Nov2015

Accelerating the pace of urbanisation and migration and the disproportionate level of poverty and under development in Africa will top the agenda of the United Cities of Local Governments of Africa, UCLGA, summit slated to hold between November 29 and December 3, 2015 at the Sandton Convention Centre, in Johannesburg, South Africa. The summit will also explore issues relating to public transportation, urban agriculture, informal trading, neighbourhood development, green buildings, parks and open spaces, and public safety in urban settings.

http://www.urbangateway.org/news/green-buildings-urbanization-top-agenda-africities-johannesburg-summit

La Petite Ceinture - a green urban oasis

A little-known 30-kilometre belt of neglected green space has been at the centre of a debate between environmentalists and entrepreneurs who do not see eye to eye about the future direction of development in the city. La Petite Ceinture (“little belt”) is an urban phenomenon: an abandoned railway built more than 150 years ago in the centre of Paris.

https://citiesintransition.eu/publication/la-petite-ceinture

Do trees really help clear the air in our cities?

It may sound like a no-brainer to say that trees improve air quality. After all, we know that trees absorb the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO?), and that their leaves can trap the toxic pollutants nitrogen dioxide (NO?), ozone, and harmful microscopic particles produced by diesel vehicles, cooking and wood burning.
Yet some recent studies have suggested that trees may in fact worsen urban air quality by trapping pollutants at street level. A closer look at the evidence – and how it was collected – reveals the root of this dispute, and can help us come to a more nuanced understanding of the impacts of trees on our urban environment.

https://theconversation.com/do-trees-really-help-clear-the-air-in-our-cities-48202

The 11th European Urban and Regional Planning Awards

ECTP-CEU, with the support of the Committee of Regions is proud to organise the 11th European Urban and Regional Planning Awards.
The ECTP-CEU’s European Urban and Regional Planning Awards give recognition to planning strategies, schemes or developments which make an outstanding contribution to the quality of life in urban and rural regions of Europe.
This is also a particular opportunity now that we have refreshed the European Charter of Spatial Planning stressing the emergency for strategy, participation processes and sustainable development in all processes of spatial planning.

http://www.ectp-ceu.eu/images/stories/Awards2016/2016%20Awards%20Info%20Brochure.pdf

China’s ‘disposable cities’ are not built to last

Due to a number of factors, new buildings in China usually don't last more than a couple of decades. (CHINA DAILY/Reuters/Landov)
In China, shoddy urban construction is a growth industry. Wade Shepard writes for CityMetric that the demolition of relatively new buildings provides a quick economic jolt by enabling more construction projects. “The incessant round of demolition and construction keeps the economic wheels of the country spinning,” observes Shepard, author of Ghost Cities of China.
Everyone seems to profit from these “disposable cities,” he writes. Contractors and developers save money by cutting corners on building materials, labor and craftsmanship. The Chinese government buys back properties to resell to developers. The steady demolition and construction helps to inflate employment levels.

http://citiscope.org/citisignals/2015/chinas-disposable-cities-are-not-built-last

Old is the new green

Preservation is central to a sustainable world
“Radical common sense” is the term a fellow preservation architect uses to describe a mindset that values repair over replacement. Why is this radical? Because, while reuse of water bottles and grocery bags is rapidly gaining ground, reuse of buildings and building components is not. And it’s not hard to see why: It is almost always less expensive and easier to replace a whole building and almost any of its elements?—?doors, windows, light fixtures?—?than to repair and reuse. Replacement also can offer measurable and consistent quality with product certifications and warranties not available for repaired items. Theoretically, a new building can ensure “high performance” and significantly reduce the environmental impact of building operations while creating healthier spaces. What’s not to like?

http://www.architects.org/architectureboston/articles/old-new-green

Get Refugees Cycling!

A London project helps refugees make connections by acquiring abandoned or discarded bikes, making them roadworthy and donating them to refugees
London is a city that is rich in opportunities. But getting around the city can be difficult – particularly so for refugees and asylum seekers without their own transportation and limited means. A bike can help refugees who are trying to find their feet connect with the many resources that London has to offer: food banks, lawyers to help their application process, home office appointments, healthcare, education and much more. And, if they are lucky enough to receive status, it can help them get to work.

http://citiesofmigration.ca/good_idea/get-refugees-cycling/

Does Placemaking Cause Gentrification? It’s Complicated.

It is rare in the media to hear the words “public space” without also hearing the word “gentrification.” At PPS, we have discussed the relationship between public space, development, and gentrification time and time again, specifically in regards to a frequent, but often misdirected, criticism of Placemaking.

http://smartgrowth.org/does-placemaking-cause-gentrification-its-complicated/

CITYnvest: Innovative financing solutions for energy-efficiency retrofitting in buildings

CITYnvest is a Horizon 2020 project which focuses on innovative financing models for energy efficiency retrofitting in buildings. CITYnvest activities cover five main areas:
- analysis and comparison of innovative financing models and development of guidance materials
- application of those models through three pilot projects
- monitoring of triggered investments and discovering key success factors
- wide-scale training programme in 10 countries (Austria, Latvia, Italy, Lithuania, Belgium, Romania, Hungary, Spain, Bulgaria and Portugal)
- promoting innovative financing for energy efficiency in buildings.

http://www.eumayors.eu/news_en.html?id_news=685

Barcelona invites cities to follow its lead on sustainable procurement

Public procurers from across Europe are gathering at the 2015 Procura+ Seminar in Barcelona today to learn from the city’s experiences of using sustainable procurement to reduce its ecological footprint and improve citizens’ quality of life. Organised by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, the seminar is an annual event that, through practical workshops and facilitated discussions, offers inspiring examples of sustainable and innovative procurement.
“By bringing procurers from all regions of Europe together, the Procura+ Seminar provides an excellent environment for exchange and learning. Barcelona is the ideal host city, having used their purchasing power to drive a shift towards sustainability. It is my hope that the procurers in attendance go away with a greater sense of the benefits that smart procurement choices can bring,” said Mark Hidson, Deputy Regional Director with ICLEI Europe.

If you are a public authority interested in finding out more or joining the Procura+ campaign, please visit: www.procuraplus.org

Fat city: the obesity crisis that threatens to overwhelm Mexico's capital

Mexico City – like the rest of the country – is in the grip of an obesity crisis. While the reasons for this are far from black and white, close analysis suggests that a lack of physical activity could be the main contributing factor.
In 2013, Mexico responded to its (literally) growing problem by introducing taxes on food and drink with a high sugar or fat content, becoming something of an international case study. While this has been successful in raising money for the government, the health impacts of the “sugar tax” are not yet scientifically proven.

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/nov/13/fat-city-obesity-crisis-mexico-capital-sugar-tax

From FabLabs to self-sufficient FabCities

Amsterdam will have its own FabCity, a self sufficient society which will represent future city living. It is modelled after a similar project in Barcelona, initiated by Vicente Guallart, chief architect of Barcelona City Council, writer of the book Self Sufficient City and founder of a network of FabLabs in Barcelona, currently transforming into a self sufficient FabCity.
Also present is Marleen Stikker, director and co-founder of Waag Society, a social enterprise for creative technology and social innovation, and Pieter van Bohemen from Waag Society, responsible for FabLab Amsterdam.

https://citiesintransition.eu/event/from-fablabs-to-self-sufficient-fabcities

The US Government Supports the Commitment of Cities to the Compact of Mayors

The Congress of Cities is the largest gathering of city officials organized by the National League of Cities (NLC), UCLG´s North American member holds the event in a different city each year. The 2015 edition of the congress was celebrated in Nashville, Tennessee andhighlighted the growing number of US cities committed to the Compact of Mayors ahead of the climate negotiations in Paris.
US Vice President Joe Biden called on hundreds of US cities to join the collaboration led by cities to accelerate climate action.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/us-government-supports-commitment-cities-compact-mayors

Ten urban innovations that may re-shape cities of the future

Get ready for augmented mobility, smart water management and more shared space. These breakthroughs are among the next wave of innovations that could revolutionize cities, according to the World Economic Forum.
The NGO has compiled the top ten urban advancements on the horizon. The list includes an “Internet of pipes” controlled by sensors that manage water flow in concert with cloud-based technology. Watch for cities to reconfigure their entire space, by enhancing walkability or contracting urban footprints, and for more sharing of public and private space.

http://citiscope.org/citisignals/2015/ten-urban-innovations-may-re-shape-cities-future

A New Approach to Cities: Everyone Counts

What does it mean to make a city inclusive?
For Bui Thi Mai in Ho Chi Mihn City, Vietnam, it means a clean, safe street so her business can grow and prosper.
“The alley was so narrow that only one motorbike could get in,” she said. “There was no drainage so it was often flooded, making garbage float and mosquitos breed. It was unsafe for our health. There were few streetlights, allowing criminals to hide in dark corners. Running my business is much easier because the street is cleaner and safer. Trucks can carry goods to my door. More shops and restaurants are opening along this big street.”

http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2015/10/29/a-new-approach-to-cities-including-inclusion

Build Affordable Housing That Can Weather the Next Superstorm

In an era when climate change is expected to increase the odds 14-fold of superstorms that threaten the U.S., low-income seniors, people with physical disabilities and other vulnerable populations are hit hardest by dangerous weather events. During Superstorm Sandy three years ago, many living in public housing along the East Coast were stranded when the electricity went out and backup diesel generators failed. For these residents, left without essential services, working elevators, mobility devices, running water, heating and cooling, medical equipment, and refrigeration for medicine, power outages are a matter of life and death.

https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/build-affordable-housing-that-can-weather-the-next-superstorm

UCLG highlights the role of local governments in promoting gender equality for sustainability

UCLG has published a new short guide for local governments, entitled “From SDG5 to Habitat III: the role of local governments in promoting gender equality for sustainability”. The guide, available in English, French and Spanish, explores the links between gender equality, the Sustainable Development Goals, Habitat III, and local governance.
The publication gives an overview of the evolution of international local government commitments on gender equality since 1998. It also highlights the role of local governments in the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 5 to Achieve Gender Equality and Empower all Women and Girls, and gives local policy-makers ideas on how to foster gender equality in their communities to contribute to the achievement of the 2030 and Habitat III Agendas.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/uclg-highlights-role-local-governments-promoting-gender-equality-sustainability

The City of Vancouver takes another step, unanimously adopts 100% RE strategy

Our team is very pleased to highlight this week’s events at Vancouver City Council.
The Renewable City Strategy is now public and has been accepted by the City’s elected officials.
100% renewable energy in Vancouver can now become a reality.
After adopting a 100% renewable energy target in March of 2015, Vancouver city staff were asked to produce an in-depth strategy to reach the target in the city’s electricity, heating & cooling, and transportation sectors.
Since the target was announced, Renewable Cities has supported the City of Vancouver with dialogue and collaboration services. We convened a Global Learning Forum in May, 2015, which saw international experts offer their best advice to the City, as well as three invitational dialogues on the topics of waste, the built environment, and transportation in June and July of 2015.

http://www.renewablecities.ca/the-city-of-vancouver-takes-another-step-unanimously-adopts-100-re-strategy/

Energy Cities best practice database revamped

Energy Cities now has a completely new interface for its best practice database. Entirely revamped and updated, it highlights the vitality of European cities’ action in the field of energy and climate policies.

http://www.energy-cities.eu/NEW-The-Energy-Cities-best?pmv_nid=2

As Affordable Housing Shrinks, Where Can Families Live?

In many urban centers, families are finding themselves priced out of the market for housing large enough to accommodate them. Some cities are trying to fix the problem, but it’s not easy.

http://www.governing.com/topics/urban/gov-urban-affordable-housing-families.html

Local and regional Governments Delegation at COP21 ministerial negotiations

On 7-8 November 2015, the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities constituency (LGMA) participated in a high-level dialogue with UN Member States and other stakeholders as part of the ministerial talks on climate change ahead of the COP21 climate conference in Paris.
At the invitation of the Presidency of the COP20 (Peru) and the COP 21 (France), Bernard Soulage, Vice President of Rhône-Alpes Region, represented local government networks in the discussions. He called for ambitious and inclusive climate pledges that go beyond individual Member State commitments through the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). This will be essential to keep global temperature rises below two degrees.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/local-and-regional-governments-delegation-cop21-ministerial-negotiations

Where is integration in the refugee crisis?

“What is lost in the debate about refugees, which has hitherto focused on numbers, is a proper discussion about integration.” In this article, Jenny Phillimore examines the steps that might support a two-way integration process.
The focus for the media and politicians responding to the European refugee crisis has largely been upon numbers and the debate about how many refugees each country can, will, or should take. Policymakers have responded reactively rather than proactively with limited attention paid to the integration policy and practice that will be needed to help refugees to settle in their countries of refuge.

http://citiesofmigration.ca/ezine_stories/where-is-integration-in-the-refugee-crisis/

The Hazards of Predicting the Future of Cities

City planners should be wary of any predictions that downplay the unknowability of the future by projecting present conditions onto it.
Envisioning cities of the future can sometimes be more at home in science fiction than urban planning. Optimism generally looms large in these visions. At the 1939 World’s Fair, the exhibit, “World of Tomorrow”—with its motto “For Peace and Freedom”—featured an elaborate futuristic model city called Democracity, a tribute to the reigning techno-utopian hopes of the time. Millions of visitors were awed by it. In a dark twist of irony, the model was melted down only a few years later to provide four thousand tons of steel for making bombs in World War II. This was only one of many 20th century futuristic urban visions that failed to materialize.

http://thrivingcities.com/blog/hazards-predicting-future-cities

Ride-sharing services could revolutionize urban design

Uber, Lyft and other ride-hailing services already have upended the taxi business in many countries. Patrick Russell reports for TechCrunch that ride sharing is now poised to revolutionize urban design.
Wider use of these app-based services would mean less traffic, allowing for more efficient land use and “road diets.” Municipalities could repurpose some streets into real estate for homes and businesses, with extra space for bike paths and promenades.
Highways, roads and parking spaces account for roughly 30 percent to 60 percent of every city, at least in the United States. Meanwhile, the typical American automobile sits idle an estimated 96 percent of the time, the article says. The average U.?S. household spends nearly $9,000 a year on car ownership-related expenses. Ride sharing would allow Americans to save around 16 percent on yearly costs.

http://citiscope.org/citisignals/2015/ride-sharing-services-could-revolutionize-urban-design

UCLG City of Bogotá Peace Prize: presentation and invitation to local governments to apply

On Thursday 19 November, the City of Bogotá (Colombia) hosted a conference to present the first edition of the UCLG City of Bogotá Peace Prize. The UCLG City of Bogotá Peace Prize is a triennial award for (a coalition of) local governments that have implemented initiatives in conflict prevention, conflict resolution or peace building, that are proven to have had a significant positive impact.
The prize aims to contribute to full acknowledgement of the important but often overlooked role of local governments as peace building actors, thus creating a more effective approach to conflict resolution. In situations of conflict, local governments have an important role to play: they have to ensure that service delivery towards citizens is in place despite the difficult context, and they need to promote and facilitate peace as an alternative to violent conflicts.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/uclg-city-bogota-peace-prize-presentation-and-invitation-local-governments-apply

Over 100 cities sign global food pact

One hundred and seventeen cities have signed the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, the first covenant from the Mayors on Urban Food Policies, that establishes a network of cities to work on sustainable food policies, sharing of ideas and suggestions.
“Today, in the presence of metropolises from all over the world that are home to 400 million people, we have achieved an ambitious goal: a commitment for the implementation of smart food policies in our cities,” said Giuliano Pisapia, Mayor of Milan. “This strong commitment entails concrete actions at the local level, aimed at facing global emergencies such as hunger, malnutrition and 1.3 million tonnes of food wasted every year.”

http://cities-today.com/over-100-cities-sign-global-food-pact/

New Smart Cities magazine

Smart Cities Magazine is a brand new Portuguese magazine. Focused on the Smart Cities market, this bimonthly publication provides an extended overview and journalistic analysis of sustainable cities projects, challenges and solutions. Within its 100 pages, the reader can read up-to-date information concerning ICT developments, environmental needs, health and education trends, energy and urban mobility management or examples of social innovation.

http://www.smart-cities.pt/en/home/

The village of Brussels: solidarity in the city

Living in a city is practical, environmental, energetic, culturally interesting, overwhelming and challenging. Our family goes to school and workby bike, but metro, tram, bus, care sharing or bike sharing alternatives are literally around the corner. We combine city life during the week with walks and gardening just outside the city in the weekend. The children can find clubs within a 3 kilometre radius around the house, offering courses in anything from deep sea diving to football, arts or music. The abundance of cultural activities is overwhelming, with performances, museums and activities in every language and for every budget. Going to the library or market, I probably hear about 5 languages on average in the streets. There is French and Dutch, but also German, English, Arab, Polish, Albanian and Moroccan.

https://citiesintransition.eu/cityreport/the-village-of-brussels-solidarity-in-the-city

Chicago, City Embassies and Global Cities

Cities of Migration talks to Juliana Kerr, Director, Global Cities and Immigration, at the Chicago Council of Global Affairs, about the growing importance of cities on the global stage, migration and the shape of things to come.
You have proposed a really interesting idea – that cities open embassy-like institutions, emulating how countries have embassies in all corners of the world to help their citizens and promote their interests overseas. Tell us more about your “city embassy” idea?

http://citiesofmigration.ca/ezine_stories/chicago-city-embassies-and-global-cities/

EcoMobility Festival 2015 Leaves Legacy for Johannesburg and Sends Clear Message to COP21

The EcoMobility World Festival 2015, organized by the City of Johannesburg in partnership with ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, comes to a close this weekend with an “eco-block party” in the Sandton Central Business District.
A month-long experiment of an ecomobile urban transport system, the Festival allowed commuters to leave their cars at home and encouraged the use of public transport, cycling and walking. Through various events and dialogues, the Festival allowed citizens to reclaim street space and provided a platform for mobility experts, local government leaders and private sector representatives to discuss sustainable urban transport solutions for the future.

http://www.iclei.org/details/article/ecomobility-festival-2015-leaves-legacy-for-johannesburg-and-sends-clear-message-to-cop21.html

Mayor, county exec declare ‘state of emergency’ over homelessness

Comparing the devastation of homelessness to flood and fire, local leaders Monday declared states of emergency in Seattle and King County, hoping to secure additional money and potentially loosen regulations to combat the problem.
States of emergency usually are proclaimed after natural disasters, such as earthquakes and hurricanes, or during instances of civil disorder, such as rioting.
But other West Coast cities and a state preceded Seattle in declaring homelessness emergencies this year. Los Angeles and Portland took the step in September. Hawaii followed suit this past month.

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/mayor-county-exec-declare-state-of-emergency-over-homelessness/

Nature-Based Solution and Re-Naturing Cities

Nature-based solutions harness the power and sophistication of nature to turn environmental, social and economic challenges into innovation opportunities. They can address a variety of societal challenges in sustainable ways, with the potential to contribute to green growth, 'future-proofing' society, fostering citizen well-being, providing business opportunities and positioning Europe as a leader in world markets.

http://www.eukn.eu/news/detail/nature-based-solution-and-re-naturing-cities/

Helsinki - A Sharer’s Paradise

The Sharing Economy Is Booming in Helsinki: Here's Why
Helsinki is, in many ways, a sharer’s paradise. The Finnish capital has a range of sharing economy platforms and services, from just-for-fun neighborhood initiatives to global for-profit startups. Helsinki’s sharing scene disproves the widespread misapprehension that the sharing economy is made up of just a couple major for-profit players (Uber, Airbnb), and serves as an example of how local history and culture can positively shape a technology-influence social and economic change.

https://citiesintransition.eu/publication/a-sharers-paradise

“Maker” Movement Bringing Life Back to Warehouse Districts

“Small is beautiful,” that glib 1970s catchphrase, today could be applied to the “maker movement” that is helping transform dilapidated urban industrial zones throughout North America. From Detroit-based Shinola to craft breweries, artisanal food producers, and bespoke jewelry crafters nearly everywhere, modern small-scale manufacturing is breathing new life into long-abandoned warehouses and factories.
In a 2015 ULI Fall Meeting session moderator Ilana Preuss of Recast City remarked that it’s “cool to make stuff again.” Small-scale manufacturers are creating jobs with minimal educational requirements and wages that are double those in the service and retail sectors. “They are bringing life to the streets, tapping local power, helping economic resilience, and increasing the value of surrounding properties,” she noted.

http://urbanland.uli.org/economy-markets-trends/maker-movement-bringing-life-back-warehouse-districts/

Will the liveability of intermediate cities lead to megacity problems?

Big things come in small packages. That adage took on an urban dimension this week in Ecuador’s third-largest city as mayors, local officials, academics and urban experts extolled the virtues of intermediate cities — those with populations of less than one million — as harbingers of a sustainable urban future.
“In intermediate cities, we have the opportunity to not repeat the mistakes of large cities,” said Luis Zomorano of EMBARQ Mexico, which is headquartered in the country’s massive capital, one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world.

http://citiscope.org//habitatIII/news/2015/11/will-liveability-intermediate-cities-lead-megacity-problems

America’s $900 Million Parks Problem

At the end of September, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which has supported the creation and maintenance of greenways, trails and other outdoor spaces across the U.S. since its inception in the ’60s, expired. LWCF helps along everything from national parks to community ball fields, and with no definitive word yet on Congressional reauthorization, parks advocates are concerned. While offshore drilling generates $900 million annually for the fund (per the program’s set-up, taxpayer money isn’t used), Congress has often spent that money elsewhere.

https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/city-parks-funding-land-water-conservation-fund-expired

Local and regional Governments Delegation at COP21 ministerial negotiations

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/local-and-regional-governments-delegation-cop21-ministerial-negotiations

The (Pretty Much Totally) Complete Health Case for Urban Nature

I’m not a doctor, but I do sit near one in The Atlantic’s New York office. So you can trust me to know that MD-in-residence James Hamblin is on to something when he writes in the magazine’s October issue about the rising appreciation among physicians for the health benefits of parks and green space. Hamblin writes of “a small but growing group of health-care professionals who are essentially medicalizing nature”:
At his office in Washington, D.C., Robert Zarr, a pediatrician, writes prescriptions for parks. He pulls out a prescription pad and scribbles instructions—which park his obese or diabetic or anxious or depressed patient should visit, on which days, and for how long—just as though he were prescribing medication.
Seems the medical community has finally caught up with insights made by the urban landscape community 150 years ago. In 1865, Frederick Law Olmsted of Central Park design fame called it “a scientific fact” that natural “is favorable to the health and vigor of men.” (And women!) Olmsted jumped the gun on the whole “fact” thing, but time and a whole bunch of modern behavioral research on the nature-health link has proved him wise.

http://www.citylab.com/weather/2015/10/the-pretty-much-totally-complete-health-case-for-urban-nature/411331/

Civic crowdfunding is not about the money

Civic crowdfunding is not about the money. That’s what I have learned from pioneering in the civic crowdfunding field in The Netherlands. Almost 3 years ago, in january 2013, we launched Voor je Buurt (literally ‘For your Neighbourhood’). A crowdfunding and crowdsourcing platform for civic projects in The Netherlands. Think of projects like local festivals, community centers and temporary use of public space. We are the first organisation in The Netherlands, and one of the first worldwide, to demonstrate the value and success of crowdfunding for local civic projects. Since its launch, 207 projects started a crowdfunding campaign, 11.000 supporters backed a project and €700.000 euro was raised. I will use this article to explain more about the background and the impact of civic crowdfunding and the role of the government.

https://citiesintransition.eu/publication/civic-crowdfunding-is-not-about-the-money

Visit the best performing European cities in Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning with the BUMP project

The BUMP (Boosting Urban Mobility Plans) pioneer cities open the doors to international local authorities for study visits
Local Authorities across Europe have been developing Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) as part of their work on the BUMP project.
You now have the opportunity to win a place on a trip to visit one of these pioneer cities, to find out how they have gone about this, what they have learned along the way and ultimately look at ways of replicating the BUMP approach in your area. From the lessons learnt and incisive and structured knowledge transfer you will be able to critically examine ways that the SUMP approach can be adapted and made scalable to your situation.

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/976/45/Visit-the-best-performing-European-cities-in-Sustainable-Urban-Mobility-Planning-with-the-BUMP-project

On the road to Decentralisation

The current “territorial reform is a first step towards greater decentralisation in England”
The UK Government is currently carrying out a territorial reform, the so-called Devolution Bill, consisting on allocating powers from national to local governments to bring more economic benefits on the ground.
“We see this process as an opportunity to deliver services in a more flexible, closer, transparent and effective manner to citizens, tailored to their needs and expectations,” said CEMR President, Annemarie Jorritsma, during a seminar organised on this initiative by our British association (LGA) on 5 November.
It is very good news that the UK Government gave flexibility enough for local governments to to come forward with strong proposals to manage the competences transferred. However, it is crucial that “the devolution process needs to be accompanied also by political accountability and the necessary resources.”

http://www.ccre.org/en/actualites/view/3158

Sydney & Vancouver Lead Knight Frank’s Global Cities Index

Prime property prices increased by 1.9% in the year to September 2015, according to Knight Frank’s Prime Global Cities Index with Vancouver and Sydney leading the rankings with standout performances.
The index, which monitors and compares the performance of prime residential prices across key global cities, reports an increase of 20.4% in Vancouver in the year to September 2015. A shortage of supply and strengthening local demand alongside foreign interest are the reasons behind this strong performance.

http://www.urbangateway.org/news/sydney-vancouver-lead-knight-frank%E2%80%99s-global-cities-index

A Plan with 'Zero' Chance of Success

In 2013, 34 pedestrians died on the streets of Denmark. The city of Copenhagen, roundly hailed as the world's pleasantest city for walking and biking, has about 10 percent of Denmark's population of 5.6 million. We can extrapolate that exactly three pedestrians died in Copenhagen in 2013, for a rate of about 0.5 per 100,000.
To be sure, those three deaths deserve due lamentation, scrutiny, and sympathy. On the other hand, they deserve celebration. Copenhagen's pedestrian fatality rate is about as low as it gets. The lowest pedestrian death rate of any major American city is 0.76. Copenhagen's pedestrian fatality rate is a full five times lower than that of the City of Los Angeles, which, at 2.57 (pdf) puts it towards the high end.
If you divide Copenhagen's fatality rate by Los Angeles', you get 19 percent. The question that some in Los Angeles are now asking is, what happens when you divide by zero?

http://www.cp-dr.com/node/3815

CIUDAD 2020: Putting smart cities into practice

After four years, 16.3 million euros and 33 smart city tech solutions developed and tested in cities such as Malaga, Santander or Zaragoza, Spanish project I+D+I, led by tech company Indra, is now coming to a close. The outcomes of the Ciudad 2020 initiative are now being looked at, and the company believes its time to start thinking of applying the solutions which were developed to real projects.
What was Ciudad 2020s role in this process of transforming cities? Apart from the tools developed using citizens as sensors for city services, it also created a portal with the same name, which agglomerated all information on a city, its resources, services, energy efficiency apps, mobility, transport and the environment. On top of all that, the platform is also a channel for communication between citizens and local administration, which results in a centralized, smart and personal relationship.

http://www.smart-cities.pt/en/noticia/ciudad-2020-putting-smart-cities-into-practice1/

Next generation traffic management & information

Polis invites representatives of city and regional authorites to come together to provide input on requirements for next generation traffic management. A workshop will be held on 1 December 2015 (09.00-12.45) at Polis in Brussels.

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/947/45/Next-generation-traffic-management-amp-information

How Rowers Got Cleveland to Rethink a River

When you think of rowing, you don’t normally think of Cleveland. The Rust Belt city’s Cuyahoga River curves and bends (the native tribes named it “Ka-ih-ogh-ha” meaning “crooked” river), and most rowers like a straight-line shot. Cleveland’s also an oceangoing port, and 700-foot freighters with 45,000 tons of cargo make their way up the Cuyahoga River to the mills daily. Rowing in a 44–foot quadruple skull alongside a boat more than two football fields in length is a daunting task.
Yet, Clevelanders are rethinking the waterway — and rowers deserve some of the credit. The attention they’ve helped to shift toward the river has helped spawn the creation of a riverfront park, spurred economic development in an empty industrial area of Cleveland, and helped change the regional consciousness that the waterways — Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River, among others — in Northeast Ohio are fundamental assets and not just where chemical and toilet waste get flushed into.

https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/cleveland-rowers-river-cuyahoga-cleanup

The Long-Term Impact of a Month Without Cars

Two years after the ‘ecomobility’ festival, cars are back—but less loved—in Suwon, South Korea.
SUWON, South Korea—This bustling city of 1 million is best known as the home of Samsung, the global titan of flat-screen TVs and smartphones. But two years ago, Suwon also became briefly famous among the world’s transportation planners for its temporary experiment with ditching cars.
For a month in 2013, the 4,300 residents of a historic neighborhood called Haenggung-dong left their cars parked in vacant lots elsewhere. Instead of driving to get around, they took buses, walked or rode bicycles. They also gave new models of e-bikes, Segways, and pedicabs a ride.

http://www.citylab.com/commute/2015/10/the-long-term-impact-of-a-month-without-cars/412408/

Global Alliance for Urban Crises nearing launch

By tapping Habitat III process, initiative aims for collaboration between humanitarian groups, local authorities and city planners to broaden post-disaster urban response. -
Major humanitarian and cities groups are coming together to create a new alliance that will attempt to overhaul how the international community and local authorities prepare for and respond to urban crises.
The Global Alliance for Urban Crises is seeking to bring together city leaders, urban professionals, the development community and the private sector in order to significantly broaden the strategies that have long typified humanitarian response in urban areas in the aftermath of natural disasters and other crises. Organizers are planning to use the confluence of two major summits next year to jumpstart the initiative: the World Humanitarian Summit, which takes place in May, and the Habitat III conference on urbanization in October.

http://citiscope.org//habitatIII/news/2015/10/global-alliance-urban-crises-nearing-launch

The Amplify Urban Resilience Challenge

The Global Resilience Partnership together with UK’s Department for International Development and IDEO.org launched the Amplify Urban Resilience Challenge. Focused on building urban resilience, this online challenge will focus on designing solutions that enable communities in urban slums to adapt, transform, and thrive as they meet the challenges presented by climate change. Winners of this challenge are eligible for up to $800,000 in funding and technical design assistance from IDEO.org to bring their ideas to life.

http://ideo.to/URC

Ten global cities present climate actions plans ahead of Paris COP21

Ten global cities, representing 58 million people and more than US$ 3 trillion GDP, from 5 continents, join first-mover Rio de Janeiro in announcing that they have met all planning and reporting requirements of the Compact of Mayors. In doing so, the cities presented ambitious climate action plans ahead of COP 21 – the Paris Climate Conference.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/ten-global-cities-present-climate-actions-plans-ahead-paris-cop21

Which is the world’s largest megacity?

China’s Pearl River Delta is swallowing up nearby cities.
As the largest urban area in the world, the region features a population of roughly 42 million housed inside a 2,700-square-mile perimeter.
The Pearl River Delta is made up of nine cities, each boasting populations above 1 million. And China is combining them all into one giant megacity.
It’s bigger than Canada (pop: 35 million), Australia (pop: 23 million), and Argentina (pop: 41 million).

https://agenda.weforum.org/2015/07/which-is-the-worlds-largest-megacity/

Urban Farms are Sprouting Up Like Weeds

If your town isn’t on board with urban gardens, they are living in the past, because urban gardens are sprouting up all over the nation as people search for more sustainability and more control over what they put in their mouths.
Farmland is scarce and costly, according to WGBH News, which featured an article on urban farms. Courtney Hennessy and John Stoddard were two urban farmers interviewed for the article. Instead of plowing the fields, they tend produce on a rooftop in Boston.

http://www.inquisitr.com/2485245/urban-farms-are-sprouting-up-like-weeds-in-closets-on-rooftops-even-major-airports/

New forms of local governance cannot be used as an excuse to reduce local autonomy

“The need to control public deficits has resulted in forced reforms of territorial administration (e.g., decentralisation, recentralization, regionalisation) as well as in new forms of governance,” said CEMR president, Annemarie Jorritsma at a debate organised by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Congress of Europe, on 21 October.
“Through cooperation between towns, contracts between municipalities and central governments or partnerships with the private sector, local governments are changing their relationships with their national governments.”

http://www.ccre.org/en/actualites/view/3144

URBACT launches report on Deprived Areas

Urban poverty has been rising in the political agenda and one of the topics being covered under the European Urban Agenda is on the revitalisation of deprived areas.
In 2012 every fourth European, i.e. 124 million people was at risk of poverty or social exclusion. “The Europe 2020 strategy aims to reduce the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion by 20 million relative to 2010 or to around 19.5% of the total population. ...
Between 2008 and 2012 the number of people in the EU at risk of poverty or social exclusion increased by 6.5 million to almost a quarter (24.8%) of the population.” (EC, 2014:74, 77). Thus, despite the ambitious aims of the EU the situation worsened since the start of the financial crisis.

http://urbact.eu/urbact-launches-report-deprived-areas

Higher carbon footprint linked to urbanisation, rurban areas

India's transitional or rurban zones, the rural pockets that are being transformed into urban ones, have a higher carbon footprint than rural pockets, say experts, stressing the need to include these places in the planning and governance process.
"Transitional regions are important as most of the planning processes leave out these regions and hence they are deprived basic amenities (sanitation, water et al).
"The carbon footprint of these pockets would be relatively higher compared to rural regions," T.V. Ramachandra, coordinator of the Energy and Wetland Research Centre and the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, told IANS.

http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/higher-carbon-footprint-linked-to-urbanisation-rurban-areas-115102200345_1.html

Smart City is what citizens want their city to be

Minister of Urban Development, M Venkaiah Naidu has said that ‘a Smart City is what the citizens want their city to be and the city level plans should be evolved based on extensive consultations with them. Smart City Plans will be evaluated in the second stage of City Challenge competition based on such consultations and their economic and environmental impacts.”
The Minister said that for realising the India growth story, the urban areas of the country need to be improved in terms of infrastructure, urban governance to enhance business and economic activity and quality of life. He urged the elected representatives and officials of the cities included in the Smart City Mission to leave behind the jubilation over the same and face the tough challenge of making them smart, for which the clock has begun to tick. He expressed confidence that the urban landscape of the country can be recast to make urban areas more liveable and more effective engines of economic growth under the epochal new beginning made under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

http://www.urbannewsdigest.in/?p=15979

Efus publishes Security & Tourism: Concerted Local Policies

The tourist city, regardless of its size or type of tourism, must consider security as a major concern in its development strategy. Whereas in the past, security and tourism policies were often conducted separately, dialogue between these two spheres is now essential.
This publication aims to encourage local security and tourism strategies contributing to the sustainable development of cities and the quality of life of tourists and residents alike. It includes examples of various practices and a series of recommendations that can be used by any European city or region facing these issues.

http://efus.eu/en/topics/places-and-times/tourism/efus/10182/

10 things South Park has taught us about gentrification

The mayor is backing the redevelopment of South Park’s eyesore neighbourhood into ‘SoDo SoPa’ – but Kenny’s father is not impressed. Kids, it’s time to get with the gentrification programme

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/oct/26/what-south-park-teaches-us-about-gentrification

Naked Cities - The death and life of urban America.

Cities can’t win. When they do well, people resent them as citadels of inequality; when they do badly, they are cesspools of hopelessness. In the seventies and eighties, the seemingly permanent urban crisis became the verdict that American civilization had passed on itself. Forty years later, cities mostly thrive, crime has been in vertiginous decline, the young cluster together in old neighborhoods, drinking more espresso per capita in Seattle than in Naples, while in San Francisco the demand for inner-city housing is so keen that one-bedroom apartments become scenes of civic conflict—and so big cities turn into hateful centers of self-absorbed privilege. We oscillate between “Taxi Driver” and “The Bonfire of the Vanities” without arriving at a stable picture of something in between.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/10/05/naked-cities

Urbanization explained

Bright lights, big cities are getting bigger and brighter. Urbanization — the expansion of cities — is on the rise. People across the globe are heading into urban areas looking for work, education and health care. Others arrive, fleeing wars and natural disasters. They turn to the city life for better living and more opportunities.
For the first time in history, more than half the world’s population — that’s 3.7 billion people — now resides in cities. And it’s expected that number will increase to two-thirds by 2050.

https://www.yahoo.com/katiecouric/urbanization-explained-211051229.html

Design Awards Competition Deadline December 20, 2015

53rd International Making Cities Livable Conference on Sustainable, Just Cities & Settlements
Rome, Italy, June 13-17, 2016
Projects that showcase the general urban design principles and livability criteria espoused by IMCL, and in tune with the principles of sustainability and equity set out in the Pope's encyclical, Laudato Si will be considered.
Eligibility: Urban design, architecture, planning, and landscape architecture projects are eligible. Projects may be already in use, or proposed. There are no geographic limitations.
IMCL awards are an extraordinary honor, difficult to attain. Every awarded project will represent a case study intended to be used in support of IMCL goals, and therefore must be of extremely high graphic quality, as well as packed with award-worthy content. The results of the competition will be displayed to represent IMCL aspirations at future Conferences, in publications, or on the IMCL website.

Deadline for submission is December 20th, 2015. Please see: http://www.livablecities.org/conferences/53rd-conference-rome/design-awards-competition

There Is No Such Thing as a City that has Run Out of Room

Urban areas are defined globally as continuously “built up” land within a labor market. They are typically larger than cities but smaller than metropolitan areas.
Last month, in response to the news that Detroit’s white population is now growing for the first time in decades, with the number of residents surging in particular downtown, a local radio station paused to ask: “Is Detroit big enough for everyone?”

http://smartgrowth.org/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-city-that-has-run-out-of-room/

ITF launches reports on Road Safety

The ITF launched four reports concerning road safety. The reports address policy makers and are supposed to help choosing the most effective approaches in order to improve road safety in their specific contexts. They address similar targets like the one set by the UN to reduce the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents by 2020.

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/960/45/ITF-launches-reports-on-Road-Safety

London’s Boris Johnson seeks to accommodate Uber

London Mayor Boris Johnson says that his city and others should make peace with Uber, the ride-hailing service revolutionizing the taxi industry. Pavel Alpeyev reports for Bloomberg that Johnson’s view is to accept the inevitability of disruption in this area and others — and to manage it rather than put up roadblocks.
“Once the toothpaste is out of the tube, that’s it,” Johnson said Thursday at a Tokyo event on cultivating startups. “We have to strike a balance.” The article notes that some cities have sought to block Uber’s entry. Cars of Uber drivers have been seized in Jakarta; the company’s offices were raided in Amsterdam.

http://citiscope.org/citisignals/2015/londons-boris-johnson-seeks-accommodate-uber

Ants Are Incredibly Cost-Efficient Urban Planners

Their minimalist transport networks could teach ours a thing or two.
Whether you’ve beaten SimCity or merely earned an urban planning doctorate, connecting a metro area with its primary resources requires some tough decisions. At the heart of the challenge is how to balance cost, efficiency, and resilience.
Take a new remote suburban development. If you have all the highway money in the world, you might connect it directly to all the metro area’s existing services and major centers, and build extra wide roads in case the initial lanes fill up with traffic or need a repair. That’s a very efficient and robust network, but it’s not a very cost-effective one. And if your money runs out someday—say, because the gas tax hasn’t been raised in decades—you might find that system too expensive to maintain, let alone to expand.

http://www.citylab.com/commute/2015/10/ants-are-incredibly-cost-efficient-urban-planners/411718/

The future of cities cannot be decided without inputs from territories

On 24 and 25 September, the city of Morón, Argentina, hosted the Second International Assembly of the Forum of Peripheral Local Authorities (FALP) themed "Peripheral Cities, Future Territories". The Assembly’s goal is to continue to collectively build more interdependent, democratic and inclusive metropolitan areas.
The Second International Assembly of FALP gathered mayors and officials from cities and metropolitan areas across Latin America, Europe and Africa, in addition to members of the academic community. A large number of youth also attended and had previously participated in the first “International Youth Meetings of Peripheral Cities”, bringing outstanding contributions to discussions and the overall conclusion of the event.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/future-cities-cannot-be-decided-without-inputs-territories

We can’t allow the tech giants to rule smart cities

Technology is transforming global cities. But we need to think hard about who controls a system where all people and things are tracked, all of the time.
There’s the tank factory in Beijing that they have turned into an arts complex. There are the coffee joints around Tahrir Square, Cairo, where hijab-wearing women hunch over their laptops. There’s the pubs in Pittsburgh, heaving on the days the Steelers play, carved out of the factories and workshops that once made the city great.
All over the world, cities are being reborn. By one estimate, about 80% of global GDP is generated in cities – driven by a mixture of urbanisation, geographic sprawl and concentrated zones of innovation. As a result, a whole new market has opened up for so-called “smart cities”.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/25/we-cant-allow-the-tech-giants-to-rule-smart-cities

Sustainable energy model for small African cities

Africa is experiencing a massive flow of people into urban areas. This is happening in major urban centres such as Lagos, Accra and Dar es Salaam – but it's also happening in less well-known, smaller, secondary cities. The pace at which this urban growth is happening inevitably puts strain on city authorities: the supply of services and developing infrastructure is vital for human and economic development.
But the evidence base to support forward planning remains scarce for most cities. In its absence, cities run the risk of infrastructural lock-ins to systems that are unable to accommodate their growth sustainably. Cities with high concentrations of people and economic activities are major sites of energy demand. Africa contributes very little to global climate change today, but future growth must be managed sustainably: if the emissions of developing country cities increase to a level similar to that of many western cities today, catastrophic climate change will be unavoidable.

http://www.urbangateway.org/news/sustainable-energy-model-small-african-cities

4th Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan Award open for applications

Following EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK 2015, the DO THE RIGHT MIX campaign is now launching the 4th Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) Award.
The SUMP Award recognises local authorities that demonstrated excellence in applying this year’s EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK theme (link is external) of ‘multimodality’, which encouraged citizens to combine different modes of transport.
The winning three regions or local authorities will receive a high-quality promotional video showcasing their mobility efforts, as well as wide-spread promotion through the DO THE RIGHT MIX media channels.

http://www.eltis.org/discover/news/4th-sustainable-urban-mobility-plan-award-open-applications

United Nations report calls for urgent response to harness Asia-Pacific’s urban transformation

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) launched their much-anticipated report, The State of Asian and Pacific Cities 2015 at the Sixth Asian Pacific Urban Forum (APUF-6) taking place in Jakarta, Indonesia.
According to the report, in 2018 the region will mark a historic transition as more than half of its population is expected to then be living in urban agglomerations. The region’s urbanization involves unprecedented shifts in population. By 2040 a further one billion people will be added to the region’s cities. It is expected that by 2050 the urban population in Asia and the Pacific will reach 3.2 billion.

http://unhabitat.org/asia-pacific-urban-transformations-shifting-from-quantity-to-quality/

Which Comes First, the Park or the People?

Do you live within a half mile (0.8 km) of a park? Can you walk from your home to a park in ten minutes or less?
If you live in Boston, San Francisco, New York City, or Washington, D.C., the answer is almost certainly yes: nearly every resident in those cities has quick and easy access to some kind of public park space.
If you live in a more spread-out place, like Fort Worth, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; or Las Vegas, there is only about a 50/50 chance you can easily walk to your closest park. And things are more challenging in the sprawling giants like Oklahoma City, Memphis, and Indianapolis. In Houston, for example, more than 1.2 million people cannot get to any park, even a tot lot or a small urban square, without walking more than a half mile.

http://urbanland.uli.org/economy-markets-trends/comes-first-park-people/

When city centres turn into battlefields

For centuries, wars were predominantly fought across vast battlefields, pitting thousands of men, large army corps and heavy weaponry against each other in open fields. Today’s armed conflicts look quite different: city centres and residential areas have become the battlefields of our time: from Aleppo to Donetsk, from Gaza to Mogadishu, from Aden to Tripoli, wars have moved into the lives, cities and homes of ordinary people more dominantly than ever before. An estimated 50 million people live in urban areas, where conflict affects their daily lives.

https://agenda.weforum.org/2015/10/when-city-centres-turn-into-battlefields/

Road Safety: London wins PRAISE award for best performing public authority

In London, road safety is taken very seriously, according to Glen Davies (Programme Manager Freight and Fleet Programmes at Transport for London). The concept of how to make roads safer convinced the ETSC jury to give the PRAISE award for the best performing public authority 2015 to London.

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/954/45/Road-Safety-London-wins-PRAISE-award-for-best-performing-public-authority

Here's what bike commuting looks like in 12 major cities

Would it surprise you to learn that bicyclists in New York City are some of the fastest in the US, or that most bicycle commutes happen on a Tuesday?
The data comes from the GPS-tracking workout app Strava, which recently analyzed 136 billion data points from its bicycling and running users to create a snapshot of activity in 12 major cities around the world.

http://www.vox.com/2015/10/8/9480951/bike-commute-data-strava

CITYnvest goes live

CITYnvest launches its interactive on-line platform, which provides information on new ways of financing energy efficiency in buildings. The website (www.citynvest.eu) targets mainly European local authorities and aims to support them in development of bankable projects.
The press release is available in English, French, Spanish and Bulgarian.

http://www.citynvest.eu/

City Acupuncture

Investigating the potential of small scale interventions in Balkan cities
Undoubtedly, Balkan cities have a lot in common. Besides the fact that they share a rich cultural and architectural heritage, over the past 20 years, they experienced profound societal changes.
The trauma of wars, a rapid population growth, the deficit of spatial strategy and planning policies, the lack of public spaces, poorly maintained buildings, massive real estate projects designed for wealthy investors, it all come across as a chaotic urban patchwork. In this context, how can we improve the living conditions and promote the dialogue within different communities, practitioners and public authorities ?

https://citiesintransition.eu/publication/city-acupuncture

Local Governments on the Road to Paris

On 23 October 2015 in Bonn, Germany, national governments concluded their final drafting session (ADP2.11). This resulted in a text that will be the basis of negotiations for a Paris Climate Package, expected to be the outcome of the United Nations Paris Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP21) on 30 November – 11 December 2015 in Paris, France.
ICLEI understands the current state of negotiations and their relevance to local and subnational governments as follows.

http://www.iclei.org/details/article/local-government-on-the-road-to-paris.html

TRIPLE HELIX (3H): Where are Europe’s cities standing?

The triple helix (3H) of university-industry government relations has become one of the most popular innovation models in the last two decades. What is the relevance for cities? How can they grow their economies using triple helix approaches? What can we learn from cases across Europe and from URBACT networks that dealt with this theme?

http://urbact.eu/triple-helix-3h-where-are-europe%E2%80%99s-cities-standing

Montréal Declaration on Metropolitan Areas

Delegations from UCLG and Metropolis were in Montreal from 6 to 7 October to participate in the Montréal Thematic Meeting on Metropolitan Areas organized by the Montreal Metropolitan Community. The event was within the framework of preparations for the Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) to be held in Quito in 2016.
The Montréal Declaration on Metropolitan Areas defines the main challenges, necessary transformations for building more inclusive and interdependent metropolitan areas in addition to mechanisms for implementation.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/montreal-declaration-metropolitan-areas

Bike lane blues: why don’t businesses want a £30m cycle-friendly upgrade?

A London borough plans to turn four traffic-filled roads into Dutch-style streets which are safer for bikes and pedestrians. Many shops and residents are up in arms, despite growing evidence the project will benefit the local economy. Why?

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/oct/05/bike-lane-blues-london-local-businesses-cycle-enfield-green-lanes

Better buses make a better city

Imagine being at almost any major corner or commercial center of the region and knowing a fast and reliable vehicle will soon arrive to whisk you in the direction you want to go for a low cost.
Anyone who lives or works near a Metro station enjoys that kind of freedom, at least when Metro is working well (sadly, a little less often these days). But for everyone not near Metro — in Georgetown, H Street, upper Georgia Avenue, Hillcrest, Annandale, historic McLean, Kensington or Hyattsville — this is a dream not yet realized.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/better-buses-make-a-better-city/2015/10/09/d7afca04-6d05-11e5-aa5b-f78a98956699_story.html

Next generation traffic management

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/947/45/Next-generation-traffic-management

Launch of the CREATE project on congestion reduction in cities

CREATE, Eurocities project on congestion reduction and improving transport efficiency in European cities, kicked off in London on 21-22 September.
The kick-off event was followed by a public launch event. The 18 project partners, from European and Euro-Mediterranean cities, universities and SMEs met to share ideas and discuss the next steps and expected outcomes of the project.
CREATE will soon be setting up a stakeholder engagement group to validate its research findings, generate debate and test guidelines on urban congestion. The first meeting of this stakeholder group took place on 19 October in Tallinn, during the EUROCITIES Mobility Forum.

http://www.eurocities.eu/eurocities/news/Launch-of-the-CREATE-project-on-congestion-reduction-in-cities-WSPO-A3GC7L

China's urbanization model will change

Joan Clos, executive director of United Nations Human Settlements Programme, said in a recent interview with New China TV that China's urbanization has been successful so far, but its model will change in the future in parallel with social and economic transformations.

http://www.urbangateway.org/news/chinas-urbanization-model-will-change

Roads Are Getting a Redesign

The ‘complete streets’ movement is reshaping urban boulevards, small-town main streets and even rural highways. But there are still plenty of bumps in the road.
The first time Dean Ledbetter heard about “complete streets,” he thought it was a crazy idea. Ledbetter, a North Carolina traffic engineer, had devoted his career to creating roads that allowed cars to move faster. Complete streets would slow cars down, reworking roads to accommodate bicyclists, transit users and pedestrians, including people pushing baby strollers and riding in wheelchairs. Ledbetter’s first reaction, he says, was, “Why would you want to ruin a perfectly good road?”

http://www.governing.com/topics/transportation-infrastructure/gov-complete-streets-roads-bikes-pedestrians.html

Disrupting the Cycle of Urban Violence With Arts and Culture

Hip-hop dialed down street violence in the Bronx. New Orleans’ Mardi Gras Indian gangs made peace through craft. Why is culture such an underrated civic tool?
It’s not possible to write five words about the South Bronx without mentioning hip hop, given that is its birthplace. But recently, The American Prospect managed about 5,000 words without mentioning it once. It was a missed opportunity, because a peek into hip hop’s nativity story would have challenged the “Bronx Cheer” narrative, written by Harold Meyerson, about the New York City borough’s slow climb out of abject poverty.
“Like the rest of urban America,” writes Meyerson, “the Bronx cannot solve its most fundamental problems on its own.”

http://www.citylab.com/crime/2015/10/disrupting-the-cycle-of-urban-violence-with-arts-and-culture/411772/

Creating a New Green Space Model for Tomorrow’s Cities

When you think of urban planning and design, the U.S. Forest Service likely isn’t the first federal agency that comes to mind. But with upwards of 70 percent of the world’s population projected to live in cities by 2050, the Forest Service is not only paying attention to urban ecosystems, they’re hoping to help shape urban design and planning around them.
Published earlier this month, The Baltimore School of Urban Ecology is a step in that direction. The book argues that rather than see cities as an entity separate from the natural world as humans essentially have since cities were invented, we should look at cities as an integrated part of nature and design them as such. The book was written by Forest Service scientist Morgan Grove, who drew on 20 years of research in Baltimore. Mary L. Cadenasso of the University of California, Davis; Steward T.A. Pickett, of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies; Gary E. Machlis of Clemson University; and William R. Burch Jr. of Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies co-authored the book.

https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/us-forest-service-urban-ecology-new-model

Premier Asia-Pacific Urban Youth Assembly (APUFY) launched in Jakarta

Some 300 young leaders selected from across the region gathered in Jakarta last week to launch the first ever Asia-Pacific Urban Youth Assembly, better known as APUFY. The leaders of tomorrow gathered to deliberate the future of urbanization in the region, setting the urban youth agenda at the 6th Asia Pacific Urban Forum (APUF-6), the Habitat III process and the New Urban Agenda.
The assembly was organized by the Ministry of Public Works and Housing in collaboration of UN-Habitat, Asian Development Bank and UN Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY) as a preceding event to APUF-6 and Habitat III Regional Meeting. “We are here to answer a critical question at a critical time.” stated Douglas Ragan, Chief, Youth and Livelihoods Unit, UN-Habitat, “Why youth, and why youth and cities?”

http://unhabitat.org/premier-asia-pacific-urban-youth-assembly-apufy-launched-in-jakarta/

Australia cities need major overhaul

Ditch gasoline-powered vehicles for electric versions. Replace central business districts with polycentric urban areas. Create walkable, self-contained neighborhoods. Malcolm Farr writes for News.?com.au that a new report recommends these and other ideas for Australian cities to remain livable.
The report was authored by Australia’s Chief Scientist Ian Chubb and published in conjunction with the Australian Council of Learned Academies, the article says. It calls for a rethink of how Aussie cities are designed. Instead of devoting up to 30 percent of land area to roads and cars, cities should be denser and easier to navigate on bike, foot or public transit.

http://citiscope.org/citisignals/2015/australia-cities-need-major-overhaul-report-says

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