[sustran] Sustainable Urban Mobility in Asia (SUMA) News Digest 01 February 2008

[Au ABLES]

Sustainable Urban Mobility in Asia (SUMA) News Digest

Vol. 5 Issue 2
01 February 2008

SUMA News Digest is a free weekly e-mail publication that features news,
information, and events related to sustainable urban transportation in Asia.


To contribute articles, news items, or event announcements for the next
issue, send an email with the complete details and URL source to
suma-news-owner at googlegroups.com with subject "FOR SUMA NEWS".
mailto:suma-news-owner at googlegroups.com?subject=FOR_SUMA_NEWS<suma-news-owner at googlegroups.com?subject=FOR_SUMA_NEWS>.

Past issues from Feb 2007 are found at
http://groups.google.com/group/suma-news

*** VISIT THE SUMA PAGES: http://www.cleanairnet.org/suma ***

* * * * *
HEADLINES

GLOBAL: London, Paris Win 2008 Sustainable Transport Award
Finalists were nominated for the 4th annual international honor for
enhancing the sustainability and livability of their community or region by
adopting innovative transportation strategies that lessen the impact of
climate change by reducing transportation greenhouse and air pollution
emissions.
http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-72335.html

KARACHI, PAKISTAN: Plan for conversion of rickshaws announced
24 January 2008 dawn.com.pk
The Sindh government has chalked out a strategy to encourage drivers/owners
to switch over to CNG-fitted rickshaws instead of two-stroke vehicles, which
were a major cause of air and noise pollution.
http://www.dawn.com.pk/2008/01/25/local17.htm

KARACHI, PAKISTAN: SHC wants two-stroke rickshaws phased out
23 January 2008 dawn.com
A division bench of the Sindh High Court again directed the traffic police
on Wednesday to ensure that motor rickshaws plying were fitted with
silencers and that two-stroke rickshaws were phased out to reduce air and
noise pollution.
http://www.dawn.com/2008/01/24/local11.htm

BEIJING, PR CHINA: Beijing to cut traffic by half for Games
23 January 2008 chinadaily.com.cn
Beijing will take more than half of its 3 million cars off the roads for
August's Olympic Games in a bid to guarantee air quality and improve traffic
flow. More than 1,000 new vehicles hit the roads every day in the Chinese
capital and officials estimate that there will be 3.3 million by the time
the Games open on August 8. During a four-day test last August, 1.3 million
vehicles were taken off the roads on alternate days depending on whether
their number plates ended with even or odd numbers.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/olympics/2008-01/23/content_6415489.htm

XIAMEN, PR CHINA: Xiamen Encourages Citizens to Use High-Efficient and
Low-Emitting Cars
17 January 2008 vecc-sepa.org.cn
Xiamen City plans to release the special energy saving regulation. According
to the regulation, there are some incentive instruments to retail, use
high-efficient and low-emitting cars and other transport options.
http://www.vecc-sepa.org.cn/news/news_detail.jsp?newsid=22326

HARBIN, PR CHINA: Vehicles Will be Phased Out If Failing the Emission
Standard Several Times
16 January 2008 vecc-sepa.org.cn
Environment department has signed a responsibility memorandum with 34 public
transport lines in Harbin. According to the agreement, vehicles will be
phased out if failing the emission standard several times.
http://www.vecc-sepa.org.cn/news/news_detail.jsp?newsid=22306

For more news on China see also Ms. XiaoJia Bao's CAI-Asia Project
e-newsletter, http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-69329.html

More air quality and sustainable mobility news at
http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/propertyvalue-14783.html

* * * * *
INTERESTING FINDS

Strategies for Anhangabaú & Quadra das Artes: Revitalising São Pãulo City
Centre: June 2007
(Estratégias para o Anhangabaú e Quadra das Artes: Revitalizando o Centro da
Cidade de São Paulo, Junho de 2007)
The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, City of São Paulo,
and Gehl Architects have released a strategic document on revitalizing the
city center of Sao Paolo by introducing pedestrian-friendly design elements.
The document uses the compare-and-contrast method and provides useful
illustrations to supplement the text.
http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-72363.html

The environmental impact of India's Nano car
11 January 2008, New Scientist Environment blog
Catherine Brahic, online environment reporter for New Scientist, blogs about
India's cheapest car - whether it conforms to European emission standards,
its fuel efficiency, and the effect it will have on emisions.
http://www.newscientist.com/blog/environment/2008/01/environmental-impact-of-indias-nano-car.html


* * * * *
MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Better Air Quality (BAQ) Workshop 2008
12-14 November 2008 Bangkok, Thailand
Call for Abstracts ongoing
http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-72312.html

The Art Center Summit 2008: Systems, Cities, and Sustainable Mobility
5-7 February 2008 Pasadena, California, USA
http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-72347.html

JARI Indonesia Round Table 2008
14 February 2008 Borobudur Hotel Jakarta
Deadline of registration: 4 Feb
http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-72316.html

Third Regional Environmentally Sustainable Transport (EST) Forum
17-19 Mar 2008 Singapore
http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-72269.html

International Conference on Funding Transportation Infrastructure & la
Dixième Journée Transport
19-20 Jun 2008 Paris, France
http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-72268.html

4th International Symposium on Travel Demand Management
16-18 Jul 2008 Vienna, Austria
http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-72218.html

Towards Carfree Cities VIII
16-20 Jun 2008 Portland, Oregon, USA
http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-72243.html

See more SUT events
http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/propertyvalue-27089.html

See CAI-Asia's events calendar
http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/propertyvalue-13577.html

* * * * THANKS * * * *
Thank you XiaoJia Bao, Keiko Hirota, Mohammad Aqib and Bert Fabian for your
inputs; and to Jaja Panopio and Mike Co for uploading the articles. - Aurora
Fe Ables, Editor, SUMA News; Transport Specialist, CAI-Asia Center

* * * ABOUT SUMA * * *
The Sustainable Urban Mobility in Asia (SUMA) program of the Clean Air
Initiative for Asian Cities ( www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia), Asian
Development Bank ( www.adb.org), EMBARQ-the World Resources Institute Center
for Sustainable Transport ( http://embarq.wri.org ), GTZ Sustainable Urban
Transport Project ( www.sutp.org), Interface for
Cycling Expertise (www.cycling.nl), Institute for Transportation and
Development Policy ( www.itdp.org), and United Nations Center for Regional
Development (www.uncrd.or.jp/est) is made possible through the generous
support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (
www.sida.se).

SUMA works with Asian countries and cities to strengthen then formulation
and implementation of sustainable urban transportation policies,
specifically in (i) improving urban air quality by adopting AQM planning in
sustainable transport policies and promoting public transportation, (ii)
improving road safety by encouraging non-motorized transport and public
transport, and (iii) reducing transport's contribution to climate change by
adopting a co-benefits approach with urban air quality management.


-- 
best regards,
Au

Aurora Fe Ables, P.Chem
Transport Specialist
Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities Center
t. +63(2)395-2843 and 45
f. +63(2)395-2846
m. +63(919)237-4338
au.ables[at]cai-asia.org
au.ables[at]gmail.com
skype au.ables
www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia