CMBJan09

City Matters - the world's leading bulletin for urban issues, resources, news and events

Welcome to the January 2009 edition of City Matters, brought to you by Urbanicity in partnership with UN Habitat Best Practices and Local Leadership.

Call for Articles and New Articles

Latest News Headlines

Conference Calendar

Full stories can be seen at Urbanicity News

Urban Atlas: European cities mapped for a better urban planning
The European Commission will soon launch its Urban Atlas, a new tool providing cities with detailed digital mapping, ensuring that city planners have the most up-to-date and accurate data available on land use and land cover.

Milan and Istanbul honoured for innovative public transport strategies
Milan and Istanbul, were awarded ‘Honourable Mentions’ in the 2009 International Award for Sustainable Transport competition, for having adopted innovative transportation strategies to confront climate change and decrease air pollution from vehicle emissions.

"Excrement, Insulation, Bike Paths Trim CO2 Emissions in Cities"
In East Berlin’s communist-era apartments, warm air used to seep through drafty walls. Heaters had to run overtime, taxing power plants and increasing greenhouse-gas emissions blamed for global warming.

Jozias Van Aartsen, Mayor of The Hague, presses for bigger role for cities in EU policymaking
At a meeting with EU President José Manuel Barosso on 20 January in Brussels, Jozias Van Aartsen, President of EUROCITIES, presented the case for even closer involvement of cities in developing and delivering EU policies.

UN-HABITAT extends a helping hand to Gaza
UN-HABITAT is to field a mission to Gaza to assess the damage and to take part in the early recovery programme as part of the larger UN assessment team which was initiated earlier this week by the UN Secretary-General of the UN, Ban Ki-moon after his visit to the region.

Cities are ready to fulfil their responsibilities to the most disavantaged among their citizens
On 20 and 21 January, the City of Barcelona and the World Organization of United Cities and Local Governments hosted the Cities Alliance Annual Public Policy Forum, which this year focused on ways to improve the effectiveness of development aid.

The European Parliament has launched its new website on EU elections
The European Parliament has launched its new website entirely dedicated to the election of its 736 members (MEPs), in June 2009.

New European project on regional bio-energy partnerships
ICLEI Europe is partner in the new bio- project MAKE-IT-BE working with other bio-energy experts and cities.

The Covenant of Mayors - committed to urban sustainable energy
Engaged in preparing their members to achieve and go beyond the 3x20 goals by 2020, Energie-Cites and its partners will promote the Covenant and support committed local authorities in preparing their Sustainable Energy Action Plans and implementing their actions and reporting on their activities.’

European Summit of Regions and Cities
The Committee of the Regions is organising a European Summit of Regions and Cities in Prague on 5 and 6 March 2009, in partnership with the City of Prague, and with the support of the Czech Presidency of the European Union.

Parking experiment in San Francisco
San Francisco's federally-funded parking experiment SFPark will be a real-time test of the theories of dynamic parking management popularized by Donald Shoup.

State of the World's Cities Report - Harmonious Cities
Half of humanity now lives in cities, and within two decades, nearly 60 per cent of the world’s people will be urban dwellers. Urban growth is most rapid in the developing world, where cities gain an average of 5 million residents every month.

Action plan on urban mobility: CEMR supports the initiative of the European Parliament and puts forward four priorities
The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CMER) supports the European Parliament's proposal to draft an Action plan on urban mobility and calls on the Parliament to take into account four priorities.

Cities press for action on urban mobility
In a press release issued 13 January 2009, EUROCITIES conveyed its reaction regarding the delay to the European Commission Action Plan on Urban Mobility. The Action Plan was originally due for release in mid-December but has been postponed until further notice.

The 2008 LOGON Report on the impact of the EU on local authorities is now available
The Austrian Association of Cities and Towns has published the new LOGON Report 2008 on the impact of the EU on local authorities.

UK abandons planning restriction to build new homes
UK PM Gordon Brown has decided that the need for new homes is more important than the need to protect the environment in Britain, and is preparing to remove planning regulations across the country that limit building in undeveloped areas.

New York developers turn to wind power
Small wind turbines are appearing on residential properties in New York City as developers get smart about cutting energy costs with passive technologies.

Cape Town launches central city development strategy
The Cape Town Partnership and the City of Cape Town have recently launched a Cape Town Central City Development Strategy document for public comment.

Peter Oberlander: the passing of a UN-HABITAT founding father
H. Peter Oberlander, a founding father of UN-HABITAT, passed away peacefully on 27 December 2008, his family announced this week. An architect and teacher who became Canada’s first Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, he was 86.

Bosnia-Herzegovina accession to the EU: opportunities and benefits for the local level
Over 100 mayors and other key civic leaders from all over Bosnia-Herzegovina gathered together on 17 December in Sarajevo to learn more about how local governments could fully engage with the EU accession process, and reap the rewards and benefits for their local communities.

Rimini Charter on Sustainable and Competitive Tourism successfully approved
Organized by the Province of Rimini, Italy, a prime tourist destination, in cooperation with ICLEI European Secretariat, the Second Annual Conference on Sustainable Tourism focussed on issues of sustainability and competitiveness, tourism and climate change, and identity enhancement in relation to tourist destinations in the Mediterranean region.

Join the Biofuel Cities European Partnership now!
As 2008 comes to an end, the Biofuel Cities European Partnership looks back at its achievements and anticipates a 2009 rich with events and activities.

Commission proposes measures to boost energy efficiency and renewable energy
The European Commission adopted measures to boost energy efficiency and renewable energy in low-income households, on 3 December 2008.

Authorities of São Paulo, Brazil sign protocol to improve environmental performance
On the 16th of October, the São Paulo State Secretary of Environment, Xico Graziano, and Secretary of Housing, Lair Krähenbühl signed the Environmental Protocol for Sustainable Construction, which applies to the construction industry and real estate companies located in the State of São Paulo.

UN-HABITAT to the rescue of Baluchistan quake victims
For the residents of the south western Pakistan region of Baluchistan, a bleak winter was a looming reality until an intervention by UN-HABITAT helped them to put roofs over their heads.

Mayor of The Hague elected as new President of EUROCITIES
Jozias van Aartsen, Mayor of The Hague, is the new President of EUROCITIES. He was voted in by EUROCITIES members at the network’s Annual General Meeting on 28 November in The Hague. The new President succeeds Gérard Collomb, Mayor of Lyon.

Unplanned urbanisation increases health risks
According to 'Our cities, our health, our future', a recent report from the World Health Organization, poorly governed cities have resulted in the growth of informal settlements and slums.

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

February

Intermodes 2009

European Renewable Energy Policy Conference

Space. Contestation and the Political

The City and Networks

Counter Terrorism Conference

International Conference on Design Principles and Practice

FEDRE Summit

Delhi Sustainable Development Summit

Partnerships and Local Governance

Revitalising Older Cities

Cohesion Policy 2014+

Meet Bike 2: Integrated Urban Mobility

Side Effects of Free Urban Mobility

March

Transforming the Metropolis

Contesting and Sustaining the City

Green Cities

INTED 09

International Advanced Mobility Forum

Sustainable Cities and Regions

Parallel Patterns of Urban Growth

Urban Water Management

The Health Cities Conference

3rd Annual City Development

European Summit of Regions and Cities

Asian Megacities Forum

Connecting Europe - financing mobility and sustainable cities

International Urban Traffic Safety Conference

ParkCities

The Ecological City

April 2009

Ecopolis 09

Nutopia: exploring the metropolitan imagination

Global City Forum

Small Cities; the sources of urban growth

The Future of Historic Cities

Future Uran Transport

Europe's Vibrant Regions and Cities

CEMR General Assembly

REAL CORP 09

Safe Mobility for Young and Old

Green Cities Conference

For a full listing of forthcoming conferences, visit: Urbanicity Events

To receive updates for this calendar, please register here

Conference Features

First call for contributions – Megacities: Risk, Vulnerability and Sustainable Development
7 - 10 September 2009, Leipzig, Germany

Megacities worldwide are an outstanding feature of urbanization and are culprits and victims of dramatic global change processes at the same time.

Key questions of this conference are:

- What risks are associated with this trend towards mega-urbanization and what are the driving forces behind it?

- On the other hand, what opportunities for sustainable development do Megacities offer?

- What strategies can steer the urban system towards sustainable development and what institutional and organizational preconditions need to be in place for effective implementation?

The conference invites interdisciplinary contributions of worldwide regions from all fields of urban research. They are expected to present research by means of modelling, monitoring, quantitative and qualitative social/political science research and scenario techniques.

Theme 1: Risk: concepts and approaches, assessment, risk management, risk governance

Theme 2: Vulnerability: Physical/social vulnerability, measuring vulnerability, responses, coping with uncertainties

Theme 3: Sustainable development: concepts, assessment, measuring sustainable development, modelling techniques/scenarios, visions for sustainable future(s), good practices, planning and governance

More information and submittal forms for contributions is available at: www.megacity-conference2009.ufz.de

Registration now open - Velocity 2009
May 12th - May 15th, Brussels

Velo-city 2009 aims to return to the roots of previous Velo-city conferences, in other words, to show the role that cycling plays in urban areas.

Over 60% of Europeans and over half the world’s population live in urban areas, and these figures are set to rise.

Nevertheless, cities are faced with a considerable amount of challenges, such as traffic congestion, road safety, greenhouse gasses, air and noise pollution as well as health-related issues.

One of the key factors in creating habitable cities is an integrated sustainable transport system, and cycling plays a prominent role in this. The characteristics of bicycles prove that cycling is an undeniably urban mode of transport: they take up very little place, they’re quick for short distances, they don’t cause pollution and they’re quiet, healthy and cost-effective.

This important challenge of giving cycling a proper place in urban mobility policies has given rise to the theme of Velo-city 2009: RE-CYCLING CITIES. The bike has made a comeback in many European cities, such as Paris, Munich and Barcelona, and has played a pioneering role for years in cities such as Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Munster, Gent and Groningen. Our wish is to see this trend extend to other European cities.

Registration is now open and available at: http://velo-city.e-subscribe.eu/page.php?id=68&

Programme - Full information on the exciting and diversified programme can be found at: http://www.velo-city2009.com/programme-en.html

Call for Papers - European Transport Conference 2009
5 - 7 October 2009

Share your solutions to transport challenges

Deadline for the receipt of abstracts: 6 February 2009

The Call for Papers has been published and can be accessed via www.aetransport.org

Do not lose the opportunity to present a paper at this prestigious conference. We are waiting for your abstract!

You can also download a 'Call for Papers' brochure electronically (pdf) from www.aetransport.org or to request a copy by post, please contact:

Christine Carr
Conference Manager, AET, 1 Vernon Mews, Vernon Street, London W14 0RL, UK

Tel: +44 20 7348 1971
Fax: +44 20 7348 1989

e-mail: christinec@aetransport.org
web-site: www.aetransport.org

See you at ETC 2009!

Special offers available:

50% discount on attendance fee for under 26’s
Two for one attendance fees for speakers/delegates from new member states of the EU
Two for one attendance fees for speakers/delegates from local authorities

Register Now - International Advanced Mobility Forum 2009
10th -12th March 2009, during the Geneva International Motor Show

A promising programme:
The discussion forum on the mobility of the future, to be held for the second time from 10 th – 12 th March alongside the Motor Show, is taking shape. A wealth of information and some lively discussions can be expected.
The first day (Tuesday 10th March) will be dedicated mainly to fuel strategies for future transport needs, new power train concepts, advanced internal combustion engines, bio fuels, natural gas, CTL, GTL - new sources for fuels.
The main subjects on the second day (Wednesday 11 th March) will be electricity for transportation, system aspects of individual mobility, risks for fuel and other energy carriers as well as options for future cargo transport.
The third day (Thursday 12th March) will then be geared to a broader, less specialised, but no less committed, audience. It will focus on a technological overview of the car industry, electricity for transportation and, last but not least, a roundtable will discuss the question of “Fuels – a competition between resources and global warming?”.
Among the keynote speakers, representatives from well-known research institutes and established universities but also leading managers of the car industry, international petrol companies and gas suppliers will expose their points of view.
IAMF will be held in the GENEVA PALEXPO Congress Centre under the auspices of Max Mosley, FIA President.

The conference programme, which is constantly being updated, can be found on www.iamf.ch/multimedia/docs/2008/12/Program_15_12_08.pdf

Register now to attend:
The aim of this forum is to offer an exhaustive palette of existing solutions and ongoing projects. In order to achieve this aim, schools, research centres, designers, engineers and local authorities but also individuals interested in the subject are cordially invited to take part in this forum as part of the audience.
Interested participants are invited to register here:
http://www.iamf.ch/en/programme/index.php?idContent=180&navigId=40

Registration now open - CITIES 3.0: SMART, SUSTAINABLE, INTEGRATIVE
Strategies, Concepts and Technologies for Planning the Urban Future

will be the topic of REAL CORP 2009 - 14th International Conference on Urban Planning, Regional Development and Information Society in Sitges (Spain / Catalonia) from 22 - 25 April 2009, www.corp.at

The major questions to be dealt with at the conference in April 2009 are:

What makes cities smart, sustainable and integrative – and livable?
How can cities and regions take advantage of globalisation and keep their local character - how to "gLOCALize"?
Urban Technologies, Transport Technologies, Environmental Technologies - how about state of the art and perspectives?
What about "Cities for everybody" with barrier-free access to all facilities - or will there be "specialized cities and areas"?
How can Real Estate Development and Urban Planning co-operate successfully?
How can planners help cities find the way to a successful future? What tools and technologies do they have and will they need?
How can the quality of life be improved?
How can safety and security be ensured?
Government, governance, mediation, participation and planning - are there models for short-term and long-term perspectives?
Are there best practices for "livable cities of tomorrow"?

There will also be a business-exhibition and possibilities to present companies and products - if interested have a look at our business-folder at http://www.corp.at/Download/CORP2009/realcorp2009sponsor.pdf

Registration Now Open – Singapore International Water Week 2009
22-26 June 2009

Registration for Singapore International Water Week 2009 is now open

To help expand your market and prepare you for the next economic upturn, Singapore International Water Week 2009 offers a diverse mix of carefully planned programmes and an oasis of networking opportunities.

Themed, Sustainable Cities – Infrastructure and Technologies for Water, the second Water Week will be held from 22 to 26 June 2009 at Suntec Singapore. This prestigious annual event features five flagship programmes – Water Leaders Summit, Water Convention, Water Expo, Business Forums and Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize.

With 15,000 square metres of indoor exhibition space, Water Expo 2009 provides you the ideal platform to explore and establish ties with international manufacturers, suppliers and leading consultants. Also, don’t miss out on new products and services to be launched for the first time in Asia and the world at the Innovation Corner plus a showcase of 10 country pavilions.

At the same time, discover a wide range of water projects in emerging markets. Six Business Forums featuring speakers from Australia, China, India, Japan, Middle East and Southeast Asia offer you an outstanding venue to meet top government officials and key organisations.

Water Convention 2009, jointly organised by PUB and the International Water Association (IWA), will be held alongside IWA’s Leading Edge Technologies Conference (LET). Delegates will have ample opportunities to exchange valuable knowledge and experiences in the latest water and wastewater technology and infrastructure advances.

d 5th December 2008, Faro, Portuga

Preliminary programme released and registration open – EVS 24 – Towards Zero Emission
May 13-16 2009, Norway

The 40th International Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exposition (EVS) series, organized by the World Electric Vehicle Association (WEVA).

Today, the EVS series is recognized as the global electric transportation industry's premier and largest forum, showcasing all forms of technologies in the market place and on the drawing boards--from low speed battery electric vehicles to fuel cell electric buses.

The event attracts academic, government and industry leaders from around the world who are interested in exploring and understanding the technical, policy and market challenges to a paradigm shift toward use of electric transportation technologies.

There will be a full day of roundtables, workshops and tutorials, during the “international/Europe day”, previous to a full day of plenaries on the main issues of the field emphasizing the 40 years of EVS. Several prizes will be awarded.

The call for Papers resulted in the largest number ever – almost the double as usual – of papers submitted, which are now evaluated by the programming committee and will be proposed for parallel and dialogue sessions.

See the preliminary programme here: http://www.evs24.org/agenda.php

Earlybird registration is available until February 13th - so book now!

Second Announcement - CEMR General Assembly 2009

The second announcement of Council of European Municipalities and Regions' 24th general assembly is now available. It includes a detailed programme of the different sessions and speakers.

CEMR's general assembly.will be held from 22 to 24 April 2009 in Malmö, and over 1,200 local and regional representatives are expected to attend. The first day will focus on a political debate on the international and European challenges local and regional government have to prepare for and adapt to in the best way.

The second day will address issues surrounding democracy and governance, demographic change, public services, cohesion policy and the cooperation between the EU and its neighbours. A session will examine the role of local government in international development and the new kinds of partnerships growing at local government level.

The third day will be organised around two major themes: local solutions to tackle climate change, and twinning in a changing Europe. A final plenary session will be devoted to what local government can do now to prepare for tomorrow.

The second announcement also provides practical information on how to register for the general assembly as well as on the technical visits and accompanying tours to be held after the three-day event.

More information is available at: http://www.ccre2009.se

Water Environment Federation (WEF) Offers Global Exhibiting Opportunities

WEF International Pavilions provide your company with a venue to introduce and distribute your products and services into the global market. In 2009, WEF will host pavilions at WETEX in Dubai, Wasser Berlin in Berlin and the China Water Show in Shanghai. These shows have been strategically chosen to maximize your exposure to markets that are in need of equipment and services to enhance environmental sustainability. Exhibit under the WEF banner in a prime location and increase your global presence.

WEF International Pavilion benefits include:

Prominent WEF Pavilion location in exhibit hall
WEF Pavilion included on the VIP tours
Booth sizes from 9 m2 (smaller than most show minimums)
Shell scheme build-out
Furnishings (to include entry desk, table and chairs, wastebasket, literature stand, lighting)
Carpeting
Cleaning services included
WEF sponsored on-site reception
Pre and post-show promotion in WEF’s publications including WWEE and WE&T

Plus much more...For more information and to reserve, go here.

To place a conference feature in City Matters, please contact Alistair Campbell

Conference Round-up

Euro-Syrian Cities Congress
The Regional Centre for Sustainable Local Development (Damascus, Syria), on the initiative of the EC funded Municipal Administration Modernisation (MAM) programme, is pleased to advise you that a two day congress will take place in the 9-10th of May 2009 in Damascus, to promote knowledge sharing and local partnerships between Syrian and European local authorities and actors in local development. http://websites.mam-sy.org/home.php

Water Conference postponed.
The conference Water Efficiency in Urban Areas, intended to take place shortly, has been postponed until 2010, according to organisers. Further details and prospective dates will be available in due course.

International Seminar "Strategies of City-toCity Co-operation for Economic Revitalisation", Seville, Spain 1 -3 April 2009
I in collaboration with the ILO (International Labour Organisation). How to measure and improve the economic impact of city collaboration versus city competition. International Seminar addressed only to local government decision makers. Now opened for submission of experiences to present during the seminar. Contact us for more information, selected cities will be granted with travel and accommodation. Sponsored by the Seville Local Development Agency (Sevilla Global). More information from: diana.lopez@unhabitat.org

Eurisy conference: the benefits of space in shaping regional energy strategies
How can local and regional government best shape their regional energy strategies? This will be the main question of the workshop taking place in The Hague, on 22-23 June 2009.

Regions for Economic Change : register to URBACT workshop dedicated to Managing Authorities
The European Commission and the URBACT Secretariat organize an additional workshop during the European Commission "Regions for Economic Change" Conference. Dedicated to the work of Managing Authorities on urban issues, this session will be held in Brussels on Tuesday, February 17th (2h30 – 4h30 pm).

Registration now open for ICLEI World Congress 2009
The global gathering of ICLEI Members and Partners will take place in Edmonton on 14 to 18 June 2009. Register now.

UITP World Congress
UITP (International Association of Public Transport) is the international network for public transport authorities and operators, policy decision-makers, scientific institutes and the public transport supply and service industry. UITP is the global advocate for public transport and sustainable mobility, and the promoter of innovations in the sector.

Upcoming Seminar: The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil
Please join us for Winter Seminar 1 sponsored by the University of Cincinnati Center for Sustainable Urban Environments: "The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil"
A Documentary Film
Friday, January 9, 2009,11:00 AM,3200 Recreation Center,UC West Campus (http://www.eng.uc.edu/sue/)

2009 World Water Week: Call for Workshop Abstracts and Seminar Proposals
The First Announcement for the 2009 World Water Week in Stockholm, August 16-22, provides information on the theme, structure, and special focus of the 2009 Week.
Download the First Announcement and learn more about the 2009 World Water Week at www.worldwaterweek.org.

To submit conference news, please contact Alistair Campbell

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