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NEWS - JULY 2013

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Introducing the PPI Platform
The Public Procurement of Innovation (PPI) Platform is now live at www.innovation-procurement.org. The Platform is a brand new system that aims to make public procurement of innovation a wide-spread reality in Europe.
With Europe’s economy facing serious challenges with regard to growth and competitiveness, the need to find innovative and sustainable solutions is more important than ever before. Procurement is a powerful tool to stimulate the market to offer innovative and sustainable solutions. The Platform has been developed to help public authorities, procurers, policy makers, researchers and other stakeholders harness the power of PPI. Custom-made to meet the needs of users, the PPI Platform is comprised of three elements.
The website is the first port of call for all things related to PPI and pre-commercial procurement (PCP). It contains the latest news on PPI and PCP developments and events, the European legal framework, policy support and more specifically, it will offer the latest updates on PPI and PCP related projects.
The Procurement Forum is a space for procurers and related stakeholders to discuss, share and connect, allowing them to post comments and upload documents, images or videos. Users can create groups, which are ideal for developing and coordinating projects involving numerous partners.
The Resource Centre provides a centralised database for PPI guidance, gathering useful documents in one place. Resources include national and European policy and strategy documents, tools, case studies, details of projects and initiatives, and reports.
The platform has been developed by ICLEI with support from the European Commission, and in partnership with PIANOo – the Dutch Public Procurement Expertise Centre, REC – the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe and IWT – the Flemish Agency for Innovation by Science and Technology.
Feedback on the platform is welcomed. The platform is set out to create a user experience that is rewarding, informative, and enjoyable - any input that helps to achieve this is most welcome. All features are fully functioning, but in case of any issues or feedback please contact us at: info@innovation-procurement.org.
To visit the platform, click here. http://www.innovation-procurement.org/

Copenhagen’s Host Programme facilitates the integration process
Copenhagen’s Host Programme seeks to facilitate encounters between newly arrived migrants and Copenhageners who wish to volunteer as hosts. It is coordinated by the city’s Department for Integration and Language which is responsible for administrating the Integration Act in the municipality of Copenhagen. The programme is operated in close collaboration with two local organisations. The “Danish Refugee Council” carries out social activities with newly arrived inhabitants including Danish conversation courses and provides information on the local community, cultural activities and those carried out by local associations.
http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/culture/Cities/Newsletter/newsletter28/danemark_en.asp

Mayors for Peace to promote World Urban Campaign as City Changers
The representative of Mayors for Peace to the African Union this week signed an agreement with UN-Habitat inviting African mayors to be Associate Partners of the World Urban Campaign.
The agreement was signed in Nairobi, by Dr. Joan Clos, Under – Secretary -General and Executive Director of United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and Ambassador Mussie Hailu, the representative of Mayors for Peace to the African Union.
Dr. Clos highlighted that the role of Mayors for Peace in mobilizing Mayors through the network they have in each city is very important to engage in launching campaigns under the slogan ‘I’m a City Changer’Those campaigns shall enable Mayors to engage citizens, communities and their partners, to promote positive actions towards a green, inclusive, productive, better planned, resilient, safe, and healthy city.
http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=12369&catid=5&typeid=6&AllContent=1

Making non-residential buildings energy efficient: Ever heard of the GreenBuilding Programme?
The building sector is one of the largest CO2 emitters in the EU and a crucial field of action that Covenant signatory cities ought to include in their Sustainable Energy Action Plans. For local authorities, addressing the non-residential sector – outside of their sphere of competence - can often prove a considerable challenge.
In this context, the European Commission’s voluntary GreenBuilding Programme (GBP) can provide significant help, as it supports energy efficiency improvements in both existing and new, non-residential buildings across Europe. Via this programme, the European Commission gives partner status to companies implementing sustainable energy measures in their building stock, and provides them with information support and public recognition.
http://www.eumayors.eu/news_en.html?id_news=487

IDC IDs China’s smart cities
China’s smart city market is expected to reach $10,8-billion in 2013, representing an increase of 18,5% compared to the previous year, says IDC
This is one of the key findings of IDC’s China 100 Smart Cities Evaluation and Recommendation: Penetrating the Appropriate Target Cities Is Key.
In it, IDC identifies target cities with more market opportunities, larger market space and development opportunity based on the maturity level of city informatisation and regional characteristics.
In addition, IDC integrated the construction, upfront investment and competition situations of provincial city circles into its findings to create a Smart City Evaluation Index System that provides decision-making support for vendors who are considering to expand into specific target cities.
http://www.urbangateway.org/content/news/idc-ids-china%E2%80%99s-smart-cities

UN Volunteers to start e-discussion on children & youngsters in Urban Areas
As part of UNV’s effort in the framework of the post-2015 process, UNV presents a concrete opportunity for civil society and youth in particular to speak up their voices.
Starting August 1, UNICEF, UN-Habitat, the Major Group for Children and Youth and UNV will be moderating an e-discussion on the theme “Children and Young People living in Urban Areas”. UNV would like to invite you to take part to the consultation by engaging your constituency in actively participate in the conversation.
This proposed e-discussion precedes “Urban inequalities and inequities in the post-2015 agenda, “a panel led by UNICEF and the Committee on Social Inclusion, Participatory Democracy and Human Rights of the UCLG. The panel will be part of the World Summit of Local and Regional Leaders, 4th UCLG Congress: Imagine Society, Build Democracy, which will take place in Rabat, Morocco, 1-4 October, 2013.
http://www.uclg.org/en/node/16367

More Jobs: Better Cities - A Framework for City Action on Jobs
How to help cities support and grow more and better jobs for the recovery? This is the key challenge tackled by the paper "More Jobs: Better Cities - A Framework for City Action on Jobs" part of a series of six new URBACT thematic reports "Cities of Tomorrow: Action Today". Written by Mike Campbell and Alison Partridge, this report provides a framework for city action on jobs. It can be used as a tool to review and develop existing approaches, stimulating a rethinking of city action and providing advice and guidance to policy-makers and practitioners.
http://urbact.eu/en/news-and-events/view-one/news/?entryId=5276

URBIS website provides searchable database of biodiversity case studies
The Urban Biosphere (URBIS) Initiative, a global alliance of partners encouraging conservation of biodiversity and the sustainable use of natural resources to be made priorities in urban development, have launched a new website, providing an online resource platform on sustainable urban development and effective biodiversity management.
Users can view publications, guidelines and case studies from around the world, searchable by location, Aichi Target, and other categories. To join URBIS, cities must submit at least one case study, detailing their work on biodiversity conservation within sustainable urban development. All case studies are fully searchable, and feature a range of useful experiences.
Members come from across the globe, including ICLEI members Barcelona (Spain), Cape Town (South Africa), Cascais (Portugal) and Auckland (New Zealand) among others. The website is still in its soft-launch phase, with certain content gaps, but will be continuously improving. Those who wish to join the initiative can do so via online form.
To view the website, click here. http://urbis.iclei.org/home

New EC policy on procurement of interoperable ICT
The EC has recently adopted a new policy to help public authorities avoid dependence on a single ICT supplier. The EC has launched a 'Guide for the procurement of standards-based ICT — Elements of Good Practice' accompanied by a Communication 'Against lock-in: building open ICT systems by making better use of standards in public'. UTMC and OCIT, the two open standards and specifications frameworks within the POSSE project, are cited in the guide.
http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/484/45/New-EC-policy-on-procurement-of-interoperable-ICT

UN launches World Economic and Social Survey: New strategies needed to address impacts of rapid urbanization
New strategies are needed to address the impacts of rapid urbaniza tion around the world, including increasing demands for energy, water, sanitation, public services, education and health, according to the World Economic and Social Survey 2013, launched today at the United Nations.
The 2013 Survey examines the many challenges that must be ad dressed to achieve sustainable development. The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development—Rio+20 set out a framework for action and follow-up across a wide range of issues and the survey zooms in on three critical challenges – food security, energy transformation a nd sustainable cities [...]."
http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/policy/wess/wess_current/wess2013/WESS2013_pressrelease.pdf

Parking and urban access - contribute to the AIPARK-Sapienza survey
AIPARK and Sapienza – University of Rome started a cooperative study on the contemporary situation of parking management and practice in Europe with a special focus on accessibility problems to urban central areas. Polis members are invited to contribute.
http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/485/45/Parking-and-urban-access---contribute-to-the-AIPARK-Sapienza-survey

New edition of the publication “For a World of Inclusive Cities”
The UCLG Committee on Social Inclusion, Participatory Democracy and Human Rights reissued its publication "For a World of Inclusive Cities”. The publication follows the graphical line of its previous publications: the Charter-Agenda for Human Rights in the City, the European Charter for the Safeguarding of Human Rights in the City and the Inclusive Cities Observatory brochure. “For a world of inclusive cities” aims to disseminate the policy paper on social inclusion drafted by the Committee and adopted by UCLG in 2008. The paper presents the main policy guidelines that cities are recommended to follow when conceiving and developing public policies on social inclusion. It also aims to facilitate UCLG’s position on this issue and foster dialogue with other organizations or agencies. The document was inspired by the conclusions of the “1st International Seminar on Innovative Local Policies for Social Inclusion”, held in Barcelona in 2007, as well as the political discussions that took place within UCLG through its regional sections and working committees. The experiences presented at the Seminar are available on the website of the Inclusive Cities Observatory: http://www.uclg-cisdp.org/observatory. We invite you to download the publication through the following link: For a World of Inclusive Cities or to consult the section of the Committee website devoted to this document: web section about For a World of Inclusive Cities.
See more at: http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/new-edition-publication-%E2%80%9C-world-inclusive-cities%E2%80%9D#sthash.kmyieZSY.dpuf

Suwon sets EcoMobility model for cities worldwide
How are big and continuously growing Asian cities coping with urban challenges, and particularly transportation, in an era where climate change and its impacts are becoming more visible and relevant to the urban population? ICLEI speaks to Yeom Tae-Young, Mayor of Suwon City, who envisions EcoMobility – carbon-free and resource-efficient means of transport – as the key to creating ecofriendly and people-centered cities of the future.
http://www.iclei.org/details/article/suwon-sets-ecomobility-model-for-cities-worldwide.html

Partner Cities Meet to "Enjoy" Sustainable Food in Gothenburg
Sustainable, healthy food is a hot topic in Europe, and the Sustainable Food for Urban Communities URBACT project is now tackling this vast subject. Interesting and enjoyable exchanges on the theme "Enjoying" took place at the project workshop in Gothenburg late May 2013 focusing on the role of canteens and consumer behaviour in making improving our food system. Discover what happened during this transnational meeting and the project outputs.
http://urbact.eu/en/news-and-events/view-one/news/?entryId=5273

Reinventing Inner-Ring Suburbs
Inner-ring suburbs are becoming denser and more populated, according to a recent article by the Urban Land Institute (ULI). Municipalities are responding by promoting compact development near transit. Creating nodes of mixed-use infill projects in these suburbs will be key to meeting consumer demand for more walkable communities, notes the ULI.
http://urbanland.uli.org/Articles/2013/Jun/RusinSuburbanism#.Ud48wioQ1hk.gmail

Vote for the best EU low-carbon project
The first stage in the search for Europe's best solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has come to a close.
The World You Like Challenge invited the most creative minds from across the EU to put their low-carbon innovations to the test. ICLEI Europe is a partner of the " A world you like. With a climate you like" campaign.
Vote for the most practical, cost-efficient and effective climate solutions, which can also be applied in other European countries!
EU Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard said: “It has been truly encouraging to see so many innovative projects out there – from low-carbon transport solutions and digital tools to make sustainable living easier, to companies, schools and homes producing their own renewable energy. Now that the voting is about to start, what do YOU think are the best solutions to create a world we like? I look forward to rewarding the best ones at our award show in Copenhagen this autumn."
Until 19 August, the public will be able to decide which ten European projects should go on to the next stage through an online vote. These projects will then be put to a jury led by Commissioner Hedegaard, which will select three finalists to be honoured at the Sustainia Award Ceremony in Copenhagen this autumn.
One finalist will be awarded the grand prize: the European media package. The winner will be given the chance to produce a professional video based on their entry and will receive a wealth of media support to promote their successful project across Europe.
As the campaign has a special focus on Bulgaria, Italy, Lithuania, Poland and Portugal, a national winner will be selected in each of these five countries. The winning entries will be featured on billboard campaigns in their own capital this autumn.
Public voting on http://world-you-like.europa.eu from 19 June to 19 August;

EU funding boost to promote sustainable transport in 18 countries
The European Commission has released the names of another 18 winning actions to be awarded funding. Each action will receive up to EUR 7000. This financial support will enable campaigners involved in a range of pursuits to expand their activities promoting sustainable urban mobility.
In July 2012, the European Commission launched the Sustainable Urban Mobility campaign. Under the slogan ‘Do the Right Mix’, the campaign showcases and supports local, regional, and national promotional actions across Europe. The central aim is to encourage EU citizens to embrace multi-modality – that is to say to combine or ‘mix’ multiple modes of transport in their everyday lives.
Since the launch of the campaign in 2012, nearly 380 sustainable urban mobility actions have been registered on the central www.dotherightmix.eu website. The ongoing and upcoming actions are displayed on the innovative Mobility Map, which provides enhanced Europe-wide visibility for campaigners. The website also features a fun and interactive Facebook game in which users must choose the most sustainable transport options for the central character, Edgar, and can win a foldable bike.
The second call for funding saw 74 applications from 18 eligible countries. The application process was open until 31 May 2013 and successful applicants were selected by a panel of expert judges, all experienced in the field of sustainable urban mobility. One outstanding activity in each country was granted financial support.
Read the European Commission press release on the winning SUM actions here.
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-13-654_en.htm

World Town Planning Day Online Conference
Professional planning associations from around the world are celebrating World Town Planning Day in November with an international on-line conference.
The theme this year is WATER AND PLANNING: THE FLUID CHALLENGE.
Most Planning professionals around the world have dealt with at least one major water-related challenge in their career: flood, drought, climate change, supply shortages or demand management. The way the profession responds has a significant impact on the future of our communities. This Online Conference will bring together ideas from around the world and we are especially keen to attract speakers who provide a perspective from outside the traditional realm of ‘planning and design’ and draw on multi-disciplinary material. We hope to offer insights to help improve the built environment - our cities, towns, rural communities – and the natural environment
We invite you to contribute to the fifth Online Conference for World Town Planning Day. Please join us and share ways to plan for our communities in the face of so many issues related to water. To offer a paper, please send a 200-word abstracts to planningtheworld@gmail.com by 20th August.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us on planningtheworld@gmail.com, visit the website www.planningtheworld.net

Is Urban Planning Effective in the Developing World?
A common question raised by those working in the developing world is whether urban planning is useful in those environments. Since questions often focus on planning of a comprehensive type, they overlook planning's intrinsic value and flexibility.
Chyi-Yun Huang, an Urban Specialist at the World Bank, continues a discussion started at the Bank's South Asia Region workshop on whether comprehensive long term planning works in such countries as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Nepal, that "face immediate urgencies, and more often than not, system failures in its urban development."
"There are perhaps two common misconceptions about urban planning: (i) it is a costly exercise that takes a very long time to complete; and (ii) a plan is a rigid, inflexible regulatory document that does not respond to on-the-ground needs and changes," she observes. "Yes, while the typical developed country model of comprehensive urban planning may require high technology, high capacity analysis, extensive modeling and typically large amount of resources, that is not the only form of planning. Gathering a block of residents and agree that a road is needed at a certain alignment is planning; the roads agency meeting the drainage agency to coordinate construction schedule for a road is planning; the community leader discussing with the residents on the vision of the community is planning."
She goes on to detail three elements that demonstrate the intrinsic value of planning, representing its ability to be effective in such environments:
•Urban planning embodies a vision...
•Urban planning is a value creation tool...
•Urban planning is a coordination and communication instrument...
http://blogs.worldbank.org/endpovertyinsouthasia/urban-planning-necessary?cid=EXT_WBBlogSocialShare_D_EXT&goback=.gde_3970345_member_253894244

Scholarships available for the course "Strengthening the Capacity of City Officials for Urban Adaptation and Resilience"
A one-week course called "Strengthening the Capacity of City Officials for Urban Adaptation and Resilience" is planned for the staff of local governments. There are full scholarships available to cover the costs for participants from low- and middle-income nations.
In the next 20 years the world’s urban population is expected to rise from 3.3 billion to 5 billion. Urbanisation will increase the pressure on infrastructure and services like road networks and the provision of electricity and water and sanitation. Climate change presents an additional challenge for cities in both developed and developing countries. Increasing temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, rising sea levels and more frequent and severe extreme events threaten to overwhelm urban infrastructure, emergency services, social services and urban management systems.
Adaptation will require action at the local level to adapt to climate change and protect the residents, industries, societies and economies from the impacts of climate change.
This course is aimed at strengthening the capacity of city officials who have been mandated to engage with adaptation and resilience in urban areas. It will be particularly appropriate for local government employees in towns and cities that have recently identified climate change adaptation as a priority, but that are still at early stages in developing their responses.
http://www.uclg.org/en/node/15566#sthash.ZVxSn8oX.dpuf

Local authorities’ engagement in Rio+20 implementation
The Member States are currently working and negotiating, in the follow up of Rio+20 process, involving local and regional authorities. International Conferences and processes led by the United Nations are intergovernmental by nature as the only official actors of the UN international processes are the States. However, these processes increasingly involve non state actors’ participation through the Major Groups.
In the follow up of Rio+20 process, the implementation of the main outcomes of the Conference is made through two important mechanisms: The Open Working Group and the High Level Political Forum. These two mechanisms will also play a key role in the definition of the new development agenda and the Post 2015 policy. UCLG has been nominated as organizing partner of the Local Authorities Major Group (LAMG) for the Rio+20 Process (together with nrg4SD and ICLEI), as contact point between the Secretariat and the members of the constituency.
http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/local-authorities%E2%80%99-engagement-rio20-implementation#sthash.IuGiBcb4.dpuf

How to make money and energy savings through LED lighting
In its recent announcement about the newly-published guidelines on how to prepare the transition to LED lighting, the European Commission Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content & Technology mentions the example of six Covenant of Mayors Signatories having succeeded in the field, namely Albertslund (Denmark), Birmingham (UK), Eindhoven (The Netherlands), Lyon (France), Mechelen (Belgium) and Tilburg (The Netherlands).
Considering that lighting accounts for 50% of electricity consumption in the urban environment, the transition to LED solutions can be a powerful contributor to the CO2 reduction ambitions of signatory cities.
In its report "Lighting the Cities", the European Commission outlines the various stages of the LED transition process, touching on context assessment, stakeholders’ engagement, financing, procurement and overall costs and benefits.
https://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/news/new-commission-report-lighting-cities-accelerating-deployment-innovative-lighting-european

Towards low carbon schools: Covenant cities experience the Atlas project
Targeting local authorities, school staff and pupils the Atlas project encourages schools to reduce their energy consumption by better understanding the activities impacting their carbon footprint. Between 75 and 80% of schools in Europe are energy inefficient, and one of the more common obstacles to change is the difficulty in gathering data.
Thanks to the low carbon toolkit developed through this project – and downloadable for free – an action plan is generated which identifies short and medium-term measures to help the school authorities move towards this goal. In the Covenant cities of Matera and London, results have already been shared.
Action spans from building refurbishment to soft mobility, sustainable food consumption and recycling initiatives, encouraging a very holistic approach to reducing energy consumption.
Thanks to the savings made through building refurbishment and other measures, schools are able to reallocate funds to other priorities, also benefiting businesses working with low carbon products and solutions.
The project is currently running with schools in Italy, Poland, the Netherlands and the UK.
http://www.atlasschools.org/

Survey on surveillance and security technology
Which security and surveillance technologies are being used in European cities and for what purpose? Is investing in technologies worthwhile, given that in terms of prevention every euro can only be spent once?
http://efus.eu/en/topics/responses/technology-responses/efus/4365/

UN-Habitat hosts roundtable on urbanization and youth bulge
UN-Habitat hosted a high-level Segment Ministerial Breakfast Roundtable last week on “Harnessing the Dual Global Trends of Urbanization and Demographic Youth Bulge” during the ECOSOC Annual Ministerial Review at the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva. The roundtable was chaired by UN-Habitat Executive Director Dr. Joan Clos and participants included ECOSOC member states, Vice President of ECOSOC ambassador Martin Sajdik, representatives of United Nations agencies, high level business officials and representative from international organizations.
http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=12322&catid=5&typeid=6&AllContent=1

Is climate change action making cities healthier and wealthier?
A new report of 110 cities worldwide reveals that climate change action can improve quality of life
A recent report claims that climate change action is giving us healthier, wealthier cities. The 2013 report, carried out by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) and based on data from 110 cities worldwide, reveals three key findings.
The first relates to the financial savings resulting from cities adapting to climate change. The report states that one out of every two actions being taken by cities to reduce municipal emissions focuses on efficiency. Cities are carrying out actions such as reducing energy demand in public buildings, improving fuel efficiency in municipal fleets and reducing energy consumption in public lighting. As a result, they are reporting savings of up to $40 million (€31 million) each year.
Secondly, cities believe that taking action to reduce emissions will help attract new business investment and grow the economy. Cleaner cities offer businesses more efficient buildings, less congestion and better air quality. All in all, cleaner cities are more attractive places in which to work and live. While 91% of cities surveyed believe that taking action against climate change will help create new economic opportunities, 98% are certain that inaction would have harmful effects on the urban environment and economic health.
Finally, these actions have a positive effect on the quality of life and health of citizens. Over half (55%) of the contributing cities taking action to reduce emissions are focusing on promoting sustainable modes of transport such as walking and cycling, which have a knock-on effect on citizens’ health. Cleaner air and more green spaces are also conducive to improving public health.
https://www.cdproject.net/CDPResults/CDP-Cities-2013-Global-Report.pdf

Thinking small
Truly dynamic cities are zones of the future. They are constantly being planned, rethought, redeveloped to account for future needs, aspirations and exigencies. In different ways, and for vast stretches of their existence, Delhi and Mumbai have heeded this imperative to upgrade. Delhi lays claim to greatness stretching back centuries, its location in the northern plains recommending it serially as a political capital. It has for ever been a city of power-brokers, but in the shadow of its pomp and show have thrived assorted industries and creative clusters, dependent on the rulers to provide enabling conditions for growth. Mumbai takes pride in a more organic growth, with a unique participatory collaboration between the governing classes and the city's private citizens making it worthy of its place, in modern times, among the world's leading financial capitals. That in both cities, today, there is so much confusion not only on how to imagine their future selves, but also on how to define and meet the needs of the more immediate present, is emblematic of the crisis that assails India's urban planning.
http://www.urbangateway.org/content/news/thinking-small

New strategies needed as rapid urbanization threatens sustainable development - UN report
Without fresh ideas to address rapid urbanization, the number of people living in slums lacking access to basic infrastructure and services such as sanitation, electricity, and health care may skyrocket from one billion at present to three billion by 2050, the United Nations today reported.
That wake up call is one of several alarm bells sounded in the , which was launched today in Geneva and which focuses this year on sustainable development and the challenges facing its economic, social and environmental dimensions.
According to the Survey, the vision of promoting economic and social wellbeing while protecting the environment has not been achieved due to rising inequality, gaps and shortfalls in development partnerships, rapid population growth, climate change and environmental degradation.
http://www.urbangateway.org/content/news/new-strategies-needed-rapid-urbanization-threatens-sustainable-development-un-report

Humans at the center of the urban maze
Heavier emphasis on science in architecture will improve the way China's urbanization works, British expert says
Scientific research will become increasingly important as the emphasis in urbanization in China is put on quality rather than quantity, an urban planner says.
"In the past 10 years China has been building a huge amount, often without sufficient attention to quality, and sometimes the quality of construction has not been good enough," says Tim Stonor, managing director of the urban planning company Space Syntax.
"China is now reconsidering this approach."
This rethinking has led Chinese urban planners to increasingly value research, and the emphasis attached to research in China in some cases is "even more than in the UK", Stonor says.
"In my discussions with Chinese municipalities, they are all concerned about the social outcomes of urbanization, and this provides opportunities for the human-focused approach that we take at Space Syntax."
http://www.urbangateway.org/content/news/humans-center-urban-maze

The Great Repurposing: Envisioning the City of Driverless Cars
With driverless cars poised to appear in the not-too-distant future, planners and engineers are beginning to envision the effect on the urban landscape and the spaces within cars themselves. Nick Bilton shares some of the predictions.
"While driverless cars might still seem like science fiction outside the [Silicon] Valley, the people working and thinking about these technologies are starting to ask what these autos could mean for the city of the future," writes Bilton. "The short answer is 'a lot.'"
"Inner-city parking lots could become parks. Traffic lights could be less common because hidden sensors in cars and streets coordinate traffic. And, yes, parking tickets could become a rarity since cars would be smart enough to know where they are not supposed to be."
"As scientists and car companies forge ahead — many expect self-driving cars to become commonplace in the next decade — researchers, city planners and engineers are contemplating how city spaces could change if our cars start doing the driving for us. There are risks, of course: People might be more open to a longer daily commute, leading to even more urban sprawl."
While some are more circumspect, others envision massive change. “'What automation is going to allow is repurposing, both of spaces in cities, and of the car itself,' said Ryan Calo, an assistant professor at the University of Washington School of Law, who specializes in robotics and drones."
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/07/disruptions-how-driverless-cars-could-reshape-cities/?hpw=

Regen Europe at The International Festival for Business
Regen Europe will be one of over one hundred business focussed events that form part of the government backed International Festival for Business taking place in Liverpool during June and July 2014. To understand the enormous scope of the festival and the business leaders from around the globe who will participate, please visit http://www.ifb2014.com/.
As part of this ground-breaking business showcase, we are delighted to announce as part of The IFB, the launch of Regen Europe, a key event for regeneration practitioners from around Europe to listen, learn, discuss and debate the challenges facing our major towns and cities as they seek to emerge stronger from recent economic challenges. We are sending you this because you have been on previous regeneration databases that we have and we believe the event may be of interest. If not please click the unsubscribe button at the bottom of this email. If upon reviewing the information you are interested in exhibiting at or becoming a sponsor of the show please do contact us.
The conference: - A 32 speaker conference where industry leaders lend their expertise, share their knowledge and offer lively debate to the proceedings. Delegates can attend on one or both days, but conference entrance is strictly on a first come first served basis.
The exhibition: - strictly limited to 100 organisations from around Europe, including city councils, urban regeneration & development companies, city regeneration investment agencies, architects, urban design companies, local corporate companies,government agencies and community programmes. With up to 3000 visitors expected, business opportunities for exhibitors will be truly exceptional.
The Liverpool city regeneration tour: -enjoy a coach tour around some of the major regeneration areas of Liverpool showcasing success stories from around the city.
The website for the new show will be launched in the next few weeks along with regular monthly newsletters. Be part of the Regen Europe and The International Festival for Business 2014 and open up new business opportunities for your organisation. In the words of the Director General of The Confederation of British Industry, “The IFB 2014 is the place to be seen at. It’s the place to be and that’s why the CBI wants to be there”.

What future do Local and Regional Governments want? Take part in the online Summit debates
Only 78 days to go! As the World Summit of Local and Regional Leaders approaches, UCLG is offering citizens all over the world the opportunity to participate in the central debates of this global event. To facilitate active citizen participation, we have created the Twitter hashtag #Rabat2013 to bring together all of the news, comments and contributions on the Summit's theme, 'Imagine Society, Build Democracy'.
Deciding the future for towns, cities and regions is a task for everyone. In this new initiative for the 4th edition of the Summit, the key issues that will be addressed during the thematic round tables of the World Summit will be analysed, debated and expanded on before the event through social networks throughout September; the month leading up to the celebration of the event. Twitter will be the main channel and motor of these debates, which will be structured around the four topics of the thematic round tables.
HOW WILL THE DEBATES WORK?
To participate in the chat, follow @uclg_org on Twitter and use the #Rabat2013 and the hashtag for each of the themes: fostering wellbeing (#UCLGWellbeing), Strengthening solidarity among territories (#UCLG4dev), Supporting new local governance (#UCLGlocalgov) and promoting diversity (#UCLGdiversity).
Each debate will include contributions by an expert on the issue, who will also moderate the discussion and respond during the specific time slots allocated for each theme.
The chats are designed to attract the greatest number of participants possible, whether they are linked to the municipal movement or not. Contributions are welcome in any of the official languages of UCLG: English, French and Spanish.
In addition to the contributions of the experts, the inputs of online users will also be compiled and responded to by UCLG during a special week allocated to each of the themes. At the end of the month, when all four debates have been concluded, the top comments will be compiled and presented as contributions to the plenary sessions of the Summit in the city of Rabat from 1st to 4th October. A summary of online contributions will also be published on the UCLG blog.
TWEETCHAT PROGRAMME
3 September: Fostering wellbeing
In what way can local governments contribute to guaranteeing a dignified life for their citizens?
#UCLGWellbeing
10 September: Strengthening solidarity among territories
How can development alliances be built between different spheres of government?
#UCLG4dev
17 September: Supporting new local governance
What role can local authorities play to help alleviate social and economic crises?
#UCLGlocalgov
23 September: Promoting diversity
How can diversity be promoted on all levels, through local and regional public policies?
#UCLGdiversity
You can also follow these updates live via the UCLG Facebook page and the UCLG LinkedIn profile.
Start having your say today!
http://www.rabat2013.uclg.org/news/what-future-do-local-and-regional-governments-want-take-part-online-summit-debates

EUROCITIES awards 2013 shortlist announced
Innovative projects connected to ‘smart citizens’ are in the running for the EUROCITIES awards
Nine projects from seven of our members are in the running for the EUROCITIES awards 2013.
The shortlist was drawn up by an independent jury, composed of Freya van den Bossche, Flemish minister for cities, housing, energy and the social economy; Stephen Clark, head of web communications at the European Parliament; Cheryl Miller, executive director of Zen Digital Europe; Belgian political journalist Rob Heirbaut; and Prof. dr. Lieven De Marez from the University of Ghent.
http://www.eurocities.eu/eurocities/news/EUROCITIES-awards-2013-shortlist-announced-WSPO-998GQW

Frankfurt to renew its energy!
Since the beginning of this year, the City of Frankfurt is engaged in a 4-year project to set-up a new masterplan 100% renewables until 2050. Entitled "Wir erneuern Frankfurt’s Energie!" (We renew Frankfurt’s energy!), this local initiative also takes place in 18 other German cities in the framework and with the funding support (up to 80%) of the German Federal Climate Protection Campaign "Klimaschutz".
The Hessen city, which is the financial centre of continental Europe and already well-known for being the city of passive houses and of decentralised CHP, used a forecasting methodology, with some experts, to develop a scenario towards 100% renewables (with 50% of savings) for itself and the Hessen region. It will also put emphasis on participative methods involving each and every stakeholder in this ambitious project for the future.
http://www.energy-cities.eu/Frankfurt-to-renew-its-energy?pmv_nid=2

Suwon sets EcoMobility model for cities worldwide
How are big and continuously growing Asian cities coping with urban challenges, and particularly transportation, in an era where climate change and its impacts are becoming more visible and relevant to the urban population? ICLEI speaks to Yeom Tae-Young, Mayor of Suwon City, who envisions EcoMobility – carbon-free and resource-efficient means of transport – as the key to creating ecofriendly and people-centered cities of the future
http://www.iclei.org/details/article/suwon-sets-ecomobility-model-for-cities-worldwide.html

Polis position paper on open transport data
Polis has released its position paper on open transport data. The paper describes why local authorities gather transport data and what are the findings to date from publishing transport data. Bulding on the why and the what, the paper also makes recommendations to the EC about the ITS Directive.
http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/462/45/Polis-position-paper-on-open-transport-data

Urban Libraries Council Recognizes Top Innovators
Winning Initiatives Demonstrate Value and Impact of Public Libraries in the Community
The Urban Libraries Council (ULC) today recognized 10 libraries for innovative programs that offer everything from hands-on science projects to community gardens, often delivering their resources in unique ways.
The 2013 Top Innovators, announced during the ULC Annual Forum in Chicago, were chosen by a panel of expert judges who considered more than 140 applications. In addition, for the first time ULC honored three libraries for their response to community crises: a hurricane, wildfires and a mass shooting.
"These innovations continue to represent the leadership and value of high-performing public libraries," said ULC President and CEO Susan Benton. "From helping parents access information about early childhood literacy skills through a mobile App to creating a library presence at an international airport to helping their community after a natural disaster, public libraries are continuing to broaden and deepen their roles as vital community resources."
The 2013 Top Innovators in the 10 categories are:
Learning: Howard County Library System (MD) HiTech: The Road to a STEM Career delivers cutting-edge science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education using hands-on technology projects, experiential learning and peer-to-peer communications.
Civic and Community Engagement: Los Angeles Public Library (CA) Your Path to Citizenship Starts at the Los Angeles Public Library program provides a safe place for immigrants to access a wide range of services. Nearly 10,000 people have taken advantage of the resources available in "citizenship corners" in all 73 library locations.
Collections: Nashville Public Library (TN) Limitless Libraries increased circulation of school library resources by 79 percent since its launch in 2009. Today, it serves all 128 schools with two full-time collection development librarians and a materials budget of more than $1 million.
Customer Experience: Calgary Public Library (AB) Grow a Reader Early Literacy App takes the fun, interactive contents from early childhood literacy programs and delivers it to parents via mobile devices. In less than two months, the Grow a Reader app was downloaded 1,200 times.
Economic and Workforce Development: Saint Paul Public Library (MN) NorthStar Digital Literacy Project has led to more outcome-driven digital literacy instruction by using assessments for pre- and post- tests and tailoring program content to the assessment standards. The certificate of mastery has also increased interest in computer literacy classes, particularly among non-English speakers.
Health, Wellness and Safety: Pima County Public Library (AZ) Library Nurses Program provides a safe and welcoming environment for all patrons and staff at library branches and minimizes the number of 911 calls. During the program's first year, library nurses interacted with more than 2,800 patrons, and 911 medical calls from libraries fell by 20 percent.
Operations: New York and Brooklyn Public Libraries (NY) BookOps: Shared Library Technical Services will combine acquisitions, cataloguing, processing, sorting and delivery of books and resources to the New York Public Library and Brooklyn Public Library and will save the two library systems up to $3.5 million annually.
Organizational Change and Strategic Management: San Francisco Public Library (CA) Community Impact through Renewed Engagement initiated a research process to renew community connections in five city neighborhoods. From walks in the neighborhoods, to ride-alongs with police, to interviews with community members, the teams spent three months gathering data and then presented their findings to community members and library staff.
Positioning the Library: Free Library of Philadelphia (PA) Flying High: Library of Philadelphia Touches Down in the International Airport provides library resources to airport travelers and employees. The library's presence at the airport is part of its commitment to ensuring that the library remains a hub of possibilities for residents and those just passing through the region.
Sustainability: Sacramento Public Library (CA) Read and Feed: Partnerships for Building Healthy Communities supports a comprehensive healthy communities initiative in a neighborhood with a majority of its children living in poverty and limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables.
"Congratulations to the 2013 Top Innovators, as well as to every library that submitted for the Innovations Awards this year," said Benton. "Each library submission demonstrates how much of an impact public libraries have on communities through these remarkable and innovative initiatives."

Dublin's Transport Links, Racism Divides
Doing your job shouldn't make you the target of abuse. For frontline public transport workers with an immigrant background, the spectre of racism can add a disturbing edge.
Dublin transport companies in partnership with the Irish Immigrant Council and the Dublin City Council have introduced an industry-specific anti-racism campaign to respond to the problem. The “Dublin’s Transport Links, Racism Divides” slogan and advertising are displayed by its public transport partners on buses, trams, suburban trains and around taxi stands.
http://citiesofmigration.ca/good_idea/transport-links-racism-divides/

Sydney benefits from EcoMobility Alliance
With 85% modal share in public transport, the City of Sydney says it still desires to further improve its e-mobility. Aligning the city’s two-week cycling festival and Walk21- the international conference on walking and liveable communities, Sydney is also hosting the next EcoMobility Alliance meeting in October 2014.
“Our European and Asian colleagues are surprised to hear that a new city, comparatively, like Sydney already has an 85 per cent mode split to public transport, walking and cycling. However, our cycling split is very low to many of the European members of the Alliance and we are learning a lot from them, and in return we are able to offer management tips for controlling parking rates and public transport congestion.” said Terry Lee-Williams, the City’s Executive Manager of City Access and Transport.
http://www.iclei.org/details/article/sydney-benefits-from-ecomobility-alliance.html

Flanders sets out priorities for Flemish ITS Action Plan
Open data was high on the agenda of the roundtable conference organised by the Flemish Region last week. Flanders has decided to make its traffic data available to the private sector, thus encouraging the development of digital traffic applications.
http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/465/45/Flanders-sets-out-priorities-for-Flemish-ITS-Action-Plan

ICLEI and AMR sign agreement to help Romanian cities reduce CO2
Making cities more energy efficient and introducing renewable energy technologies are vital steps in curbing harmful emissions, and in creating more sustainable and liveable urban areas. With this in mind, ICLEI Europe and the Association of Romanian Municipalities (AMR) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Monday, committing both parties to a strategic alliance within the SEAP-PLUS project.
SEAP-PLUS, co-financed by the Intelligent Energy Europe programme, provides support to cities in meeting the objective of the Covenant of Mayors; namely going beyond the European Union objective of a 20 percent CO2 reduction by 2020.
ICLEI Europe, as an experienced partner, will transfer know-how and technical knowledge to AMR on preparing, implementing and monitoring Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAPs).
The organisation will also offer a tool for greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories preparation; offer training for Romanian municipalities on how to access and manage energy data, develop inventories and ideas for start-up implementation, stakeholder involvement; and contribute with relevant know-how and expertise, whenever applicable.
In response, AMR will disseminate lessons learnt, helpful tools and appropriate methodologies developed or suggested by ICLEI Europe; translate content into Romanian where feasible; indicate best practices in Romania; and introduce to others the role that ICLEI plays in the energy and climate debate at international and European level as a representative of local governments.
ICLEI Secretary General Gino Van Begin said: "We have experienced AMR as a very active and supportive national association of local governments. SEAP-PLUS builds upon this strong relationship, helping to fine-tune support resources for Romanian local authorities. Through our joint efforts we will facilitate the development of at least five SEAPs in Romania and hope to create a ripple effect within AMR’s members".
Signed by Wolfgang Teubner, Regional Director for Europe, ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, and Tudor Pendiuc, President of AMR and Mayor of Pitesti Municipality (Romania), both parties have agreed to sustain their cooperation beyond the project's lifetime.

Rotterdam praised for its job centre system
The European Commission wants to set up a platform to compare how well member states are tackling youth unemployment. The platform will help public employment services across the EU to cooperate more, share best practices and match job seekers with job vacancies in other countries.
Laszlo Andor, European commissioner for employment, social affairs and inclusion, said that this new platform will not “introduce a miracle-overnight cure to Europe’s unemployment problems”. It will however help to match job with skills, filling some of the 1.7 million unfilled vacancies in the EU.
Commissioner Andor highlighted EUROCITIES member Rotterdam as a positive example of a well-manged job centre system. City officials in Rotterdam set up a single contact point that centralises all the services aimed to help young get work, advice, and assistance.
http://www.eurocities.eu/eurocities/news/Rotterdam-praised-for-its-job-centre-system-WSPO-993K9L

What Cities Want study looks into tomorrow’s mobility
In "What Cities Want" – a current study by the Technical University of Munich, commissioned by MAN Group – 15 international cities provide information on how they want to more positively design their urban traffic in the future. This is especially interesting in accordance with SUMP.
http://www.eltis.org/index.php?uid=ZGZkZQLX&ID1=5&id=60&news_id=4211

Become the European Green Capital in 2016
Is your city actively involved in the protection of nature and biodiversity? Does it pay special attention to issues such as the air quality or acoustic environment? Is it a sustainable city model? If so, apply for the European Green Capital Award.
This European initiative aims to reward cities’ efforts to face environmental challenges. Due to its reputation, the prize is a source of inspiration for other cities wishing to place sustainable development at the heart of their policies and activities.
http://www.ccre.org/en/actualites/view/2369

Bonn Climate Conference 2013
One more step forward to engage local and subnational governments in global climate regime
Throughout the UN Bonn Climate Conference from 3 to14 June, ICLEI updated negotiators on global progress in local climate action and advanced dialogues with national governments regarding new partnerships to be formulated within the scope of a renewed global climate advocacy of local and subnational governments towards Warsaw 2013 and Paris 2015.
http://www.iclei.org/details/article/bonn-climate-conference-paves-the-way-to-advance-engagement-of-local-and-subnational-governments-in.html

Energy Cities' EUSEW Workshop: "Local authorities are our best allies"
The key role of local and regional authorities in EU climate and energy policy was emphasized at Energy Cities’ EUSEW workshop, while the need for a European multi-stakeholders alliance is getting more and more obvious.
On Wednesday 26 June, in the framework of EUSEW’s High Level Policy Conference, Energy Cities held a workshop entitled "Proposals for the energy transition of cities and towns".
http://www.energy-cities.eu/Energy-Cities-EUSEW-Workshop-Local?pmv_nid=2

Energy-efficient housing: Dutch project ‘House full of Energy’ opens doors
More and more people realise that it is smart to live in houses that are energy neutral, that is houses that actually produce as much energy that you need. Benefits: it’s comfortable, it’s climate friendly and it’s cost-efficient (it actually saves you money). In the Netherlands a project called ‘House full of energy’ (Huis vol energie) recently organised an open day during which people with energy neutral houses opened their doors to the general public. In this way anybody interested in energy neutral housing could visit energy neutral houses and meet with these homeowners.
http://www.eukn.org/E_library/Housing/Housing/Energy_efficient_housing_Dutch_project_‘House_full_of_Energy’_opens_doors

ASSISTANT helps older people navigate public transport
It is estimated that in Europe today, older people make about half of their trips by car. The ASSISTANT project (Aiding SuStainable Independent Senior TrAvellers to Navigate in Towns) is creating tools to reduce their dependency on the car.
http://www.eltis.org/index.php?uid=ZGZkZQLX&ID1=5&id=60&news_id=4214

New programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI)
The European Commission has welcomed the political agreement reached with the European Parliament and the Council on the EU programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) with a proposed budget of €815 million for the 2014-20 period.
The EaSI merges three existing programmes: Progress (Programme for Employment and Social Solidarity), EURES (European Employment Services) and the European Progress Microfinance Facility. These will receive 61%, 18% and 21% of the budget respectively. Their scope will be extended and the EaSI will contribute to the Europe 2020 Strategy for Jobs and Growth.
http://www.eurocities.eu/eurocities/news/New-programme-for-Employment-and-Social-Innovation-EaSI-WSPO-994HT9

Upcoming Webinar
Dialogue Circles: Building Intercultural Understanding between Immigrant and Indigenous Communities
July 23/24, 2013
Join us to learn about groundbreaking initiatives in Wellington, New Zealand, and Vancouver, Canada, that are bringing new immigrant and indigenous communities together for intercultural learning and meaningful exchange as an essential part of newcomer settlement and welcome in these multicultural societies.
http://citiesofmigration.ca/webinar/dialogue-circles/

Milan kicks-off its SUMP process with a public meeting with all stakeholders on July 3rd
After 10 years Milan has started the review of its Piano Urbano della Mobilità Sostenibile (SUMP). Stakeholders participation in the SUMP process will kick-off at public meeting this Wednesday, July 3rd in the prestigious Mayor's Office at Palazzo Marino.
http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/468/45/Milan-kicks-off-its-SUMP-process-with-a-public-meeting-with-all-stakeholders-on-July-3rd

Health and economic benefits of active mobility (Germany)
The German Federal Environment Agency has released a study about the economic aspects of non-technical measures to reduce traffic emissions. It reveals that green mobility can also benefit the economy, public health and people’s individual budgets.
http://www.eltis.org/index.php?uid=ZGZkZQLX&ID1=5&id=60&news_id=4210

CTBUH Names Best Tall Buildings for 2013
Regional winners from Canada, China, UK and UAE; 10-Year, Innovation and Overall awards announced next; Lifetime achievement awards: Henry Cobb, Clyde Baker
Highly distinctive towers in Canada, China, the UK and UAE have been named the best tall buildings in the world for 2013 by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).
The four regional winners include The Bow in Calgary, Canada (Americas); CCTV in Beijing, China (Asia and Australia); The Shard in London, United Kingdom (Europe); Sowwah Square in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (Middle East and Africa).
http://www.ctbuh.org/Awards/OverviewofPastAwards/2013Awards/PR_RegionalWinners/tabid/4633/language/en-US/Default.aspx

ImpleMentoring peer visits support migrant integration in cities
The ImpleMentoring peer visits to partner cities took place in June 2013. While Malmo visited Ghent to work on the participation of migrants in the Dampoort neighbourhood, Genoa was working on the perception of migration and diversity in the Baltic city of Riga. The same subject was explored in early June in Lublin, which welcomed a mentor from Tampere, while Dublin worked in Rotterdam on youth participation in the Kralingen-Crooswijk district. Manchester then visited Copenhagen to address the need to reflect and manage diversity in public administration.
All mentor visits are attended by a facilitator from the consultancy ‘Migration Work’ and a member of EUROCITIES staff. They are an opportunity for participants to meet elected officials, city staff, civil society organisations, researchers and engaged citizens for a series of focused interviews spread over three to four days.
http://www.eurocities.eu/eurocities/news/ImpleMentoring-peer-visits-support-migrant-integration-in-cities-WSPO-98Z99X

Investing in Character: Calgary's Immigrant Access Fund
Take un- or underemployed skilled immigrants with tremendous drive and character, but no credit history, no assets, and no success with mainstream lending institutions. Mix in a community that sees incredible potential in its newcomer population and is willing to put their credit where their confidence is. What do you get? Calgary’s Immigrant Access Fund (IAF).
The IAF Loan Program provides internationally trained newcomers, regardless of occupation or training, with loans of up to $5,000 to help cover the costs to get back to work in their field in Canada.
http://citiesofmigration.ca/good_idea/investing-in-character-calgarys-immigrant-access-fund/

Indian cities, states and national leaders discuss EcoMobility
Bringing together representatives from 13 Indian cities, including mayors, municipal commissioners, representatives from partner organizations and key officials from the national and state levels, a round-table meeting was convened in New Delhi on 28 May 2013 to discuss the results of the Ecomobility Readiness Assessment project – a study of over 20 Indian cities to review the strengths and gaps of local governments in terms of their policy, capacity, resources and awareness towards ecomobility, as well as their willingness to implement ecomobility projects in their cities.
http://www.iclei.org/details/article/round-table-meeting-brings-indian-cities-states-and-national-leaders-to-discuss-ecomobility.htm

Cities for a more sustainable future: join us at the ECOCITY summit
Have you ever considered involving your citizens in sustainable projects, for instance, through the creation of local energy cooperatives? And how local authorities could benefit from the EU emission trading system?.
Join us at “New partnerships to support local action”, a workshop on how local government and civil society can cooperate to jointly implement sustainable projects. This session is organised together with our French section (AFCCRE) and Climate Alliance - a network of cities and municipalities working on the protection of the world's climate - in the frame of the ECOCITY summit from 25 to 27 September 2013 in Nantes (France).
ECOCITY 2013 is the first edition to be held in the European Union and we have been invited to collaborate in its preparation. Speakers will include CEMR president, Wolfgang Schuster, CEMR’s global organisation (UCLG) secretary general, Josep Roig, and its spokesman on international negotiations on climate change, Ronan Dantec.
The ECOCITY meeting is a world summit which promotes exchanges among local, regional, governmental decision-makers and civil society on how to design cities with consideration of environmental impact. Under the motto “the city as a vital area of work to grapple with the global sustainability issues”, the event will focus on five points: reducing the environmental footprint, addressing the energy challenges of the city, organising the sustainable city, strengthening solidarity and mobilising enabling factors.
Date: from 25 to 27 September 2013
Venue: Great Hall of La Cité Nantes Events Center, Nantes, France
Website: http://www.ecocity-2013.com/en

3iBS: towards intelligent, innovative and integrated bus systems
3iBS is a follow-up project which aims to improve the performance, accessibility and efficiency of urban bus systems, moving from research to implementation
3iBS is a continuation of the ‘European Bus Systems of the Future’ project, which looked at innovative approaches to increase the performance, accessibility and efficiency of urban bus systems.
Coordinated by UITP, the International Association for Public Transport, 3iBS is co-funded by the European Commission under the 7th Framework Programme. Throughout the project, running until March 2015, we will support the dissemination of results and encourage members to share expertise.
3iBS aims to move from research to implementation by: capitalising on successful concepts and solutions; stimulating coordinated research; spreading EU bus system research achievements; and supporting the deployment of solutions with high potential of standardisation.
More specifically, the project will study innovative approaches related to: accessibility and safety; bus service operations during special events; intermodality with private and public transport modes; level of service; internal and external modularity; energy-efficiency; and IT standardisation.
The main outputs and activities of 3iBS include: development of case studies; transferability guidelines and recommendations; organisation of roundtables and expert group meetings; and follow up on the European standardisation process.
By developing a ‘Roadmap for Innovative Bus Systems’, 3IBS will also support European and national institutions by identifying the main areas and priorities for bus system research and suitable funding scenarios.
For more information about 3iBS, visit the website: www.3ibs.eu

German bike capital Münster shares EcoMobility strategies
Pledging to raise its already high modal share of cycling from 40% to 50%, the German bike capital Münster – the “Most livable city worldwide” in 2004, shared its successful experience in creating a bicycle-friendly city at the Second EcoMobility Alliance workshop in April 2013, where participants explored traffic safety solutions, e-mobility and its relation to public spaces, health and infrastructural planning.
http://www.iclei.org/details/article/german-bike-capital-muenster-shares-ecomobility-strategies.html

Alcohol, partying and nightlife: European cities call for a balance between health and security
Ten European cities presented their recommendations for improving the prevention and management of binge drinking among young people in public spaces, and called for a balanced approach taking into consideration public health and public order, at a conference organised jointly by the European (Efus) and French Forum for Urban Security (FFSU), held in Nantes (France) on 13 and 14 June 2013.
http://efus.eu/en/topics/places/large-events-recreational-scenes/efus/4026/

Sharing Responsibility for Building a Resilient City
The City of San Francisco announced this week that the numerous sharing economy companies headquartered in the the Bay Area will work with public officials to utilize their technologies in enhancing the city's disaster preparedness and response.
"Today Mayor Edwin M. Lee and Board President David Chiu announced a first-of-its-kind partnership between San Francisco’s growing sharing economy and local government focused on disaster preparedness and response," says a press release announcing the partnership. "BayShare, a collaborative of sharing economy stakeholders, will also share their skills and resources to make San Francisco a more resilient city."
"The sharing economy, also known as 'collaborative consumption,' uses technology and social media to promote the sharing and re-use of underutilized assets such as cars, bikes, tools, rooms, spaces, skills and other goods." Companies headquartered in the region include ZipCar, Airbnb, and Taskrabbit.
"One immediate outcome of this new partnership is the launch of BayShare member Airbnb’s new tool to quickly deliver housing assistance to displaced residents following a disaster," says the press release. "Inspired by the Airbnb community’s work to donate housing to victims of Superstorm Sandy, the tool will help provide free emergency housing to families in need in cities in every part of the world."
“Actual emergencies look more like people coming together than cities falling apart,” said San Francisco Department of Emergency Management (DEM) Executive Director Anne Kronenberg. “San Francisco’s recovery starts with the community and our partners that are there to lend a hand. We’re excited to have BayShare as one of our preparedness partners.”
http://www.sfmayor.org/index.aspx?recordid=333&page=941

Afghan Cities Sign Up for Resilient Cities
Five Afghan cities have joined the Making Cities Resilient Campaign hosted by the Kabul Municipality and Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA), in coordination with UN-Habitat and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction UNISDR.
On the occasion of the visit to Afghanistan by Ms. Margareta Wahlström, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction and UNISDR, the campaign on “Making Cities Resilient” was launched with the aim of strengthening the partnership between the Government, the United Nations and the people of Afghanistan. The cities that joined the campaign are Jalalabad City in Nangarhar Province, Charikar City in Parwan Province, Nili City in Daikundi Province, Pul-e Alam in Logar Province and Maidan Shar City in Wardak Province.
http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=12278&catid=5&typeid=6&AllContent=1

Express your Needs and Expectations on Future URBACT Programme
URBACT will continue to support cities for integrated and sustainable urban development in Europe during the 2014-2020 Programming Period. In the perspective of the next programme, it is crucial today to reflect on how the URBACT programme can better support cities to address the various challenges they face and to develop efficient urban policies. We invite you to express your views on your needs and expectations related to the future URBACT programme. Contribute now!
http://urbact.eu/en/news-and-events/view-one/news/?entryId=5269