[sustran] Re: RE: Invitation for Seminar on Challenges of Sustainable Urban Transport

[Bina C. Balakrishnan]

The International Institute for Sustainable Future, Mumbai have 
requested me to post this invitation to a seminar they are 
organising,  on the sustran-list. The seminar is on 26th/27th 
February, 2003, at Mumbai, India. They are also inviting papers 
for the seminar. Those interested are requested to contact the 
IISF directly, at the addresses given below.

Best Wishes

Bina C. Balakrishnan
Consultant
Transportation Planning & Engineering
Mumbai




"MOBILITY 2003:CHALLENGES OF SUSTAINABLE URBAN TRANSPORT"
Organized by
International Institute for Sustainable Future
Founder director,
Dr. Rashmi Mayur, UN Advisor
26-27 February 2003
Host: The Orchid, Mumbai, India
www.iisfb.org/transport
1
Introduction:
Everywhere human beings are on the move - in developed as well as 
in developing countries - and we are moving faster than ever 
before, thanks to the revolution in transportation technologies of 
the last 150 years. This revolution has taken us to the far 
reaches of the earth, space and under the sea.
Judging from the speed of the changes, this is only a beginning. 
Despite all the major advances in transportation technologies, 
planning and development, cities around the world are suffering 
 from a thrombosis, unknown in the history of humankind. Only 30 
years ago, it was a great pleasure to travel from the suburbs of 
Mumbai to the city about 15 to 20 km away in half an hour to 45 
minutes by public or private transport. Today, the situation has 
dramatically worsened.
During the peak morning and evening hours, it would take nearly 
two hours to cover the same distance. During this period, millions 
of people waste precious hours of their life breathing the most 
poisonous air and exposing themselves to accidents, tensions, not 
to speak of innumerable diseases like emphysema, asthma, 
bronchitis and lung cancer. The 2001 Report of the Mumbai 
Metropolitan Regional Development
Authority (MMRDA) indicates that the numbers of motor vehicles 
have increased 30 fold in the last 50 years, and nearly 80% of 
this increase is attributed to private vehicles. Meanwhile, 11 
million passengers commute to the city and back everyday in the 
most horrendous conditions.

Bombay is not an isolated example of this pathological scenario. 
Delhi, Kolkatta, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, in India; Manila, 
Bangkok, Mexico City, Cairo, Sao Paulo, Seoul and every other 
major city in the developing world, are in the same jeopardy. 
Despite enormous efforts by policy makers, planners, technologists 
and economists, the situation
continues to worsen as the cities grow larger and as the number of 
vehicles grows geometrically.

Are we ready to face the challenges of transport in the urban 
agglomerations of our future? 'Mobility 2003' presents a unique 
opportunity for planners, thinkers, scientists, policy-makers and 
all those who care for the future, to search for solutions and 
alternatives.

Objectives and topics:

- Critically examining the existing transport and infrastructure 
in Indian cities, and elsewhere in developing countries

- Examining the economic and social impacts of transportation; 
their effects on health through air and noise pollution

- Examining existing transport infrastructure in Mumbai and other 
cities
in relation to future projections of population and vehicular 
increase

- Improving mobility in cities through holistic planning of public 
and private transport

- Exploring new cleaner fuels for transportation: their viability 
and scope

- The role of technology and planning in creating sustainable
transportation

- Estimating the cost of change to a sustainable transport 
system

- Studying examples of cities that have made the transformation to 
cleaner and greener alternatives, eg. Curitiba

For whom? The conference is open to a broad range of experts: 
planners, architects, engineers, scientists, policy makers, and 
representatives of NGOs, government and business. It will also be 
beneficial for
students, teachers, researchers, futurists and economists. It is a 
meeting for all those searching for alternatives to the present.

Paper presentation: Anyone interested in presenting a technical 
paper should send an abstract in no more than 500 words by 10 Feb 
2003. Papers should be sent on A-4 size in Microsoft Word in a 
31/2 format floppy disk (along with hard copy) or by email. Please 
also send 2 passport size photographs and a brief CV.

Registration fees:  Corporate delegates: Rs. 2000/-  NGOs and 
Individuals : Rs. 1500/- Students and Teachers: Rs. 1000/-  IISF 
members: Rs. 800/-

Registration fees includes conference kit, lunch and refreshments, 
and conference compendium.

Special offer: Register before 30 January 2003 and avail of a 20% 
discount on the registration fees!

About International Institute for Sustainable Future

The International Institute for Sustainable Future is a non-profit 
NGO affiliated with the United Nations, with offices in New York, 
and Mumbai. Its objective is to provide education, training and 
research to
bring sustainable development. During the past fifteen years, the 
institute has worked on varied projects including waste recycling 
in Malaysia, appropriate technology development in Sri Lanka, 
energy development in Kenya, water planning in Ghana, CNG public 
transport system in Algiers, and innumerable projects in India. 
Dr. Rashmi Mayur is the founder-director of the institute.

(Further details at www.iisfb.org) Date 26-27 February 2003

  Venue The Orchid Adjacent to Domestic Airport, Nehru Road, Vile 
Parle (East), Mumbai 400 099,

):
91(022) 2616 4040 * 2616 4141 Organizers International Institute 
for
Sustainable Future, Mumbai

Host The Orchid, Mumbai

For further Information Communicate with Roshni Udyavar
Program Coordinator,
International Institute for Sustainable Future,
73A, Mittal Tower,
Nariman Point, Mumbai - 400 021, India
): 022-2204 5758 * Fax: 022-2287 1250 * E-mail:
iisfb at giasbm01.vsnl.net.in * Website: www.iisfb.org/transport



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