Sept14

Ed Ebrahimian loves to stare out the plane window on night flights home to Los Angeles. Next time you fly into L.A. late, take a good look and see why. Five years ago a bright orange blanket of light used to saturate the city and stain the air above. Today it’s a metropolis aglow with tens of thousands of cool silvery pinpoint lights. The grid is clearer. The skies are blacker.
“The lights look like candles now, and they aren’t glaring at all,” Ebrahimian gushes. “The sky glow is the most amazing thing I’ve seen in my life.”
Ebrahimian has good reason to be enthused. As director of L.A.’s Bureau of Street Lighting, he’s overseeing one of the largest relighting projects in the world, spending $57 million to retrofit the city’s 215,000 lights, which come in more than 400 styles. The money has gotten him only to lamppost number 155,000 after five years. Replacing the remaining 60,000, including most of the decorative ones, will cost $50 million more.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/uciliawang/2014/09/10/bright-lights-big-profits/

Blue Economy and Geoinformation Services for Sustainable Growth in Coastal Regions

20-21 November 2014, Bari, Puglia Region, Italy
This conference will bring together Local and Regional authorities in Europe, interested in maritime issues and blue economy. Operational cases of satellite applications in coastal regions will be showcased.
The programme is available here.

http://www.eurisy.org/event-Bari2014/programme-outline

Searching for the promised land of Public Space: The key to an equitable African city

The UCLG Committee on Urban Strategic Planning has just published a peer learning booklet titled: Searching for the promised land of Public Space: The key to an equitable African city, conducted in partnership with UN-Habitat, UCLG Africa, CoGTA and the Municipality of eThekwini (Durban). The aim of this publication is to demonstrate the need for learning exchanges between municipal, regional and international practitioners, in order to drive the debate on rethinking and reimagining public spaces.
The publication captures the main highlights, conclusions and learning outcomes of the event ‘Reimagining Public Spaces’ that was held from 4th-6th June 2014 in Durban-eThekwini, South Africa. The learning exchange was coordinated by the UCLG Committee on Strategic Urban Planning, under the firm belief that public space policies can be a means to both reshape cities and to improve quality of life, in the search for a better future.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/searching-promised-land-public-space-key-equitable-african-city

Tokyo Designer Presents Underground Bike Parking

With more and more commuters turning to bicycles in cities across the world, bike parking has become a critical component in any forward-looking urban planning discussions. Over in Japan, however, one company has come up with a solution that can accommodate hundreds of cyclists without taking up much space or creating an army of urban eyesores/sidewalk hogs made up of bright blue Citi/Divvy bikes. Their solution: put the bicycle parking underground.
Giken’s innovative program was first announced back in 2009, and it’s been in operation since at least 2011.
The Japanese firm’s innovative design is called, officially, “the Eco-Cycle Underground Park”, and was designed around a concept that translates, more or less, into “Culture Above Ground, Function Underground”.

http://greenbuildingelements.com/2014/09/18/tokyo-designer-presents-underground-bike-parking/

City issues are environmental issues. Here's why.

Cities need nature, as I wrote in an earlier essay. But what is not so well understood is that nature also needs cities. There is simply no way we can protect and maintain a beautiful, thriving, natural and rural landscape outside of cities if we continue to spread highways and suburban sprawl across the countryside. Healthy, robust, beautiful cities where people want to live are critical to the protection of nature.
To paraphrase my friend Trisha (who coined the phrase that became the title of my latest book), natural habitat needs a corresponding strong “people habitat,” so that people are drawn to our own places, and enjoy but do not permanently infringe upon those extraordinary places where humans remain secondary to other parts of nature.

http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/kbenfield/urban_issues_are_environmental.html

The Future of Human Rights in an Urban World‏

The world is inexorably becoming urban. Already, more than half of the world population lives in cities. By the end of this century this will be 90 percent. Cities have a direct impact on the lives of billions of people. Moreover, megacities like Beijing, New York, Sao Paulo and Delhi expand their political weight at the international stage. Nonetheless, the implications of urbanisation for human rights are still unclear. Therefore Amnesty International Netherlands publishes a new volume in its Changing Perspectives on Human Rights series: The Future of Human Rights in an Urban World.

The edited volume can be downloaded for free at: www.amnesty.nl/UrbanWorld

City inhabitants worldwide call for climate change action

According to CBS News there were 300,000. Marching, Singing, waving banners, taking over the whole of downtown Manhattan. They included New York City mayor Bill deBlasio, United Nations Secretary-generalBan Ki-moon, politicians, actors and thousands of others.
Around the world, a total of 580,000 were estimated to have participated in demonstrations in 2,000 citiesyesterday. As one marcher in New York told the BBC:"We need to get the message out: climate change is real, it's happening and we need to do something about it urgently."

http://www.urbangateway.org/news/city-inhabitants-worldwide-call-climate-change-action

The Municipalities of 4D Cities Specify their Local Action Plans

The eight European cities that make up the 4D Cities Health Innovation are on the final line before the end of their project. To best succeed in the implementation of their Local Action Plans, they are using ImpactMaps, fund-raising techniques and communication tools. Learn how!

http://urbact.eu/en/news-and-events/view-one/news/?entryId=5370

‘Smart Cities’ 2015 – towards urban intelligence in South-East Europe

Smart Cities’ Exhibition is aiming to become the most important event in South-East Europe that will help the community to better understand the necessity of imposing of the economically-driven, environmentally-friendly and technologically-focused vision of the cities in 21 century.
It provides good opportunities for the sustainable businesses to develop itself in the Region through promotion of various newfound innovations and encouragement of networking between representatives of public and private sectors.

http://viaexpo.com/en/pages/smart-cities

Walking alone: Chinese smartphone users get their own lanes

China, home to 700 million smartphone users, is now experimenting with new ways to prevent smartphone-related accidents: On a 165-foot pavement stretch in the city of Chongqing, pedestrians can choose between a normal lane and an exclusive one reserved for heavy users of mobile devices.
"There are lots of elderly people and children in our street, and walking with your cellphone may cause unnecessary collisions here," Nong Cheng, a marketing official for the group in charge of Chongqing's entertainment zone, told the Associated Press.
The idea is based on an experiment conducted by National Geographic Television earlier this year in Washington, D.C. - and is supposed to (ironically) raise awareness for the lack of attention many smartphone users pay to traffic and other pedestrians.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/09/15/a-chinese-city-is-asking-smartphone-users-to-walk-in-their-own-sidewalk-lane/

Germany to impose rent-rise caps on inner-city properties

Germany will bring in caps on rent rises in densely populated areas in the first half of next year, it was announced on Tuesday, in a government attempt to keep homes affordable for tenants on average incomes.
Under the rule change, landlords will only be able to raise rents by up to 10% above the local average for similar properties when taking on new tenants.
However, newly built properties and those that have undergone wholesale renovations will be excluded from the restriction, in order not to discourage investment in building projects

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/23/germany-imposes-rent-caps-inner-city-properties

Programme available and registration now open for 2014 Polis Conference

It is our pleasure to inform you that the draft programme of the 2014 Annual Polis Conference is now online and that registrations are open !
All practical information and updates about the conference can be found here: http://www.polisnetwork.eu/2014conference.
This year's Annual Polis Conference takes place in Madrid 27th and 28th November 2014, and provides an excellent opportunity for cities and regions to showcase transport achievements to a large audience. For the wider transport community, the conference allows to engage with representatives of city and regional authorities on innovative transport solutions.

German, Spanish and European conferences on urban traffic management systems and ITS

As the POSSE project enters the final stretch, a number of conferences will be held around Europe to show the findings of this INTERREG IVC project.
POSSE is sharing knowledge about traffic management systems and ITS, specifically how to manage systems in a more integrated way and how to overcome vendor lock-in (being tied to one particular supplier for systems procurement/upgrading). The project will devise a guide to the implementation of open specifications and standards in traffic management and ITS. Several cities and road authorities around Europe are also creating plans for the implementation of open specifications and standards.
A session on POSSE will be part of a wider German event on traffic management and ITS, organised by POSSE partner, OCA, in Düsseldorf on 1-2 October.
A Spanish workshop will take place in Madrid on Friday, 14 November.
The final POSSE conference and meeting of the POSSE Forum will be held in Brussels on 19 November.
Further information about these events can be found shortly on the POSSE website

http://www.posse-openits.eu/

How cities can save trillions, curb climate change, and improve public health

No strategy for reducing the impacts of global climate change is complete without addressing the challenge of urbanization. Cities contribute about 70% of energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, despite only accounting for 2% of global land area.
Reducing this environmental impact may seem daunting, but a new report, Better Growth, Better Climate, finds that there are several actions city leaders can take that can reduce emissions while driving economic growth. The report finds that connected, compact cities could save $3 trillion in infrastructure investments over the next 15 years. Not only that, but they can also curb global climate change and yield immediate local benefits for air quality, health, and quality of life.

http://thecityfix.com/blog/cities-save-trillions-curb-climate-change-improve-public-health-greenhouse-gas-pollution-economic-growth-new-climate-economy-wanli-fang/

Global mayors compact shows unity and ambition to tackle climate change

New York, 23 September 2014: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and UN Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change Michael R. Bloomberg today announced the launch of a global Compact of Mayors, the world’s largest effort for cities to fight climate change. The Compact will enable cities to publically commit to deep GHG emissions reductions; make existing targets and plans public; and report on their progress annually, using a newly-standardized measurement system that is compatible with international practices. Through this effort, cities will be choosing to meet the same requirements proposed for the international climate negotiations that will lead to a global climate treaty in 2015.

http://www.uclg.org/es/node/23009#sthash.jAgageMB.dpuf

How do you fix an urban park? Bring in more women, planner says

Holladay Park was home to drug deals, a steady homeless population and neverending litter.
But Dan Biederman has seen worse. The urban park planner once turned New York's crime-ridden, drug-filled Bryant Park into one of the nation's most treasured parks.
Biederman didn't hesitate when the developers behind a forthcoming Lloyd Center remodel asked Biederman if he could transform Holladay, a 4.5-acre green space that sits just outside the mall.
Revitalizing small urban parks often requires an easy solution: More female visitors. They'll come if you offer events and activities, Biederman says. But all-day programming requires more money than most local governments can spare.

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2014/09/how_do_you_fix_an_urban_park_b.html

Localizing consultation enters final phase

Over 4,000 people have already participated in the consultation on ‘Localizing the Post-2015 Agenda’, since its launch in May 2014. The consultation, co-led by the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments, UN-Habitat and UNDP, aims to identify lessons learned from the MDGs and current best practices related to how to implement the new Sustainable Development Goals at local level.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/localizing-consultation-enters-final-phase#sthash.8Oqirx58.dpuf

SA’s first ‘green’ taxi rank is in Cape Town

Cape Town has unveiled the first ‘green’ transport facility in South Africa that generates its own electricity, enabling it to operate off the electricity grid. At the same time, all the water used at the Wallacedene taxi rank, besides drinking water, is provided for through rooftop rainwater harvesting and recycling.
“The Wallacedene taxi rank sets the benchmark for future public transport facilities in the country, showcasing the city’s commitment to conservation and innovation,” said Councillor Brett Herron, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member: Transport for Cape Town.

http://www.urbangateway.org/news/sa%E2%80%99s-first-%E2%80%98green%E2%80%99-taxi-rank-cape-town

Join the MAYORS in ACTION Coaching programme and attend the 2nd centralized training

The Mayors in Action project focuses on C&S, to foster and empower them in selecting, adapting and channeling good practices for the implementation and monitoring of existing SEAPs. C&S across Europe are invited to participate in a tailor-made twinning programme that will inform participants of strategies for evaluation of SEAPs, methodologies for implementation, methods for triggering financial opportunities, and how to improve communication and support with municipalities.
More information on the coaching programme available here.
The programme will kick-off on 2-3 October 2014 in Barcelona.
C&S are invited to join this training session (2 October) and a study tour (3 October) to discuss and explore with their peers strategies and good practices for the implementation and monitoring of existing SEAPs. The training session, supported by the Covenant of Mayors, will focus on:
1) Financing sustainable energy actions: real cases on how to successfully use revolving funds, ESCos and community funding
2) Monitoring SEAPs: the new monitoring template step-by-step
3) Exchanging and networking: peer-to-peer and twinnings for C&S
4) Energy efficiency and renewable energies: a study tour among best practices in the Barcelona Province
The workshop will be conducted in English and it is free of charge. For more information and to register, click here or contact mayorsinaction@iclei.org

Mayor, others want a more dog-friendly park design

The city of West Hollywood has spared no expense in a lavish makeover of its central park. First came a chic library and rooftop tennis courts, to the tune of $61 million. Just approved is an additional $86 million in amenities, including two rooftop swimming pools, a $3-million "grand staircase" and a landscaped rooftop "respite deck."
West Hollywood Park, officials say, will be an urban oasis the likes of which has never been seen. So why does the city's mayor object to the new plans so much that he wants to see them revised?

http://www.latimes.com/local/westside/la-me-weho-dogs-kids-20140809-story.html

A European future based on the local level: an interview with CEMR secretary general

What are the European key issues for the future of local government? How the local and regional level can contribute to the EU construction? How does CEMR participate in the EU legislation process? These are some of the issues addressed by our secretary general, Frédéric Vallier, in an interview (FR) published by our member association Union des Villes et Communes de Wallonie (Belgium).

http://www.ccre.org/en/actualites/view/2928

Catalyzing Action: Joint statement of Non-State actors’ representatives

New-York, 21 September 2014 - On the occasion of the Climate Summit taking place on 23 September 2014, organized by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, a joint statement endorsed by member organizations from 8 of the 9 Major Groups and Constituencies recognized by the United Nations will be officially submitted to the Secretary General and addressed to all Member States.
It is the first time that Local and Regional Governments address a statement endorsed by such diverse non-State actors, particularly from major international organizations that represent the groups, to the United Nations. The Statement has been prepared collectively, through several meetings over the past few months, with a focus on climate and Sustainable Development Goals, in which organizing partner organizations for the upcoming negotiations were invited.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/catalyzing-action-joint-statement-non-state-actors-representatives

“Simplification of local administration in Europe: levels and dimensions” conference

A seminar to shed new light on the impact of the economic crisis on the administrative organisation in Europe The Observatory on Local Autonomy (OLA), together with the CEMR, welcome you to a conference on the impact of the economic crisis on the administrative organisation in Europe, and in particular on the rationalisation process of means and resources affecting local and regional levels. The event entitled “Simplification of local administration in Europe: levels and dimensions” will take place in Bologna, on 30 and 31 October 2014. It will allow us to determine whether the economic crisis has upturned the established decentralised systems in Europe or, on the contrary, has led to administrative reforms in pursuit of administrative simplification.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/simplification-local-administration-europe-levels-and-dimensions-conference

Urban Agriculture – A Next Big Thing for Cities

To feed today's and tomorrow's cities using sustainable food production is an urgent task. With continually-growing world and urban populations, climate change and pressure on natural resources, global food security is paramount. How can we feed more people on limited agricultural land, with limited resources?
How can we best utilise space, light and logistics for an increasingly urban population? What can zero waste and low energy technologies contribute to food production in an urban environment?

http://sustainablecitiescollective.com/david-thorpe/338111/urban-agriculture-next-big-thing-cities

Transit bosses should ride transit

Christof Spieler moved to downtown Houston about nine years ago and began a reverse commute to a suburban office park. He took the No. 9 Gulfton Metro bus because he liked to get things done during the ride and hated sitting in traffic, but the service left much to be desired. The bus didn't run very often (every 20 minutes or more, even at rush-hour); transfers were hard to coordinate; and the pedestrian infrastructure near the stops was terrifying (to reach the office, he braved five lanes of car traffic without a signal or a crosswalk).
"It really gave me a good feel of what the system's like," he says.

http://www.citylab.com/cityfixer/2014/09/why-the-people-in-charge-of-transit-systems-should-be-required-to-actually-ride-transit/379931/

REnewable Smart Cooling for Urban Europe (RESCUE) Final Conference

On behalf of the RESCUE project consortium, we would like to cordially invite you to the RESCUE Final Conference which is held in conjunction with the Local Renewables Conference 2014, in Freiburg on 23 October 2014.
The project REnewable Smart Cooling for Urban Europe (RESCUE) aims to address the key challenges for the further development and implementation of District Cooling using low and zero carbon emitting sources, thereby enabling local communities to reap the environmental and economic benefits of this energy efficient technology.
This conference is one of the main experience dissemination events of the project, targeting cities and communities, cooling consumers, urban and spatial planners, authorities and utilities.
Participation in the RESCUE Final Conference is free of charge and also will give you free access to the plenary sessions and workshops organised by the Local Renewables Conference for the whole of Thursday 23 October.
Should you wish to attend the entire Local Renewables Conference 2014 (22-24 October) RESCUE participants are entitled to a preferential fee of only 190 EUR.

For more information and registration please contact duru.kunt@iclei.org

First NODES newsletter puts NODES testing site in Birmingham in the spotlight

The illustrated example of the Snow Hill interchange gives an insight into the work being done in tools testing as well as the strategic dimension of interchanges.
NODES, New Tools for Design and Operation of Urban Transport Interchanges, is a three-year research European project, focusing on the efficient integration of public transport services.
NODES will build a toolbox to support European cities in the design and operation of new or upgraded interchanges, as a way to provide greater support, services and satisfaction to the travelers and users, as well as to interchange operators and those societal and economic actors depending on the efficiency of interchange operations

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/689/45/First-NODES-newsletter-puts-NODES-testing-site-in-Birmingham-in-the-spotlight

Cities and Youth Employment

The strategies for the promotion of youth employment adopted by the Italian cities partners in URBACT networks will be the focus theme of the event organized by Cittalia – Research Centre of ANCI (National association of Italian municipalities) on 12th September in Turin, as side event of the Bureau of the Committee of the Regions, taking place the same day.

http://urbact.eu/en/news-and-events/view-one/news/?entryId=5366

Toyota's New Transforming Urban Utility Vehicle is the Swiss Army Knife of Cars!

Makers, meet your DIY dream car. Toyota‘s Calty Design Research Studio just unveiled its brand new Urban Utility concept car – an ultra flexible vehicle with a transforming interior designed to meet the needs of today’s on-the-go makers. Toyota packed an amazing amount of space into a footprint the size of a compact car. The U-squared can seat up to four passengers, or you can fold down three seats and roll out an array of racks, movable rails, and storage trays that can accommodate everything from surfboards and bikes to bulky equipment (like your homemade tesla coil). Inhabitat is reporting live from San Francisco today to bring you a first look at this uber-customizable car – read on for more details!

http://inhabitat.com/toyota-unveils-transforming-urban-utility-car-for-makers/

Mayors Challenge: Cardiff

For its Mayors Challenge entry, Cardiff is taking inspiration from sports theory and translating it into the daily working and living practices of citizens to bridge its productivity gap.
Cardiff's performance indicators in education, industry, and health lag behind those of peer cities. To address this issue, it is taking the theory of aggregating incremental gains from sports – which advocates making one percent improvements in everything you do – and applying it to the day-to-day working and living practices of residents. Working in teams, Cardiff residents will identify shared goals and practice techniques for improvement to bridge the productivity gap.

http://www.eurocities.eu/eurocities/news/Mayors-Challenge-Cardiff-WSPO-9MNCTG

6 Common Mistakes Made By Cities and Towns in Urban Renewal.

For the last half century, cities have attempted to repair the damage to their urban cores from migration to suburbs and exurbs. Redevelopment has evolved into smart growth, transit oriented development, and complete streets. In the last 15 years or so, the urban renewal efforts have had a receptive audience as people, tired of the car oriented lifestyle of the suburbs, are returning to urban cores and older urban neighborhoods. However, while cities get the big picture, too often in my 25 years as a land use attorney, I have seen the same mistakes repeated.

http://sandiego.urbdezine.com/2014/09/09/6-common-mistakes-made-by-cities-and-towns-in-urban-renewal/

New Style Urbanization in China

New Pathways to Urbanization in China was the theme of the annual Forum of the Chinese Academy of Social Science (CASS), this year organized by its Institute for Urban and Environmental Studies (IUE) in Yichang, Hubei Province.
CASS IUE Diector PAN Jiahua, Member of the ICLEI Regional Executive Committee East Asia, has used this opportunity to invite ICLEI's Global Executive Committee for its 2014 meeting to China.
ICLEI's Global Executive Committee (GexCom) composed of representatives from its Members from different regions, is the policy-making body of ICLEI.
They meet regularly to adopt, amend and approve policies for ICLEI. In their Yichang meeting, the GexCom has taken a series of key decisions for the course of the organization, some months prior to the tri-annual World Congress which will happen in April 2015 in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

http://www.iclei.org/details/article/new-style-urbanization-in-china-discussed-with-icleis-global-executive-committeee.html

Find out innovative finance resources with the new publication of the Global Fund for cities development

“Local innovations to finance cities and regions” compiles 9 case studies with strategies and financial instruments available for local and regional governments to foster their territories’ autonomy and resilience.
This publication was launched during the conference on “New funding models for local governments: how to effectively mobilise resources?”, co-organised by CEMR and several partners such as the Global fund for cities development (FMDV).

http://www.ccre.org/en/actualites/view/2910

Traffic-cutting schemes promote greener living

As well as reducing air pollution, a new report has found that congestion charging schemes can encourage people to become more environmentally conscious.
Researchers surveyed car owners in Stockholm, Sweden, after the introduction of a congestion scheme and found that nearly half of respondents adopted behaviours such as reducing their energy and water use.
Questionnaires about Stockholm's congestion charging scheme were sent to over 1 200 people living in Stockholm County. Participants were asked how they traveled on a daily basis before and after the introduction of the scheme, as well as about recycling, shopping, energy and water consumption and travel at weekends.

http://www.eltis.org/index.php?ID1=5&id=60&news_id=4732

Making driverless vehicles on Singapore roads a reality

The Republic moved a step closer to the prospect of having driverless vehicles on the roads on Wednesday (Aug 27), when the Ministry of Transport (MOT) announced a new committee to oversee the project.
Senior Minister of State for Transport Josephine Teo said the ministry will be studying ways to harness Autonomous Vehicle (AV) technology for the country's land transport system in the coming decades.
Mrs Teo said: "For nearer commutes, people can walk or cycle, and I remember for Biopolis, we tested the Segway as well. For longer intra-town commutes, the idea is that people can just hop onto an AV pod that runs through an underground network, and this is almost like a personalised MRT."

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/another-step-to-making/1332106.html

Kuala Lumpur: a city in traffic gridlock, striving for sustainability

Some 1000 cars a day are registered in the Malaysian city. Its authorities are keen to make public transport more appealing
In a city of 1.7 million people, crammed into an area of just 94 square kilometres, the challenge for Kuala Lumpar is how to grow economically and physically without creating an urban dystopia.
The city’s population is set to grow to 2.2 million by 2020 and to triple to 4.8 million by 2050.
“Cities like Kuala Lumpur are places of opportunity and act as a magnet, attracting people, but of course there are problems when a city’s capacity can’t meet demand,” Mahadi Ngah, deputy mayor of Kuala Lumpur, explains. “The challenge is how to format urban planning policies.”

http://www.theguardian.com/public-leaders-network/2014/sep/16/kuala-lumpur-a-city-in-traffic-gridlock-striving-for-sustainability

Improving climate resilience in cities

Concerned about the impacts of climate change, cities are adopting green infrastructure to become more resilient.
An entry in a recent Action4Climate video competition, “Climate TV, City Climate” highlights some of the issues cities are facing and how green infrastructure solutions can help a city cope with increased heat and stormwater run-off.

http://blogs.worldbank.org/sustainablecities/improving-climate-resilience-cities

No Local Democracy without the Full Involvement of Young People!

On 15 September, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) and its members will celebrate the International Day of Democracy. This year's theme – Engaging Young People on Democracy – highlights the challenges and opportunities of young people engaging in democratic processes.
UCLG would like to recall the vital role of local and regional governments as both a force for peace and solidarity between peoples and a force for promoting Human Rights – civil and political, social and economic – as recognised, codified and endorsed by the United Nations.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/no-local-democracy-without-full-involvement-young-people

6 Tips for Bringing Good Design to Your Town

We often make excuses for why our small towns and rural places aren’t prioritizing good design. We bemoan the lack of talent, the limited resources, the political climate. Needless to say, championing design in rural places takes gumption.
Yet we know that good design does make a difference in the success of rural communities. In Good Design Matters, Ed McMahon makes the case that design impacts tourism, jobs, property values and quality of life.

http://www.communitymatters.org/blog/6-tips-bringing-good-design-your-town

Electromobility Workshops in Rotterdam

On October, 9th Polis organises two Electromobility Workshops in frame of the 2014 Rotterdam Electric Mobility Conference, André Kuipers, astronaut and driver of an electric car is invited as CLEANFLEET keynote speaker.

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/691/45/Electromobility-Workshops-in-Rotterdam

Online course in Sustainable Urban Mobility in Developing Countries

The rapid and often unplanned and uncoordinated growth of cities has seriously compromised existing transportation systems and significantly increased the challenge of creating new transportation systems, especially in developing countries.
It is in developing countries that the greatest growth in motor vehicles has been seen in the past few years and is expected in the future, primarily in urban areas.

http://www.urbangateway.org/news/take-un%E2%80%99s-online-course-sustainable-urban-mobility-developing-countries

To Hull and back: the rebirth of Britain’s poorest city

Hull’s twin loss of its fishing and shipping industries consigned it to a future of poverty, isolation and even ridicule. But now all that is about to change, because the city is putting its faith back in the North Sea

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/sep/11/-sp-to-hull-and-back-the-rebirth-of-britains-poorest-city

Resisting relentless urbanisation

The Bulgarian Black Sea coast is being ravaged by development. Up-and-coming urbanisation will soon destroy the culture and nature of one of the last wild beaches on Bulgaria’s coast - Karadere. This summer our Communications Intern conducted field research in Bulgaria to delve into a resisting movement that struggles to save the wild beach from relentless urbanisation.
The loss of a place like Karadere is a loss of some human dignity. At the moment when man sells such a wonderful area for a few pieces of concrete and urban luxury, he sells himself. The fight against windmills is absurd, but it must continue because this type of construction turns Bulgaria into a concrete graveyard for faded souls and loads of money.

Design Awards Competition - Achieving Green, Healthy Cities

Projects that showcase the urban design principles and livability criteria espoused by IMCL will be considered for exhibition or an award. Projects related to the topic Designing for Green, Healthy Cities are actively sought, and will be given particular consideration.
Eligibility: Urban design, architecture, planning, and landscape architecture projects are eligible. Projects may be already in use, or proposed. There are no geographic limitations.
The Awards Committee will be looking for built and natural design projects that enhance the livability of the city by creating a more humane, multi-functional, stimulating, useful, beautiful, egalitarian public realm. They will seek projects that contribute to creating a city integrated with its region and landscape, a city for children, a city based on human scale and the pedestrian, a city that promotes health and healthy behavior, a city of short distances, a city that is a work of art ŠŠ. A Livable City.
IMCL awards are an extraordinary honor, difficult to attain. Every awarded project will represent a case study intended to be used in support of IMCL goals, and therefore must be of extremely high quality, and packed with award-worthy content. The results will be displayed to represent IMCL aspirations at future Conferences, in publications, or on the IMCL website.

For more details about the conference, please see: http://www.livablecities.org/conferences/52nd-conference-bristol

ASLA Launches Guide to Green Infrastructure

The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) has launched a guide to explain the many benefits of “green infrastructure” — designed systems that harness nature to create proven benefits for communities and the environment.
Green infrastructure includes park systems, urban forests, wildlife habitat and corridors, and green roofs and green walls. These infrastructure systems protect communities against flooding or excessive heat, or help to improve air and water quality, which underpin human and environmental health.

http://dirt.asla.org/2014/09/03/asla-launches-new-guide-to-green-infrastructure/

Be part of the first Urban Hackathon in India

The Indian School of Business (ISB) in association with GHMC, Government of Telangana and 11th Metropolis World Congress invites entries towards concept solutions using Social Innovation with Digital Technology.
It is called to be the first initiative in India involving people in better urban planning. Citizens aged between 18 and 35 years are called to participate in the event.
The shortlisted participants will be allowed to take part in 36-hour pre-Hackathon event Sep 26-27 at the Indian School of Business (ISB). They can come up with innovation in any of the 17 focus areas including public transportation, sanitation, roads, electricity, water supply, housing, parking management and women safety.

http://www.metropolis.org/news/be-part-first-urban-hackathon-india

The UN Climate Summit: What’s in it for Cities?

City leaders have a key role to play at next week’s UN Climate Summit in New York City, which brings together heads of state, mayors, business leaders, and civil society representatives to build momentum towards an international agenda to tackle climate change and build resilience.
The window of opportunity to make meaningful progress in the battle against climate change is shrinking. This is especially true in cities, which are set to gain 1.4 billion people by 2030 and develop trillions of dollars in new infrastructure. Since 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions originate in cities – and these same cities are expected to bear the brunt of climate change impact – any international climate agreement must address urbanization to address the full scope of the challenge.

http://thecityfix.com/blog/united-nations-climate-summit-cities-compact-mayors-finance-resilience-holger-dalkmann/

EU Commission to host High Level Energy Security Conference on 9 October

Local authorities play a crucial part in implementing sustainable energy policies across Europe. Their role in securing Europe’s Energy Security is increasingly coming to the forefront in the context of the developing Ukrainian crisis. It will be discussed and presented at the occasion of a high level conference that will be hosted by the European Commission in Brussels on 9 October starting at 14:00.

http://www.eumayors.eu/news_en.html?id_news=591

Presenting Measuring Up 2015: ?Helping Scale Local Action through Emissions Reporting

2015 will be a pivotal year for addressing climate change. In the US, the federal government will finalize proposed power plant regulations and will offer national emissions reduction targets feeding into a new international climate agreement to be completed in November 2015. As the largest network of local governments addressing climate change, ICLEI is preparing for this critical year by partnering with World Wildlife Fund to compile information on local community emissions inventories and reduction goals. This data will inform a high-profile report to showcase the scale and importance of local climate action, and to inspire strong commitments at the national and international levels.

Surat anticipates worst effects of climate change

According to the climate change experts, it is only a matter of time. The city of Surat (population 4.5 million), in the state of Gujarat on the west coast of India, will soon be exposed to recurrent flooding, with the risk of malaria and dengue fever epidemics in its aftermath. It also faces higher temperatures, which may force companies to relocate. So its citizens are planning for twin disasters that rapid urban development and global warming bring in their wake.

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/sep/15/indian-cities-climate-change-surat

Upgrading Informal Settlements in an Urbanizing World

As cities rapidly urbanize, governments worldwide face the challenge of improving living conditions for the most vulnerable urban populations. Photo by Akshay Mahajan/Flickr.
How can we ensure that all urban inhabitants have the necessary rights and conditions for a dignified and secure existence in the city? As the world rapidly urbanizes, the livelihoods, health, and safety of residents living in informal settlements remain at risk. These residents lack formal property rights and access to vital infrastructure and services. Recognizing informal property rights and improving the quality of housing in informal settlements are important steps toward meeting the basic needs of these most vulnerable urban populations.

http://sustainablecitiescollective.com/embarq/333291/upgrading-informal-settlements-urbanizing-world

Integrating Housing, Health, and Resilience

A new report from the Urban Land Institute, Housing in America: Integrating Housing, Health, and Resilience in a Changing Environment, explores the connection between strengthening the resilience of housing and communities to severe weather and building for health and wellness.
Housing in America points to the need for greater emphasis on community building, including housing, that is more adaptable to changing environmental conditions, including more frequent extreme weather events, and which, as a result, is better equipped to protect the health and well-being of residents. “Continuing innovation in housing and community design practices, building standards, and infrastructure can help mitigate the growing risks presented by weather volatility and sea-level rise, while enhancing the livability and health of communities and strengthening their triple bottom line: social, environmental, and economic performance,” the report states.

http://uli.org/press-release/housing-america-health-resilience-report/

Will Seattle Be the First U.S. City to Recycle Everything?

It’s dawn on waste-collection day in the hilly Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle. Along the curvy streets of this residential peninsula northwest of downtown, three large bins wait outside each house. The green ones hold compost — leftover food and yard clippings. The blue ones overflow with everything recyclable: glass, plastic containers, cans and aluminum foil. The round black ones, for the trash, often aren’t full these days.

http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/seattle-recycling-compost-sustainable-culture

World Cities Day: best ideas from your city!

To mark UN-HABITAT’s first World Cities Day on 31 October, it has teamed up with Guardian Cities to launch the World Cities Day challenge
This year, 31 October will mark the very first ‘World Cities Day’. To be celebrated every year on the same day, this UN initiative is expected to promote the international community’s interest in global urbanisation and encourage cooperation between countries in working towards sustainable urban development.

http://www.eurocities.eu/eurocities/news/World-Cities-Day-best-ideas-from-your-city-WSPO-9NRMR4

AL-LAS Project technical visit stimulates international cooperation between cities

In one of many initiatives of the AL-LAS Project to encourage decentralised international cooperation, notably between Latin American and European cities, a technical visit proved a positve step forward for several local government representatives in ensuring cooperation between their cities. Representatives of Latin American cities of Mexico City, Medellín, Quito, Morón and Montevideo paid visits to local governments of Andalucía, Paris, and Nanterre in Spain and France.
http://www.uclg.org/en/node/22851#sthash.efbE1wVK.dpuf

Tokyo’s disaster parks: hi-tech survival bunkers hidden under green spaces

Things aren’t what they seem in Tokyo’s parks, where benches double as cooking stoves and underground stores hold emergency food and water for entire districts

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/aug/19/tokyo-disaster-parks-hi-tech-survival-bunkers-hidden-green-spaces-earthquake

Assessment of Eight African Cities Explores Limitations and Possibilities of Prepaid Meter Systems

With cities and towns in Africa growing at 5 percent a year —faster than anywhere else in the world -– water service providers face considerable challenges to meet growing demand. Many lack the resources to do so. The current revenue flows of most also fall far short of requirements to fund investments and run services effectively for these rapidly growing populations, particularly the poor.
Meeting the demand, especially in the rapidly expanding unserved poor settlements, requires new thinking and innovation. This is one reason why there has been a surge in interest among sub-Saharan African water service providers in prepaid water systems.

http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2014/09/01/assessment-of-eight-african-cities-explores-limitations-and-possibilities-of-prepaid-meter-systems

50 Tools for Online Public Engagement

Online public participation is an effective complement to face-to-face events such as community workshops and design charrettes. Selecting the right platform to get the most out of digital outreach can be overwhelming.
The first step is to learn what tools are out there! Here are 50 tools for online engagement in no particular order (and with no implied endorsement). These digital platforms can help local government consult, collaborate with, and empower citizens in community decision-making.

http://www.communitymatters.org/blog/let%E2%80%99s-get-digital-50-tools-online-public-engagement

Unlocking Denmark’s solar energy potential: 1.59 million roofs suitable

A German cooperative (Energiegesellschafter eG) has recently conducted a study on Denmark’s potential for producing solar energy: they have identified no less than 1.59 million suitable roofs. According to executive director Stephan Wildorf, if half of these roofs were equipped with PV panels, it would generate enough electricity to meet the overall electricity demand of Danish households. Besides, there is also a potential for solar thermal energy.

http://www.eumayors.eu/news_en.html?id_news=588

Electric cars talk tourists into sightseeing (Malta)

A fleet of talking electric cars that take tourists around the sights of Cottonera in Malta with the help of multi-lingual audio guides are now in operation.
The electric cars, known as Rolling Geeks, are equipped with a pre-programmed GPS system that guides them on a sightseeing route while giving a running audio commentary of the cultural sights as they pass. Audio tours are offered in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Russian and Mandarin.

http://www.eltis.org/index.php?ID1=5&id=60&news_id=4714

Sweden recycles 99 percent of its garbage

Sweden now recycles or reuses an incredible 99 percent of its waste, an improvement on the already impressive 2012 figure of 96 percent. The country uses a waste management hierarchy system that focuses in descending order on prevention, reuse, recycling, recycling alternatives, and as a last resort, disposal in landfill. While only one percent of the average annual 461 kilograms of waste that each Swede produces winds up at the landfill stage, it is the “recycling alternatives” stage that is still causing controversy, as it involves the incineration of around two million tons of trash a year in the country’s Waste-to-energy (WTE) program.

http://inhabitat.com/sweden-now-recycles-a-staggering-99-percent-of-its-garbage/

Be Careful of Catching a Neighboring City’s Housing Boom

Since the foreclosure crisis, there’s been understandable anxiety about housing prices going up or down in still-fragile markets across the country, and cities would be smart to keep an eye on their neighbors for signs of price upticks (whether to anticipate an economic boost or note the warning signs of another bubble) as well as the reasons behind shifts. A new growing industry might create housing demand in more than one market, or credit lenders successful in one area might reinvest their profits in a neighboring town. Yet, as a team of Wharton economists points out in “The Role of Contagion in the Last American Housing Cycle,” these more obvious — “rational” in economist-speak — sources don’t always explain the patterns of how a housing boom spreads geographically.

http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/housing-boom-cities-housing-bust-affordable-housing

Americans Don't Walk Much

This won’t be breaking news to most readers, but Americans don’t walk very much. Periodically, National Geographic publishes a 17-nation “Greendex” study on, among many other things, transit use and walking. In 2012 we Americans came in dead last on both indices, and it wasn’t close.
In particular, only 34 percent of Americans reported walking to destinations (jobs, shopping, school, and so forth) “often” or “all of the time.” Spaniards and Germans walk about twice as much. The rates for Britain and even notoriously cold and dark Sweden were substantially higher than those for the US. Speaking of cold, even the Canadians walk more than we do. We are also dead last in bicycling.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/f-kaid-benfield/americans-dont-walk-much_b_5742064.html

Do Elevated Cycletracks Solve Problems or Just Create More?

This year, two designs – one proposed and one built – for elevated cycletracks, which create bicycle highways above street level, have gained considerable media attention. They highlight questions at the heart of urban design: Should cities blend or separate transportation options? How can cities best mitigate the hazards created when cars, bikes, mass transit, and pedestrians mix? How can cities create low-cost transportation networks in increasingly dense urban cores?
In January, Exterior Architects and Foster + Partners unveiled their design proposal for the London SkyCycle, a 220 km (136 mile) network of elevated cycletracks following existing rail services with over 200 entry points (see image above). The design team claims that each route will be able to “accommodate 12,000 cyclists per hour and will improve journey times by up to 29 minutes.”

http://sustainablecitiescollective.com/dirt/333276/do-elevated-cycletracks-solve-problems-or-just-create-more

Riding Beijing's subway end to end

Beijing’s metro system has already grown bigger than the London Underground – and by 2020 it will more than double in size again. Tania Branigan takes its longest journey to see how the city is coping with such staggering growth

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/sep/10/-sp-beijing-subway-china-metro-queues-ticket-investment

A portrait of our megacity future

Megacities are our future. It's simple math: When you've got one Earth and an unending boom in population growth, the gravitational pull of the world's economic and population centers will continue to drag rural dwellers in—if the Sprawl doesn't absorb them by default.
A United Nations report from July lays the issue bare: This year, some 54 percent of the world lived in urban centers, a number projected to grow to 66 percent by 2050. That growth "could add another 2.5 billion people to urban populations by 2050, with close to 90 percent of the increase concentrated in Asia and Africa."

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/this-107-million-person-simcity-region-is-a-portrait-of-our-megacity-future

Central Markets project final conference

Central Markets, a European project focusing on reviving traditional markets, hosts its final conference on 11 November 2014
The Central Markets project aims to rediscover and revive traditional markets as engines for the development of urban districts. The project is preparing to host its final conference on 11 November in Bratislava.

http://www.eurocities.eu/eurocities/news/Central-Markets-project-final-conference-WSPO-9NNS54

London trials new road safety technology

Transport for London (TfL) is testing new bus sensor technology that alerts drivers when pedestrians and cyclists get too close to their vehicles in an effort to improve road safety.
Two systems using radar and cameras to detect the presence of other road users and their distance from buses are being trialled on four buses operating on two of London's busiest streets. Both systems give an audible alert to the bus driver, while one also gives a visual warning.

http://www.eltis.org/index.php?ID1=5&id=60&news_id=4708

New multi-lingual SUMP guidelines released

Guidelines that explain the essential steps involved in developing a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) have been published by the European Commission in further six languages.
Available now in Bulgarian, English, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Romanian and Spanish, the guidelines include good practice examples, tools and references that illustrate each step to help urban mobility and transport practitioners prepare, develop and implement SUMPs.

http://www.mobilityplans.eu/index.php?ID1=8&id=8

Culture as a priority for cities, regional and local governments

SAVE THE DATE: UCLG Culture Summit will be hosted by the City of Bilbao, 18-20 March 2015
The process to elaborate the new Agenda 21 for culture was initiated by the Committee on Culture in 2013 through subsequent debates in Lille-Métropole, Buenos Aires and Rabat, and will continue in 2014, with meetings, seminars, articles, questionnaires and visits to pilot cities. The process will conclude with a major event: a “Culture Summit of UCLG”, when a new document on culture and local sustainable development will be presented.

http://www.uclg.org/en/node/22795#sthash.4hqQ3PZZ.dpuf

Supporting cycling for liveable cities

With ever greater mobility needs and related pollution from motorised individual transport, there is increasing acknowledgement that cycling is a significant part of mobility solutions in urban areas. At the same time, budgetary restrictions compel decision makers to opt for the most cost-effective policy options without necessarily being aware of the various socio-economic factors that can affect decisions regarding transport infrastructure.
This networking event, organised by the European Commission together with Eurocities and the European Cyclists’ Federation, will set out arguments, strategies and tools for elected representatives and technical staff from cities to invest in cycling infrastructure, and to support the development of a flourishing cycling culture, by presenting innovative new ideas from European cities.

http://www.managenergy.net/networking_meetings/1753#.VA_WD8IcTIX

Take part in the 5th Edition of the Decentralisation and Local Governance Online Course

The UCLG Decentralisation and Local Self-Government Committee, in collaboration with Goberna, Escuela de Política y Alto Gobierno del Instituto Universitario de Investigación Ortega y Gasset are offering the fifth online Course on Decentralisation and Local Governance, which will be held from 25 September to 21 December 2014.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/take-part-5th-edition-decentralisation-and-local-governance-online-course

Redefining the Smart City

The best definition I ever heard for the oft-used term, “Smart City,” is this: Smart Cities quickly, efficiently match supply and demand, easing the curves of the economy, the strain on infrastructure, and the impacts on the natural environment by predicting the ebbs and flows of people’s movements. By this definition, the Smart City is the Flexible City, the city that prioritizes how humans actually function over notions of how they should, that either anticipates needs or quickly adapts to them as they become apparent through patterns.

http://sustainablecitiescollective.com/futurecapetown/333971/redefining-smart-city

“SMART LOCAL GOVERNANCE: The challenge of good governance in local administrations

With the aim of boosting the exchange of knowledge and collaboration between cities, and most of all, to focus the work developed by the UCLG Committee on Digital and Knowledge-based Cities, it is scheduled the organization thematic and operative working meetings that allow having a "real" exchange and debate through the use of new networking methodologies that can facilitate the interaction between the participants, but also the identification of collaboration projects.
http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/smart-local-governance-challenge-good-governance-local-administrations

Cities and Youth Employment, Urbact and Cittalia Promote the Dialogue among Mayors and Start-uppers in Turin

Turning Grey Boxes Into Green Spaces

Montreal builds on the parklet craze with innovative new urban spaces made from recycled shipping containers.
Parklets have recently been popping up all over North America, with San Francisco piloting the very first public parklet scheme in 2009. Parklets, which take up no more than two or three parking spaces on urban roads can be permanent, seasonal or temporary. The spaces are reserved for public use and transformed into pleasant places to stop and rest or enjoy the city, in areas where parks or other quiet spots are lacking.
http://popupcity.net/turning-grey-boxes-into-green-spaces/

Africa's urban slums are “new normal”

Urban development in Africa is often touted an an antidote to endemic poverty — an opportunity to rid cities of slums and despair. Christine Mungai reports for Mail & Guardian Africa that the reality is more stark: Africa’s slums are the “new normal.”
In many African cities, half the population resides in slums, with the figure reaching 80 percent in Mozambique, Angola and the Central African Republic, the article says. Mungai writes that some cities “hide their slums well.” About a quarter of the people who live in “formal” housing structures in Addis Ababa actually lack access to toilets, for example. Another third must share toilets with more than six families.
Municipal officials in Africa often “turn a blind eye to urban sprawl and mushrooming of informal settlements” because slums provide inexpensive labor, Mungai writes. As a result, some cities are largely unplanned, such as Arusha, Tanzania, where an estimated 75 percent of homes are unauthorized.

http://citiscope.org/citisignals/2014/africas-urban-slums-are-new-normal#sthash.Rd2d5MYM.dpuf

London Debates the Virtues of High and Low

London is on the rise.
Almost 250 buildings of 20 or more stories are being built or planned for the city and its suburbs in the next few years. About 150 of those structures are to be residential, including the Newfoundland tower in Canary Wharf that, at 58 stories, would become the second-tallest building in the city after the 72-story Shard.
The high-rises are hailed by some as the only solution to the city’s chronic housing shortage, and as the result of overseas investment that has flowed into the capital since the global downturn of 2008, most of it attached to high-rise projects.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/29/greathomesanddestinations/many-in-london-say-high-rises-will-not-ease-housing-shortage.html

Creative Ways Cities Are Pushing Recycling

A truck that appears to be thickly overgrown with fig ivy? Another in a woodgrain design, created with photos from scrap materials, that make the truck look like an old-fashioned wooden toy?
This isn’t your normal sanitation service. In Houston, the trucks rolling down the street to pick up your curbside recycling are more like mobile works of art.
Well, six of them are. The new artsy recycling trucks are the result of a collaboration between the Houston Arts Alliance and the city’s Solid Waste Management Department. Local artists and designers, each chosen through an open-call process, claimed one truck apiece to make their own.

http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/how-to-get-people-to-recycle-creative-ways

How to plan, implement and construct sustainable neighbourhoods?

On 30th June 2014, EUKN and CIPU (Cellule nationale d’Information pour la Politique Urbaine) organised the second edition of the EUKN Policy Lab in Ettelbruck (Luxembourg). The central theme of this Policy Lab was ‘Certification systems for sustainable urban neighbourhoods’.
We talked to Tom Becker, CIPU coordinator and EUKN National Focal Point, about Luxembourg’s experiences with the development of sustainable urban neighbourhoods, the use of certification systems and the second EUKN Policy Lab.

http://www.eukn.org/Interviews/2014/How_to_plan_implement_and_construct_sustainable_neighbourhoods

Localizing consultation enters final phase

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/localizing-consultation-enters-final-phase#sthash.BC2xVFxJ.dpuf

Tokyo Vision for Cycling in the City

At a press conference held on August 29 Tokyo Governor Yoichi Masuzoe responded to questions regarding his vision for cycling in Tokyo in the lead up to the 2020 Olympics. His answers were interesting to say the least.
In principal the Governor supports the installation of street level bicycle lanes, over sidewalk level lanes and is committed to expanding Tokyo's network of bicycle lanes across the city. This sounds like wonderful news until he elaborated on his answer.
During his elaboration things became a lot less clear as he indicated that Tokyo's widely accepted practice of sidewalk cycling would not be stamped out even in areas where bicycle lanes are widespread. In particular he singled out mothers who carry one or more children on their bicycle who may not be comfortable cycling on the roads may prefer to cycle on the sidewalks which he described as "safer".

http://sustainablecitiescollective.com/byron-kidd/330511/tokyo-governor-explains-his-vision-cycling-city

Renaturing cities

In May 2014 the European Commission – Directorate General for Research and Innovation – organized a two-day conference on “Renaturing Cities: Addressing Environmental Challenges and the Effects of the Economic Crisis through Nature-Based Solutions” under the auspices of the Hellenic Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
170 participants attended the conference and a large variety of stakeholders were represented.
For impressions, report and more information go to the webpage of the event.

http://ec.europa.eu/research/environment/index_en.cfm?pg=land

EU to invest over € 320m in transport projects

The European Commission’s trans-European transport network (TEN-T) Programme has announced details of its € 320m investment to support key transport infrastructure projects around Europe.
Divided between two programme calls, the funding will be distributed among a total of 106 projects. The first, the € 230m Multi-Annual Programme Call, is funding 52 projects that focus on Air Traffic Management, European Rail Traffic Management Systems, Intelligent Transport Systems, Motorways of the Sea and Priority Projects.

http://eltis.org/index.php?ID1=5&id=60&news_id=4684

Americans in the Suburbs Are Still the Happiest

City centers and downtowns across the United States may very well be in the midst of a comeback or a renaissance, be reaching a moment of triumph or successfully transforming themselves into magnets for millennials and retiring boomers. But according to the new Atlantic Media/Siemens State of the City Poll, when it comes to overall community satisfaction, the suburbs are still king.
The State of the City Poll, which surveyed a representative sample of over 1,600 U.S. adults on a wide-ranging set of topics related to quality of life and local government policies, found that all things considered, Americans who live in suburban areas are the most satisfied with the places where they live. Among suburbanites, 84 percent of those surveyed rated the communities where they live as overall excellent or good, compared to 75 percent of urban dwellers and 78 percent of rural residents.

http://www.citylab.com/politics/2014/08/overall-americans-in-the-suburbs-are-still-the-happiest/378964/

WHO releases updated walking and cycling tool

The World Health Organisation has released a new updated tool that helps make an economic assessment of the health benefits of walking or cycling.

http://www.eltis.org/index.php?ID1=5&id=60&news_id=4707

Are There Any Affordable Cities Left in America?

Are Washington, San Francisco, and New York the most affordable American cities? A new report from the New York-based Citizen’s Budget Commission [PDF], which made the rounds at the Washington Post and CityLab, argues that if you consider the combined costs of housing and transportation, the answer is yes.
But a closer look at the data casts some doubt on that conclusion. Between the high cost of transportation in sprawling regions and the high demand for housing in compact cities with good transit, very few places in America are looking genuinely affordable these days.

http://usa.streetsblog.org/2014/08/27/are-there-any-affordable-cities-left-in-america/

Urban green space viewed as “fundamental right”

The lead designer of Singapore’s iconic Gardens by the Bay, an award-winning public park in the heart of the city, doesn’t view urban green space as a luxury. Vaidehi Shah reports for Eco-Business that British architect Andrew Grant sees city parks, forests, wetlands and wildlife as necessities.
“Connection with the natural world — access to green space, views of the sky, good quality air, water and food — is a fundamental human right,” he tells the publication. “There is increasing evidence that contact with nature within an urban environment has economic and social benefits for inhabitants.”

http://citiscope.org/citisignals/2014/urban-green-space-viewed-fundamental-right#sthash.kQEiaonR.dpuf

The Future Of Urban Planning: Zoning For Drones

A century ago, as cars first emerged into the world, cities and laws that were designed for horses suddenly had to adapt to a whole new presence in their space. Cities didn’t know how to handle these fast machines, and fatal accidents in the early age of cars led to legal battles between pedestrians and cars over who had the right to the road. Now, commercial drones are approaching their Model-T moment, and planners can get ahead of this by plotting out their cities in color-coded three-dimensional blocks of sky.
Urban designer Mitchell Sipus, who’s done work for the mayors of both Kabul and Mogadishu, has sketched out a rough idea of possible zoning laws for drones.

http://www.popsci.com/article/technology/what-zoning-drones-could-be

ICLEI focuses on Urban Health

Urban health and improved air quality go hand in hand. ICLEI is a partner in the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) and is actively engaging in the working group to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants.
A meeting was convened in Paris, France from 15-17 July 2014 to share updates on partner initiatives and discuss new initiatives to improve air quality globally. One of the highlights is the intention to set-up an Urban Health initiative focusing on effective measures to reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) in urban areas, in particular black carbon and methane. The aim is to progressively decrease air pollution and related diseases in cities. The Urban Health initiative will provide a framework for collaborations between actors from the health, environment and economic sector. This will be key for linking SLCP mitigation, air pollution mitigation, resilient communities and health benefits.

http://urbanleds.iclei.org/index.php?id=128&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=92&cHash=b68c72f3b7cdc2d74c6ffe4ddbf83607

Achieving Green Healthy Cities

Bristol, UK, June 29-July 3, 2015
At this conference, we will examine creative strategies, tools and design solutions for Achieving Green Healthy Cities. We will review how the built and natural environment can be designed and managed to increase social and physical health and well-being, and to foster ecological, social and economic sustainability.
These goals cannot be achieved by professionals in one field alone. They require collaborative efforts and insights from many disciplines. We will hear from world-renowned experts working at the interface between planning, public health, urban design, architecture, landscape architecture, transportation planning, and social sciences, and review outstanding projects from the UK, Europe, North America and around the world.
http://www.livablecities.org/conferences/52nd-conference-bristol

London widens electric bus deployment

London plans to introduce double-decker buses powered by electric-diesel engines that can be recharged wirelessly at bus stands. Transport for London announced on August 27 that four of the hybrids would be tested next year in east London.
A successful pilot would make way for a wider rollout under Mayor Boris Johnson’s strategy to introduce clean-fueled public transport.

http://www.urbangateway.org/news/london-widens-electric-bus-deployment

Free public transport in Polish city boosts passenger numbers

Following the introduction in May of free public transport, the city of Zory says that the number of people using its local buses has jumped fourfold.
Passenger numbers in the southern Polish city had been falling over the past few years, partly due to rising ticket prices. Concerned that this was resulting in increased car usage and many citizens being unable to engage in educational, cultural and recreational activities the city introduced free bus travel earlier this year.

http://www.eltis.org/index.php?ID1=5&id=60&news_id=4700

Vintage Public Transit: San Francisco’s Streetcars and Cable Cars

San Francisco is one of my favorite places to visit. One of the things I like most about the city is its vintage public transit, i.e. the streetcars and cable cars. As I previously shared in Amtraking: Traveling by Train and The Story of Union Station in Los Angeles, I am a fan of trains and rail travel in general. I use the subway (Metro) as part of my daily commute between work and home, but since it runs underground, the Red/Purple Line does not offer the wonderful views and fun experience that San Francisco’s streetcars and cable cars do. While staying at Fisherman’s Wharf for a conference a couple of months ago, I took my young daughter on a ride on the streetcar. It was her first time and she clearly enjoyed it. I wish I had captured the joy and excitement on her face as she leaned against the window to see the sights along the route. In this article, I would like to share what I have learned about San Francisco’s streetcars and cable cars as part of my recent trip and subsequent research.

http://losangeles.urbdezine.com/2014/08/14/vintage-public-transit-san-franciscos-streetcars-and-cable-cars/

Car-Sharing Grows in China as an Alternative to Vehicle Ownership

China’s increasing overall wealth makes it unlikely that the country’s growth in car ownership will stop any time soon. However, severe air pollution and traffic congestion have led several large Chinese cities to take action to stem the rising tide of private cars. For example, six Chinese cities – including Beijing – have implemented license plate control policies. Other transport demand management strategies such as congestion pricing are widely considered, as well. As part of a broad strategy for achieving sustainable urban mobility, car-sharing can help reduce the number of cars in Chinese cities while meeting the middle class’s increasing demand for personal mobility.

http://sustainablecitiescollective.com/embarq/323916/car-sharing-grows-china-alternative-vehicle-ownership

5 Cities that will benefit from climate change

For residents of most cities, from parched Los Angeles to sopping-wet Manila, climate change is something to dread. But for a handful of select places, a warming earth could prove a temporary boon. From new shipping routes melting open in the Arctic to retreating permafrost exposing fresh farmland, the coming changes will benefit a lucky few cities. Here are five of those cities.

http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/5-cities-that-will-benefit-from-climate-change

Local and Regional Governments participation #Habitat III Prepcom I

The first Preparatory Committee (Prepcom I) of Habitat III, the Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, will be taking place in New York on 17-18 September, including pre-meetings on 15-16 September. Prepcom I will be the first step towards the definition of a shared vision of the New Urban Agenda an agenda which many expect to define the implementation mechanisms of the 2015 Summit Resolutions and Sustainable Development Goals.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news/local-and-regional-governments-participation-habitat-iii-prepcom-i

White flight - a growing trend?

White flight does not end when residents move from poor urban neighborhoods to the suburbs. An Indiana University study found that white flight from one suburban neighborhood to another occurs when white residents move away from "ethnoburbs," suburban neighborhoods that attract a growing number of middle-class minority residents.
"The sheer force of immigration and suburbanization has resulted in the unmistakable rise of middle-class yet ethnic suburban communities. However, my research shows that despite their distinct middle-class character, ethnoburbs have lost a steady flow of white residents over the past 20 years," said Samuel Kye, author of "Revisiting White Flight and Segregation: The Consequences of Ethnoburbs."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140816204551.htm

Towards standardised approaches for on-street parking

Polis and the European Parking Association invite you to a joint event in Lisbon on the final day of the Iberian Parking Congress. The event will focus on standardised solutions for on-street parking, including technologies to support parking management.
EPA and Polis will provide you with information about:
•New planning and tendering approaches to integrate parking management better in urban transport policy.
•technologies for on-street parking management and enforcement (sensors, ANPR, integration).
Fourth EPA - Polis Parking Workshop
Towards standardised approaches for on-street parking
19 September 2014
Lisbon, Portugal

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicevents/236/61/Towards-standardised-approaches-for-on-street-parking

What role will cities play in the biodiversity agreements?

Interview with Dr. Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary of the Convention of Biological Diversity
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) will hold its 12th Convention of the Parties (COP 12) in Pyeongchang, Korea from 29 September to 17 October 2014. Under the theme ‘Biodiversity for Sustainability’, COP 12 aims to enhance the awareness of the global community on biodiversity for sustainable development. The Convention further emphasizes the importance of biodiversity in the process of establishing the global development agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

http://www.iclei.org/details/article/what-role-will-cities-play-in-the-biodiversity-agreements.html

Rotterdam takes the lead in electrifying transport

In 2012 Rotterdam embarked on a 12-month project to test the overall feasibility of electric vehicles, during which it monitored 75 electric vehicles and 129 charging points – an experiment on a scale that was unprecedented. Not only did the project assess fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, but it also focused on the entire chain, from the distribution transformers to the charging points, right down to the wheels. Rotterdam’s efforts have paid-off. The actions that followed the testing resulted in an increase in people using electric vehicles, the improvement of air quality and an effective electric vehicle infrastructure that continues to grow.

http://eltis.org/index.php?id=13&lang1=en&study_id=4066

AL-LAS Project technical visit stimulates international cooperation between cities

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news#sthash.ZZ1ZbgAB.dpuf

Why haven't China's cities learned from America's mistakes?

Faceless estates. Sprawling suburbs. Soulless financial districts. Discredited elsewhere as fostering the worst kind of urban angst, these are the vogue in China – but change could be afoot

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/aug/20/why-havent-chinas-cities-learned-from-americas-mistakes

WHO launches update of the Health economic assessment tool (HEAT) for walking and cyling

The World Health Organisation has lauched the update of its Health economic assessment tool (HEAT) for walking and cyling.
HEAT is an online tool to appraise the health benefits from cycling and from walking by estimating the value of reduced mortality that results from specified amounts of regular physical activity, i.e. cycling or walking.
HEAT is intended for a wide variety of professionals working in the field of transport, walking, cycling or the environment. It facilitates population-wide assessment, translating the effects of active travel (walking and cycling) measures into a quantitative evidence-based, evaluation.

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/683/45/WHO-launches-update-of-the-Health-economic-assessment-tool-HEAT-for-walking-and-cyling

World Habitat Day 2014: Voices from Slums

The purpose of World Habitat Day is to reflect on the state of our towns and cities, and on the basic right of all to adequate shelter. It is also intended to remind the world that we all have the power and the responsibility to shape the future of our cities and towns.
World Habitat Day was established in 1985 by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution 40/202, and was first celebrated in 1986.
Each year, World Habitat Day takes on a new theme chosen by the United Nations based on current issues relevant to the Habitat Agenda. The themes are selected to bring attention to UN-Habitat’s mandate to promote sustainable development policies that ensure adequate shelter for all.
This year the World Habitat Day will focus on giving voice to people who have lived or live in slums or other vulnerable urban contexts.
Governments, NGOs, private sector, academic and other institutions are encouraged to place current and past slum dwellers as protagonists of World Habitat Day 2014 through the available communication platforms

http://unhabitat.org/whd-2014/

Making urban agriculture work on a commercial scale

In 1999, Dickson Despommier, a professor of environmental health sciences and microbiology at Columbia University, popularized the idea of large-scale urban agriculture by releasing a conceptual model for vertical farms. Crops would grow inside tall city buildings, using very little land to produce bounties of food that would not need to be shipped far to be eaten. With nine billion people worldwide to feed by 2050, and close to 70 percent of them residing in cities, bringing food production into dense urban areas had long been seen as a logical step toward sustainable living, and Despommier’s work seemed to take us in the right direction.

http://www.urbangateway.org/news/making-urban-agriculture-work-commercial-scale

Urban planning important for development and inequality reduction, Dr. Clos tells MINURVI

”Urban planning is an important source of development and a tool for reducing inequality,” UN-Habitat Executive Director Dr. Joan Clos has stressed.
In an address at the opening of the twenty-third assembly of the General Assembly of Ministers of Housing and Urban Development of Latin America and the Caribbean (known by its Spanish acronym MINURVI) in Mexico City on Wednesday, Dr. Clos said urban planning brings access to a dignified life adding that it was an engine for development as well as an incentive for development.
The Executive Director who was flanked by the Mexican Secretary of Agrarian, Territorial and Urban Development of Mexico, Mr. Jorge Carlos Ramirez Marin said the region was 80 per cent urbanized “so the challenge is to prevent urban model generates negative externalities such as congestion, segregation, inefficiency and insecurity.”

http://unhabitat.org/urban-planning-important-for-development-and-inequality-reduction-dr-clos-tells-minurvi/

How to plan, implement and construct sustainable neighbourhoods?

http://www.eukn.org/Interviews/2014/How_to_plan_implement_and_construct_sustainable_neighbourhoods

Finding a place for cities in the UN’s “Sustainable Development Goals”

UCLG and its members are advocating for Sustainable Development Goals that take local and regional priorities into account, in particular in the light of rapid urbanization faced in many regions of the world. The Campaign for an Urban SDG was launched because the dynamism of cities represents a major sustainable development opportunity and a dedicated and stand-alone urban SDG is essential.

http://www.uclg.org/en/media/news#sthash.ZZ1ZbgAB.dpuf

Europe’s first driverless bus trial begins in Sardinia

Two automated driverless vehicles have begun transporting passengers in Sardinia as part of tests co-funded by the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme .
The demonstrations are led by the City Mobil 2 project, which is testing automated vehicles in real-life urban environments. The two driverless buses, which can take up to 12 passengers each, are being piloted on a busy pedestrianised seafront promenade in Oristano. The route is about 1.3 km long and has seven stops.

http://www.eltis.org/index.php?ID1=5&id=60&news_id=4692

UN-Habitat and WHO in second round of partnership to address inequities in urban health

UN-Habitat and the World Health Organization (WHO) last week initiated the second phase of a joint report aimed at unmasking and overcoming health inequities in urban settings.
This was a follow-up to a report Hidden Cities by the two agencies done in 2010 and which marked the first time that evidence on the magnitude of health inequities in urban settings was presented to a global audience.
“Given increased interest and recognition of addressing health in urban settings, the emergence of universal health coverage on the global health agenda with an emphasis on ensuring equity, and a responsibility to follow up on progress since the first Hidden Cities report, WHO and UN-Habitat have decided to pursue a second joint report, tentatively referred to as Hidden Cities II,” a statement by the joint steering committee meeting in Geneva last week said.

http://unhabitat.org/un-habitat-and-who-in-second-round-of-partnership-to-address-inequities-in-urban-health/

Berlin launches new Mobility App for electric car-sharing

The Berlin Traffic Control Centre (VMZ) has launched an innovative multimodal Mobility App for electric car-sharing services run by DriveNow. The App was developed in the framework of the European project MOLECULES which aims to foster the take-up of electro-mobility solutions across European cities.

http://www.polisnetwork.eu/publicnews/684/45/Berlin-launches-new-Mobility-App-for-electric-car-sharing

Vision Zero: Making pedestrian safety a public priority

More than 4500 pedestrians are killed by motor vehicles every year on the streets of America—more than those who died in the horror of 9/11.
A recent report from the National Complete Streets Coalition studying ten years of data found that 16 times more people were killed crossing the street than in natural disasters over the that same period. Another 68,000 walkers on average are injured every year. The victims are disproportionately children, seniors and people of color, according to the report.

http://bettercities.net/news-opinion/blogs/jay-walljasper/21255/vision-zero-making-pedestrian-safety-public-priority

Active ageing Webinar

Take part in our webinar and see how demographic change goes hand in hand with economic opportunities
Older people are potential consumers and an asset in our communities and for our socio-economic development. By meeting their needs and expectations, it can lead to more jobs and economic growth.
The webinar will take place online on 22 September at 11:00. It will be the opportunity to give the floor to various speakers of the industrial sector that are working on age-friendly solutions.

http://www.ccre.org/en/actualites/view/2918

Impact of Tourism in the Italian Art Cities

Il Bel Paese, the Beautiful Country, is distinctly used to describe Italy. It is indeed a gifted country, with a notable natural environment, a mild climate and a prominent cultural heritage. Therefore, its status among the most visited countries not only in Europe, but worldwide, is not a surprise. Tourists arrive to admire the artwork of Michelangelo and Da Vinci, to swim in the beaches of Sardine and Sicily, and to be part of the unique atmosphere of its “art cities.” However, in regards to the everyday life of the residents, are there negative impacts of massive urban tourism?

http://www.globalsiteplans.com/environmental-design/architecture-environmental-design/impact-of-tourism-in-the-italian-art-cities-venice-florence-rome/

Italy tops transport energy efficiency global rankings

A new report that ranks the world’s major economies based on their energy efficiency policies and programs has put Italy in first place in its transportation category.
The 2014 International Energy Efficiency Scorecard, published by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), a non-profit that promotes energy efficiency, looked at 31 metrics divided between policies and quantifiable performance to evaluate how efficiently 16 economies use energy.

http://www.eltis.org/index.php?ID1=5&id=60&news_id=4682

The coastal cities doomed to disappear beneath the waves

Not only are global sea levels rising (at 3 mm per year) due to climate change but ground levels in some coastal megacities are simultaneously falling, and the most vulnerable areas are located on deltas. In some cases subsidence outstrips sea level rise by a factor of ten to one.
The surge that overwhelmed New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, and the subsequent cascading collapse of critical infrastructure, offered a glimpse of a more widespread problem.

http://www.urbangateway.org/news/coastal-cities-doomed-disappear-beneath-waves