Nanjing, China, November 6, 2008 – Mumbai, the financial capital of India, joins metropolises such as Johannesburg, Sao Paolo, Seoul and Los Angeles, as well as smaller communities, as the 1000th Member of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, a global association of local governments committed to sustainability. ICLEI Secretary General, Mr. Konrad Otto-Zimmermann and the South Asia Director Mr. Emani Kumar made the announcement in Nanjing (China) at the World Urban Forum organized b more...

November 12, 2008. Editorial by Michelle Wyman, ICLEI USA Executive Director. It’s no secret that President-elect Obama has instilled a new sense of optimism in people who are passionate about climate protection, both in the United States and across the globe. In President-elect Obama, local governments have a new partner who has promised to listen to their needs and address their priorities. Throughout his campaign, Obama pledged to address the needs of urban communities. In June 2008, at a s more...

All through November, a local chiva, the traditional Ecuadorian bus, will be travelling to popular neighbourhoods of Quito and inviting citizens to get on for a trip to the closest cybernarium, the capital’s public Internet access centres. Once in the cybernariums, free training courses are to be provided on how to access local government information and use e-government services. This activity is part of UNESCO’s IFAP project ‘E-Government Model for World Heritage Cities - Cartagena de I more...

'Half of humanity is now living in cities, but this dramatic transition is far from over. According to the new UN-HABITAT report
State of the World’s Cities 2008/9: Harmonious Cities, globally urbanization levels will rise dramatically in the next 40 years
to reach 70 percent by 2050.
Though more than 70 per cent of the populations of Europe, North America and Latin America are already urban, Asia and
Africa which are predominately rural, with 41 per cent and 39 per cent of their populatio more...

Good Practice Transfer networking event
UN-HABITAT/ROLAC, Fundación Hábitat Colombia and the Building and Social Housing Foundation, with the support of members of the Ibero-American and Caribbean Forum on Best Practices, will be hosting an event on the Transfer of Best Practices at the World Urban Forum 4.
The World Urban Forum is a biennial gathering that brings together a wide range of partners from non-governmental and community-based organisations, urban practitioners, academia, govern more...

UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa urged participants to work to strengthen the rule of law to achieve harmonious urbanization. In his speech, entitled 'Localising the Millennium Development Goals on the foundation of the rule of law', Mr. Costa argued that the rule of law is the 'foundation for safer cities, and the basis for security, justice and development.'

SAN FRANCISCO—After almost a decade of planning and building, the renovated California Academy of Sciences is scheduled to open its doors to the public on Saturday, Sept. 27.
The long-anticipated museum shows its dedication to sustainable technologies by harnessing energy from sunlight and ocean tides.
“The message and the mission of the institution is to preserve the natural origins of life and the unbelievable diversity of life,” said Dr. Greg Farrington, the museum’s Executive D more...

Commission Vice President Günter Verheugen awarded the 'European Destinations of Excellence' (EDEN) to this year's twenty best destinations in tourism and intangible heritage at the European Annual Tourism Forum in Bordeaux on 18th of September. EDEN, launched in 2006, promotes the specific characteristics of European destinations and offers particular support to those where a competitive tourism is developed as to ensure social, cultural and environmental sustainability of tourism. It offers a more...

Oberlin College's new environmental studies center is a working laboratory for environmental education and one of the most advanced examples of ecological architecture in America.
Named the Adam Joseph Lewis Environmental Studies Center after one of the principal funders, the 14,000 square foot building was designed by William McDonough, dean of the school of architecture at the University of Virginia. McDonough has a worldwide reputation as a visionary green designer. Also contributing to the more...

'The trend is inescapable: more and more people in the developing world are living in the cities. By 2020, the number of people living in developing countries will grow from 4.9 billion to 6.8 billion. Ninety percent of this increase will be in rapidly expanding cities and towns. More than half the population of
Africa and Asia will live in urban areas by 2020. Growth in urban poverty, food insecurity, and malnutrition and a shift in their concentration from rural to urban areas will acompany u more...