Mar15

Since 2012 Tisséo-SMTC, the public transport local authority of Greater Toulouse, has been encouraging companies and administrations located in the Toulouse urban area to continue and foster their actions in the field of sustainable mobility towards their employees. For this purpose an award named 'Trophées Ecomobilité Tisséo' was set up. Every year, during the European Mobility Week through an official ceremony, several organisations are rewarded for their efforts and receive prizes linked to urban mobility dedicated to their staff. In addition, the reward is a unique piece of art designed by a local artist especially for the occasion.

http://www.eltis.org/discover/case-studies/rewarding-sustainable-urban-mobility-measures-toulouse-france

UN-Habitat and UN-Women host event on Public Space

During the 59th session on the Commission for the Status of Women, the Deputy Executive Director of UN-Habitat Ms. Aisa Kirabo Kacyira and the Deputy Executive Director of UN Women Lakshmi Puri co-chaired the UN-Habitat and UN WOMEN joint event titled Public Space: Opportunities and challenges for Empowering Women.
Other distinguished panelists of the event were Plan Uganda’s Margaret Akello, gender specialist, as well as Executive Director of Sistren Theatre Collective (STC) and GROOTS Jamaica Coordinator Lana Finikin. The meeting heard that rapid urbanization was currently challenging both national and local governments in their role to develop compact, inclusive and integrated cities able to achieve spatial equality, job creation, human and community development and environmental sustainability.

http://unhabitat.org/un-habitat-and-un-women-host-event-on-public-space/

Living Alleys Toolkit

A living alley is a street that is activated, pedestrianized, and greened to support environmentally sustainable functions, with an emphasis on community and social activation. The Market Octavia Living Alleys Program, a collaborative effort led by the San Francisco Planning Department, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, and San Francisco Public Works, created this toolkit as a resource for community members and designers to develop and implement living alleys.

http://www.smartgrowth.org/engine/index.php/resources/2015/03/09/living-alleys-toolkit

YELAC - Young European Leaders for Active Citizenship

The search for the elixir of youth in our municipalities and regions: 1st activity report of the YELAC project
Which topics are of particular concern to young people today? How to engage young elected representatives to become the political ambassadors of the younger generations? Read on and find out the answers in the first report on the YELAC project.
The YELAC project, which stands for “Young European Leaders for Active Citizenship”, aims to mobilise young local and regional elected representatives and other stakeholders to identify the most relevant issues with respect to youth participation in decision-amking. It also seeks to advance democratic citizenship through the introduction of innovative forms of participation.

http://www.ccre.org/en/actualites/view/3004

SUMP award recognises cities' efforts in monitoring and evaluation of transport planning

On Monday 25 March in Brussels, European Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc presented Bremen (Germany) with the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) Award. Polis members Ghent and Dresden are runners up while Thessaloniki received the "Special Prize of the jury".

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/818/45/SUMP-award-recognises-cities-39-efforts-in-monitoring-and-evaluation-of-transport-planning

Access to water: a fundamental and inalienable right

On World Water Day (#WWD2015), which this year falls just a few days before the World Water Forum to be held in South Korea, UCLG reaffirms that ensuring access to clean water and sanitation is one of the top priorities of local and regional governments. Universal access to water and sanitation is a key factor to achieving social inclusion, the empowerment of women and the eradication of poverty.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/access-water-fundamental-and-inalienable-right

Making the case for urban safety

The Integrated Urban Development Framework (IUDF), South Africa's new national urban policy currently out for public consultation, envisions the country's cities and towns as liveable, safe and socially integrated urban areas, enabling residents to actively participate in urban life. It recognises that the high rates of violence and crime in South Africa's urban areas threaten this vision. Aimed at enhancing the IUDF's contribution to urban safety, the GIZ Inclusive Violence and Crime Prevention (VCP) programme facilitated a three-week public engagement process culminating in an expert consultation workshop. Logo SaferSpaces
Leading up to the workshop, social media via the online portal "SaferSpaces" raised awareness of the topic of urban safety amongst practitioners in South Africa.

http://www2.gtz.de/urbanet/opencommunity/news/detail.asp?number=4236

OPTICITIES: opening urban ITS data

The cities involved in OPTICITIES are pooling their mobility data and developing a standard for multimodal urban datasets.
The sustainable urban mobility action cluster, which is part of the Smart Cities and Communities Marketplace, discussed the progress made by the OPTICITIES project in the fields of multimodal data standards and open data at a meeting on 13 February. The Smart Cities and Communities Marketplace was developed as part of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Smart Cities and Communities. The EIP brings together cities, industry and citizens to improve urban life through more sustainable integrated solutions.

http://www.eurocities.eu/eurocities/news/OPTICITIES-opening-urban-ITS-data-WSPO-9UWCGT

Smart specialisation, triple helix, open innovation and smart cities. Going beyond the jargon

There are a bewildering array of terms in economic development discussions about cities. Below we unpack them from a city perspective.
Smart specialisation
The ‘smart specialisation’ approach combines industrial, educational and innovation policies to suggest that countries or regions identify and select a limited number of priority areas for knowledge-based investments, focusing on their strengths and comparative advantages.
It builds on the Regional Innovation Strategies developed from 1994 onwards with support from the ERDF. Indeed the evolution is so close and deliberate that smart specialisation has been referred to as RIS 3.

http://urbact.eu/smart-specialisation-triple-helix-open-innovation-and-smart-cities-going-beyond-jargon

Cyprus offers free parking for electric and hybrid vehicles

The City Council of Nicosia Municipality has announced that hybrid and electric vehicles will be granted free parking in the Cypriot capital.
The allocated parking will be accessible via a new card system that will be given to residents and companies located within the municipal limits of Nicosia that own hybrid and electric vehicles. To obtain a free parking card, drivers must apply via the municipality.

http://www.eltis.org/discover/news/cyprus-offers-free-parking-electric-and-hybrid-vehicles

New framework on urban resilience towards New Urban Agenda2

This week, the international community has been meeting in the city of Sendai, Japan, to discuss a new Framework for Action on Disaster Risk Reduction and political declaration within the United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR).
Globally, it is estimated that 80 per cent of the world’s largest cities are currently vulnerable to severe impacts from earthquakes and 60 per cent are at risk from storm surges and tsunamis, making sustainable urbanization a key element of disaster risk preparedness.

http://unhabitat.org/sendai-marks-start-of-new-framework-on-urban-resilience-towards-new-urban-agenda/

“Rainforest” set for Dubai rankles environmentalists

Dubai already boasts the world’s tallest skyscraper, a seven-star luxury hotel and an indoor ski resort, among other glitzy attractions. Yet even by this city’s daring architectural standards, the plan for a “rainforest” marks “a new zenith in outrageous investment,” Laurie Balbo reports for Green Prophet.
While the goal is to replicate the flora and fauna found in actual rainforests, local environmentalists are critical. “To create an artificial forest in such harsh conditions, they are challenging nature,” Dr. Ali El-Keblawy, associate professor at the University of Sharjah, tells the publication.

http://www.urbangateway.org/news/%E2%80%9Crainforest%E2%80%9D-set-dubai-rankles-environmentalists

International webinar series on sustaining community and civic assets

What is your community, town or city doing – and what can it do - to sustain key assets such as parks, libraries, theaters and museums?
This may seem like a local issue but communities, towns and cities globally are all asking these same questions – from Amsterdam and Accra to Brasilia and Beirut.
The New Barn-Raising inaugural webinar series - starting next month – captures 28 examples of global best practice (from 10 countries across 6 continents) on how best to sustain community and civic assets.

You can register here: https://thenewbarnraising.wufoo.com/forms/the-new-barnraising-webinars-2015/

What do driverless cars mean for suburban planning?

Self-driving cars are coming, and boosters of drivable suburbia are hoping they will be a potent weapon against mass transit and cities. But what they mean for towns and suburbs isn’t quite so clear.
For the past 80 years, the US has transformed nearly every place in the country into one that is acceptable and welcoming to the personal automobile. It needs places to park (some estimates have that there are 6 parking spaces for every car), needs enough road space to be able to drive unimpeded, needs sole control over the roads, and so on.

https://thegreatermarin.wordpress.com/2015/02/16/what-do-driverless-cars-mean-for-suburban-planning/

Stop Talking About Density and Start Talking About Place

Density is a measurement of how many homes fit within an acre. But "density" can't do more than that. It doesn't tell us what we need to know to make decisions about the places we want to live, and it misinforms the discussions we have about our future. Our city needs all of sorts of other restrictions, aside from density, to create different places.

http://bettercities.net/news-opinion/blogs/howard-blackson/21453/density-just-number

Urban design found to affect physical activity in Chinese cities

A new study by New York University and East China Normal University researchers has found that the design of the built environment influences how much walking and cycling people do in Chinese cities where obesity and chronic diseases are at highly elevated levels and still rising.
“While not surprising,” write the authors in their study published in the journal Preventive Medicine, “this finding is important, as it demonstrates that the association between the design of the built environment and walking, which has been found to be linked in research in Western countries, also holds true in China.”
The report, Walking, obesity, and urban design in Chinese neighborhoods, finds that part of the emerging evidence “will be of critical importance to persuade local government officials and developers of the value of pursuing more walkable urban development patterns.”

http://cities-today.com/2015/03/urban-design-found-affect-physical-activity-chinese-cities/

What’s Good for Kids Is Good for Cities

Last month, GOVERNING published an article that asked, “Do cities need kids?” As a dad of three living in the D.C. metropolitan area, I couldn’t believe that such a question could even be posed.
Our nation’s future is inextricably tied to the future of kids in cities. The numbers speak for themselves. According to the most recent U.S. data, 80.7 percent of Americans live in an urban area, and contrary to popular opinion, the percentage of kids in urban areas is slightly higher. The question we should be asking is not whether cities need kids, but rather how cities can enable kids and their families to thrive.

https://medium.com/@kaboom/kids-first-what-s-good-for-kids-is-good-for-cities-73811301165f

The Media’s Unproductive Obsession With Oligarchs and Gentrifiers

Earlier this month, the New York Times published the results of its year-plus-long investigation into the buyers of condos at the Time Warner Center and other buildings around the bottom of Central Park. The city’s paper of record poured an enormous amount of resources into the piece – Louise Story hadn’t had a byline in the paper since August 2013, and Stephanie Saul since January 2013. Twenty other people contributed reporting, research, design, graphics, illustrations, and productions, not counting the editors involved.
What was revealed, though, was little more than high-brow tabloid reporting. There are a lot of wealthy people from all over the world living in the Time Warner Center, and as anyone with a passing familiarity with wealth in developing countries knows, it’s tough to amass a fortune in many parts of the world without attracting controversy of some sort or another.

http://newyorkyimby.com/2015/02/the-medias-unproductive-obsession-with-oligarchs-and-gentrifiers.html

What the Last 4 U.S. Presidents Have Done for Bicycling

Starting in the later half of the 20th century, every U.S. president from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama has been photographed riding a bike. As recreation, bicycling is a nearly ubiquitous experience for Americans, making a presidential bike ride as good a photo-op as kissing babies and shaking hands with blue-collar workers. Plus, riding a bike is just fun, and deep down presidents are probably still human beings who enjoy fun. Despite those decades of executive ridership, it wasn't until the early '90s that bicycling started getting its due as a viable form of transportation worthy of federal funding.

http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/president-biking-funding-bike-safety

The Eiffel Tower Now Produces Its Own Energy

A victory for eco-friendly design—the Eiffel Tower is now powered by 100% renewable energy and has been since last January, according to Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo. LED lighting, solar panels, rainwater recovery systems, and most notably, two vertical axis wind turbines have turned the monument into a beacon of green design. France has been eager to show their concern for a more sustainable future, a commitment illustrated by the tower.
A major renovation and retrofit project overseen by the Société d'Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE) and Urban Green Energy International (UGE) should make the tower's first level self-sustaining and cut 10,000 kWh from the site’s yearly energy consumption. Most of this energy usage is generated by the level's commercial center, which caters to approximately seven million people a year. Installed in February, the new apparatus will also help to meet the pavilion’s water needs, up to 50% of which will now be solar-heated.

http://www.metropolismag.com/Point-of-View/March-2015/The-Eiffel-Tower-Now-Produces-Its-Own-Energy/

LA's 20 year mobility plan

This week the Los Angeles Department of City Planning released a revised version of the Mobility Plan 2035, an aspirational, wide-ranging blueprint for getting around Los Angeles in the next 20 years. The 180-page plan touches on virtually every aspect of mobility in Los Angeles, from walking and bikes to buses and trains, in an attempt to integrate them all into something resembling a cohesive vision. Major goals of the plan include establishing a network of "Complete Streets" that are accessible for both people and cars, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and solving the ever-vexing "first-mile/last-mile" issue for getting people to and from all those transit stops already here and on the way. The agency takes pains to explain that not all objectives will be accomplished —the plan is "a working guide and a reference document"— but it's fun to see the dream.

http://la.curbed.com/archives/2015/02/heres_the_big_plan_to_make_it_way_easier_to_get_around_los_angeles_over_the_next_20_years.php

The political impact of murals

Murals define our sense of place and neighborhood identity, their disappearance and destruction can therefore evoke a sense of loss. Two cases from Berlin and New York show that reasons for their disappearance are often politically charged and can be understood in the light of the process of gentrification.

https://citiesintransition.eu/cityreport/the-political-impact-of-murals

Brand Milano: how to develop the brand of a city from its symbols.

Does a city that is already well renowned around the globe need to work hard to develop a distinctive identity? It does if it wants to adapt to the social, economic, cultural and technological transformations that are changing our cities. In the wake of the city of Milan has been working towards the definition of its new branding strategy.
Cities that want to emerge economically are in need of branding strategies. For cities to progress as established centres of business, tourism and culture there is also a need to develop their brand in order to keep up with the challenges posed by socioeconomic transformations.

http://www.eukn.eu/news/detail/brand-milano-how-to-develop-the-brand-of-a-city-from-its-symbols/

São Paulo’s water crisis worsens as taps run dry

São Paulo’s water crisis has gone from bad to worse. Simon Romero reports for the New York Times that water already is being shut sporadically in Brazil’s largest city — sometimes for days. Worried residents have taken to collecting water in buckets and even drilling their own wells. Rationing in a way that would limit distribution to two days a week may be required.
The crisis is fueled by relentless drought “worsened by polluted rivers, deforestation and population growth,” Romero writes. Other factors include the city’s fast-growing population and a pipe system that loses nearly a third of treated water to leaks and theft. While new reservoirs and water diversions are planned, they are a year or more away.

http://citiscope.org/citisignals/2015/sao-paulos-water-crisis-worsens-taps-run-dry

Urban Land Institute Launches "How Housing Matters" Resource

The new online database aggregates information that links the location, affordability, and stability of a community's housing to effects on education, health, and the economy.
Urban Land Institute (ULI) unveiled How Housing Matters, an online portal that focuses on the relationship between affordable housing and the well-being of individuals and neighborhoods. The website, funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, offers a free searchable database of research and news related to connections between quality housing and health.

http://www.architectmagazine.com/research/urban-land-institute-launches-how-housing-matters-resource_o.aspx

SUMP seminars encourage successful transport planning

Each city service is one piece in a larger whole; only together do public utilities such as transport, waste collection, energy provision, water maintenance and other strands contribute to a functioning city. While each service must be maintained in its own right, separating these public provisions into stand-alone entities unlinked by a wider plan can hinder the achievement of broader city goals.
The same applies when creating a functioning urban transport system. And that is where the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) comes in. The SUMP is a framework created by the European Commission which helps cities integrate their transport plans into overall urban planning, ensuring that sustainable mobility not only results in better transport, but a better city.

http://www.eltis.org/content/sump-seminars-encourage-successful-transport-planning

Launch of consultations on the Global Agenda for Local and Regional Governments

As part of the development of the Global Agenda for Local and Regional Governments for the 21st Century, UCLG will hold a series of consultation sessions at its World Secretariat in Barcelona to collect inputs on the Agenda from different types of local governments.
Consultations will be held for local authorities, practitioners, experts, CSOs and partners from intermediary, metropolitan and peripheral cities in order to collect and explore the concerns and priorities of these constituencies.
The consultations will be based on the UCLG Strategic Framework, a tool developed in 2014 for gathering, organizing and sharing local government priorities, policies and narratives. The consultations will use this framework both to help attendees to develop their own Agendas, and to contribute to the Global Agenda.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/launch-consultations-global-agenda-local-and-regional-governments

Defining a Hub for Cities : Join the Enter.Hub Network Final Conference!

Take part in URBACT's Enter.Hub Network Final Conference and discover experiences of cities in High Speed Railway hubs. Join Enter.Hub in Reggio Emilia, Italy on 26-27 February 2015!
The Enter.Hub network aims to develop innovative planning tools in enhancing urban planning and city policies through strengthening and widening of the railway systems in order to reach a sustainable urban and territorial development. This is being done through analyzing the economic, cultural and social inducts of railway hubs of regional relevance. The project is lead by Reggio Emilia (IT) and includes the partner cities of Ciudad Real (SP), Creil (FR), Gdynia (PL), Girona (SP), Lódz (PL), Lugano (CH), Orebro (SE), Porto (PR), Preston (UK), Rostock (DE), Ulm (DE).

http://urbact.eu/defining-hub-cities-join-enterhub-network-final-conference

Egypt poised to ink deal for a new capital city

This is the plan: a new capital city for Egypt that would take a dozen years to build. Ben Flanagan reports for The National that Egypt is just weeks away from solidifying a deal with a “major Arabian-Gulf-based property developer” to oversee the project. Dubai’s Emaar is rumored to be in the running.
Now, a few caveats. The $65-billion project would be financed entirely by the private sector, the article says. It will be interesting to see if the Egyptian government can pull off such a huge undertaking without kicking in government funds at some point.

http://citiscope.org/citisignals/2015/egypt-poised-ink-deal-new-capital-city

Why urban planners should pay attention to nightlife

The stereotypical urban planner has a reputation for pushing pencils rather than downing shots. But urban scientist Jakob F. Schmid explains why they should care what goes on in their cities' bars and clubs after hours.
Nightlife is often considered an urban indicator and is important to any city. On the other hand, the night economy - that is, clubs, pubs and discos - also create specific problems for many cities. The keyword here is noise pollution.

http://www.dw.de/why-urban-planners-should-pay-attention-to-nightlife/a-18274824?maca

Young People are Pulling Jobs Back to City Centers

Talented young people are moving to urban centers, raising the skill level of the labor force and attracting the attention of businesses. As a result, some of the job sprawl that took place in the early 2000s has started to swing back to cities, concludes a new analysis of Census data on local employment and housing by the City Observatory think tank.

http://www.citylab.com/work/2015/02/young-people-are-pulling-jobs-back-to-city-centers/385934/

Urban freight roadmap launched at ERTRAC 2015 Annual Conference

ERTRAC's 2015 Annual Conference took place on 3rd March 2015 in Brussels. Infrastructures, urban mobility and freight session led by Ruud Smit of Rijkswaterstaat was one of three key sessions of conference.

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/813/45/Urban-freight-roadmap-launched-at-ERTRAC-2015-Annual-Conference

Placemaking and Place-Led Development: A New Paradigm for Cities of the Future

When a public space has purpose and meaning for its community, it becomes a place. Places, like this one in Mumbai, can drive the social and economic value of a community. | Photo by PPS
At the Urban Age Conference in Delhi last November, head of UN-Habitat Joan Clos stressed the need for a new paradigm for shaping communities around the world, whether in rural areas or urban centers. When asked if that meant that government(s) would need to change as well, Dr. Clos replied with a brief and direct “yes,” before returning to his seat.
At PPS, we recognize the urgency of this call. We are also deeply aware of the challenges facing our cities—challenges that have in many ways been intensified by today’s unprecedented rates of urbanization such as social segregation, traffic congestion, inequity, unplanned sprawl, and environmental degradation. But even despite these global pressures, cities also contain unique tools and opportunities for confronting these issues—they have long been sites of great social transformation and democratic action, and they continue to be powerful engines of economic growth and innovation. To harness these opportunities, though, as Dr. Joan Clos has argued, “requires a shift in mindset away from seeing urbanization as a problem. Instead, we need to approach urbanization as a solution.”

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/placemaking-and-place-led-development-new-paradigm-cities-future

The Changing Shape of American Cities

The last two decades have brought dramatic changes to many American cities. Most cities in the United States in 1990 had a “donut” shape, with wealthier residents in a booming suburban ring surrounding a decaying core. Today cities are increasingly resembling what has been called a new donut – with three, rather than two rings. The center has grown much more desirable to educated, higher-income residents, especially young adults under the age of 35. Poverty, meanwhile, is migrating outwards, creating an “inner ring” of urban and early suburban neighborhoods around the core, where per capita incomes have fallen and education rates are stagnant. Beyond the inner ring, an outer ring of newer and larger suburbs continues to add population.

http://www.coopercenter.org/demographics/new-american-cities

Mobility management and land-use planning in Sweden

The integration of mobility management with land-use planning in local authorities has a large potential to influence both mode choice and travel demand. Twelve municipalities in Sweden have for three years (2012-2014) participated in a network established by the Swedish Energy Agency called ‘Possibilities with mobility management in land-use planning’.

http://www.eltis.org/discover/case-studies/mobility-management-and-land-use-planning-sweden

Privatised cities: share your experiences

Are we seeing the erosion of public space and access in our cities? Share your pictures and experiences with GuardianWitness of how cities around the world are becoming increasingly exclusive
From “public” spaces owned and regulated by corporations to gated communities and riverside spaces only accessible to a select few, our cities are becoming increasingly privatised.
We’d love to hear your experiences and see your examples of how cities around the world are becoming more private, exclusive and even hostile.

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/feb/24/privatised-cities-share-your-experiences

The impressive environmental bonus of crowded city living

Cities present a kind of environmental paradox. The construction of all our roads, housing and office towers requires a lot of resources and energy. Collectively, we produce a ton of trash. And we generate a lot of pollution while we're at it (not to mention of the light and noise varieties, which are equally obnoxious to nature).
On the other hand, two families living in an apartment building likely consume less energy than two families in detached houses outside the city. And the more people who pack into cities, the more land we can conserve outside of them.
The most obvious illustration of the environmental benefit of cities is shown in the graph below (from a new OECD report that I am having too much fun with this week). It tracks carbon emissions per capita from ground transportation in several metropolitan areas around the world. The densest places have the lowest emissions; the least dense have the highest.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/02/19/the-impressive-environmental-bonus-of-crowded-city-living/

EcoMobility Dialogues to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa

The EcoMobility Congress will take a new format and title for its third edition in Johannesburg. The EcoMobility Congress will be called the EcoMobility Dialogues and will be held from the 7 – 9 October 2015, concurrent with the second EcoMobility World Festival.
The EcoMobility Dialogues will attract thought leaders, experts, practitioners, academia and city leaders to discuss specific challenges, obstacles and ways out of the urban mobility crisis cities around the world face. It will form an integral part of the EcoMobility World Festival – a unique month long demonstration of an urban car-free lifestyle.
“The EcoMobility Dialogues enable the host city to both promote its mobility initiatives and receive expert feedback from practitioners and city leaders working on implementing ground breaking mobility solutions in various cities”, said Gino Van Begin, Secretary General of ICLEI.
During the Dialogues, attention will be placed on the transport and climate change debate. Supported by expert groups from the Partnership on Sustainable Low Carbon Transport (SLoCaT) and the Bridging the Gap (BtG) initiative, the outcomes of these dialogues will form an input for further discussions at the 21st United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP21) to be held on 30 November to 11 December in Paris, France.

http://www.iclei.org/

How cities can promote equality and fight racism: Inclusive Cities Observatory case study

Since 2000 the city of London is working on multidimensional inclusion of ethnic minorities and women through Specific ‘equality schemes’.
The Inclusive Cities Observatory case study on the Greater London Authority (GLA)’s equality policy provides an analysis of the policy initiated in 2000 under the mayoralty of Ken Livingstone (2000-08). The policy continues under the current mayor, Boris Johnson.
The Greater London Authority (GLA) is London’s coordinating authority in the areas of the police service, transport, fire, and strategic planning. London is not simply the capital of the United Kingdom, but a ‘global’ city, with an estimated total population of more than 7 million people. London produces a wealth comparable to that of many national economies and attracts high levels of foreign investment and a large number of tourists from all over the world. It is also the most ethnically diverse city in Europe, with a population that encompasses 300 languages, and sees over 150 countries represented and 14 faiths practiced. This picture suggests a successful story of local development and urban diversity. However, London is also a city of social exclusion and inequalities.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/how-cities-can-promote-equality-and-fight-racism-inclusive-cities-observatory-case-study

Ancient cities grew pretty much like modern ones, say scientists

A study of archeological data from ancient Mexican settlements reveals remarkable similarities between pre-Colombian cities and modern ones, lending support to the idea that urban spaces are shaped by universal social behaviors.
Before Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés destroyed the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan in 1521, he marveled at its impressive size and wealth. In a letter to his king, he wrote that the city was as big as Seville or Cordoba back home. Tenochtitlan had boulevards, bustling markets, canals, courthouses and temples. The Aztecs didn't model their capital after a European city, but what Cortés saw was remarkably familiar.
Sure, each city has its own local quirks, architecture, language and cuisine. But recently, some theoretical scientists have started to find there are universal laws that shape all urban spaces. And a new study suggests the same mathematical rules might apply to ancient settlements, too.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/0222/Ancient-cities-grew-pretty-much-like-modern-ones-say-scientists

Bringing green back to the city

On the roof of an office building in the Athenian neighborhood Ampelokipoi, the architect Konstantinos Zarbis has maintained a fully functioning farm for over five years, that no city official or office in the building knew about.
His father developed the 16 story high building in the 70’s. Back then his father already used the cellar of the building to grow mushrooms, and sold them to local restaurants. Today his son is continuing this experiment, growing from the belief that nature and sustainable life deserve a place in the city. And that is happening at the rooftop, where 200 chickens, rabbits, guinea fowls, and goats live amongst vegetables, herbs and orchard with orange-, fig-, and olive trees.

https://citiesintransition.eu/cityreport/bringing-green-back-to-the-city

UN-Habitat trains Ethiopian mayors on leadership and planned urbanization

Thirty-five mayors from Ethiopia’s Oromia Region last month benefited from a 5 day training programme organised by UN-Habitat.
The training was part of the “Capacity Building for City Leaders in Ethiopia” programme which comprises broad based training sessions designed to enhance the capacities of cities to support the implementation of the Ethiopian Cities Prosperity Initiative (ECPI), with the ultimate goal of transforming Ethiopia into a middle income economy by 2025.

http://unhabitat.org/un-habitat-trains-ethiopian-mayors-on-leadership-and-planned-urbanization/

Can We Legalize a Walkable City?

Do you ever wonder why different neighborhoods and streets in Los Angeles look the way they do—and why some places seem to be more walkable than others? The history of how our land was developed includes economic demand, neighborhood preferences, and transportation infrastructure. But the most direct way that we collectively influence what our communities look like—and how walkable they can be—is through government regulation of land use, especially by planning and zoning.
Zoning is a regulatory system that most local governments employ to control how land is used. As the name suggests, it divides places into different zones. Depending on what zone a piece of land is located in, there are rules that restrict what types of activities can be carried out on the lot, as well as the location, size, and shape of buildings allowed on the property. And the physical structure of these communities in?uences how people live and how they move about their neighborhoods.

http://www.publicceo.com/2015/02/rezoning-los-angeles-can-we-legalize-a-walkable-city/

District energy in cities

Accelerating the uptake of energy efficiency and renewable energy in the global energy mix is the single biggest contribution to keep global temperature rise under 2 degrees Celsius (°C) and to reap the multiple benefits of an inclusive green economy. Cities account for over 70 percent of global energy use and, 40 to 50 percent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. In several cities, heating and cooling can account for up to half of local energy consumption. Any solution for the climate and energy transition must explicitly address sustainable urban heating and cooling, as well as electricity. One of the least-cost and most efficient solutions in reducing emissions and primary energy demand is the development of modern (climate-resilient and low-carbon) district energy in cities. To facilitate this energy transition, UNEP has initiated a new initiative on District Energy in Cities, as the implementing mechanism for the SE4ALL District Energy Accelerator.

http://www.unep.org/energy/DistrictEnergyinCities/tabid/816789/language/en-US/Default.aspx

Rise of the aspirational suburb

Urban form in American cities is in a constant state of evolution. Until recent years, American suburbia was often built without an appreciation for future evolution. This has left many older suburbs in a deteriorated state, and has accelerated claims of a more generalized suburban decline.
The Indianapolis suburb of Carmel represents a response to this historic pattern. While responding to today’s market demands with a new aspiration level designed to make it nationally competitive, it’s also trying to position itself for success tomorrow and over the longer term.

http://www.newgeography.com/content/004846-the-emerging-new-aspirational-suburb

The next post carbon city

Litomerice (24,388 inhabitants) is located in the Northern Bohemia region on the Elbe River. Nicknamed “Garden of Bohemia”, the city has been an artistic and cultural centre for centuries. Formerly a port town, the city has transitioned to a service and commerce economy. While it has traditionally been relying on coal combustion for most of its energy use, the city is now taking steps towards a low-carbon future. Litomerice is striving to reduce air pollution and to become energy independent based on renewable energy sources. To reach this objective, the city council has started implementing a number of measures and plans since 2000. Litomerice’s approach to the local energy transition is twofold. It consists of incentives for RES such as small-scale renewable energy applications or large investment in geothermal heat and energy production on the one hand, and on realizing energy savings based on the Municipal Energy Plan 2030 on the other.

http://www.energy-cities.eu/Litomerice-on-its-way-to-a-post?pmv_nid=2

TIDE helps transport innovation to happen

Between 24 and 26 February 2015 the TIDE project saw over 60 participants in two workshops in Brussels. Topics of the events: making innovation happen, future research priorities and sustainable urban mobility planning.

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/803/45/TIDE-helps-transport-innovation-to-happen

Mining the city

In the coming decades, climate change and rapid urbanization will make it increasingly difficult for cities to meet their inhabitants’ basic needs.
In the search for stable sources of critical supplies, could the built environment prove as important as the natural environment?
2008 marked the first time in history that more than half the world’s population lived in an urban area. By 2030, cities will house almost five billion people; 80% of this number will live in the developing world. In Africa and Asia, urban areas are set to grow as much in one generation as they have during all of human history.

http://www.arupconnect.com/2015/02/19/mining-the-city/

Designing for the Dead: The Perfect City Cemetery

How Austin is mixing historic preservation and visionary planning to create an ideal urban resting place.
Think of urban cemeteries as the first public parks in America. They enticed city-dwellers into an idyllic country experience with rolling green hills, shady trees and stone benches designed for reflective thought. But it wasn’t a complete escape. A city’s character is echoed in the landscape of its cemeteries, from social hierarchies made visible in the burial of prominent citizens on higher ground to generations of graves segregated by the ethnicity of the deceased.

http://nextcity.org/features/view/how-to-live-in-the-city-of-the-dead

Mayors against child poverty

Mayors of major Belgian cities have signed up to a declaration on tackling child poverty, and hope to extend the scope to cities around Europe.
The mayors of EUROCITIES members Antwerp, Brussels, Charleroi and Ghent have signed up to a declaration on tackling child poverty. The declaration is the initiative of the Belgian federal government’s urban policy unit, but it is hoping to extend its scope to cities further afield.

http://eurocities.eu/eurocities/news/Mayors-against-child-poverty-WSPO-9UCF5A

European awards recognise cities for excellence in sustainable mobility

Two prizes for innovation in urban mobility will be awarded on 23 March 2015 in Brussels, Belgium. European Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc will present the awards at a special ceremony, and the six finalists are now being revealed.
Launched in 2012, the European Commission's Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) Award aims to encourage local authorities across Europe to adopt and develop their Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs). It also recognises outstanding achievements in each year’s SUMP chosen priority area.
This year, the award focuses on cities that have shown excellent monitoring and evaluation of both the planning and implementation of their SUMPs. This is critical in ensuring the long-term success of their strategies.

http://www.mobilityweek.eu/fileadmin/files/Press_packs/Spotlight_finalists_and_shorlisted_cities_EMW_2014.pdf

OECD launches two new city publications

At a high-level roundtable in London, hosted by Centre for Cities, a UK urban policy research unit, the OECD today launched two new major publications focusing on cities – The Metropolitan Century: Understanding Urbanisation and its Consequences and Governing the City.
“The books are the culmination of two years of work on urban trends and governance by the OECD,” said Luiz de Mello, Deputy Director of the Public Governance and Territorial Development Directorate for the OECD, at the launch. “By looking at metropolitan areas, we thought we could shed some more light on the drivers of economic growth and social development and try to inform the policy debate that countries are having on what to do to address the needs and challenges in cities.”

http://cities-today.com/2015/02/oecd-launches-two-new-books-urbanisation-governance-cities/

Congestion charge has led to dramatic fall in accidents in London

Hated by some, loved by others, the London congestion charge has been a divisive issue ever since it was introduced in 2003. Now a new study suggests that it has had one impact that will be welcomed by all: a dramatic decline in accidents.
Research to be presented at the Royal Economic Society’s annual conference later this month found that traffic accidents have fallen in the capital by an astonishing 40% since 2003. The work is the first study of its kind and is likely to be examined closely by other cities that have flirted with the idea of imposing a similar charge.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/mar/07/congestion-charge-accident-fall

The transformational changes facing public transport: a threat or an opportunity?

Public transport is heading in a new direction: the urban mobility landscape is changing rapidly and is defining the way people move around cities the world over. The changes and challenges facing the sector and how public transport can reaffirm its role in the city will be the focus of the upcoming UITP World Congress & Exhibition in Milan from 8-10 June 2015.
UITP, the International Association of Public Transport, will hold its biennial World Congress & Exhibition at a time when public transport is facing unprecedented challenges: ensuring the sector remains the integrator with the arrival of new mobility services (from the likes of banks, telcos and IT giants); selecting the right transport modes for mega urban development projects; harnessing open data to enhance the traveller experience and finding a new business model that will help pay for it all.
The Congress will offer an in-depth overview of what’s happening in public transport now, from the challenges of integrating public transport into tomorrow’s ‘smart cities’ to building alliances with business leaders to make the case for congestion-cutting sustainable mobility projects.
Health will also be on the agenda for the first time at the UITP World Congress & Exhibition. A high-level session will be dedicated to helping cities rid themselves of the scourge of air pollution. With 3.2 million people dying each year due to physical inactivity, this session will also make case for promoting active urban lifestyles.
Meanwhile the Exhibition will provide a unique insight into the very latest innovations in the fields of bus, rail and IT solutions that are transforming the face of urban mobility as we know it.
“The focus of the UITP World Congress & Exhibition in Milan will be looking at the challenges facing the public transport sector and putting a spotlight on some of the cities that are leading the way with ambitious development plans,” said UITP Secretary General Alain Flausch. “This World Congress & Exhibition will be a forum for the bold policies, solutions and products that will make tomorrow’s cities more attractive, prosperous and healthier”.

For more information, please visit: www.uitpmilan2015.org

Cities keen to boost their knowledge on bike sharing: New Polis working group launched

Polis member cities and regions called for a platform to openly discuss the local governments' role and challenges of bike sharing schemes. In response, Polis' new working group met on 5 March in Brussels.

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/807/45/Cities-keen-to-boost-their-knowledge-on-bike-sharing-New-Polis-working-group-launched

Energy Union – It can’t work without cities and citizens

‘Cities are key to the establishment of the Energy Union project’ said Commission Vice President Maroš Šefcovic yesterday at a high-level roundtable which gathered some 20 leaders of European cities. Cities are the largest consumers of energy in Europe, and where three quarters of carbon emissions are generated. A successful EU Energy Union must tap into the potential of local energy resources and actively involve local authorities and their citizens.

http://www.energy-cities.eu/Energy-Union-It-can-t-work-without

UCLG Culture Summit in Bilbao

The countdown to the first UCLG Culture Summit has begun. This important occasion for Culture will take place from 18 to 20 March 2015 in Bilbao, with the participation of all key actors, activists and stakeholders involved in the relationship between culture, cities, development and citizens. The detailed progr amme of the Summit has been released. The document will enable you to know more about the schedule and about the detailed distribution of all the speakers in the various plenary and specialized sessions.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/uclg-culture-summit-bilbao

How can local and regional governments work as a global network?

This question has been the common theme during the first UCLG seminar and campus, which gathered together representatives of Committees, Sections and key partners. The ideas, capacities and, in particular, the energy of those present in Barcelona this week have been a driving force in all of the sessions. Over the course of the week, the joint priorities of the network were outlined little by little, culminating in the definition of the roadmap of our common agenda.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/how-can-local-and-regional-governments-work-global-network

What the 'Best Cities for Families' Rankings Get Wrong

A quick google search of ‘best cities for families’ or ‘best place to raise kids’ will turn up scores of ranking systems by apartment companies, parenting magazines, and other resources, all claiming to have an insight to the best places to raise a family. One of the more recent rankings by Apartment List has been used by cities all across the country to demonstrate that they are the premier place to raise a family. But how accurate are these rankings and are they considering the right factors in determining whether a city is family friendly? Sadly most of these rankings are structured around narrow thinking and perceptions on safety, child-friendliness, and amenities. They are not reflective of how a city and the built environment can influence and shape a family’s finances, education, and health & well-being. The following is a consideration of the ranking criteria for the most recent, Apartment List, based on its share of the ranking and criteria, and how it misses the mark.

http://www.familyfriendlycities.com/#!What-the-Best-Cities-for-Families-Rankings-Get-Wrong/c1a1n/476A7A1B-124D-4094-B5E1-3D29A62AB3F7

The Myth of Gentrification

It's extremely rare and not as bad for the poor as you think. That gentrification displaces poor people of color by well-off white people is a claim so commonplace that most people accept it as a widespread fact of urban life. It's not. Gentrification of this sort is actually exceedingly rare. The socio-economic status of most neighborhoods is strikingly stable over time.

http://www.smartgrowth.org/engine/index.php/news/2015/the-myth-of-gentrification-1?

Call for Regional and Thematic meetings for Habitat III

As part of the preparatory process towards Habitat III, Member States, local organizations and other institutions are encouraged to organize regional or thematic meetings to ensure an inclusive and focused discussion on sustainable urban development for a New Urban Agenda.
The Conference welcomes the participation and contributions of all Member States and relevant stakeholders, including parliamentarians, civil society organizations, regional and local government and municipality representatives, professionals and researchers, academia, foundations, women and youth groups, trade unions, and the private sector, as well as organizations of the United Nations system and intergovernmental organizations.

http://unhabitat.org/call-for-regional-and-thematic-meetings-for-habitat-iii/

3iBS - Survey on accessibility and safety/security concepts in urban bus systems

The overall purpose of the 3iBS project is to disseminate key findings from research on bus systems, promote exchange of knowledge between worldwise bus stakeholders and stimulate coordinated research by identifying the main priorities to support the development of advanced bus systems. The project warmly invites you to support the development of guidelines for the introduction of accessibility and safety/security concepts in urban bus systems.

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/788/45/3iBS---Survey-on-accessibility-and-safety-security-concepts-in-urban-bus-systems

Cities Are Coming Back, But Urban Poverty Remains an Immense Challenge

It is hard to think of a phenomenon that has done greater damage to our environment (as well as to our economy and social fabric) than the mass exodus from our older cities and towns that took place in the latter half of the 20th century. While we paved over farmland, forests, and watersheds, causing people to drive ever-longer distances to get things done, we tragically sucked population, investment and life out of older neighborhoods and communities as people with choices fled for the suburbs.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/cities-are-coming-back-urban-poverty-remains-immense-challenge

Arrival City: Seeding Inclusion in the Urban Village

A community garden in Toronto, an urban farm in Tower Hamlets. Grass-roots initiatives like these use the power of sharing to foster a sense of belonging and community in in the deeply urban village. In the Arrival City, these spaces also give immigrant populations a role in developing community assets and a stake in shaping the future of their community.

http://citybuilderbookclub.org/2015/01/29/notes-from-our-parks-to-farms-webinar/

7 Cities That Are Starting To Go Car-Free

Urban planners are finally recognizing that streets should be designed for people, not careening hunks of deadly metal.
After over a hundred years of living with cars, some cities are slowly starting to realize that the automobile doesn't make a lot of sense in the urban context. It isn't just the smog or the traffic deaths; in a city, cars aren't even a convenient way to get around.
Traffic in London today moves slower than an average cyclist (or a horse-drawn carriage). Commuters in L.A. spend 90 hours a year stuck in traffic. A U.K. study found that drivers spend 106 days of their lives looking for parking spots.
Now a growing number of cities are getting rid of cars in certain neighborhoods through fines, better design, new apps, and, in the case of Milan, even paying commuters to leave their car parked at home and take the train instead.

http://www.fastcoexist.com/3040634/7-cities-that-are-starting-to-go-car-free

Reading Cities, Cover to Cover, And Why

Open a book, read only, say, page 77, and the prose may please the mind or heart, but the richness of the story may suffer. Why? Because the plot is still unclear.
Reading the city is no different, as represented in the "multi-paged" slideshow above (the last 15 posts in myurbanist, under the moniker, "places people go"). In such urban venues, we should first take in each view, with sensation, but not draw any immediate conclusion. Taking pause, and recalling context and any background story, is the first step towards achieving community, neighborhood and a better place.
Urban challenges often first appear as conflicts of ideology, habit or style, without nuance. Yet the irony of underlying commonality is great, and should not be lost.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/charles-r-wolfe/why-cities-are-made-for-_b_6648976.html

What a 2-Year-Old Can Teach Us About City Planning

From pavement embedded with small bits of color to artistic manhole covers and public art, Eric Feldman wants other planners to think about the 34-inch perspective. That would mean asking whether a street offers the mix of activities, destinations and discoveries for toddlers. Designing with very small people in mind isn't just an exercise in whimsy. From the perspective of good planning, thinking from the point of view of a toddler actually makes a lot of sense.

http://www.smartgrowth.org/engine/index.php/news/2015/what-a-2-year-old

Visionary urban park leaders head to San Francisco

City Parks Alliance’s Signature International Conference Offers One-of-a-Kind Forum around Issues of Urban Park Creation, Management and Stewardship
WHAT: Prominent speakers and participants continue to be added to the lineup for Greater & Greener 2015, the signature conference of City Parks Alliance, presented in partnership with San Francisco Recreation & Park Department. More than 1,000 international urban park leaders and decision makers will gather in San Francisco, April 11-14, 2015 for a unique indoor and outdoor showcase of the latest ideas and creative thinking around urban park design, development, programming, funding, and sustainability. Over four days, participants will hear from more than 150 dynamic speakers and panelists, join outdoor tours and workshops to experience park programs having an impact, build connections with park peers from cities worldwide, and leave armed with the solutions and tools to take back and apply to local challenges in their communities.

Visit http://greatergreener.org for more information.

Second season of the free resource ‘Global Urban Lectures’ out now!

GlobalUrbanLectures2Following the success of the first season, which to date has gathered over 25,400 views and is one of the most shared outreach initiatives of UN-Habitat, the second season of the ‘Global Urban Lectures’ continues with 8 new top speakers working with UN-Habitat in the urban arena.
The urban lectures is a free resource of 15 min video lectures, including synopsis, biographies and additional reading materials, open to use for academic, professional or personal purposes. Meeting the requests, this season also brings the opportunity to download the series as MP3s, to listen to on the go. The first lecture in the series is the Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Dr. Joan Clos, talking about the Principles of Planned Urbanization

http://unhabitat.org/second-season-of-the-free-resource-global-urban-lectures-out-now/

Do you live in one of the world’s 50 most sustainable cities?

If you live in Frankfurt, you’ve got a reason to be cheerful. Germany’s fifth largest city was this week crowned number one in the ARCADIS Sustainable Cities Index.
The inaugural study ranks 50 cities from 31 countries based on their social, economic and environmental impacts (or "people, planet, profit," as the study likes to put it). Frankfurt—widely recognized as a major international financial and trade center not to mention a transport hub— was on top for economy as well as environment, thriving in areas such as waste management and reducing air pollution.

http://www.greenbiz.com/article/do-you-live-one-worlds-50-most-sustainable-cities

Metropolis platform on Integrated Urban Governance and Policy Transfer!

How is São Paulo successfully expanding social housing? How are citizens helping to make their city greener? Which experts work on youth issues in Asia and Europe? Find answers to these and many other urban policy questions using the METROPOLIS Policy Transfer Platform, a global learning and networking portal for urban practitioners, experts and researchers.
The platform, launched at the 11th METROPOLIS World Congress in Hyderabad in October 2014, allows users to quickly find innovative case studies and relevant experts filtered by region, topic, objective and policy instrument. Individuals can create a public profile advertising their interests and expertise, find and contact experts in the same field, and share projects on the platform giving international visibility to local good practices on topics from architecture to water management. Case studies are structured in a concise way with a focus on aspects that cities could adapt and/or learn from.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/metropolis-platform-integrated-urban-governance-and-policy-transfer

Planning loopholes negative impact for affordable housing

You probably don't need reminding of this, but London housing costs are really, really high. This, of course, is largely down to the city's booming economy, swelling population, and the increased interest of international buyers in London property. But it also has a lot to do with our planning policy.
London's city government has, for some time now, attempted to make sure that affordable housing is built alongside fancy pads for millionaires. In the 90s, Mayor Ken Livingstone set a rule that 50 per cent of homes in any new developments would need to be affordable. On reaching office in 2008, new mayor Boris Johnson promptly got rid of this requirement, claiming that a one-size-fits-all target had been counterproductive. He also redefined "affordable housing" to mean "80 per cent of market rates", which in most boroughs means "still not very affordable".

http://www.citymetric.com/politics/6-planning-loopholes-which-screw-over-affordable-housing-723

City Gardeners Track the Value of Urban Farming

When New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani announced plans in 1999 to auction off dozens of community gardens on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, gardeners dispatched earthy spirits to City Hall.
They rode a giant tomato bicycle downtown. “People’s jaws were dropping,” activist Tim Becker remembered in the 2011 book The Beach Beneath the Streets: Contesting New York City’s Public Spaces. “They couldn’t believe a tomato was going down Allen Street.” On another occasion, the gardeners crafted a giant caterpillar, a dozen bikes long. A third time, a dragonfly whose wings flapped when riders pedaled. These colorful puppets rallied public opinion; in 2002, the city and the gardeners arrived at a compromise.

http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/city-garden-urban-farming-yield-value

Growing a smarter, more sustainable Europe

Mayors and delegates from a number of European cities and industry leaders gathered in Stockholm to mark the launch of a new 25 million euro project, GrowSmarter, designed to shorten the path towards a more sustainable and environmentally smarter Europe, and expected to create up to 1,500 new jobs.
Opening the launch, Karin Wanngård, the Mayor of Stockholm, said: “It´s a great honour for Stockholm to be part of GrowSmarter and we are proud to be a Lighthouse City within the project. GrowSmarter holds a huge potential to create and spread new ideas enabling cities to develop in a social, environmental and economic sustainable way, in addition to creating new jobs.

www.grow-smarter.eu.

Water and Urbanization

A fascinating collection of scholarly treatises on the subject of water and cities, from the earliest of times to the modern day.

http://waterhistory.b.uib.no/series-iii/vol-1/

It Might Be Youthification, Not Gentrification

Much has been made of the wave of millennials moving to cities. In intriguing new work, geographer and urban planner Markus Moos of the University of Waterloo gives the phenomenon a name: “youthification.” Moos defines youthfication as the “influx of young adults into higher density” cities and neighborhoods. And in some ways these neighborhoods are “forever young,” where new cohorts of young people continue to move in as families and children cycle out in search of more space.

http://www.citylab.com/housing/2015/02/is-your-neighborhood-changing-it-might-be-youthification-not-gentrification/385193/

Forgotten Lessons From a 1970s Fight Against Gentrification

How a decades-old tenant battle in Washington, D.C.'s Adams Morgan neighborhood is still shaping the city today. There was a time when Adams Morgan battled the most unjust aspects of displacement with strong community activism-and, briefly, won. One chapter from its storied past shows how some of its residents fought to keep and stay in their homes in the 1970s. Their ultimately fleeting victory nevertheless had long-term ramifications in the changing urban landscape in D.C., and offers lessons for taming rising rents all over the country.

http://www.smartgrowth.org/engine/index.php/news/2015/forgotten-lessons-from-a-1970s

Philadelphia Housing Market Is Surging, But For How Long?

Center City has recovered from the recession, and then some.
Developers built 1,983 new housing units in Center City last year, a robust total that is the second highest since at least 2000 (The only year that was better? 2013). Property values stand at $307 a square foot, their highest value since at least 2005. Another 3,681 more units are in the Center City pipeline.
And yet, Center City District Executive Director Paul Levy is worried.
"Our basic message here is we've got four or five years to get it right," Levy said at a press conference Tuesday where he shared the findings of the district's annual housing report.

http://www.phillymag.com/citified/2015/02/17/center-city-housing-market-surging-but-for-how-long/#EtU5ijiLxjRuYCWh.99

The Bus Terminal Is Dead. Long Live the Bus Terminal

Intercity bus travel is booming in the U.S. After four consecutive decades of decline, the industry shot up an average 9 percent between 2006 and 2008, according to DePaul University's Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development. Six years later, it's still growing. Is there a case for bringing back some decent infrastructure dedicated to it?

http://www.smartgrowth.org/engine/index.php/news/2015/the-bus-terminal-is-dead

Bristol: Future-Proofing Cities for Social Inclusion

How are cities building social and economic inclusion into the formula for urban resilience? How can city planners address inequalities that can seed discontent and alienation for generations to come? In the UK city of Bristol, 'future-proofing' the city means developing strategies to mitigate the risk and cost of social exclusion. Recognized for its leadership in “fostering a resilience mindset that will be critical to proactively managing the inevitable challenges, shocks and stresses all cities will face,” Bristol is one of the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities.

http://citiesofmigration.ca/good_idea/future-proofing-the-city/

The Greening of a Suburban Downtown

If planners for Bethesda, Maryland fully realize a conceptual vision now being offered to community leaders and the public, the once-quiet but now-bustling suburb's downtown could become a nationally relevant example of urban sustainability. The Montgomery County Planning Department is considering a comprehensive green overhaul of Bethesda's downtown plan, including two to three neighborhood-scaled "ecodistricts" that would lead the way with showcase practices to accelerate and intensify environmental performance.

http://www.smartgrowth.org/engine/index.php/news/2015/the-greening-of-a-suburban

Cities in Transition launches

Citiesintransition.eu has officially been launched last month! If you haven't checked it out yet, please find the first European cities in transition on the map now: Rome, Bucharest, Amsterdam, Budapest and Athens.
What is New Europe - Cities in Transition?
New Europe - Cities in Transition is a platform meant for City Makers in all the capital cities of the European Union. They are all invited to share their innovative practices and experiences, and put inspiring initiatives on the map of Europe. That's why we need you, because after all you know best what is happening in your city.

https://citiesintransition.eu/

East Asia Changing Urban Landscap:Measuring a Decade of Spatial Growth

Urbanization is transforming the developing world. However, understanding the pace, scale, and form of urbanization has been limited by a lack of consistent data. East Asia’s Changing Urban Landscape aims to address this problem by using satellite imagery and other data to measure urban expansion across the East Asia and Pacific region between 2000 and 2010.

http://www.urbangateway.org/document/east-asia-changing-urban-landscapmeasuring-decade-spatial-growth

Resilient Cities Asia Pacific congress calls for action on urban resilience

“People should be at the core of building urban resilience”
Mayors and municipal leaders from the Asia Pacific region have called for a more concerted and coordinated action to build resilience and adapt to the intensifying impacts of climate change.
“There is a need to do things differently; to be prepared; to innovate; to constantly learn and adapt; and to enact the full spectrum of resilience actions, including disaster prevention, preparedness, response and recovery, for current and projected risks”, state the mayors and municipal leaders in the “Bangkok Call for Action Towards Urban Resilience in the Asia Pacific”.
The Bangkok Call for Action was agreed today at the closing of the inaugural Resilient Cities Asia Pacific congress. The congress brought together over 300 city leaders and experts to exchange tried and tested solutions on managing risk and building resilience in Asian cities.

http://resilientcitiesasiapacific.iclei.org/fileadmin/user_upload/SessionDescription/Bangkok_Call_for_Action_Final.pdf

Car Sharing, the Next Wave of Innovation for Brazilian Cities

Driving a car is often the easiest, most straightforward mobility option for many urban residents. There are a laundry list of reasons people just can’t seem to live without cars in cities: because they don’t feel that public transport or bicycling are safe, comfortable, or convenient; because infrastructure for biking or walking isn’t adequate; because the quality of public transport service is low; because they have to be able to move young children; or even the simple reason that the car is easier and always available. At an individual level, these reasons are understandable. But as a collective decision made by billions of urbanites every day, reliance on cars has become an immense environmental, economic, and social burden on society.

http://sustainablecitiescollective.com/embarq/1047611/car-sharing-next-wave-innovation-brazilian-cities

Rewarding sustainable urban mobility measures in Toulouse (France)

"Trophées Ecomobilité Tisséo" ceremony organised during the 2014 European Mobility Week in the City Hall of Toulouse
Since 2012 Tisséo-SMTC, the public transport local authority of Greater Toulouse, has been encouraging companies and administrations located in the Toulouse urban area to continue and foster their actions in the field of sustainable mobility towards their employees. For this purpose an award named 'Trophées Ecomobilité Tisséo' was set up. Every year, during the European Mobility Week through an official ceremony, several organisations are rewarded for their efforts and receive prizes linked to urban mobility dedicated to their staff. In addition, the reward is a unique piece of art designed by a local artist especially for the occasion.

http://www.eltis.org/discover/case-studies/rewarding-sustainable-urban-mobility-measures-toulouse-france

Join the Sustainable Food in Urban Communities Network Final Conference!

Take part in Sustainable Food in Urban Communities Network Final Conference in Bristol, UK on 16-17 March 2015 and discover the cities experiences!
Sustainable food in urban communities focuses on developing low-carbon and resource-efficient urban food systems, by focusing on three areas: growing, delivering and enjoying food. Lead by the Brussels Capital Region (BE) and including partner cities of Amersfoort (NL), Athens (GR), Bristol (UK), Gothenburg (SE), Lyon (FR), Messina (IT), Oslo (NO), Ourense (ES), and Vaslui (RO), the project brings together the knowledge of all these cities in finding solutions for sustainable urban food systems.

http://urbact.eu/en/news-and-events/view-one/news/?entryId=5407

International Conference on Urban Health rescheduled

ICUH 2015, due to be held in Bangladesh in March, will be rescheduled, most likely at the start of June.
Further details are hoped to be announced shortly, and the organisers are confident of delivering a high quality event.

www.icuh2015.org

Equality - What is the state of play in your municipality or region?

How do you encourage women’s participation in local elections? What is your strategy to eliminate gender harassment? Did you manage to ensure gender balance within advisory bodies set up by the local authority? We invite the Charter signatories to complete our survey on the state of play of gender equality at the local level.
For you, this survey represents a mean to assess the impact of your strategies. For us, it will be the opportunity to get an overview of the equality situation within European municipalities and regions. We will use the results to elaborate a report available for you in an online database.

http://www.ccre.org/en/actualites/view/2984

Dutch provinces to examine 'rapid' cycle paths

A number of Dutch provinces and municipalities are investigating whether ‘rapid’ cycling is a feasible transport option for commuters.
The authorities in the Drenthe and Groningen provinces and the municipalities of Groningen, Haren, Assen and Tynaarlo are investigating whether a 30 km route between Assen and Groningen can be adapted to encourage motorists to switch to bicycles.

http://www.eltis.org/discover/news/dutch-provinces-examine-rapid-cycle-paths

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