The information below is sourced from The Relocalization Network’s Newsletter #17: March 2008. According to their website “Relocalization is a strategy to build societies based on the local production of food, energy and goods, and the local development of currency, governance and culture. The main goals of Relocalization are to increase community energy security, to strengthen local economies, and to dramatically improve environmental conditions and social equity“. The Post Carbon Cities section of this newsletter is a program of Post Carbon Institute which works to smooth the transition of local economies to a world no longer dependent on hydrocarbon fuels nor emitting climate-changing levels of carbon in the post-carbon world.

“Post Carbon Cities: Update
We were happy to hear that Haines Borough, Alaska had formed a Peak Oil Task Force and just released its final report for public comment. Haines Borough (at 2,241 people) is the smallest municipality that we know of working on this issue - but perhaps you know another? Let us know!

The Brattleboro Peak Oil Task Force in Vermont made a presentation to the town’s Selectboard in February, urging them to take up preparation for peak oil in earnest. The Selectboard will be continuing that conversation when they meet again in March.

And zig-zagging back across the country to California, Oil Independent Oakland presented their final draft report to the Public Works Committee on February 26. Task forces are busy this year.”

To read the full story visit http://www.relocalize.net/newsletter/march08#3.

After a spurt of complex, unexpected and for us, unusual technical glitches, SustainableCitiesNet.com is now back up and running again! We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.

We now invite you to contribute posts and comments to this site - to do this please click on the “contribute” tag above and follow the prompts. Alternatively email Ferne Edwards at fedwards @unimelb.edu.au.

The next SustainableMelbourne newsletter (which includes material on Sustainable Cities) is also due for distribution at the end of this week, Friday 28 March. If you would like to include material in this newsletter which now reaches 1000 people (!!!!) please remember to post your news by 28 March.

The SustainableCitiesNet.com website has been experiencing some technical difficulties over the last week. Due to these problems we have been unable to update content on the site. People are working on fixing these problems to get the site up and running as soon as possible. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

See below a comment by Adam Fenderson from the Energy Bulletin about the Transition Towns movement and the recent book release for the Transition Handbook.

“The Transition Towns project (now Transition Initiatives) is the embodiment of community driven holistic regional planning, with a strong focus on food security. (It has grown out of the Energy Descent Action Plan concept which many may have heard of). For my money it’s the most exciting environmental movement in the world for it’s focus on opportunities and positives while being both radical, broad reaching and practical.

The Transition Handbook has just been released. Here’s a suitably gushy review:
By Richard Barnett, editor of Pulse.

“The newly published Transition Handbook is so important that I am tempted just to confine this review to five simple words ‘You must read this book!’ But to do so would, of course, completely fail to communicate its message which is, I believe, so profound and inspiring that I want to do my very best to encourage its spread far and wide. Rob Hopkins is described on the book cover as ‘The Founder of the Transition Movement’. I would add to that that he is a superb communicator, visionary and one of the most important thinkers in our chaotic 21st century world.“”

Read more.

According to the UNEP website, The Climate Neutral Network (CN Net) has been established to assist those interested in achieving big cuts in greenhouse gas emissions to achieve their goals. They do this by:

* Firstly, by making public the inspiring plans and strategies that pioneering partners have drawn up in order to achieve climate neutrality and encouraging them to publicize their achievements—and challenges—via regular up-dates of the web pages.
* Secondly, by acting as a forum through which those who aspire to climate neutrality may network and learn more to plan their own emissions reductions.
* Thirdly, by acting as an honest broker, bringing developed and developing country participants together to green the development path and support the Millennium Development Goals.

The Climate Neutral Network could have been called the Carbon Neutral Network. However the long-term aim is to address all greenhouse gases, including all six under the Kyoto Protocol, and others covered by treaties such as the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer.

To find out more about this recently established website visit http://www.climateneutral.unep.org/.

Find details below from http://sev.prnewswire.com/environmental-services/20080207/DC1363807022008-1.html# for the change in deadline to 31 March for submissions to the Financial Times Urban Land Institute Sustainable Cities Award.

“The FT/ULI Sustainable Cities Award has global relevance since nominations will be invited worldwide. The announcement of up to seven winners will be the closing highlight of the first-ever Sustainable Cities conference, which will be jointly hosted by the Financial Times and the Urban Land Institute in London on June 16, 2008.

The Sustainable Cities Award acknowledges exceptional examples of sustainable land use models that exhibit significant new ideas and perspectives for future practice, rather than simply celebrating past achievements. The winning initiatives will demonstrate success in advancing the market’s understanding and acceptance of the concept of sustainable development. This may be reflected in economic, social and environmental sustainability.”

To read the full article visit http://sev.prnewswire.com/environmental-services/20080207/DC1363807022008-1.html#

The Urban Land Institute is a nonprofit research and education organization that “…initiates research that anticipates emerging land use trends and issues, proposing creative solutions based on that research”. Visit their website at http://www.uli.org/.

According to Planet Ark News:

“London will adopt a bicycle hire scheme similar to a popular initiative in Paris under a $1 billion cycling investment package announced by the mayor on Monday. Under the plan, part of a series of environmental measures due in coming days, 6,000 bicycles will be available for hire from ranks every 300 metres (600 feet) throughout the city centre“.

To read the full article visit http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/46898/story.html.

Discussed in the latest Metropolis online magazine, the Urban Age Institute recently had a meeting to discuss the possibilities of a sustainable future in terms of smart transportation and smart cities. From the website, they summarise;

“There were some big names presenting solutions that ranged from community shuttles, rapid transit lanes and social-networked ride-share boards to biofuels and electric cars; but amidst the high-profile speakers, planners and auto execs alike worried that without public buy-in to approve the funds or purchase the energy-efficient vehicles, any innovation would fall flat.”

To pursue the discussion visit http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/story.php?artid=3143.

Find below an abstract from the article, “UAE About to Start Building Green City in Desert” by Simon Webb posted on http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/46484/story.htm. The story describes how a new green city is being built from scratch in United Arab Emirates. Read on for more details.

UAE About to Start Building Green City in Desert
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: January 18, 2008
DUBAI - The United Arab Emirates plans to start building a multi-billion-dollar green city in the desert in the first quarter of this year, as the oil producer looks to become a pioneer of alternative energy.

The zero-carbon, zero waste city — actually a town of up to 15,000 residents — is being steered by Masdar, an initiative set up by the Abu Dhabi government to develop sustainable and clean energy. It is one of a string of projects that the world’s fifth-largest oil exporter is eyeing as it looks to reduce some the world’s highest per capita greenhouse gas emissions, Masdar’s Chief Executive Sultan al-Jaber told Reuters.

“We will break ground on the city in the first quarter,” Jaber said.

Taking old cities from the Arab world as inspiration, the plans show narrow streets, squat buildings and no cars. Solar panels will act as awnings to shelter pedestrians from the sun.

For the full story visit http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/46484/story.htm.

Sponsored by Grosvenor, Green Cities 08 will be held at the Sydney Convention centre from 10-13 February 2008. It will be an exciting and enlightening conference and expo, showcasing the property industry’s achievements in sustainability.

World leading sustainability expert and author Professor Dr Michael Braungart from Germany will headline the conference together with a stellar line up of internationally renowned experts in the green building industry including Nick Butler, Dr James Bradfield Moody, Professor Vivian Loftness and Rick Fedrizzi.

Early Bird Registrations for Green Cities 08 close this Friday, December 21. To take advantage of the early bird registration rates for Green Cities 08 please visit the Green Cities website, http://www.greencities.org.au/.

Registrations must be received by December 21 to be eligible for the early bird rate - SO ACT NOW!

Green Cities ‘08 website: http://www.greencities.org.au/