Vienna has its first green hydrogen plant
The facility will be able to power 60 buses daily
ICLEI Circulars published a guidebook for urban practitioners to help them learn from the best examples around the world
To support fair and inclusive transitions, ICLEI collaborated with cities from different world regions under the Urban Transitions Alliance project to create a methodology that allows mapping the social equity outcomes of local sustainability plans across three dimensions: access, participation and opportunity.
For each dimension, tools and recommendations for action were identified, as well as indicators to monitor progress and best practices from cities of the ICLEI network to learn from. An initial version of this methodology was tested with the city of Turku as part of the Circular Turku project.
The "Equitable transitions guidebook: Local tools for fair and inclusive sustainability programs" compiles these learnings and has been released at the Eleventh Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF11) on the 30th of June during a dedicated Training on Local tools for a fair and inclusive transition.
The guidebook aims to provide insights and recommendations illustrated with best practices, resources and tools for city practitioners to better understand and unpack what social equity means for sustainability programs at the local level.
For this purpose, social equity is defined along three dimensions:
Access: In urban environments, some residents have limited access to resources, services and infrastructures because they live in a certain part of a city, due to demographic factors such as age, gender, origin or the language they speak, or because they are simply unable to afford it. To ensure that no individual or group in the city is excluded or left behind, local governments can strengthen inclusive access by identifying access gaps and implementing targeted support measures for those in need as well as prioritizing inclusive urban planning to ensure physical infrastructures serve all users.
Participation: This dimension refers to the governance aspect of equitable design, emphasizing both the involvement of residents in the process and the engagement of underrepresented voices to ensure no one is left behind. The more programs are designed with rather than for residents, meaningfully engaging different groups using various channels, the more they meet local needs and generate long term impacts. This can be ensured by prioritizing collaborative co-creation with local agents and by empowering existing community initiatives that are already active in sustainability.
Opportunities: The COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdowns and recessions combined with increased automation and digitalization have created a highly uncertain outlook for job markets across all world regions. The Build Back Better movement calls for all governments to prioritize investments in sustainability to provide the jobs of tomorrow.
However not all sustainability jobs are created equal and will be distributed fairly. To offer fair perspectives for all, local governments can target increased diversity in employment in public institutions, the provision of career perspectives through training and support programs and strengthening and diversifying the local labor market.
For each dimension, the guidebook provides practical tools and assets for local governments, supporting them to:
The equity-focused content is grounded into cities' practice and features over 30 concrete examples from cities around the world. From Glasgow's Place Standard tool to Baltimore's methodology to identify healthy food priority areas, the guidebook offers many replicable tools for your city to start planning sustainability programs with a strong social equity focus.
The guidebook is available here.
Another piece in the overall strategy to reduce tourist flows to the city
The previous mayor was forced out of office following a no-confidence vote in the city council
Modern traffic lights do more than regulate the flow of vehicles at crossroads, they also collect enormous amounts of data
The facility will replace the need to have water supplied by tankers from Valencia
Modern traffic lights do more than regulate the flow of vehicles at crossroads, they also collect enormous amounts of data
The German Aerospace Center in Cologne is looking for volunteers for its next bed rest study
The facility will replace the need to have water supplied by tankers from Valencia
The intervention has affected the mountainous districts of the Catalan capital
Two million euros will go towards the effort that will try to refresh its original splendour
Another piece in the overall strategy to reduce tourist flows to the city
The project aims to urge pedestrians to live even healthier lives
The blaze has been dubbed the Danish capital’s own “Notre Dame” tragedy
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
Catch up with some recommendations for the 2024 European Capital of Culture programme from the mayor of Tartu
An interview with the ICLEI regional director for Europe аfter the close of COP28
An interview with a member of the No Hate Speech Network team