October13

Over 100 international brands will showcase their products and solutions to some 4000 visitors locally and in the region. Discover the very best and latest in landscape and urban greenery solutions. Learn best practices, discuss latest trends and network with industry players dealing in landscape construction, maintenance, machinery and equipment, urban greenery solutions, urban landscape design and architectural. Admission is free.

International Skyrise Greenery Conference

Get experts’ perspectives on urban greenery and landscaping R&D, planning and policies, installations and techniques, urban ecology and highlights on major international projects. Expand your industry network with some 800 business associates including landscape architects and consultants, city planners, engineers, government representatives and public agencies.

Keynote speakers:
Kathryn Gustafson, Gustafson Porter, USA
Dr Liu Thai-Ker, RSP Architects Planners & Engineers , Singapore
Stefano Boeri, Milan Municipality, Italy
Wong Mun Summ, WOHA, Singapore

Public Forum (Free Admission)
Join our exhibitors as they share the latest technology and best practices in urban greenery, and how they can be useful in your everyday lives.
Event opening hours:
7 November: 10am – 7pm
8 November: 10am – 7pm
9 November: 10am – 6pm
Venue: Singapore Expo, Hall 3

http://greenurbanscapeasia.com/

UN-Habitat and UNEP to lead the Global Wastewater Initiative

Participants attending the first Global Wastewater Initiative (GWI) Forum have nominated UN-Habitat and UNEP to co-chair the body.
The Initiative is a multi-stakeholders’ platform comprised of UN agencies, international organizations, governments, scientists and the private sector. It is a voluntary network of stakeholders aimed at facilitating coordinated action to address the wastewater challenge and to push the wastewater agenda by sharing information, tools, lessons and good practices, including environmentally sound technologies. The Forum, held back-to-back with the Second Global Conference on Land-Ocean Connections (GLOC-2), made recommendations on the GWI’s operational structure, focus, terms of reference and tentative plan of action.

The development of a global partnership on wastewater management was endorsed in January 2012 by the Third Inter-governmental Review (IGR-3) of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA).

http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=12586&catid=5&typeid=6&AllContent=1

Cities in action: inspiring city projects

On the evening of 8 October 2013, as part of OPEN DAYS 2013 and the 100 EUrban Solutions exhibition route, Eurocities organised a showcase of good practices in sustainable urban development.
A total of 34 case studies from our member cities were on display at the event, which attracted visitors from cities, the European institutions and Brussels-based organisations.

Our display showed a broad interpretation of the 100 EUrban Solutions theme of ‘sustainable urban development’, from an initiative to promote culture in London, to a project renovating run down houses in Rotterdam, and a scheme to help residents with disabilities live independently in Sofia.

Charlina Vitcheva, director of inclusive growth, urban and territorial development at the European Commission’s DG REGIO, welcomed guests to the event. She spoke of the value of the case studies featured in the exhibition as great evidence for the results cities are achieving on the ground.

http://www.eurocities.eu/eurocities/news/Cities-in-action-inspiring-city-projects-WSPO-9CL8J7

UCLG Women calls for increased participation of women in the construction of democracy

The UCLG Standing Committee on Gender Equality chaired by Anne Hidalgo, Deputy Mayor of Paris and Co-President of UCLG, came together on the 1st October in Rabat and called for the World Organization to defend the role of women in the new development agenda and suggested concrete steps to combat the lack of representation of women in the UCLG governing bodies. The meeting of the Standing Committee on Gender Equality was organized in cooperation with the Network of Local Elected Women of Africa (REFELA) under the title “Women promoting democracy”.

See more at: http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/uclg-women-calls-increased-participation-women-construction-democracy

Urban Land Institute Releases Report

The reality of climate change will forever change community building, with planning and development decisions increasingly based on strengthening community resilience through what is built, and where and how it is built, according to a new report released by the Urban Land Institute.

According to a release, ULI has prepared After Sandy: Advancing Strategies for Long-Term Resilience and Adaptability, which offers guidance on community building in a way that responds to climate change and sea level rise, and helps preserve the environment and boost economic prosperity.

http://www.urbangateway.org/content/news/urban-land-institute-releases-report

€9 million in prizes for urban innovation

EUROCITIES is partnering the Mayors Challenge; secretary general Paul Bevan explains why cities can't afford to miss out
I’m delighted that EUROCITIES has been chosen to partner with Bloomberg Philanthropies in a stunning new award scheme for European cities. The ‘Mayors Challenge’ will help bring to fruition bold new ideas to improve city life. We are inviting city mayors to share their creative solutions to enduring urban problems. The winners will be supported in making those ideas happen, delivering tangible benefits to their cities and their citizens.

http://www.eurocities.eu/eurocities/news/-9-million-in-prizes-for-urban-innovation-WSPO-9CL866

Interested in open ITS systems? The POSSE Forum is for you

Local and regional authorities are welcome to join the POSSE Open Systems Forum to discuss most recent developments in open ITS systems and specifications. Next meeting of the Forum will take place in Brussels on December, 3rd.

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/522/45/Interested-in-open-ITS-systems-The-POSSE-Forum-is-for-you

How Amsterdam’s Urban Form Created the Ideal Cycling City

Before the bicycle arrived in Amsterdam in the late 19th century, the city had undergone six centuries of urban development, inadvertently creating an ideal environment for bicycle use. As with most cities, Amsterdam has seen suburban growth, but its compact semi-circular city centre and surrounding inner suburbs remain well suited for cycling and bicycle networks. When I met Mark Minkjan of City Breaths and CITIES earlier in the year, he said ‘I think the size of a city is very important for bicycle use. Amsterdam is compact, and the same in Copenhagen.’ Whilst such an analysis is simple, it is also true – a smaller city is more navigable by bicycle purely because shorter trips are more likely. 85% of journeys by bicycle in Amsterdam are shorter than 5km (3.1 miles), for which the compact size of the city is inevitably a factor.

Amsterdam’s suitability for a bicycle network is about more than its compact size, however. A network of canals throughout the city centre and some 1,500 bridges spanning them mean Amsterdam is essentially a city of islands. Whilst water management was an underlying motivation, most of Amsterdam’s canals were in fact built to encourage property development, meaning a lot of inner city roads have water to one side and housing to the other. The result of this is that road widening is almost impossible. Amsterdam’s urban form is therefore not particularly suited to cars, hence the city’s congestion problems when automobile ownership began to increase. Considerations about how to adapt Amsterdam’s centre for cars were made in the 1960s, but were ultimately abandoned for policies which encouraged bicycle use. This included the development of an extensive network of segregated cycling facilities and bicycle friendly policies which essentially turned most of Amsterdam’s city centre roads into a bicycle network.

http://thisbigcity.net/amsterdam-urban-form-created-ideal-cycling-city/

MINURVI supports New Urban Agenda towards Habitat III

The General Assembly of Ministers and High Authorities of Housing and Urban Development of Latin America and the Caribbean (MINURVI) agreed among other things, to encourage the development of urban policy that considers the population of informal settlements and provide access to land with urban infrastructure, community facilities and sanitation to strengthen human and social capital. The agreements are part of the Santiago Declaration, MINURVI´s outcome document of the XXII General Assembly, held in Santiago de Chile, the first days of October.

Elkin Velasquez, UN-Habitat´s Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean said it is very important this Member States' strong commitment with Habitat III. "It´s good to know that MINURVI and the countries of the region, supports urban development and the consolidation of sustainable cities. This is critical as we now know, with facts and evidence, that cities are the future of economic growth in the region, as well as spaces of innovation and the actual possibility of reducing inequality and poverty. "
http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=12603&catid=5&typeid=6&AllContent=1

City Transport: It’s About Moving People, Not Vehicles

The number of vehicles on the world’s roads is on pace to double to about 1.7 billion by 2035. Pair that with a rapidly urbanizing population – six in 10 of us are likely to live in cities by 2030 – and the world’s cities have a transport problem in the making.

It’s also an opportunity, one that cities, particularly the fast-growing urban centers in developing countries, must take now.
Those that build efficient, inclusive urban transport systems can connect their people with jobs, health care, and education. They can reduce congestion, and they can limit carbon emissions that are contributing to climate change.

This is about basic quality of life and more. Fourteen percent of climate changing greenhouse gases come from the transport sector, and 90 percent of urban air pollution is generated by motor vehicles. That air pollution cuts into cities’ productivity and is blamed for the deaths of 800,000 people every year. Another 1.2 million people die from traffic crashes, 90 percent of them in low- and middle-income countries. The infrastructure and policy choices cities make today will lock them into urban development patterns for decades to come, patterns that will either facilitate healthy, economically viable cities or create cities marked by pollution, congestion, and climate change.

http://blogs.worldbank.org/voices/city-transit-it-s-about-moving-people-not-vehicles

Pedestrians reclaim Paris’s iconic River Seine Quayside

The Berges de Seine represents one of the finest examples of European cities taking the initiative to pedestrianize core city centre locations and placing strong emphasis on improving the air quality caused by road traffic and congestion.

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/521/45/Pedestrians-reclaim-Paris-s-iconic-River-Seine-Quayside

"Capturing ideas from citizens: IBM launches People 4 Smarter Cities initiative"

The resounding message captured from the recent UCLG World Congress and World Summit of Local and Regional Leaders in Rabat was citizen engagement. People care about the places in which they live, work, play, and worship, and take pride in the vitality of their city. In order to capture great ideas from citizens and leaders, IBM recently launched an engagement site called People 4 Smarter Cities (P4SC). Leaders are working to improve their cities, and citizens have ideas—and success stories—about how to do it. People 4 Smarter Cities is where citizens, leaders and smart ideas come together to create change.

http://www.uclg.org/en/node/20782

Looking to Cities, in Search of Global Warming’s Silver Lining

Heat, carbon dioxide and air pollution are already having significant effects on trees, plants and crops, and for most plant scientists, the debate over climate change ended long before the arrival of extreme weather like Hurricane Sandy.

Now, some of those scientists have moved beyond political questions to explore how rising levels of heat and emissions might provide at least some benefits for the planet.
“There is a lot of emphasis on the mitigation of global warming, and we need that,” said Lewis H. Ziska, a plant physiologist for the Department of Agriculture, who is one of a growing number of scientists studying how plants react to elevated levels of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. At the same time, he added, “we need to think about the tools we have at hand, and how we can use them to make climate change work for us.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/27/science/studying-cities-to-find-global-warmings-benefits.html

40 Percent of Americans Surveyed Say Neighborhoods Not Walkable

Almost 80 percent of Americans surveyed believe they should walk more, but 40 percent say they do not do so because their neighborhoods do not have nearby services, shops, schools and work, according to results of a recent survey unveiled at the National Walk Summit. The survey found that the biggest neighborhood barriers to walking include a lack of sidewalks, drivers who speed, and drivers who talk or text on their cellphones.

http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/kbenfield/40_percent_of_americans_believ.html

New deadline for World Habitat Award submissions

BSHF is pleased to announce that the World Habitat Awards will now be presented at the World Urban Forum and UN-Habitat Governing Council events in April of each year, increasing opportunities for international exposure, networking and dissemination of the award winning approaches.

The timetable for the awards is therefore being adjusted and the closing date for submissions for the current cycle of the World Habitat Awards is now 2 May 2014.
For further information or to apply online, visit our website www.worldhabitatawards.org

Top 100 City Innovators Worldwide

The movement to build, support, and sustain livable cities worldwide is well underway, with individuals all over the globe and across numerous industries committed to leading the charge. Today, we're calling out, and congratulating, those who are doing the most important and aggressive work here.

We at Future Cities have been following the global urbanization movement for a year now. In that time, we've been fortunate to have participation in this community from leading figures worldwide like Ron Huldai, mayor of Tel Aviv; Jan Gehl, founding principal of Gehl Architects; Janette Sadik-Khan, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation, and hundreds more. It's been our great privilege to follow and discuss the developments of global cities, and their leaders, for the past 12 months. So we are celebrating our first year anniversary with a report on the top 100 innovators who are making the biggest difference.

http://www.ubmfuturecities.com/document.asp?doc_id=525922

How to make a city great

By 2030, 60 percent of the world’s population will live in cities. That could mean great things for economic growth—if the cities handle their expansion wisely. Here’s how
What makes a great city? It is a pressing question because by 2030, 5 billion people—60 percent of the world’s population—will live in cities, compared with 3.6 billion today, turbocharging the world’s economic growth. Leaders in developing nations must cope with urbanization on an unprecedented scale, while those in developed ones wrestle with aging infrastructures and stretched budgets. All are fighting to secure or maintain the competitiveness of their cities and the livelihoods of the people who live in them. And all are aware of the environmental legacy they will leave if they fail to find more sustainable, resource-efficient ways of managing these cities.

http://www.urbangateway.org/documents/article/how-make-city-great

Technology changing citizen / government interaction

The unofficial motto of Austin, Texas, may be “Keep Austin Weird.” But surely “Oh, and One More Thing ...” deserves space on its T-shirts too.
The city is famously argumentative. It took residents almost three decades to come to terms on a new airport after the Federal Aviation Administration advanced the idea in 1971. A water treatment plant first proposed in the 1970s sparked such a drawn-out battle that, although construction finally began in 2009, it is still not finished. Mass transit, highway projects, a new city hall—all are grist for robust public consideration. “Local government is close to citizens generally, but in Austin it’s really close,” says assistant director of planning Garner Stoll. “Austin folks have a long history of being blunt and outspoken.”

So it seemed like the blink of an eye when Austin needed only three years to arrive at a new comprehensive plan, approved last year. Especially since the planning effort, known as Imagine Austin, reached far beyond the usual crowd of community players.

Criticized initially for a public engagement process that roped in the usual land-use participants, the city’s planning department got creative. It developed “meetings in a box” that allowed groups in the community to use their own meetings to discuss questions that planners wanted asked. It worked with African-American pastors and the Asian Chamber of Commerce and took out ads on Spanish-language television network Univision to attract participants who didn’t usually show up at official city gatherings. It held countless workshops and four different series of community forums. It used social media to reach younger residents, and developed an online site, SpeakUpAustin, to solicit ideas and encourage public feedback on them.

http://www.governing.com/topics/mgmt/gov-demise-of-public-hearing.html

Covenant of Mayors: a model for local action to be promoted on the international scale

Local and regional governments in Europe are the models to follow when it comes to climate protection. This was made clear with the climate change resolution adopted at the Plenary Session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 23 October 2013.

The plenary session provided the occasion for Members of European Parliament to discuss the 19th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, alias COP19 to be held in Warsaw from 11 to 22 November 2013. With this in mind, a resolution was adopted, underlining “the success of the Covenant of Mayors, which currently consists of nearly 5 000 local authorities, to exceed the targets set by the European Union regarding energy and climate change from now until 2020. (…) The enthusiasm and involvement of local European authorities should serve as a model of how to implement ambitious energy and climate policies on the international scale.”

http://www.ccre.org/en/actualites/view/2389

European Commission survey allows Europeans to rate satisfaction of their cities

The European Commission has published a survey on the “Perception of Quality of Life in European Cities”, which was released during the Open Days, organised from 7-10 October 2013.

According to the study, Europeans are mostly satisfied with their cities, especially with public spaces (market areas, sports and cultural facilities), green areas, cleanliness, and city efforts to fight climate change. However, several citizens believe the state of roads and buildings needs improvement, especially in capital cities.
The study also shows that the economic crisis has an impact on cities’ financial resources, and as a consequence, on citizens’ well-being. In addition, several respondents attested to the difficulty of finding a job and affordable housing.

The survey was carried out in 79 cities in all of the EU Member States, as well as in Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Turkey. It allowed some 41 000 citizens to evaluate several aspects of urban life and to express their opinions on issues like housing, employment, and public services.

http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/studies/pdf/urban/survey2013_en.pdf

Want an old bridge? Many cities say yes.

The 11th Street Bridge over the Anacostia River lies just a half-mile from my house in Washington’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. But for years, it wasn’t on my radar at all. Perhaps I used the bridge at some point — when I was unwittingly carried across it in a tangle of cars — because I had missed my turn. And like most Washingtonians who use the river for recreation, I’ve headed to the Potomac River — even if it’s a farther drive to get there — as the water body of choice. The Anacostia, among the most-polluted urban waterways in the United States, is often called the city’s “forgotten river.”

So when the 11th Street Bridge, built in the 1960s, was demolished last year, I barely noticed. The few times I headed in that direction, I saw there was a big construction project underway, but for me, that only meant disrupted traffic patterns. And I certainly didn’t look closely enough to see that the bridge wasn’t fully demolished — or to wonder why. By the time I understood the plan to reuse this old bridge, I realized that the leftover parts combined with the riverside development already underway were going to completely overhaul the connection I have to my own neighborhood. Just a few months ago, this space was barely part of my orbit. These days, several times a week, I orbit the 11th Street Bridge.

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/big-story/want-an-old-bridge-many-cities-say-yes/714

Climate-friendly Urban Regeneration: Lessons from Japan

Cities have a major role to play in tackling climate change as well as in adapting to its effects. As, cities are in severe threat from its impact; they need to contribution in mitigation of climate change. Because urban spatial policies have long-term effects, they are crucial for tackling climate change and it is through such policies that city governments can guide climate-friendly planning.

Spatial policies cover a wide range of issues from a regional scale to individual buildings, including promotion of compact cities, provision of green spaces and water bodies (retention and detention ponds, water canals, etc.), retrofitting existing buildings, infrastructure renewal and increasing non-motorized and public transport coverage. They may further be useful in achieving climate change mitigation and adaptation goals simultaneously. For instance, green spaces mitigate emissions through carbon sequestration and help combat impacts like heat stress, air pollution and flooding.

Introduction of such spatial policies necessitates certain forms of intervention in existing urban areas. “Urban regeneration” inherently comprises such interventions, from renewal to rehabilitation, and thus can provide opportunities to introduce spatial policies that address climate change.

http://www.urbangateway.org/documents/case-study/climate-friendly-urban-regeneration-lessons-japan

37th INTA World Congress

Hanoi, the Capital City of Vietnam is hosting the 37th INTA World Congress from 2nd to 4th of December.
The two-day Congress will make a particularly intense programme with pre-Congress technical visits starting on December 2nd.
Come to INTA37 to find solutions to what will be the next generation of urban development policy and tools to cope with rapidly changing socio-economic factors.
Come to INTA37 Hanoi to interact with hundreds of policy makers, companies and professionals from Vietnam, South East Asia and the rest of the World. You will discover a market town with a vibrant energy, which unlike other cities in Southeast Asia still keeps intact its landscapes, a City which intends to handle its future development while retaining its human-scale urban structure.

INTA37 Congress is organised in partnership with VNREA (Vietnam National Real Estate Association) and Ciputra Group.

Registration to INTA37 will be online soon at www.inta37.org

Supporting Urban Youth Through Social Innovation

How can cities support young people through social innovation? This is the key challenge tackled by the paper "Supporting Urban Youth Through Social Innovation: Stronger Together" part of a series of six new URBACT thematic reports "Cities of Tomorrow: Action Today". Written by Eddy Adams and Robert Arnkil, this paper envisages a pivotal role for municipalities, as the form of democratic government closest to citizens.

http://urbact.eu/en/news-and-events/view-one/news/?entryId=5297

More than 50% of city freight could shift from truck to bike

The European Union is running a three-year project (ending next year) to try to move cities' freight deliveries from heavy, road-ripping, and dangerous and polluting freight trucks to lower-impact cargo bikes and delivery trikes. And the data coming in from 322 European cities seems to indicate that at least half of freight deliveries could be transferred to bike delivery!

Cycle Logistics, the EU project, is not just about data collection. But part of the goal for the task force was to use mobility data from the TEMS database and input from 322 different cities to create a baseline report that estimates how much private and commercial goods need to actually be moved by fuel-guzzling trucks.
Freight was considered 'bikeable' by the Cycle Logistics study team as long as the distance needed to move the freight was seven kilometers or less (4.6 miles); as long as the total payload was under 200 kilos (440 pounds); and finally, as long as the items to be moved weren't part of a complex travel chain.

http://www.treehugger.com/bikes/50-percent-of-city-freight-could-shift-from-truck-to-bike.html

European Mobility Week puts focus on link between clean air and transport

European Mobility Week (EMW) 2013 came to a close on 22 September following a successful campaign which saw citizens from over 1800 cities take to the streets to explore the relationship between clean air and transport choices. Through a range of activities and events, participants looked at creating healthier, more pleasant urban environments through sustainable mobility.

In Limerick (Ireland) activities included a bicycle repair workshop for children, and a class for school pupils on how to safely take the bus. Hunedoara (Romania) held public Zumba classes, while in Ronneby (Sweden) gift bags were given out to cyclists as part of the EMW celebrations. Budapest (Hungary) invited young citizens to take part in an art competition on the theme of clean air among its EMW events. Urban traffic is a growing source of air pollution – specifically when it comes to particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide. Local authorities therefore have the responsibility to develop urban transport strategies that meet mobility demand, protect the environment, improve air quality and make the city a better place to live.

http://www.mobilityweek.eu/

Demography and Migration: an Outlook for the 21st century

Demography and migration in the 21st century are a complex topic for a policy brief, but that’s exactly the challenge Rainer Münz accomplishes in the MPI-Migration Policy Institute Policy Brief “Demography and Migration: an Outlook for the 21st century”. The paper is part of a MPI series on Migration and Development, and it states that although the current geography of migration is changing, international mobility will continue during the 21st century, as a function of economic and demographic disparities: “People will continue to move from youthful to aging societies, and from poorer peripheries to richer urban agglomerations”.

The policy brief suggests to‘re-think’ migration policies in relation to the changing geography of migration. Currently, development is characterised by a higher growth in middle- and low-income countries, regional (especially south-south) mobility and the consolidation of new pools of migration attraction. The rapidly changing demographic context also urges policy-makers to reformulate the link between demographic projections and welfare state, to reinforce intra-regional and international dialogue in migration policies, and to consider migration a tool for development and not only as a response to labour market shortages.

http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/culture/Cities/Newsletter/newsletter29/munz_en.asp

New EUKN publication on energy efficient cities: joint action for the built environment

It has become a well-known ambition: by 2020 the European Union wants to reduce its overall CO2 emissions to 20% below 1990 levels. Cities and urban regions are viewed as key actors in reaching the ambitious energy goals. To inspire and support cities on their journey towards energy efficiency, EUKN’s Annual Publication focuses on energy efficiency in the built environment. The publication provides a complete overview of what is happening on all levels affecting local government.

http://www.eukn.org/News/2013/New_EUKN_publication_on_energy_efficient_cities_joint_action_for_the_built_environment

Gentrification doesn't trickle down to help everyone

It's no secret that today's big cities are massively unequal, and gentrification is now the predominant form of neighborhood development. In countless urban districts across the world, affordable housing is on the decline and displacement is on the rise. This is especially true in New York and London, where observers are straining to find sufficient prefixes (mega, hyper and super have all been aptly applied) to describe the pace at which gentrification is changing the city.
But most of the discussion about gentrification doesn't do justice to everything at stake.

Here's how gentrification talk typically goes: poor neighborhoods are said to need "regeneration" or "revitalization", as if lifelessness and torpor – as opposed to impoverishment and disempowerment – were the problem. Exclusion is rebranded as creative "renewal". The liberal mission to "increase diversity" is perversely used as an excuse to turn residents out of their homes in places like Harlem or Brixton – areas famous for their long histories of independent political and cultural scenes.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/10/gentrification-not-urban-renaissance

African city overhauls its transport system

The City of Arusha in northern Tanzania not only has a large and growing urban population, but increasingly has an international role, as the host city of the East African Community (EAC) and the International Tribunal for Rwanda. This rapidly developing ICLEI member has now developed a strategy to curb its traffic congestion problems, with a particular focus on the city centre. In the theme of the EcoMobility World Festival taking place in September, such work is especially topical.

Arusha, overlooked by Mt. Meru on the eastern edge of the Great Rift Valley, is situated in and amongst some of the most scenic landmarks in East Africa and is surrounded by some of the region’s most famous national parks. It is therefore perhaps not surprising that it is a sought-after place to live and work. With two airports, Arusha International Conference Center, a large manufacturing sector and a growing tourist industry, traffic congestion has inevitably become a challenge.

In response, the city has developed a series of plans to tackle the congestion problem. Chief among these are moves to greatly increase public transport. This will be coupled with the designation of one-way roads and the exclusion of large trucks in the city centre. At the same time, the council will work on constructing bypass roads around the city centre.

Covenant supporting association brings cities on the radar of the European Commission

Energy Cities, a European association representing local authorities in energy transition, has taken the original approach of emulating the European Commission by itself publishing a “Communication”- as are called the official policy documents – highlighting the necessary empowerment of local and regional authorities in order to reach the EU climate and energy objectives, especially in the context of the ongoing 2030 Framework discussions.

As a Covenant of Mayors supporting association, Energy Cities firmly emphasizes the contribution of local commitments and actions to deliver the EU 20-20-20 ambitions.

http://www.eumayors.eu/news_en.html?id_news=509

Tackling climate change: Copenhagen's sustainable city design

Global warming poses a real threat to cities but planners in the Danish capital are taking visionary steps to ensure its resilience – and success – as far ahead as 2100
Visualise the world in 2050: convex streets that collect water from superstorms and pocket parks that absorb heat and can be turned into reservoirs. Welcome to Copenhagen, where planners are preparing the city for the effects of climate change several generations from now.

"We've looked at how climate change will affect Copenhagen in the long-term future", says Lykke Leonardsen. "For Copenhagen, the most serious effect of climate change will be increased precipitation, so we've developed a plan that addresses how to catch all the rainwater in the city." Leonardsen, a city planner, belongs to the 10-person team working solely on long-term climate change adaptation, planning ahead to the year 2100.

http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/tackling-climate-change-copenhagen-sustainable-city-design

New EU calls for proposals

Several calls for proposals were issued during the summer of 2013, with the deadline for submitting applications being the coming October. Several themes drew our attention as they are related to prevention and urban security, in particular radicalisation, which has been singled out by the Executive Committee as a priority topic.

http://efus.eu/en/eu-calls-for-proposals/public/4490/

New report calls for maintaining rich bio diversity in and around cities

Increasing urbanization over the next decades presents not only unprecedented challenges for humanity, but also opportunities to curb climate change, reduce water scarcity and improve food security, according to the world's first global assessment on the relationship between urbanization and biodiversity loss, released last Friday in New York.
The assessment, entitled Cities and Biodiversity Outlook (CBO), argues that cities should facilitate for a rich biodiversity and take stewardship of crucial ecosystem services rather than being sources of large ecological footprints. The volume of research is produced by Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC) together with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in partnership with UN-Habitat and ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability.

The detailed scientific foundation of the CBO, Urbanization, Biodiversity and Ecosystem services: Challenges and Opportunities–A Global Assessment, which was launched today in New York as part of local celebrations to mark World Habitat Day, has involved more than 200 scientists worldwide. It states that over 60 percent of the land projected to become urban by 2030 has yet to be built. It further states that if current trends continue, 70 percent of the global urban population will be urban by 2050.

URBACT II: new call for proposals

URBACT II has launched a call for the creation of pilot networks for the transfer of good practice in integrated and sustainable urban development
The current call proposes the creation of up to four pilot transfer networks. The networks will facilitate the transfer of good practices between cities in the framework of a transnational learning and exchange project and assess the success of such transfers. They will explore how transnational cooperation can support the identification, validation, dissemination and active intake of good practices under the URBACT III programme.

http://www.eurocities.eu/eurocities/news/URBACT-II-new-call-for-proposals-WSPO-9CHC2V

7th European Conference on sustainable cities & towns

A green and socially responsible economy: a solution in times of crisis?
Conference outcomes at a glance

http://www.sustainablecities.eu/fileadmin/content/Geneva_2013_conference_outcomes_at_a_glance.pdf

Why People Are Giving Up Cars

Ever since the end of World War II, Americans shared a similar aspiration: to own an automobile. But shifts in demographics and lifestyles mean that for the first time in 50 years, the number of families without a car has gone up.

The development comes from a study called Commuting in America 2013: The National Report on Commuting Trends and Patterns, by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. It’s an interesting read on all the changes that are taking place in attitudes toward automobiles.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/michelinemaynard/2013/10/08/4-big-reasons-why-people-are-giving-up-cars/

BiodiverCities Conference calls for recognition of urban biodiversity in global climate actions

Hosted by the City of Joondalup, in partnership with the ICLEI and the Western Australian Local Government Association, the 2013 International BiodiverCities Conference brought together international environmental experts to discuss the topic of addressing biodiversity conservation in a changing climate from 9-11 September 2013.
High-level keynote speakers including Professor Tim Flannery – winner of the 2007 Australian of the Year Award, and André Mader, Program Officer at the Convention of Biological Diversity Secretariat, gave inspirational speeches with practical information on how local and sub-national governments can better curb biological loss and implement measures to manage biodiversity. At the parallel sessions, speakers covered pertinent topics and showcased cutting edge case studies that are applicable at the local level.

http://www.iclei.org/details/article/2013-international-biodivercities-conference-calls-for-recognition-of-urban-biodiversity-in-global-c.html

Are you a Supermodal? Photo competition on sustainable travel for UK’s youth

As part oft the European Commission's Sustainable Urban Mobility Campaign ("Do the right mix"), a nationwide photo competition has been launched in the UK titled "Are you a Supermodal?". Also part of the campaign is the European SUMP Award which currently accepts entries.

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/507/45/Are-you-a-Supermodal-Photo-competition-on-sustainable-travel-for-UK-s-youth

Ailing Midwestern Cities Extend a Welcoming Hand to Immigrants

DAYTON, Ohio — Fighting back from the ravages of industrial decline, this city adopted a novel plan two years ago to revive its economy and its spirits: become a magnet for immigrants.
The Dayton City Commission voted to make the city “immigrant friendly,” with programs to attract newcomers and encourage those already here, as a way to help stem job losses and a drop in population.

In north Dayton — until recently a post-apocalyptic landscape of vacant, gutted houses — 400 Turkish families have moved in, many coming from other American cities. Now white picket fences, new roofs and freshly painted porches are signs of a brisk urban renewal led by the immigrants, one clapboard house at a time.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/07/us/ailing-cities-extend-hand-to-immigrants.html?pagewanted=1&hp&_r=1&

Mayors support the need for a strategy on walking as a means of sustainable transport

The first Walking Audit in Africa took place on the past 1st of October as one of the side events of the UCLG World Congress in Rabat. Morocco is a country with a strong walking tradition as a way to move in the traditional “medinas”. For instance, the medina in Fes is considered by many as the largest pedestrian “labyrinth” in the world.
In the city of Rabat, two thirds of the population uses walking as their primary mode of transport, revealing the importance of advocating for policies that acknowledge and promote it as one of the key transport modes in cities. Whilst many cities have promoted walking programs, much more can be done to ensure these programs are provided for in a healthy and safe environment.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/mayors-support-need-strategy-walking-means-sustainable-transport#sthash.tdSHAZCa.dpuf

The coming water wars

As competition for the precious resource grows, water will be a key to war and peace
In an increasingly water-stressed world, shared water resources are becoming an instrument of power, fostering competition within and between nations. The struggle for water is escalating political tensions and exacerbating impacts on ecosystems. The Budapest World Water Summit, which opens Tuesday, is the latest initiative to search for ways to mitigate the pressing challenges.

Consider some sobering facts: Bottled water at the grocery store is already more expensive than crude oil on the spot market. More people today own or use a mobile phone than have access to water-sanitation services.

http://www.urbangateway.org/documents/article/coming-water-wars

Active inclusion in our cities

Henk Kool, vice mayor of The Hague and chair of our social affairs forum, explains why cities are best placed to respond to social challenges
Following our Cities for Active Inclusion conference on 25 September 2013, we asked Henk Kool,vice mayor of The Hague and chair of our social affairs forum, to share his views on the role of cities in including the most disadvantaged people into society.
Why is active inclusion important in our cities?

In this time of crisis, a lot of people are faced with social problems. Our cities are taking the biggest hit in rising unemployment and poverty levels. We, as city policy makers, are responsible for delivering most of the public services, which are well-placed to identify social problems.

http://www.eurocities.eu/eurocities/news/Active-inclusion-in-our-cities-WSPO-9CGAVL

Special Report: 4D Cities URBACT Project - From Health to Wealth

In these times of austerity and ageing populations we are accustomed to thinking about health services as an expensive drain on resources. But what if the coin was flipped over? What if health could become a motor for growth, providing business opportunities, jobs and prosperity for Europe's cities? Eight cities are participating in URBACT's 4D Cities, a project that looks at smarter ways to deliver health services and the business opportunities that they can offer. Here, we take a look at the project objectives and challenges for the months ahead.

http://urbact.eu/en/news-and-events/view-one/news/?entryId=5298

Dutch city hires Polish psychology experts

Autumn 2011 had the Dutch city Utrecht in a predicament. Rejected asylumseekers were out on the streets and a group of longterm homeless Polish vagrants had teamed up with rejected Somali asylumseekers. Together they had started a tentcamp close to the suburbs. There were signs of group patrols, complete with baseballbats, knives and, the latest rumour, even shotguns.

So when the city heard of a succesfull Polish organisation called 'Barka', they swiftly set out to investigate wherther this organisation could help manage the situation.
Barka was founded by a Polish psychologist, Thomasz Sadowski right after 'Die Wende'. Sadowska, who had longterm experience in psychiatric clinics and detention centres, realised that a new social system tends to be slow in institutionalizing new solutions for the vagrants and the vulnerable, the 'misfits' in society. So he immediately started a first community home for a group of those in 1989, which was so successful that is has been by now expanded to some 20 large-scale communities.

http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/culture/Cities/Newsletter/newsletter29/barka_en.asp

New Green Digital Charter signatories

A further three cities confirm their commitment to tackle climate change through smart ICTs
Three more European cities signed our Green Digital Charter on 8 October 2013 in Brussels. The charter commits signatories to reduce carbon emissions through the uptake of smart ICTs.

City leaders from Gdynia (Poland), Riga (Latvia) and Sunderland (UK) became the latest cities to join the initiative, which now has 40 signatories.

http://www.eurocities.eu/eurocities/news/New-Green-Digital-Charter-signatories-WSPO-9CDBBF

Digital billboards in the city

Toronto city's proposal to open up new areas for electronic advertising, though raising the spectre of light bombardment, may not be all it appears.
The battle for eyeballs and outdoor advertising space in Toronto is heating up once again, just four years after the city enacted a new sign bylaw.
At the centre of it all are digital billboards.
Opponents call them “visual pollution.” They say they pose a dangerous distraction to motorists and emit vast amounts of light that could potentially disrupt the sleep of thousands of downtown condo dwellers.

On the other side is the outdoor sign industry. It says there is no statistically significant link between electronic signs and car crashes and that the brightness of the signs can be adjusted within specific limits. Digital signs contribute to the vibrancy of the city, they say.

http://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2013/10/07/torontos_advertising_sign_companies_push_hard_for_digital_billboards.html

Publication of Safer Drinking Scenes. Alcohol, City and Nightlife

This publication presents recommendations for improving the prevention and management of binge drinking among young people in public spaces based on the work led by the French and European Forums for Urban Security (FFSU and Efus) and ten European cities as part of the project “Safer Drinking Scenes”.
This publication addresses a series of issues facing local authorities, such as how can we reconcile the different ways that a city is used at night? How can we prevent and manage the effects of such uses on health, personal injury and material damage? How can public spaces be made safer and how can we promote the responsible consumption of alcohol without spoiling the party?
The publication is free for members of the Efus/FFSU network and can be ordered from the FFSU.

http://efus.eu/en/resources/publications/efus/4603/

Beneficiaries of 2013 Urban Youth Fund named

The winners of the 2013 Urban Youth Fund were announced on the occasion of this year’s World Habitat Day marked on Monday 7th October 2013.
A total of 24 projects made the grade getting a combined total of USD 513,024 and will have monies disbursed to them to upscale their work in the communities in Africa, Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean regions.

http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=12573&catid=5&typeid=6&AllContent=1

Korean City Suwon’s car-free diet surpasses expectations

Suwon‘s month-long car-free experiment was a big hit – which city is next?
Following the smashing success of Suwon‘s month-long car-free diet, residents are now prompted with the questions: should they reunite with cars or should they embrace the ecomobile lifestyle for good? Which city is bold enough to follow Suwon’s ecomobility model?
September 2013 has been an unprecedented experience for the residents of Suwon‘s Haenggung-dong neighborhood. Through the EcoMobility World Festival, a mise-en-scene real-time experiment of ecomobile living, the unassuming residents in the ancient core of Suwon have learned through direct experience the challenges and the thrills of closing the doors of their community to cars for an entire month.

Envisaging a city without cars was unimaginable for Suwon residents until Suwon, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability and UN-HABITAT rolled out the EcoMobility World Festival project. Doling out a 13 billion Korean won investment, Suwon renovated street infrastructure and equipped residents and visitors with alternatives to driving private automobiles.

http://www.iclei.org/details/article/korean-city-suwons-car-free-diet-surpasses-expectations.html

Call for Abstracts – Frontiers in European Climate Change Adaptation Research and Practice -CIRCLE-2

The CIRCLE-2 network invites you to submit an abstract to its final conference "Adaptation Frontiers: Conference on European Climate Change Adaptation Research and Practice" on the 10th-12th March 2014 in Lisbon.The conference aims to share the results of 10 years of European cooperation in climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation research, and to pave the way for the development of new research in support of climate change adaptation in Europe in the next decade. Within the constraints of the conference venue, everyone committed to adaptation research or policy in Europe is welcome to submit an abstract until the 25th November 2013.

Genuine low-carbon progress starts with cities

With the fifth Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report recently released presenting a worrying prognosis for the future of cities, ICLEI Secretary General Gino Van Begin explains how cities and local governments worldwide are indeed offering hope and fighting global climate change at the frontline.
As the Secretary General of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, an organization that works with cities to create more sustainable urban areas, I witness on a daily basis the transformative power of local action, and the global impact it has.

One recent example is The Nantes Declaration of Mayors and Subnational Leaders on Climate Change, a document signed by mayors from around the world at the World Mayors Summit on Climate Change held in the European Environmental Capital Nantes, France, under the patronage of François Hollande, President of the Republic of France and with the support of the French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault.

http://www.iclei.org/details/article/iclei-genuine-low-carbon-progress-starts-with-cities.html

South Africa to host BRICS urbanization forum

South Africa will host the BRICS urbanization forum in Durban next month, a spokesperson announced on Friday.
The meeting will be held from Nov. 25 to Nov. 27 with the theme of "Towards Sustainable Urbanization," said Durban spokesperson Khaya Sengani.
BRICS is an acronym of the five emerging economies in the world, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

"The forum will provide a platform for member countries to develop a common approach that will facilitate cooperation and exchange of information on urbanization challenges," the spokesperson said.

http://www.urbangateway.org/content/news/south-africa-host-brics-urbanization-forum

SeARCH Wins Urban Renewal Competition in Stockholm

SeARCH has won an invited, international competition for the urban renewal of Marievik. Their winning proposal, STA(CK)HOLM plans to transform an area along one of central Stockholm’s main access roads, opposite the island of Södermalm and facing a new bridge by Norman Foster, into a futuristic sustainable neighborhood.
Claiming “inside is the new outside,” the scheme integrates a complex of glasshouses within an adaptable landscape of “beautiful public spaces.” Capable of hosting a variety of multifunctional winter and summer gardens, SeARCH aims to “extend the outdoor season to almost a full year” by offering families the option to open their homes up to the landscape during almost any season.

http://www.archdaily.com/438392/search-wins-urban-renewal-competition-in-stockholm/

Should crime prevention move to participatory mode?

Efus organised a debate on the Manifesto of Aubervilliers and Saint-Denis at the annual conference of the National Community Safety Network (NCSN), held on 17 September on the campus of the University of Middlesex in London.

As budgetary cuts have drastically restricted their decision potential, local authorities have cut staff and, in the process, lost know-how as well as partnership opportunities. On a more optimistic note however, many delegates emphasised that this situation drives them to come up with new ideas about security and crime prevention. In this context, the very à propos theme of the NCSN conference, which gathered some 150 delegates from all over the United Kingdom, was “the future of community safety”. And the general consensus was that the choice of crime prevention, as stated in the Manifesto of Aubervilliers and Saint-Denis, is a “rational, strategic option that has the best cost-benefit ratio”.

http://efus.eu/en/topics/tools-and-methods/citizen-participation/efus/4574/

How Big Is Too Big For New York City?

New York City is supposed to grow by more than 600,000 people between now and 2030, and it could grow more after that. Is there a point when the Big Apple will be too big?

When Mayor Bloomberg began promoting PlaNYC in 2006, he began with a prediction: that New York City would add 1 million residents between the years 2000 and 2030. The reason the city needed to get more sustainable—and the justification for permitting increased residential development in neighborhoods that didn’t want it—was to accommodate that larger population.
Some critics have questioned the plausibility of that prediction; Queens College demographer Andrew Beveridge has pointed out that hitting the 9 million-person mark will require the city to grow faster in the next 20 years than it did from 1940 to 2000.

http://www.citylimits.org/news/articles/4264/how-big-is-too-big-for-new-york-city#.Ul3nGXCBrIU

Berlin-Neukölln’s strategy for Roma inclusion: an intercultural approach

With a population of about 300,000 inhabitants, of whom 40% have a migrant background, the district of Neukölln in Berlin is often defined by its distinctly intercultural and diverse nature. One growing ethnic group in the district is that of the Roma, Europe’s largest minority, which face poverty, social exclusion and discrimination across the continent, Many Roma families arrive in Berlin without any resources or knowledge of German, hoping to find a better life for themselves and their children. Despite the considerable challenges which this recent immigration from South-Eastern Europe has posed, the district of Neukölln is going to great lengths to address the issues at hand as part of a wider inclusion strategy. A comprehensive action plan has been introduced covering education, healthcare, accommodation and networking.

http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/culture/Cities/Newsletter/newsletter29/berlin_en.asp

World Habitat Awards 2013 winners announced

A project focused on restoring a historic town centre supporting economic and community regeneration and a targeted programme for providing accommodation for chronically homeless people are the winners of the 2013 World Habitat Awards – chosen from over 200 entries from across the globe.
The Hebron Old City Rehabilitation Programme in Palestine aims to re-populate the deteriorated city centre, preserve cultural heritage, support local economic development and provide affordable housing.

Through a sensitive rehabilitation and restoration process using traditional techniques and materials, the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee has renovated over 1,000 housing units, many of which had been abandoned and are now inhabited by approximately 6,000 people.

http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=12570&catid=5&typeid=6&AllContent=1

Learn how cities are preparing for climate change with the Resilient Cities webinar series. The series continues conversations initiated at the annual Resilient Cities congress and features leading experts and local government practitioners in urban resilience. The series will run from October to November with five sessions on food systems policy, resilience finance, community based solutions, ecosystem based adaptation, and adaptation planning & infrastructure. Please visit our website for more information and to register!

http://resilient-cities.iclei.org/resilient-cities-hub-site/webinar-series/webinar-series-2013/

European Mobility Week and Do the Right Mix: working together for cleaner air

Thousands of activities have taken place across Europe as part of European Mobility Week 2013. DG Move's Sustainable Urban Mobility Campaign ("Do the right mix") played a large part in the week, with events to encourage citizens to think about how their transport choices affect air quality and how changing the way they travel could improve their health and well-being.

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/515/45/European-Mobility-Week-and-Do-the-Right-Mix-working-together-for-cleaner-air

City Unveils Incentives for Real Estate Developers

The City of Kigali has unveiled grand plans to eradicate slums from the city as well as build more affordable houses for low-income earners. According to the city, about 34,000 units will be constructed by different developers over a 10-year period. Lilian Mupende, is the city's director of urban planning and the One-Stop Centre, she told Business Times' Peterson Tumwebaze how they will achieve these not-so-easy tasks

There has been talk from UN Habitat for Humanity and local real estate developers about the issue of upgrading slums and availing dwellers affordable houses, what is the current state of the housing industry in Kigali?

http://www.urbangateway.org/content/news/city-unveils-incentives-real-estate-developers

Local and Regional Leaders close the World Summit with the Rabat Declaration

The Declaration recognizes the need to bring innovate changes, to achieve more just societies by reinforcing governance from the bottom up, under the leadership of inclusive local and regional governments. It highlights the role of subnational governments as engines and actors of development and in the promotion of dialogue as a vehicle to peace.
The outcomes of this Congress further celebrate diversity and call for equality and inclusion, with culture and decent jobs as crucial components of resilient sustainable societies.

The Declaration builds on the lessons learned over a 100 years. This centennial has seen many changes and yet the core issues that concern local and regional authorities as the closest level of government to the people remain the same.
Universal service provision that takes care of those most vulnerable in society will need to continue high in our agenda and was included in the document that this Congress adopted.
This Congress clearly calls for a broad understanding of urbanization, bridging the urban rural divide, including cohesion and a special approach based on solidarity and cooperation beyond political borders and administrations.

Making our communities resilient and tackling the unavoidable urbanization process in an efficient manner implies a greater role for local and regional authorities in international policy making, in particular UN processes that define agendas that will affect communities world-wide.
Finally the Declaration takes notes of the aspirations of local and regional authorities for the upcoming Habitat III Conferencewhere a different status for local and regional authorities before the United Nations Habitat Agenda is expected to be achieved.

Singapore Looks Below for More Room

Singapore, with a little less land mass than New York City, is running out of room for its 5.4 million people.
The city-state has built upward — with apartment buildings reaching as high as 70 stories — reclaimed underused properties for housing and pushed out coastlines for more usable land.

But as one of the world’s most crowded cities, and with projections for 1.5 million more people in the next 15 years, Singapore’s options are as limited as its space.
So Singapore is considering a novel solution: building underground to create an extensive, interconnected city, with shopping malls, transportation hubs, public spaces, pedestrian links and even cycling lanes.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/26/business/international/crowded-singapore-looks-below-for-room-to-grow.html

Paris Leads With Innovation in the Streets

In a 180-degree change from previous decades, during which public space was thought of mainly in terms of facilitating automobile circulation, the City of Paris has been implementing an ambitious strategy to rethink the role of the car in the city. The new approach, which puts the quality of the urban experience at the heart of urban policy, has led to a complete redefinition of Paris’s urban spaces.

The story began in 2001, when the Conservatives, who had dominated Paris politically for more than a century, lost Paris City Hall to a Left-Green coalition led by Bertrand Delanoë. Delanoë, who has been Mayor since that time and will step down next March, has led an agenda focused on concrete, everyday issues aimed at making a difference in the quality of life of Parisians. Public space and mobility have featured prominently in the new political program.
The Delanoë city administration has opened bicycle lanes, launched a bicycle sharing scheme, built a major new tramway line, changed parking policy to encourage people to leave their cars in their home neighborhoods, opened several new parks, and even re-purposed a former highway as a public promenade along the Seine.

http://www.pps.org/blog/taking-the-next-step-paris-leads-with-innovation-in-the-streets/

Towards a reinvigorated Moscow

Moscow is poised for a bright future, brimming with ideas and opportunities One of these ideas is to transform the traffic-filled waterfront into a green river park. The Russian capital is ready for change – the wish for a more liveable city is sprouting from all levels of society, according to the field team from Gehl Architects.
”Most human beings feel good when they are close to water. It is like taking a break from your everyday life. It makes you relax, and gives you a sense of calmness”.
According to Gehl Architects’ Project Manager, Solvejg Reigstad, the rivers and canals in Moscow hold great recreational potential.

Unfortunately most of the waterfront near the city center is currently surrounded by heavy traffic. 93 percent of the space is allocated to cars, creating a barrier between the city and the river. The roaring traffic makes it a noisy place that discourages people from lingering and promenading.

http://gehlcitiesforpeople.dk/2013/09/23/moscow-3/

Road users encouraged to get along and follow the Nice Way Code (UK)

A ground-breaking new campaign aimed at all road users was launched on 5 August in Scotland. The Nice Way Code campaign will target pedestrians, cyclists and motorists and ask them to respect one another while out on the road and to make small changes to their behaviour in order to make the road a safer and more pleasant place for everyone

http://www.eltis.org/index.php?ID1=5&id=60&news_id=4295&back_id=8

More than 6,000 ENGAGEments

ENGAGE is a participative communications campaign implemented by European local authorities. Indeed, this campaign commits all citizens and stakeholders to make personal energy-saving pledges and therefore contribute to the cities’ own energy and climate targets.

Thanks to a user-friendly online tool, local authorities can create participant posters. Showcasing the pledges of every participant demonstrates the power of combined energy-saving actions.

http://www.energy-cities.eu/More-than-6-000-ENGAGEments?pmv_nid=2

Commuter Cycling Reaches Record Highs

A new survey released by the American Community Survey (ACS) shows that an increasing number of US citizens are commuting by bike. According to the ACS, there was an almost 10% increase in bike commuting from 2011 to 2012. This is the largest year-to-year increase since 2007-2008. There were over 860,000 bike commuters in the US in 2012.

http://bikeleague.org/content/acs-bike-commuting-continues-rise

In Paris, Thefts and Vandalism Could Force Bike-Share to Shrink

While North America has been buzzing with enthusiasm over the relatively recent introduction of bike-share, there’s been some sobering news recently from a city that's had its system in place since 2007. Home to the largest bike-share program outside China, it turns out Paris has been losing its bikes to theft and vandalism. A lot of bikes.
According to figures unearthed by Le Monde last week, 9,000 bikes from Paris' Vélib' bike-share system were damaged or stolen last year. As of this summer, 35 bike stations across the city had been shut down for repairs or due to bike shortages, leaving gaps in availability that can’t be fixed even by the usual daily redistribution of bicycles back to outlying stations. The costs incurred by this wave of theft and vandalism are huge. A new bike costs €650, while repairs to damaged or vandalized bikes cost €450 on average. The Paris City Hall official responsible for monitoring the scheme reckons thefts and repairs cost €1 million last year.

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2013/09/paris-thefts-and-vandalism-could-force-bike-share-shrink/7014/

A better way to compare city finances

As Detroit faces bankruptcy and many other cities across the U.S. address an ongoing crisis in municipal finance, the Lincoln Institute has created a new interactive database that for the first time allows meaningful comparisons of city finances – from spending on schools, police, and public works to revenues from the property tax and other sources.

The Fiscally Standardized Cities (FiSC) database allows users to compare local government finances for 112 large U.S. central cities across more than 120 categories of revenues, expenditures, debt, and assets. Based on data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau, the FiSC database provides 34 years of data (1977-2010), with additional years to be added as the data become available.

Until now, it has been virtually impossible to make meaningful fiscal comparisons among the nation’s central cities because of major differences in how cities deliver public services, with some city governments providing a full array of public services while others share the responsibility with a variety of overlying independent governments.

http://atlincolnhouse.typepad.com/weblog/2013/09/a-better-way-to-compare-city-finances.html

Car use and ownership in Vienna declines, public transport benefits (Austria)

According to Vienna’s public transport operator Wiener Linien, the use of private cars costs up to 15 times more than public transport. Current car use and ownership statistics demonstrate a trend away from the car. An owner of a Viennese annual public transport pass spends around €1 per day on transport, while running a standard private car with annual distance travelled of 10 000 km costs €4 500 for the year.

http://www.eltis.org/index.php?ID1=5&id=60&news_id=4297&back_id=8

New digital mapping technology driving urban reforestation efforts.

Cities across the country are increasingly adopting data-driven approaches to establishing goals and priorities for large-scale tree restoration projects. This approach is made possible by new technologies that provide a detailed look at the urban tree canopy (UTC), or the layer of leaves, branches, and stems of trees that cover the ground when viewed from above.

Researchers at the University of Vermont’s Spatial Analysis Lab and the USDA Forest Service’s Northern Research Station are working with cities to leverage existing terrain data gathered using LiDAR (light detection and ranging) technology in order to assess tree canopies. This LiDAR technology allows for an accuracy not provided by aerial and satellite images in which trees are frequently obscured by building shadows. In a LiDAR survey, the system is mounted on an aircraft and sensors emit a laser light (5,000 to 50,000 pulses per second). The result is three-dimensional visualizations of data that can then be integrated into GIS for analysis.

http://archpaper.com/news/articles.asp?id=6874

51st International Making Cities Livable Conference on Making Cities Healthy for All

CALL FOR PAPERS - Deadline November 1, 2013
Portland, OR, June 8-12, 2014

At this conference, we shall pay special attention to effective planning strategies and visionary design solutions to making our cities and suburbs healthy and livable for ALL ¬ young and old, poor as well as well-to do, and those with health and mobility issues.
The conference will bring together 350-400 delegates ¬ world renowned experts, elected officials, practitioners and scholars in planning, and transportation planning, public health, urban design, architecture, landscape architecture, and social sciences to better understand how the built environment affects health and well-being, and to learn from the most successful solutions around the world.

Topics include:
Healthy, equitable land use and urban planning
Active Mobility and Complete streets
Reclaiming the public realm
Family-friendly housing
Building lifetime community districts
Reshaping suburban sprawl
Integrating public health and planning
A healthy city for children
Food environments
Green cities
Achieving neighborhood health equity
Preventing and ending homelessness
Generating community participation
Learning from Portland
For more information about presentation topics, please visit: http://www.livablecities.org/conferences/51st-imcl-conference/conference-topics

Detroit to Add 50 Miles of Bike Lanes in 2013

Detroit is investing in its transportation infrastructure this year. Currently Detroit has about 70 bike lanes and off-road paths. The Michigan Department of Transportation is planning to add about 50 miles of new bike lanes in 2013. A new bus rapid transit system connecting some Detroit suburbs to downtown is also being planned.

http://streetsblog.net/2013/09/18/detroit-to-add-50-miles-of-bike-lanes-this-year

Technology and the City

The technology industry is shaping contemporary American cities the way that steel or automobiles did in an earlier era. But what makes technology such a defining force is how it affects not only the economy but the texture of urban life. Digital enterprises and their young teams infuse the city with disposable income and a taste for microbreweries, rock climbing, food trucks, bike lanes, locally roasted coffee, and just about anything artisanal.

In the following special report, we present snapshots of four American cities being transformed by a new business landscape: Chattanooga, Tennessee, a once-blighted railroad town that now offers Internet speed up to 1 gigabit per second; Detroit, where digital industrialists have revamped once-abandoned buildings and helped bring some 10,000 new jobs downtown; and Austin, Texas, where a startup market is booming while the population balloons by 120 people a day. We also check in on San Francisco, where in the past year the average rent has climbed nearly 8 percent, and longtime residents wonder if the city has become a victim of its success, a once eclectic place in danger of becoming a monoculture of wealthy nerds.

http://archrecord.construction.com/features/2013/1310-Technology-and-the-City/

Tale of new cities reveals trillions in savings on energy for urban transport

Policies that improve the energy efficiency of urban transport systems could help save as much as USD 70 trillion in spending on vehicles, fuel and transportation infrastructure between now and 2050, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency

http://eltis.org/index.php?ID1=5&id=60&news_id=4309&back_id=8

Utrecht (Netherlands) - the world’s largest bicycle parking space!

Utrecht is currently refurbishing its train station area, and with tens of thousands of cyclists commuting, the city had to tackle the problem of bike parking space.
The municipality recently announced the construction of the world’s largest bike shed aiming to house some 12,500 bicycles.

This parking space will allow for direct access to the station which will integrate all modes of transport and will provide passengers with direct access to trains, tramways and buses to facilitate intermodal shift.

The first part will be ready by 2016 and the entire parking facility and the square on top of it will be completed by 2018.

http://www.energy-cities.eu/Utrecht-NL-the-world-s-largest?pmv_nid=2

EUKN Conference – main challenges for cities to become energy efficient

The 2013 annual conference of the European Urban Knowledge Network (EUKN) “Energy Efficiency Cities”. Cities play a key role in a more energy efficient society, since they are the major energy and resource consumers. Action at the local level is needed to prepare cities for this challenge. During the conference experts will present the main challenges and opportunities for cities to become energy efficient. The conference takes place in Oradea, Romania, on 6 & 7 of November 2013, and will be mainly in English (RO-EN/EN-RO translation will be provided!).

Experts from Europe – policy makers, researchers and practitioners at the EU, national and local levels – will contribute to a two-day international knowledge festival to discuss in interactive workshops different aspects of energy efficiency in the built environment: energy service companies, the social neighbourhood, historic buildings, citizen participation and behaviour change. On-site visits to projects in Oradea and presentations of good practices from all over Europe will give participants a deeper insight into concrete instruments and policies for further strengthening the effectiveness of local energy efficiency actions.

If you need answers on how to make historic buildings energy efficient, how to develop behaviour change strategies, how to renovate vast groups of buildings at a low cost or if you want to take a look into the future of sustainable cities, these are two days you do not want to miss.

More information

How to Design a City for Women

In 1999, officials in Vienna, Austria, asked residents of the city's ninth district how often and why they used public transportation. "Most of the men filled out the questionnaire in less than five minutes," says Ursula Bauer, one of the city administrators tasked with carrying out the survey. "But the women couldn't stop writing."
The majority of men reported using either a car or public transit twice a day -- to go to work in the morning and come home at night. Women, on the other hand, used the city’s network of sidewalks, bus routes, subway lines and streetcars more frequently and for a myriad reasons.

"The women had a much more varied pattern of movement," Bauer recalls. "They were writing things like, 'I take my kids to the doctor some mornings, then bring them to school before I go to work. Later, I help my mother buy groceries and bring my kids home on the metro.'"

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2013/09/how-design-city-women/6739/

Dr. Joan Clos's message on World Habitat Day

On the occasion of this year’s World Habitat Day, the Executive Director of UN-Habitat Dr. Joan Clos has called for improved accessibility and mobility in urban areas for more efficient of the world’s cities and towns.

This year, the global celebrations will be held on 7 September in Medellin, Colombia and according to Dr. Clos, the United Nations chose the theme Urban Mobility because mobility and access to goods and services is essential to the efficient functioning of our cities and towns as they expand.

"Mobility is an important part of city design as it contributes, not only to the liveability of a city in terms of reduced congestion and pollution, but also to the economic potential, allowing the efficient movement of people and goods. Mobility is at the core of equitable access to basic goods, services and activities – such as work, education, medical care, shopping, socializing – and to enable people to participate in civic life,’ Dr. Clos said.

http://www.urbangateway.org/content/events/dr-joan-closs-message-world-habitat-day

Local and regional governments launch the mobilisation for an international climate agreement in 2015

Around 100 mayors and leaders of local and regional governments around the world met at the World Mayors summit on climate change in Nantes, France on 27 and 28 September 2013 to demonstrate their leadership in climate protection to the international community.

The summit resulted in the adoption of the Local Government Climate Roadmap 2013-2015, endorsed by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR). This declaration highlights the role and commitment of local governments to tackle climate change. It also entails a call to national governments and supranational organisations such as the European Union to take ambitious commitments at the climate change conference of the United Nations in Paris in 2015 and to create mechanisms giving local governments the capacity and resources to act. The declaration received support from French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault.

http://www.ccre.org/en/actualites/view/2382

Official launch of the GOLD III report on access to basic services and the world urbanization

The third report of the Global Observatory of Local Democracy and Decentralization (GOLD III) was warmly received by participants on the occasion of its launch at the World Summit of Local and Regional Leaders in Rabat. This report details the provision of public local services and is in-line with the UCLG objective to present every three years a report on the state of local and regional democracy and of decentralisation throughout the world. The GOLD initiative is central to the achievement of one of the main strategic objectives of UCLG: to be a reference for information and knowledge on the situation of local and regional governments, local democracy, and decentralization across the world. Following on from the success of GOLD I (2008) and GOLD II (2011), the recommendations presented in GOLD III will strengthen the voice of local and regional governments in international debates on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Post-2015 Development Agenda and the new Habitat III Urban Agenda.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/official-launch-gold-iii-report-access-basic-services-and-world-urbanization#sthash.8ReBwzpb.dpuf

Tag Your Ideal City #URBACTcity – Twitter Campaign Now Open

"Tag your Ideal City" is the theme of the URBACT twitter campaign launched within the framework of the 2013 OPEN DAYS – European Week of Regions and Cities. Taking place from 7-10 October 2013, the OPEN Days will be this year particularly focused on urban issues, and the concept of the "city" will be central. Participate and contribute to our online campaign, describing in a tweet what your ideal city is. The campaign is open, start tweeting!

http://urbact.eu/en/news-and-events/view-one/news/?entryId=5292

Chinese cities exchanged low-carbon knowledge at EcoMobility World Festival

A delegation comprised of vice mayors, city officials and researchers from 11 Chinese cities including Tianjin, Jilin, Xiamen, Shenyang and Guangzhou, participated in a three-day exchange program on low-carbon development organized by ICLEI East Asia Secretariat during the EcoMobility World Festival held in Suwon, South Korea in September 2013.

Through roundtable discussions, site visits and participation at the EcoMobility World Congress, cities shared experience and learning in promoting sustainable urban transportation in their cities. The cities of Jilin, Xiamen and Kangding, also gave insightful presentations on various topics, ranging from urban green mobility initiatives to the greening and upgrading of old town infrastructure.

http://eastasia.iclei.org/newsdetails/article/chinese-cities-exchanged-low-carbon-knowledge-at-ecomobility-world-festival.html

Un-Habitat’s Executive Director roots for improved urban mobility

The United Nations has designated the first Monday of October every year as World Habitat Day. The purpose of World Habitat Day is to reflect on the state of the world’s towns and cities and the basic right of all to adequate shelter. It is also intended to remind the world that all have the responsibility to shape the future of cities and towns.

http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=12562&catid=5&typeid=6&AllContent=1

Paris will host international seminar on Sustainable Airport Areas

The third edition of the International Seminar on Sustainable Airport Areas will take place at the Customer Service Academy of Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport on October 24th and 25th.

The event is supported by the government of the region of Île de France (Metropolis founding member) and organized by the Hubstart Paris Region® Alliance, the international promotion service for Greater Roissy, which is the area surrounding the Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport.

http://www.metropolis.org/news/paris-will-host-international-semin

Towards Green and Resilient Cities in Vietnam

With less than one month to go the city of Da Nang is going to host a major Conference on “Integrative Urban Development: towards Green and Resilient Cities in Vietnam”. On request by the Ministry of Construction (MoC) GIZ has agreed to organize this conference taking place on 24-25 October, as an event under the Vietnam Urban Forum (VUF).

Vietnam’s urbanization is unfolding vigorously and directly associates with the country’s modernization and industrialization process. Managing urbanization is one of the chief tasks of the Vietnamese government. National and international experts active in the urban sector are invited to share their experience. Invitations are extended to researchers across a range of disciplines, public and private decision-makers, regional and local planners; about 300 guests are expected to participate.

http://www.urban-development-conference-da-nang.vn/

Paris to double eco-bonus for purchasing hybrid and electric taxis

Taxi drivers in Paris will benefit from an eco-bonus to purchase rechargeable hybrid vehicles or fully electric vehicles. The financial incentive will be put in place for one year through September 1, 2014.

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/510/45/Paris-to-double-eco-bonus-for-purchasing-hybrid-and-electric-taxis

Cities in action: CLICC, Malmo

Malmo hopes to reduce its energy per capita by 20% by 2020. As part of the solution, Climate Living In Cities Concept (CLICC) is a project with an even more challenging goal: to reduce carbon emissions in three post-war housing compounds by 50% by 2014. The city will use the experience as a basis to engage citizens in reducing household emissions.

The refurbishment of these three old and inefficient buildings is being overseen by the city council, but managed by housing organisations. Measures being implemented include replacing the heating system, installing solar panels and providing new, efficient washing machines. The total budget is a little over €4 million, with a quarter covered by European Comission funding. The remainder is coming from the city and the partners.

http://www.eurocities.eu/eurocities/news/Cities-in-action-CLICC-Malmo-WSPO-9C4TYJ

BiodiverCities Conference calls for recognition of urban biodiversity

High-level keynote speakers including Professor Tim Flannery – winner of the 2007 Australian of the Year Award, and André Mader, Program Officer at the Convention of Biological Diversity Secretariat, gave inspirational speeches with practical information on how local and sub-national governments can better curb biological loss and implement measures to manage biodiversity. At the parallel sessions, speakers covered pertinent topics and showcased cutting edge case studies that are applicable at the local level.

http://www.iclei.org/details/article/2013-international-biodivercities-conference-calls-for-recognition-of-urban-biodiversity-in-global-c.html

Towards better urban planning

By 2030, more than 60 percent of the world's population will live in an urban settlement. In Africa alone, the growth in population will equal the entire current population of the United States. This trend will affect medium-sized cities as well as metropolises. Without a plan for this increasingly urban future, the consequences will be cities that resemble Lagos in the 1980s rather than Singapore today.

Urban decay, crime, rotting infrastructure and political upheaval dog this population imperative, and the ability of urban planners to find ways around this dystopian future will shape the African cities of tomorrow.

Local governments' access to international financing must be made easier, particularly for countries of the south.

Food and Cities

Why is Food not considered yet a key urban topic? How can cities develop and promote sustainable food systems? What is an Urban Food Strategy? The Food and Cities dossier answers these and many other questions. The dossier compiles research articles and many policy&practice examples. The analysis summarizes and highlights the main aspects covered in the dossier. As concerned to food, more and more cities develop their own Food Strategies. Check here some of the beginners (London) and some of the latest (Vancouver) food strategies. If you are looking for European cases, read the “Sustainable Food in Urban Communities” (URBACT 2012), rich in examples.

http://www.eukn.org/Dossiers/Food_and_Cities

Car-Free Community Spaces Offer Benefits

Car-free community spaces integrated with traditional street infrastructure can provide economic, social, and health benefits. Metropolis magazine recently highlighted some examples of car-free community spaces, and offered five tips for city planners to consider when pursuing car-free spaces for their own communities.

To learn more: http://bit.ly/19bFKhC

L’Ile de Nantes regeneration project

Featured in Eurocities ‘cities in action’ case study series, l’Ile de Nantes is undergoing an urban regeneration process retaining its industrial heritage

When the Nantes shipyards closed in 1987, they left behind an expanse of former industrial land and infrastructure. Their closure also weakened the city’s links with the Loire river, and discussions began on how to make the most of the space and restore the relationship with the river. So l’Ile de Nantes regeneration plan was born.

The plan is made up of two phases. Phase I took began in 2000 and finished in 2010. New residential complexes were constructed, including an eco-district. New footpaths, access roads and bridges were built to connect with the river and the rest of the city. This phase also saw the arrival of creative and cultural entrepreneurs, who set up shop in the former industrial warehouses and hangars. One such example was the now world-renowned Les Machines de Nantes.

http://www.eurocities.eu/eurocities/news/L-Ile-de-Nantes-regeneration-project-WSPO-9BQH3Y

New measures will support 'lower income' families entering self-build market; councils to establish local demand for self-build

Government support has been launched to help those on a lower income enter the self-build market. Announcing the measures, communities minister Don Foster said he aimed to ‘end the misconception’ that self-building was an option only open to people with ‘deep pockets and endless spare time’.

Community self-build and community-led affordable housing projects will now be able to apply for a share of £65m from the Affordable Homes Guarantees Programme, while new planning guidance will force councils to establish local demand for self-build.

New council tax discounts will be introduced for self-build family annexes and self-builders will be exempted from Section 106 tariffs and the community infrastructure levy.

http://www.rudi.net/node/66178

Take the Mayors Challenge for a chance to win 5 million euros

Does your city have a bold and innovative idea to improve the life of its citizens? Has your town found a solution to a major urban challenge that can help other cities? Participate in the Mayors Challenge for a chance to win the grand prize of 5 million euros.

The competition is an initiative of Bloomberg Philanthropies. It aims to promote innovative ideas and to highlight and fund promising projects proposed by European cities.

The grand prize winner will receive 5 million euros and each of the four finalists will win one million. In addition, the 20 finalists will receive individualised coaching from experts and will have the opportunity to collaborate with a network of city innovators.

http://www.ccre.org/en/actualites/view/2380

Protected Bike Lanes an Attractive Option for US Cities

Protected bike lanes are “the next frontier in biking infrastructure,” according to an article in The Nation’s Health. The 8-foot-wide, two-way bike lanes are built between the sidewalk and parked cars, with flexible white posts used to further divide the lane from motor vehicle traffic. City residents who do not feel safe riding side-by-side with traffic may be more likely to try biking when protected lanes are present. During 2012, the number of protected bike lanes in the US grew from 62 to 102 nationwide. Another 100 protected bike lanes are expected by the end of 2013.

Singapore urban planners to tackle challenges in future city planning

Singapore's urban planning agency, the URA (Urban Redevelopment Authority), is taking a serious look at ways people can work from home and in offices in suburban areas outside the city.

URA Chairman and former senior civil servant Peter Ho made this point on Wednesday at a conference titled "Lee Kuan Yew and the Physical Transformation of Singapore", adding that a key issue in the planning process is whether everything has to be done in the city.

Discussing the role played by Mr Lee Kuan Yew in the physical transformation of Singapore, Mr Ho noted this was done through leadership and good governance, and sometimes with a dose of tough laws.

But speakers at the conference also said that as the population grows, the challenges for urban planners will evolve as well.

http://www.urbangateway.org/content/news/singapore-urban-planners-tackle-challenges-future-city-planning

World Heritage city moves to secure its future

The UNESCO World Heritage Site city of Dubrovnik, globally celebrated for its rich past and environmental beauty, is taking steps to ensure its future is safeguarded from the threat of disaster.

The city, which has been an active member of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction’s (UNISDR) “Making City Resilient” campaign is taking a series of measures to strengthen resilience at the local level.

The Director General of the Croatian National Protection and Rescue Directorate, Mr. Jadran Perenic, told a forum of 60 disaster management practitioners and experts representing national and local authorities in Croatia: "To preserve our cultural heritage and ecosystems, disaster risk reduction shall be a priority for Croatia and our cities."

http://www.unisdr.org/campaign/resilientcities/news/view/34681

European Commission seeks for cities with innovation ecosystems

The European Commission has today started the search for the first European Capital of Innovation, or iCapital. The prize will reward the city which is building the best “innovation ecosystem”, connecting citizens, public organisations, academia, and business. Cities foster innovation

GPP 2020 to use low-carbon procurement to reach EU sustainability goals

GPP 2020 is a new EU-funded project that aims to cement green public procurement (GPP) across member states to make the EU’s goals of a 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, a 20 percent increase in the share of renewable energy and a 20 percent increase in energy efficiency a reality by 2020.

Although awareness of GPP has increased in recent years, the vast majority of public tenders in Europe still do not incorporate effective environmental criteria and do not result in the purchase of sustainable solutions. The GPP 2020 project will work in eight target countries (Austria, Croatia, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain) to mainstream practice across Europe.

To do so, the project will take the following actions. Project partners will implement more than 100 low-carbon tenders to achieve significant emission reduction immediately. The project will also organise training and networking events for procurers and procurement training providers on implementation of energy-related GPP, and enhance permanent GPP support structures in the target countries.

For more information, click here: http://www.gpp2020.eu/

Children More Physically Active in Smart Growth Neighborhoods

Children who live in neighborhoods that incorporate smart growth principles are more physically active than those in conventional neighborhoods, according to a recent study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. The children living in developments that are designed to increase walkability and have more parks and green space engage in 46 percent more physical activity than kids who live in conventional neighborhoods without these outdoor features.

To learn more: www.ajpmonline.org/webfiles/images/journals/amepre/AMEPRE_3860-stamped-091013.pdf

Why the World Needs an Urban Sustainable Development Goal

"In June 2013, three major reports on the post 2015 development agenda were issued, by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), the High Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post 2015 Development Agenda, and the Global Compact. All three reports agree that the post 2015 development agenda needs to focus on sustainable development and finish the job of ending extreme poverty in all its forms. Each report underscores the importance of cities and urban development, but they differ markedly in how they propose to address urban issues in the design of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Urbanization will be the defining trend over the next several decades, especially in East Asia, South Asia, and sub Saharan Africa, where the bulk of extreme poverty is concentrated. Cities, in these and other regions, will play a central role in the ability of nations to achieve sustainable development. Today, half the world’s seven billion people live in cities. By 2030 there will be over one billion more urban residents and for the first time ever in many parts of the world the number of rural residents will start to shrink. Between 2010 and 2050, the urban population will grow significantly, by 2.5 to 3 billion people, increasing the urban share to two thirds of the world’s population.

http://www2.gtz.de/urbanet/opencommunity/news/detail.asp?number=3755

Developer unveils vision of cities as havens during disasters

An innovative urban developer in one of the world's most hazard-prone countries has urged public and private sector leaders to embrace his company's vision of building cities that 'people escape to rather than run away from' during disasters.

At the Japanese launch of the 2013 Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2013, Shuichi Sano, Senior General Manager of Mori Building, spoke directly to the report's title 'From Shared Risk to Shared Value: the Business Case for Disaster Risk Reduction'.

"Mori Building has recognized the need to explicitly deal with earthquake risk in the construction and maintenance of its developments," Mr. Sano told the high level audience at the United Nations University in Tokyo.

"We promote an urban development concept that seeks to build 'a city to escape into rather than a city from which people run away."

http://www.unisdr.org/campaign/resilientcities/news/view/33608