Sustainable Urban Mobility in Asia (SUMA) News Digest 01 February 2008
Au ABLES
Sustainable Urban Mobility in Asia (SUMA) News Digest
Vol. 5 Issue 2
01 February 2008
SUMA News Digest is a free weekly e-mail publication that features news, information, and events related to sustainable urban transportation in Asia.
To contribute articles, news items, or event announcements for the next issue, send an email with the complete details and URL source to suma-ne...@googlegroups.com with subject "FOR SUMA NEWS". mailto:suma-ne...@googlegroups.com?subject=FOR_SUMA_NEWS .
Past issues from Feb 2007 are found at http://groups.google.com/group/suma-news
*** VISIT THE SUMA PAGES: http://www.cleanairnet.org/suma ***
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HEADLINES
GLOBAL: London, Paris Win 2008 Sustainable Transport Award
Finalists were nominated for the 4th annual international honor for enhancing the sustainability and livability of their community or region by adopting innovative transportation strategies that lessen the impact of climate change by reducing transportation greenhouse and air pollution emissions.
http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-72335.html
KARACHI, PAKISTAN: Plan for conversion of rickshaws announced
24 January 2008 dawn.com.pk
The Sindh government has chalked out a strategy to encourage drivers/owners to switch over to CNG-fitted rickshaws instead of two-stroke vehicles, which were a major cause of air and noise pollution.
http://www.dawn.com.pk/2008/01/25/local17.htm
KARACHI, PAKISTAN: SHC wants two-stroke rickshaws phased out
23 January 2008 dawn.com
A division bench of the Sindh High Court again directed the traffic police on Wednesday to ensure that motor rickshaws plying were fitted with silencers and that two-stroke rickshaws were phased out to reduce air and noise pollution.
http://www.dawn.com/2008/01/24/local11.htm
BEIJING, PR CHINA: Beijing to cut traffic by half for Games
23 January 2008 chinadaily.com.cn
Beijing will take more than half of its 3 million cars off the roads for August's Olympic Games in a bid to guarantee air quality and improve traffic flow. More than 1,000 new vehicles hit the roads every day in the Chinese capital and officials estimate that there will be 3.3 million by the time the Games open on August 8. During a four-day test last August, 1.3 million vehicles were taken off the roads on alternate days depending on whether their number plates ended with even or odd numbers.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/olympics/2008-01/23/content_6415489.htm
XIAMEN, PR CHINA: Xiamen Encourages Citizens to Use High-Efficient and Low-Emitting Cars
17 January 2008 vecc-sepa.org.cn
Xiamen City plans to release the special energy saving regulation. According to the regulation, there are some incentive instruments to retail, use high-efficient and low-emitting cars and other transport options.
http://www.vecc-sepa.org.cn/news/news_detail.jsp?newsid=22326
HARBIN, PR CHINA: Vehicles Will be Phased Out If Failing the Emission Standard Several Times
16 January 2008 vecc-sepa.org.cn
Environment department has signed a responsibility memorandum with 34 public transport lines in Harbin. According to the agreement, vehicles will be phased out if failing the emission standard several times.
http://www.vecc-sepa.org.cn/news/news_detail.jsp?newsid=22306
For more news on China see also Ms. XiaoJia Bao's CAI-Asia Project e-newsletter, http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-69329.html
More air quality and sustainable mobility news at http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/propertyvalue-14783.html
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INTERESTING FINDS
Strategies for Anhangabaú & Quadra das Artes: Revitalising São Pãulo City Centre: June 2007
(Estratégias para o Anhangabaú e Quadra das Artes: Revitalizando o Centro da Cidade de São Paulo, Junho de 2007)
The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, City of São Paulo, and Gehl Architects have released a strategic document on revitalizing the city center of Sao Paolo by introducing pedestrian-friendly design elements. The document uses the compare-and-contrast method and provides useful illustrations to supplement the text.
http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-72363.html
The environmental impact of India's Nano car
11 January 2008, New Scientist Environment blog
Catherine Brahic, online environment reporter for New Scientist, blogs about India's cheapest car - whether it conforms to European emission standards, its fuel efficiency, and the effect it will have on emisions.
http://www.newscientist.com/blog/environment/2008/01/environmental-impact-of-indias-nano-car.html
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MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Better Air Quality (BAQ) Workshop 2008
12-14 November 2008 Bangkok, Thailand
Call for Abstracts ongoing
http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-72312.html
The Art Center Summit 2008: Systems, Cities, and Sustainable Mobility
5-7 February 2008 Pasadena, California, USA
http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-72347.html
JARI Indonesia Round Table 2008
14 February 2008 Borobudur Hotel Jakarta
Deadline of registration: 4 Feb
http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-72316.html
Third Regional Environmentally Sustainable Transport (EST) Forum
17-19 Mar 2008 Singapore
http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-72269.html
International Conference on Funding Transportation Infrastructure & la Dixième Journée Transport
19-20 Jun 2008 Paris, France
http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-72268.html
4th International Symposium on Travel Demand Management
16-18 Jul 2008 Vienna, Austria
http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-72218.html
Towards Carfree Cities VIII
16-20 Jun 2008 Portland, Oregon, USA
http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-72243.html
See more SUT events http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/propertyvalue-27089.html
See CAI-Asia's events calendar
http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/propertyvalue-13577.html
* * * * THANKS * * * *
Thank you XiaoJia Bao, Keiko Hirota, Mohammad Aqib and Bert Fabian for your inputs; and to Jaja Panopio and Mike Co for uploading the articles. - Aurora Fe Ables, Editor, SUMA News; Transport Specialist, CAI-Asia Center
* * * ABOUT SUMA * * *
The Sustainable Urban Mobility in Asia (SUMA) program of the Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities ( www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia), Asian Development Bank ( www.adb.org), EMBARQ-the World Resources Institute Center for Sustainable Transport ( http://embarq.wri.org ), GTZ Sustainable Urban Transport Project ( www.sutp.org), Interface for
Cycling Expertise (www.cycling.nl), Institute for Transportation and Development Policy ( www.itdp.org), and United Nations Center for Regional Development (www.uncrd.or.jp/est) is made possible through the generous support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency ( www.sida.se).
SUMA works with Asian countries and cities to strengthen then formulation and implementation of sustainable urban transportation policies, specifically in (i) improving urban air quality by adopting AQM planning in sustainable transport policies and promoting public transportation, (ii) improving road safety by encouraging non-motorized transport and public transport, and (iii) reducing transport's contribution to climate change by adopting a co-benefits approach with urban air quality management.
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best regards,
Au
Aurora Fe Ables, P.Chem
Transport Specialist
Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities Center
t. +63(2)395-2843 and 45
f. +63(2)395-2846
m. +63(919)237-4338
au.ables[at]cai-asia.org
au.ables[at]gmail.com
skype au.ables
www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia