Metropolis News • Secretariat General
Number55••November
2013
Number
2013
Englishversion
version
English
Newsletter
Metropolis to Participate in Smart City Congress
in Barcelona
Metropolis will actively participate in the Smart City Expo World Congress, due
to take place in Barcelona from 19 to 21 November 2013. This is the most
important event to assemble stakeholders of very diverse types, with important
decision-making powers in terms of bringing innovative solutions to help improve the quality of life of cities and their citizens.
In the months prior to the congress, Metropolis promoted it extensively among
its members and invited mayors to take part in plenary sessions.
The Association will have a stand at the Expo during the three days of the event.
Additionally, Metropolis Secretary General Alain Le Saux will moderate the session Smart Economic Development Through Governance, to be held at 11.30
am on 21 November, which will address the following questions: How can we
use technology effectively in governance to help foster economic development?
How can a government identify needs and contribute to effectively turning projects into products and solutions?
We look forward to seeing you at the Smart City Expo!
www.metropolis.org
Newsletter Metropolis • November 2013
Number 5 • 2013
English version
MITI Workshop engages regional cities of Middle
East and West Asia
Metropolis International Training Institute (MITI) Regional
Center in Mashhad conducted a four day workshop on
Strategic Planning and Smart Cities.
Over 25 city representatives and managers from the region
of West Asia and Middle East participated in the workshop
focused on developing strategic planning, performance
measurements for urban services and developing models
for Smart Cities in the region.(download the program here)
The program brought together global and regional experts
from Amsterdam, Amman, Barcelona, Istanbul, Lebanon,
Sydney, Tehran, UK and Mashhad. The parallel training
workshops were conducted by technical experts and best
practices. Also, case studies were discussed to bring city
to city collaboration and knowledge exchange between
Metropolis members, non-members cities and stakeholders. All Metropolis member cities and partners from the
region attended the MITI training in Mashhad.
between Barcelona and Mashhad in terms of greater tourist
influx and its economic value to the city.
Dr Saeid Reza Amoli, Vice President of Tehran University
presented pressing idea on “The city as a living organism”
and technology interventions in city planning and citizen
engagements.
Mr Frans-Anton Vermast from Amsterdam explained the
importance of communication and stakeholder engagement during early phases of Smart Cities development. He
extended the importance of knowledge platform of EU countries for the development of regional cities and implementing smart city principles and systems in strategic planning
for growth.
Mr Mahdi Baradaran, Deputy of Mashhad City Planning
and Development extended his gratitude to Metropolis Secretariat in extending the support and resources for such
an important training and capacity building program for the
cities of the region.
The plenary ‘Regional Cities Dialogue’ was attended by
over 100 people including officials from the Municipality of
Mashhad and planning professionals. The training provided
a special opportunity for youth and women to engage and
participate in the planning and management of cities in the
region.
The training program was coordinated and led by Mr Hamid Isfahanizadeh, Director of ISCO, Mashhad’s International and Scientific Cooperation Office. The Metropolis Secretariat and MITI was represented by Mr Sunil Dubey as
observer and moderator for Smart Cities.
Mr Entezari Heravi, Vice Chair of Mashhad City Council
commented on the importance of citizen participation and
global cities cooperation in developing sustainable cities.
Dr Héctor Santcovsky, from Barcelona Metropolitan Area,
appraised the city development planning and drew parallels
Click here to see more pictures of the seminars.
Please refer to MITI for further details. For Metropolis international capacity building programs and MITI activities
please contact Ms Agnes Bickart (abickart@metropolis.
org).
Number 5 • November 2013
English version
Newsletter Metropolis • November 2013
Paris invites Metropolis members to MITI
seminar on GIS
IAU îdF, the institute of urban planning and development of the Île-de-France
Region, which hosts the regional center of the Metropolis International Training
Institute (MITI) for Europe and the Mediterranean, is organizing the seminar “Observatories and Geographic Information Systems: Monitoring, Evaluation and
Decision Support Tools”. The courses will take place from December 9 to 13, and
participation in the sessions is limited to 15 attendees. The deadline for registration is Monday, November 11. Click here for further information and registration
procedures.
www.metropolis.org
Newsletter Metropolis • November 2013
Number 5 • 2013
English version
Hyderabad Gears Up to Host “Cities for All”, the
11th Metropolis World Congress
A Metropolis delegation visited Hyderabad (India) from 8 to 11 September 2013
to meet the leading representatives of the municipality of Hyderabad and the
State of Andhra Pradesh and begin to put together the 11th Metropolis World
Congress (7 to 10 October 2014) which shall be organized around the central
theme “Cities for All”.
Save the date for the 11th Metropolis World Congress!
The delegation was received by Mr. M.T. Krishna Babu, IAS, Commissioner of
the City of Hyderabad, and the local government team assigned to work on
the Congress preparation, in coordination with the team from the Metropolis
Secretariat General. The participants included Mr. Aleem Basha, Zonal Commissioner for the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Mr. K. Ashok Reddy, Additional
Commissioner (Finances and IT Systems), and Mr. Ronald Rose, Zonal Commissioner.
The delegation also had the opportunity to discuss and exchange opinions with
Mr. Adhar Sinha, Secretary to Government, MA&UD and Dr. S.K. Joshi, IAS,
Principal Secretary to the Department of Municipal Administration and Urban
Development.
At the meetings, the delegation established the priority actions for the coming
months in terms of the international promotion of the Congress and the way to
shape the program content.
During the visit, the Metropolis delegation met with Hyderabad Mayor Mr. Mohammed Majid Hussain, who was very interested in the collaboration between
the Association and the city in the preparation of the content and program for
the next Metropolis Congress in 2014; he especially emphasized the importance
of the chosen theme “Cities for All” and its implicit message of inclusion.
The next visit to continue with the preparations for the 11th Metropolis Congress
will take place in Hyderabad in January 2014.
Click here for press clippings.
Number 5 • November 2013
English version
Newsletter Metropolis • November 2013
The challenges of public-private partnerships
raised in Rabat
Metropolis Initiative “Comparative Study on Metropolitan Governance” led by
the State of São Paulo and with the support of UN-Habitat, UCLG and GIZ
organized on the 30th September 2013 a learning event on public-private partnership that took place in Rabat within the World Summit of Local and Regional
Leaders, the 4th UCLG congress.
This session was meant to discuss metropolitan governance and focus on PPPs
as an alternative to finance metropolitan projects.
UN-Habitat presented the different options cities can set up to face the challenges of metropolitan governance. Rovena Negreiros Planning Director of Emplasa presented the Metropolis Initiative “Comparative Study on Metropolitan
Governance” and the preliminary results that came from it (Read the last report
of the Initiative here).
São Paulo State government presented the brazilian economic scenario from
the nineties until now and how the alternative of PPPs emerged.
Furthermore, UCLG presented the GOLD Report launched on Thursday October 3rd and the challenge that emerging regions are facing to provide basic
services to citizens.
In the afternoon, the Government of São Paulo State and Emplasa showcased respectively the São Paulo PPP portfolio, followed the cases of São Paulo
subway line 4 and Alto Tiete Water Treatment Station.
Finally, GIZ presented the Urban NEXUS methodology, an approach for sustainable governance and cross-sectoral linkages and PPPs with Cities Development Initiative for Asia (CDIA), whose objective is to provide support for smaller
Asian cities in bridging the gap between development plans and the financing of
infrastructure projects.
The next meeting of the São Paulo Metropolis Initiative will be held during the
World Urban Forum in Medellin from 5 to 11 April 2014, to start building consensus among the involved stakeholders (São Paulo, UN-Habitat, GIZ and Metropolis) to concrete further steps to action.
www.metropolis.org
Newsletter Metropolis • November 2013
Number 5 • 2013
English version
Local and regional leaders close the world
summit with the Rabat Declaration
The World Summit of Local and Regional Leaders of UCLG
culminated today in Rabat with the announcement of the
new Presidency of UCLG – the largest organization of Mayors and local and regional governments in the world. Over
these three days, over 3,000 participants from 125 countries
came together under the theme, “Imagine Society, Build Democracy”.
Kadir Topbas, Mayor of Istanbul (Turkey) was reelected President of the organization.
The following co-presidents were elected:
·Augusto Barrera, Mayor of Quito (Ecuador),
·Anne Hidalgo, First deputy Mayor at the Town Hall of Paris
(France)
·Chen Jianhua, Mayor of Guangzhou (China),
·Alain Juppé, President of the French Association of the
Council of European Municipalities and Regions (AFCCRE),
Mayor of Bordeaux (France),
·Ilsur Metshin, Mayor of Kazan (Russia) was re-elected copresident
·Jacqueline Moustache Belle, President of the Association
of Districts of Victoria (Seychelles), Mayor of Victoria
Fathallah Oualalou, Mayor of Rabat (Morocco) was elected
as treasurer for UCLG.
Berry Vrbanovic, Emeritus President of the Federation of
Canadian Municipalities (FCM), Councilor of Kitchener was
nominated deputy treasurer.
Nine Vice-Presidents representing all the regions of the
world were also elected. The Assembly General of UCLG
welcomed the creation of a new section for the Regions that
will be led by ORU-FOGAR.
At the opening of the World Council, Kadir Topbas warmly
thanked Fatallah Oualalou, Mayor of Rabat and the Moroccan authorities for their remarkable welcome as well as
the African Section of UCLG, UCLG Africa and the members
of the Pan-African Council. He then paid special homage to
local and regional authorities that have presently become
members of this global movement. A special mention was
also made for representatives of the United Nations (UN Habitat, UNICEF, UNESCO, OIT, UNDP among many others),
the World Bank, the European Commission, the Alliance
of Towns, the organizations of local governments and the
partners from the private sector who also participated in this
Summit.
The Rabat Declaration
The Declaration recognizes the need to bring innovate
changes, to achieve more just societies by reinforcing
governance from the bottom up, under the leadership of inclusive local and regional governments. It highlights the role
of subnational governments as engines and actors of
development and in the promotion of dialogue as a vehicle
to peace.
The outcomes of this Congress further celebrate diversity
and call for equality and inclusion, with culture and decent
jobs as crucial components of resilient sustainable societies.
The Declaration builds on the lessons learned over a 100
years. This centennial has seen many changes and yet the
core issues that concern local and regional authorities as the
closest level of government to the people remain the same.
Universal service provision that takes care of those most
vulnerable in society will need to continue high in our agenda and was included in the document that this Congress
adopted.
This Congress clearly calls for a broad understanding of
urbanization, bridging the urban rural divide, including cohesion and a special approach based on solidarity and cooperation beyond political borders and administrations.
Making our communities resilient and tackling the unavoidable urbanization process in an efficient manner implies
a greater role for local and regional authorities in international
policy making, in particular UN processes that define agendas that will affect communities world-wide.
Finally the Declaration takes notes of the aspirations of local
and regional authorities for the upcoming Habitat III Conference where a different status for local and regional authorities before the United Nations Habitat Agenda is expected
to be achieved.
In order to ensure broad ownership, the Declaration has
been distributed among members before the Congress.
3rd World Summit will take place in Bogota in 2016
The City of Bogota was chosen to host the 5th World Congress and 3rd Summit of Local and Regional Leaders of
UCLG that will take place in 2016.
Please click here to read the Declaration of Rabat.
Number 5 • November 2013
English version
Newsletter Metropolis • November 2013
Calendar
Day
Venue
Event
november 2013
3-6
Seoul , South Korea
CITYNET Congress 2013
4-6
Ouagadougou, Burkina
Cities Alliance Annual Consultative Group, Governing Council and Executive
Faso
Committee Meetings
Kobe, Japan
WHO Expert Consultation on the Urban Health Equity Assessment and Res-
6-9
ponse Tool (Urban HEART)
11-22
Warsaw, Poland
COP 19: 9th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC
15
Barcelona, Spain
Metropolis Initiative - Medellín-Barcelona Chair “City and gastronomy »
19-21
Barcelona, Spain
Smart City Expo World Congress Barcelona
21-22
Johannesburg, South
Leading change in the City
Africa
17-20
Beijing, China
Urban Environmental Pollution 2013 Asian Edition. Creating Healthy, Liveable
Cities
18-20
Hong Kong, China
Cities Learning Together - Local Communities in the Sustainable and Healthy
Learning City , 11th PASCAL International Observatory Conference
december 2013
4-6
Brussels, Belgium
UITP Training Program: Security Risk Assessment in public transport
4-6
Hanoi, Vietnam
INTA37 World Congress
9-13
Paris, France
Metropolis International Training Institute (MiTi) Seminar on “Observatories
and Geographic Information Systems: Monitoring, Evaluation and Decision
Support Tools”
february 2013
4-6
Johannesburg, South
C40 Mayors Summit
Africa
10-14
Berlin, Germany
Metropolis Initiative. Dialogue-Pre-acting and adapting to climate change in
cities
General Secretariat
Avinyó 15 08002 Barcelona
Tel. (+34) 93 342 94 60 · Fax.(+34) 93 342 94 66
E-mail: metropolis@metropolis.org · www.metropolis.org
Regional Secretaries
Abidjan Africa · Melbourne Asia Pacific ·
Paris Ile-de-France Europe · Montreal North America ·
São Paulo Latin America - Caribbean
www.metropolis.org