The City of Paris (France) implemented bold measures to improve urban air quality this December, temporarily making public transport in the city free to encourage people not to use their cars. The move came in response to a severe spike in air pollution, largely caused by vehicle emissions.

Authorities implemented a system whereby only drivers with number plates ending in an odd or even number could enter the city, alternating by day. Hybrid and electric vehicles as well as those carrying three or more people were allowed to use the roads. Foreign and emergency vehicles were unaffected.

At the Mayors Summit 2016 in Mexico, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo was one of four mega-city mayors that pledged to ban all diesel vehicles from their streets by 2025 to improve the quality of air for citizens.

For more information, visit eltis.org.Image copyright: Image (Flickr) by "Juan Enrique Gilardi", licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 more   13 December 2016 Copenhagen receives Guangzhou International Award for Urban InnovationICLEI Member Copenhagen (Denmark) was announced as one of the five winners of the Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation at a recent ceremony hosted in the Chinese city. Copenhagen was recognised for its Climate Resilient Neighbourhood project which aims to address challenges related to social housing, unemployment and low living standards for the 24,000 residents in the Saint Kjelds district. This is partly achieved through neighbourhood resilience measures, such as sustainable stormwater management, urban green space, and neighbourhood branding projects.

Fellow ICLEI Member La Paz (Bolivia) was awarded for the La Paz Zebras Citizen Culture project, which is dedicated to raising public awareness about road safety. Vulnerable youth were invited to become paid civic educators stationed at zebra pedestrian crossings. Here, they encouraged both drivers and pedestrians to obey traffic signs and rules.

Among the 15 finalists were ICLEI Members Brussels (Belgium), selected for its Greenbizz incubator for urban renewal, and Tampere (Finland), for its circular economy concept for cities, companies and citizens. ICLEI Member Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) was also nominated for its sustainable transport system project. Co-hosted by United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), Metropolis and the Guangzhou Municipal Government, the Guangzhou Award aims to promote public sector innovation sharing.

For more information, visit the awards website. more

» Publication Date: 15/12/2016

» Source: Iclei Europe

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