Urban Issues

---------------------------- Original Message ---------------------------- Subject: Ecocity World Summit 2008 Update From: "Kirstin Miller" <kirstin@ecocitybuilders.org> Date: Sat, May 12, 2007 8:06 pm To: kammen@berkeley.edu -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ecocity World Summit Update May 2007 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Greetings! This is the first email update in advance of the the upcoming Ecocity World Summit in San Francisco, California, USA, April 22-26, 2008. We are looking forward to seeing you at what we think will be a very important international gathering. The Ecocity World Summit will address the ecological city, town and village from the perspectives of people, nature, sustainable development, economies and technologies, and incentives and support structures. In this update we are highlighting several Ecocity World Summit speakers in order to give you a sense of some of the ecocity-related programs, projects and initiatives that are being implemented in different parts of the world right now. With warm regards, Kirstin Miller and Richard Register Conference Directors Please note: If you received this email update in error, of if you would prefer not to receive these updates, you can unsubscribe by clicking on the 'SafeUnsubscribe' icon at the bottom of this email message. EWSlogo [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=i8ofz4bab.0.nzspa4bab.hdosiabab.2610&ts=S0252&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecocityworldsummit.org%2F] Conference Website [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=i8ofz4bab.0.diw7z4bab.hdosiabab.2610&ts=S0252&p=http%3A%2F%2Fecocityworldsummit.org%2F] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cities · People · Nature · Sustainable Development Economies · Support Structures · Food Systems ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ News & Updates launch [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=i8ofz4bab.0.zr4mt8bab.hdosiabab.2610&ts=S0252&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecocitybuilders.org%2F]Website launched! Our team worked tirelessly (well, they did get tied from time to time) in the weeks leading up to April 22 - Earth Day 2007 - and succeeded in launching our web site exactly on schedule! It is now the most accessible tool for people around the world to learn about what we are doing leading toward Ecocity 7, also known as the Ecocity World Summit, and to learn about how to become involved as sponsor, presenter or attendee. Almost immediately we began getting registrations. Our deep gratitude to the Helen and William Mazer foundation of Boston, Massachusetts. They are the people who have shown first faith in the conference, making the first step in such an enterprise - always the hardest - much more easily accomplished. Now we are on our way! First registrations arrive The geographically broad and way-in-advance first registrations have been an inspiration. The first four were one from Solvenia, one from Bangladesh and two from Montana. We have also been heartened by the committed arrival of several cosponsors including organizations in China, Australia and Bangladesh as well as in the USA from Boston to San Francisco. Speakers "penciled in" for speaking at the conference, that is reserving that date and in negotiations with us for trip expenses and other details include presenters from Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, England, Kenya, Malaysia, Nepal, Switzerland and the United States. Call goes out for papers As some of you know, the conference will be happening in two sections, the first two days featuring academic and research papers and what we think of as "talent scouting" - the search for innovation and new talent in the field. The second section is three days long and features mostly presenters whose work is better established and known in ecocity circles. We have just sent out the first call for papers for section one, so please become a volunteer by passing on the word that we are seeking the best, most inspirational reports, tales and ideas for the best cities for the best future we can imagine, design, build, restore and maintain. If you have friends, acquaintances, colleagues whose work fits this description, or if you have lists for the conference organizers to utilize in seeking them, please send the information our way. This is our invitation to you to get active in spreading the word for what we plan to be a very historic event. Many thanks in advance! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Featured Speaker Maria do Rocio Rosario maira [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=i8ofz4bab.0.zr4mt8bab.hdosiabab.2610&ts=S0252&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecocitybuilders.org%2F] Maria do Rocio Rosario is Senior Architect and Planner, PADCO/AECOM, [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=i8ofz4bab.0.eiw7z4bab.hdosiabab.2610&ts=S0252&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.padco.aecom.com%2F] working in the Latin America Region at PADCO/AECOM in Washington DC. Her 26- year international career in the fields of architecture, urban design and urban planning has been deeply influenced by her work at IPPUC, the Institute for Research and Urban Planning of Curitiba, a city well known for its innovative urban solutions. In her capacity as the city's main representative of the institution most deeply involved in the ecological innovations, policies and projects, she was one of our key speakers at Ecocity 4 in Curitiba and Ecocity 5 in Shenzhen, China, and once an important guest of Ecocity Builders in Berkeley, California where she painted a detailed portrait of the successes of ecological design in her home town Her work calls for an integrated macro vision of urban planning: land use, transportation and circulation, plus the preservation of natural resources, combined to promote social and economic development. In 2002 she participated as a representative of the City of Curitiba in the "Workshop for the Re-construction of Kabul" held in London, UK. She returned to the US in 2004 as Practice Leader in Sustainable Community Development at PBPlaceMaking to promote transit-oriented sustainable development. In 2005 she was selected for the American Public Transportation Association - APTA' s 2006 Leadership Class Program and received her accreditation as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) at the US Green Building Council. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Featured Speaker Debra Efroymson debra [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=i8ofz4bab.0.zr4mt8bab.hdosiabab.2610&ts=S0252&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecocitybuilders.org%2F] Debra Efroymson has worked for HealthBridge [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=i8ofz4bab.0.fiw7z4bab.hdosiabab.2610&ts=S0252&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbridge.ca%2F] (an NGO focused on public health) since 1995, first in Hanoi, Vietnam, then since 1998 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She has worked extensively on tobacco control, providing technical support to programs in several countries, and writing various guides to tobacco control. She also conducted groundbreaking research on the connection between tobacco use and poverty. More recently, Debra has become involved in ecocities, transport, and urban planning, writing various reports and giving speeches at international conferences. She currently gives technical assistance to programs on ecocities, transport, gender, and tobacco control to several countries. In addition to her native English, she speaks Spanish, French, Bengali, Nepali and Vietnamese. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wang Rusong and Maria do Rocio Rosario chinasea [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=i8ofz4bab.0.zr4mt8bab.hdosiabab.2610&ts=S0252&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecocitybuilders.org%2F] South China Sea Field Trip of The Fifth International Ecocity Conference, Shenzhen, China, 2002 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nonprofit Ecocity Builders [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=i8ofz4bab.0.zr4mt8bab.hdosiabab.2610&ts=S0252&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecocitybuilders.org%2F]is the keeper of the International Ecocity Conference Series and host of Ecocity World Summit 2008, the 7th International Ecocity Conference. Previous conferences were held in Berkeley, California; Adelaide, Australia; Yoff, Senegal; Curitiba, Brazil; Shenzhen, China; and Bangalore, India. For information regarding registration and sponsorship opportunities, please visit the conference website [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=i8ofz4bab.0.diw7z4bab.hdosiabab.2610&ts=S0252&p=http%3A%2F%2Fecocityworldsummit.org%2F] or contact the Conference Director at kirstin@ecocitybuilders.org. ECB logo [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=i8ofz4bab.0.zr4mt8bab.hdosiabab.2610&ts=S0252&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecocitybuilders.org%2F] Building Cities in Balance with Nature ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Promoting Fuel-Free Transport in Dhaka, Bandladesh dhaka [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=i8ofz4bab.0.zr4mt8bab.hdosiabab.2610&ts=S0252&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecocitybuilders.org%2F] Roads for People is an initiative headed by our featured Ecocity World Summit Speaker Debra Efroymson (above) and HealthBridge, along with WBB (Work for a Better Bangladesh) Trust, an organization that Debra co-founded with her husband. Physical inactivity and the related problems of overweight and obesity are major preventable causes of death around the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) has drafted a global strategy on diet, physical activity, and health which addresses the importance of non-motorized (fuel-free) transport as one of the solutions to the problem. Promoting active means of transport (walking and cycling) could have an enormous impact on the problem, and both greatly increase health in Bangladesh, and serve as a model for other countries throughout the world. In addition, environmental health is a major issue in large crowded cities, such as Dhaka. Decreasing reliance on fuel-dependent transport and increasing the use of fuel-free transport could have a major impact on reducing pollution. WBB (Work for a Better Bangladesh) Trust has already gained considerable recognition for its work in this area. During the first phase of this project, it achieved a significant change in the way the media reports on transport issues, and recruited many NGOs to work together on the issue of transportation. The Roads for People alliance consists of 16 Dhaka-based NGOs, of which WBB is the secretariat. While transport policies traditionally focus on improving conditions for car drivers, this program seeks to address instead the needs of fuel-free transport. The objectives of the project are to: · Increase public and government recognition of the use of bicycles and walking as primary modes of transportation. · Increase public and government recognition of the importance of rickshaws as an environmentally and economically-friendly mode of transport. · Improve public transportation, particularly as it relates to the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. · Increase public awareness of the Roads for People concept. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WHAT IS AN ECOCITY? An ecocity is a human settlement that enables its residents to live a good quality of life while using minimal natural resources and supporting maximum ecodiversity. Buildings Its buildings make best use of sun, wind and rainfall to help supply the energy and water needs of occupants. Generally multistory to maximize the land available for greenspace. Biodiversity It is threaded with natural habitat corridors, to foster biodiversity and to give residents access to nature for recreation. Transport Its food and other goods are sourced from within its borders or from nearby, in order to cut down on transport costs. The majority of its residents live within walking or cycling distance of their workplace, to minimise the need for motorised transport. Frequent public transport connects local centres for people who need to travel further. Enegry Its greatest energy solution is conservation, through reducing the largest factor in civilization's demand - car-dependent city structure - to a small fraction consumed today. The energy actually provided would be from the long term renewable sources such as solar and wind and modest use of hydro and geothermal power. Industry The goods it produces are designed for reuse, remanufacture, and recycling. The industrial processes its uses involve reuse of by-products, and minimise the movement of goods. Economy It has a labour intensive rather than a material, energy, and water intensive economy, to maintain full employment and minimise material throughput. The whole living system Its most profound set of solutions - to physical, ecological, economic and social problems is in its healthy organization of integral parts for harmony within and balanced relationship will its local and global environments outside. -Ecocity definition written by Ecocity Builders and Urban Ecology Australia [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=i8ofz4bab.0.giw7z4bab.hdosiabab.2610&ts=S0252&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.urbanecology.org.au%2F] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Featured Speaker Wang Rusong rusong [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=i8ofz4bab.0.zr4mt8bab.hdosiabab.2610&ts=S0252&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecocitybuilders.org%2F] Wang Rusong is head of the Center for Ecological and Environmental Sciences at the Chinese Academy of Science and has been one of the pioneering leaders in ecological city theory and support of those practicing the sciences and arts of ecocity building. At home, as one of the founders of the Ecology Society of China he has been one of the most accomplished ecologists in the country and a champion of solutions in waste treatment and pollution abatement for the health delivery systems of China. Internationally he is known as one of the founders of SCOPE [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=i8ofz4bab.0.hiw7z4bab.hdosiabab.2610&ts=S0252&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.icsu-scope.org%2F] - the Scientific Committee on Problems in the Environment. This organization has membership up the level of nation states, executes studies and hosts, with Prof. Wang convening many of them, a long series of conferences that, kindred to our International Ecocity Conferences, confront problems of urban planning and administration. His personal commitment is to developing a theory based on the best in ancient Chinese tradition and modern science, with a growing emphasis on remapping cities for reshaping them for minimum energy demand and maximum ecodiversity. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Forward email http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?m=1100594362471&ea=kammen@berkeley.edu&a=1101651950440 This email was sent to kammen@berkeley.edu, by kirstin@ecocitybuilders.org Update Profile/Email Address http://ui.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?p=oo&m=1100594362471&ea=kammen%40berkeley.edu&se=2610&t=1101651950440&lang=en&reason=F Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe(TM) http://ui.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?p=un&m=1100594362471&ea=kammen%40berkeley.edu&se=2610&t=1101651950440&lang=en&reason=F Privacy Policy: http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp