Over the next fifteen years, the global urban population is going to increase significantly, and the built environment required to accommodate this growth will expand in turn. In order to ensure that this expansion is carried out in a way which avoids lock-in effects – that would be disastrous to the targets established in the
Two of the Canadian participants in the EU-Canada Urban Policy Cooperation have received deserved recognition for their actions and accountability within climate action this week. On February 10th, WWF-International announced that World Cities Project members Edmonton (Alberta) and Saanich (British Columbia), in addition to global sustainability leader Vancouver (British Columbia), are the three cities which
Sir David King occupies a unique position in the world of climate action. As the United Kingdom Foreign Secretary’s permanent Special Representative for Climate Change, he shapes the climate strategy of one world’s most influential countries; as the Chair of Future Cities Catapult, he catalyzes the spread of innovative urban solutions to cities across the
In 1835, famed French political thinker Alexis de Tocqueville arrived in Manchester (UK), which at the time of his visit was an industrial city of 300,000 people that was unrivaled in both scale and activity. The impact of the growing number of factories on the form and character of the city left a pronounced impression
How do you maintain the clarity of a message that reflects diverse scales of actors and contentious agendas? According to Ronan Dantec (Councilor, City of Nantes) the best way to do this – and ensure that your words become more than just a slogan – is to live your message. By reducing 50% of its
In the Municipality of Almada, the approach to being an international leader in EcoMobility begins with a twist: if sustainable mobility is the goal – but it is so rarely achieved – then what does un-sustainable mobility look like? According to Carlos Sousa, Director of the Local Energy Management Agency of Almada (AGENEAL), “it is
A common thread among local governments that are globally recognized as urban sustainability leaders – a category which includes the eight cities taking part in the EU-Canada Urban Policy Cooperation – is that they actively work to protect, restore, and grow biodiverse urban green spaces. Vitoria-Gasteiz is at the forefront of this trend: in the
In stark contrast to the grey skies and scattered showers that had been (correctly) forecast for Brussels on 13 October, representatives from the ICLEI facilitated EU-Japan Urban Policy Dialogue and EU-Canada Urban Policy Cooperation enjoyed a moment in the sun: at the invitation of the Directorate General of Regional and Urban Policy of the European
With fewer than six weeks until the Second Working Meeting of the EU-Canada Urban Policy Cooperation, the District of Saanich is not waiting until their arrival in Almada (Portugal) to make headlines for their sustainability initiatives. On 3 September 2015, Saanich announced an agreement with the neighboring City of Victoria that will see the two Canadian
As the calendar gives way to September, delegations representing four cities each from Europe (Almada, Portugal; Hannover, Germany; Tallinn, Estonia; and Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain) and Canada (Edmonton, Saanich, Ottawa, and Halifax) are counting down the seven weeks that remain until the Second Working Meeting of the EU-Canada Urban Policy Cooperation, which will take place between 19 October