazine jumps into the fray once again with their list of "America's Safest Cities." Violent crime, workplace deaths, fatal crashes and natural disasters are all a part of the data considered.
Minneapolis tops the list.
"The Milwaukee metro area, buoyed by the lowest natural disaster risk of the cities we considered, ranks second. The Portland, Ore.,metro, which boasts the lowest crime rate, places third. Boston and Seattle are tied for fourth. Both benefit from low traffic fatality rates--Boston's is the lowest on our list, and Seattle's is the eighth-lowest. This is largely because they boast two of the most user-friendly mass transit systems in the country." http://www.planetizen.com/news/redirect_new.php?id=41442-0

German and Nordic cities perform well in European economic report
Munich has supplanted London from top place in the annual European Regional Economic Growth Index (E-REGI). It is the first time a German city heads this ranking. The effect of the financial markets and banking sector travails have not affected London’s high rating in most measures of city performance but it has caused a significant slide in the E-REGI from first in 2008 to eighth in 2009.
The E-REGI index, published each year by Lasalle Investment Management, is based on economic growth, wealth and business operating environment and uses weighted scoring of fifteen variables to produce a quantitative and topical assessment for potential investors. It has been designed to indicate the best city regions for investment in real estate products in the short to medium term.
It gives higher value to growth measures than to business operating environment and wealth measures. However, in 2009, the wealth measures are helping some cities to contain the impact of the economic vicissitudes.
LaSalle Investment Management Head of European Research and Strategy Robin Goodchild said: “ We have seen more change in the positions in the index this year than in any previous year since the E-REGI was launched. Underlying wealth has been a big factor this year with affluent locations such as the Swiss and Nordic cities, who have strong fundamentals to help to protect local economies from the effect of slowing growth, doing well.” http://www.eukn.org/eukn/news/2009/10/German-and-Nordic-cities-perform-well-in-European-economic-report_1040.html

Suburbs Sprouting in Cairo Deserts
President Mubarak of Egypt is allowing developers to create American-style suburban developments in dry desert land outside Cairo.
"The government has sold this cheap, dry land to developers, invested and constructed modern highways for the new car-owning suburban dwellers and subsidized water for their luscious desert lawns.
These new cities, which include Sixth of October and New Cairo, recreate the American suburban typology: they are not walkable and lack a decent public transportation system." http://www.thepolisblog.org/2009/10/cairo-suburbanizing-desert.html

Serbia plans to cut 15% staff in local government
The Serbian government has ordered a 15% staffing cut in local government. 5,648 clerical workers out of 37,789 should be laid-off.
This decision is part of a cost-cutting plan in state finances. It aims to satisfy the terms of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan. One of the requirements is to reduce Serbia's budget deficit which is estimated at 4.5% of gross domestic product. The IMF has suggested raising the value-added-tax, which is already 18% but the Serbian government has decided to make cuts in the number of civil servants.
The law will cover 110 municipalities, while only 35 of them have no surplus of employees. Municipalities have to decide the actual number of employees they want to keep. If they keep the current number, then the municipality itself will have to finance the surplus, the government said in a statement. Under the new measure, four full-time staff per 1,000 citizens are allowed.
Unions criticised the government for a failure to hold consultations. Such a decision by the government is inappropriate for social dialogue in Serbia and the law is the result of pressure, probably due to arrival of the IMF, the president of the Federation of Independent Unions of Serbia, Ljubisav Orbovic, told reporters.

6th European Sustainable Cities and Towns Conference
The Dunkerque 2010 conference will explore how sustainable development can help local governments to overcome the impacts of the current economic, social and climate challenges. It will convene key actors to discuss how local sustainability can be further implemented in Europe under the actual financial and political frameworks. This event is the next large conference in Europe to address climate change after Copenhagen 2009 (COP-15) and it will offer a unique opportunity to analyse the outcomes of the climate negotiations and their implications for local governments. http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=1487&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=4163&tx_ttnews[backPid]=983&cHash=dc429181ed

Third annual DunaLog Congress in Budapest
DunaLog is a pool for local community challenges, seeking common solutions at macro-regional level. The Programme aims at boosting and advancing the regional position of the Danube region within Europe by undertaking regional coordination and knowledge transfer missions along the Danube.
On 30 September 2009, the third annual “DunaLog – International Urban Danube Dialogue” Congress was held in the Hungarian capital of Budapest. The topics discussed at the conference included, among other things, opportunities for Europe 20 years after the opening of the Iron Curtain, general issues relating to DunaLog and its programme, and current issues regarding the Danube region strategy of the participating countries. The importance of a common strategy for the Danube region was emphasised by the representatives of Hungary, Baden Wurttemberg, Bavaria, Austria, Slovakia, Croatia, Serbia, Romania and the European Commission. In terms of content, the participants presented their view of the geographical scope of the strategy and the issues covered by the strategy.
The City of Vienna was represented at the DunaLog Congress by the competent staff members of Municipal Department 27 (EU strategy and economic development), Walther Stöckl and Gerhard Jakisch, and by Markus Damm of TINA VIENNA.

UN-HABITAT's Opportunity Fund for Youth-Led Development
UN-HABITAT, United Nations Human Settlements Programme, with the support of the Government of Norway, launched the Opportunities Fund for Urban Youth Led Development, which announced its first call for proposals in March 2009. In addition to providing small scale grants to grassroots youth led organizations around the world, UN-HABITAT wishes to use the Fund to research and demonstrate the value of investing in youth.
The first deadline for applications was June 15th 2009. UN-HABITAT received 1,116 applications from 86 developing countries including some of the poorest economies in the world. Applicants are tackling employment, health, educations, nutrition, climate change, safety and gender issues. 67 global urban youth will share the first $1,000,000 Opportunities Fund Grant. http://www.unhabitat.org/opfund

A Message to Local Governments from UN World Water Assessment Program
In an effort to ensure that diverse groups of actors whose decisions impact our planet’s water resources can make better, more informed decisions, WWAP has created a series of ten short “Messages” based on the findings of its United Nations World Water Development Report-3 (WWDR3), "Water in a Changing World". Each Message addresses a particular influential group of decision makers.
"Messages for Urban Mayors and Local Governments" targets mayors, councillors and local representatives whose job is to deal with the demanding issues of urban water. It presents the challenging conditions cities face and makes recommendations to help urban water managers towards improving the sustainability of our cities.
Water is vital to all aspects of human life. Using water wisely and managing our water resources sustainably is an essential component of growth, socioeconomic development and reducing poverty. Yet around the world we see water scarcity problems rising. And if we don’t take action, they risk becoming even more severe. http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=1487&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=4161&tx_ttnews[backPid]=983&cHash=57be71c777

£100m of green initiatives to regenerate deprived areas of London
More than 1,000 jobs will be created as part of a £100m green funding boost to regenerate some of the poorest parts of London, the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson and European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Paweł Samecki announced on October 21st 2009.
The joint funding will finance decentralised energy, recycling and waste energy creation projects. A proposal for a new decentralised energy network in Barking is currently under consideration as one of the first projects to receive support. As well as regeneration benefits, the projects will promote sustainable and carbon neutral economic growth, combat climate change and help the capital towards its target of reducing London’s CO2 emissions by 60 per cent by 2025.
The initial investment in the Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas fund (JESSICA) is made up of £50 million from the European Regional Development Fund, £32 million from the London Development Agency, and £18 million from the London Waste and Recycling Board.
The London Development Agency has been working with the European Investment Bank and the London Waste and Recycling Board to ensure that London becomes the first part of the UK to benefit from this initiative. The JESSICA fund will be managed by the European Investment Bank.
http://www.eukn.org/eukn/news/2009/10/-100m-of-green-initiatives-to-regenerate-deprived-areas-of-London_1035.html

Decentralisation and local governability: take an online course
United Cities and Local Governments is offering for the first time an online course on decentralisation and local governability, from 16 November to 1 March 2010.
The course is mainly directed at local, regional and.central government officials and technical experts from different regions of the world.
It aims to facilitate the debate on local democratic governability and on the strengthening of decentralisation and local self-government process the world over. Training will be given in parallel in two versions: the decentralisation and local governability in Latin America online course, in Spanish, and the decentralisation and local governability general online course, in English.
For this first edition of the course, space is limited, with only 25 places for each version. Deadline for application is 6 November 2009.
http://www.cities-localgovernments.org/committees/dal/formation.asp?id_page=19&L=EN

1000 U.S. Mayors commit to Kyoto targets
From 30 September to 2 October 2009, US Mayors gathered in Los Angeles, California, for the 2nd Governors‘ Climate Summit on the Road to Copenhagen to deepen and broaden cooperative efforts by subnational governments to implement strategies that can immediately grow a green economy, increase the use of sustainable clean energy, reduce dependence on oil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in advance of, and in support of, the next global agreement on climate change.
Greg Nickels, Mayor of Seattle, announces at the last day of the summit that 1,000 mayors across the country had signed a pact to meet the Kyoto protocol targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, urging the federal government and states to cut emissions by 7% from 1990 levels by 2012. Nickels has a long track record talking to other mayors about halting carbon emissions in the cities, where the majority of Americans live, drive cars, operate factories, turn on lights and use power.
http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=1487&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=4159&tx_ttnews[backPid]=983&cHash=02ba7990ea

URBAN ERA-NET launches second call for research proposals
On October 27th, the URBAN ERA-NET launched its second call for research proposals on the website of Swedish research council Formas. The call is funded by organisations in Cyprus, France, Portugal, Sweden, and Turkey. Researchers are invited to develop new approaches to urban sustainability and new forms of cooperation in joint proposals.
Researchers are funded by a funding organisation in the country where they are based. The research consortia must involve researchers/research teams from a minimum of three countries, of which at least two must be funding the call. The research consortia may also include research teams based in any country not funding the call, provided that they can show that they are able to fulfil their part of the proposed project.
There should be an added value in the transnational collaboration. The proposals should deal with problems which could be better understood and solved if the research activities take place in more than one European country, e.g. in research areas where partner countries have ongoing research but need to define gaps, overlaps and possibilities for concerted actions, in research areas that are hardly explored and in research areas where one partner has generated special expertise and could support knowledge development in other partner countries. Yet there should be a meaningful input from each national applicant/team, and a fair proportion of the proposed research should be carried out in each of the participating countries. http://www.eukn.org/eukn/news/2009/10/URBAN-NET-2nd-call_1036.html

Will your city be the next European Green Capital?
From today, all cities in Europe with more than 200,000 inhabitants can apply for the European Green Capital Award 2012 and 2013. The application round will close on 1 February 2010.
The award scheme is open to the 27 EU Member States, candidate countries (Turkey, FYROM and Croatia) and European Economic Area countries (Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein). A panel of internationally acknowledged experts will assess the information supplied and prepare a shortlist of cities to go through to the second round. Each shortlisted city will be asked to provide detailed documentation of their achievements and plans. http://www.eukn.org/eukn/news/2009/10/Will-your-city-be-the-next-European-Green-Capital-_1038.html

Europe's Top Cities for Urban Mobility
Three cities receive EU level award for forward-looking solutions
At a high-profile event in Krakow last Tuesday (20 October), three European cities were named winners of the 2009 CITIVAS Awards:
Gent (Belgium); London Borough of Sutton (UK); and Nantes (France). Their sustainable urban mobility activities and programmes have been recognised as the most outstanding, ambitious and innovative of 2009 by the CIVITAS Political Advisory Committee.
The award was given at a special ceremony on the occasion of the 2009 CIVITAS Forum Conference.
CIVITAS, which stands for CIty-VITAlity-Sustainability, is an EU initiative to promote cleaner, better, more sustainable and energy efficient urban transport strategies in European cities.
The three 2009 CIVITAS Award winners:
CIVITAS Award: "The Future of Urban Mobility" for a CIVITAS demonstration city.
2009 Winner: Gent
Bicycles are at the heart of Gent's mobility policy, and the city has proven its dedication to this priority through the creation of a large pedestrian area in the city centre, the development of a primary cycle network, a student-friendly bicycle rental system, and plans to build a garage for more than 10,000 bicycles. These efforts are complemented by a host of public transportation services, namely extended tramlines, segregation of public transport lanes, longer operating hours, free night buses, and free public transport for children under the age of 15.
CIVITAS Award: "The Future of Urban Mobility" for a CIVITAS non-demonstration city.
2009 Winner: London Borough of Sutton
"Smarter Travel Sutton" is the name of this London Borough's social marketing programme to convince citizens to change their transport habits, and reduce resident car trips. Since 2006, the Sutton Council has actively made contact with every household in the borough (population 185,000) in an attempt to encourage them to complete a "personal travel planning" project. All schools in Sutton have a "School Travel Plan" and more than 100 Sutton businesses have a Workplace Travel Plan. The £5 million campaign is the largest and most ambitious campaign of its
kind undertaken in Europe.
CIVITAS Award: "CIVITAS City of the Year"
2009 Winner: Nantes
Nantes Métropole, a member of ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, focused on four action areas, which helped it earn the "City of the Year" award. The first two actions relate to the bus network: the development of a clean bus fleet (more than 80% of the city's total bus fleet now runs on compressed natural gas) and the design of a new "Chronobus" quality and performance mark for bus lines within Nantes. Thirdly, Nantes demonstrated dramatic improvement in bicycle use through the construction of secure bike parking spaces, extension of the rent-a-bike service, and experimentation with the use of foldable bicycles in combination with public transport. Finally, the city remodelled city centre roads to favour public transport (for example, tramlines) over private cars.

EU Parliament resolution on climate change: "a victory for local and regional government!"
The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) welcomes the recognition by the European Parliament's Environment Committee of the crucial role played by cities, municipalities and regions in the fight against climate change.
The committee on the environment adopted, on 19 October 2009, a "resolution on the EU strategy for the Copenhagen Conference on climate change (COP15)". It includes an amendment drafted and supported by associations of local authorities* to convince the European institutions to recognise this role in their own position on the international climate negotiations. http://www.ccre.org/communiques_de_presse_detail_en.htm?ID=284

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