“For cities, perhaps the most obvious increased risk from climate change comes from the increased number and intensity of extreme weather events such as heavy rainstorms, cyclones and hurricanes. The cities most at risk are the cities where these events are already common – although there is some evidence that the geographic range of some extreme weather events is expanding.

more...

The just-released State of the World 2007: Our Urban Future  by the  Worldwatch Institute makes two important points  -  firstly, while cities cover only 0.4 percent of the Earth’s surface, they generate the bulk of the world’s carbon emissions, making cities key to alleviating the climate crisis; and secondly, global development priorities must be reassessed to account for massive urban poverty, because well over h more...

In 1993, at the invitation of ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability) – municipal leaders met at the United Nations in New York and adopted a Declaration that called for a worldwide movement of local governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality and enhance urban sustainability.

The result was the Cities for Climate ProtectionTM (CCP) Campaign.  Sin more...

“By the mid-twentieth century, many of our great cities were in physical decay, losing population, economic activity, key roles in the national economy, and share of national wealth. As we move into the twenty-first century, cities have re-emerged as strategic places for a wide range of projects and dynamics. The Urban Age project allowed us to establish this directly for a set of very diverse cities…

more...

Development in Asia is tied to the growth of sustainable cities. Economically dynamic cities are central to future economic growth and continuing reduction in poverty. Cities are the main locations of production, trade, and productivity growth, which provide the basis for rising standards of living.

Over the next 25 years, Asia’s urban population will grow by around 70% tomore than 2.6 billion people. An additional billion people will have urban habitats. This transformation wi more...

2007 is the year that the global urban population will exceed the global rural population for the first time in history. Developing countries, especially,  face an unprecedented urban growth. In Asia cities grow at an average annual rate of around 2.5% with an urban population of 1.5 billion people. However, urbanisation is fastest in the African Sub-Saharan region with the urban population in some countries growing at a rate of more than 5%.

more...

There are many kinds of urban development and an important way is the one followed by social entrepreneur Eliana Souza Silva. Eliana has  generated a new kind of community revitalization in a Brazilian shantytown - the investments are the community members themselves. ”Maré, meaning "tide" in Portuguese, is Rio de Janeiro's largest and most populous group of slums. Once a small gathering of stilt shacks built on a more...

The Body Stop – New Mobile Tours Hertfordshire County in UK  to Help Young People Make Healthy Lifestyle Choices.

‘The Body Stop’ travels  around the county to youth service projects, giving advice and information to young people aged 13-19 on everything from physical and emotional health to the dangers of using illegal drugs.

< more...

“I became involved with the Environmental Youth Alliance in 1996 where I began my work as a participant in the EYA Youth Garden. I was looking for a refuge from my street entrenched life and a creative place to express my emotions and political ideas. The gardens became that place." more...

The Berlin Declaration - Building Bridges (Council for European Urbanism - CEU)

The strength of Europe lies in its cultural variety, in the richness of its cities, towns, villages and countryside and its cultural landscapes. Cities and regions are in competition with each other, but at the same time they need mutual cooperation, in order to be able to compete world more...