News
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WRI Turkey Sustainable Cities launches new communications program to promote urban cycling
A cyclist in Istanbul, Turkey. Photo by WRI Turkey Sustainable Cities
In April, the European Union awarded WRI Turkey Sustainable Cities funding from the Civil Society Support Programme II to organize a communications campaign around cycling in three Turkish cities: İzmir, Eskişehir and Lüleburgaz. The “Get Turkey Cycling!” campaign aims to promote cycling as a sustainable and healthy commuting mode and to foster a culture of collaboration between public authorities and civil society organizations.
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WRI study shows more accessible cities with better transport options stand the best chance of thriving in coming decades
Photos by Aashim Tyagi/ WRI India
LEIPZIG, Germany (May 23, 2019) — As more people move to cities, congested roads, expensive commutes, and lack of reliable transport options are disrupting urban economies and affecting quality of life. People’s ability to reach their jobs, schools, cultural activities and marketplaces is an important economic driver for cities. Estimates of the value of time lost in congestion already range between 2 and 5% of GDP in Asia and up to 10% of GDP in Beijing and São Paulo.
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Two new WRI reports explore lessons learned from the experience of 16 cities who were early adopters of e-buses
Shenzhen, China, opperates the largest 100% electric bus fleet in the world. Photo by Green Energy Futures/Flickr
LEIPZIG, Germany (May 21, 2019) — The adoption of electric buses, mainly by municipal governments, has accelerated in recent years, increasing more than 80-fold between 2011 and 2017. But cities still have a long way to go. Investment in electric buses and other low-carbon technologies needs to double over the next two decades to keep global warming below safe thresholds, as identified by the IPCC.
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First of a series of workshops for projects selected to accelerate the preparation and finance the implementation of sustainable urban solutions in Mexico
TheCityFix Labs México kicked off in Mexico City with a launch workshop. Photo by WRI México
On May 8, TheCityFix Labs México kicked off in Mexico City, convening seven project teams chosen from a competitive field to begin a year-long program of technical assistance. TheCityFix Labs is an initiative of WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, with support from the Citi Foundation, designed to help cities prepare, finance and implement sustainable urban projects.
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Urban transformation award goes to SARSAI for creating safer journeys to school in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and across Africa
SARSAI is the 2019 WRI Ross Prize for Cities Winner. Photo by WRI
NEW YORK (April 10, 2019) ‒ The inaugural WRI Ross Prize for Cities, a $250,000 award celebrating and spotlighting urban transformation, was awarded to SARSAI, which stands for School Area Road Safety Assessments and Improvements, an incisive, easily replicable and highly impactful approach to creating safer journeys to school for children in Dar es Salaam and other African cities.
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Bosque de Chapultepec, Mexico City. Photo by Garrett Ziegler/Flickr
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (April 5, 2019) ‒ From a competitive pool of 137 projects, WRI México and the Citi Foundation announce 7 projects to participate in the year-long incubation process of TheCityFix Labs México, starting in April 2019.
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The world’s coldest capital aims to eliminate 4,000 annual air pollution deaths by collaborating with the Building Efficiency Accelerator
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Photo by Christopher Michel/Flickr
Today, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, announced a new collaboration with the Building Efficiency Accelerator (BEA), as the partnership’s newest deep dive city. The BEA is a public-private initiative that turns global expertise into action to accelerate local government implementation of building efficiency programs and policies.
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New Policies for Net-Zero Buildings and Efficiency Retrofits Reaffirm City’s Commitment to Building Efficiency Accelerator
Tshwane, South Africa. Photo by South African Tourism/Flickr
Today, the City of Tshwane, South Africa, took its energy efficiency efforts to the next level, announcing new commitments to retrofit and refurbish public buildings with the assistance of the Building Efficiency Accelerator (BEA). The BEA is a public-private initiative that turns global expertise into action to accelerate local government implementation of building efficiency programs and policies.
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Mexico City, Mexico. Photo by WRI México
On February 15, the open call for applications to TheCityFix Labs México came to a close, attracting over 130 applications from local municipalities, companies and non-profits. TheCityFix Labs México is an effort of the Financing Sustainable Cities Initiative, implemented by WRI México and supported by Citi Foundation, to help cities understand how to better finance green infrastructure projects.
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With heightened Building Efficiency Accelerator collaboration, Eskişehir becomes Turkish leader on energy
Eskişehir, Turkey. Photo by Raicem/wikimedia
Today, Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality announced a new collaboration with the Building Efficiency Accelerator (BEA), a public-private initiative that turns global expertise into action to accelerate local government implementation of building efficiency programs and policies.