May14

Members of the Global Taskforce gathered at the UN Headquarters in New York for the Integration Segment of ECOSOC 2014 have released their joint messages "Towards achieving Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements and localizing the Post-2015 Agenda", on the eve of the debates with Member States.
Local and regional government organizations, representing sub-national governmental stakeholders, and collaborating in the Global Taskforce for the Post-2015 Development Agenda and Towards Habitat III, welcome the mandate given to the Economic and Social Council to promote the integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development, as well as its decision to dedicate its first Integration Segment to Sustainable Urbanization. This is a strong acknowledgement of the important role that local urban and territorial governance will play in the sustainability agenda.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/towards-achieving-sustainable-cities-and-human-settlements-and-localizing-post-2015

#mayors2014 conference: A look back at the highlights

Bridging people, regions and ideas...that was the motto and the goal of our Annual Rendezvous which was held in Brussels this year!
Mission accomplished for our network! The high-level event gathered more than 200 participants on 23-25 April 2014 in Brussels, allowing members and partners to come together and meet political representatives from the European Commission, mayors from all over Europe as well other high-level speakers.

http://www.energy-cities.eu/A-look-back-at-the-mayors2014?pmv_nid=2

Who is promoting urban revitalization and green cities?

Day is an annual celebration of the planet’s biodiversity and an important opportunity to highlight solutions to some of the world’s most pressing environmental and social challenges. Through more than one billion pledges to buy local produce, start composting, eat less meat, reduce energy consumption, and many other actions, the Earth Day Network is creating an international movement to protect the plant and secure a sustainable and healthy future for all.
The focus of Earth Day this year was urban revitalization through the theme of Green Cities. According to the United Nations, more than half of the world’s population lives in cities and by 2050 some 6.3 billion people will be living in urban areas. In addition, there are at least one billion urban farmers and gardeners around the world, providing food and nutrition to poor and wealthy consumers alike.

http://www.urbangateway.org/news/who-promoting-urban-revitalization-and-green-cities

Researchers develop new model for linking transport hubs (The Netherlands)

Scientists from Delft and Eindhoven universities in The Netherlands have formulated an intermodal Super Network Model that could vastly increase the number of users at park-and-ride facilities.
While the traditional model of mapping the best locations for park-and-ride facilities relies on using nodes and the lines between them (i.e., roads or railways) the new model also incorporates connections to various different networks, such as private transport, public transport, walking, or cycling networks.
The model also predicts how an individual will use these networks when going about their daily lives. It takes into account the interdependencies that exist between trips made in one day and demonstrates the logic of co-ordinating spatial planning and mobility policies to react to the needs of transport users.

http://www.eltis.org/index.php?ID1=5&id=60&news_id=4569

Urban Timber: From seed to city exhibition, opens at BSA Space on June 26.

Urban Timber: From seed to city exhibition, opening at BSA Space on June 26, will celebrate wood as a natural and sensible building material for cities while highlighting its adaptability, versatility, and extraordinary technical qualities. The exhibition will explore how the use of wood in mid-rise buildings can combat climate change and will highlight its remarkable potential as the need for high performance, low environmental impact structures continues to increase in our urban cores.
The exhibition will explore wood technology and the recent innovations in engineered timber available to architects and engineers, as well as dispel common myths associated with building using timber.
Included in the exhibition will be a number of case studies demonstrating the successful use of timber in tall buildings. Also on display at BSA Space – and the result of an open competition – will be four winning projects proposed by emerging architects featuring innovative structural uses of timber. The winners collaborated with mentor architects, engineers, and material suppliers to develop and realize their installations in the gallery.
BSA Space is Boston’s leading center on architecture and design, and home to the Boston Society of Architects and the Boston Foundation for Architecture. BSA Space hosts exhibitions on design and architecture, architectural cruises and walking tours, and other programs and events that foster exchange between design and construction, the profession and the public, and encourage collaboration across the city and world.

More details http://architects.org/bsaspace

Community energy: accelerating sustainable energy roll-out in Europe

EUSEW High Level Policy conference,
25 June 2014, 09:00-10:45
Charlemagne, Mansholt - Brussels, Belgium
What are local governments across Europe doing to accelerate community-owned renewables towards 2030? How does the EU energy and policy framework for 2030 facilitate this process? What is the business sector’s position in this discussion? These questions and more will be answered at “Community energy: accelerating sustainable energy roll-out in Europe”, taking place on 25 June, in the framework of the EUSEW 2014 High Level Policy Conference.
The event will focus on sustainable energy roll-out in Europe in the run-up to 2030, with a specific focus on the potential of community-led and owned RES for local and regional development. Cities will share best practices on community energy, from target setting to implementation, while a panel of experts will provide advice and recommendations to legal, financial and policy frameworks, as well as NGOs, grid and RES developers’ perspectives. Two “hot chairs” will allow the cities presenting, the experts intervening and the audience to address EU policy makers and the business community, to discuss how and to what extent the new 2030 Framework should and does support community energy.
To attend this free event, register online or contact ccp-europe@iclei.org.

http://www.eusew.eu/index.php?option=com_seec_usrmanagement&view=attende&eventId=1879

SEiSMiC: Contributing to urban research strategies

The SEiSMiC project on urban research is beginning its implementation phase in 10 participating countries
We are partners in SEiSMiC (Science Engagement in Society – Mutual learning in Cities). This project aims to promote citizen engagement to identify social innovation needs in urban development, and to contribute to future urban research strategies.
The project started in November 2013 and is currently at the end of its inception phase, ready to be fully implemented in the 10 participating countries.

http://www.eurocities.eu/eurocities/news/SEiSMiC-Contributing-to-urban-research-strategies-WSPO-9KACGP

Localization of the Post-2015 agenda

As part of the global debate on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, the UN launched in April 2014 a new round of global consultations on the “means of implementation”, i.e. how the Post-2015 Agenda will be implemented?

Six themes have been proposed to the consultation: Localizing the post-2015 agenda; Participatory Monitoring for Accountability; Partnerships with Civil Society; Engaging with the Private Sector; Helping to Strengthen Capacities and Build Effective Institutions; and Culture and Development.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/localization-post-2015-agenda

Action Platform on Urban Electric Mobility Initiative (UEMI)

The transport sector is a vital enabler of economic activity and social connectivity, but is also the second largest and one of the fastest growing energy end-use sectors, representing 23% of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. The bulk of energy used by the transport sector (about two-thirds) is accounted for by passenger transport while the rest is consumed by freight transport. According to the International Energy Agency, greater uptake of electric vehicles will form an important part of a low-carbon technology pathway for transport (IEA 2012).

http://unhabitat.org/action-platform-on-urban-electric-mobility-initiative-uemi/

Are cities “poisoning” the Mediterranean Sea?

The 1,600 cities that surround the Mediterranean Sea are poisoning it, writes David Thorpe, special consultant to the Sustainable Cities Collective, in a blog post. He bases that blunt assessment partly on the findings of the Horizon 2020 Mediterranean report, published by the United Nations Environment Programme/Mediterranean Action Plan and the European Environment Agency.
A prime example, he writes, is wastewater from Beirut that empties “straight into the Mediterranean Sea without treatment.” Of the 100 million people that live in urban areas along the Mediterranean coast, nearly six million lack access to sanitation, he writes.

http://citiscope.org/citisignals/2014/are-cities-poisoning-mediterranean-sea

European cohesion policy failing

Only 1 in 5 national governments fully cooperated with local government in their plans to spend EU funds
New research from CEMR shows great differences in central-local partnership working across Europe. The ground-breaking study notably found that only a few EU countries fully collaborated with municipalities and regions, when taking crucial decisions on how €352 billion of EU funds should be spent over the next 7 years.

http://www.ccre.org/en/actualites/view/2864

Smart or stupid: will our cities of the future be easier to hack?

As more and more machines are entrusted with managing city infrastructure systems, the prospect of disruption – and worse – through cyber terrorism appears ever more real
News update: cyber terrorists have hacked into the electricity company supplying a residential area of the city and caused a blackout. They’ve sent an email with their demands to restore power - it’s a significant amount of money. The city’s cyber defenders have been tasked with retaking control of the compromised machines and restoring power to citizens.

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/may/21/smart-cities-future-stupid-hack-terrorism-watchdogs

Capitalisation INTERREG IVC project reports

INTERREG IVC released 12 reports in 12 policy themes, ranging from innovation to the environment. Concise information, with the goal to enhance regional policies in Europe, is now available for policymakers and practitioners at all levels - regional, national and European.

WUF 7: Metropolitan Resilience is considered for future-oriented action

At the WUF7 in Medellín, the German Development Cooperation was organizing in close cooperation with the City of Bonn and ICLEI a side-event on future-oriented action and concrete steps to go to build resilient cities and metropolitan regions, based on experiences made during the past years. The event was structured in four presentations / inputs from different perspectives (research, 2 cities, financing partner), providing recent and actual findings and innovative solutions in the area of building urban resilience.

http://www2.gtz.de/urbanet/opencommunity/news/detail.asp?number=3979

How green spaces could stop cities from overheating

A 10% increase in green space in our cities could help to keep temperatures at present levels into the 2050s, despite climate change
Most city-dwellers are big fans of green spaces, with the benefits to health and community well-being evident in the data. There's more to it though - adding more commons, parks and greens could also shelter British cities from the full effect of global warming.
Since the beginning of the 20th century global temperature has increased by 0.8C (1.44F), with two thirds of warming occurring since 1975. Temperature increase from now until 2050 is expected to be increasingly rapid, with human activity the dominant cause of warming.?

http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2014/may/22/how-green-spaces-could-stop-cities-from-overheating

European Cities leading on Social Policy Innovation

A European Commission conference on Social Policy Innovation, organised in Brussels on 19-20 May, emphasised the role of local authorities and communities in developing social policy innovation and delivering positive social outcomes for European citizens.
The event, which gathered representatives of the European institutions, European governments, civil society organisations, local authorities and academia, emphasised the importance of innovative partnerships between social enterprises, public institutions and commercial enterprises.

http://www.eurocities.eu/eurocities/news/European-Cities-leading-on-Social-Policy-Innovation-WSPO-9KBHGT

Save the Date: Biodiversi?ty Summit 2014

In light of the International Day for Biological Diversity (22 May 2014) it is with great pleasure that we invite you to save the date for the 2014 “Biodiversity Summit for Cities and Subnational Governments" which will be held in support of, and in parallel with, the 12th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) from 12-14 October, 2014.
This key event will be organized by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability and the Secretariat of the CBD, in partnership with hosts, the Republic of Korea and the Provincial Government of Gangwon.

http://www.iclei.org/details/article/save-the-date-biodiversity-summit-2014-at-cbd-cop12.html

Urban Mobility: Making "Vision Zero" happen

“Vision Zero” is no utopia. The aim of zero traffic accident-related fatalities has already been reached in hundreds of cities across Europe. A new online tool presented by the expert organisation DEKRA at the International Transport Forum (ITF) in Leipzig shows which cities in Europe have been working successfully at improving road safety. DEKRA’s 2014 Road Safety Report “Urban Mobility” suggests several fields of action.
An assessment of the accident statistics for 17 European countries from 2009 to 2012 by DEKRA Accident Research shows that a total of 462 towns and cities with over 50,000 inhabitants achieved a total of zero at least once in this period. These cities make up more than 40% of all the cities of that size in the countries examined. Sixteen cities recorded no traffic fatalities throughout the entire period from 2009 to 2012, one of the in Norway, six in Germany and nine in the United Kingdom.

http://www.erticonetwork.com/ertico-news/entry/2013-urban-mobility-making-vision-zero-happen

The Right to the City: Strategic approach for the Post-2015 and the Habitat III Global Agendas

Lorena Zárate, President of Habitat International Coalition (HIC) outlines the multiple challenges facing the rapid growth of urban populations and how a multistakeholder framework entitled the "right to the city" could provide a comprehensive approach to support the sustainable cities and human settlements agenda that may emerge from the current post-2015 negotiations.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/right-city-strategic-approach-post-2015-and-habitat-iii-global-agendas

Health: From Knowledge Capital to Local Specialisation

12 ideas for cities to take advantage of their potential linked to innovation and knowledge to strengthen health and socioeconomic areas. URBACT project 4D Cities gives some clues on the role that local authorities can play in this process.

http://urbact.eu/en/news-and-events/view-one/news/?entryId=5351

Milton Keynes trials city-wide public 'internet of things' network

Satnavs that direct drivers to nearest available parking space and smart bins that signal to rubbish collectors among technologies to be trialled
In the city of the future, the satnav will direct drivers not only to their destination, but route their journey straight to the nearest available parking space.
For Milton Keynes residents, this vision of motoring utopia could soon become reality, after the council signed a contract with BT to install a public network for "the internet of things" – the idea of linking smartphones to household hardware such as washing machines and heating, and now car park spaces.

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/may/22/milton-keynes-trials-public-internet-of-things-network

Urgent appeal for help to municipalities in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina

CEMR calls on Europe's local and regional government to help their Serbian and Bosnian counterparts affected by the recent floods.
This call comes in response to an urgent appeal from two of our member associations, namely the SKGO and the SOGFBIH, asking for mobilisation of all their sister organisations throughout Europe, and their member municipalities

http://www.ccre.org/en/actualites/view/2868

Experts convene on urban safety indicators

Fifty-five international experts on urban development and security gathered in Barcelona for a two-day meeting on the Urban Safety Monitor; a new initiative that promotes the use of indicators for evidence-based policy and practice. The Expert Meeting was organized by UN-Habitat with the support of the City of Barcelona.
Held in the Sant-Pau complex, the meeting analyzed the relationship between urban governance and planning and citizen security, with the aim of developing safety indicators to be tested in a number of pilot cities. Prototype indicators will serve local governments in cities like Beirut and Port Moresby to set urban safety targets, benchmark progress, demonstrate accountability, and strengthen political commitment.
Prototype indicators developed during the Expert Meeting will be presented in mid-2014 as field trials in the pilot cities commence. The Urban Safety Monitor will be closely aligned with other signature UN-Habitat research and analysis initiatives, such as the City Prosperity Index.

http://unhabitat.org/experts-conveneon-urban-safety-indicators/

Urban-minded startups seek solutions for cities

They’ve revolutionized everything from the Internet to mobile communications to the automobile. Now, startup businesses are turning their attention to cities and their myriad problems.
Alistair Barr reports for the Wall Street Journal that Shiva Shivakumar, who spent nearly a decade with Google, launched Urban Engines, a startup that helps cities tackle transit woes.
Like Google, the venture uses software, algorithms and data, the article says. The goal is to monitor traffic and congestion patterns and offer commuters incentives — like the chance to win monetary prizes — if they travel at less busy times.

http://citiscope.org/citisignals/2014/urban-minded-startups-seek-solutions-cities

Why another ranking of smart cities?

This project deals with medium-sized European cities and their perspectives for development.
Discourse of smart cities has largely been dominated by research and discussions of “global” metropolises. However, the majority of the world population still lives in medium-sized cities, whose world influence has been underestimated. Therefore, an alternative line of research focuses on the ranking of medium-sized “smart cities” and the challenges medium-sized cities face in order to keep up with the competition of the large metropolises on a number of corresponding issues. Medium-sized cities seem to be less well equipped in terms of critical mass, resources and organizing capacity. To enforce an endogen development and achieve a good position compared to other cities of the same level, medium-sized cities aim to identify their strengths in key resources. City rakings are a tool to identify these assets.

http://www.eukn.org/E_library/Economy_Knowledge_Employment/Research_Innovation/Research_Innovation/Why_another_ranking_of_smart_cities

Bike Commuting Soars over Past Decade

A US Census Bureau report found a 60 percent increase in bike commuting in America over the past decade. The average bicycle commute time was just under 20 minutes, but most bicycle commutes were between 10 and 14 minutes.

http://bikeleague.org/content/new-census-data-bike-commuting

UN-HABITAT opens call for WUF9 host city

Cities interested in hosting the Ninth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF) in 2018 have been invited to register their official expression of interest to the convening body, UN-Habitat.
In the first stage of the transparent bidding process that will be finalised by January 2015, cities interested in hosting the international conference are urged to send in an initial expression of interest before the end of May 2014.
Cities that have communicated their interest will then have the next two months to work with UN-Habitat to answer any questions they may have and to finalise their bid by the August deadline.

http://unhabitat.org/un-habitat-opens-call-for-wuf9-host-city/

Cities explore water-based transport to improve urban mobility

Rapidly developing cities worldwide, while diverse, have a number of factors in common. Issues that seem nearly universal are congestion and enormous traffic jams, which have, in some extreme cases, stretched the typical commute into a weeklong sojourn. While cities have taken great strides to address these issues, some have decided to rock the boat by leaving crowded urban roadways for more open avenues on the water

http://www.urbangateway.org/news/three-cities-explore-water-based-transport-improve-urban-mobility

Riverfront Revitalization a Success in Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Waterfront Master Plan has created a framework for the revitalization of the city over the past 15 years, according to a recent article in Pittsburgh Magazine. A $128 million investment in trails, parks and public art has leveraged an estimated $4 billion in private development on the shores of the Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio rivers.

http://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/Pittsburgh-Magazine/April-2014/A-Vision-for-the-Rivers/

MOLECULES national take-up seminar on electromobility initiatives in Grand Paris on June 26th

The MOLECULES project is organising a national take-up seminar on electromobility initiatives in the Grand Paris area on Thursday, June 26th 2014 in Marne la Vallée. The seminar will cover the financial, technical and social conditions settled during the project for the deployment of electromobility in the Grand Paris area.

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/635/45/Save-the-date-33-MOLECULES-national-take-up-seminar-on-electromobility-initiatives-in-Grand-Paris-on-June-26th

World Bank to Support Green Urban Transport in China

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved two loans totaling US$250 million to the People’s Republic of China to help provide safer, more accessible and more efficient transport to residents in Jiaozuo Municipality and Honghe Prefecture.
The Jiaozuo Municipal Government has launched a new economic growth strategy focused on utilizing the rich tourist attractions such as natural landscapes and cultural relics, but the inefficient road network and inadequate public transport services are an impediment to the city’s attractiveness as a tourist destination. At the same time, rapid motorization and growth of private car ownership is leading to increased traffic congestion and road accidents.

http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/05/15/world-bank-to-support-green-urban-transport-in-china

Seychelles hosts key meeting of African mayors

The United Cities of Local Governments of Africa (UCLG-A) has done a fantastic job in broadening and deepening the networks of cities of Africa and creating global awareness of the role of local authorities as partners in development.
Vice-President Danny Faure said this while officially opening the 10th executive committee meeting of the UCLG-Africa at the DoubleTree Resort & Spa by Hilton Hotel Seychelles – Allamanda at Anse Forbans.
Mr Faure commended the work of the current president of the UCLG-Africa, Khalifa Ababacar Sall, who is also the mayor of Dakar, and the strong leadership of his secretary general, Jean- Pierre Mbassi.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/seychelles-hosts-key-meeting-african-mayors

3 ways the transportation reauthorization bill could affect cities

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee released the MAP-21 Reauthorization Act on Monday. The bill, if passed, would reauthorize federal aid for highways, railways and all things transit. Geoff Anderson, president and CEO of Smart Growth America is a fan, and said in a press release that it will “provide immediate and stable funding for America’s transportation networks.” Here are three ways the 150-page bill could impact cities.

http://www.urbangateway.org/news/3-ways-transportation-reauthorization-bill-could-affect-cities

A reconceptualization of urban management

Reconceptualisation of urban management offers theoretical and practical insight into urban management concept. Model of how urban management should be established is proposed and tested whether it works for EU cities. Correlation between city performance and urban
management is proven.

Local government increasingly recognized as critical to progress in adaptation

The report, Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability, is the contribution of Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC). It highlights the role of local governments in “scaling up adaptation of communities, households, civil society and in managing risk information and financing”.

http://www.uclg.org/en/node/22260

Cities Alliance call for proposals for the New Catalytic Fund 2014

Cities Alliance has launched a call for proposals for the 2014 edition of Catalytic Fund (CATF), a Cities Alliance funding instrument which provides grant support for innovative projects that strengthen and promote the role of cities in poverty reduction and in sustainable urban development. This year’s edition will be based around the theme: ‘Know your city: Information for transformation’.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/cities-alliance-call-proposals-new-catalytic-fund-2014

Electric car schemes in Berlin and Paris: sustainable mobility approaches compared

Two shared electric car schemes, in Berlin and Paris, have been examined by a recent study. Although both schemes are progressive, Berlin's takes an 'inter-modal' approach to encouraging sustainable mobility, because it integrates electric cars into the wider public transport system. The scheme in Paris, however, focuses on cars as the main form of transport.
Road transport accounts for a fifth of total EU CO2 emissions, and urban transport is estimated to account for around a quarter of transport emissions. The passenger car represents around 74% of all private road transport within the EU, and the number of cars per 1 000 people has increased by 20% between 1990 and 2009.

http://www.erticonetwork.com/ertico-news/entry/1979-electric-car-schemes-in-berlin-and-paris-sustainable-mobility-approaches-compared

Comparative study on fiscal incentives for electric vehicles

The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) concludes that national fiscal policy can offer a powerful mechanism to reduce the effective total cost of ownership and entice consumers to purchase electric vehicles.

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/636/45/Comparative-study-on-fiscal-incentives-for-electric-vehicles

Seven European towns and cities to demonstrate automated transport in 2014 and 2015

The European project CityMobil2 has selected the first round of sites to run large and small-scale demonstrations and showcases of automated road transport systems.
The French coastal town of La Rochelle, a pioneer of innovative and sustainable mobility, will kick off the first large-scale demo in autumn 2014. This first demo will run for a period of around 6 months. The 2015 World Exhibition in Milan will be the site of the second large-scale demonstration from May until November 2015. The EPFL campus in the West Lausanne region will host the third large-scale demonstration at a date still to be determined.
The beachside area of the Italian town of Oristano in Sardinia will be the first small-scale demonstrator this July and August. The city of Vantaa, Finland, will host its small-scale, one-month demonstration in the summer of 2015.
Two Showcases, involving a demonstration of automated transport over a period of several days with the aim of raising local awareness of these systems and wider mobility challenges, will start in September 2014 in Leon, Spain, followed by the CERN campus on the French-Swiss border near Geneva.
More sites will be progressively selected to host a CityMobil2 demonstration in 2016. Between seven and nine demonstrations are expected to be take place during the project. In total, some 12 towns and cities (or equivalent) carried out feasibility studies and were candidates for a demonstration. All recognise the potential of vehicle automation to improve their passenger transport service.
French company Robosoft, a specialist in robotic technologies across different sectors, will supply a fleet of automated vehicles and supporting systems. The vehicles are conventional electric minibuses that Robosoft is converting to make them fully automated. Each vehicle can carry 12 people, or 10 with a wheelchair, and the combined capacity of the vehicle fleet should be around 60. The maximum speed of the vehicle is 45 km/h, however, this will be adjusted to the specific conditions of each demonstration site. A second fleet of vehicles is in the process of being selected.
Automated transport systems are made up of vehicles operating without a driver in collective mode, under the control of a fleet and infrastructure supervision system. There are several automated transport schemes in operation around the world, including Group Rapid Transit at Rivium Park Shuttle (Netherlands) and Morgantown (USA) and Personal Rapid Transit at Heathrow airport (UK) and in Masdar (UAE). All these systems use exclusive and physically protected infrastructures. For a wider take-up of automated transport systems within urban area to happen, CityMobil2 aims at deploying them while progressively removing the physical barriers around them. This follows previous studies showing that transport systems based on automation have signi?cant potential in areas of low to medium demand and/or as a feeder service to the main public transport network. Their costs are comparable to conventional public transport yet they can offer a high-frequency, on demand collective 'taxi-like' service.
Besides the demonstrations and showcases, the CityMobil2 project is tackling other barriers to the deployment of automated transport systems, including the legal barriers. Currently, various international conventions and national road and vehicle regulations include references to the driver, and his/her duties and liabilities. CityMobil2 is exploring the prospects for a harmonisation of the legal framework at EU level and developing a validation and certification framework for the deployment of fully automated vehicles in public roads.

http://www.citymobil2.eu/en/

Creating a common understanding of an urban language

The third meeting of the Urban Europe Research Alliance was an important step towards establishing a common understanding of the alliance and to pave the way for joint actions and research endeavours. Participants from 14 research organisations and universities joined the meeting which took place on the 24th of April, 2014 at the premises of AIT in Vienna.

http://jpi-urbaneurope.eu/uera-meeting/

Last call to registration for the 2014 Guangzhou International Award

The Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation is co-sponsored by the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the World Association of the Major Metropolises (Metropolis) and the City of Guangzhou.
The aim of the Guangzhou Award is to recognize innovation in improving social, economic and environmental sustainability in cities and regions and, in so doing, to advance the prosperity and quality of life of their citizens.
UCLG strongly encourage its members and partners to register and submit successful and innovative initiatives by your city/local government in tackling with specific challenges.
To make a submission, applicants should fill in the registration and application forms and redirect them to info@guangzhouaward.org

http://www.guangzhouaward.org/en/index.html

Mobility: How Can a City Make the Most of a Railway Hub?

Railway hubs can be at the same time a tool and an engine for a sustainable urban and territorial development of the surrounding areas. ENTER.HUB project recommendations tell us how that can be done.

http://urbact.eu/en/news-and-events/view-one/news/?entryId=5347

Beijing hands out the city's largest-ever fine for air pollution

Beijing officials have struggled to clean up the oppressively polluted capital city’s air by limiting cars, curbing production in nearby provinces, and promising tough new quotas and fines for offenders.
City authorities announced their biggest fine yet today, a 300,000 yuan ($48,092) penalty for boiler maker Babcock & Wilcox Beijing. The company is a joint venture between Charlotte, North Carolina’s Babcock & Wilcox, which has been making boilers since the 1860s, and Beijing Boiler Works.

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/politics/2014/05/beijing-just-handed-out-citys-largest-ever-fine-air-pollution-us-joint-venture/9086/

Projects Awarded the Eighth European Prize for Urban Public Space

The European Prize for Urban Public Space is a biennial competition that aims to recognize and encourage the creation, recovery and improvement of public space because public space is an indicator of the civic and collective health of every city.
On 25 April 2014 25 projects received the Eighth European Prize for Urban Public Space, an initiative by the Centre of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona (CCCB). An international jury, including members of six sponsoring institutions and CCCB, made the selection among 274 projects from 30 European countries. The jury also awarded two ex aequo prizes and four Special Mentions. From 24 April to 4 June visitors can see the works in the Shared City exhibition at the CCCB. The prize-winners (of the Prize itself and Honourable Mentions) will receive a Diploma confirming the award. In addition

http://www.eukn.org/News/2014/Twenty_five_Projects_Awarded_the_Eighth_European_Prize_for_Urban_Public_Space

The age of the city-state: which cities most dominate their countries?

The largest 300 cities are home to a fifth of the world's people but account for nearly half of economic output – get the data
It is frequently cited that more than half of us now live in cities. But it might come as more of a surprise to learn that the largest 300 cities, from New York to Guangzhou, account for nearly half (48%) of world economic output ... yet contain only 19% of world population.
Some cities are so powerful economically that they dwarf the rest of their country. The number of jobs they house and GDP they generate can account for almost half of their nations' output, if not more. They are no longer just cities: they are approaching the status of city-state.

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/datablog/2014/may/12/world-most-powerful-cities-data

Asian Cities: Climate Focus Needed in Capital Investment Planning

Asian cities are acutely aware of the need to manage climate risk, and information and advice about climate-smart capital investment planning were in high demand at a City Creditworthiness Academy workshop held in Seoul.
“Climate change affects us significantly, and it’s easy to see – the effect of sea level rise on fresh water and flooding. Now we have a green growth strategy and a policy for the adaption and mitigation of climate change,” said Nguyen Trung Viet, manager of the Ho Chi Minh City Climate Change Bureau’s Climate Change Steering Board.

http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2014/05/15/asian-cities-climate-focus-needed-capital-investment-planning

Bicycling Popular in Smaller and Mid-Sized Cities

Although large cities have led the way with bikesharing and bike commuting, bicycling is also on the rise in many small and midsized cities. According to an article in The Atlantic Cities, smaller cities may offer advantages for cycling because their shorter trip distances are more easily covered by bike, and because lower volumes of motor vehicle traffic make cycling less stressful.

http://www.citylab.com/commute/2014/05/rise-bicycling-smaller-and-midsize-us-cities/9059/

Project SHARE MY EUROPEAN CITY for conflict management in public spaces

In 2013, the municipality of Perugia (Italy) launched the European project SHARE MY EUROPEAN CITY (SME-City) with the Italian Forum for Urban Security acting as a partner in charge of the dissemination of the project.
The project SME-City is implemented in areas where situations of social conflict, including intense conflict, arise among young people, residents and shopkeepers over the use of public spaces.
Each of these groups needs to use public spaces in a certain way and at a certain time, which can increase the risk of a communication breakdown as each group protects their own individual interests. This can lead to a gradual erosion of social capital and cohesion in these areas, as well as a heightened feeling of insecurity, both actual and perceived. In these kinds of situations the visibility of anti-social behaviour increases (i.e. acts of vandalism and bullying, public disturbances and indecent acts in a public place).

http://efus.eu/en/topics/partners/6831/

Masters degree to create tomorrow’s leaders for sustainable cities

The University of Strathclyde has launched an innovative Masters course to equip students with the skills that will help shape and deliver the cities of the future.
The new Leadership for Global Sustainable Cities Masters degree has been developed to create vibrant urban centres with thriving economies, rich cultures and low environmental impacts.
It will focus on problem-solving using real-world city situations, with expert guest speakers, opportunities for international experience, and work placements in urban projects across the world.

http://www.strath.ac.uk/press/newsreleases/headline_813766_en.html

Gentrification as public health concern?

When the Alameda County Public Health Department in Oakland, Calif., recently released some findings on the impact of gentrification in the Bay Area, there was a mixed reception. Among its conclusions, the report found that the overall impact of gentrification on the displacement of current residents has been enormous, forcing the community’s largely African-American demographic to either move out amidst skyrocketing rent prices or attempt to weather the storm and stay put. The costs to these residents, stated the report, have been reduced psychological and social well-being, increased stress, financial uncertainty, shifting community structure, and the loss of vital health and social resources.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/columns/gentrification-as-public-health-concern/article_be7c0a5e-6931-54e7-a810-42caeaf29744.html

Action Platform on Urban Electric Mobility Initiative (UEMI)

http://unhabitat.org/action-platform-on-urban-electric-mobility-initiative-uemi/

Affordable housing or affordable living?

Housing is too expensive in some of America's major metropolitan areas, and something must be done about it. However, it would be a tragic mistake to focus only on the cost of rent, or the sales prices of homes. As we work to bring down housing costs, we also need to make affordable options available in other aspects of people's lives which can offset high rent. There are two primary areas that we should focus on in order to promote affordable living:

http://bettercities.net/news-opinion/blogs/dan-zack/21076/do-we-need-affordable-housing-or-affordable-living

Twitter vs. sirens: urban disaster response in the digital age

After the 2011 earthquake and nuclear meltdown in Japan, Mayor Tamotsu Baba of the small coastal city of Namie-machi invited Google to resurvey the town for its Street View feature. Due to privacy concerns, Street View had previously elicited controversy in Japan, but the Mayor hoped documenting the destruction would prompt action, and he wanted to give his 21,000 constituents a glimpse of their town, which had been evacuated due to radiation contamination. Google completed the project with one car in two weeks and also launched a website, Memories for the Future, to allow residents of Namie-machi and other municipalities to compare “before” and “after” images.

http://www.urbangateway.org/news/twitter-vs-sirens-urban-disaster-response-digital-age

Smart cities and communities

Find your right partner to implement sustainable development projects!
The European Commission invites cities to get involved in the European Innovation Partnership. Through this platform you will get in contact with companies, NGOs and other stakeholders working in sectors such as energy, transport or communication technologies. By submitting your commitment you will be able to promote your projects on a European scale, meet potential partners or learn and exchange best practices.

http://ec.europa.eu/eip/smartcities/about-partnership/how-do-i-get-involved/index_en.htm

A Values-Based Approach to Urban Nature Research and Practice

The concept of values is frequently brought up in relation to environmental issues, and discussions about urban nature are no exception. In particular, values are frequently at the heart of dialogue about urban ecosystem services, especially in relation to economics and monetary valuation. This was demonstrated by the recent ‘roundtable’ discussion on this blog site.

http://sustainablecitiescollective.com/nature-cities/244696/values-based-approach-urban-nature-research-and-practice

CityMobil2 - Seven European towns and cities to demonstrate automated transport in 2014 and 2015

The European project CityMobil2 has selected the first round of sites to run large and small-scale demonstrations and showcases of automated road transport systems.

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/633/45/CityMobil2---Seven-European-towns-and-cities-to-demonstrate-automated-transport-in-2014-and-2015

Streets as Tools for Urban Transformation in Slums

A recently released report bt UN-Habitat suggests that taking advantage of streets as the natural conduits that connect slums with the city can be a driving force for citywide slum upgrading.
Historically, governments have implemented slum upgrading projects and programmes of varying scale and scope. Despite the wealth of experience and knowledge, the growth of slums and the multiplication of informal settlements are only getting worse, particularly in parts of Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.

http://www.citiesalliance.org/sites/citiesalliance.org/files/publications/UN-Habitat_Street-led%20Citywide%20Slum%20Upgrading_2014.pdf

Dallas revives its downtown

The remaking of the Statler Hilton would all but complete the renaissance of the southeast corner of downtown Dallas.
Nine years ago, on a nice December evening, the decaying and vacant Mercantile Building on Main Street was lit in floodlights and showered in confetti.
The Merc was nearly a victim of the wrecking ball before a deal between City Hall and Forest City Enterprises caused it to be restored as a residential complex, complete with its familiar clock tower.
It was a moment of promise but also uncertainty. Could Dallas revive its downtown? Could it restore life to a place filled with empty office towers and emptier streets?
Last week, the headline read: “Downtown Dallas is running out of empty buildings.”

http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20140425-editorial-southeastern-edge-of-downtown-is-alive-again.ece

World's Largest Urban Greenhouse to be Built in DC

A vacant lot in Washington, DC, will soon be home to what may be the world's largest urban greenhouse. The 100,000-square-foot greenhouse, to be built in DC's Anacostia neighborhood, will grow about 1 million pounds of produce every year for delivery to 30 local grocery stores, along with neighborhood food banks.

http://www.fastcoexist.com/3027916/the-worlds-largest-urban-farm-is-coming-to-washington

Trams and trains powered by green energy

Rhein-Neckar-Verkehr GmbH (rnv), the public transport company for the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region, is now exclusively using electricity generated from renewables in its electric trains and trams.
Electric tram stop signage, train stations, and administration buildings will also be powered by green energy. The company made the switch on 1 March 2014, and expects to reduce its annual emissions by over 20 000 tonnes

http://www.eltis.org/index.php?ID1=5&id=60&news_id=4556&back_id=8

Wicked Failures? Cities Offer Local Solutions

When failure in religious inclusion of immigrants makes headlines, the story is typically about a place, a city, where things are (or aren’t) happening. Addressing “wicked failure” of immigration policy is not an exclusively national-level conversation. Cities can and do step up with clever solutions when national governments don’t get it right.
That’s because city governments are closest to the people and responsible for day-to-day, tangible services. If something goes wrong, they face it right away. If there’s a demonstration? City streets get blocked. Racist graffiti? The city cleans it up. Violence? City police departments deal with that. A developer plans to build a mosque, and it’s controversial? City planners get that file.

http://citiesofmigration.ca/ezine_stories/cities-offer-wicked-solutions-to-integration-problems/

Chinese cities' four modernizations

The environment, migration, financing and land rights should be addressed to achieve more promising and sustainable development
Among the most significant developments driving China's economic growth and rising living standards is the shift from a rural, agricultural society to a modern, urban one. With almost 700 million Chinese - more than half of the population - already living in cities, the centrality of urbanization to China's future is indisputable. But exactly how the trend will develop remains far from certain.

http://www.urbangateway.org/news/chinese-cities-four-modernizations

Changing Commuters’ Choices Helps São Paulo Reduce Traffic Congestion

With 8.5 million motorized vehicles and 100-kilometer-long traffic jams, São Paulo is the sixth most congested city on earth and, like many others facing this problem, is looking for ways to shift rapid motorization to a more sustainable path.
The traffic choking Brazil’s financial center is driven by the city’s rapid economic growth—along with the rest of the country—over the past decade. “Brazil has been booming, and the first thing anyone moving into the middle class thinks about is buying a car,” said Georges Bianco Darido, a senior transport specialist with the World Bank Group. “This means that a lot of people are bringing new vehicles onto the roads, and are adding to the existing congestion.”

http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2014/05/01/changing-commuter-choices-helps-sao-paulo-reduce-traffic-congestion

A smart city is preparing for its future

In early April Mart Grisel, the director of EUKN, attended a two-day event in Warsaw entirely devoted to 'smart cities'. He shares his impression from the event, critique to the concept 'smart cities', and lessons learned from Warsaw.

http://www.eukn.org/E_library/Urban_Policy/A_smart_city_is_preparing_for_its_future

European Year for development: why 2015 will be crucial for local authorities?

The year 2015 has been designated as the European Year for Development under the motto “Our world, our dignity, our future”. Many campaigns and conferences will be organised to raise citizens’ awareness of this topic and national, regional and local authorities are invited to participate.
This is the first time that a European Year focuses on global issues and at CEMR we believe that is a timely decision. Indeed, 2015 will be a year in transition. On one hand, next year we will be reaching the deadline to achieve the eight Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) set by the United Nations – which includes access to water, eradication of poverty or reduction of child mortality, to name a few. On the other hand, 2015 will be the deadline to define a new set of objectives guiding the next sustainable development policies.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/european-year-development-why-2015-will-be-crucial-local-authorities

EU Urban Agenda

An EU urban agenda must take into consideration all types of cities - small, medium-sized and large cities – and their surroundings
The vice-president of our Swedish association (SALAR), Carola Gunnarsson, defended CEMR’s position on a potential EU urban agenda during the Informal Meeting of EU Ministers responsible for Cohesion Policy, on 24 and 25 April. This high-level event took place in Athens under the Greek Presidency of the Council of the European Union. In addition to a potential EU urban agenda, discussions focused on the financial support to small and medium enterprises through structural funds.

http://ccre.org/img/uploads/piecesjointe/filename/CEMR_First_Contribution_to_an_EU_Urban_Agenda_EN.pdf

Making room for a planet of cities

“Making room for a planet of cities” argues that the current urban planning paradigm championed in the United States and Europe—the Containment Paradigm, also known as urban growth management, smart growth, or compact city—is inappropriate in the rapidly-urbanizing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Instead, Solly Angel calls for a new paradigm for coming to terms with rapid urbanization: The Making Room Paradigm.

http://www.urbangateway.org/news/making-room-planet-cities

Applications open for CIVITAS Award 2014 for urban mobility excellence

The CIVITAS Secretariat invites CIVITAS Forum cities to enter the 11th Edition of the CIVITAS Awards competition. The Awards recognise outstanding efforts in CIVITAS’s mission of achieving a decisive modal shift toward sustainable urban mobility.

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/620/45/Applications-open-for-CIVITAS-Award-2014-for-urban-mobility-excellence

New edition of Atlas of Urban Expansion, online resource for global urbanization

The Atlas of Urban Expansion, a critical online resource for data and images tracking global urbanization, will be updated and expanded in a new 2015 edition to reflect the scope of large and fast-growing metropolitan areas around the world.
At the World Urban Forum in Medellin last month, leaders from the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (U.N. Habitat), the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and the NYU Stern Urbanization Project signed an agreement to support the research leading to the online publication on their respective websites of the Atlas of Urban Expansion: The 2015 Edition.

http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwgeeks/article/New-Edition-of-Atlas-of-Urban-Expansion-Online-Resource-for-Global-Urbanization-20140502#.U2cR5YGSxYQ

Picking up the pace for California parks

California’s parks are being dragged down by stagnant leadership, inadequate resources and a failure to serve the state’s growing population of young Latinos, according to a draft report from an independent commission created to examine the troubled park system.
The California Department of Parks and Recreation “has not been able to keep pace with the times and now faces significant system-wide financial and organizational challenges,” the report says. “These challenges place at risk the system’s continued viability, as well as the public’s trust and confidence in the Department charged with caring for the state’s natural and cultural resources.”

http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-report-california-parks-continue-lag-20140423,0,6602780.story#ixzz30sFk6jaT

Boston Legalizes Sales of Urban Garden Produce for Profit

A comprehensive transactional urban agriculture law has been passed in Boston. The new city ordinance allows urban farmers to grow and sell agricultural products for profit within the city limits. The city already had zoning codes in place for community gardens, but farmers weren't allowed to sell the community gardens' goods, and restaurants couldn't grow or buy from farms within the city limits.

http://www.cornucopia.org/2014/04/new-legislation-boston-gave-fresh-life-urban-farms/

EU Parliament passes strict car emissions targets for 2020

The European Parliament has voted to apply stringent emissions limits on cars in new regulations passed in late February. The cap of 95g/km carbon will be the strictest in the world to date.
The legislation also supports implementation of the World-Harmonised Light Duty Test Procedure by 2017. This measure was introduced in response to weaknesses in the current testing procedure, which mean official figures are often much lower in testing than under actual driving conditions.

http://www.eltis.org/index.php?ID1=5&id=60&news_id=4522

Glasgow Games Blast Plans Scotched

Controversial plans to implode five of Glasgow’s six remaining Red Road public housing towers as part of the Commonwealth Games’ opening ceremonies have been canceled. The change in strategy, which would have broadcast the demolition of the 1960s towers on live television, came only 11 days after the plan was announced, following a welter of public criticism that the plan was insensitive to former residents and to the asylum seekers who still occupy the sixth block.
More than 17,000 people signed a petition to stop the demolition, which would have used more than 1 metric ton of explosives and leveled the blocks in 15 seconds.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/apr/13/glasgow-commonwealth-games-scraps-live-celebration-flats-demolition-red-road

Twenty-one European Cities Advance to the Finals

On 23rd April 2014 Bloomberg Philanthropies announced 21 European cities the finalists in its 2013-2014 Mayors Challenge, a competition to stimulate cities to create innovative approaches to solve major urban challenges and improve city life.

http://www.eukn.org/News/2014/Twenty_one_European_Cities_Advance_to_the_Finals_in_the_Bloomberg_Philanthropies_Mayors_Challenge_Competition

Whose city is it anyway? The harsh truth about urbanization

We have, it seems, no difficulty in dealing with the idea of cities, historically or in day-to-day life across the world. Cities are often iconic and in many ways define national identity. On the whole, we like them.
We have much more difficulty coming to terms with urbanisation – the process by which cities grow and change. China has just announced its very first "urbanisation policy", while India is aggressively pursuing the idea of "smart cities". Neither takes full account of the reality faced by the overwhelming majority of citizens caught in this turmoil of urban growth. As a result, such grand strategies risk perpetuating the social exclusion, inequity and precariousness of urban life.

http://www.urbangateway.org/news/whose-city-it-anyway-harsh-truth-about-urbanization

Mayors adapt

Does your local government suffer the effects of climate change? Receive support from the European Commission for your adaptation policies!
Flooding, extreme weather events, deterioration of public health: local and regional governments are directly exposed to the consequences of climate change. They are therefore best suited to take the necessary measures to adapt their territories and minimise current or upcoming impacts of climate change.
In order to support local government in these efforts, the European Commissioner for Climate action, Connie Hedegaard, launched the Mayors adapt* initiative on 19 March 2014.

http://www.ccre.org/en/actualites/view/2854

3 Scottish Universities receive £20m for Carbon Reduction Projects

Strathclyde, Stirling and St Andrews universities are to receive £20 million of Scottish Government funding, through the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), to develop low carbon heating projects. It is hoped these will become demonstrator projects for other bodies.

http://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/sustainability-climate-change/sustainable-scotland-network/news/scottish-universities-get-£20m-for-carbon-reduction-projects/

What is Livable? Community Preferences of Older Adults

This new survey from AARP asked respondents to rank which local government actions were most important for them. Three top priorities emerged: increased police presence; better schools; and a more pedestrian-friendly environment. The needs of an aging population dovetail with many of the trends seen among Millennials (between the ages of 18 and 34), who are interested in living less auto-centric lifestyles.

http://www.aarp.org/research/ppi/liv-com2/policy/Other/articles/what-is-livable-AARP-ppi-liv-com/

CHAMP Final Workshop - Save the Date! 11-12 September 2014, Gent

The European CHAMP project will come to an end in September 2014. Block your calendars to hear all about the project's accomplishments, tools and recommendations at the CHAMP Final Workshop, hosted by yet another cycling city: Gent!

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/625/45/CHAMP-Final-Workshop---Save-the-Date-33-11-12-September-2014-Gent

Is tourism ruining our cities?

Residents fear the tide of tourists will wash away the identity of Venice
Can a city be both a tourist attraction and a nice place to live? With daily visitors to Venice outstripping the number of people who live there, beleaguered residents are increasingly supportive of an idea to limit tourist numbers, says Salon.

http://www.salon.com/2014/04/27/save_our_cities_from_tourists/

City Data: Open is the New Black

While many may have heard the statistic “Cities are home to 50% of the world’s population”, few realize that it leads directly to a sobering and much less hyped conclusion: we face an urgent need to understand how our cities work.
Cities are now the defining human organizational structure on earth, but what do we know about these creations? Sadly, not enough. Which is why collecting and disseminating high-quality data about cities and how they function is of critical importance.

http://blogs.worldbank.org/sustainablecities/city-data-open-new-black

UCLG Europe & International cooperation

Our global organisation, United cities and local governments, celebrates its 10th anniversary!

At a time when the world is predominantly urban, and the international community is defining the new development agenda and highlighting the relevance of cities in development, the world organisation of United cities and local governments (UCLG) is celebrating the 10th anniversary since its creation.
Inheritor of the International Municipal Movement that celebrated a century last year, and with origins in the United Nations’ Conference on Human Settlements in Istanbul in 1996 (Habitat II), UCLG has members in over 160 countries across the world and represents over 2/3 of the global population.
Cities, as motors of innovation and development, must exchange experiences and knowledge to be able to face the important challenges of today that have a direct effect on the lives of citizens. In view of this, it is important for the voice of the local level to be fully articulated and heard at the global level.
Local governments are the level closest to citizens and are responsible for ensuring the most essential issues such as social wellbeing, security, mobility, access to water and culture in order to make inclusive, sustainable and peaceful societies possible.

Montreal debunks the autoparkolypse

Every city that's ever considered removing auto parking to make room for a protected bike lane has been, understandably, nervous. North America's best city for biking wasn't immune.
But when it was planning its signature downtown bike project in 2005, Montreal got past those concerns with a very simple tactic. Instead of counting only the change in parking spaces on the boulevard De Maisonneuve itself, a measure that might have led to headlines and perceptions that "half of the parking" was being removed, it counted the total number of auto parking spaces — public and private, on-street and off — within 200 meters of the project.

http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/how-montreal-built-a-bike-lane-by-debunking-fears-of-autoparkolypse

Solar Farms Transforming Superfund Sites

A 43-acre solar farm is generating power on the site of a former coal-tar refinery plant in Indiana, making it the nation's largest solar farm built on a Superfund site. The solar farm was created as part of the EPA's Superfund Redevelopment Program, which has helped install 85 renewable energy projects on Superfund sites, landfills, and old mining sites in the nation.

http://cleantechnica.com/2014/04/10/blight-bright-superfund-site-gets-first-ever-utility-scale-solar-farm/

Mayoral Voices in the Immigration Debate

Mayoral voice can be a particularly powerful tool in advancing an inclusive city agenda and accelerating the path to shared prosperity. From Hamburg’s naturalization campaign and multicultural classrooms to Chicago’s inclusive vision of the New American city, city leaders are going all out to re-imagine their cities as more welcoming, open and prosperous and immigrant integration as a process that makes us all better citizens. Some of these city leaders will be panelists at the 2014 International Cities of Migration Conference.

http://citiesofmigration.ca/ezine_stories/conference-cafe-mayoral-voices-in-the-immigration-debate/

The smart city vision has been forcefully introduced into urban policies

The concept ‘smart city’ has become ubiquitous in discussions about the city and urban development models throughout the world. On the one hand, smart city policies support new ways of imagining, organizing and managing the city and its flows. On the other hand, however, the concept becomes a buzz word and a powerful tool for hyper technological rationalizations lead by the private sector, political legitimisation, and governmentality. In his paper Smartmentality: The Smart City as a Disciplinary Strategy, Alberto Vanolo analyses why we need a critical perspective on the concept smart city by presenting theoretical arguments and using Italy as a case study.

http://www.eukn.org/E_library/Urban_Policy/The_smart_city_vision_has_been_forcefully_introduced_into_urban_policies

European Electric Vehicle Congress: Call for Papers

The call for papers of the European Electric Vehicle Congress that will take place from 2 to 5 December 2014 in Brussels is now open.
The European Electric Vehicle Congress wants to be a global platform for e-mobility where industry, R&D, policy decision makers, end-users and NGOs meet. As motivations, needs and constraints are different for each group, EEVC-2014 aims to help defining the most promising solutions to be adopted, taking into account technical progress as well as environmental and economical constraints. New mobility concepts, noise and health factors will also be discussed.
The day prior to the Congress, an EU Project day will be organised to provide the audience with a complete overview of the different programmes supported by the European Institutions (FP7, Horizon 2020, IEE, EUROSTAR, INTEREG, ...) & related funded projects dealing with eMobility, so as to identify possible actions, overlaps, synergies and/or gaps.

For further information, visit www.eevc.eu

World’s City Leaders debate economic fight-back

More than 300 city leaders and senior members of local government from around the world are to meet in Liverpool’s St George’s Hall to discuss how they are ‘Delivering growth in times of austerity.’
Leaders from some of the world’s most renowned cities will hear keynote speeches from Bruce Katz of Washington DC’s Brookings Institute, Greg Clark, the UK’s Minister of State for Cities and Joe Anderson OBE, Mayor of Liverpool at the BT Global City Leaders summit on 18 June 2014, amongst others.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/world%E2%80%99s-city-leaders-debate-economic-fight-back-liverpool-summit

San Francisco Appoints the World's First Chief Resilience Officer

The City of San Francisco has created a position for the world's first chief resilience officer. The position is part of the Rockefeller Foundation's 100 Resilient Cities Centennial Challenge, which will invest $100 million to fund 100 specialists around the world to make cities more resilient and sustainable in the face of global changes.

http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2014/04/16/first-chief-resilience-officer-CRO-SF-patrick-otellini?page=full)

Apartheid ended 20 years ago, so why is Cape Town still 'a paradise for the few'?

The South African city is World Design Capital 2014, yet residents of Khayelitsha township live in cramped, unhygienic conditions. The need for long-promised urban reform is urgent

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/apr/30/cape-town-apartheid-ended-still-paradise-few-south-africa

Inner cities: changing places

The term 'inner cities' disappeared because, in the biggest cities, the inner areas are no longer pockets of deprivation
When Margaret Thatcher leaned out of the window of Conservative Central Office in June 1987 to hail her third election victory, the first thing she mentioned was the cities. "Tomorrow morning," she told party workers, "we must do something about those inner cities, because we want them too next time."
It was an acknowledgement that the inner areas had resisted the Conservative swing. But it also reflected the language of the moment. Since the 1981 riots, political discourse had been dominated by the inner cities. Yet 30 years later, they are rarely on the political agenda – and not, clearly, because poverty and inequality have been successfully tackled.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/04/inner-cities-changing-places-editorial

Improving Roads, Improving Lives

Six years ago, it took public buses an additional 30 minutes than it does today to travel from the town of Burgas, on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, to the small, southern town of Malko Tarnovo. Travel time has decreased along this 62 kilometer route thanks to improvements along the main road – offering residents in the remote town of Malko Tarnovo better access to services, especially healthcare. The new road has also improved access into the town, stimulating economic activity by doubling tourism in the area.
This is just one of the many examples of success resulting from the Roads Rehabilitation Project in Bulgaria, which repaired 310 kilometers of roads, connecting smaller towns and villages with bigger cities. Nearly 80% of the national road network in Bulgaria are second and third tier roads, meaning that improving these roads improves the lives of the people who live in the smaller areas along these roads, and who rely on this transportation network for their livelihoods.

http://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2014/05/02/improving-roads-improving-lives

Street trees, and streets without trees

When it comes to street trees, Joni Mitchell was wrong. We do know what we have before its gone. Dan Burden eloquently described the value of street trees this way:
“Indeed, street trees so well establish natural and comfortable urban life it is unlikely we will ever see any advertisement for any marketed urban product, including cars, to be featured without street trees making the ultimate dominant, bold visual statement about place.”
A quick review of any architectural rendering will show, of course, that he’s right. And he’s not the only one.

http://communitybuilders.net/street-trees/

Celebrating the Botanical Diversity of Cities

The concept of ecological restoration, as developed over the past 20 years, rests on the mistaken assumption that we can somehow bring back past ecosystems by removing invasive species and replanting native species. This overly simplistic view of the world ignores two basic tenets of modern ecology — that environmental stability is an illusion, and that an unpredictable future belongs to the best adapted. [1]
Many landscape architects feel conflicted by the restoration debate, trapped between the profession’s idealistic rhetoric about the innate superiority of native ecosystems and the constraints imposed by the financial and ecological realities of a particular site. Over the past 250 years, people have altered the basic trajectory of modern ecology to such an extent that going back to some earlier native condition is no longer possible and is certainly not a realistic solution to the increasingly complex environmental problems that we face.

http://places.designobserver.com/feature/flora-of-the-future-urban-wild-plants/38417/

City Events 2014:

The can’t-miss event for hosting international sporting events
November 13th and 14th, host cities, international federations, and events rights owners will meet in historic Paris to discuss and shape the future of international sporting events during the fifth edition of City Events, focusing on the theme “winning strategies for hosting sporting events.”
The 2014 program is a balance between addressing issues currently concerning host cities and event stakeholders and looking forward to shape the future of sporting events. Its organization offers a similar balance between conferences and networking opportunities. The two-day program is composed of three plenary sessions, each followed by smaller breakout discussions in which participants can directly engage with plenary speakers. Additionally, a two-hour one-on-one speed meeting session is planned to allow city delegates to make quality connections with as many sport professionals as possible.

Info & Registration: www.cityevents-sport.com

Completion of EU FP7 Security Project VITRUV - advice on security aspects to urban planners

As of the 30 April 2014 the project’s development work came to an end. The last 12 months of the project included intensive testing of the developed software and related resources through four case study areas in Bologna, Italy; Copenhagen, Denmark; the London Borough of Southwark, U.K.; and Waterford City, Ireland and additional validation cases including the Oslo bombing on 22 July 2011 .
The software provides on three levels – concept, plan and detail - advice on security aspects to urban planners.
The Strategic Concept Urban Planning Tools (STCUP) constitutes the most generic level, early in the planning process. It provides through the decision support tool SecuRbAn (Excel-based) and the connected database of knowledge Urban Securipedia (www.securipedia.eu) advice and structure during general consideration of security as part of the urban concept generation and assessment process. This tool is available free of charge from the download section of the VITRUV website at: http://www.vitruv-project.eu/downloads.html The plan and detail level tool software allows generation or import of 3D models of the urban area described. The in-built modules allow then a fast and rough empirical based risk assessment (plan level) for terrorist threats and crime in general or physics based quantitative risk assessment (detail level) without expert knowledge on the methods used required from the user. The detail level tool provides results with regards to three damage types: casualties (in buildings or in open space for explosives and in open space for chemical and biological agents); structure (buildings, inclusive progressive collapse and traffic elements; see attached validation case for Oslo); and cost (building destruction and traffic). A tool suite will be offered for licence from the middle of 2014.

http://www.vitruv-project.eu/downloads.html

Energy Cities workshop on Circular Economy

“What role can local authorities play in meeting the challenge of developing the circular economy?”
Brussels – 24 June 2014 - from 14:30 to 17:30
Participation is free of charge.
More information and registration:

http://www.energy-cities.eu/-Evenements-?date=2014-06-24

The place and role of mayors in Europe

An interview with CEMR secretary general
In an interview with Acteurs publics, a leading French news website covering public affairs with a audience of over 200.000 subscribers, Frédéric Vallier takes a broad view of the role and place of mayors in Europe. We have made this interview available to English readers.
What is the role and place of mayors in European countries?
Mayors are the ultimate shields against the current crisis. They are the ones towards whom most individuals turn their eyes. Local elected representatives also play a crucial role in ensuring social and territorial cohesion. The privileged relationship mayors have with their fellow citizens is essential, although it must be counterbalanced by the current trend towards municipal mergers. Besides, another trend is still clearly visible: the function of mayor is undergoing professionalisation across Europe. It also calls for real cutting-edge expertise in a context where member states are transferring responsibilities to the local level and inter-municipal structures are being put in place.

http://www.ccre.org/en/actualites/view/2829

11th Metropolis World Congress Hyderabad “Cities for All”

Where? Hyderabad, India
When? 7-10 October 2014 - Save the date!
Who? Metropolis , the City of Hyderabad, India
Five reasons to attend :
•Engage in a unique and major urban agora happening in India for the first time in the history of METROPOLIS
•Meet over 2000 decision-makers and practitioners in the area of urban sustainable development from India and from all over the world
•Have access to lessons, practices and smart ideas learned knowledge based
•Shift your focus from abstract based concepts to action based projects that are applied in cities worldwide
•Participate in the ideal platform to enlarge your international profile and network of contacts and identify potential project partners

www.hyderabad2014.metropolis.org

Pima Association of Governments: Supporting Local Governments with a "ClearPath" Forward

Now, more than ever before, local governments are engaging in comprehensive plans to reduce water and energy use, increase public transit, and cut greenhouse gas emissions. Green ambitions, however, are not enough. Drawn by the release of ICLEI’s new emissions management software, ClearPath, the Pima Association of Governments (PAG) in Pima County, Arizona has recognized the unmatched benefits of ICLEI’s tools, resources, and technical assistance to help meet these ambitions, and joins ICLEI as our newest member this month.

http://www.icleiusa.org/main-page/mount_iclei/iclei/blog/archive/2014/04/22/welcoming-the-pima-association-of-governments-to-iclei

Are smaller cities better?

In the final run-up to India’s general elections, we note that the manifesto of most political parties includes urban development.
What is important to this debate is the prediction that the future of urban growth in developing countries is going to occur in smaller and mid-tier cities, not in the metropolitan areas. Hence, we study mid-tier cities of India, which were selected such that they represent all the geographic regions of the country. In the study, part of a pioneering initiative on the state of our cities, which we’ve completed at the Public Affairs Centre, we compared four mid-tier cities in different parts of the country—Surat (Gujarat), Visakhapatnam/Vizag (Andhra Pradesh), Patna (Bihar) and Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh)—which could have implications for the governance of cities once the new government is voted to power.

http://www.urbangateway.org/news/are-smaller-cities-better

Applications open for CIVITAS Award 2014 for urban mobility excellence

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/620/45/Applications-open-for-CIVITAS-Award-2014-for-urban-mobility-excellence

New initiatives on climate change adaptation in Santiago de Chile

New local climate change adaptation initiatives have been started in the last three years in and around the metropolitan area of Santiago de Chile. These initiatives contributed to a wide scientific knowledge; however, the steps from science to policy and from policy to implementation have to be undertaken.
Ninety percent of Chileans live in urban areas, with over 40% of the national population living in the Santiago Metropolitan Area. Given this high concentration, the ability of the Metropolitan Region to adapt to climate change is critical for the healthy development of the capital city, its region and the country as a whole. As with other large metropolitan areas in Latin America and beyond, there is increasing pressure for national climate change planning to be grounded in local and regional policies and investments.

http://resilientcitiesblog.iclei.org/?p=186

Public space and culture emphasised at Visionary Urban Africa

The important relation between public space and culture and the significance that it has for people, prosperity and peace were strongly emphasised at the fourth European Union-Africa Summit that took place earlier this month. The comments were among several recommendations made at a side-event at the Summit, Visionary Urban Africa, organised by BOZAR – the Centre of Fine Arts in Brussels – and UN-Habitat with the objective of defining priority interventions that need to occur in cities to contribute to a more sustainable, inclusive and creative urban environment.

http://unhabitat.org/public-space-and-culture-emphasised-at-visionary-urban-africa/

The GPEDC highlights the role of local and regional governments in the aid effectiveness agenda

The consensus draft of the Communique´ of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC) hosted in Mexico on 15-16 of April emphasized the role of local and regional governments in development. The conclusions of the two day meeting mention highlight importance of enabling local and regional governments to take on greater roles in policy making, and service delivery. They also call for increased participation of sub-national governments in the implementation of the Busan commitments on effective development cooperation.
During the first day of the meeting, the GPEDC brought together heads of state and government ministers, local and regional governments, parliamentarians, leaders of international organizations, civil society groups and development professionals with the aim of assessing the progress of the implementation of the Busan commitments on aid effectiveness. The sessions covered the ‘how’ of development co-operation, including examples of country-led development, linking aid to budgets and how to best work with the different development actors.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/gpedc-highlights-role-local-and-regional-governments-aid-effectiveness-agenda#sthash.jlIbhHxn.dpuf

Finalists for Mayors Challenge

Organized by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Mayors Challenge prizes bold and creative ideas that include a fresh new approach to solving urban challenges. Among the 21 finalists announced today, 17 cities are or were part of URBACT networks.
Following a successful first edition, that took place in the US, Bloomberg Philanthropies took this competition to Europe, where it aims to find bold and creative ideas for major urban problems, ideas that can have an impact, be implemented and transferred. Organized in several steps pacing from January till September 2014, the Challenge is addressed to EU and Associated Countries cites with over 100.000 residents and will award €5 million to the city with the best idea, and four prizes of €1 million each.

http://urbact.eu/en/news-and-events/view-one/news/?entryId=5344

Why smart grids are key to managing urban energy consumption

Faced with ageing urban energy systems, rising energy costs, and a responsibility to balance the three pillars of sustainability, city leaders need to re-think the way energy is generated, distributed and consumed. Keeping the lights on requires city leaders to become smarter–achieving more with less. Jonathan Ballantine highlights the role energy management plays in empowering the smarter city.
The requirement to meet growing energy demand in a cost effective, secure and sustainable way is driving the need for a new approach to energy management.

http://www.urbangateway.org/news/why-smart-grids-are-key-managing-urban-energy-consumption

Going “garbage-free” is not easy in Bangalore

This week, Citiscope reported on a program here that is turning waste-pickers into recycling managers. All 196 of Bangalore’s wards are due to get dry waste sorting centers, where people who used to ply landfills for trash with recyclable value can do the work in more healthful conditions.
It’s all part of a big change in how Bangalore thinks about its trash, something that other fast-growing cities around the world may find instructive as they wrestle with their own waste problems. All garbage in Bangalore used to be hauled by truck out to landfills on the edge of the city. But in 2012, residents near those landfills revolted, turning away the trucks and forcing trash to pile up in the city.

http://www.citiscope.org/story/2014/going-%E2%80%9Cgarbage-free%E2%80%9D-not-easy-bangalore

Sustainable travel accreditation for schools

STARS project is looking for early adopter cities to attend training sessions
The European STARS project (Sustainable Travel Accreditation and Recognition for Schools) is looking for early adopter cities that would like to attend training workshops organized by the STARS partners.

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/622/45/Sustainable-travel-accreditation-for-schools-STARS-project-is-looking-for-early-adopter-cities-to-attend-training-sessions

3R concept, plastic bag free areas and zero waste wards for SUNYA cities

Reviewing the activities of the past year and planning for the current one was the focus of the fourth partner meeting of SUNYA-Towards Zero Waste in South Asia, organised by Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) and ICLEI South Asia from 18-20 February 2014 in Coimbatore, India. The meeting, witnessed the participation of a plethora of esteemed guests like the Mayor of Coimbatore, Shri S.M. Velusamy; the Commissioner of Coimbatore, Ms. G. Latha, and high-level representatives from the Municipal Association of Nepal (MuAN), the Delegation of the European Union to India and ICLEI South Asia, together with the project cities.

http://southasia.iclei.org/resources/news/article/assessing-the-progress-of-sunya-and-analysing-upcoming-plans/

Urban development creates human rights challenges

Amnesty International has called upon Turkey to be more vigilant about protecting the rights of citizens whose homes are impacted by urban development projects in their neighbourhoods.
According to the International Covenant on Social, Economic and Cultural rights, to which Turkey is a party, citizens' property rights should be protected during such projects. In a recent statement, Amnesty International wrote that urban transformations in Turkey have resulted in forced evictions and failed to respect the right to adequate housing.

http://www.urbangateway.org/news/urban-development-creates-human-rights-challenges

EPA Announces New Funding Opportunities for Local Governments

Nearly $618 million of funding and technical assistance is available for state, local, and tribal governments from the Department of Transportation (DOT), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Energy (DOE), and the Department of the Interior (DOI) that can be used to support climate and energy initiatives, including economic development, sustainable communities, green infrastructure, and water efficiency. For full eligibility and application details, please visit the links provided below.In addition, please visit the calendar of 2014 EPA grant opportunities that may be of particular interest to communities.

http://www.icleiusa.org/main-page/mount_iclei/iclei/blog/archive/2014/04/22/funding-opportunities-for-state-local-and-tribal-governments

What does waste management have to do with reducing crime and violence in Jamaica?

Up until recently, if someone asked us what the most important benefits of solid waste management were, we would have said improving public health, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, or helping with drainage in cities.
When we landed in Kingston a couple months ago to prepare for the Integrated Community Development Project (ICDP), we became aware of another benefit of improving solid waste management: reducing crime. We found that uncollected bulky waste such as laundry machines, refrigerators, air conditioners, and tree stumps could be used to block roads – and that glass bottles and other waste could be used as weapons.

http://blogs.worldbank.org/sustainablecities/what-does-waste-management-have-do-reducing-crime-and-violence-jamaica

Google: driverless cars now have better understanding of city driving

Google is getting closer to its dream of developing a marketable driverless car. The search company said on Monday it had improved the software in its eye-catching project, to take greater account of city driving.
Google’s robot cars have now driven 700,000 miles around Mountain View in California, where the tech company is headquartered.

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/apr/28/google-driverless-cars-city-driving

UN-Habitat and ECF sign agreement to promote cycling worldwide

UN-Habitat and the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on ‘Promoting Cycling as a Sustainable Means of Transportation’. Joan Clos, the Executive Director of UN-Habitat, and Manfred Neun, President of the European Cyclists’ Federation signed the agreement.
“We need to merge the efforts of governments and non-governmental organisations from the south and the north for a more sustainable development of cities,” said Neun. “We are happy with the recognition of ECF’s work by UN-Habitat and enthused by Dr Clos’ vision on sustainability and his emphasis on walking, cycling and public transport for sustainable urbanisation.”

http://cities-today.com/2014/04/un-habitat-ecf-sign-agreement-promote-cycling-worldwide/#more-4958

Cities need Goldilocks housing density – not too high or low, but just right

In London, Boris Johnson brushes aside opposition to a new development scheme at Convoys Wharf that might threaten the remains of the Royal Dockyard at Deptford. He says: "We need to build thousands of new homes in the capital and proposals to do that at Convoys Wharf have stalled for far too long."
In Toronto, where I live, theatre impresario David Mirvish (whose dad owned the Old Vic) is knocking down four designated heritage buildings to build three 85-storey Frank Gehry towers. But as Chris Hume of the Toronto Star notes, "There are two types of heritage, let's not forget: one we inherit; the other we bequeath."
In New York, sleek new towers for the tenth of the 1% are rising through previously sacrosanct height limits. These are hugely expensive to build, but get such high prices that there seems to be no limit to how high or how skinny they can go. Critic Michael Kimmelman sums up the problem in one sentence: "Exceptional height should be earned, not bought."

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/apr/16/cities-need-goldilocks-housing-density-not-too-high-low-just-right

How do people in South Asia perceive climate change?

How do people in Asia live with climate change now? How will it impact their future and how will they shape their own environment? These are the questions behind Climate Asia, a BBC Media Action study – the largest ever carried out so far - of people’s experience of climate change in seven Asian countries (Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan and Vietnam). Using both quantitative and qualitative research, the Climate Asia team surveyed more than 33,500 people in the region and built a picture of how they live and deal with climate change.

http://southasia.iclei.org/resources/news/article/climate-asia-reports-climate-change-peoples-perceptions-and-communication-focus-on-south-asi/

Body heat, new green energy source?

Harnessing waste body heat in Stockholm's central station
With scarcer resources and rising energy prices, cities are seeking more sustainable ways of heating buildings. A project in Stockholm could offer a solution: it uses body heat from commuters to heat a nearby office building.
Stockholm central station is Sweden’s busiest, with some 250,000 commuters passing through every day. Each idle person produces around 100W of body heat, but when shopping, eating and rushing around, people produce even more heat. Normally this heat is a waste product, which is removed through ventilation systems. But in 2010, the company that owns the station came up with a novel idea: to use the waste body heat to heat a 13-storey office building nearby, owned by the same company.

http://www.eurocities.eu/eurocities/news/Body-heat-new-green-energy-source-WSPO-9HLBUY

Millenials seek multi-modality

Four in five millennials say they want to live in places where they have a variety of options to get to jobs, school or daily needs, according to a new survey of Americans age 18-34 in 10 major U.S. cities, released today by The Rockefeller Foundation and Transportation for America.
Three in four say it is likely they will live in a place where they do not need a car to get around. But a majority in all but the largest metros rate their own cities “fair” or “poor” in providing public transportation, and they want more options such as car share and bike share.
The survey focused on the “millennial generation” – those born between 1982 and 2003 – because it is the largest generation in history, and it is the age group that any metro area that hopes to be viable in the future has to attract and keep.

http://t4america.org/2014/04/22/survey-to-recruit-and-keep-millennials-give-them-walkable-places-with-good-transit-and-other-options

Webinar on Urban Consolidation Centers: UK Experience

On May the 6th at 17h00 CET, the Volvo Research Educational Foundation Center of Excellence for Sustainable Urban Freight Systems is organising the last webinar on consolidation centers.

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/621/45/Webinar-on-Urban-Consolidation-Centers-UK-Experienc