Metropolis News • General Secretariat
Number22••2013
2013
Number
Englishversion
version
English
Newsletter
What does it mean to be a “caring city”? Register
and find out in Johannesburg beginning July 16,
2013!
The 2013 Metropolis Annual Meeting, scheduled to take
place in Johannesburg from July 16 to 19, 2013, will explore the six key issues covered by the event’s theme,
“Caring Cities,” at thematic sessions led by academic and
urban experts, local and metropolitan leaders, and leading
figures from international institutions, among others.
[Click here to see the list of confirmed speakers]
[Click here to see the program for the next Metropolis
Annual Meeting]
Caring cities are cities that strive to offer a high quality of
life, are guided by values such as humanism and sharing,
provide comfort and dignity to all their citizens, and deliver
solutions that meet their citizens’ needs.
Hungry Citizens: Cities and Food Resilience
Together, we can define a committed urban agenda and
make it easier to build increasingly caring cities.
Smart/Agile Cities in Developing Countries
Register today!
The Power of the Informal Economy
We’ll see you in Johannesburg!
Resource Resilience
Engaged Citizens
Social Cohesion in a “Caring City”
www.metropolis.org
Newsletter Metropolis • May 2013
Number 2 • 2013
English version
Register now and participate in the Urban Transport Policy Trial Training Program of the Metropolis International Institute
The Headquarters of Metropolis International Institute
(Seoul Human Resource Development Center (SHRDC))
is pleased to inform the Trial Training Program on Urban
Transportation Policy during 19-26 May 2013 in Seoul for
Metropolis member cities.
Seoul is well known for its Transport Intelligence System,
Public transport reform policy, Bus rapid transit, etc.,
and experts from all around the world visit Seoul to learn
Seoul’s urban transportation policy. Don’t miss the opportunity to be a participant of the outstanding training
program of Seoul Urban Transportation Policy provided
by the SHRDC!
Please kindly refer to the below and apply to the program
Venue
Seoul Human Resource Development Center, Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Date
May 19~May 26, 2013
Program
Urban Transportation Policy. See the module description
of Urban Transportation here
Language
English
Goal
To share Seoul’s urban transportation model by lectures,
discussion and field trips, and to ensure strong relationship among Metropolis member cities
Targeted Audience
15 Middle to high-level public servants and experts of the
Metropolis member cities’ governments (1~2 participants
in each city)
Cost
Participants should provide their own round-trip air ticket.
Sponsor
Logistics, accommodation and training fee will be sponsored by Seoul Metropolitan Government. For the participants from the developing cities according to the ODA
recipient list of OECD , 50% of the airfare could be sponsored by Seoul Metropolitan Government.
Due date for application
April 19, 2013
How to apply
Please send the application form and recommendation letter by April 19, 2013 to Ms. Chool Namgung, chool1026@
naver.com.
Number 2 • 2013
English version
Newsletter Metropolis • May 2013
Secretary of Science and Technology of Rio visits
Metropolis
Franklin Dias Coelho, Special Secretary for Science and Technology of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, visited today the headquarters of the Metropolis Secretariat General at Barcelona. The secretary and his advisor, Maria Helena Jardim, demonstrated enthusiasm in strengthening Rio’s participation in the association, especially at times of preparation of the
city for major international events, such as the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games. Coelho spoke of the
major changes that the city has been facing lately, and confirmed his participation as a representative of Rio in the next
Metropolis Annual Meeting.
He showed particular interest in the Metropolis Initiatives for Agile Cities and City Protocol. He also highlighted specific
projects developed by his Secretariat in Rio, namely the ”Knowledge Square”, which consists in multimedia poles for
digital inclusion, where citizens have access to high speed internet, digital libraries, computer training and activities to
promote the cultural and economic development of marginalized communities. The project won the Living Labs Global
Awards 2012.
Photo: Knowledge square at the neighborhood of Nova Brasília, Rio de Janeiro. Credit: Bruno Itan/Government of the
state of Rio de Janeiro
www.metropolis.org
Newsletter Metropolis • May 2013
Number 2 • 2013
English version
Joan Clos successfully opened the Symposium
“Safe Cities within the sphere of Public space and
Gender”
More than 200 people gathered together in Barcelona
yesterday, within the framework of a symposium organised by the Metropolis Women International Network, to
discuss and deliberate on policies regarding public space
and urban development from a gender perspective.
The symposium began with a round-table discussion
in which political representatives from various administrations and organisations took part, including Alain Le
Saux, Secretary General of Metropolis, and Joan Clos,
Executive Director of UN-Habitat and Under-Secretary
General of the United Nations. By way of two round-table
debates, the issue of safety and the perception of safety
from a broad range of perspectives were addressed and
in-depth reflection was conducted on issues such as the
influence borne by the current economic crisis on safety
policies in cities, particularly with regard to women.
In his opening speech, Joan Clos, who spearheaded the
initiative to create the Metropolis Women International
Network in 2005 during his term of office as President of
Metropolis from 1997 to 2006, stressed the urgent need
to reorganise society and to rethink cohabitation in a rational and comprehensive manner. Drawing on his experience in UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements
Programme, he asserted that the future of cities “involves
restoring life in the communityto make the streets safer”
and that “a good way of ensuring such safety is to move
towards global governance that guarantees the same
rights for all citizens across the planet, regardless of their
country”.
The event enjoyed the support of Barcelona Metropolitan
Area, Barcelona City Council, Barcelona Provincial Council, the Government of Catalonia and UN-Habitat.
Links:
Video of the meeting
How to enhance the effectiveness of post-2015
MDG financing?
Check out here the article written by Secretary General of Metropolis, Alain Le
Saux, to find out his proposal and thoughts on how to enhace the effectiveness of post-2015 MDG financing.
Number 2 • 2013
English version
Newsletter Metropolis • May 2013
Metropolis engaging Urban India in connecting with
Global Cities
During 13,14 and 15 March 2013 Metropolis participated,
as one of the support institutions, in one of the largest
Urban Infrastructure conferences in India, Municipalika
– making cities better. The three day conference in Delhi NCR focused on governance, urban reforms in India,
energy, environment and affordable housing.
The conference was attended by over 800 national and international delegates from public, private and urban organisations. Some of the key Metropolis partners from India
also attended this conference. Metropolis engaged with
various cities and urban agencies through its promotional
and information desk at the Municipalika Expo area. The
Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD), Govt
of India, Dr Sudhir Krishna visited the Metropolis information desk and commented on Metropolis’s successful
engagement with Urban India. He also emphasised on
the greater need of Metropolis organisation to engage
with tier two cities of India, where Metropolis could assist
with greater capacity building programs and bring best
case practices of program management in urban infrastructure projects. Dr Krishna was attended by Metropolis
International Manager, Ms Agnes Bikart. Ms Bickart briefly updated Dr Krishna on forthcoming Metropolis World
Congress 2014 in Hyderabad, a leading global urban conference on governance and capacity building. Metropolis
Country Director, Mr Sunil Dubey presented a case study
during Inclusive and Smart Cities session of Municipalika,
where he explained the frameworks of Smart City and
experiences from Metropolis member cities in addressing
these parameters in Indian urban context. He further explained the Metropolis research methodologies, including
the Metropolis Initiatives (MI) process and frameworks, in
developing stronger capacities among global cities, thus
pertaining towards Smart Cities.
The Metropolis team also met with NIUA Vice president,
Prof O P Mathur and acting director Prof Usha Raghupathi to discuss various programs on urban capacity building and applied research platforms to bring successful
international experiences to be shared with policy makers
and urban managers in India. Prof Mathur discussed the
frameworks of International training at NIUA and greater
need for Indian cities to plan for desirable urbanisation.
NIUA and Metropolis discussed the next stages of Capacity Building fund to be focused on urban reforms, administration and management. The fund would put specific
focus on tier two cities of Indian. As per Census of India
2011, there are currently thirty three (33) urban agglomerations/Cities in India over one million population.
The rapid urban growth among Indian cities have demonstrated unprecedented forms of urbanisation, where
traditional urban planning methodologies and urban management practices fail to address the basic infrastructure needs in critical timeframe. Metropolis has been working with National Institute of Urban Affairs of India since
2008 in developing urban capacity building frameworks
where international best practices from city planning and
management are shared at research and policy level.
NIUA, principal associate of Metropolis in India is a leading
public institute focused on urban development and management. It works in close association with the government
of India urban departments and agencies.
Documents:
Municipalika’s Brochure 2013
Metropolis Presentation on Smart Cities
Related Links:
National Institute of Urban Affairs
Ministry of Urban Development
Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation
India’s largest urban renewal mission
Metropolis Publications on India
“It’s vital for India to move from Inevitable Urbanisation to
Desirable Urbanisation. The capacity building among Indian Cities remains one of the major challenges in addressing the sustainable urbanisation and economic growth”
Mr Ajay Maken, Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty
Alleviation, Government of India
www.metropolis.org
Newsletter Metropolis • May 2013
Number 2 • 2013
English version
Calendar
Date
Venue
Event
14-16
San Francisco
Living Labs Global /Cities Summit
14-17
Kampala
CLGF Kampala Conference ‘ Developmental Local Government’ and special
may 2013
UNDP consultation on post-2015 Development Agenda
19-26
Seoul
Trial Training Program on Urban Transportation Policy
22-24
Istanbul
ISTANBUL 3W Congress International Solid Waste, Water and Wastewater
Congress
june 2013
5-7
Lyon
UCLG Executive Bureau
16-19
Johannesburg
Metropolis Annual Meeting & Board of Directors
17-18
Johannesburg
5 Metropolis Initiatives Workshops: Kreanta/ Durban & Sao Paulo/ Living
july 2013
Labs , The Climate Group, Citymart/ Melbourne / Estado de Sao Paulo
september 2013
9-11
Toronto
Meeting of the Minds
24-27
Abidjan
International Forum “Dynamic Cities Need Women”
october 2013
TBC
Buenos Aires
1-4
Rabat
Metropolis Initiative Workshop on “Transfering Knowlegde and cooperating in
culture, education and city”, organized by Kreanta
UCLG World Congress
november 2013
14-17
Barcelona
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
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