The ArtVenture Freedom to Create Prize has been launched to recognise artists who use their talents to promote creative freedom, empathy, understanding and to confront discrimination and oppression. This unique and significant creative award carries a US$ 100,000 prize divided between three categories. 1. The ArtVenture Freedom to Create Prize is open to artists who promote human rights, empathy, equality and understanding and carries a US$ 50,000 award.2. The ArtVenture Freedom to Create Youth more...

Three months into his reign as London mayor, Boris Johnson is to face a formal investigation by the London Assembly into his mayoral appointments following several recent embarrassing resignations. The probe, which will be handled by the assembly's business management and administration committee, will examine if proper procedures were observed by the mayor and the advice he received by officials.

The inquiry, chaired by Green Party member Darren Johnson, will concentrate on the mayor's post- more...

London, 19 July 2008: England's elected mayors will be given control of policing towns and cities under sweeping reforms announced by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith. The proposals will see elected mayors given direct control of policing while other areas will see directly elected police boards introduced as a means to both give communities more say over fighting crime and encourage more local councils to opt for having an elected mayor. The proposals follow an earlier white paper to make it easier more...

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) called on the world to help Asian cities cope with unprecedented growth. Over the next decade, a spokesman explained, the regions urban areas would be growing by more than 100,000 people a day. “Half of Asia's population will be living in cities by 2020, as some 1.1 billion people move to urban environments over the next 20 years,” added ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda.

'For most major cities in Asia, growth rates are too rapid for their own infrastructure t more...

Sydney, 31 July 2008: According to Australian Property Monitors (APM) house prices in the country’s state capitals are set to fall by 10 per cent over the next year. The value of homes across Australia has already fallen to its lowest level since 2004. APM general manager Michael McNamara believes that due to rising interest rates worse is still to come. 'But it's unlikely that Australians are going to see the same sort of widespread abandoning of the family home as it is happening in some par more...

Tshwane, 23 July 2008: Tshwane (formerly Pretoria) Mayor Dr Gwen Ramokgopa expressed regret for the death of six people during a mass eviction of rent defaulters in council-owned apartments. The mayor told reporters that the action taken by the council was legal but also admitted that some resistance was anticipated. 'We knew that there was going to be resistance and that there would be risks, especially as there are known criminal elements among the tenants. We just did not expect the extent of more...

Mexico City 24 July 2008: Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard apologised on behalf of his administration for the mistakes made during a raid on a discotheque, which left 12 young people dead. The mayor said he felt deep sorrow for the relatives and friends of the victims and also acknowledged that the police arrested many young people arbitrary. Ebrard promised a thorough investigation and said that legal action would be taken against anybody found to have acted unlawfully.

While Mexico City’s more...

In a world confronted by surging food and oil prices, this year’s session of the Economic and Social Council, one of the three principal organs of the United Nations, is dedicated to highlighting the crisis facing developing countries. Speaking at the Ministerial Round Table, UN-HABITAT Executive Director Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka pointed out that one of the critical structural problems confronting most developing countries was the lack of well planned infrastructure that linked rural and urban area more...

Rwanda’s Minister for Infrastructure, Ms. Linda Bihire, in July, joined some 200 business leaders, local authorities, non governmental organisations and other experts at the country’s first National Urban Forum in the capital, Kigali. The participants at the two-day meeting cited concern at rising rents, the cost of living and increasing poverty in most urban areas. They called for a concerted effort by all development partners to accelerate their efforts on programmes and projects that woul more...

UN-HABITAT and the International Union of Architects (UIA) have embarked on a five-year cooperation plan to ensure sustainable urban development and liveable, inclusive cities now that the global urban population has for the first time surpassed that of people living in the countryside. The agreement was announced in the Italian city of Turin last week at the 23rd World Congress of the International Union of Architects. The meeting, which drew more than 10,000 particpants, examined the theme of more...