NewsMay2020

Urban mobility is going through unprecedented changes during this period. Cities are facing challenges which require unique solutions in no time due to the COVID-19 crisis. In addition to these, local mobility strategies for longer terms must be reviewed and adapted to the new normal. Will connected and automated technologies play a more substantial role in urban mobility? How can we predict their impacts on urban mobility?

https://www.polisnetwork.eu/event/levitate-webinar-on-the-impacts-of-automation-in-urban-transport/

Webinar: How can cities achieve true climate impact?

Today, most cities rely heavily on emissions data to answer such questions. But emissions data comes with several inherent flaws: it is difficult to collect, it comes with a significant time lag, and often lacks precision. Therefore, emissions data has a limited use if we want to know the impact of our policies, or the overall speed of our climate transition.

This webinar will introduce you to a new approach on how to tackle the climate challenge - using transition targets. The method breaks down overarching climate goals into tangible and measurable targets. The approach unlocks valuable data on the actual performance of cities and regions’ climate transition, and provides insights that are actionable in the local context.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-can-cities-achieve-true-climate-impact-registration-104941272170

Urban poverty and the pandemic

Covid-19 is not only a health crisis – it is also a social and economic crisis, that is hitting poorest people hardest. In this article, we explore what this could mean for URBACT’s efforts to support local solutions for addressing urban poverty.

We already knew that poverty is multidimensional and URBACT had been working on a paper calling for a reinforced approach for tackling urban poverty long before Covid-19.

But now, inequalities are increasing and becoming more visible. Differences in the quality of people’s jobs and their housing are exacerbating quality of life differences between rich and poor during lockdown. Even more seriously, there is evidence that poorer communities are more at risk from Covid infections and death.

https://urbact.eu/urban-poverty-and-pandemic

Public transport in 2030: why the future commute is electric

The coronavirus pandemic has focused minds on the environment, travel and our lifestyles. These are the apps, vehicles and working patterns that look set to shape the future

https://www.standard.co.uk/futurelondon/cleanair/public-transport-2030-electric-a4444636.html

Trees, People and the Built Environment moves to 2021

In light of recent advice from the government and WHO, the University of Birmingham has cancelled all events due to be held on their premises, including Trees, People and the Built Environment 4 which was due to be held next month. We can only apologise for any inconvenience caused but I’m sure you understand this decision – the well-being of our members, delegates and speakers must take priority.

The good news, however, is that we have a confirmed date for a rescheduled conference with renewed commitment from the Chair and many of our keynote speakers. The conference will now take place on the 3rd & 4th February 2021 at the University of Birmingham.

https://www.charteredforesters.org/event/trees-people-built-environment-4/

inOut: Let’s design new mobility solutions: postponed

Initiated by the Metropole of Rennes, inOut is a unique initiative around new mobility. inOut brings together everyone who wants to invent and explore tomorrow’s mobility. How? By acting as an information hub, experimentation platform, network of key stakeholders and professionals – through the [IN] – and test area for all citizens to learn and experience new mobility solutions – through the [OUT] (free event).

The event, scheduled for 2020, has been postponed to 8th April 2021

https://inout.rennes.fr/en/

Elevators Changed Cities. Will Coronavirus Change Elevators?

Of the many stressful spaces in a coronavirus-stricken city, elevators are among the most fraught. All but the fanciest require touching germy surfaces to operate and present the risk of other people squeezing in at any time. Even empty cars can harbor Covid-19 pathogens: A recent model of a hypothetical elevator ride showed that viral droplets can linger in the air well after an infected person exits.

https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2020/05/elevator-anxiety-coronavirus-health-risks-design-history/611032/

A functional city’s response to COVID-19

Cities are currently being tested to the extreme with the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).

Simultaneously a health crisis, social crisis, and economic crisis, COVID-19 is laying bare how well cities are planned and managed. Its impact is showing the extent to which each city is able to function – or not – especially during times of crisis.

https://blogs.worldbank.org/sustainablecities/functional-citys-response-covid-19-pandemic

Mannheim2020 goes online

If this year has taught us anything, it is that the old saying rings true: “the only constant in life is change.” And so, we adapt: Mannheim2020 is going online! Join us to be part of taking transformation forward.

The online format makes Mannheim2020 more accessible. Registration is open to even more participants, the conference is now free of charge and provides interactive features for networking and discussions.

https://conferences.sustainablecities.eu/mannheim-2020

Stormwater 2020 - new dates

On behalf of Stormwater Australia and the Conference Working Group, we invite you to join us at STORMWATER 2021, the 6th National Conference on Urban Water Management convened by Stormwater Australia, to be held from Wednesday, 14th to Friday, 16th April at the Crown Promenade Melbourne, VIC.

With over 300 delegates anticipated, it will be the one stop shop for industry professionals looking to keep abreast of contemporary practice, share ideas with their peers and make new contacts that can be invaluable in their everyday work.

https://www.stormwater2020.com.au/

Coming soon to cities: PPE vending machines

Late last month, an unusual vending machine appeared in New York City. Passersby stopped, took photos, and peered into the machine, which is located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, near the Williamsburg Bridge.

It's the first PPE vending machine in New York, a natural move born out of the coronavirus crisis. Wedged between two glass windows of a vacant storefront at 156 Delancey Street, the machine offers KN95-type masks for $4 each.

https://www.citymetric.com/transport/coming-soon-cities-everywhere-ppe-mask-vending-machines-5124

Reopening Our Cities in the Midst of COVID-19

Whether you live in a city that is still in the thick of lockdown procedures, or one that is beginning the cautious transition back to some semblance of “normalcy,” now is the time to think about what the reopening process will look like for your community. Be it from a top-down or bottom-up perspective, community engagement and insight-gathering can, and should, play an essential role in the process. This is an uncertain time, there is no blueprint, and we will need to rely on community-led and evidence-based solutions in rebuilding efforts now, and in the phased economic recovery process in the future.

https://meetingoftheminds.org/reopening-our-cities-in-the-midst-of-covid-19-calls-for-inclusive-community-engagement-33649

Next VIRTUAL CORP

After the success of the first edition of VIRTUAL CORP and lots of positive response we are glad to announce VIRTUAL CORP 2020, Episode #2, which will take place on 9 June 2020 from 15:00 to 17:00 CEST (UTC+2).

State-of-the-art Technologies in Urban and Spatial Planning, Architecture and Construction

https://virtual.corp.at/

Urban Mobility Days 2020 to be digital event

In light of the ongoing uncertainty around the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic the European Commission's Urban Mobility Days Conference in 2020 will be held as a fully digital event.

Previously intended to take place as a three-day conference in Brussels from 29 September to 1 October, the event's new online format will enable participants to join debates and exchange expertise on the most important urban mobility topics safely from their own desks.

https://www.eltis.org/participate/events/urban-mobility-days

Car sharing operators develop plans to recover after the COVID-19 crisis

With many cities responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by facilitating walking and cycling, less attention has been paid to car sharing. Car sharing operators in Italy are planning their recovery.

Prior to the pandemic, car sharing was increasing in popularity. However, the impact of the pandemic on the car sharing sector has been huge. In Milan, the demand for car sharing services began to decline towards the end of February, with a drop of 26% over a single week. Two months later, demand is now down to 90% below pre-pandemic levels. This means that, whereas before the Covid-19 emergency, each car was driven by ten different users a day, today it is only one.

https://www.eltis.org/in-brief/news/car-sharing-operators-develop-plans-recover-after-covid-19-crisis

States and Cities Tackle Cybersecurity Concerns

The pandemic has generated another round of work by states to craft some kind of tracking app that doesn’t violate privacy rules. Meanwhile, policymakers have turned their attention to cybercrimes and surveillance.

https://www.governing.com/States-and-Cities-Tackle-a-Multitude-of-Cybersecurity-Concerns.html

Virtural Urban Mobility Workshop

Participate in the first-ever edition of the The Virtural Urban Mobility Workshops this Wednesday, 27 May at 5:00 pm (CEST).

With cities around the world exiting COVID-19 lockdowns, there is now a new, crucial curve to flatten: public transit commuting during peak hours. But how?

Join our panel of experts from Moovit, POLIS, Transport for Greater Manchester and Keolis to take part in an interactive discussion exploring the latest innovative, data-driven technical and political solutions designed to keep you safe both above and below ground.

https://www.bigmarker.com/urban-mobility-company/Commuting-With-COVID-Keeping-You-Safe-With-Data

European Urban Resilience Forum - Online

This edition will also look to the future: Europe has just entered a new and decisive decade, including a new scientific and policy cycle, the European Green Deal launched in late 2019 and corresponding 2050 climate neutrality targets,all in line with the Paris Agreement goals.

Despite the temporary shift online, we aim to keep the Forum’s informative, open and interactive format. Expect lively and dynamic discussions with speakers from European cities and regions, policy institutions, research and the private sector.

Participants are encouraged to share experience and points of view on diverse topics, reflecting on challenges for local urban adaptation, while exploring potential solutions and opportunities for future collaboration.

Registration: www.urbanresilienceforum.eu

6 Ways to Make City Streets Safer for Pedestrians

For many city leaders, more cars and more highways mean better transportation. And during the current pandemic, fear of COVID-19’s spread is pushing some to turn to private vehicles. But a safe, sustainable transport future does not include further dependence on cars, as the rising global trend of pedestrian fatalities, congested and disconnected urban growth, air pollution, and climate emissions makes clear.

https://thecityfix.com/blog/6-ways-make-city-streets-safer-pedestrians-nikita-luke/

A New and Better Normal for Urban Mobility in Indonesia

Indonesia is not spared from the COVID-19 global pandemic. For urban mobility planners, however, this unfortunate pandemic presents a unique opportunity to reflect on our public transport efficiency and resiliency strategies and shape a new and better normal.

https://www.urbanet.info/urban-mobility-in-indonesia/

JPI Urban Europe Policy Conference 2020

JPI Urban Europe’s 5th policy conference in Brussels is a forum to exchange on the opportunities for, and needs of, cities and urban municipalities in the coming transformation. Get inspired and join the conference sessions about impact, peer-to-peer learning, and connecting research and innovation with local action.

https://jpi-urbaneurope.eu/event-calendar/std-pc2020/

Autonomy Digital 2020

The Autonomy trade show is heading into it’s fifth edition this November and this year it’s going digital. Autonomy has long been the world’s largest Business to Business and Business to Government urban mobility event and this new digital edition will be no different!

Understanding that during this COVID-19 crisis, clients still want to do business, to communicate and to network but are being impeded by restricted travel and reduced events budgets, Autonomy has developed a high value offer at a lower cost of participation.

Featuring exhibition stands, product demonstrations, the Industry Talks conference program, the Funding the Movement pitch program and a high-tech meetings platform, by participating your company will be able to reach and engage with corporates, policymakers, VCs and startups from every corner of the world.

https://urbanmobilitycompany.com/offers/#offer-autonomy-2020

One Approach for Cities to Recoup Lost Revenues Due to COVID-19

We’re all struggling to stay oriented given the dizzying, dramatic changes that Covid-19 has injected into every facet of our daily life. For many cities and counties, stay-at-home orders have created an alarming shortfall in one of their key revenue sources: sales tax.

But there are other incremental revenue opportunities that cities can explore, and now may be the time to do so. One possibility for cities to seriously consider is monetizing their vast stores and numerous types of data. And this isn’t only for huge cities; municipalities of all sizes possess data that can be monetized.

https://meetingoftheminds.org/saving-our-cities-one-approach-to-recouping-lost-revenues-33604

The City At Stake

How will we live in cities, now that we can no longer live in them as before? The future of the city is at risk on three levels: physical, political, philosophical.

https://newcities.org/the-big-picture-the-city-at-stake/

2020 International Trolleybus event - uncertain

A word about our planned international trolleybus conference. Against the background of the aftermath of the pandemic, it is currently still unclear whether and in what form our conference can take place. We are also working on this with our members and will inform you promptly.

https://www.trolleymotion.eu/

Postponement: IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition

Due to the unprecedented situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, the IWA Board of Directors has agreed that our next IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition should be postponed and it will now take place on 9-14 May 2021.

It will still be held in the wonderful city of Copenhagen.

https://worldwatercongress.org/

The Hidden Wealth of Cities

Globally, about one-third of a city’s land area is covered by public spaces—ranging from city streets, neighborhood squares, parks to public facilities such as libraries and markets.

Despite this significance, the potential of public-space assets—typically owned and managed by local governments—to transform cities and improve urban life is often overlooked for many reasons: poor and ad hoc urban planning, financial constraints, and other pressing priorities arising from rapid urbanization. The resulting degradation of public spaces into congested, vehicle-dominated, and polluted places often becomes a liability, creating a downward spiral that drains public resources and exacerbating various city problems.

https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/urbandevelopment/publication/the-hidden-wealth-of-cities-creating-financing-and-managing-public-spaces

The most resilient cities are the ones that listen

I have spent the better part of the past 10 years working with cities across the world, helping them to become more resilient – in many cases to the impacts of climate change, but also to other disruptions such as earthquakes, financial crises or disease outbreak – by analysing the underlying causes to their most pressing challenges, and developing strategies to tackle them. A common thread throughout my experience is that cities can only succeed in achieving their goals of becoming more sustainable, resilient or inclusive if they listen and respond to their citizens’ needs and have a trusted relationship with them.

https://www.citymetric.com/horizons/most-resilient-cities-are-ones-listen-5113

Watch the Latest CTBUH Webinar on the Urban-Pandemic Challenge

CTBUH would like to thank the 366 participants from 44 countries that joined us online for an insightful discussion on the potential future of dense cities with respect to the current pandemic. The event collected over US$3,100 with proceeds donated to the W.H.O.’s COVID-19 Response Fund. Watch the vibrant discussion online now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwvBgefQ4n0&list=PLxV82ri0fqfNJgICep79eKhd_JVO5dTp0

Webinar on smart city delivery models

The current COVID-19 crisis illustrates why cities should avoid relying on a single model to support smart city ambitions. In times of great market uncertainty it is helpful to have a mix of funding, procurement and delivery strategies to spread the risk between different actors and avoid dependency on single providers/funders who might reconsider during disruptive periods.

The webinar will include real life examples from panelists, who will share their experience of each delivery model.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4091287571373544203

Rome responds to COVID-19 with 150 kilometres of cycle routes

Last week, Rome’s city council approved the construction of 150 kilometers of temporary and permanent cycle routes along the city’s main streets and other key routes. The city is a "Future Cycling Capital" in CIVITAS Handshake.

With the Italian capital only beginning to emerge from a long and intense lockdown, local authorities consider cycling an effective way for residents to remain mobile whilst adhering to the physical distancing rules in place to combat COVID-19.

https://civitas.eu/news/rome-responds-covid-19-150-kilometres-cycle-routes

This crisis will reshape the way we understand city living

Tel Aviv Foundation’s CEO says city leaders need to listen and be patient to learn from the current crisis. Also, the large events and crowds won’t be back for some time, but that could be a good thing

https://citiesofthefuture.eu/this-crisis-will-reshape-the-way-we-understand-city-living/

Webinar: Driving Urban Transitions to a Sustainable Future

Stakeholders and experts from all over Europe joined the first ever virtual AGORA to help identify priorities and actions to step up the game in urban transitions. With the help of four different digital tools, participants created direction for dilemma-driven and impactful R&I. Missed your spot? Join the webinar on 18 June where we present the state of play of the Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) Programme and the outcomes of the fully booked AGORA workshops. Tune in and have a say on the draft implementation concept.

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LPf4r6TQS8e-5HmYpZXYaA

Urban Mobility Green Deal-Makers Summit

Cities and regions taking action!

Cities and regions are invited to present their contributions and commitments to sustainable mobility in the EU Green Deal.

The climate challenge offers a unique opportunity to foster a much needed transition in urban mobility. The EU Green Deal provides the framework for a new growth strategy that transforms the Union into a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy. Transport makes up a big part of Europe’s carbon emissions. Local and regional governments are taking action to make Europe’s urban transport systems become more sustainable, safe, equitable and competitive.

POLIS - the leading network of European cities and regions committed to innovation in urban mobility and transport – invites its members to present their concrete, successful urban mobility actions at the 2020 Polis Annual Conference (Arnhem-Nijmegen, NL – 2-3 December).

https://www.polisnetwork.eu/event/urban-mobility-green-deal-makers-summit-cities-and-regions-taking-action/

COVID-19: The Challenges of Urban Refugees

In Arua, Uganda, the lack of accurate data and the COVID19 measures are seriously affecting refugees’ access to food and health care, with already overstretched public services.

https://www.citiesalliance.org/newsroom/news/cities-alliance-news/covid-19-challenges-urban-refugees

European Commission's guidance on urban mobility

The European Commission has released guidance on how to safely resume travel and tourism as COVID-19 restrictions begin to soften. As part of this, the Commission is encouraging and supporting the progress of new urban mobility solutions, such as extending pavements and bicycles paths or even adapting timetables.

Even though public transport has continued to run in many cities, measures to ensure safety will be necessary as passenger numbers begin to rise.

https://www.eltis.org/in-brief/news/european-commissions-guidance-urban-mobility

Webinar: How can cities achieve true climate impact?

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-can-cities-achieve-true-climate-impact-registration-104941272170

ReVeAL Webinar: ReVeALing Space for People

On May 26, 2020, the ReVeAL project is organizing the webinar “ReVeALing Space for People: Developing Good Practice in Urban Vehicle Access Regulations”.

The ReVeAL project is looking at how cities can successfully regulate vehicle access in order to create more attractive places for people and business.

By joining the webinar, attendees will find out what kinds of access regulation measures are possible and what cross-cutting factors play a role in any successful implementation.

https://civitas-reveal.eu/partners/join-us-online-reveal-webinar-on-may-26/

COVID-19 impacts on 2020’s mobility trends

In the last few months, the coronavirus outbreak has completely modified our daily life and transportation habits. As physical distancing measures need to be respected to avoid spreading the virus, shared mobility, including public transport has been radically impacted. In this context, Carol Schweiger, President of Schweiger Consulting and Chairperson of the New England Intelligent Transportation Society, suggests modifications to her 2020 mobility trend predictions presented in February when the full consequences of COVID-19 were not yet apparent.

https://www.eltis.org/in-brief/news/covid-19-impacts-2020s-mobility-trends

Urban poverty and the pandemic

It's not just a health crisis we are living.

We already knew that poverty is multidimensional and URBACT had been working on a paper calling for a reinforced approach for tackling urban poverty long before Covid-19.

https://urbact.eu/urban-poverty-and-pandemic

Join us at the 1st Forum of Mayors

UNECE convenes its 2020 Forum of Mayors on City Action for a Resilient Future on 6 October 2020 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The Forum provides an occasion for countries and cities to be side by side to discuss how they can better adapt, prepare and respond to emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as local responses to the effects of climate change and disasters. The 2020 Forum of Mayors will not only be the first for the United Nations but it is also happening on its 75th anniversary. Join us to be part of this historic event!

http://www.unece.org/housing/forumofmayors2020.html

DARING CITIES 2020

The Global Virtual Forum for Urban Leaders Taking on the Climate Emergency

A new virtual experience for urban leaders tackling the climate emergency in the time of Covid-19

In light of the ongoing developments around the COVID-19 pandemic, ICLEI and the Federal City of Bonn are transforming Daring Cities 2020 into a virtual, global forum on climate change for urban leaders tackling the climate emergency, especially in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

https://daringcities.org/

Will COVID-19 Make Us Think of Cities Differently?

SARS-CoV-2, or ‘COVID-19’, is quite a formidable foe. Easily transmissible, low-mortality rate, the flu-like virus spread across national borders and social strata with little discrimination. Cities and urban thinking might be fundamentally affected by the present reality of quarantine, social distancing, and global dis-connection. Will all of this drive a change in the way we plan and govern cities?The crisis did not come without warning. SARS and H5N1 (2003), H1N1 (2009), MERS (2012), Ebola (2014), Zika (2016), all regularly reminded us of the eventuality we are now living. What is more is that, from an urban planning perspective, they spoke volumes to, for instance, understand the important role of cities in networking disease, impacting those living in disadvantaged realities, and the shared nature of our contemporary global urban system.

https://newcities.org/the-big-picture-will-covid-19-make-us-think-cities-differently/

Singapore launches new open innovation call to tackle covid-19 challenges and beyond

The Innovation Call, with the theme of “COVID-19 & Beyond – Innovation for Social Good”, seeks to develop solutions to address the challenges faced by our most vulnerable Singaporeans and businesses

The Infocomm Media Development Authority’s (“IMDA”) Open Innovation Platform (“OIP”) today launched a special Innovation Call to tackle challenges during and after COVID-19. The Innovation Call, with the theme of “COVID-19 & Beyond – Innovation for Social Good”, seeks to develop solutions to address the challenges faced by our most vulnerable Singaporeans and businesses.

https://www.thesmartcityjournal.com/en/covid-19/2104-singapore-launches-new-open-innovation-call-to-tackle-covid-19-challenges-and-beyond

Metropolis webinar: Commuting across metropolises

This webinar brings together experts in mobility from different sectors to exchange their experience and point of view in the coordination of diverse stakeholders in order to deliver safe and affordable mobility that covers the needs of citizens living in vast metropolitan areas, leaving no one behind and contributing to the achievement of the Global Goals.

https://www.metropolis.org/agenda/metropolis-webinar-commuting-across-metropolises

International Conference: Tackling Inequalities at the local level

In cooperation with the Development and Peace Foundation, the city of Berlin organizes the International Conference "Implementing SDG 10 - Tackling Inequalities at the Local Level". The Conference is aimed at policymakers and administration, social startups, and civil society organizations.

https://www.metropolis.org/agenda/international-conference-tackling-inequalities-local-level

Biking Provides a Critical Lifeline During Crisis

As the world works to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 3.9 billion people are under full or partial lockdown orders, as of mid-April. Cities have curtailed many public transit operations because of declining ridership and health concerns. While these measures are essential for preventing the spread of the disease, they present challenges for the many people who still need to get around cities for essential tasks like buying food or caring for a loved one. And mobility for essential workers like health care providers is more important than ever.

https://thecityfix.com/blog/coronavirus-biking-critical-in-cities-alejandro-schwedhelm-wei-li-lucas-harms-claudia-adriazola-steil/

Is Reopening an Economy Worth the Lives of Its Workers?

We shouldn't be casually equating the health of the economy with the health of the desperate, helpless people who labor on the front lines.

Public officials often must make life and death decisions, and rarely has that been more true than now that the coronavirus has disrupted our financial, physical and emotional lives. But in moving to rev and open up state and local economies, they should not be guided by economics alone. They must also be guided by moral values and a belief that all of human life is precious.

https://www.governing.com/now/Is-Reopening-an-Economy-Worth-the-Lives-of-Its-Workers.html

Smart Cities Summit Online

How do cities plan for population growth whilst meeting carbon reduction plans? What can city leaders do to ensure that the next stage of city development is inclusive & improves liveability? How can cities prepare for a post COVID-19 world?

Just some of the questions that will be up for discussion & debate at the first edition of Smart Cities Sofa Summit.

Bringing together city leaders from across the globe to showcase how smarter cities will lead the way to a healthier & more sustainable future.

https://www.sofasummits.com/smart-cities

V. International City Planning and Urban Design Conference - Online

In response to travel and meeting difficulties posed by the Coronavirus, we would like to adapt the circumstances by changing our Registration categories. VIRTUAL OPTIONS (Live Connection|Pre-recorded video | Short films | Powerpoint Presentation | Written Papers) and POSTER OPTIONS (JPG | PDF) will be integrated into the In-Person Conference if public health regulations will allow at the time. Otherwise, the conference will be held completely online, with options to present live or with a prerecorded presentation.

https://www.dakamconferences.org/cpud

The pandemic is pushing US city budgets into a new age of austerity

2020 was supposed to be the year when Philadelphia finally cleaned up its act.

Notorious for being one of the most litter-strewn cities in America, the country’s sixth largest city planned to introduce a street sweeping program. That announcement was one of the biggest applause lines in Mayor Jim Kenney’s 5 March budget address, where he unveiled an ambitious agenda for his second term in office and framed the success of the city as an antidote to gridlock in state and federal governments.

https://www.citymetric.com/politics/coronavirus-city-budget-cuts-jobs-stimulus-5052

Public Space & Public Life during COVID 19

What can be said about Covid-19 that hasn’t been said already? Rather than simply talking and writing about the pandemic, Gehl staff wants to share the lived experience of it. With the support of Realdania and the City of Copenhagen, they worked with 60 surveyors in 4 cities in Denmark to observe and understand how streets and public spaces, parks and playgrounds are serving the very unique needs of the communities during this pandemic. The first results are listed in this report, both in terms of snapshots of public life during the “lock-down” as well as highlights of the collected data.

https://www.urenio.org/2020/05/06/new-report-public-space-public-life-during-covid-19/

World Cities Summit postponed to 2021

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the organisers of the World Cities Summit (WCS), Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) and CleanEnviro Summit Singapore (CESG) have been monitoring the situation closely.

The safety and well-being of our participants and our wider communities are our first priority. With COVID-19 declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation, Singapore and countries worldwide have implemented various restrictions, including on travel and large-scale events. Based on these considerations, we have taken the collective decision to reschedule the three events to 20 – 24 June 2021.

https://www.worldcitiessummit.com.sg/

City Health International 2020 - now online

As you know, we had to make the difficult decision to cancel the 10th City Health International (CHI2020) conference, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although we are unable to hold the conference as originally envisaged, we would now like to invite you to take part in a small, one-day virtual version of CHI. It’s free to attend and it’s open to everyone. In this era of misinformation and fake news, it is more important than ever to deliver evidence-based public health information. We are grateful to our dedicated speakers for their support in making this event happen.

https://cityhealthinternational.org/

China’s Transport Sector Working to Recover from Lockdowns

Ghost-like cities with deserted metro cars and empty buses have been a vivid manifestation of how COVID-19 has affected society worldwide. As elsewhere, public transport ridership in Chinese cities dipped precipitously during the early days of the pandemic. But as the outbreak in China has been gradually contained and people begin to return to work, China’s cities are re-opening transport systems and finding that the extended lockdown period both accelerated and ushered in new changes across the sector.

https://thecityfix.com/blog/3-ways-chinas-transport-sector-working-recover-covid-19-lockdowns/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=wrirosscities&utm_campaign=socialmedia&utm_term=e813ee62-7b68-4609-81e9-284171508dfb

Data Fluency is an Antidote to Fear and Apathy

One of the things I’ve noticed during this current moment of sheltering-in-place is the barrage of data permeating my news feeds and daily conversations. Every morning, the lead item on my daily doom scroll is a map of confirmed cases, death tolls, and lately, mercifully; recovered patients (all examples of data). In the U.S., urban communities of color are hot zones, drawing new attention to long-standing community inequity (data). Unemployment is skyrocketing (data), and small businesses are struggling (data). Population (data) is necessary to calculate the rate of spread, and apparently, so might be sewage surveillance (biological data). Political, economic, and civic discourse highlights the conditions (data) that must be in place to begin reentry. Countries that have been successful flattening their curves (data visualization) have been conducting mass tests and contact tracing with various privacy implications (data collection and personally identifiable information/PII). Medical staff are sharing information about potential treatments like proning that seem to help (anecdotal, best practice data).

https://meetingoftheminds.org/data-fluency-is-an-antidote-to-fear-and-apathy-33538

Walk/Bike/Places still going ahead

Held every two years, Walk/Bike/Places is a unique conference experience that combines experiential learning from walking and biking the streets of the host city, and learning from its most vibrant places, with nearly 100 expert-led breakout sessions and locally-led workshops. The conference is produced by Project for Public Spaces.

https://www.walkbikeplaces.org/

10th Child in the City World Conference in Dublin postponed to 2021

15-17 September 2020 Child in the City organises a webinar

In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, we have taken the decision to postpone this autumn’s Child in the City Conference in Dublin. We know that you, our loyal supporters will understand that while the world continues to deal with the far-reaching effects of the coronavirus pandemic, this was a regrettable, but unavoidable decision which we had to take.

While it is our intention to postpone the event until the second half of 2021, we also plan to organise a webinar to take place when the original conference would have been held, which is 15-17 September.

https://www.childinthecity.org/2020-conference/

Sidewalk Labs pulls the plug on Toronto smart city development

The Toronto waterfront won’t be transformed into a Google-affiliated smart city after all.

Sidewalk Labs, the urban innovations unit within Google’s parent company Alphabet, announced Thursday that it is pulling the plug on its plans to redevelop a long-neglected section of Toronto’s Inner Harbour.

“As unprecedented economic uncertainty has set in around the world and in the Toronto real estate market, it has become too difficult to make the 12-acre project financially viable without sacrificing core parts of the plan,” Sidewalk Labs CEO Dan Doctoroff wrote in a statement.

https://www.citymetric.com/topic/covid19#update-5070

Density is not Destiny: Covid in Cascadia

One of the densest cities in North America has recorded relatively few Covid-19 cases.

There’s a popular theory going around–unfortunately being propagated by the Governor of New York–that somehow density is to blame for the spread of Covid-19. There’s little question that New York is the epicenter of the pandemic (pandemicenter?) and it is, famously, America’s densest city. But if density were the main factor, or even a consistent one, you would expect to find it driving the pandemic in other dense cities as well.

http://cityobservatory.org/density-is-not-destiny-covid-in-cascadia/

Cooperating in a crisis: A webconference series for local authorities

Efus invites you every Tuesday and Thursday at 2pm for a series of one hour thematic webconferences.

Moderated by our team with contributions of one or more local actors and experts, these online debates will be the opportunity to share your experiences of the crisis.

https://efus.eu/en/topics/activity/18905/

Smart City Expo Atlanta – New Dates Announced

With cities and whole systems transforming, we too, have been exploring our new normal—both digitally and physically. We are pleased to announce that we will be reformatting our 2020 event into a powerful year-long digital series called Redefining Smart.

The Redefining Smart series will feature global luminaries and changemakers talking about post-pandemic mobility, future of work, infrastructure, digital inclusion, security, sustainability, and technologies from A.I., predictive analytics, and sensors to dashboards, broadband, the edge, and open data. The series begins in a few weeks, and a schedule of speakers and topics will be announced soon.

This year-long series, designed to maximize collaboration and impact across all sectors, will culminate in our annual Smart City Expo Atlanta conference taking place on June 9-10, 2021.

https://smartcityexpoatlanta.com/

What Happens to Democracy When Schools Close

A forthcoming book documents how politically active communities became disengaged after local schools were shuttered. Now, more schools may face permanent closure.

In 2013, Chicago and Philadelphia together closed a record number of public schools, displacing more than 20,000 students, 90% of whom were low-income African-American and Latino. Their parents aggressively fought these school closures, saying they crumbled neighborhood anchor institutions while leaving their children feeling undervalued. But districts were undeterred, citing financial strains, low enrollment, and poor achievement.

https://www.citylab.com/equity/2020/05/closed-schools-impact-book-budget-policies-sally-afia-nuamah/610897/

Exploring the gendered impacts of Covid-19

The need for more gender equal cities was already recognised as a priority for URBACT and its stakeholders before the coronavirus crisis hit. But the current dramatic situation lends increased urgency to the call to action. In this article, we explore some of the gender impacts of the crisis so far, and what the long-term impacts could be on the push for gender equality.

https://urbact.eu/exploring-gendered-impacts-covid-19

IT-TRANS 2020 | Free webinar on optimising public transport resources during the corona crisis

To help advance the sector during these challenging times, UITP and Messe Karlsruhe will be running a series of regular E-Market Update Webinars with leading industry suppliers creating innovative solutions. The first webinar will be held on Tuesday, 12 May, 13:00 (CET, Berlin). Three industry experts will discuss some of the latest innovative tools and solutions for optimising public transport resources during the current crisis.

All experts will also share their experience and knowledge at IT-TRANS, which will take place in Karlsruhe from December 1 to 3, 2020.

https://efficy.uitp.org/onlinereg/?e=6728&ext=1&p=-1&rk=online

Webinar TOD placemaking and station area planning

June 9 - 1pm EDT / 1 Hour

Learn the key principles and best practices of creating great places, lively districts, and a synergistic mix of uses. Learn the many ways cities, planning agencies, and rail stations are encouraging quality, walkable, mixed-use environments and great public spaces.

http://www.tod.org/webinarplacemaking.html

Housing Must be at the Center of COVID-19 Response

Housing and basic services and their centrality to health outcomes is no longer viewed as separate areas but part of the broader housing system in the current COVID-19 pandemic. More than ever we have learnt how central our human settlements are and how they need to be supported with integrated and tailored responses. This paper discusses housing issues at the centre of our coronavirus response and how housing topics will dominate post COVID-19 urban agedna.

https://www.urbangateway.org/system/files/housing_at_the_center_of_covid_19_response.pdf

A functional city’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Cities are currently being tested to the extreme with the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).

https://blogs.worldbank.org/sustainablecities/functional-citys-response-covid-19-pandemic

POLIS launches webinar series on post-lockdown mobility

We will be running a webinar series exclusively for Polis members on COVID-19 and mobility, with a specific focus on planning mobility for post-lockdown.

We will hear from cities across Europe that have begun to formulate plans for when lockdown measures are eased. We will also identify potential threats as well as opportunities resulting from this crisis, and explore how we can mitigate negative aspects while building on the good things that are happening from a sustainable mobility perspective.

https://www.polisnetwork.eu/news/post-lockdown-mobility-a-covid-19-webinar-series-for-polis-members/

Urbanism Next Europe: Moving ahead, to Spring 2021!

As a consequence of the COVID-19 outbreak and for the best interest of Participants, Speakers, Sponsors and Partners, Polis Network, the Urbanism Next Center at the University of Oregon, the New Urban Mobility Alliance NUMO and the Netherlands Organisation for applied scientific research TNO, as well as the City of Rotterdam and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, have collectively decided to postpone Urbanism Next Europe to Spring 2021.

https://europe.urbanismnext.org/

Italian cities plan to maintain reduced car use

Italian cities are looking to capitalise on the reduced car use resulting from the Covid-19 outbreak by taking action to improve mobility and ensure public safety.

The north of Italy is one of Europe’s most polluted areas and has also been notably hard hit by the Covid-19 outbreak. Due to the nationwide lockdown, car travel has dropped by 30-75%, which has also resulted in a large drop in air pollution. Now, as cities consider easing their lockdown measures, officials are seeking to prevent a significant increase in private motorised traffic and air pollution. In this context, there is a recognition that public transport could struggle as requirements to maintain social distancing need to be followed and people are likely to be wary of sharing enclosed spaces.

https://www.eltis.org/in-brief/news/italian-cities-announce-plans-maintain-reduced-car-use-after-lock-down

Transnational cooperation and Smart Cities in practice

You can now access a new online report: a synthesis of the ERA-NET Cofund Smart Cities and Communities (ENSCC) call. Learn more about how the challenge of transnational cooperation for European Smart City development played out in practice, and what the call legacy means for future initiatives. You can also find out how you as a city represenative or policymaker can use the findings!

https://jpi-urbaneurope.eu/news/transnational-cooperation-and-smart-cities-in-practice-read-the-lessons-learned-from-the-era-net-cofund-smart-cities-and-communities-call/

REAL CORP 2020 Proceedings online, VIRTUAL CORP contents available

we have published our conference proceedings in best REAL CORP tradition already before the conference date – even if the conference has not yet taken place at that date because we have postponed it to September due to the current situation.

You will find the proceedings on our website at https://programm.corp.at/cdrom2020

Rotterdam to Host European EV Charging Summit 2020

Following the success of last year’s event in London, ACI is delighted to announce the second edition of our European EV Charging Summit due to take place in Rotterdam, the Netherlands on the 1st & 2nd September 2020

The two day event will bring together key industry stakeholders from all facets of the EV Charging industry to discuss the required infrastructural innovations and the most profitable strategies for a cleaner and sustainable future.

https://www.wplgroup.com/aci/event/evcharging-summit/

The Need to Document How We’re Confronting the Pandemic

Governments that keep a daily record of obstacles they are encountering and steps they are taking — those that work and those that don't — will be in a better position to weather the next crisis.

https://www.governing.com/now/The-Need-to-Document-How-Were-Confronting-the-Pandemic.html

When People Are Forced to Become Heroes

The idea of the hero stems from antiquity, heroes protect the rest of us from danger and allow us to continue living our comfortable lives. But, what happens when one is thrown into heroism without being asked?

https://citiesofthefuture.eu/when-people-are-forced-to-become-heroes/

City Dialogue on mobility measures - Highlights

Given the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on our cities, and specifically its implications for sustainable urban mobility, on 22 April 2020, EUROCITIES organised a city-to-city online dialogue on mobility measures currently adopted in European cities in response to COVID-19.

During the city dialogue we had the chance to discuss how to keep a balance between safety measures to tackle the COVID-19 health crisis and promoting sustainable mobility in these challenging times.

http://www.eurocities.eu/eurocities/news/COVID-19-City-Dialogue-on-mobility-measures-Highlights-WSPO-BP5SDX

2020 ITS European Congress -Postponed

In the context of the current health crisis and keeping in mind the safety of our participants, ERTICO – ITS Europe, the Host City Lisbon and ITS Portugal would like to announce that the 2020 ITS European Congress planned for 18-20 May 2020 will be postponed to a later date. Given the already scheduled 2021 Hamburg Congress and the TRA event in April-May 2022 in Lisbon, the new planned date for the European ITS Congress in Lisbon will likely be 22-24 May 2023.

https://itseuropeancongress.com/covid19/

How COVID-19 Can Drive Transformational Change in Cities

Across the world, from Wuhan to New York City, cities are on the frontline of the unfolding COVID-19 crisis. Starting with overwhelmed heath care systems, cities are experiencing unprecedented strain across social, economic and environmental systems as economies grind to a standstill. Public transit systems are in a financial tailspin. Already a challenge at the best of times, the struggle to provide even basic access to water and sewerage is now especially acute in many growing cities across the global south. Daily wage earners and the urban poor of all stripes are suffering the most from the dual blows of lost income and a scarcity of city services and social safety nets that can protect them at a time of need.

https://thecityfix.com/blog/covid-19-can-drive-transformational-change-cities/

Landscape Porosity: Why we need Water-Based Urbanism

Creating urban spaces that allow for the free flow and penetration of water and wind is essential to the survival of water-based cities like Bangkok. “Landscape porosity” can help us better understand and defend these urban ecosystems in times of climate change, says Kotchakorn Voraakhom.

https://www.urbanet.info/landscape-porosity-why-we-need-water-based-urbanism/

TUMI 2020 digital conference: Transport and COVID-19

In the midst of a global pandemic transport is hit hardest. It doesn’t matter where you look – transport services are down and are producing a fundamental challenge to billions of people which rely on transport for their survival. Join us for an intense day of digital conversations with global leaders tackling an unmet challenge.

TUMI has re-arranged its 2020 digital conference to instead focus on the major impacts of COVID-19 on transport and how the sector can respond.

The conference will take place online on 26 May.

https://www.transformative-mobility.org/

Intertraffic conference - save the date

The traffic industry is undergoing major changes and developments are on a fast track.

The Intertraffic conference offers an opportunity to experience the latest solutions for today's challenges with all the experts in the field. Taking place in Amsterdam, Intertraffic will highlight the latest trends in infrastructure, traffic management, smart mobility, road safety and parking.

The conference will take place on 23-26 March (re-arranged from April 2020).

https://www.intertraffic.com/amsterdam/

How Will COVID-19 Affect Urban Planning?

The impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic are still being understood, but it does seem clear that this crisis will make a mark on cities, physically and socially, that will echo for generations.

How we plan our cities has always been a reflection of prevailing cultural and technological trends and even major crises. The cholera epidemics in the 19th century sparked the introduction of modern urban sanitation systems. Housing regulations around light and air were introduced as a measure against respiratory diseases in overcrowded slums in Europe during industrialization. The introduction of railroads had an immense impact on national urban systems, and the mass production of the car has led to cities that bleed seamlessly into sprawling suburbs, creating vast city regions. In recent years, digitalization and data have changed the way we navigate cities and how communities mobilize and advocate for change.

https://thecityfix.com/blog/will-covid-19-affect-urban-planning-rogier-van-den-berg/

Initiatives of the City of Montreal during the COVID-19 crisis

Despite the current media coverage of the Covid-19 health crisis, there still seems to be some challenges in terms of sharing and disseminating information to the various ethnocultural communities. The accuracy and correctness of the information that is circulating is also at stake. The city has therefore started developing an outreach campaign to disseminate essential information on the current situation to ethnocultural communities and immigrants by various means adapted to this target group.

https://www.coe.int/en/web/interculturalcities/-/initiatives-of-the-city-of-montreal-during-the-covid-19-crisis

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Further archived news available on request from: Kate More