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City Matters Bulletin

January 2008

Welcome to the January edition of City Matters, brought to you by Urbanicity in partnership with UN Habitat Best Practices and Local Leadership.

• Education and Information Update  
• Latest News Headlines
• Conference Features
• Conference News
• Conference Calendar

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Routledge launches Journal of Urbanism and Urban Research & Practice

Routledge Journals is proud to announce the launch of their new journal Journal of Urbanism: International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability.

The Journal of Urbanism will focus on human settlement and its relation to the idea of sustainability, social justice and cultural understanding. The content will focus on Urban Regeneration, New Urbanism, European Urbanism, Landscape Urbanism, Urban Sustainability, Smart Growth, Livable Communities, Transit-Orientated Development, Walkable Communities and more.

To find out more about Journal of Urbanism go to: www.informaworld.com/RJOU

Routledge Journals and the European Urban Research Association (EURA) are proud to announce the launch of their new journal Urban Research & Practice for 2008.

Urban Research & Practice will provide a systematic description of urban issues, urban developments and urban policy and implementation. It will seek to explain variations in urban policies or urban governance and will analyse and evaluate the effects of these polices and processes. It will also look at the European-wide factors that impact on urban areas, urban policies and urban governance.

To find out more about Urban Research and Practice go to: www.informaworld.com/RURP

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Full stories can be seen at Urbanicity News

Third plenary session of the Alliance of Civilizations chaired by Kadir Topbas
The Mayor of Istanbul and Co-President of United Cities and Local Governments chaired the third plenary session as part of the first Alliance of Civilizations Forum, under the title: “From Global talk to local action”.

Experts mull urban planning
The Expert Group Meeting “Urban planning best practices on Creating Harmonious Cities” was held in Rome, Italy, from 29 to 30th November 2007.

UN greatly concerned at situation in Kenya
The Director General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, on Thursday said she and the entire UN family in Kenya were greatly concerned at the deadly outbursts of violence that have gripped Kenya following the announcement of election results last week reportedly claiming more than 300 lives, including dozens burned to death inside a church.

Worldwatch State of the World 2008 now available
The Worldwatch Institute publication, State of the World 2008: Innovations for a Sustainable Economy, is now available.

Liberia decides mayoral elections too expensive
The Liberian Supreme Court has angered opposition politicians with the announcement that forthcoming mayoral elections would be cancelled on cost grounds, with city leaders instead chosen by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.

Rising sea levels threaten Shanghai
Sea levels off Chinese cities rising at an alarming rate because of climate change and depleting groundwater threaten coastal economies, officials from the Chinese State Oceanic Administration (SOA) warned.

Bloomberg derides politicians who have adopted xenophobia
In a passionate state of the city address, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg praised the contributions made by immigrants from all parts of the world to the city.

Athens becomes member of C40 in battle against climate change
Athens has become a member of the C40-Cities group, an initiative established by originally 18 cities in London in October 2005.

Pope chastens mayor over poverty in Rome
Pope Benedict XVI has chastened Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni over the Italian capital’s increasing poverty and degradation.

Biodiversity: Europeans feel concerned but badly informed
An overwhelming majority of Europeans believe that the loss of biological diversity is a serious problem, according to a Eurobarometer survey on attitudes to biodiversity.

What role for local governments in peace-building?
How can local governments contribute to peace-building and conflicts prevention? This will be one of the main questions raised during the ever first conference on "City Diplomacy", taking place in The Hague, from 11 to 13 June 2008.

Run for the 2008 edition of the Rome Millennium Cities Prize
Local governments and cities are invited to submit their candidacies for the 2008 edition of the Rome Millennium Cities Prize (until 29 February 2008).

Getting local authorities involved in the drive to tackle climate change
UN-HABITAT urged decision-makers at the UN climate convention in Bali to get local authorities in cities around the world more closely involved in the drive to tackle climate change.

China reports widening gap between urban rich and poor
While China's urban poor are struggling because of rising inflation and medium income earners are precluded from up-market consumption, the urban rich are spending more and more to pursue a luxury lifestyle.

Violent crime declined in many big US cities Posted
During the first half of 2007, violent crime declined in many big US cities. A national fall in violent crime was helped by a significant fall in murders in cities with more than one million people, where the drop amounted to 6.5 per cent compared to the same period 2006.

German cities ban ‘dirty’ cars from entering downtown areas
On 1 January 2008 three German cities introduced a ban on polluting cars entering their downtown areas. Cars without catalytic converters or diesel dust filters are no longer allowed into the centres of Berlin, Cologne and Hannover.

UN Agency calls for more urban farming
As a precaution against extreme weather conditions, Asian countries should invest in urban and indoor farming, says the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

China and Germany launch city-to-city rail freight service
The railways of Germany and China are planning to launch direct freight rail links between the two countries major cities. The first such link will be between Beijing and Hamburg.

Metropolitans: EuroNews new magazine to spotlight on European cities
EuroNews will launch Metropolitans, the new monthly magazine on the current issues and future challenges of urban life in Europe, on 23 January 2008.

Biofuel end-users in Central & Eastern Europe
In the second of a series of workshops for biofuel end-users, from, the Biofuel Cities European Partnership brought together 35 stakeholders from Central and Eastern Europe in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Dubai and Shanghai examples of wasteful urban development
The danger of treating climate change only as a man-made phenomenon that impacts nature’s systems is that it posits the problem in some distant remoteness and absolves all of us of immediate responsibility.

Heart and Soul Community Planning Request for Proposals
The Orton Family Foundation invites proposals from small cities and towns, with partnering organizations, committed to developing and implementing plans for future growth inspired by their communities’ “heart and soul.”

Cities are the most neglected layer of American government
Eighty per cent of Americans live in metropolitan areas comprised of hub cities and surrounding suburbs. Metro economies account for 87 per cent of America’s total economic output. Central cities, in other words, are major generators of wealth that attract business, labor, tourists, and investment.

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To read the full stories and more news, please visit www.urbanicity.org/news.asp

Conference Calendar

January

EURAU 08

World Mobility Forum

Manufacturing Cities

Sustainable Transport and Mobility

NEW Multiply Cities

February

Saving Places

Australian Congress for New Urbanism

New Partners for Smart Growth

World Conference on the Development of Cities

International Solar Cities Conference

Eco-Edge 2

Watercourses in Urban Areas

NEW Green Cities

NEW The Learning City

March

International City to City Seminar

Security of the Citizen and Disaster Management

European Ele-Drive Transportation Conference

Warwick Healthy Housing Conference

WACAP 2008

Cityscapes 2008

Seeking the City

Sustainable Communities

NEW International Conference on Mobility and Transport

NEW Congress on Noise in the City

NEW Performance Assessment of Urban Infrastructure Services

NEW Urban Growth; Intelligent by Design

April

Intelligent Public Transport Systems

Metropolis 2008

CNU 2008

European Conference on Bicycle Transport and Networking

Airport Cities

Eco-City World Conference

TRA 2008

LISC Urban Forum

Small Urban Municipal Conference

NEW Sustainable Urban Transportation

NEW Gender Equality in Towns

NEW Energie-Cites 2008

NEW Descriptio Urbis

NEW Cities and Urban Regions of Latin America

NEW City and County Performance Summit

NEW Meetbike Conference

For a full listing of forthcoming conferences, visit: www.urbanicity.org/events.asp

To receive updates for this calendar, please register here

Latest News - IAMF and EET 2008

International Advanced Mobility Forum - IAMF & EET: a promising program for a global overview of the mobility of the future!

More than 130 abstracts for IAMF & EET have already been received. Many high-quality speakers therefore are expected to present the latest technical expertise in the field of fuel consumption and emission reduction as well alternative technologies for car engines.

IAMF will be held during the 78th Geneva International Motor Show from 11 to 13 March 2008 at GENEVA PALEXPO.

The program and registration information can be found on www.iamf.ch or http://www.ele-drive.com/

Earlybird Registration - World Cities Summit 2008

World Cities Summit 2008 is a premier international conference series on effective public governance and sustainable development of cities; it features practitioners and thought leaders with valuable insights and practical experiences. Delegates of this high-level event include city mayors, top government officials, senior officials from international organisations, experts and business leaders. The event expects to attract more than 300 delegates from around the world, with a good proportion from the Middle East and Asia Pacific.

Held concurrently with the Singapore International Water Week, this inaugural event is jointly organised by the Singapore Civil Service College, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and Ministry of National Development. Our strategic partners include the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and United Nations Development Programme.

The theme for World Cities Summit 2008 is “Liveable and Vibrant Cities”. The discussions focus on the challenge of developing cities that are both liveable (i.e. excellent infrastructure, clean environment and good quality of life) and vibrant (i.e. economic dynamism and competitiveness). Mr Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore, is officiating the opening ceremony. There will also be a dialogue session with our Minister Mentor, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. We have invited Ministers, mayors, senior officials and experts from different parts of the world to speak at the conference.

Early bird promotions for conference registrations ends 30 Apr, log on to http://www.worldcities.com.sg

First Announcement and Call for Abstracts - World Water Week 2008

The annual World Water Week in Stockholm promotes the exchange of views and experiences between the scientific, business, policy and civil society communities, thereby advancing the water, sanitation, environment, health, livelihood, poverty reduction and related agendas.

"Progress and Prospects on Water: For a Clean and Healthy World", including a Special Focus on Sanitation, is the theme for 2008, and the First Announcement, including a call for papers and posters, is now available. The deadline for proposals is February 1, 2008. Submit yours using our online form!

Call for Papers - European Transport Conference
6-8 October 2008, The Netherlands

The demands on Europe's transport systems continue to both increase and change as a result of a number of factors - economic growth, social change, demographics and the need to become less unsustainable. Such change demands innovative and robust responses which are affordable. Transport practitioners and researchers throughout Europe are responding to these challenges and the European Transport Conference, now in its 36th year, is the key annual event for sharing innovation, best practice and networking with colleagues from more than 30 countries.

The Conference is unique in Europe, attracting over 500 transport practitioners and researchers to a meeting place, where they can find in-depth presentations on policy issues, research findings and best practice across a broad spectrum of transport modes.

The call for papers is now open and details can be seen here. Deadline for abstracts is February 8

Call to Register – International Conference on Intelligent Public Transport Systems

With the topic "The Passenger Experience & Multi Modal Mobility", the IPTS Conference will bring together representatives of governments, related organisations and public transport operators, as well as industry experts from many countries in the world.

This event will provide a platform to exchange ideas on multi modal mobility solutions and discuss strategies and initiatives in this field with a special focus on the passenger's needs and desires.

We are happy to announce that the Conference Programme is finalized.

Key Note speakers include:

• Jeroen Kok Managing Director TransLink Systems
• Ronald Prins City of Amsterdam
• Nicola Villa Global Head Connected Urban Development Cisco
• Todd A. Litman Victoria Transport Policy Institute and member of Connected Urban Development team at MIT
• Peter Staelens European Passenger Federation

For more information on Pricing & Conditions and to Register, please visit the website at: www.iptseurope.com.

Call for Papers - REAL CORP 008: Mobility Nodes as Innovation Hubs
13th International Conference on Urban Planning in Information and Knowledge Society
May 19th -21st 2008, Vienna International Airport www.corp.at

Transport hubs are nerve centers of our modern mobile society and rapidly become economic centers - the new "Airport Cities" are remarkable examples. Where many people come together information and knowledge is shared and new ideas are created, and so airports, train stations, motorway rests become knowledge- and innovation hubs.

The international conference REAL CORP 008 focuses on these 21st-century-transport- and innovation-hubs that are exceptionally challenging for urban and transport planning, architecture and real estate development. Some of the questions to be dealt with:

• How can the role of transport hubs as innovation hubs be improved?
• Which technologies ensure the reliable functioning of the hubs and what further improvement is needed?
• How can anticipatory planning ensure the sustainable development of those structures?
• How can unmeant spatial developments be avoided and environmental impacts be dealt with?

Abstract registration closes January 31. Full details can be found here

2nd Call for Papers – International Conference on Water and Urban Development Paradigms
15-19 September 2008, Belgium

Following our previous communication regarding the 2008 UrbanWaterConference, which will be held in Leuven, Belgium from 15-19 September 2008, at the Catholic University Leuven, we would like to invite you to submit a paper for oral presentation or an abstract for poster presentation. You are kindly asked to submit a paper or abstract by e-mail to contact@urbanwaterconference.be by 30 January 2008. All papers will be reviewed and authors will be notified about acceptance of their paper by April 1, 2008. Kindly be informed that the deadline for the full paper submission is 15 May 2008. For detailed information about this conference (topics, committees, venue, registration) please visit the conference web site http://www.urbanwaterconference.be.

First Announcement – World Forum on Human Rights
1-4 July 2008, Nantes, France

The World Forum on Human Rights is a place for encounters and for free dialogue for all players in the field of Human Rights, gathered together on an equal footing. Its main aim is to bring together all types of players working towards the same goal to implement, protect and defend human rights. The Forum aims at being a useful place for exchanging ideas, experience and knowledge, thereby strengthening co-operation among the various players involved in fundamental rights, not only locally, but also regionally, nationally and worldwide.

The Forum will be attended by:

• Public authorities on a local, regional, national and international level, including representatives from governments, parliaments, cities and intergovernmental organisations, as well as national human rights’ commissions and national agencies working to defend Human Rights.
• Representatives of the civil society, including non-governmental organisations, associations, trade unions, foundations, defenders of fundamental rights and the media.
• Human Rights institutions and experts, including lawyers and experts working for regional, national and international organizations, as well as researchers in the field of human rights and members of academia.
• Players from the economic sphere, including representatives from multinational companies and development agencies.

Pre-registration is now available at: http://www.spidh.org/en/the-forum-2008/registration/preregistration-form/index.html .

First Announcement - Rebuilding Sustainable Communities for Children and their Families after Disasters

16-19 November at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, USA

How can communities recover from disasters in ways that permanently protect and empower their most vulnerable members?
The international conference on Rebuilding Sustainable Communities for Children and their Families after Disasters

The conference will focus on:

• the role of gender equality in alleviating poverty and assisting children, their families, and their communities after disasters;
  
• the status of children and women in various communities after disasters and the continuing need for superior research and appropriate data;
  
• the roles of governments, the private sector, and non-governmental organisations; and
  
• the promotion of human dignity in the creation of sustainable environments that empower families in the aftermath of disasters.

The conference will bring together specialists from various disciplines (such as health, education, and community planning) to explore ways to reconstruct sustainable communities that will be safe for children and their families after disasters. It will seek to contribute to, and recommend, future policy formulation and implementation processes for local, regional, and national governments as well as multilateral agencies and grass-roots organizations.
To register, visit www.cpcs.umb.edu/rsccfd, where a registration form and instructions are available, as well as information about the conference, accommodations, and the Boston area.

Final conference on CEMR's Charter: acting locally for equality between women and men
How to implement the European Charter for equality of women and men in your municipality or region? This will be the main theme of the conference organised by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), on 20-21.February 2008, in Pisa (Italy).

Call for Papers - Barcelona Walk21
Catalunya Camina and the City of Barcelona are proud to co host the 9th annual Walk21 conference, Walk21 Barcelona 2008: 'Walk with Barcelona - a moving city'.

World Forum on Sustainable Mobility

Governance & Mobility, World Forum on sustainable mobility will take place in Nantes, France, from 6th to 8th July 2009

Information soon available on the website www.governance-mobility.org

MUNICIPALIKA
The MUNICIPALIKA'2008 which is the 5th International Conference on "Good Urban Governance for Inclusive & Sustainable Cities" is scheduled for 31st Jan to 2nd February 2008. The details of the programme may please be seen at: http://www.goodgovernanceindia.com/

City Matters Bulletin is published monthly by Urbanicity Ltd 72 Fairview Crescent, Waiheke, New Zealand in conjuction with UN Habitat Best Practices and Local Leadership