News
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WRI Turkey Sustainable Cities Hosts Workshops and Technical Studies to Support Ministry’s Strategic PlanNovember 23, 2016
Safe urban cycling and lane implementation workshop, co-hosted by WRI Turkey Sustainable Cities and the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization. Photo by Republic of Turkey Ministry of Environment and Urbanization
In November 2016, WRI Turkey Sustainable Cities and Turkey’s Ministry of Environment and Urbanization organized a four-day training on bike lane implementation for 200 urban experts and officials from 81 cities. The event highlighted cycling accessibility, infrastructure and safety and served to support the Ministry’s Strategic Plan for 2015-2017.
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WRI Brasil Sustainable Cities has been supporting the city through research, capacity building and more to reduce traffic congestionNovember 22, 2016
Belo Horizonte, Brazil Commute Traffic. Photo Mariana Gil / EMBARQ / Flickr
On October 4th, the Transport and Transit Agency of Belo Horizonte (BHTRANS) launched “Roadmap for developing a Mobility Management Program,” a landmark initiative that works with the private sector to improve urban mobility.
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Forum Co-organizer WRI Brings Together City Authorities and Transport Experts to Discuss Urban Mobility Challenges and Best PracticesNovember 22, 2016
Leaders and Experts Participating in the TOD and TDM Sub-Forum. From left to right: Daizong Liu, Lailai Li, Holger Dalkmann, Jifu Guo, Jorge Macias, Marco Batarce and Mingzheng Sun. Photo by Ying Wang / WRI China Sustainable Cities
On October 24 and 25, Beijing, China hosted the third World Metropolitan Transport Development Forum, which centered on urban transit integration, sustainability and innovation in cities. Mayors, transportation agencies, experts and scholars came from across the country, region and world to participate in the event. As a co-organizer, WRI hosted a session on Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and Transport Demand Management (TDM), which many authorities, academics and professionals attended.
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Addis Ababa delegation visited Ahmedabad, Indore and Bhopal to learn about the cities' BRT systemsOctober 24, 2016
Meeting with Addis and Indore Teams. Photo by WRI India
Like many African cities, Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, is at the turnstile of urbanisation. Recognising the need to augment the existing inadequate public transport, authorities are considering implementing a bus rapid transit (BRT) system in the city. In the first week of October, a 13-member high-level delegation from Addis Ababa visited India with the aim of learning from similar projects in Indian cities.
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October 20, 2016
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo Credit: Mariana Gil/WRI
QUITO, ECUADOR (October 20, 2016)—Leaders from 167 countries today adopted the New Urban Agenda, the blueprint for creating sustainable, livable cities around the world.
Following is a statement from Ani Dasupta, Global Director, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities:
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WRI México inspires champions for sustainable cities ahead of Habitat III with annual three day eventOctober 14, 2016
Closing Ceremony of the XII International Congress on Cities and Transport. Photo by WRI Mexico
On October 10-12, WRI México hosted the XII International Congress on Cities and Transport in Mexico City. High level authorities, city officials, civil organizations and academics came together to share experiences, knowledge and solutions to improve quality of life in cities. Focusing on city government, urban mobility, road safety and technical innovation, experts shared best practices to inspire smart and connected cities.
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New World Resources Report examines whether extending core services to urban under-served will lay the groundwork for more sustainable urban growthOctober 13, 2016
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo Credit: Mariana Gil/WRI
QUITO//WASHINGTON (October 14, 2016) — Rapidly growing cities are finding it increasingly difficult to provide their residents with core services, like housing, water, energy and transportation — a challenge that is exacerbated as the share of poor people living in urban areas grows.
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Workshop with the Open Government Partnership Supported Local Action on Effective, Accountable GovernmentOctober 11, 2016
WRI will serve as the civil society chair of this Open Government Partnership Steering Committee starting in October. Photo by Open Government Partnership / Flickr
With widespread urbanization and growing climate impacts, the need for effective, accountable local government has never been greater. Creating open governments at the local level can directly improve citizens’ lives because many crucial public services, innovations and reforms are administered locally. Greater transparency and active community engagement in policy deliberations and decision making can make local governments more responsive and accountable.
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WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities study analyzes the potential impacts and challenges of implementing global transport Initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsOctober 11, 2016
Extensive BRT systems and robust pedestrian infrastructure push residents of Belo Horizonte to shift from private car to public transit or walking. Photo by Mariana Gil/WRI Brasil Sustainable Cities/ Flickr
The Lima-Paris Action Agenda (LPAA), under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), has collected a variety of initiatives to target and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in all sectors. The transport sector initiatives, also supported by Paris Process on Mobility and Climate, focus on shifting travel to public transport and cycling, fuel efficiency for light-duty vehicles and increasing uptake of electric cars and buses.
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New research from WRI Brasil Sustainable Cities and the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy highlights the need to improve transit networks and provides recommendations for how to get thereSeptember 28, 2016
25 percent of São Paulo residents live near public transit, but, with the implementation of the city’s Master Plan and Metropolitan Corridors Program, that number is expected to grow to 70 percent by 2025. Photo credit WRI Brasil Sustainable Cities / Flickr
On September 13th, WRI Brasil Sustainable Cities and the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP Brasil) released a study showing that only 25 percent of São Paulo residents live near a public transit station—a strikingly low number compared to the global average.