31/8/2020 - Mannheim2020 update: More than another online meeting
31/8/2020 - ETC 2020 Online: More than just a webinar!
31/8/2020 - Apply now for the CIVITAS Awards 2020!
31/8/2020 - Guangzhou Award 2020: Submit your initiative!
27/8/2020 - 7th International Conference on Traffic and Transport Psychology (ICTTP)
27/8/2020 - Designing Cities postponed to 2022
27/8/2020 - Across American Cities, Evictions Are Down
27/8/2020 - The spatial justice of the commons
26/8/2020 - New for 2020: Greenbuild Goes Virtual
26/8/2020 - BEYOND 2020 goes virtual!
26/8/2020 - England’s cycling revolution will put the focus on people
26/8/2020 - Micro Mobility - living up to expectations
25/8/2020 - Electrotrans postponed
25/8/2020 - Conference on Transport and Smart Cities moves online
25/8/2020 - Uber and Lyft increase share of taxi market during the pandemic
25/8/2020 - Small Cities Thriving Despite the Pandemic
24/8/2020 - The ICF Summit Goes Virtual!
24/8/2020 - CitiesAlive Goes Virtual For 2020
24/8/2020 - Celebrate World Metropolitan Day 2020 with Metropolis
24/8/2020 - Post Pandemic: Will Cities Choose to Reboot?
20/8/2020 - Call for Expression of Interests: Asia-Pacific Mayors Academy 2020 Class
20/8/2020 - Mannheim2020 update: the footprint of going online
20/8/2020 - Pay-As-You-Throw Toolkit for European cities
20/8/2020 - Bogotá Is Building its Future Around Bikes
19/8/2020 - Smart City Day 2020
19/8/2020 - How effective is predictive policing? A web conference
19/8/2020 - Reopening the Economy Under COVID-19
19/8/2020 - Gentrification in the Intercultural City
18/8/2020 - UN-Habitat extends deadline to host WUF 2024
18/8/2020 - European Week of Regions and Cities
18/8/2020 - Tactical Urbanism: An Adaptive Tool for Safe Distancing
18/8/2020 - The future of proptech is in Abu Dhabi
17/8/2020 - ITS World Congress Los Angeles 2020 cancelled
17/8/2020 - ECCENTRIC online seminar: clean and efficient urban freight
17/8/2020 - The Value of Green Urban Assets
17/8/2020 - The Exodus that never happened
13/8/2020 - WeGO Smart City Driver Workshop I
13/8/2020 - Guangzhou Award - Early Bird Submission Deadline
13/8/2020 - UITP has published a study on mobility post-COVID-19
13/8/2020 - The WHO's tips for cities fighting COVID-19
12/8/2020 - Towards ENSUF Final Event 2020
12/8/2020 - CIVITAS Living Lab final online event
12/8/2020 - Gentrification in the Intercultural City
12/8/2020 - Participatory Incremental Urban Planning Toolbox
11/8/2020 - City Managers Days 2020 - Green Infrastructures
11/8/2020 - 2020 Smart City Mayors' Summit Online
11/8/2020 - To see how a city embraces remote work, look to Helsinki
11/8/2020 - Greener, Healthier Cities in the Post-Pandemic
10/8/2020 - Europe's Cities Fit for Future
10/8/2020 - Webinar: Greening our cities with district energy
10/8/2020 - 3 ways to beat the heat in European cities
10/8/2020 - The City Planners' Case for Defunding the Police
6/8/2020 - Greater & Greener 2021 Call for Speaker Presentations
6/8/2020 - MOVE 2021 Speaker Application
6/8/2020 - The Economics of Remote Work
6/8/2020 - Survey on cities' digital policies and initiatives in Europe
5/8/2020 - UITP Global Public Transport Summit date change
5/8/2020 - Green Cities Conference 2021 call for papers
5/8/2020 - Back to Normal? Cities Say, ‘No Thanks’
5/8/2020 - How Covid-19 is shifting 'smart city' priorities
4/8/2020 - Rapid Cities – Responsive Architectures - online
4/8/2020 - City of Tomorrow - going online
4/8/2020 - Ghent and Milan win international car sharing awards
4/8/2020 - Chicago’s Bid to Reinvent the Corner Store
3/8/2020 - Intelligent Cities Summit - postponed to 2021
3/8/2020 - The Wellbeing Cities Forum - registration open
3/8/2020 - Strengthening resiliency in small tourist-led cities amid Covid-19
3/8/2020 - 100% renewable, your city toolkit
Mannheim2020 update: More than another online meeting
The European Conferences on Sustainable Cities and Towns have always been a meeting place for cities and urban stakeholders to exchange knowledge and make new connections. Even though Mannheim2020 will be held almost entirely online, we are making sure that this won't be lost.
https://conferences.sustainablecities.eu/mannheim2020/registration/
ETC 2020 Online: More than just a webinar!
Presented online this year, the European Transport Conference will maintain its unique identity of a multi-disciplinary, multi-seminar format. The organisation team has encapsulated all the excellent features of past conferences to ensure your experience is both useful and memorable.
https://aetransport.org/
Apply now for the CIVITAS Awards 2020!
The call for applications has been launched for the CIVITAS Awards 2020! CIVITAS cities are invited to apply for some of Europe's most prestigious prizes for sustainable urban mobility.
This year will be remembered for many reasons; not least, it has been a year of radical change in the area of mobility.
https://www.eltis.org/in-brief/news/apply-now-civitas-awards-2020
Guangzhou Award 2020: Submit your initiative!
The Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation serves as a platform for the sharing and exchange of innovative practices in the local implementation of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and New Urban Agenda (NUA).
http://www.guangzhouaward.org/p/e_applynow
7th International Conference on Traffic and Transport Psychology (ICTTP)
The conference is taking the Swedish 'Vision Zero' into a new decade. The Vision Zero Initiative stresses the fact that the road transport system is an entity in which different components such as road users, vehicles, and infrastructure must be made to interact with each other so that safety can be guaranteed. The key focus of this conference will, therefore, be on the role that traffic and transport psychology can play in achieving a safe and sustainable transport system.
https://icttp2020.se/
Designing Cities postponed to 2022
The NACTO Designing Cities Conference brings together 900 officials, planners, and practitioners to advance the state of transportation in cities.
Save the date for Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville: September 7-10, 2022!
https://nacto.org/conference/designing-cities-2022-boston-cambridge-somerville/
Across American Cities, Evictions Are Down
Below-average evictions during the pandemic suggest a housing crisis might look different than a projected “tsunami.”
When Disney World shut down on March 15, Adrien Love realized he was in trouble. Many of the tenants living in his Orlando-area rental properties are waitresses and hairdressers, people whose livelihood flows from entertainment and tourism. With the House of Mouse closed for business, keeping up with collections was going to be a problem.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-18/u-s-evictions-are-down-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic?srnd=citylab
The spatial justice of the commons
UN-Habitat’s Global Urban Lectures series began in 2014 and is now starting its sixth season. The lectures feature renowned experts discussing cutting-edge research and practical recommendations on advancing urban sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals in cities. Season 6 consists of 10 lectures.
In this lecture Roberto Rocco from the Delft University of Technology discusses how the Tragedy of the Commons - how people often use resources to their advantage without considering the good of society as a whole - relates to social sustainability and spatial justice, and how this can contribute to real sustainability in urban development.
https://unhabitat.org/the-spatial-jutsice-of-the-commons-roberto-rocco
New for 2020: Greenbuild Goes Virtual
The industry’s leading green building event now offers three virtual summits in lead up to International Conference & Expo virtual event
Safe, secure, sustainable. Connections without geographic boundaries. Expanded education courses available in real time or any time. Interactive supplier sourcing and peer networking forums. This is Greenbuild’s next chapter. Join us!
https://www.greenbuildexpo.com/en/home.html
BEYOND 2020 goes virtual!
We are happy to announce that the conference will take place online on 2-4 November 2020. Even though the physical event originally planned for June 2020 in Gothenburg had to be cancelled due to COVID-19 situation, it is important that the building sustainability dialogue continues. Why? Because:
We have less than 4000 days to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals!
There will not be any vaccine against climate change and we have to act now!
We need to #buildbackbetter!
Let’s make the next step towards sustainable built environment, while keeping our distance! See you at BEYOND 2020 online conference!
https://beyond2020.se/
England’s cycling revolution will put the focus on people
The Active Travel England plan, to be funded by a previously announced £2 billion in new funding over five years for walking and cycling, will give residents a say over their local streets.
Residents will be given the power to ban through-traffic from their local streets, by choosing whether specific residential streets should be closed to motor traffic. Local councils will also be prevented from building sub-standard cycle lanes. These are just a couple of the many measures announced by the British government to promote a walking and cycling revolution in England.
https://www.eltis.org/in-brief/news/englands-cycling-revolution-will-put-focus-people
Micro Mobility - living up to expectations
Scooters, bicycles and their electric alternatives make up the most popular micro-mobility choices present today in our cities. As the world is adjusting to the new reality caused by the current epidemic, attention is turning to micro-mobility as a potentially safe option for people to travel in cities. But before increasingly using micro-mobility instead of public transport in these challenging times, attention should be given to the safety of micro-mobility and how it can best serve users and the mobility ecosystem in the city. These are only some of the ideas discussed during the latest ERTICO Academy webinar that had the participation of ERTICO Partners DEKRA, the City of Trikala and Ubiwhere. Find out more in this recap or view the entire webinar recording!
https://erticonetwork.com/micro-mobility-living-up-to-the-expectations/
Electrtrans postponed
The 14th International Exhibition "ElectroTrans 2020" and other events of the Russian Public Transport Week, which were supposed to take place in Moscow on the twentieth of September, are postponed to May 12-14, 2021.
Making this difficult decision, we proceeded from the prevailing epidemiological situation, the persisting restrictions on holding mass events in the capital, and, most importantly, from the understanding of the need for the heads of public transport enterprises to be present at workplaces in the autumn.
http://www.electrotrans-expo.ru/en
Conference on Transport and Smart Cities moves online
2020 International Conference on Transport and Smart Cities(ICoTSC 2020) will be held virtually online on 19-21 October 2020.
ICoTSC 2020 is an open forum where advances in the field of Transport and Smart Cities can be shared and examined. The researchers, engineers, scientists, and industry professionals are welcomed to join this conference. The ICoTSC 2020 is an ideal platform for keeping up with advances and changes to a consistently morphing field. Leading researchers and industry experts from around the globe will be presenting the latest studies through papers and oral presentations. Over the three days of this conference, you’ll have an opportunity to hear about the latest developments and changes in an incredibly exciting field.
http://www.icotsc.org/
Uber and Lyft increase share of taxi market during the pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic hasn’t been good for Uber or Lyft, but it’s dealing an even worse blow to taxis.
Uber reported that gross bookings from its rides business declined by 75% in the three months to June compared to last year – tumbling from $12.2 billion to just $3 billion. Lyft, which will no longer be releasing gross bookings figures to its investors, has nevertheless reported a 60% drop in the number of active riders on the platform in the three months to June, from 21.8 million last year to 8.7 million this year.
https://www.citymetric.com/transport/uber-lyft-rides-during-coronavirus-pandemic-taxi-data-5232
Small Cities Thriving Despite the Pandemic
Growth remains a bigger worry than unemployment in at least a few cities. They're scattered around the country, but their economies have a few qualities in common that have made them pandemic-proof.
https://www.governing.com/now/Three-Small-Cities-That-Are-Thriving-Despite-the-Pandemic.html
The ICF Summit Goes Virtual!
The ICF Summit is unlike any ”smart city,” urban planning or economic development conference you will attend. We're excited to be partnering with Dublin, Ohio - one of America's leading Intelligent Communities - for the 2020 Virtual Global Summit .
We've retooled our event to make sure it is safe to attend while the world deals with the COVID-19 pandemic - while making sure all attendees will still get the education and networking opportunities provided by our traditional Summit conferences.
https://www.intelligentcommunity.org/summit2020
CitiesAlive Goes Virtual For 2020
CitiesAlive Virtual 2020 is a multi-disciplinary conference, bringing together the very best designers, product manufacturers, researchers, and policy makers in the field of living architecture and green infrastructure. Attendees will hear from leading-edge designers like Paul Kephart, Ken Yeang, and Herbert Dreiseitl, discussing their innovative approaches and award winning projects. We will be highlighting progressive policies, and the latest research, and providing you with opportunities to tour outstanding projects in-person in small groups. Join us in shaping a better, more resilient future, as we emerge stronger from COVID-19 pandemic.
https://citiesalive.org/home
Celebrate World Metropolitan Day 2020 with Metropolis
To mark the anniversary of the Montréal Declaration on Metropolitan Areas (2015), on October 7th, we commemorate the World Metropolitan Day. Every year, on that date, we observe the metropolitan nature of many territories worldwide. For those spaces, where greatest transformations happen, affecting at least a third part of the global population and the 60% of world’s urban residents, we promote cooperation to achieve sustainable and integrative territorial development.
https://www.metropolis.org/campaigns/world-metropolitan-day
Post Pandemic: Will Cities Choose to Reboot?
Six months into this century’s pandemic, we have all settled into what can only be called an uncomfortable uncertainty. While this is being experienced by all of us on a very personal level, it also holds true for our institutions – including our cities.
COVID-19 has magnified the urban butterfly effect – or how small changes in one system can have massive impact on much larger outcomes. In our digital reality, when those systems are disconnected, chaos has ensued. Transportation, education, healthcare, supply chains and even overall governance is more and more influenced by a technical agenda.
https://smartcitiesconnect.org/post-pandemic-will-cities-choose-to-reboot/
Call for Expression of Interests: Asia-Pacific Mayors Academy 2020 Class
The Asia Pacific Mayors Academy was launched in 2019 by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) - in cooperation with the United Nations University, Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS); the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), United Cities and Local Governments Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC) and Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES).
After the successful conclusion of the inaugural class, we are launching the second one for this year.
https://www.asiapacificmayorsacademy.org/call-for-expressions-of-interest
Mannheim2020 update: the footprint of going online
This 9th edition of the European Conference on Sustainable Cities and Towns will be held almost entirely online, meaning that we are able to forego accommodation, transportation, and catering for 1000+ attendees.
Since it is being held online, the total CO[2] footprint of the conference will be notably smaller.
http://mannheim2020.eu/
Pay-As-You-Throw Toolkit for European cities
For too long, polluters have not paid the full price for the damage they cause to our shared environment. The Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) principle seeks to address this by pricing in the cost of throwing things away. PAYT systems reward people and business who responsibly separate rubbish and penalises those who do not.
The PAYT Toolkit enables European cities to create systems that price in the cost of throwing away waste. It provides municipal administrations with a comprehensive process to institute PAYT: assessment of their current waste management situation, creation of appropriate IT systems, involvement of citizens and much more.
https://www.ccre.org/en/actualites/view/4062
Bogotá Is Building its Future Around Bikes
To tame traffic after pandemic lockdowns, the Colombian capital has embarked on a bike-lane building spree that could a be model in Latin America.
In March, Bogotá captured global attention by creating an 84-kilometer emergency bike network to help essential workers get around during the early days of the Covid-19 crisis. Like similar efforts in Paris, Milan and many European cities, the Colombian capital’s swift move to make room for bikes and pedestrians was greeted with acclaim by advocates for car-free mobility.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-10/to-tame-traffic-bogot-bets-big-on-bike-lanes?srnd=citylab
Smart City Day 2020
7th edition: Tuesday, November 17, 2020 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Lausanne and by videoconference
The Smart City Day brings together more than 400 decision-makers from municipalities and cantons , economic and academic circles every year . The success achieved since its creation in 2014 has made it the benchmark event in French-speaking Switzerland .
https://www.smartcityday.ch/
How effective is predictive policing? A web conference
In the framework of its working group on Security & Innovation, Efus launched a new series of web conferences on new technologies in urban security to promote the exchange of experiences amongst peers. Held on 25 June, the web conference on predictive policing offered participants the opportunity to hear from experts in the field and discuss the effectiveness and impacts of this relatively novel policing approach in EU countries.
https://efus.eu/en/topics/%activity%/20037/
Reopening the Economy Under COVID-19
Now that every state is open, we've created several new maps designed to provide immediate insight into progress in containing the virus as business operations resume and expand.
The maps will be updated daily, reflecting the current public health situation in each state. Governing will continue to cover issues related to the interplay between public health and the economy, and link to new content from this page.
The earlier reopening map, summaries of opening guidelines and daily updates are still available. These include links to state plans and orders from both governors and public health agencies, resources that remain of interes
https://www.governing.com/now/Reopening-the-Economy-Under-COVID-19-Tracking-Containment.html
Gentrification in the Intercultural City
How to Manage and Prevent
The ICC is happy to share the updated Policy Study and the new Policy Brief on the topic of managing gentrification in the intercultural city. The research is based on information shared by member cities within the ICC network, as well as desk research by the ICC expert Mela Social Enterprise. The research is practical, raising the most common challenges faced by cities when it comes to gentrification as well as suggesting a range of policy solutions which have been applied by cities to manage these challenges.
https://www.coe.int/en/web/interculturalcities/-/gentrification-in-the-intercultural-city-how-to-manage-and-prevent
UN-Habitat extends deadline to host WUF 2024
UN-Habitat has extended the deadline for the Call for Expression of Interest to cities wishing to host the 2024 Twelfth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF12) to 30 November 2020.
The World Urban Forum (WUF) is the world’s premier conference on urban issues. It is a non-legislative technical forum which has been convened by UN-Habitat since 2002. The WUF brings together participants to discuss and readdress the way cities and human settlements are planned, designed, financed, developed, governed and managed. The inclusive nature of the WUF, combined with high-level participation, makes it a unique United Nations conference and the foremost global arena for interaction among policymakers, local government leaders, non-government organizations and expert practitioners and is held in a different host city and country every two years
https://unhabitat.org/un-habitat-extends-the-deadline-for-applications-to-host-the-world-urban-forum-in-2024
European Week of Regions and Cities
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the related health and safety measures, the majority of the 500 sessions will be in fully digital format. Among the exceptions are key events and workshops requiring interpretation, which are going to be organized in a hybrid format (online with a limited physical presence). Some events such as exhibitions and regional tastings can be either digital or physical.
Registration for the 18th European Week of Regions and Cities will open on 27 August 2020.
https://europa.eu/regions-and-cities/news/euregionsweek-2020-spreads-over-3-weeks_en
Tactical Urbanism: An Adaptive Tool for Safe Distancing
When was the last time you walked through the market without being conscious about other people walking close to you or the last time you took a stroll to a neighborhood park without thinking about the hygiene around?
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the world to a standstill. Though many places have come a long way from being locked inside our houses, we are still getting used to the new normal while working towards changing how we engage with spaces and people outdoors.
https://thecityfix.com/blog/tactical-urbanism-adaptive-tool-safe-distancing-rajeev-malagi-prerna-mehta/
The future of proptech is in Abu Dhabi
Anyone who’s been to the UAE or even seen aerial shots of the country knows how quickly the construction and property markets move there, with high-rise buildings and new developments appearing seemingly overnight.
The capital city and largest emirate, Abu Dhabi, is continuing to boom despite Covid-19 putting a halt on sales and even rental property movement. According to a study produced recently by Bayut.com, (a home-grown UAE brand and one of the region’s huge proptech success stories), even with the pandemic, Q1 and Q2 market movement in Abu Dhabi remains at the same level as in 2019, with some regions showing some growth – a positive sign for the UAE economy generally and the property market specifically.
https://www.citymetric.com/future-proptech-abu-dhabi-5216
ITS World Congress Los Angeles 2020 cancelled
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and our prioritization of the health and safety of our global community of ITS professionals, the ITS World Congress 2020 scheduled for October 4-8 in Los Angeles has been cancelled.
We are excited to launch a dynamic virtual event series for the ITS World Congress community. “ITS World Congress ALL-ACCESS,” a digital event series coming this Fall, will be an immersive experience of education sessions, discussion groups, recommended content, solutions and case-studies, a knowledge and resources center, and other online opportunities to connect our global community of intelligent transportation leaders and influencers. We are committed to ensuring that our global community is able to convene virtually to connect, discuss the latest trends in the industry and be at the forefront of recovery and innovation. More details to follow in the next few weeks.
https://www.itsworldcongress2020.com/en-us/press/its-world-congress-los-angeles-2020-news---its-america-2021-atla.html
ECCENTRIC online seminar: clean and efficient urban freight
We live in the world where goods and services have become more available than ever. Yet across Europe and the world, achieving low- and zero-emission urban goods delivery has remained difficult.
However, new clean freight vehicles and fuel technologies, innovative business models and efficient supply chains could be the drivers for achieving more sustainable goods distribution at the local level.
This webinar will introduce work conducted as part of CIVITAS ECCENTRIC for fostering clean and efficient urban logistics, with Stockholm (Sweden) and Madrid (Spain) set to present their innovative solutions.
https://civitas.eu/event/eccentric-online-seminar-clean-and-efficient-urban-freight
The Value of Green Urban Assets
The building boom that’s driving up real estate prices and jamming Seattle with housing and high-rises is also squeezing out and devaluing the city’s green and open spaces. That “progress” presents paradoxes: “Hard assets” provide value temporarily, as they are amortized over their “useful lives”; green, or “soft,” assets are never amortized, and provide value forever. And “progress” has now created a city with one of America’s ten worst heat islands, America’s 6th worst traffic congestion, and some of America’s worst air pollution.
https://www.thenatureofcities.com/2020/08/12/the-value-of-green-urban-assets-and-the-true-costs-of-development/
The Exodus that never happened
The greatest urban myth of the Covid-19 pandemic is that fear of density has triggered an exodus from cities.
The latest data show an increase in interest in dense urban locations.
At City Observatory, we’ve regularly challenged two widely repeated myths about the Corona Virus. The first is that urban density is a cause of Covid-19, and the second, and closely related, is a claim that fear of density in a pandemic era is sending people streaming to the suburbs and beyond.
https://cityobservatory.org/the-exodus-that-never-happened/
WeGO Smart City Driver Workshop I
WeGO launched the Smart City Driver, WeGO’s own project management framework, to help cities plan, finance and deploy their smart city projects through a range of customized smart solutions and by matchmaking with strategic partners that can assist in citywide implementation.
In the 1st workshop of the series, taking place on August 27 from 17:00 to 18:20 KST, the local government members from Cauayan City, Philippines and Kampala City, Uganda, will demonstrate hands-on how to submit projects for the Solution Finder and the Project Implementer, with a live walkthrough from the Secretariat.
http://we-gov.org/wego-smart-city-driver/
Guangzhou Award - Early Bird Submission Deadline
The Guangzhou Award serves as a platform for the sharing and exchange of innovative practices in the local implementation of the SDGs and New Urban Agenda. The Guangzhou Award invites cities or regions to submit ongoing or recently completed innovative initiatives related to the themes highlighted by the SDGs and the commitments of NUA. Cities submitting their application by the early bird deadline have the opportunity to receive feedback and advice on how to improve their submission.
guangzhouaward.org
UITP has published a study on mobility post-COVID-19
UITP, together with consultancy Arthur D. Little, has published a study on the future development of mobility in the light of COVID 19.
The study called “The Future of Mobility Post-COVID-19 – Turning the crisis into an opportunity to accelerate towards more sustainable, resilient and human-centric urban mobility systems” is the result of a large engagement process involving 70 high-level staff. These people represent more than 30 organisations, including transport authorities, mass transit operators, mobility solution providers and other professional bodies.
https://www.uitp.org/sites/default/files/cck-focus-papers-files/ADL_UITP_FoM_Report.pdf
The WHO's tips for cities fighting COVID-19
Cities are central to modern life, hosting a majority of the world's population today as well as crucial economic sectors. As densely populated areas and transport hubs, cities face particular challenges in containing epidemics. They also have assets, often holding considerable medical infrastructure and resources.
With this in mind, the World Health Organization has issued a short publication providing practical information to city governments fighting against the coronavirus, entitled Strengthening Preparedness for COVID-19 in Cities and Urban Settings Interim Guidance for Local Authorities.
https://www.ccre.org/en/actualites/view/4056
Towards ENSUF Final Event 2020
Now available: Result interviews with projects supported in the ERA-NET Cofund Smart Urban Futures (ENSUF call) 2017-2020. In ENSUF, cities and civil society in Europe address urgent and long-term challenges by co-creating ideas and projects. The ENSUF projects are currently preparing for their final event on 29 September 2020. JPI Urban Europe contracted journalist Shafayet Choudhury to help the projects and their partners share their stories.
https://jpi-urbaneurope.eu/news/towards-ensuf-final-event-2020-i-get-the-impression-that-many-of-the-projects-have-created-momentum-for-positive-urban-change/
CIVITAS Living Lab final online event
Over the course of the past four years, the three CIVITAS Living Lab projects – CIVITAS DESTINATIONS, CIVITAS ECCENTRIC and CIVITAS PORTIS – have been testing and demonstrating innovative sustainable urban mobility solutions.
As the projects near their end, the time has come for them to present the exciting results of their work. Join their joint final conference online from 6-20 October to discover what they have been up to.
The event will showcase 175 sustainable urban mobility measures implemented in 16 European cities.
https://civitas.eu/news/save-date-civitas-living-lab-final-online-event
Gentrification in the Intercultural City
– How to Manage and Prevent
The ICC is happy to share the updated Policy Study and the new Policy Brief on the topic of managing gentrification in the intercultural city. The research is based on information shared by member cities within the ICC network, as well as desk research by the ICC expert Mela Social Enterprise. The research is practical, raising the most common challenges faced by cities when it comes to gentrification as well as suggesting a range of policy solutions which have been applied by cities to manage these challenges.
https://www.coe.int/en/web/interculturalcities/-/gentrification-in-the-intercultural-city-how-to-manage-and-prevent
Participatory Incremental Urban Planning Toolbox
The Participatory Incremental Urban Planning (PIUP) Toolbox by UN-Habitat is a step-by-step methodology to assess, design, operationalize and implement urban planning processes. A roadmap is proposed to facilitate the understanding and the accomplishment of all the steps.
https://www.urenio.org/2020/08/01/participatory-incremental-urban-planning-toolbox/
City Managers Days 2020 - Green Infrastructures
The Metropolis City Managers Community is loaded with new and dynamic activities in 2020. This year, Metropolis is fostering the engagement of the top leaders from our membership who are in charge of the day-to-day management of green infrastructure - in the various forms, functions, scales, and impacts that "green" can have in major metropolises.
The 5th edition of the City Managers Community meeting will be celebrated with the City Managers Days 2020, from 17-19 November 2020, in the framework of Smart City Live 2020. On this occasion, representatives from the Metropolis membership engaged in a process initiated online in June will be granted the opportunity to showcase their flagship projects to wider audiences, and get to learn live from the ground of green metropolitan infrastructure projects developed by the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona.
https://www.metropolis.org/agenda/city-managers-days-2020-green-infrastructures
2020 Smart City Mayors' Summit Online
The pandemic of Covid-19 has greatly affected people’s daily lives, governmental operations, and most cities’ economies.
How can technology help the cities to recover?
https://en.smartcity.org.tw/index.php/en-us/smart-city-online
To see how a city embraces remote work, look to Helsinki
When I speak to Anssi Salminen, an account manager who lives an hour outside Helsinki, he’s working from a wooden platform on the edge of a Finnish lake. With a blanket laid out and his laptop set up, the sun low in the sky, Anssi’s remote work arrangement seems blissful.
“I spend around half of my time working somewhere else other than the office,” he says. “I can work from home, or on the go, and I also travel to the Netherlands once a month and work from there.
https://www.citymetric.com/fabric/see-how-city-embraces-remote-work-look-helsinki-5227
Greener, Healthier Cities in the Post-Pandemic
The extensive societal changes brought about by COVID-19 restrictions have given pause for thought on how we can create healthier and more equitable cities as we transition to a new normal. Public health measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 have meant that opportunities to go out and interact with others have been limited, with many of us spending large volumes of time indoors. Physical inactivity, stress and social isolation can have corrosive, persistent impacts on health, and are likely to persist to a greater or lesser extent for the foreseeable future. Urban green spaces provide a resource that can contribute in several important ways to the amelioration of these problems. We propose four recommendations for city planners and policymakers to achieve greener and healthier transitions towards the post COVID-19 era.
https://www.thenatureofcities.com/2020/06/30/four-recommendations-for-greener-healthier-cities-in-the-post-pandemic/
Europe's Cities Fit for Future
As the COVID-19 pandemic turned most local development strategies upside down in a drastic way, 2020 still holds the opportunity to influence an important strategic course in the field of European urban development policy.
The German Association for Housing, Urban and Spatial Development and the German Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community invite you to take part in the web series “Europe’s Cities Fit for Future”.
https://us10.campaign-archive.com/?e=&u=7ec5c63768feeca994bc2ac03&id=8c0cf4030b
Webinar: Greening our cities with district energy
Decarbonisation of the heating and cooling sector is a major challenge to reach carbon neutrality in a near future. One solution is to provide renewable and low carbon heat thanks to district energy. Today’s most advanced 4th and 5th generation district heating and cooling (DHC) systems run at low temperature, allowing less heat loss through pipes, and the use of local heat sources. This means less CO2 emissions and the development of greener local economy.
Despite these advantages, the use of district energy remains low across European countries, especially in the North-West area. However, cities in collaboration with citizens, policy makers and companies can meet the challenge and overcome the policy and organizational barriers to the rollout of this innovative technology.
https://www.eumayors.eu/news-and-events/events/upcoming-events/2390-webinar-greening-our-cities-with-district-energy.html
3 ways to beat the heat in European cities
At the height of summer, the air conditioner is your best friend. But what do you do when blistering hot summer days become more frequent and intense? That’s increasingly the case in many European and Central Asian cities.
The Urban Heat Island effect, or UHI, makes cities more vulnerable to heatwaves. Densely populated, built-up areas tend to be much warmer than their non-urban surroundings for several reasons. Cities have reduced air circulation and are often built with materials known to store heat easily. They also generally lack vegetation, and concentrate heat coming from buildings, factories, and vehicles.
https://blogs.worldbank.org/sustainablecities/3-ways-beat-heat-european-cities
The City Planners' Case for Defunding the Police
More than 650 urban planning professionals signed a letter connecting design decisions to criminal justice outcomes.
A group of several hundred urban planners is calling for the largest U.S. planning organization to support defunding the police.
While this kind of reform may seem in the purview of criminal justice policymakers, the planners lay out in a letter to the American Planning Association how neighborhoods that were racially segregated by a range of planning policies have become further denigrated by police violence and harassment of Black people — and that planners have done little historically to help change this dynamic.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-06/the-city-planners-case-to-defund-the-police?srnd=citylab
Greater & Greener 2021 Call for Speaker Presentations
City Parks Alliance is pleased to announce a call for speaker presentations for Greater & Greener 2021. With the growing importance of urban parks, you have the opportunity to share your work with more than 1000+ park practitioners from around the world. We welcome your ideas and encourage your creativity in proposing presentations.
https://www.greatergreener.org/
MOVE 2021 Speaker Application
We pride ourselves on putting the leading voices from all disciplines and modes on stage at our events. Our presenters are disruptors and visionary industry leaders selected for their relevance, dynamism and insight.
https://www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/move/Apply-to-Speak.stm
The Economics of Remote Work
As the pandemic leads more companies to embrace remote workers, new jobs data explores how a farther-flung workforce expands opportunity.
The pandemic has been a grand global experiment in the costs and benefits of a remote workforce. But long before the coronavirus hit, many people worked from outside offices. A new report that looks at pre-pandemic remote-work data found that allowing off-site work could be a way to direct wealth away from the 15 most expensive U.S. metros, where jobs and opportunity have been concentrated in recent years.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-23/the-effect-of-remote-work-on-america-s-economy?srnd=citylab
Survey on cities' digital policies and initiatives in Europe
To gain a better understanding of cities’ digital agendas for the coming years, the city of Barcelona has launched an online survey. The goal is to map digital policy priorities and identify common topics for cities to join efforts. Share your city’s vision by filling in the survey! The analysed results will be presented during an open session during our yearly Knowledge Society Forum in September.
https://es.surveymonkey.com/r/DigitalpoliciesinEUcities
UITP Global Public Transport Summit date change
With a proud history spanning 135 years, the UITP Global Public Transport Summit is the world’s major platform for public transport professionals.
As we consider the changes happening around the world, we’ve made the joint decision with our local event host The Department of Transport Victoria to move the next edition of the UITP Global Public Transport Summit from 6-9 June 2021 to 14-17 December 2021 at the Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre.
https://uitpsummit.org/
Green Cities Conference 2021 call for papers
Competitive papers or detailed abstracts and proposals for symposia, tutorials and workshops are invited for submission. The submission deadline is January 20, 2021
https://greencitiesconference.com/?page_id=598
Back to Normal? Cities Say, ‘No Thanks’
Just a few months ago, cities around the world were grappling with traffic and transit congestion that appeared to be out of control. New mobility options like ridesharing, e-scooters, and bikeshares took cities by surprise and flooded already crowded urban centers with more vehicles. London implemented a congestion tax to discourage driving in the city center; New York approved a similar plan that is now pending implementation.
Then COVID-19 struck, and city streets were suddenly empty. While many people are pining for the day when we can get ‘back to normal,’ some municipal governments have no intention to do so, at least not in the area of transportation and congestion. Many cities have converted downtown streets to pedestrian- and cycle-only zones to allow people to move with appropriate social distance. Now they want to keep the change.
https://meetingoftheminds.org/back-to-normal-cities-say-no-thanks-33998
How Covid-19 is shifting 'smart city' priorities
From the super-connected urban sprawl of Tokyo to the futuristic skyline of Dubai, digital acceleration had fast become an aspiration for many city authorities long before the Covid-19 crisis hit. The United Nations estimates that 68% of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2050. The pandemic has highlighted the need for accelerated digital city planning and greater communication with citizens for such population levels to be sustainable.
https://www.citymetric.com/business/how-covid-19-shifting-smart-city-priorities-5223
Rapid Cities – Responsive Architectures - online
This virtual conference is the first of two events organised in collaboration with the American University in Dubai. The second fully in-person conference will be held in November 2021 to coincide with the rescheduled Dubai EXPO.
https://architecturemps.com/dubai-2020/
City of Tomorrow - going online
What does the city of tomorrow look like in a post–covid world? How can we make a city like New York healthier? How can we build a more equitable and sustainable future through public policy, infrastructure, urban planning and design? What lessons can policy-makers, developers and designers learn from the crisis? Join us for the 4th annual city of tomorrow, the only B2C and B2b forum uniting key players from the worlds of architecture, real estate, and interior design. This year, for the first time, the summit will be hosted as a virtual program as we convene online the leading voices and visionaries to discuss the topics defining the future of the industry, the city and beyond at this watershed moment.
https://www.92y.org/real-estate-summit.aspx
Ghent and Milan win international car sharing awards
POLIS members Ghent and Milan received international recognition for car-sharing promotion and support policies. The two cities won the CSA Carsharing City Award in the categories ‘regional cities’ (less than 750,000 inhabitants) and ‘metropolitan cities’ (more than 750,000 inhabitants).
https://www.polisnetwork.eu/news/ghent-and-milan-win-international-car-sharing-awards/
Chicago’s Bid to Reinvent the Corner Store
The South Side neighborhood of Englewood puts a healthy food market at the center of a community-led “urban Marshall Plan” built to combat poverty.
When it’s completed, the corner grocery store at 63rd and Racine will look a lot different than the other carryouts and bodegas dotting this section of Englewood, on Chicago’s South Side.
Designed by Wheeler Kearns Architects and developed by local nonprofit Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN), the Go Green Fresh Market will essentially be a miniature supermarket across 3,000 square feet, with heaps of storage and two walk-in fridges. Floor-to-ceiling glass and will open up the store to the streetfront, putting the food on display, where its emphasis on fresh produce will be obvious — a rarity for corner stores in Englewood, or anywhere else.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-31/can-a-better-grocery-store-save-a-neighborhood?srnd=citylab
Intelligent Cities Summit - postponed to 2021
A full 2-day conference with top international municipal leaders sharing what they are doing right now to offer better, more intelligent services to their residents.
From townships to some of the largest municipalities in the world, at this event you may meet, connect and discuss opportunities with people who share your goals.
https://iotevents.ca/event/intelligent-cities-2020/
The Wellbeing Cities Forum - registration open
The Wellbeing Cities Forum ordinarily takes place in Montreal, our host city. Due to the pandemic, however, we are thinking outside the box and going online! On September 15-17, 2020, participants from over 100 cities and 50 countries will be joining us for our three-day, all-virtual program.
https://events.bizzabo.com/wellbeing-cities-forum-2020/
Strengthening resiliency in small tourist-led cities amid Covid-19
The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly affected the entirety of Europe – but realities have differed both between countries and between cities. In this article, we explore the experiences of two smaller URBACT cities – Dubrovnik (HR) and Grosseto (IT) – which are heavily reliant on tourism.
While large cities tend to have greater economic variety to fall back on, smaller European cities that rely on tourism, such as Dubrovnik and Grosseto, have suffered serious economic impacts as that tourism has been cut off. These cities are impacted even in situations where they have escaped the worst of the health
https://urbact.eu/strengthening-resiliency-small-tourist-led-cities-amid-covid-19
100% renewable, your city toolkit
Cities need to think and act beyond their borders, consider the social and technological aspects in urban planning, and harness the ideas and potential of their citizens. These are the main conclusions of the new toolkit 'How can your city become 100% renewable?' launched by the European Green Capital Network.
http://www.eurocities.eu/eurocities/news/100-renewable-your-city-toolkit-WSPO-BRLQ4T
Further archived news available on request from: Kate More |
