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| Urbanicity News and Features |
Urban Education: Our online education database is growing very rapidly - over 700 courses and degree programmes worldwide. If you want to list a course, or use our new education promotion service, contact Derek Wishart - dwishart@urbanicity.org Conference Calendar: 43 Events added this month - making over 240 urban related conferences in total on the worlds largest and most comprehensive urban events calendar. If you want to list an event, or use our conference alerts service, please contact Jeremy Flay - j.flay@urbanicity.org |
| Latest News Headlines | |
Full stories can be seen at Urbanicity News UN-HABITAT, European Union sign new memorandum: UN-HABITAT and the European Union’s Committee of the Regions on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at improving sustainable urban development in Europe and sharing best practices with the developing world. Jobless migrants living in shanty towns offered free flights home: East Europeans ineligible for benefits and hoping for better times struggle to survive in rural camps. Homeless east European migrants are being offered free flights back to their home country by a government-funded scheme set up to combat the rise of shanty towns in rural Britain. Vancouver Tops List of Livable Cities: As the Winter Olympics kick off in Vancouver, the city has been named the world's "most livable city". Transforming an African lakeside city: The Ugandan city of Jinja on the shores of Lake Victoria has launched a new City Development Strategy aimed at transforming it into "a sustainable and prosperous city with excellence in tourism, commerce and industry". MEPs approve use of structural funds for social housing: Cities, local authorities and social housing providers allowed to use EU funds in favour of marginalised groups, including Roma people, following vote in the European Parliament. High Speed Rail Spurring Economic Growth in China:
A large-scale program of high speed rail projects is creating a huge economic impact in China. The fast timeline for these rail projects and the jobs they are creating have American officials looking on jealously. Kanagawa Prefecture Renting Out Electric Vehicles for Official and Resident Use: The prefecture of Kanagawa, a member of ICLEI, launched a model project last fall to promote the use of electric vehicles (EVs) as a possible solution for environmental and resource problems. Call for Submissions for Dubai Award for Best Practices Now Open: UN-HABITAT and the City of Dubai have opened the call for submissions to the 2010 Dubai Award for Best Practices to Improve the Living Environment (DIABP). The organizers are seeking submissions of best practices from around the world that “demonstrate a positive and tangible impact on improving the living environment of people particularly the poor and disadvantaged.” Mercedes Bresso new president of Committee of the Regions: Mercedes Bresso has been elected president of the Committee of the Regions on 10 February 2010. UN-HABITAT launches essay competition for youth:
UN-HABITAT has launched an essay competition for the youth as part of the activities of the Fifth Session of World Urban Forum staging in Rio de Janeiro next month. Latvia sells one of its towns! Latvia has sold an entire town once used by the Soviet military. The deserted town formerly known as Skrunda-1, about 150km west of Riga, was auctioned off to a Russian firm for about €2m, on 5 February. EU should have clearer funding for cities, says Hague mayor: EU's major cities are to push for "clearer budget lines" from Brussels, as most policies related to social inclusion, environment and public transport are being implemented in urban areas, says the mayor of the Hague. Detroit revitalizes urban farming to replace dying industry: As a city still haunted by the death of its auto and manufacturing industries, Detroit is looking for any alternatives to help it regrow. The answer to its economic woes, however, may require a little digging into its agricultural past. Decentralised cooperation: new members join PLATFORMA! PLATFORMA, the European representative of local and regional authorities for development opened its ranks to five new members on 4 February 2010. Funds for housing: “Broaden the scope to include all EU regions”: Marginalised communities from all over the EU should benefit from European funding for housing interventions. EurActiv.com opens its doors to local and regional governments:
EurActiv.com, the media portal dedicated to EU affairs, has created a new section covering news about cities and regions. Fighting for the Right to Party in Amsterdam: Europe's nightlife is under threat and Amsterdam is no exception. Restricted opening hours, rent hikes and increased policing are all serving to dampen the party spirit in the Dutch capital. Underused Olympic Stadium to Become Water Park: Underused since the end of the 2008 Summer Olympics, the Beijing Water Cube swimming stadium will be converted into a water park. Grants Signal Shift in Federal Urban Planning Policy: HUD announced this week the formation of a new Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities, along with $100 million in grants for regional integrated planning initiatives. Municipal Plan of Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change - Curitiba: The Management contract signed between the Mayor of Curitiba, Brasil and the Secretary of Environment consist in the elaboration, until 2012, of the Municipal Plan for Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change. US High Speed Rail Association (USHSR) applauds President Obama: The US High Speed Rail Association (USHSR) applauds President Obama and Vice President Biden for starting the nation's first true high speed rail project. Los Angeles Considers Replacing Traffic Lanes with Public Park Space: The Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles is proposing that traffic lanes between 9th and Olympic Avenue in downtown be reduced by two lanes and replaced with public green space. Blog Examines Cities with Low Car-Ownership Rates: An article on the Human Transit blog looks at the three common factors that determine which cities in the United States have a lower rate of car-ownership. Gov 2.0 On the Rise: Twitter, iPhones, and new sites like SeeClickFix make it increasingly easy for citizens and governments to communicate. Along with newly available data sets, these "Gov 2.0" apps may signal a new era of active citizens and responsive governments. Tunis meets Vienna: In 2008, the cities of Tunis and Vienna signed a memorandum on friendship and cooperation in several areas, including culture, greenspace and urban technologies. LEED 2009 Green Neighborhood Development Reference Guide: The LEED 2009 Reference Guide for Green Neighborhood Development is a user's manual that guides a LEED-ND project from registration to certification. Public procurement rules: "Put the focus back on value for money": Public procurement rules have become such a complex matter that public authorities increase their focus on legal certainty and limitation of legal threat – rather than procedures that maximize ‘value for money'. Outside Vancouver, Smaller Towns Sceptical About Olympic Benefits: Locals in some of the smaller towns of British Columbia are skeptical that they will see the economic benefits of the this year's Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Berlin to Resurrect its Disgraced Monuments: In a sign of how time is healing Berlin's wounds, the city plans to dig up the giant Lenin monument it famously buried in 1991 and place it in a new museum for disgraced statues. The works will span the communist and Nazi eras and date far back into Prussian times. New EUROCITIES Working Group on ‘city attractiveness’ launched: Grand Lyon will chair the new Working Group. The kick off meeting will take place in Lyon on 2-3 February and will gather representatives from more than 35 cities. The crisis should not be used to roll back democratic decentralisation: It is essential to avoid excessive central government controls over local government finances in the coming period. This is the main message of outgoing secretary general Jeremy Smith, at a public hearing at the European Parliament, on 28 January 2010. Fish: the Future of Urban Farming: Cityscape Farms has developed a new technique for farming fish along with vegetables in combined urban food systems that allows them to farm in developed areas. Miami HOT Lanes Getting Drivers Out Of Cars Into Buses: Opponents of High-Occupancy-Toll lanes have long claimed that these lanes, often converted from High Occupancy Vehicle lanes like Miami's I-95, would encourage solo-drivers, especially wealthier ones, to pay to use the express lanes. Gentrification in Hamburg: Can Ikea Save a Run-Down Neighborhood?: Plans to build a new Ikea store in the Hamburg district of Altona have divided local residents. Strasbourg on the road to gender equality: The mayor of Strasbourg, Roland Ries, signed the European Charter for equality of women and men in local life, on 18 January. CEMR new secretary general takes offices and lists priorities: The new secretary general of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), Frédéric Vallier, has taken office on 1 February 2010. Finland best at crime prevention efforts among young people: The Finnish anti-bullying programme KiVa received first prize in the European Crime Prevention Award (ECPA) from Minister for Justice Beatrice Ask. EU Commissioner designate gives hope to cities:
Commenting on the future of Europe’s cities, Hahn emphasised finding new urban policies aimed at improving the contribution of European cities to regional development goals. Different cities face different challenges, he argued, and a more proactive urban policy was needed to bring regional cities into the planning process. To submit a news story to Urbanicity, contact Jeremy Flay . To read the full stories and more news, please visit http://www.urbanicity.org/Site/News/default.aspx
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February Urbanicity Alerts Final Call to Register - Cities of the Future and Urban River Restoration First Announcement - The World Cities Summit 2010 Register now - International Cohousing Conference
Upcoming Events March 2010 International Conference on Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design 2010 Sustaining Cities in a Time of Globalization International Conference of Innovative Cities 2010 Transportation and Infrastructure Summit 2010 2010 Congressional City Conference Building Livable Communities Conference for Local Elected Officials National Metropolis Conference The Developing Role of the Councilor in a Comparative European Context Geographical Analysis, Urban Modeling, Spatial Statistics" GEOG-AN-MOD 10 Urban Mobility in National Capitals
April 2010 Cities and Women’s Health: Global Perspectives Healthy Parks, Healthy People International Congress International Low Impact Development Conference International Conference for Highrise Towers and Tall Buildings 2010 Integrating Climate Change and Development Ethics International Annual Conference and General Assembly of Climate Alliance Australia ICOMOS 2010 Conference First International Conference on Urban and Architectural Heritage Ports 2010: Building on the Past, Respecting the Future Urban Traffic Safety Conference May 2010 National Main Streets Conference International Collaborative Housing Conference EURA Workshop - Governance and Change on the Urban Fringe World Roof Greening Development 2010 Cities for Children Conference Reinventing Older Communities: Rebuild, Restore, Renew 6th European Sustainable Cities & Towns Conference Regions for Economic Change Conference 2010 Regional responses and global shifts: Actors, institutions and organisations International Transport Forum 2010 Queensland Transport & Urban Development Conference Geotechnical Challenges in Urban Regeneration Resilient Cities 2010 - 1st World Congress on Cities and Adaptation to Climate Change International Conference on Safety and Mobility of Vulnerable Road Users
For a full listing of forthcoming conferences, visit: Urbanicity Events
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| Conference Features |
| Register now - World Cities Summit 2010 World Cities Summit is a premier event that brings together practitioners and policy makers with leading experts in their field to identify innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges facing cities today. The inaugural summit in June 2008 brought together 800 senior delegates including leaders, mayors, policy makers and the civil society. To build on its success, the next Summit in 2010 will offer a strategic platform comprising a high-level summit, plenary sessions, networking forums and technical workshops. The theme for the second Summit is Liveable and Sustainable Cities for the Future. World Cities Summit 2010 will be a four-day event focusing on leadership and governance and building liveable and sustainable communities. Through the exchange of ideas and knowledge, cities can learn from each other to create a good environment that is sustainable and forward-looking. If you are interested to attend the conference, register now at http://www.worldcities.com.sg/registration.php or email info@worldcities.com.sg for exhibiting and sponsorship enquiries. Further information on the event, the programme and co-hosted venets is available at: www.worldcities.com.sg
Register Now - REAL CORP 2010: CITIES FOR EVERYONE: Liveable, Healthy, Prosperous Vienna / Austria from 18 - 20 May 2010 Cities are places of competition, stress, inequalities, traffic jams, environmental stresses and strains and permanent struggle. REAL CORP 2010 asks for CITIES FOR EVERYONE, that are LIVEABLE, HEALTHY and PROSPER! Full information: www.corp.at
Full Congress programme now live! - International Healthy Parks Healthy People Congress The full program for the Congress is now available! It is a comprehensive and packed program indeed. The program has been published as a PDF, which you can view online: View Program as PDF online> Register online for the Congress> Full information is available at: http://www.healthyparkshealthypeoplecongress.org/
Register now - International Cohousing Conference May 5-9 Sweden The last 20 years have seen a growing interest in cohousing and other alternative forms of living in Sweden as well as internationally. The search for a sense of community remains an important driving force behind demands for cohousing. During the last ten years new aspects have been added, such as housing for the “second half of life” and planning for more sustainable lifestyles. Against this background, the association Kollektivhus NU and the Division of Urban and Regional Studies of The Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) invite interested persons and organisations to an international conference on collaborative housing, to take place in Stockholm 5-9 May 2010. The conference will provide a forum for researchers, housing companies, politicians and activists to discuss experiences of different models of collaborative living. The conference is intended to give an overview of current international praxis and knowledge and to strengthen existing international cooperation. The three conference days (Friday through Sunday) will be filled with lectures and workshops - as well as many opportunities to meet people from other countries with different experiences. Earlybird Registration: Eur 200 until 15 March. After that date the fee will be Eur 275.
Register now - Counter Terror Expo 2010 The world’s leading Counter Terror Expo will be held on the 14 – 15 April 2010 at London Olympia. Bringing together governmental agencies, security services, law enforcement, leading specialists and technologists for two days of high level debate against a backdrop of an extensive exhibition. Five key conference strands including one supported by NaCTSO (National Counter Terrorism Security Office) will form the forum through which specific counter terrorism themes will be addressed by in excess of 85 speakers from across the globe. Themes include; ‘Tackling Threat Diversity’, ‘Countering Transnational Terrorism’ Securing International Events’ and many more. The conferences feature leading International speakers from, the United Nations, European Commission, NATO, The Home Office and Olympic Security Directorate amongst many other World leading speakers. To view the full conference programme please visit www.counterterrorexpo.com/conf In addition there will be 90 free-to-attend specialist workshops that will focus in on counter terrorism technologies covering a variety of themes over 8 workshop sessions. Themes include: ‘CBRNE Detection and Protection’, ‘Personal Protection Equipment’, ‘Building and Facilities Protection’ and CCTV and Surveillance’ on day one, followed by ‘Perimeter Protection and Intrusion Detection’, ‘Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Improvised Explosive Device Disposal’, ‘Information and Communication Systems’, ‘Human Factors and Training’ on day two. For the full programmes please see www.counterterrorexpo.com/work. Whilst the extensive exhibition space of over 300 suppliers will be home to world's leading defence and specialist security suppliers to deliver an informative and interactive demonstration of the latest counter terror hardware and software solutions. The event offers an ideal platform for dedicated suppliers to demonstrate their products and services to senior decision makers from the UK and Overseas working within Police, Home Office, Intelligence Services, MOD, Armed Forces, Transportation, Border Control, Civil Defence, Customs, Central & Local Government, Private Sector and Systems integrators. Registration for the exhibition and workshops are free of charge to register please visit www.counterterrorexpo.com/urban Urbanicity subscribers can obtain a 20% discount on the advertised conference prices by quoting CTX20 at time of booking, register today at www.counterterrorexpo.com/register For more information on the event in general please contact Nicola Greenaway on + 44 (0)2085429090 or email: ngreenaway@niche-events.com Alternatively visit: www.counterterrorexpo.com/urban
Register Now - International Conference of Innovative Cities IC-IC 2010 welcomes City and Regional decision-makers from all over the world and is open to any interested individual, party or organisation, young professional, expert and interested professional from all related disciplines. All national and international registrations are handled on-line. The final goal of the meeting is to plan a global network of people involved with innovations in cities, searching for a permanent exchange of innovative technologies of all sorts (including the social ones) among connected cities Four Days, Four Major Themes: 1 - The Revival of Cities | Remarkable experiences on social and technological innovations that are competing for the construction of a new urban environment (including the environment for the development of the new industry)| Cities in Globalization and Glocalisation. 2 - The reinvention of the government from cities | Remarkable experiences on management innovations (including urban planning and management of policies and innovative programs)| Remarkable experiences on political innovations (including policies and politics) | The City as "Living Organism". 3 - The development governance in cities | Remarkable experiences on innovations for the endogenous development | Remarkable experiences on innovations for sustainability | The City as a Network and Sustainability of Cities. 4 - Networking City and City Networks | Presentation of the FIEP-OPTI project, 'Curitiba, Innovative City' | Formation of the Innovative Cities Network initial center. Full information, and registration are available at: http://www.cici2010.org.br/english/
Call for papers - 4th World Forum on Human Rights - In a world in crisis, what about Human Rights? In a world in crisis, what about Human Rights? The main topics will be:
The Forum on Human Rights is organised by the International Permanent Secretariat Human Rights and Local Governments This forum was created from its inception (2004) at the initiative of UNESCO (SHS), to support the networks of actors involved in the protection, respect, and implementation of human rights by strengthening solidarity between these different actors (policy makers, activists and NGO leaders, academics and international experts, representatives of international organisations, etc.). During the World Forum on Human Rights, everyone is invited to converse freely, exchange knowledge and good practices and debate on equal footing.
34 rue Fouré, 44 000 Nantes, France
Registration opening soon - WEFTEC 2010 The WEFTEC 2010 congress and exhibition is stronger than ever. Online registration for WEFTEC 2010 will open March 30 at www.weftec.org. Visit www.weftec.org at any time before registration opens to sign up for a WEFTEC 2010 ‘save the date’ online registration reminder e-blast. ONLY WEFTEC delivers the top educational program. No other water event offers a better, more comprehensive educational program than WEFTEC. With the most up-to-date technical information from the best speakers in the field, it’s an opportunity you can’t afford to miss. ONLY WEFTEC is the largest annual water and wastewater exhibition in the world. WEFTEC.09 hosted almost 18,000 attendees who saw the world’s largest selection of water quality products and services from nearly 1,000 exhibiting companies all on one show floor. ONLY WEFTEC consistently draws a strong audience from around the world. WEFTEC.09 hosted nearly 2,300 international attendees from more than 70 countries, who consider WEFTEC to be the ONE must-attend water event in North America. ONLY WEFTEC helps you stay strong in an uncertain economy. WEFTEC is the only water show to cover the entire water cycle and always delivers superior training and education.  Registration now open - IDRC 2010 May 30 to June 3 in Davos/Switzerland Future risk management solutions will undoubtedly involve a mix of approaches, from state-of-the art technology to forward-thinking policy making and wise institutional governance. Experts from all over the world are invited to submit abstracts and contribute to the unique, interdisciplinary dialogue in Davos. The underlying perspective of IDRC Davos 2010 is global, but with a particular focus on similarities and differences between regions of the world, representing various phases of development, political systems, and societal and environmental conditions. Who should attend? This international conference is aimed at:
The following main topics of interest will be discussed at the IDRC Davos 2010:
Read more: http://www.davos2010.org Registration is open now! Early bird until 31 March 2010!
Conference update - European Transport Conference 2010 We had an overwhelming response to the call for papers. The programme committees will be meeting shortly to produce what promises to be a highly stimulating, current and thought provoking conference! Watch this space for programme and conference announcements in the run up to October or contact christinec@aetransport.org for further information. Join us in our move to Scotland – to express your interest in registering for the European Transport Conference and to receive a special discount email christinec@aetransport.org quoting CITY MATTERS now!
Papers and information from previous European Transport Conference can be found on the Association for European Transport website: www.aetransport.org
First Announcement - ISOCARP World Congress 2010 Under the theme of Sustainable City / Developing World, the 2010 ISOCARP Congress will focus on the agenda of sustainable urbanisation where the largest urban transformation process will take place. ISOCARP believes that its uniquely multi-faceted and multi-cultural constituency, which brings together planners in theory, policy and practice from 81 countries, is the right setting to articulate an active dialogue towards harnessing the benefits and mitigating the negative impacts of urbanisation. ISOCARP’s 46th Congress will be first ever to be held in Sub-Saharan Africa. The host city will be Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, a metropolis of pan-African stature and emerging global significance. The Government of Kenya, through the Ministries of Local Government, Lands, Housing and Nairobi Metropolitan Development, and the city government of Nairobi, have expressed their endorsement and support of the event. An open, plenary session will be held at UN-Habitat’s Gigiri campus in Nairobi, indicating the emerging partnership with the foremost UN agency dealing with urban matters. In addition, the congress will reflect the need for a multi-stakeholder response to this pressing agenda through the participation of other international organisations, sister societies, and the private sector. The main Congress platform will open shortly
To place a conference feature in City Matters, please contact Jeremy Flay |
| Other Conference News and Alerts |
The Knowledge Society Forum meets in the Estonian capital to discuss smart transport and mobility solutions. European Summit of Local Governments
To submit conference news, please contact Alistair Campbell |
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Urbanicity News and Features