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Articles are hosted at the Urbanicity site and publicised in City Matters which has over 106,000 subscribers worldwide. If you would like to submit an article for publication, please send details to Kate More (k.more@urbanicity.org) Featured new article Shared taxis in Brussels : the missing link in urban transport?
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| Latest News Headlines | Conference Calendar |
Full stories can be seen at Urbanicity News UN-HABITAT unveils State of the World’s Cities report: Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT said that the crisis should be viewed as a “housing finance crisis” in which the poorest of poor were left to fend for themselves. CEMR launches new European twinning website on 13 November 2008: The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) will launch its new multilingual website totally devoted to town twinning, on 13 November 2008 in Brussels. Austrian village plays green gambit: Güssing, a town with a population of 4000 inhabitants, in the Burgenland, Austria, has made a declaration of energetic independence. Italian funded UN-HABITAT housing programme in Serbia a great succcess: The first phase of a EUR 15 million programme to provide housing for refugees in Serbia was recently concluded at a colourful ceremony held in Belgrade. Signing ceremony held at EU French Presidency event in Lyon: In Lyon at the EUROCITIES conference on climate change, leading politicians of nearly 50 major European cities pledged their commitment to fight climate change in a common declaration. ICLEI Executive Committee 2009-2012, Call for Candidacies:
We are pleased to announce the Call for Candidacy for the 2009-2012 ICLEI Executive Committee. New website shows that Walking Works for you: Commuters regularly face more stress than fighter pilots, and with people now jumping in the car for over a fifth of journeys shorter than a mile, our brand new campaign aims to help office workers build walking (and some relaxation!) into their daily commute. CEMR/EPSU new publication: "Reform of public services: what role for social dialogue?": How are municipalities reforming their public services to respond to the challenges facing them? And to what extent dialogue between employers and employees can play a role in that process? Pre-procurement boosts sustainable innovations:
The kick-off meeting of the SMART-SPP project on pre-procurement and innovations, co-ordinated by ICLEI and supported by the Intelligent Energy Europe programme was held 7-8 October 2008 in Brussels. Skywater Network launched in Sumida City, Japan: The Skywater Network was officially launched on 6 August 2008 at the 2008 Skywater Network Forum held in Sumida City (Tokyo, Japan) and over 250 participants gathered. Cities capture spotlight at European Road Safety Day 2008: Two thirds of accidents and one third of all road fatalities occur in urban areas every year across Europe. It is against this reality, that the European Commission used its second European Road Safety Day, held 13 October in Paris, to address the subject, ‘Road Safety in our Cities’. Communication on local authorities in international development: EU Commission proposals “too institutional in practice”:
We welcome the European Commission's recognition of the growing role that local authorities play in international development and working to implement the Millennium Development Goals – but we regret the over-institutional approach proposed for future engagement with our sector. 2008 World Mayor Prize awarded to Helen Zille, mayor of Cape Town: The mayor of Cape Town (South Africa) Helen Zille, has been awarded the 2008 World Mayor Prize by Citymayors, the international urban affairs think tank. Global Partnership on Cities and Biodiversity launched at IUCN World Conservation Congress: The Global Partnership was launched on 7th October at IUCN World Conservation Congress. China leads the way in harmonious cities as it scoops up 2008 World Habitat Day awards: Global Risk Forum's Platform for Networks: In line with today’s International Day for Disaster Reduction 2008 the Global Risk Forum GRF Davos would like to present the “Platform for Networks”, a new networking tool for the disaster and risk community. Register under >>> www.grforum.org Green Paper on territorial cohesion: "Still no definition of territorial cohesion!": The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) regrets that the European Commission's Green Paper on territorial cohesion adopted on 6 October 2008 does not include a definition of the concept of territorial cohesion. The "EGTC" project is approved by the URBACT Programme (2007/2013):
The URBACT Monitoring Committee meeting, that took place in Ljubljana on September 26th 2008, approved six European Working Groups to continue into the implementation phase of the URBACT II programme 2007/2013. What local and regional structures for tomorrow: Findings of CEMR seminar: One of the conclusions of the seminar organised by CEMR on the reforms of local and regional structures (Copenhagen, 1 October 2008) is that general trends are visible: in every European country, local governments are under increasing pressure for efficiency, with as a corollary increasing control measures from central governments. Most countries feel that the quest for ever greater efficiency has been at the expense of local democracy. This New European project: creation of a European Master Urban Safety: The official acknowledgement of the safety coordinator job is on its way ! The European Commission has just selected a project on the creation of a European master in urban Safety under its Lifelong Learning Programme – Erasmus. Local Governments and United Nations stand up for the Millennium Development Goals: At the Special Meeting held by Local and Regional Authorities on 24 September at UN Headquarters in New York, local authorities made clear their crucial role in the delivery of the Millennium Development Goals in the presence of the Deputy UN Secretary-General, Asha Rose Migiro, the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Franco Frattini and the UK Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Mark Malloch Brown. A new youth initiative of the Secretary-General in Kenya backed by Norway and Finland: Discussion Forum: Safer Cities - What Steps can the Government Take to Prevent Urban Crime? Hate Crime and the City - Paul Iganski (The Policy Press): The impression often conveyed by the media about hate crime offenders is that they are hate-fuelled individuals who, in acting out their extremely bigoted views, target their victims in premeditated violent attacks. Scholarly research on the perpetrators of hate crime has begun to provide a more nuanced picture. But the preoccupation of researchers with convicted offenders neglects the vast majority of hate crime offenders that do not come into contact with the criminal justice system. . To read the full stories and more news, please visit http://www.urbanicity.org/Site/News/default.aspx
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November Rebuilding Sustainable Communities Re-Imaging Cities - Urban Design after the age of Oil Sharjah Urban Planning Symposium
December Knowledge in Small and Medium Sized Towns European Conference of Human Rights in the City Integrated Transport for Sustainable Urban Development
January Urban Futures: the challenge of sustainability Water Efficiency in Urban Areas International Conference on Humane Habitat Good Urban Governance for Inclusive and Sustainable Cities Climate Change and Urban Poverty
For a full listing of forthcoming conferences, visit: Urbanicity Events
To receive updates for this calendar, please register here |
| Conference Features |
| Register Now – European Development Days 2008 The European Development Days 2008 will focus on the local dimension of development: the role of local authorities both from the North and the South and issues of local governance will be discussed in numerous high-level events.
Everyone has a say at the European Development Days: administrations, parliaments, local authorities, civil society, international organisations, academics, development agencies, the private sector and the media.
The European Development Days 2008 is an unmissable event, representing a unique moment for Europe and its partners, two months after the United Nations General Assembly and a few weeks before the Doha Conference.
Final call to register - Symposium to Explore Challenge of Urban Development in an ‘After-Oil’ World
Final call to register - Rebuilding sustainable communities for children and their families after disasters This conference will focus on four main objectives:
The conference will seek to contribute to, and recommend, future policy formulation and implementation processes by local, regional and national governments as well as multilateral agencies and grass-roots organizations. The goal of these efforts is to bring specialists from various disciplines (health, education, community planning, etc.) to explore and make recommendations on how to reconstruct sustainable communities that will be safe for children and their families after disasters. Registration is now open and full details are at: http://www.cpcs.umb.edu/rsccfd/registration.html
Final call to register – Coastal Cities Summit 2008 The IOI Coastal Cities Summit aims to bring together coastal city leaders, managers, and academics to discuss environmental, social, economic, and public policy challenges and viable solutions. Robert D. Ballard is a professor of oceanography and director of the Institute for Archaeological Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island, and president of the Institute for Exploration in Mystic, Conn. Best known for his 1985 discovery of the Titanic, Ballard has succeeded in tracking down numerous other significant shipwrecks, including the German battleship Bismarck, the lost fleet of Guadalcanal, and the American aircraft carrier Yorktown, sunk in World War II's Battle of Midway. A 1977 expedition he led in the Galapagos Rift found hydrothermal vents with exotic ecosystems in the sea floor, a major scientific discovery. Confirmed Speakers:
Please contact Conference Secretariat, Mara Hendrix, at mara@ioiusa.usf.edu or p)727-873-4745 or f)727-873-4889 for further information or visit: http://www.coastalcities.org
Final call to register - Knowledge in Small and Medium Sized Towns The conference focuses on the possible contribution of towns to rural development by acting as a place of knowledge creation and diffusion in order to avoid processes of decline and promote a geographically balanced and sustainable development in rural areas. An important question related to this is how to take advantage of the potential of towns and rural areas and how to increase their competitiveness, encouraging their advantages over more urbanized areas. Important issues are, for example, the challenges created by learning and knowledge diffusion in towns and rural areas, the potential of towns in bottom-up policies such as the LEADER+ approach, the importance of knowledge in rural areas and the function of towns in rural-urban (knowledge) networks. For this conference, 6 different fields of interest are defined: 1) Networks and Public-Private Partnerships Early registration is available until October 30th; Registration Form is available at: http://www.cieo.ualg.pt/downloads/noticias/37/Smalltowns_%20inscription%20form_ing.pdf
“The Permanent Oil Crisis: Challenges and Opportunities”, what about Transport & Infrastructure? There is growing concern over high oil prices and the security of supply of fossil fuels. Many analysts point out that we will face technological, economic and sociological challenges within the next decade. A sector that has been affected by this concern is the transport and infrastructure sector. Fuel intensive ways of transportation (road transport, aviation) may become more expensive, whereas less fuel intensive transportation (rail transport) may expect a boost. This will have serious implications for our transport logistics and thus for urban design. A new way of thinking about energy and a fossil fuel-dependent society is necessary. At the international congress The Permanent Oil Crisis, Challenges & Opportunities, leaders from many sectors will address the challenges we face and suggest how to turn these into business opportunities. For more congress information or registering, please visit www.permanentoilcrisis.com.
Call for Papers - REAL CORP 2009 REAL CORP 2009 asks for future perspectives of cities and the role of planners in shaping the liveable cities of tomorrow.
The major questions to be dealt with at the conference in April 2009 and related to which we invite your contributions are:
As usual, complete information and latest news is always available on the website www.corp.at
Call for Papers - IAMF 2009 – Energy for Transportation 2050 The International Advanced Mobility Forum is a scientific and public forum centered on key aspects and issues related to individual mobility for the future. Taking a global and comprehensive view of these themes, all the technical and practical aspects of numerous solutions proposed for environmentally cleaner forms of mobility are considered and debated. Therefore, the subjects discussed are, among others, hybrid and electric technologies, including fuel cells, which help to considerably reduce the emissions of diesel and gasoline powered vehicles. Naturally the subject of alternative fuels is also broached in this context. The objectives of the Forum are to:
The second edition of IAMF will be held at Geneva Palexpo, from 10th to 12th of March 2009, during the second week of the Geneva International Motorshow. This second edition will lean more towards alternative fuels and energy resources for the future. For more information, please consult www.iamf.ch or contact iamf@geneva-palexpo.ch Deadline for abstract Submission: October 31st 2008
First announcement – Singapore International Water Week 2009 Following its successful launch in 2008, the 2009 Singapore International Water Week has the theme “Sustainable Cities – infrastructure and technologies for water”. The event will feature top-tier delegates and speakers from leading international water companies, utility operators and water agencies, including more industry players and exhibitors from emerging and important markets, such as Australia, South Korea, Turkey and the United States.Highlights of a varied and stimulating programme include the Water Leaders Summit, Water Convention, Water Expo, Business Forums and Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize – all carefully selected and combined to provide you an oasis of diverse networking opportunities. A comprehensive event web site is now available at: http://www.siww.com.sg/ providing full details for potential visitors. Registration will be available shortly, and further details will follow in future editions of City Matters. d 5th December 2008, Faro, Portuga
Confirmed Keynote Speakers and extended Call for Papers – EVS 24 – Towards Zero Emission The ongoing discussion and strong action taken by several governments, as well as the announcements made by vehicle manufacturers, notably at this year’s Geneva and Paris Motor Shows, address the concern for clean mobility. This topicality ensures that the World Electric Vehicle Symposium EVS24 will achieve worldwide attention and high visibility. Almost 200 internationally recognized top experts will present their views and debate at EVS24, the largest and longest running series of conferences and exhibitions within the field of sustainable electric transportation (Battery, Hybrid, Fuel cell) which celebrates its 40th year (1969 – 2009) in Stavanger, Norway, 13 – 16 May 2009. A never-before reached number of abstract has already been submitted at this stage. Nevertheless, and on demand of many authors, the deadline to submit paper abstracts has been extended to November 30th. Please login http://www.evs24.org/papers.php to submit an abstract. Keynote Speakers Who will attend ? For more information, please visit: www.evs24.org
First Announcement - CEMR General Assembly 2009 How Europe's local and regional governments are preparing Between 22 and 24 April 2009, CEMR will hold its general assembly in Malmö. It will be the perfect time and venue to reflect on the European issues that directly affect our towns and regions: the development of our public services, climate change and energy, economic growth and the environment, the state of local democracy, town twinning… For three days, elected local and regional leaders, experts, representatives of EU institutions and other stakeholders will debate – and sometimes argue over – this fundamental question: are our towns and regions fit for the future? Are we ready for the challenges of today and tomorrow? Be part of these debates. Join us in Malmö The full first announcement can be downloaded in English, Francais, Deutsch, Espanol, ελληνικ, Português, Italiano and Svenska here |
| Conference Round-up |
Climate change: What role for local government? (conference - Poznan): Get the involvement of local governement and define their role in meeting the goals set up by the international community on climate policy agreement beyond 2012: this is the main focus of the Local Government Climate Sessions.to be held in Poznan, from 9 to 11 December 2008, in the framework of the meeting of national governements in preparation for the after-Kyoto. Nili Portugali lecture: The Boston Society of Architects are hosting a lecture from Israeli architect Nili Portugali on October 29th. EISCO 2008 conference: Call for a master initiative to bring electronic services closer to the citizens 5th Urban Research Symposium: The Urban Research Symposium is a unique global forum to discuss specific policy issues related to urban growth and development. Academicians, practitioners, and decision makers from all countries and cities are urged to attend. Urban Climate Solutions event in Toronto: We regret to inform you that due to scheduling conflicts of key speakers, the event has been postponed until Spring 2009 (specific dates will be announced in the coming weeks). |
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