Examines how local governments, municipalities and city authorities address climate change through law and policy, as well as the problems/constraints faced in mitigation and adaptation at the local level. Draws on the experiences of North America as well as the EU, China, Australia and South Africa. Topics include 1) local climate change law, 2) local climate action in North America, and 3) local climate action in global perspective.

(CLIMATE CHANGE * CITES * LOCAL CLIMATE CHANGE LAW)

Highly compressed economic growth since the 1960s propelled Korea to bring its per capita GDP to the level of developed countries. Estimated national income per capita was about US$27,000 in PPP in 2009, slightly below the OECD average. The government has responded to the economic, environmental, and social challenges that have resulted from Korea’s rapid urbanization process with urban policy reform based on qualitative urban management and urban competitiveness, and adoption of a National Strategy for Green Growth that emphasizes the role of cities in achieving stronger environmental and economic outcomes. Recommendations designed to advance Korea’s sustainable urban policy approach include: 1) developing a comprehensive, multi-sectoral approach to urban development that is tailored to the different needs of urban areas; 2) closing gaps between expected and actual outcomes in urban planning; 3) maximizing economic efficiency in the building and transportation sectors; and 4) improving policy co-ordination across public agencies.

(KOREA * CITIES * GREEN GROWTH: KOREA)

The region is home to approximately 9.5 million people (90% living in Illinois, 8% in Indiana, and 2% in Wisconsin) and is the 3rd most populous US metro area, and the 10th largest among OECD Metro-Regions. The fact that the region crosses state boundaries and encompasses a large number of municipal and other service-based administrative units poses particular challenges for its effective governance and development. The review assesses the region’s capacity to contribute effectively to regional and national economic performance and quality of life, while focusing on four thematic policy issues: 1) Workforce Development – the financial crisis has highlighted the skill mismatches hobbling regional growth, and public stakeholders need to engage the private sector more systematically in providing support for skills upgrading; 2) Innovation – the segment of the population with low skills along with shortages in particular skills, such as computer science, mathematics and business administration, constitute bottlenecks that need to be fixed through targeted investments, greater collaboration and pooling of scarce resources; 3) Logistics – this hub of passenger air travel, air cargo, railways, and trucking generates significant employment and value-added activity, but faces challenges such as space constraints, congestion, financing issues and poorly integrated, region-wide planning; and 4) Green Growth – green jobs are growing in the region; existing professional energy services, air and water purification technologies, lighting, and green architecture and construction services work well; however, sustainable financing mechanisms are needed for energy efficiency retrofits and energy audits, conservation, etc. Changing water and waste fees across the region to better reflect consumption and cost of service delivery would encourage conservation and generate new revenue.

(CITIES * CHICAGO METRO REGION)

Climate change is a critical issue for the world’s cities. Now home to over half the world’s population, urban areas are significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions and are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Responding to climate change is a profound challenge. A variety of factors are involved in urban climate governance, with municipal governments, international organizations, and funding bodies pointing to cities as key arenas for response. Considers challenges of governing climate change in the city, in the context of the changing nature of urban politics, economics, society and infrastructures. Also looks at how responses for mitigation and adaptation have emerged within the city, and the implications of climate change for social and environmental justice.

(CLIMATE CHANGE * CITIES * CITIES AND CLIMATE CHANGE)

As cities undergo vast changes due to industrialization, urbanization, and globalization, environmental considerations assume a growing importance in the urban planning processes of an increasing number of governments around the world. Several cities and regions around the world have already enacted policies that signal an emerging paradigm of sustainability in eco-cities planning. The authors address how to successfully accomplish eco-city planning that meets government requirements for urban sustainability, and present three innovative theories for socioeconomic models, as regards: 1) locational choices made by households and firms, 2) an urban version of the stream continuum concept, and 3) an application of metacommunity theory to the fragmented urban biota. Case studies of Chinese eco-cities offer in-depth examples of planning practices currently in use.

(CITIES * SUSTAINABILITY * ECO-CITIES)

The authors examine examples of both urban decay and destruction, as well as urban rebirth, to show why particular approaches were successful, or did not achieve their objectives. By bringing together innovative approaches to urban living space across the world, and by demonstrating how local initiatives can contribute to global solutions, they establish a framework in which to evaluate current and future developments for urban change, and to stimulate a reassessment of urban development and policies. This collection of individual case studies demonstrates the holistic approach necessary for a genuinely sustainable urban condition.

(CITIES)

Explores the myths, concepts, policies, key conditions, and tools for enhancing creative knowledge cities, as well as expounding potentially negative impacts of knowledge-based city policies.

(CITIES * KNOWLEDGE CITIES)

Many cities worldwide, in order to brand themselves as knowledge cities, have undergone major transformations in the 21st century. The book provides a thorough understanding of these transformations and the key issues in building prosperous knowledge cities by focusing particularly on the policy making, planning process, and performance assessment aspects. Concentrating on major knowledge-city building processes, and providing state-of-the art experiences and perspectives, contributors explore innovative models, approaches and lessons learned from a number of key case studies across the world.

(CITIES * KNOWLEDGE CITIES)

Urbanisation is a dominant trend worldwide, affecting economies, societies, cultures and the environment. More than half the world’s population now lives in cities and as much as two-thirds is expected to do so by 2050. The coming together of people, business and other activities in cities is a key process in the development and maturing of economies and societies. How urban systems function is crucial to future economic prosperity and a better quality of life for more than three billion people, and counting. The report compares urbanization trends in OECD countries on the basis of a newly defined methodology which enables cross-country comparison of the socio-economic and environmental performance of metropolitan areas in OECD countries.

(CITIES * URBANIZATION * METRO AREAS: NEW MEASURE)

Sustainable urban development – achieving environmental preservation, social equity and economic development – remains an urgent global challenge in a world that continues to urbanise. This report discusses sustainable urban development from the perspective of urban spatial form – or how we use urban spaces. Importantly, it highlights how urban spatial policies can help foster economic growth and development while preventing environmental degradation and climate change. Key characteristics of a compact city are dense and proximate development patterns, built-up areas linked by public transport systems, and accessibility to local services and jobs. Key strategies for compact cities: set explicit goals, encourage dense development, retrofit existing built-up areas, enhance diversity and quality of life, and minimize adverse negative effects. Also considers compact city policies and their contribution to Green Growth, and indicators to monitor policy performance. Special issues: 1) the link between environmental and economic outcomes: how the compact city can help to support and foster economic growth while addressing environmental concerns; 2) indicators for monitoring and evaluating the performance of a compact city; 3) major policy instruments in OECD countries, with five case study metropolitan areas: Melbourne, Vancouver, Paris, Toyama (Japan), and Portland (US); and 4) comparative assessment of cities.

(CITIES * COMPACT CITIES * GREEN GROWTH)