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Welcome to the new look City Matters - we hope you like the design and layout and find it enhances your reading. This month we have published over 60 news items from around the world, 12 conference alerts, and there are 19 new events listed at our 2010 events calendar - making it the most comprehensive in the urban world. We also have a number of Course Alerts running right now - please scroll down to see these. |
NEWS FROM THE URBAN WORLD - 20 most popular stories for September UN General Assembly elects Joan Clos as new Executive Director of UN-HABITAT: The United Nations General Assembly today elected Joan Clos as the Executive Director of UN-HABITAT at the level of Under Secretary-General of the UN. He is expected to begin his tenure on 18 October for a period of four years. World Disasters Report 2010 : Focus on urban risk: The 2010 World Disasters Report (WDR) focuses on urban risk in the context of a world which is urbanizing rapidly, where over half the world’s population now live in cities for the first time and more people than ever before live in slums. African planners mull urbanization challenges: With an accelerated pace of urbanization which is projected to result in over 300 million new urban dwellers in the next 20 years, planners in Africa are faced with the daunting task of ensuring that the development takes place in an orderly manner. Mobile Devices Could Prompt Rise in City Living: The Atlantic suggests that mobile devices and the ability to connect them with the Internet will help lure more people into cities. By being able to do work on the go, and access information everywhere, the prospect of doing work on the commute could make more people opt for the bus or the train rather than the hands-required world of car driving. Cities get common standard for measuring greenhouse gas emissions: The world's cities now have a common method for calculating the amount of greenhouse gases produced within their boundaries. On the sidelines of the Fifth Session of the World Urban Forum held in Rio de Janeiro, UNEP, UN-HABITAT, and the World Bank jointly launched an International Standard for Determining Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Cities. The 2010 UN-HABITAT Scroll of Honour Award Winners: UN-HABITAT on Monday announced the winners of its 2010 Scroll of Honour, the UN's most prestigious award in human settlements development. The awards, which honour individuals and institutions instrumental in improving living conditions in towns and cities, will be bestowed on World Habitat Day. UN-HABITAT, Google in new global water initiative: UN-HABITAT and Google.org have launched an innovative new h2.0 Initiative to ensure water and sanitation facts are instantly available virtually anywhere in the world. Citizens, Cities and Video Surveillance: The new Efus publication Towards a democratic and responsible use of videosurveillance is now available. It is the result of the European project Citizens, Cities and Video Surveillance, focused on the use of video surveillance in the prevention of crime and its consequences on individual rights, that concluded in May with a final conference in Rotterdam. Cities holding the balance of power: The rise of megacities and innovation hubs is leading to a balance shift that will make cities, not nations, the most powerful drivers in the world economy, according to Parag Khanna. The chance to share successful city-level strategies for immigrant integration:
On October 3-4, migration and integration experts from over 54 global cities will attend the 2010 International Cities of Migration Conference, “An Opportunity Agenda for Cities,” in The Hague to share successful local strategies for integrating immigrants in ways that benefit both newcomers and the host community. €115 million to be allocated for local energy efficiency projects: Around €115 million is to be allocated to towns and local authorities for investments in services that will create jobs and improve energy efficiency, as approved by members of the European Parliament on the Industry, Research and Energy Committee on 2 September 2010. ICLEI Member cities dominate as finalists for the European Green Capital awards : Five of six finalist cities for the 2012 and 2013 European Green Capital awards are ICLEI Members. Chosen from 52 applicant cities, the finalists include: Barcelona, Spain: Malmö, Sweden: Nantes, France: Nuremburg, Germany: Reykjavik, Iceland: Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain Singapore outgrowing livability? Singapore, one of the world's most livable cities, is facing a population boom that some say will give the city a crowded and unpleasant future. Recent weather-related destruction highlight some of its growing pains. International essay competition winners announced: The winners of 2010 UN-HABITAT International Essay Competition have been announced. The three winners were announced in Nairobi on Monday ending a drawn out search that saw reviews of hundreds of interesting essays submitted by young people from around the world. EMI Launching event - Brussels, 26 October 2010:
On October 26th, 2010 the European Metropolitan network Institute (EMI) will present itself to all relevant European stakeholders in an afternoon session with interesting speakers (ranging from EU Commissioner Hahn to renowned urban researchers) and ample time for networking. Understanding OPEN Cities: Madrid, Dublin, Toronto, Auckland & Amsterdam: The report 'Understanding OPEN CIties' is one of 4 reports prepared in 2010 by the British Council. It is part of the OPEN Cities project, which aims to develop a robust understanding of the potential for cities seeking to embrace the opportunities presented by internationally mobile labour. The report focuses on the the main ingredients of an open city and the policies and strategies that need to be adopted in order to stimulate city openness. If Cities Focus on Walkable Communities, Economic Development Will Follow: With a third of metro area populations eager for pedestrian-friendly settings, a key path out of the recession leads through urban infill and walkable mixed-use redevelopment of car-dependent suburban malls and strips – some 10,000 now awaiting new life. Municipalities and regions organise an Energy Day during EU Sustainable Energy Week: The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) calls upon Europe's local and regional authorities to organise an Energy Day in the framework of the EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) from 11 to 15 April 2011. The World's Fastest-Growing City in Pictures: Wired presents a slideshow of photography exploring the booming Chinese city of Chongqing -- the fastest growing urban center in the world.
To submit a news story to Urbanicity, contact Jeremy Flay
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Register Now - Child in the City 2010 80 experts cannot wait to talk to you! Conference programme online This 5th edition in Florence aims to foster the thriving of local initiatives implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and promoting child well-being and poverty reduction strategies. UNICEF is one of its supporters. A new element: the poster presentation session Sign up now First Announcement - Counter Terror Expo 2011 Counter Terror Expo is the annual professional event delivering both focus and clarity to the complex and multifaceted task of protecting people and assets from those with the intent and determination to strike out. The event brings the world's leading experts in the field from within government, the armed forces, security services, law enforcement and academia, together with industrialists at the cutting edge in developing the tools necessary to combat the scourge of terrorism. Counter Terror Expo comprises a centrepiece conference programme, showcase exhibition and extensive programme of highly specialised workshops, which reflect the ever changing dynamics of the counter-terrorism world. This critically acclaimed event delivers a vital forum for debate and plays a key role at the epicentre of the development of future counter-terrorism strategy. Counter Terror Expo will be held next in the Grand Hall of the Olympia Exhibition & Conference Centre in London, 19-20 April, 2011. More info at: http://www.counterterrorexpo.com/ Register Now - ISWA World Congress 2010 The ISWA World Congress 2010 on Urban Development and Sustainability will take place in the heart of the city of Hamburg. The event will be a unique possibility to learn about the latest development in and around the waste management sector, to get acquainted with colleagues from all over the world, and to share the experiences which only this city can give to you. The program covers the whole range of problems which are dealt with by politicians, administrators, scientists, engineers and managers in the waste sector - from Climate Policy to Energy Efficiency. The Congress will enable professionals, technicians, academics, students, representatives of the public and private sector to exchange their points of view concerning that future and, at the same timel benefit from the experience of the different and diverse countries, with the state-of-the-art knowledge of the different technologies in use, as well as the discussion and assessment of the new technologies and their contribution, participation and agreements aimed at the solution of the new challenges. Full Conference Programme 2010 KNOWLEDGE CITIES WORLD SUMMIT PROGRAM NEWS
Book now to hear from these engaging plenary speakers and more…. Prof Javier Carrillo - World Capital Institute, Mexico Prof Rob Adams - City of Melbourne, Australia Prof Tom Kvan - University of Melbourne, Australia Continue to check the summit website for future updates REGISTER NOW International keynote speakers, interactive workshops, concurrent sessions and exciting panels make up this dynamic event. Hear and see academics, practitioners and business leaders over 3 stimulating days. Visit the official Melbourne 2010 – Knowledge Cities World Summit website or contact the Melbourne Summit Organiser on +61 3 9320 8636 or info@melbourneknowledgesummit.com Register Now – International Skyrise Greenery Conference 2010 Converge at the first skyrise greenery meeting to build a sustainable urban environment Gain a better understanding of current and new trends, technical and design considerations as well as the advantages of Skyrise Greenery from an international audience of experts and practitioners. International keynote speakers include:
For online registration, the profile of the speakers and conference programme information, please visit the official Conference Website at www.skyrisegreeneryconference.com or contact the International Skyrise Greenery Secretariat at +65 6471 9965 or debbietang@mpinetwork.com Final Call to Register - Building Sustainability 2010 Calling all local government leaders and urban stakeholders: Do not miss the opportunity to attend this important event and learn how to emulate the urban sustainability lessons learned in Stockholm - designated the first ever European Green Capital by the EU Commission. Register now - special registration link for Urbanicity subscribers In this international conference, we will explore the strengths in the City's recent urban development and redevelopment projects and how they have contributed to this extraordinary designation. The overall aim of the conference is to discuss how we can tackle some of the sustainability issues of urban development and how the Stockholm experiences can contribute to this end. The focus will be on the holistic and cooperative approach to planning and realisation of medium to large scale city develoment projects that has been key to the success of projects such as the renowned Hammarby Sjöstad.
To place a conference feature in City Matters, please contact Jeremy Flay |
October Climate Change and Communities: A Call to Action 2010 International Metropolis Conference European Week of Regions and Cities Conference on Urban and Regional Economics World Conference of Historical Cities Developing open space in peri-urban areas
November Skyrise Greenery Conference 2010 Climate Dialogue: Low Carbon Cities for High Quality Living Conference on Next Generation Infrastructures for Eco-Cities ISWA World Congress 2010 on Urban Development and Sustainability Knowledge Cities World Summit 2010
December International Conference on Sustainable Mobility Multi-level conference on the integrated development of towns Scandinavian Urban Transit 2010 International Conference on Urban and Extraurban Studies Urban and peri-urban horticulture in the century of cities Chicago Metro Summit: delivering the next economy 2nd Xiamen International Forum on Urban Environment Transportation and Urban Sustainability Sustainable Water Management in Cities 1st International Conference on Sustainable Urbanization
For a full listing of forthcoming conferences, visit: Urbanicity Events
To receive updates for this calendar, please register here |
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Developing Social Housing Projects COURSE ALERT - This course is primarily designed to build the capacity of social housing developers, both private and public agents. It targets housing and planning officials in national and local governments, housing actors operating in housing-related institutions, the private sector, NGO sector and councillors involved in housing delivery. The professionals targeted are developers, architects, urban designers, building inspectors, (construction) engineers and housing programme/project managers
If you want to use our new education promotion service, contact Derek Wishart - dwishart@urbanicity.org |