April2016

Metropolis Women International Network participated at the Habitat III Thematic Conference on Public Spaces organized by UN Habitat and Barcelona City Council. In the framework of this event, the President of Metropolis Women, Laura Pérez Castaño, moderated the thematic session entitled “Public leadership, citizens and the right to the city. Open spaces vs Gated communities” which was attended by 80 representatives of the civil society, international organizations, academia, students, private sector, etc. During the debate, special focus was on the role of the local dimension, including all stakeholders, to guarantee the citizenship rights and the sustainable development in our cities. Furthermore, it was vindicated a feminist discourse and a greater gender mainstreaming in the conception and elaboration of urban and metropolitan policies; policies that must place people, understanding their diversity, at the center.

http://www.metropolis.org/news/2016/04/06/2720

Toronto hosts roundtable discussion on connecting SDGs to City Prosperity Initiative

A roundtable discussion on the prospect to connect the monitoring of urban Sustainable Development Goals to UN-Habitat City Prosperity Initiative (CPI) was held in Toronto, Canada. The meeting was hosted by International City Leaders (ICL), and the International Centre for Urban Management (ICFUM), supported by UN-Habitat and UNDP.
The meeting was graced by Canadian Members of Parliament, and city leaders from across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), including directors of planning from various municipalities, urban planners, councilors, architects and academia.

http://unhabitat.org/toronto-hosts-roundtable-discussion-on-connecting-sdgs-to-city-prosperity-initiative/

Why urban governance matters—now more than ever

In October 2016 representatives from national governments, cities, the private sector, and civic organizations will gather in Quito, Ecuador for the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, popularly known as Habitat III. For people who believe that the world’s social, economic, and environmental prospects rise and fall with the ability of cities and metro areas to design sound plans and policies, Habitat III represents a once-in-a-generation moment—the last Habitat conference was 20 years ago—to forge a global urban agenda.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/metropolitan-revolution/posts/2016/04/12-why-urban-governance-matters-harkness-katz

The Opportunity to Build Tomorrow’s Cities

Urbanization is good news - not only for the countries experiencing this growth, but the global economy.
Throughout history, no country has ever achieved economic prosperity without urbanizing. On its surface, then, the urbanization trend dominating the 21st century should be good news – not only for the countries experiencing this growth, but the global economy.
Upon closer analysis, however, we can see that current urbanization patterns are largely unsustainable – socially, economically and environmentally.
Cities, now home to 55 percent of the global population, now account for 70 percent of global GDP. But they also account for an increasing share of greenhouse gas emissions and widening levels of inequality.

https://longitudes.ups.com/the-opportunity-to-build-tomorrows-cities/

Mahindra World City to generate bio-gas from food waste

Mahindra Group’s Mahindra World City (MWC), near Chennai, is set to be powered by Bio-CNG generated at a plant on its premises, which has been inaugurated by Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (independent charge) – Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy.
The plant which involves an investment of Rs 1.6 crore is a joint CSR initiative between Mahindra Research Valley (MRV) and Mahindra World City Developers Limited (MWCDL).
The plant has been equipped to convert 8 tons of food and kitchen waste generated every day at the MWC into 1,000 cubic meter of raw biogas. Additionally, the raw bio gas can yield 400 kg per day of purified CNG-grade fuel which is equivalent to a 200 kW power plant. As a by-product, four tons of organic fertilizer would be produced per day.

http://www.urbannewsdigest.in/?p=16925

Singapore – the most meticulously planned city in the world

Lee Kuan Yew’s vice-like grip on power helped create a byword for cleanliness, efficiency and safety. What lies beneath this ‘Disneyland with the death penalty’?
On 12 May 2015, a Singapore court sentenced Amos Yee, an outspoken 16-year-old video blogger who had been tried as an adult, to four weeks in jail.
Yee had been hauled up six weeks earlier on charges related to materials he had posted online: one for violating Section 298 of the country’s penal code by making “remarks against Christianity, with the deliberate intention of wounding the religious feelings of Christians in general”; another for obscenity; and another for violating the Protection from Harassment Act 2014 by making “remarks about Mr Lee Kuan Yew which were intended to be heard and seen by persons likely to be distressed”.

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/apr/21/story-cities-singapore-carefully-planned-lee-kuan-yew

If Planners Understand It’s Cool to Green Cities, What’s Stopping Them?

Our cities are getting hotter, more crowded and noisier. Climate change is bringing more heatwaves, placing pressure on human health, urban amenity, productivity and infrastructure.
Urban residents naturally want to stay cool. Air conditioning is the usual choice, but it can be expensive to run. Air conditioning also adds carbon pollution, creates noise and can make outdoor spaces hotter.
So what else can we do to manage increasing urban heat? And who has the ability to act?
Urban planners are increasingly involved in developing and delivering urban greening strategies. While it seems like a “no brainer” to green cities, our international research shows that planners are not always comfortable with this idea.

http://smartgrowth.org/if-planners-understand-its-cool-to-green-cities-whats-stopping-them/

Follow the rules, bikers

Last week I started a discussion on Facebook by making a statement I felt to be fairly obvious. Apparently not everyone sees it the same way. What I said was: "Stop signs weren’t designed for cyclists."
In fact, very little of our built environment was designed with cyclists in mind. What we have done – as I pointed out way back with the video on the diverging diamond – is developed a tolerance for cyclists, and that only with some heroic effort. Engineers now generally accept cyclists and have even created checklists to help us accommodate them – at least the skilled ones – at a minimal level in our current transportation system. Tolerating cyclists, and sometimes even attempting to accommodate them, is a far cry from designing systems based on their needs.

http://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2016/4/21/follow-the-rules-bikers

Leaders gather to discuss ways cities and towns can tackle Europe’s crises

Leaders from around Europe will meet from 27-29 April at the 8th European Conference on Sustainable Cities & Towns in Bilbao, Basque Country, to discuss ways in which cities and towns can effectively address the ongoing environmental, economic and refugee crises. More than 800 participants are expected to take part.
"Today more than ever before, the European Union is not only in a financial and economic crisis, but also a crisis of shared values, principles and goals that goes to the heart of the Union and raises questions about its future in a globalised world. Europe is simultaneously asked to address global challenges like climate change and resource constraints", said Wolfgang Teubner, ICLEI Regional Director for Europe. "In this historic situation, European cities and towns see the need to upscale action regarding a technological, socio-economic, and social-cultural transformation to create productive, sustainable and resilient cities."

http://conferences.sustainablecities.eu/basquecountry2016/

Lódz to prioritise pedestrian mobility

The city council of Lódz has adopted a resolution that will ensure that pedestrians have a priority in moving around the city and at traffic intersections.
Plans include widening pavements, improving surfaces, installing green spaces and so-called urban furniture.
The city is also considering creating a municipal post or forming a committee to oversee matters related to pedestrian mobility.

http://www.eltis.org/discover/news/lodz-prioritise-pedestrian-mobility-poland

The Power of Vision in Urban Governance

Indianapolis' longtime mayor worked hard at crafting a big idea for his city, and it paid off handsomely.
Mayors make their way into office by inspiring the public to believe that a brighter future is in store. Every mayor wants to be a "visionary leader," but they don't just wake up one morning with a vision. To craft an original and feasible vision for a city -- one that holds the promise of effective, efficient government that builds a city and inspires its populace -- public officials need help.

http://www.governing.com/blogs/bfc/gov-mayor-bill-hudnut-indianapolis-power-vision-urban-governance.html

People-Focused Urban Planning Is Key to Sustainable Future

The role that architecture can play in creating cities that are more sustainable and liveable - a vital element of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, in which economic inclusion, social development and environmental protection converge in a universal roadmap for global action - was in the spotlight at UN Headquarters today as this year's Pritzker Architecture Prize laureate discussed his work and the road to a more inclusive future.
"We are living in an urban age - which is in principle great news, because cities hold the prospect of greater opportunity, education and jobs - but the problem of the scale and speed with which the urbanization process is taking place, has no precedent in human history," Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena told reporters at a briefing co-organized by the Sustainable Development Goals Fund (SDGF) as part of a new partnership with the Pritzker Prize.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201604070353.html

Cycling without age! Meet Ole Kassow - 26 April

The Flemish Region invites on Tuesday 26 april Ole Kassow - inventor of the project Cycling Without Age. The idea is simple and unique. What do you do when you meet relatives or friends in a home for the elderly? Just cycle!
Cycling without age gets older people living in a home out of isolation. It helps them to participate in the active life in the village or city centre. It is also a great way to build up a group of volunteers and to create a link between the home and its surroundings.
Ole Kassow - the inventor of the project - can talk very enthousiastically about Cycling Without Age. In this special event, he will be welcomed by the Danish ambassador to Belgium.

The session (in English) is part of a symposium on social issues in Flanders ('Trefdag Sociaal' - in Dutch). this takes place 26 april 2016 - in Antwerp. The programme is available here: www.trefdagsociaal.be

For Habitat III, Quito will be a living laboratory for urban innovations

At the 2014 World Urban Forum in Medellín, Colombia, many participants were amazed as much by what they saw in the streets as what they heard in the conference halls.
For the event, the city handed out free public-transit passes and guided tours left every hour to see some of the innovative projects in low-income neighborhoods that have made the Colombian city a darling of urbanists — from the famed MetroCable aerial gondola system to the acclaimed “library parks” to the eye-catching outdoor escalators.
This year, at least as many people are expected come to another South American city, Quito. This will not be for the next World Urban Forum but for an even grander affair: Habitat III. Taking place every 20 years, the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development aims to come up with a global strategy on urbanization — the New Urban Agenda.

http://citiscope.org/habitatIII/news/2016/02/habitat-iii-quito-will-be-living-laboratory-urban-innovations

Singapore Hub gives cities a chance to "learn from the best"

Despite limited resources, Singapore has defied the odds to become a high-income nation as well as a global trade and financial center - all in just a few decades. The city is also hailed as model of sustainable urban development, consistently receiving high praise for its high-quality infrastructure, reliable mass transit system, and abundance of green spaces.
Inspired by Singapore's successful and forward-thinking vision, the World Bank chose the city-state as the site for its first Infrastructure and Urban Development Hub. Aside from traditional lending and technical support to client countries, the Singapore Hub has been designed to facilitate knowledge exchange between Singapore and other countries on issues relating to urban planning and management.

http://blogs.worldbank.org/sustainablecities/singapore-hub-gives-cities-chance-learn-best

Towns and regions worldwide call for an special report on the role of cities

Ahead of the intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) meeting, that will result in an assessment of the state of play on climate change, mayors, networks of local and regional governments and urban stakeholders worldwide call for a special report dedicated to cities and climate change:
Cities are already facing the impacts of climate change and are highly vulnerable to a range of climate hazards, including sea level rise, street flooding, landslides, droughts, epidemics and severe heat waves, which threaten the heath, well-being and livelihood of citizens. Cities are integral to fighting climate change; while they are responsible for 37–49% of global GHG emissions, and urban infrastructure accounts for over 70% of global energy use, research shows that urban policy decisions made by 2020 could determine up to a third of the remaining global carbon budget that is not already ‘locked-in’ by past decisions.

http://www.ccre.org/en/actualites/view/3259

Meet the New Green Face of Affordable Housing

When you think of “affordable housing,” what’s the image that comes to mind? For lots of people, including many of those most in need of it, the picture is not a pretty one: it’s a scene of dreary, deteriorating high-rises or shabby, poorly constructed “garden” apartments with no garden in sight. Moreover, the projects come with lots of safety concerns, placed in “the wrong part of town.” Environmentally, they may be plagued with poor air quality, peeling paint, energy inefficiency, unkempt grounds, and litter.
There’s an unfortunate stigma associated with affordable housing in the US, particularly with publicly subsidized housing; and, if the reality frequently isn’t as awful as the reputation, I’m afraid the reputation is also grounded in more than a little truth in more than a few places. The stigma has been well-earned over time. What you are likely not thinking about, when you think of affordable housing, is state-of-the-art green design that would appeal not just to people of limited means but to others as well, and that’s unfortunate.

http://smartgrowth.org/meet-the-new-green-face-of-affordable-housing/

Super long commutes: a non-big, non-growing, non-problem

Last week, the Washington Post published an article repeating an old-refrain in transportation journalism—the horror of long commutes.
According to the Post, more and more Americans are commuting longer and longer distances to work each day. There’s growing scientific evidence that long commutes are bad for your physical and mental health, reduce happiness, and even cut into civic participation.
But if you look closely at the data cited in the Post article, it’s pretty clear that long commutes are quite rare, and aren’t really becoming more common.

http://cityobservatory.org/super-long-commutes-a-non-big-non-growing-non-problem/

The caffeine curse: why coffee shops have always signalled urban change

Coffee shops take flak for being markers of gentrification. But they might not be so different now from the social and intellectual hubs of 350 years ago
It’s a bright February morning at the Proud Archivist (now the Proud East), a coffee shop facing the canal just off Kingsland Road in London, and regular Matthew Green is greeting the manager as if they’re old friends. Their cheerful interaction rises above the low din of the subdued crowd, some of whom are chatting, most of whom are typing away on laptops.

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/apr/08/coffee-shops-gentrification-urban-change

Study Confirms World’s Coastal Cities Unsavable If We Don’t Slash Carbon Pollution

A new study confirms what leading climate scientists have warned about for many years now: Only very aggressive climate action can save the world’s coastal cities from inundation by century’s end.
We still could limit sea level rise to two feet this century if we keep total warming below 2°C, according to analysis using these new findings. Otherwise, we should be anticipating five to six feet of sea level rise by 2100 — which would generate hundreds of millions of refugees. That isn’t even the worst-case scenario.
This latest research from the journal Nature underscores that what the nation and the world do in the next decade or two will determine whether or not cities like Miami, Boston, New York, or New Orleans have any plausible chance to survive by 2100.

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/03/31/3765266/coastal-cites-carbon-pollution/

Why Historic Preservation Needs to Be Part of Disaster Planning

Almost two thirds of all states lack historic preservation strategies in their hazard-mitigation plans.
Natural disasters have taken a heavy toll on historic landmarks around the U.S. When Hurricane Katrina swept through parts of New Orleans in 2005, floods damaged 19th- and 20th-century buildings, causing some to collapse. High winds smashed windows and stripped away the outer layers of houses, shops, and museums. More recently, Hurricane Sandy took down monuments in the 1849 Evergreens Cemetery in Brooklyn and damaged the electrical system of the Fraunces Tavern Museum—which dates back to the American Revolution—in Manhattan.

http://www.citylab.com/housing/2016/04/why-historic-preservation-needs-to-be-part-of-disaster-planning/477318/

FragNebenAn – The remedy for anonymity in the big city

FragNebenAn is an online platform that offers the possibility for neighbours to connect. The anonymity that many big city-inhabitants experience can feel as a loss. FrabNebenAn is the solution for everyone who wants to connect to their neighbours and make use of each others talents. The platform offers space for neighbours to ask questions like: who knows a good mechanic that can repair my car? Or: Can somebody lend me a drill? Knowledge and goods within a small community of neighbours can be accumulated throughout this network. You have the opportunity to help a neighbour or to be helped by them.

https://citiesintransition.eu/publication/fragnebenan-the-facebook-for-neighbours

Lean Sprawl Repair – Mall Retrofit

As a comprehensive method for transforming car-dependent environments into walkable, diverse communities, Sprawl Repair includes small-scale and inexpensive interventions. Sprawl Repair works at multiple scales, from the region to the neighborhood and the building, and utilizes a variety of tools that are cost-effective, incremental, and can be quickly implemented. This paper will demonstrate how a mall, the most promising contender for Sprawl Repair, can be retrofitted in small, efficient steps, creating much-needed, cheap space for incubating new businesses and artisan uses, as well as providing affordable student housing.

http://leanurbanism.org/publications/lean-sprawl-repair-mall-retrofit/

Engaging Entrepreneurs to Solve Urban Problems

A project in Philadelphia used a streamlined approach to procurement to get quick results.
Too often, innovative ideas in the public sector never see the light of day due to regulations and oversight designed for a different era. While procurement regulations are intended to ensure accountability and minimize risk, the process leaves little room for experimentation or creative engagement with entrepreneurs. Philadelphia's FastFWD initiative tackled these challenges directly by opening up new mechanisms for entrepreneurs to co-create solutions with the city.
FastFWD, an initiative of former mayor Michael Nutter's administration, was a winner of the 2012-2013 Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge, a competition that encourages cities to generate innovative ideas that solve major problems and improve city life -- and have the potential to spread to other cities. FastFWD used a business accelerator to connect interested entrepreneurs with staff from eight city departments for collaborative thinking and development. The initiative resulted in nine pilot projects, and two full contracts, with positive public-safety impact.

http://www.governing.com/blogs/bfc/col-philadelphia-fastfwd-entrepreneurs-streamlined-procurement.html

How is public space changing in European cities?

There has been a significant backlash recently in London about the loss of public space, as green parks, open-air squares and riverside paths become victims of private ownership. Last month, campaigners took part in a “mass trespass” outside City Hall – a site where even photography may be restricted by private security – to protest against the chunks of the capital falling into private hands.
But what is happening in the rest of the continent? Are other urban European spaces becoming more exclusive? Last spring in Belgrade, protestors took to the streets to campaign against the €3.5bn (£2.5bn) redevelopment of the Sava River waterfront, which will include thousands of homes, a business hub and the Balkan’s largest shopping mall – but residents are concerned that the government-backed project will be a Dubai-style makeover.

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/mar/24/how-is-public-space-changing-in-european-cities

Green Infrastructure Designs - Scalable Solutions to Local Challenges

Many municipalities struggle to effectively address stormwater and flooding issues that impact their communities, and they are increasingly interested in green infrastructure as tool for stormwater management. However, these municipalities often face barriers to green infrastructure installation, such as the lack of capacity and technical expertise for implementation; these barriers can be particularly significant for municipalities with constrained human and financial resources.

http://icma.org/en/icma/knowledge_network/documents/kn/Document/308085/Green_Infrastructure_Designs

EU cities want a bigger say on migration policy

On Tuesday the fifth of April, Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu and Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos received Mayors, Vice-Mayors and political representatives from several European Cities (including Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Berlin, Malmo and Paris) to discuss ways to effectively integrate recently-arrived migrants in urban areas. Migration is largely an urban issue, and successful integration of migrants in cities mean opportunities for all in the long term. To achieve this, common innovative solutions are needed, with a strong involvement of all stakeholders in urban policies. This topic has been discussed in a roundtable discussion titled “How to strengthen the integration of migrants in an urban context”.

http://www.eukn.eu/news/detail/eu-cities-want-a-bigger-say-on-migration-policy/

Boris Johnson’s dire legacy for London

As London mayor Boris Johnson prepares to leave City Hall, pity his successor, faced with ill-planned developments and vanity projects
When Boris Johnson first ran for London mayor, in 2008, he promised not to create “Dubai-on-Thames”, the parade of riverside towers intended by his rival, Ken Livingstone. Oh no, of course not. What the city is actually getting, as he prepares to leave for possibly higher office, is a Dubai-on-Westbourne, -on-Lee, -on-Effra, -on-Bollo Brook, -on-Quaggy, and indeed on most of the obscure tributaries and secondary rivers of the capital, as well as on the Thames, and many of the spaces between them. For, as is possibly now dawning on a wider public, it is hopelessly naive to believe that Johnson believes something when he says it. You didn’t think he really meant it, did you? Ha ha ha. What a card he is.

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/apr/10/boris-johnson-london-legacy-folly-vanity-rowan-moore

Learning to leverage climate action in cities

All climate action is ultimately local. At the center of this is city leadership and engaged citizens. It is estimated that cities are responsible for 2/3 of global energy consumption and produce 80 % of the world’s GDP. Density creates the possibility of doing more with less, and with a smaller carbon footprint. While urban areas are responsible for more than 70 % of global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, it is cities that can make a difference by effectively tackling climate change. We often find that cities lead the way on climate action against the inertia of national governments.

http://blogs.worldbank.org/sustainablecities/learning-leverage-climate-action-cities

Almost 17% of Pedestrians Use Their Smartphones in Road Traffic

Many pedestrians in Europe are distracted by their smartphones while crossing the street, according to an international survey by DEKRA Accident Research in six European capitals. Almost 17% of the nearly 14,000 pedestrians monitored used their smartphone in various ways while in road traffic.
Following an initial small-scale pilot study in Stuttgart, teams from DEKRA Accident Research conducted the survey in Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Paris, Rome and Stockholm. In each capital, pedestrians were observed at three different downtown locations, and their smartphone use was documented. The surveys were performed at busy intersections and pedestrian crossings near the city center, at public-transport stops and at train stations, where levels of pedestrian density are at their highest.

http://www.citiesofthefuture.eu/pedestrians-use-smartphones-road-traffic/

California Cities Join Global Urban Resilience Movement

Coastal California has long been known for harrowing natural hazards: wildfires, drought, floods, the occasional tsunami, and, of course, earthquakes. It has also developed some serious human-made hazards too: chronic poverty, sea level rise, crime, pollution, riots, fragile energy grids, stratospheric housing costs, among others.
The state is, as urban theorist Mike Davis put it, steeped in “the ecology of fear.” Armed with new data and strategies, cities are trying to ease their anxieties.
“Resilience” refers to cities’ ability to weather and recover from discrete “shocks,” such as earthquakes, and chronic “stresses,” such as poverty and the predicted effects of climate change. California has become Ground Zero in the resilience movement.

http://www.cp-dr.com/node/3901

Smarter together in Lyon, Munich and Vienna

Lyon, Munich and Vienna are the three leading cities of the recently launched Smarter Together project. Supported by the European Union in the framework of the Horizon 2020 programme, Smarter Together is a pilot project that aims at developing ICT solutions for the energy transition in urban areas. A special focus will be on residential housing renovation, production and consumption of renewable energy and mobility.

http://www.energy-cities.eu/Smarter-Together-in-Lyon-Munich?pmv_nid=2

Addressing the informal city in the New Urban Agenda

During last year’s Ebola crisis in West Africa, the slum neighbourhood of West Point in the capital, Monrovia, became a poster child for poor housing conditions in which a communicable disease could run amok. Later this year, the sporting world’s eyes will turn to Rio de Janeiro, where stories of ingenuity, hope and triumph from the city’s favelas will surely form part of this summer’s Olympic narrative — as will ongoing concerns around the emergence of the Zika virus.
From a public health situation that feels plucked from the bubonic-plague epidemic in medieval Europe to self-built communities starring on the world stage, urban informality covers a broad spectrum. It includes some of the worst living situations for humans anywhere, as well as striking examples of adapting to limited resources that may pave the way to a more sustainable urban future. The dichotomy of informal settlements, as such communities are called by most experts today, is the latest topic under consideration on the road to Habitat III, this year’s major U.?N. summit on urbanization in Quito, Ecuador.

http://citiscope.org//habitatIII/news/2016/04/addressing-informal-city-new-urban-agenda

How 10 U.S. Cities Use Public Transit

More than a fifth of U.S. city-dwellers use public transit on a regular basis, according to a recently released survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in late 2015.
Pew looked at which U.S. adults use public transportation most frequently and where they live. Not surprisingly, the Greater New York City area tops the list for transit use. More surprising, however, is that the city hosting the next largest amount of transit users is not another northeastern city, but Los Angeles. Washington, D.C., Boston and Philadelphia do make the top 10 list.

https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/who-uses-public-transit-american-cities

Cycles could outnumber cars in London's AM peak by 2019

In three years there could be more people cycling into central London in the mornings than driving, according to a document released by Transport for London today.
The legacy document, titled Human Streets (link is external), and produced by London’s Cycling Commissioner, Andrew Gilligan, describes the progress of Boris Johnson’s cycling vision, launched three years ago, and says the next mayor should keep investing in cycling to keep London moving.
Boris Johnson says that though the cycling programme was one of the most difficult things he has done, his single biggest regret as mayor was he didn’t do it sooner.

http://road.cc/content/news/183872-cycles-could-outnumber-cars-londons-am-peak-2019

People-Focused Urban Planning Is Key to Sustainable Future

http://allafrica.com/stories/201604070353.html

Nantes Creative Generations 2016 – calling young people!

Nantes is once again hosting the Creative Generations Forum, an opportunity for young people to present their projects designed to strengthen the notion of ‘citizenship’.
The forum will take place in Nantes on 26-29 October, celebrating the theme of ‘living together’ by inviting young people to present their projects that strengthen the notion of citizenship.

http://www.nantescreativegenerations.eu/

Radicalisation as an urban issue

After the attacks in Brussels last week, it has become clear that preventing and stopping terrorism and radicalisation requires a lot of effort. Right now, most attention is devoted to stop further acts of terrorism and bring to justice those involved in both the Brussels and Paris attacks. However, preventing radicalisation goes deeper than acting in response of fear. Preventing radicalisation is a process, not only for the short-term, but for the long-term as well. This is first and foremost an urban issue.

http://www.eukn.eu/news/detail/radicalisation-as-an-urban-issue/

Apply for the Heat Pump City of the Year Awards!

Last year, the Spanish Covenant city of Olot and the Finnish city of Mäntsälä were both nominated Heat Pump City of the Year.
The Heat Pump City of the Year Awards were launched six years ago by the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) to put the spotlight on cities and regions that have put in place an energy efficient project including a heat pump. The competition is calling once again for smart heat pump examples from the whole chain of applications: single residential, commercial and industrial buildings.

http://www.ehpa.org/projects/heat-pump-city-of-the-year/heat-pump-city-of-the-year-2016-apply-now/

What Makes A 21st Century City Smart

Cities have never had it so good. More than half of the world’s population already lives in cities and indications are that over two-thirds will be urbanized by the middle of the century. Major global cities like London, New York and Singapore now dominate the world economy. But why have cities been so successful in the 21st century? In fact, why do they even exist?
In the 1990s, when the internet and mobile telephony were still in their nascent stage, many experts were of the opinion that the information technology revolution would make cities obsolete. They argued that it would soon be possible for people to work and live anywhere on the planet. Why live in an expensive, congested city when one could be operating from the beach or the ski slope? De-industrialization and sub-urbanization had led to decline of many Western cities since the late 1960s, and it was thought that information technology was the last nail in the coffin.

http://swarajyamag.com/smart-cities/what-makes-a-21st-century-city-smart

Major opportunities for improving global urban health outcomes, despite persistent inequities

New data on the health of city-dwellers in almost 100 countries show that as the world’s urban population continues to grow, health inequities – especially between the richest and poorest urban populations – are a persistent challenge, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
For example, only half of households in urban areas of 91 countries with comparable data have access to piped water, with the richest 20 per cent of households being 2.7 times more likely to have access to piped water than the poorest 20per cent. In Africa, this ratio is closer to 17 times.

http://unhabitat.org/major-opportunities-for-improving-global-urban-health-outcomes-despite-persistent-inequities/

The Internet of Moving Things powered by Big Data

Think about what connectivity meant to you in the 1990s, the turn of the millennium, and what it means today.
We re- and re-define connectivity and what it means in everyday life; hinting on major technological advancements in a very short span of time. Not surprisingly transport is one of the pioneering domains.
It’s easy to get used to these changes as they – mostly – make our lives easier. In many European cities it is now part of everyday life to have digitalized minute precise information of when your bus is due to arrive. A decade ago we were lucky if every stop had a legible printed paper with the scheduled timings available.

http://erticonetwork.com/internet-moving-things-powered-big-data/

EIP announces location for general assembly

The 2016 General Assembly of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Smart Cities and Communities (link is external) will take place on 24 May 2016 in Eindhoven (Netherlands).
The General Assembly is jointly organised by the European Commission Directorates-General for Mobility and Transport, Energy and Communications Networks, Content & Technology.
It is an official associated event of the Dutch Presidency of the European Council of the European Union.

http://www.eltis.org/discover/news/eip-announces-location-general-assembly

How Governments Can Clear the Road for Self-Driving Cars

There are smart steps that states and communities can take to encourage automated driving. There are also some potholes to avoid.
So you've decided that your state should have self-driving cars. How, then, do you catch the attention of the Googles, Volvos and Navyas of the world that are developing and even deploying these vehicles?
Passing a typical "autonomous driving" law will get your state noticed -- but not necessarily in a good way. Although Google pushed for these laws in Nevada (the first) and California (the most prominent), the company has since resisted legislation in other states as too restrictive or onerous. Many forms of automated driving already may be legal, and states from Texas to Massachusetts have attracted research activities without a specific regime for self-driving cars.

http://www.governing.com/gov-institute/voices/col-states-communities-laws-self-driving-cars.html

€23M for sustainable transport in Dublin

121 projects will benefit from public national funding to make public transport more sustainable and attractive.
The Irish Ministry for Transport, announced on March 16th the allocation of more than €23 million for sustainable transport projects in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) under the Sustainable Transport Measures Grants (STMG) Programme for 2016. These projects, which include improvements to bus, cycle and pedestrian routes and revisions to traffic management systems are designed to encourage greater use of sustainable and public transport options, reduce congestion and facilitate economic activity in the GDA.

http://www.energy-cities.eu/EUR23m-for-sustainable-transport?pmv_nid=2

The U.S. Cities Marching Ahead on Paid Parental Leave

It’s been a big week for families in two U.S. coastal cities, with working parents receiving more options for spending time with their infants without jeopardizing their income. But some critics worry that, though the policies ease some financial burdens for growing families, they don't do enough to dismantle a cultural trope that construes work and parenthood as a zero-sum game.
San Francisco approved 6 weeks of fully paid parental leave for all new parents, becoming the first American city to do so. The financial onus will be shared between employers and public disability insurance, with companies responsible for 45 percent, and public funds making up the difference, the New York Times reported.

http://www.citylab.com/navigator/2016/04/two-us-cities-march-ahead-on-parental-leave/477405/

SUMP manuals now available on Eltis

A set of four manuals designed to support mobility practitioners in improving local transport planning processes and preparing quality Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) are now available to download on Eltis.
Produced by the CH4LLENGE project, the manuals – on monitoring and evaluation; measure selection; institutional co-operation; and participation - are targeted at transport planners who need to develop a SUMP and are looking for methods and approaches most appropriate in their given context.

http://www.eltis.org/discover/news/sump-manuals-now-available-eltis

City Parks, Clean Water - Making Great Places Using Green Infrastructure

We are excited to share with you City parks, clean water: Making great places using green infrastructure, the first report exploring the intersection of green infrastructure and parks.
Using case studies, data tables, and interviews with national experts, the report explores both new and existing parks, including in-depth studies of water-smart parks in Atlanta, Georgia; Birmingham, Alabama; Cambridge, Massachusetts; New York; and Shoreline, Washington.
Parks have been capturing and cleaning stormwater from the beginning, often unintentionally through vegetation and porous soils. But these spaces now offer win-win situations for cities to manage stormwater runoff while also meeting residents’ recreation needs.

https://www.tpl.org/city-parks-clean-water

Mayors support inclusive growth for equality and prosperity

On 29 March 2016, at the Ford Foundation in New York, Mayors, experts and leaders in the business sector and philanthropy came together for a conversation about Inclusive Growth in Cities. The meeting was a chance to look at ways of measuring and achieving inclusive growth and to the launch Inclusive Growth in Cities Campaign.
Inclusive growth constitutes a system where people both contribute to and share in rising prosperity. Currently in OECD countries income inequality is at its highest level in thirty years and the gap between rich and poor has widened dramatically. In the current climate education, employment and life expectancy are disproportionately determined by socio economic status. Now is the time to start promoting growth and equity as mutually re-enforcing goals. This is why UCLG is supporting the Inclusive Growth in Cities Campaign an initiative of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Ford Foundation. This campaign aims to increase awareness of rising inequalities, refocus the debate on concrete solutions, and empower local governments as leaders in the transition towards more inclusive growth.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/mayors-support-inclusive-growth-equality-and-prosperity-0

Cities Create Their Own, Greener Transit Apps

In an effort to help people become less car-dependent, cities like Denver are getting directly involved in the creation of transportation apps.
Transportation planners in Denver face an increasingly familiar problem for booming cities in the South and West: Their surging population is straining its roads. Denver has grown nearly 40 percent since 1990, but alternative modes of transportation aren’t yet popular enough to ease traffic.
“We have a finite number of roads and lanes," said Crissy Fanganello, the city’s director of transportation. “That system isn't growing, but the city of Denver certainly is.”

http://www.governing.com/topics/transportation-infrastructure/gov-cities-apps-xerox-denver-transportation.html

UN-Habitat unveils the first batch of Emerging Community Champions

UN-Habitat last month hosted and honored the first cohort of Emerging Community Champions.
These are young people who have made remarkable achievements and continue to inspire hope, provide leadership both at the community level and seek to better the world.
Over 60 young people selected from about 350 nominees, and drawn from diverse backgrounds and sectors got trained at the UN Habitat’s One Stop Youth Resource Centre in Kenya, were presented with certificates of recognitions for their outstanding achievements in community service, particularly improving youth livelihoods, promoting social and economic transformation and community development.

http://unhabitat.org/un-habitat-unveils-the-first-batch-of-emerging-community-champions/

A Departure From Decades of Highway Policy

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx is urging communities to think more carefully about where they build roads.
Before he was the United States Secretary of Transportation, before he was Mayor of Charlotte, before he was a Charlotte city councilmember, Anthony Foxx grew up in a split-level house in Charlotte in the shadow of two freeways: I-77 and I-85.
When his grandparents bought the house in 1961, he says, the area was part of an interconnected networks of streets and homes, a true neighborhood. Later, the state added two highways, cutting the house and its neighbors off from the rest of the city. There was one road in and out after the highways were completed, and the neighborhood slowly became a place where no one wanted to live or open a business, and where not even the pizza-delivery guy would go.

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/03/the-transportation-secretary-speaks-out-against-highways/475749/

What Happens When a City Is Run by Private Industry?

India is known for its hellish commutes, with traffic jams regularly reaching miles and lasting hours. And despite technological promises to make riding the railways and subways more convenient, the country’s mass transit system still needs work. So it was exciting news when local media reported last week that India is finally ready to debut its first “taxi pods,” or personal rapid transit (PRT), in the industrial city of Gurgaon.

http://www.citylab.com/commute/2016/03/what-happens-when-a-city-is-run-by-private-industry/475905/

ECF launches tool to help cities find EU cycling funding

A new tool that allows users to find European Union funding for cycling-related projects has been launched by the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF).
According to the ECF around €2.3 billion is available for cycling-related projects, with a minimum of €1.3 billion available during the current seven-year funding cycle.
The EU Funds Monitoring Observatory provides an overview of over 200 different programming documents covering the whole of the 2014-2020 EU financial period.

http://www.eltis.org/discover/news/ecf-launches-tool-help-cities-find-eu-cycling-funding

UN plans global municipal fiscal database to aid city planning

The UN’s Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the US-based think-tank signed an agreement earlier this month to build the database. It is hoped it will make cities more safe, resilient and sustainable by increasing access to and transparency in municipal fiscal data.
Joan Clos, executive director of UN-Habitat, emphasised the importance of municipal planning and good management and highlighted the value of a three-pronged approach to urbanisation, which links planning, municipal finance and legal frameworks.

http://www.publicfinanceinternational.org/news/2016/03/un-plans-global-municipal-fiscal-database-aid-city-planning

Why are public spaces important for the New Urban Agenda?

UCLG and UN Habitat highlight the importance of public spaces during the Habitat III Africa Regional Meeting
Public space has become an important subject for many towns and cities around the world, including African cities. Public spaces can help urban centers meet the targets set by the Sustainable Development Goals, for example Goal 11 “making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/why-are-public-spaces-important-new-urban-agenda

World Bank helps cities improve waste management

Unregulated or illegal dumps serve more than half the world’s population due to lack of trash collection in many developing cities. The World Bank aims to remedy the situation by teaming with municipalities such as Monrovia, Liberia and Ningbo, China on sustainable waste management. Since 2000, the Bank has supported 329 solid waste initiatives worldwide with lending that totals US$4.5 billion, it says.
Trash collection may lack the caché of ‘smart’ cities, but it’s a critical issue that impacts health, pollution and living standards. The World Bank warns that rapid urbanization, population growth and economic prosperity are straining waste processing resources in cities. The organization focuses on more than just proper disposal. It also emphasizes recycling, reuse and waste reduction.

http://citiscope.org/citisignals/2016/world-bank-helps-cities-improve-waste-management

Pigeon Air Patrol to track air quality in London

The city of London is severly affected by air pollution and various measures have been taken to lower emissions. Now a new patrol is in charge of tracking air quality and contribute to raising awareness of health issues among the population: the Pigeon Air Patrol.

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/1063/45/Pigeon-Air-Patrol-to-track-air-quality-in-London

10 cities that have reinvented themselves

It's time to reintroduce yourself to these 10 cities that have done the impossible and transformed themselves from C-list destinations into ones worthy of your precious holiday time. You’ll be glad you gave them that second chance to woo you, courtesy of new attractions, hotels, and restaurants that come wrapped up with a fresh “can-do” attitude and plenty of pride.

http://www.urbangateway.org/news/10-cities-have-reinvented-themselves-0

Italy changes law about food waste by supermarkets

The cause for cutting food waste is gaining momentum across Europe.
After France’s parliament pledge to crack down on the national epidemic of food waste, now Italy changes a law to make all supermarkets give unsold food to needy. Unlike France, which fines supermarkets found wasting food, Italy intends to offer businesses incentives help tackle the country’s waste problem by donating food. Read the full article by The Independent here, and for more inspiring articles about the future of food consumption, production and waste take a look at the recommended pages below.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/italy-food-waste-law-supermarkets-a6931681.html

Finding suitable financing solutions for energy retrofits in Latvia

A recent CITYnvest workshop in Riga trained Latvian local authorities in using innovative financial instruments for retrofitting projects.
CITYnvestis a Horizon 2020 project that aims to help local authorities identify and implement finance solutions (e.g. energy performance contracting, revolving funds) to fund the implementation of energy efficiency projects in the framework of their Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAPs).

http://www.eumayors.eu/news_en.html?id_news=724

Adapting Global Crisis Response to an Urban World

In the run-up to the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS), a number of committed organizations have started to define a Global Alliance for Urban Crises with UCLG as the representative of local governments.
The Global Alliance for Urban Crises will be a platform that aims to establish effective and efficient partnerships to prevent, prepare for and better respond to urban crises. The alliance builds on the long-standing work of the membership in this field and in particular the work of the UCLG Working Group on Local Government Disaster Response.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/adapting-global-crisis-response-urban-world

Choked Mexico City bans 1m cars in air pollution alert

Free public transport offered as city remains shrouded in muddy brown smog and officials consider suspending industrial activity
Authorities have banned more than 1 million cars from the roads and offered free subway and bus rides to coax people from their vehicles as Mexico City’s first air pollution alert in 11 years stretched into a third day.
Officials advised people on Wednesday to limit outdoor activity owing to high ozone levels that were nearly double acceptable limits in the sprawling capital, which lies in a high-altitude valley ringed by smog-trapping volcanic mountains.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/16/choked-mexico-city-bans-1m-cars-in-air-pollution-alert

Can Habitat III contribute to a ‘smart shift’ in urban planning?

An Urban Thinkers Campus in Paris focused on how smart planning can foster urban development.
In 2050, an estimated 70 percent of the world’s population will be living in cities. If in the next 35 years, millions of inhabitants will be migrating to urban areas, what common principles do we need to define in order to cope with this reality?
And based on those principles, what initiatives and government solutions will be needed to guarantee fundamental rights and quality of life, as well as inclusive development, jobs and affordable housing for everyone in this hyper-urbanized future?

http://citiscope.org/habitatIII/news/2016/02/can-habitat-iii-contribute-smart-shift-urban-planning

Slovakia to explore building a Hyperloop system

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies Inc. (HTT) has announced in a press release that it has met with Slovakian government officials to finalize and sign an agreement to explore building a local Hyperloop system, with the vision of creating future routes connecting Bratislava with Vienna, Austria and Budapest, Hungary.
Hyperloop is a tube-based transportation system for inter- and intra-city transport. The removal of air in a tube allows for the passage of capsules at high speeds. The system maintains passenger comfort whilst accelerating capsules safely to 760 mph.

http://www.fotcp.com/fot/slovakia-explore-building-hyperloop-system/

Smart CITIES 2.0 to Feature Global City Perspectives

Representatives of Seoul, Gothenburg and Hamburg confirmed for Metropolitan Solutions conference
The draft conference program for the Smart CITIES 2.0 conference at Metropolitan Solutions 2016 is now available.
As a problem-oriented and solutions-driven event, ICLEI’s Smart CITIES 2.0 conference shifts the debate by looking at what cities need out of the often technology-focused Smart Cities concept. Cities will show how they use ‘smartness’ to address urban issues.

http://www.iclei.org/details/article/smart-cities-20-to-feature-global-city-perspectives.html

What characterizes the urbanism of the Global North?

What commonalities are shared by the U.S., Europe and Central Asia? Mega-regions, connectivity, supra-nationality — and a need for migration.
In development parlance, key attention is paid to the “Global South”, a geographic term with major economic and social implications. What was once the “Third World”, now more commonly the “developing world”, is also recognized for its southerly place on the globe — a more neutral description that can simultaneously account for booming “middle-income” economies and countries mired in extreme poverty.

http://citiscope.org//habitatIII/news/2016/03/what-characterizes-urbanism-global-north

Why Race Matters in Planning Public Parks

A major overhaul of a huge Houston park reveals disparities in what white, black, and Latino residents want—and need.
Houston is embarking upon a $220 million parks project called Bayou Greenways 2020, a 150-mile network of continuous hiking trails, biking paths, and green space that will run throughout the city. When completed in 2020, it will make good on plans made by the urban planner Arthur Comey in 1912 to connect the city’s parks with the many strips of bayous scratching open the Houston landscape. Residents approved by ballot referendum a $166 million bond in 2012 to pay for the Bayou Greenways 2020 project, and for improvements to the near-50,000 acres of park space in the city. The goal is to connect the area’s bayous and parks to neighborhoods spanning the region.

http://www.citylab.com/design/2016/03/why-race-matters-in-planning-public-parks-houston-texas/474966/

Habitat III Policy Units “a benchmark of inclusion in the history of Habitat conferences” says Joan Clos

At the Habitat III European Regional Meeting in Prague, representatives of UCLG/the Global Taskforce and the LSE officially handed over the Habitat III Policy Paper produced by Policy Unit 4 to the Secretary-General of the Conference, Joan Clos, and the Bureau of the Preparatory Committee.
UCLG, the Global Taskforce and the LSE co-led Policy Unit 4 on Urban Governance, Capacity and Institutional Development. Local government networks also participated in most of the remaining nine Policy Units, which also handed over their Policy Papers in Prague.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/habitat-iii-policy-units-benchmark-inclusion-history-habitat-conferences-says-joan-clos

What Africa’s emerging cities can learn from China

By 2030, more than half of African residents will be living in cities. These cities are being built, in large part, by China—from major roads to government buildings, apartment towers, and sports stadiums.
Since the 1980s, more than 500 million Chinese moved from the countryside to urban centers. While Chinese cities have problems with over congestion, pollution, and shoddy construction, there’s much Africa can learn from the Asian giant. And more African architects and designers can have a hand in the design and construction of the continent’s new cities.

http://qz.com/623798/what-africas-emerging-cities-can-learn-from-china/

How cities around the world are protecting billions of people from climate change

Experts have often pointed out that, when it comes to fighting climate change, the world’s cities have both special risks and special opportunities. Climate change has the potential to bring down a hailstorm of consequences on urban areas, including flooding, public health risks and economic collapse.
So protecting the billions of people who live in these places — more than half the global population, and growing — is a big concern for world leaders. But new research suggests that the global community may need to do more to make sure its most vulnerable populations are being protected.

http://thegreencity.com/how-cities-around-the-world-are-protecting-billions-of-people-from-climate-change/

The war for talent in cities

‘The war for talent’ is a term first coined in 1997. In a ground-breaking McKinsey study (Steven Hankin of McKinsey & Company ) it described the increasingly competitive landscape for recruiting and retaining talented employees as a strategic business challenge and a critical driver of corporate performance. The study advocated a mind-set that emphasized the importance of talent to the success of organizations and a recognition that competitive advantage comes from having better talent at all levels.

http://urbact.eu/war-talent-cities

A new platform to put cities at the core of sustainable development

Urban areas will play a critical role in achieving sustainable development and combating climate change. Many cities have already taken bold steps to reduce their environmental footprint, and have often been able to do so much more quickly and pro-actively than their national governments.
Based on the premise that greener cities are the key to a more sustainable future, the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility launched the new Global Platform for Sustainable Cities (GPSC) earlier this month in Singapore. The new platform will help mobilize funding for urban sustainability programs, while also facilitating knowledge exchange between cities.

http://blogs.worldbank.org/sustainablecities/new-platform-put-cities-core-sustainable-development

How is public space changing in European cities?

From regeneration and grassroots activism to privatisation and security, public space in Europe’s cities is shaped by a variety of urban developments.
There has been a significant backlash recently in London about the loss of public space, as green parks, open-air squares and riverside paths become victims of private ownership. Last month, campaigners took part in a “mass trespass” outside City Hall – a site where even photography may be restricted by private security – to protest against the chunks of the capital falling into private hands.

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/mar/24/how-is-public-space-changing-in-european-cities

How America’s Mayors Are Taking the Lead on Income Inequality

They're doing what they can on this challenging issue, but they think it's a problem Washington and state governments should solve.
Earlier this year, Boston University's Initiative on Cities published its inaugural Menino Survey of Mayors, named in honor of Thomas Menino, the late urban visionary who served as mayor of Boston for two decades. The nonpartisan survey, conducted in partnership with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, took the pulse of nearly 90 mayors on many of today's most pressing urban issues. Press headlines understandably focused on the top policy priorities cited by the mayors, namely greater federal funding to fix crumbling infrastructure and the need for urgent reforms to community policing.

http://www.governing.com/gov-institute/voices/col-mayors-addressing-income-inequality.html

How Urban Parks Are Bringing Nature Close to Home

There is magic here, the delight in being not quite lost and not quite found.
I am off trail, following an unnamed stream in northeast Ohio, scrambling over downed trees through a ravine of crumbling shale, the water milky with silt as it cascades over tiny falls. The sun dances with the stream and the hardwoods. When I take off my boots and splash in the small pools, I feel the cool of the mud between my toes. In the distance, just over the rise, the sound of the city comes and goes. Civilization is so close and seems so far, and in that toggle is the wonder of an urban park.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2016/04/nature-urban-national-parks/

Small-Town America Is Facing Big-City Problems

From Portland, Maine, to Traverse City, Michigan, many smaller U.S. cities are struggling with densification, NIMBY politics and housing affordability.
A new farm-to-table restaurant selling locally sourced pork and seasonally appropriate vegetables moves into a rehabbed insane asylum. A famous director renovates an 80-year-old theater in the heart of downtown. Coffee shops, breweries and more restaurants pop up and begin serving all their drinks in mason jars. Popularity soars and the rents rise.

https://nextcity.org/features/view/traverse-city-small-cities-growth-planning

SUMP Kits from the CH4LLENGE project are there

The four kits tackle the four challenges in SUMP – Participation, Institutional Cooperation, Measure Selection, and Monitoring and Evaluation.
The CH4LLENGE project (2013-2016) is soon coming to an end and its main output – the SUMP Kits is already there. Nine European cities and eight supporting organisations were part of the consortium working over three years for overcoming the four most pressing challenges in sustainable urban mobility planning:

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/1066/45/SUMP-Kits-from-the-CH4LLENGE-project-are-there

Create smarter buildings if you want smarter cities, says Honeywell

The region may have grand ambitions when it comes to the development of smart cities, but better integration between buildings is required if they are to achieve these, according to a new study.
The US-based engineering firm Honeywell has unveiled new research providing a Smart Building Score for 620 buildings in seven Middle East cities, which found that few industries were able to integrate data from different buildings within their own companies, let alone between different building owners within geographical areas.
Honeywell partnered with EY and Nielsen on the research, which scored each of the buildings out of 100 on 15 factors related to their safety, sustainability and productivity. These included everything from the efficiency and coverage of cooling systems, fire detection, access control and the reliability of Wi-Fi.

http://www.thenational.ae/business/property/create-smarter-buildings-if-you-want-smarter-cities-says-honeywell

Cities Should Ban Cheating Diesel Cars Until They’re Fixed

It could be left to cities to force Volkswagen, its subsidiaries, and car dealers to fix the emissions of the 11+ million diesel cars fitted with defeat devices.
It has been almost six months since the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) disclosed its findings that Volkswagen had improperly installed a “defeat device” on the engines of diesel cars from 2009 to 2015 to circumvent environmental regulations of NOx emissions.
Since the EPA announcement we have learned that over 11 million vehicles are affected worldwide, most of them in Europe, where diesel is much more popular than other parts of the world, particularly the US.

http://www.citiesofthefuture.eu/cities-should-ban-cheating-diesel-cars/

Cities Incentivizing Greener Infrastructure to Better Manage Water

In any given year, Philadelphia pumps 11 billion gallons (42 billion liters) of effluent through more than 100 outflows and into the Delaware River, along with numerous smaller waterways. With much of the city saddled to a Victorian-era sewer system that swirls stormwater and human waste together, the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) does not have much of a choice.
“The old model just piped everything away,” says Chris Crockett, deputy commissioner at the PWD. “But the stormwater washes all the accumulated pollution off streets and parking lots, into the sewers and out into the river.”

http://urbanland.uli.org/sustainability/incentivizing-greener-infrastructure-reduce-philadelphias-runoff/

UN-Habitat and Lincoln Institute pilot a Global Municipal Database for Sustainable Urbanization

Top officials from UN-Habitat and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy signed an agreement in Mexico City this month to create a pilot for a global municipal fiscal database that will result in the reporting of fiscal data for select cities in Asia, Latin America and Africa. The signing ceremony was attended by Dr. Joan Clos, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, and George W. McCarthy, president of the Lincoln Institute, and Marco Kamiya, acting coordinator, Urban Economy and Finance Branch of UN-Habitat.

http://unhabitat.org/un-habitat-and-lincoln-institute-pilot-a-global-municipal-database-for-sustainable-urbanization/

Smart Cities Could be Transformed by Analytics

One of the leading innovative analytics, business intelligence and data management software and services provider, SAS has joined the Smart Cities Council (SCC), to assist municipal governments make better use of data, social media and the internet of things (IoT0.
To aid cities address pressing challenged in new ways, the SCC organizes government entities, technology providers, experts and other. According to SAS, the Smart Cities Council is the world’s largest smart cities network and the leader in smart cities education.
With SAS Analytics cities, states and countries worldwide will be able to improve citizens services, prevent losses from fraud preserve natural resources, and promote transportation alternatives. Cities will be drawing from an array of technologies to handle current and future data challenges.

http://thinkingcities.com/smart-cities-could-be-transformed-by-analytics/

What the Boom in Women-Owned Businesses Means for Cities

New research suggests that urban areas could benefit from stepping up to support female entrepreneurship.
If a new business were to open in one of the top 25 most populous cities in the United States, it’d be pretty reasonable to guess there was a woman behind it.
A new report from the Center for an Urban Future details the rates of growth for women-owned businesses between 2007 and 2012 in these cities, and the numbers are impressive. Nationally, the average rate of growth for women-owned businesses hit 27 percent, but 24 out of the 25 largest cities surpassed that number. Cities averaged a growth rate of 43 percent; Memphis topped the list with a 116 percent increase in female-owned firms.

http://www.citylab.com/work/2016/03/what-the-boom-in-women-owned-businesses-means-for-cities/475218/

How High Point, N.C., Solved Its Domestic Violence Problem

Can the strategy, which was originally developed to reduce gang violence, be replicated elsewhere?
Every morning when Detective Jerry Thompson arrives at work, he checks the jail roster to see who was arrested last night and who’ll be appearing before a judge later in the morning for a bond hearing. Assaults, DUIs, misdemeanors, felony drugs -- Thompson passes over these. He’s looking for just one type of arrest: domestic violence.

http://www.governing.com/topics/public-justice-safety/gov-domestic-violence-focused-deterrence.html

The New Urban Agenda will pay for itself

On the sidelines of last week’s Habitat III thematic meeting on financing the New Urban Agenda, Habitat III Secretary-General Joan Clos sat down with Citiscope’s Greg Scruggs to discuss the key moment to which this process has come.

http://citiscope.org//habitatIII/commentary/2016/03/new-urban-agenda-will-pay-itself

New metro station design cuts exposure to harmful air - study

Researchers have found that newly designed metro stations with platform sliding doors and good ventilation can reduce passengers’ exposure to harmful air pollutants.
Two EU-funded projects investigated the air quality in metro stations in Barcelona (Spain) during two seasonal periods: warm (April to July 2013) and cold (October 2013 to March 2014).
High-volume samplers were used to collect fine particulate matter (PM2.5) on the platforms of four stations, representing different designs.

http://www.eltis.org/discover/news/new-metro-station-design-cuts-exposure-harmful-air-study

Youth: The centrepiece of urban renewal

Slum dwellers share a whole lot in common with citizens of war torn countries. There is civil strife, and the most basic infrastructure is non-existent, interrupted or destroyed. As a result, most slum dwellers are forced to adapt to the existing situation or improvise just to have access to food and shelter. Unlike people affected by war, who can look up to the future to rebuild their country, slum dwellers are often forgotten and left without any means to address issues like lack of access to services and infrastructure.

http://www.urbanafrica.net/urban-voices/youth-the-centrepiece-of-urban-renewal/

A manifesto for London at 10 million: 'Give its citizens the freedom to live well'

A city will struggle if it can no longer house the people who teach, clean, nurse, cook, police, drive and entertain. In an extract from his new book Slow Burn City, the Observer architecture critic Rowan Moore declares his manifesto – that if London is to grow to 10 million, it desperately needs an intervention

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/mar/10/manifesto-london-10-million-citizens-freedom-rowan-moore

Vision Zero Efforts Boost NYC’s Take in Fines

New York City collected a record $1.9 billion in fees and fines during the 2015 fiscal year, with growth driven by an increase in motor vehicle violations under Vision Zero and a jump in quality-of-life fines like littering and noise pollution, according to a report from Comptroller Scott Stringer.
That’s a 5.5 percent increase over the $1.7 billion collected in 2014, and a 13.3 percent increase since 2012. The city collected $974 million from fees (charges for municipal services like parking and community college) and $957 million from fines (parking tickets, building code violations, etc.). Between 2014 and 2015, revenue from fines grew three times faster than revenue from fees.

https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/vision-zero-fines-nyc-increase

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