[sustran] Re: invitation to join UN - Habitat World Urban Forum - e-dialog on Urban Mobility, Energy and Environment.

[Muhamad]

Wrong email

Sent from my iPhone

On May 1, 2012, at 9:20 PM, Cornie Huizenga <cornie.huizenga at slocatpartnership.org> wrote:

> Dear all,
> 
> UN Habitat and the City of Naples are hosting the 6th World Urban Forum
> (WUF) in Naples, Italy from the 1st-7th of September (
> http://www.unhabitat.org/categories.asp?catid=672).
> 
> In preparation of the 6th. WUF is hosting a series of e-dialogs of which
> one will focus on Urban Mobility, Energy and Environment.  SLoCaT is
> partnering with UN-Habitat in hosting this e-dialog which kick off next
> Monday May 7th and which will run until May 25.  Also on behalf of
> UN-Habitat I would like to invite you to sign up as a participant at
> http://www.worldurbanforum.org/countdown.   You will be pleased to hear
> that UN-Habitat will make available some tickets to the most active
> participants in the e-dialog to travel to Naples in September to take part
> in the 6th. WUF.
> 
> For further information on this e-dialog please see below.
> 
> With best regards, also on behalf of my co-moderator Carlos Pardo.
> 
> Cornie
> 
> 
> 
> *Dialogue 4: Urban Mobility, Energy and Environment*
> *
> 
> Current Issues*
> 
> Urban mobility underpins the prosperity of cities. At the core of urban
> mobility is mass transportation, which is fundamental for growth and
> development. Cities that are adopting mass transportation solutions are
> becoming more competitive and attractive by reducing the unit cost of trips
> for users, reducing congestion and thereby decreasing travel time and
> offering reliable access to different areas in the city. Mass transport
> solutions contribute to energy conservation and environmental protection
> with respect to urban air quality, health, and
> the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions that is crucial in addressing
> global climate change at city level. It is therefore increasingly apparent
> that urban mobility plays an important role in the achievement of the
> city’s wider sustainability objectives.
> 
> *Future Scenarios*
> 
> In many developing countries clean(er) fuels, integrated BRT, light‐rail
> and (strong) non‐motorized transport systems (bicycling and walking inter
> alia) are the current future scenario. Conversely, cutting edge
> technologies include E‐mobility, the use of hydrogen cars, fuel cells and
> the use of renewable energies as the primary source of energy for urban
> mobility. Future scenarios for sustainable urban mobility in the 21st
> century will be drawn specifically for the many cities in question. The
> important task on the drawing board is to achieve realistic scenarios
> appreciating the variety of cities with their individual needs.
> 
> *Objectives of the Dialogue*
> 
> Dialogue 4 will analyze the prospects and challenges that cities face in
> adopting sustainable solutions for urban mobility. At the heart of urban
> mobility is mass transportation that combined with non‐motorized solutions
> increases connectivity and interactions, which are essential for economic
> growth and city prosperity. A connection will be established between
> infrastructure provision, mass transportation and energy conservation and
> its benefits on climate change. The dialogue will also explore the possible
> impacts of climate change on urban mobility. This is expected to be severe
> in terms of infrastructure damage, cost of delays and lost trips especially
> in developing countries where infrastructure supporting urban mobility may
> be of poor quality and inadequately maintained.
> 
> *Methodology for the discussion*
> 
> The e‐dialogue will serve as basis to gather key ideas and questions to be
> used during the on‐site dialogue. The Dialogue will be moderated by a
> professional who will question the panelists in a way that realities and
> experiences in developed and developing countries can be compared for
> better knowledge sharing.
> 
> *Key components, topics to discuss, key words:
> 
> *
> 
> ·         Sustainable infrastructure investments in poor cities
> 
> ·         Leveraging agglomeration advantages and linking urban fabric with
> mass transit models
> 
> ·         Leapfrogging and low‐technology innovation in developing cities
> 
> ·         Embracing para‐transit
> 
> ·         Making NMT popular and work for lower income communities
> 
> ·         Incentives (“pulls” and “pushes”) of green mass transit
> 
> ·         Institutional sustainability
> 
> ·         Decoupling, dematerialization and avoiding the rebound effect.
> 
> *Initial Questions
> 
> *
> 
> a)      How can cities mobilize huge investments to finance infrastructure
> development to enhance urban mobility?
> 
> b)      Mass transit systems have clear benefits, yet many cities have not
> been able to integrate these solutions in their urban mobility plans?
> 
> c)       How can poor cities adopt their mass transit systems with a view
> to achieving more to
> increase the chances of prosperous development?
> 
> d)      How may para‐transit systems be integrated into sustainable and
> safe urban transport systems?
> 
> e)      How have cities integrated special and transport planning?
> 
> f)       What type of institutions and capacities are needed / will need to
> be strengthened to transfer existing “good” concepts and ideas into a
> sustainable future reality?
> 
> 
> -- 
> Cornie Huizenga
> Joint Convener
> Partnership on Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport
> Mobile: +86 13901949332
> cornie.huizenga at slocatpartnership.org
> www.slocat.net
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