News: metropolis
Heritage Kazan looks to preserve heritage A new group has been formed in Kazan specially to protect historic buildings. Provisionally called ‘Iske Sheher - Old Town’, the group will be responsible for the preservation and development of the old city centre and its buildings of architectural value. Kazan’s mayor, Ilsur Metshin, said that the problem has been that property owners have had to deal with too much red tape and have been hindered by inadequate legislation when previously trying to upgrade or renovate old properties. Tourism Barcelona co-founds tourist organization with Beijing Beijing and Barcelona have co-founded a new international organization to promote foreign investment and tourism. Barcelona’s mayor, Xavier Trias, received Beijing mayor, Gou Jinlong, in Barcelona recently with the aim of strengthening ties between the two cities. The mayors discussed their Olympic experiences and the growth of their tourism sectors. Barcelona will also be staging the China at Barcelona Summit in the southern Mediterranean during October, with the hope of portraying Barcelona as a base for Chinese investment. Mayor Gou Jinlong also visited Madrid.
50 United Cities • November 2011
First solar electric vehicle-charging station for Atlanta
acting Secretary General: Alain Le Saux Address: Carrer Avinyó 15, 08002 Barcelona, Spain Tel: +34 93 342 94 60 Fax: +34 93 342 94 66 Email: metropolis@metropolis.org Website: www.metropolis.org
Zero-emission electric vehicles now have a public station to go and recharge in Atlanta. Mayor Kasim Reed, the Office of Sustainability and CB Richard Ellis Investors officially opened the multi-outlet station on 1 September. It is operational 24 hours a day and is the first of its kind in the area. “The solar electric vehicle charging station at Atlantic Station is an important milestone towards my goal of making Atlanta a cleaner and greener city,” said Mayor Reed. “We’re focusing on a number of initiatives that will make Atlanta
Transport
Smart parking trial launched in Melbourne
Use of the station is free until the end of 2011, and from 2012 motorists will be charged US$3 per hour, payable through Smartphone apps or by swiping a card at the station
Melbourne is testing new mobile parking technology
Motorists in the Carlton area of Melbourne can now pay for parking using their mobile phones and credit cards. The city authorities have begun a 12-month trial that aims to eradicate the need for drivers to rummage around for coins to feed parking meters. The Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said the new system will revolutionize the way people pay for parking. “The days of people with pockets full of gold coins to pay for parking may soon be a thing of the past,” said the Mayor. “The Pay-By-Phone service is the way of the future and we hope people will embrace it. By giving motorists the option to pay for parking on their mobile phone, we are making their lives easier. People will also receive a 15 minute SMS reminder before their parking limit expires, which we hope will result in fewer people overstaying the time limit and a greater turnover rate in parking.” For the first few months of the trial a special team of assistants will patrol the streets to help motorists with the new system. Stickers and signs will also be placed around the area. Motorists will be given the option to call a number or download a smart phone app to start and end a parking session, and tickets will no longer be required. Parking officers will be able to scan the licence plate number with a handheld device and immediately identify whether a parking session is active and payment has been made. The Parkmobile Pay-By-Phone technology is currently being used in Auckland, Amsterdam, Berlin, London, New York, Boston, Honolulu, Atlanta, and Washington DC. www.pfdmedia.com
one of the Top 10 sustainable cities in the United States and help our residents and business owners become better stewards of the environment. Zero emission vehicles – along with important public transportation initiatives such as the Atlanta Streetcar and the Atlanta BeltLine – play a vital role in ensuring that we are building and investing in a sustainable city for future generations.” In an attempt to encourage the installation of more charging points, the local government has streamlined the application process for permits. Electric vehicle supply equipment is extradited in three categories: single-family residential, multifamily residential and commercial. Use of the station is free until the end of 2011, and from 2012 motorists will be charged US$3 per hour, payable through Smartphone apps or by swiping a card at the station. The new solar-powered station is compatible with all currently available US electric vehicles, including the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf, and takes just three to seven hours to charge a vehicle.
Photo: City of Atlanta
Transport Jo’burg seeks solution to congestion Walking and using bicycles are two modes of transport that were proposed for Johannesburg recently during a meeting on transport and congestion. Lisa Seftel, Executive Director for Transport in Johannesburg, said that investments should be made across the city, including townships to create employment close to where people live and thus reduce the need to commute. Seftel called for the government to subsidize bicycles for schoolchildren and the poor.
Transport
UCLG Metropolis Section
Photo: City of Melbourne
UCLG New Secretary General The Secretary General of Metropolis, Josep Roig, left his position on 31 August and has taken on the role of Secretary General of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG). Following his departure President Jean-Paul Huchon appointed Alain Le Saux as Acting Secretary General of Metropolis until the next Metropolis General Assembly, which is to be held in Porto Alegre in November.
News: metropolis
Environment Manila’s mayor launches tree planting project Manila’s mayor, Alfredo S. Lim led a group tree-planting project in the city recently. Residents joined in the planting and were encouraged to bring children along and educate them on the benefits of trees. The group, FIRM-24, donated fruit-bearing trees and also a Japanese acacia, yellow caballero and mahogany tree. The mayor thanked FIRM-24 and taxpayers whose money had also contributed to the project. Shelter Sydney’s success in reducing homelessness The number of people sleeping rough on Sydney’s streets has dropped by 56 since the last count in February. The city undertakes a twice-yearly count with help from services such as Way2Home and YWCA, using volunteers and people with experience of homelessness. Mayor Clover Moore said that the city is helping people to put roofs over their heads. The street count is part of the city’s AUD1.7 million annual commitment to tackling Sydney’s chronic homelessness problem. Sustainable development Green building promoted for Indian cities TERI, the energy and resources institute, with a base in Bangalore, has signed an MoU with the Housing and Urban Development Corporation Ltd (HUDCO) to encourage energy conservation in urban areas. HUDCO provides finance for housing and urban development and TERI created GRIHA, India’s national rating system for green buildings. The MoU states that the two organizations will actively promote green building design. All government constructions will now aim to achieve a three-star green rating from now on. Infrastructure Improved services for poorest Mexicans An innovative, two-pronged project will improve urban infrastructure and social integration for 2.2 million poverty-stricken Mexican households per year. Improvements will include: paving roads, improving water supply, sanitation, electrification, public lighting, waste collection and disposal, and will also focus on fostering individual and collective skills and promoting social inclusion and community participation. The project is being financed by a US$280 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank.
Mayor Kasim Reed at the launch www.pfdmedia.com
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