The Cities Alliance is pleased to announce that Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will host a dinner at the Malacaňang Palace to open the Cities Alliance annual meetings in Manila on 5 November 2007. The president’s speech will open the Public Policy Forum, a three-day event that precedes the two-day Consultative Group meetings of Alliance members. High-level delegates to the meetings include Philippine Vice President and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council Ch more...

The UN-Habitat publication Enhancing Urban Safety and Security: Global Report on Human Settlements 2007, published in October 2007, addresses some of the most challenging threats to the safety and security of urban dwellers worldwide. The report pinpoints rapid urbanization as fast becoming a force shaping where and when disaster strikes and whom it most affects. Against the backdrop of increasing crime, in a world where at least two million people are forcibly evicted every year and where di more...

Within a term of two decades China's open door policy has triggered economic progress and urban development of unrivalled speed and dimension. For the coming two decades China - and the world - expect the explosive growth both of the economy and the urbanized areas to reach a new pinnacle.

This advancement has propelled Chinese cities and their inhabitants into the future with amazing velocity. Modernity sweeps across the country beyond the coastal boomtowns more...

At summits and other meetings, pledges are routinely made to improve livelihoods and alleviate the evils associated with poverty, water scarcity and resource degradation, and political and other oppression. Sadly, commitments made are not borne out in practice. In international contexts the commitments may be sanctioned by national governments, but few are legally binding. In an ambiguous formal status, ambitious and well-meaning commitments often more...

The City Mayors series Historic Cities - Living Cities features living towns and cities, which have made significant historic contributions to urban development. Many of the cities, initially chosen for the series, are World Heritage sites or contain historic institutions and monuments, which have influenced social, political, cultural and architectural development in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa. The editors of City Mayors, while includi more...

Environmental issues play a central role in urban planning. However, in emerging megacities, infrastructure growth often takes precedence over the environment. This is one of the key findings of a survey of 522 decision makers from 25 megacities. Solving transportation issues has the highest priority in the cities surveyed, and air pollution is seen as the main environmental issue. The research project was conducted by the two research institutes more...

B&Q, the world’s third largest home improvement retailer, has announced a scheme to root out  illegal supplies of timber and guarantee that within three years all products will be from certified, responsible forestry programmes. Two months ago, Greenpeace International released the report from a survey which showed that many timber species commonly sold in home improvement stores across China come from countries where up to 80% more...

What are contemporary large urban projects? Mario Lungo argues that, this is an ambiguous, complex and polysemic notion for many reasons. Since large urban projects: i) may include various functions (recuperation of historic centers, construction of mass public transportation systems, reutilization of ancient industrial, military, railways, ports, airport zones, etc.; renewal of large areas with obsolete housing, construction of new zones for entertainment or tourism); moreover, ii) they have more...