World Cities Summit
Encyclopedia
The World Cities Summit is a premier event that brings together practitioners and policy makers with leading experts in their field to identify innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges facing cities today. It is an international conference series on public governance and the sustainable development
of cities.
Among the issues examined there were the effective governance
, urban planning
, infrastructural development, environmental sustainability, climate change
, quality of life
and economic competitiveness.
Speakers who attended include Haruhiko Kuroda, President of the Asian Development Bank
; Anna Tibaijuka
, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme
; Lee Hsien Loong
, Prime Minister of Singapore; Peter Rowe, professor of architecture and urban design at Harvard University
; and the mayors of cities such as Melbourne, Yokohama, Bogota and Wellington, among others. There was also an exhibition to promote business links between the public and private sectors.
The summit was organised by Singapore’s Ministry of National Development
, the Singapore Civil Service College
and the National University of Singapore
’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. The World Bank
, Asian Development Bank, United Nations Development Programme
, United Nations Environment Programme
, United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
are involved as strategic partners.
The summit was held in conjunction with the East Asia Summit
Conference on Liveable Cities, as well as the Singapore International Water Week
2008, a water industry conference and trade show.
With increasing urbanisation and half the world’s population already living in cities, the liveability of urban centres has attracted considerable attention in recent years, especially given the increasing awareness of environmental sustainability issues and resource scarcity. There are now several “World's Most Liveable Cities” type rankings, such as the Mercer Quality of Living Survey and The Economist's World's Most Liveable Cities, which undertake international comparisons based on living conditions and quality of life. The Economist’s “liveability ranking”, for example, looks at more than 130 cities and measures them against five sets of criteria: infrastructure, culture and environment, healthcare, education and stability.
Initiatives such as the World Mayor
Award seek to highlight what can be done to improve the well-being of cities and communities through good leadership. And the C40 Large Cities Climate Summit, also known as the Large Cities Climate Leadership Group, saw representatives from the world’s largest cities and businesses gathering in New York in 2007 to discuss the reduction of carbon emissions in urban areas, where three-quarters of global energy consumption occurs.
These and other speakers will gather in Singapore to address issues on the practical aspects of city governance and integrated approaches to urban development under the Summit’s theme of ‘Liveable and Sustainable Cities for the Future’.
Jointly organised by the Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC) and the Singapore Civil Service College
(CSC), this year’s Summit expects over 1,000 delegates, up from 800 delegates in 2008, comprising ministers, governors, mayors, senior government officials and business leaders. Event highlights include the World Mayors Forum, the World Cities Summit Expo, several Expert Panel Sessions, and various Learning Journeys.
Despite having the third highest population density in the world, Singapore is often rated as one of the world’s most liveable cities. One such ranking is the Mercer’s 2009 Quality of Life survey, which identifies Singapore as the highest ranking Asian city among 215 cities globally and the highest ranking city worldwide for city infrastructure. As host nation of the biennial Summit, Singapore is well placed to share its expertise in specific areas such as public housing, waste management, green infrastructure, and urban planning.
facing cities today, with specific emphasis on leadership and governance, sustainable and eco-friendly cities as well as harmonious and sustainable communities.
Complementing the plenary discussions, there will be a series of high-level Expert Panel Sessions for government representatives, policy makers and specific industry experts to discuss the challenges and solutions faced by cities around the world in greater details, covering areas of urban planning,infrastructure financing, public housing, built environment, waste management, climate change and urban biodiversity.
The World Mayors' Forum is a gathering of mayors to discuss solutions to the common urban challenges. The forum will provide practical recommendations for joint actions where Mayors and city officials can work together to make their cities a better place - more liveable, with healthier citizens, better housing and better education.
The World Cities Summit Expo (29 June to 1 July 2010), themed “Liveable and Sustainable Cities for the Future”, is a new platform to showcase model cities and innovative urban solutions that enhance economic value whilst addressing environmental challenges. 3,000 trade visitors are expected to attend the Expo.
The Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize is a biennial award to recognise individuals and organisations that have made outstanding contribitions to the creation of vibrant, liveable and sustainable urban communities around the world. It seeks to recognise individuals and organisations responsible for urban initiatives that display foresight, good governance or innovation in tackling the many urban challenges faced by cities.
These urban initiatives should incorporate principles of sustainable development and demonstrate an ability to bring social, economic and environmental benefits in holistic way to communities around the world. The Prize will also place an emphasis on practical and cost effective solutions and ideas that can be easily replicated across cities. The inaugural Lee Kuan Yew World Cities is co-organised by the Urban Redevelopment Authority
of Singapore (URA) and Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC).
Learning Journeys are site visits that provide first-hand perspectives on how policies and ideas can be implemented successfully. Hosted by diverse public sector agencies in Singapore, these visits will give a behind-the-scenes look at specific projects while providing unique, practical learning experiences for delegates.
Networking Forums are country-led forums with eminent speakers from across the globe. Speakers comprise representatives from government, trade and research organisations, key technology providers, financial institutions and urban authorities. They will share a myriad of areas including city management, development projects and opportunities in the global urban sector.
, though being a highly urbanised island-city-state, still manages to retain a surprisingly rich array of biodiversity by virtue of its geographical location within a biodiversity hotspot. Therefore, Singapore is well suited and equipped with relevant expertise to establish a cities' biodiversity index.
Hence, Singapore's Minister for National Development, Mr Mah Bow Tan
, proposed the establishment of an index to measure biodiversity in cities at the 9th Meeting of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
in Bonn
, Germany
in May 2008 . To lay out the details for the index, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
and the National Parks Board
of Singapore jointly organised a Technical Expert Workshop on The Singapore Index on Cities' Biodiversity. 17 technical experts on biodiversity indicators as well as city executives responsible for implementation and management of biodiversity and urban projects attended the workshop.
The Singapore Index on Cities' Biodiversity would measure performance and assign scores based on three categories :
The Index will be presented for endorsement during the 10th Meeting of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
in Nagoya, Japan
in October 2010.
A User’s Manual for the Singapore Index on Cities’ Biodiversity is available online. More information about biodiversity conservation in Singapore is available from the National Biodiversity Centre.
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
of cities.
World Cities Summit 2008
The first World Cities Summit, which took place in Singapore from 23 to 25 June 2008, focused on the theme of “Liveable and Vibrant Cities”. The inaugural summit in June 2008 brought together 800 senior delegates. These include leaders, government ministers, city mayors, senior government officials, officials from international organisations, business leaders, academics from the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East, policy makers and the civil society.Among the issues examined there were the effective governance
Governance
Governance is the act of governing. It relates to decisions that define expectations, grant power, or verify performance. It consists of either a separate process or part of management or leadership processes...
, urban planning
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
, infrastructural development, environmental sustainability, climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
, quality of life
Quality of life
The term quality of life is used to evaluate the general well-being of individuals and societies. The term is used in a wide range of contexts, including the fields of international development, healthcare, and politics. Quality of life should not be confused with the concept of standard of...
and economic competitiveness.
Speakers who attended include Haruhiko Kuroda, President of the Asian Development Bank
Asian Development Bank
The Asian Development Bank is a regional development bank established on 22 August 1966 to facilitate economic development of countries in Asia...
; Anna Tibaijuka
Anna Tibaijuka
Dr. Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka is a former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme...
, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme
United Nations Human Settlements Programme
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme is the United Nations agency for human settlements. It was established in 1978 and has its headquarters at the United Nations Office at Nairobi, Kenya...
; Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong is the third and current Prime Minister of Singapore. He is married to Ho Ching, who is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Temasek Holdings. He is the eldest son of Singapore's first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew....
, Prime Minister of Singapore; Peter Rowe, professor of architecture and urban design at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
; and the mayors of cities such as Melbourne, Yokohama, Bogota and Wellington, among others. There was also an exhibition to promote business links between the public and private sectors.
The summit was organised by Singapore’s Ministry of National Development
Ministry of National Development (Singapore)
The Ministry of National Development is a ministry of the Government of Singapore that directs the formulation and implementation of policies related to land use planning and infrastructure development...
, the Singapore Civil Service College
Singapore Civil Service College
Civil Service College Singapore, is a statutory board under the Public Service Division, Prime Minister's Office. Its mission is to develop people for a first class public service....
and the National University of Singapore
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. The World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
, Asian Development Bank, United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
, United Nations Environment Programme
United Nations Environment Programme
The United Nations Environment Programme coordinates United Nations environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices. It was founded as a result of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in June 1972 and has its...
, United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific , located in Bangkok, Thailand, is the regional arm of the United Nations Secretariat for the Asian and Pacific region. It was established in 1947 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states...
are involved as strategic partners.
The summit was held in conjunction with the East Asia Summit
East Asia Summit
The East Asia Summit is a forum held annually by leaders of, initially, 16 countries in the East Asian region. Membership will expand to 18 countries including the United States and Russia at the Sixth EAS in 2011. EAS meetings are held after annual ASEAN leaders’ meetings...
Conference on Liveable Cities, as well as the Singapore International Water Week
Singapore International Water Week
Singapore International Water Week is the global platform for water solutions. It brings policymakers, industry leaders, experts and practitioners together to address challenges, showcase technologies, discover opportunities and celebrate achievements in the water world.-Flagship Programmes:The...
2008, a water industry conference and trade show.
With increasing urbanisation and half the world’s population already living in cities, the liveability of urban centres has attracted considerable attention in recent years, especially given the increasing awareness of environmental sustainability issues and resource scarcity. There are now several “World's Most Liveable Cities” type rankings, such as the Mercer Quality of Living Survey and The Economist's World's Most Liveable Cities, which undertake international comparisons based on living conditions and quality of life. The Economist’s “liveability ranking”, for example, looks at more than 130 cities and measures them against five sets of criteria: infrastructure, culture and environment, healthcare, education and stability.
Initiatives such as the World Mayor
World Mayor
World Mayor is a biennial award organized by The City Mayors Foundation since 2004. It intends to raise the profile of mayors worldwide, as well as honour those who have served their communities well and who have contributed to the well-being of cities, nationally and internationally...
Award seek to highlight what can be done to improve the well-being of cities and communities through good leadership. And the C40 Large Cities Climate Summit, also known as the Large Cities Climate Leadership Group, saw representatives from the world’s largest cities and businesses gathering in New York in 2007 to discuss the reduction of carbon emissions in urban areas, where three-quarters of global energy consumption occurs.
World Cities Summit 2010
The second biennial World Cities Summit (WCS) 2010, to be held from 28 June to 1 July, returns with an even larger number of leading international speakers, representing diverse cities in the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Some of the notable figures include Mr Kamal Nath, India’s Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Mrs Carrie Lam, Secretary of Development in Hong Kong SAR, Mom Rajawongse Sukhumbhand Paribatra, Governor of Bangkok, Anna K. Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, Haruhiko Kuroda, President of the Asian Development Bank and Mr James Adams, Vice President of the East Asia and Pacific Region, World Bank. Some 16 ministers, 31 governors and mayors, and more than 40 high level experts from Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States have confirmed their attendance thus far.These and other speakers will gather in Singapore to address issues on the practical aspects of city governance and integrated approaches to urban development under the Summit’s theme of ‘Liveable and Sustainable Cities for the Future’.
Jointly organised by the Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC) and the Singapore Civil Service College
Singapore Civil Service College
Civil Service College Singapore, is a statutory board under the Public Service Division, Prime Minister's Office. Its mission is to develop people for a first class public service....
(CSC), this year’s Summit expects over 1,000 delegates, up from 800 delegates in 2008, comprising ministers, governors, mayors, senior government officials and business leaders. Event highlights include the World Mayors Forum, the World Cities Summit Expo, several Expert Panel Sessions, and various Learning Journeys.
Despite having the third highest population density in the world, Singapore is often rated as one of the world’s most liveable cities. One such ranking is the Mercer’s 2009 Quality of Life survey, which identifies Singapore as the highest ranking Asian city among 215 cities globally and the highest ranking city worldwide for city infrastructure. As host nation of the biennial Summit, Singapore is well placed to share its expertise in specific areas such as public housing, waste management, green infrastructure, and urban planning.
Highlights of World Cities Summit 2010
The World Cities Summit will commence with high-level plenary sessions which explore the theme of “Liveable and Sustainable Cities for the Future” in different dimensions. Attended by ministers and senior policy makers, business leaders, practitioners and futurists, the plenary sessions will deal with cross-cutting issues around the interplay of people, technologies and marketsfacing cities today, with specific emphasis on leadership and governance, sustainable and eco-friendly cities as well as harmonious and sustainable communities.
Complementing the plenary discussions, there will be a series of high-level Expert Panel Sessions for government representatives, policy makers and specific industry experts to discuss the challenges and solutions faced by cities around the world in greater details, covering areas of urban planning,infrastructure financing, public housing, built environment, waste management, climate change and urban biodiversity.
The World Mayors' Forum is a gathering of mayors to discuss solutions to the common urban challenges. The forum will provide practical recommendations for joint actions where Mayors and city officials can work together to make their cities a better place - more liveable, with healthier citizens, better housing and better education.
The World Cities Summit Expo (29 June to 1 July 2010), themed “Liveable and Sustainable Cities for the Future”, is a new platform to showcase model cities and innovative urban solutions that enhance economic value whilst addressing environmental challenges. 3,000 trade visitors are expected to attend the Expo.
The Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize is a biennial award to recognise individuals and organisations that have made outstanding contribitions to the creation of vibrant, liveable and sustainable urban communities around the world. It seeks to recognise individuals and organisations responsible for urban initiatives that display foresight, good governance or innovation in tackling the many urban challenges faced by cities.
These urban initiatives should incorporate principles of sustainable development and demonstrate an ability to bring social, economic and environmental benefits in holistic way to communities around the world. The Prize will also place an emphasis on practical and cost effective solutions and ideas that can be easily replicated across cities. The inaugural Lee Kuan Yew World Cities is co-organised by the Urban Redevelopment Authority
Urban Redevelopment Authority
The Urban Redevelopment Authority is the national urban planning authority of Singapore, and a statutory board under the Ministry of National Development of the Singapore Government.-Mission:The authority was established on 1 April 1974, and is of especially critical importance to the city-state,...
of Singapore (URA) and Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC).
Learning Journeys are site visits that provide first-hand perspectives on how policies and ideas can be implemented successfully. Hosted by diverse public sector agencies in Singapore, these visits will give a behind-the-scenes look at specific projects while providing unique, practical learning experiences for delegates.
Networking Forums are country-led forums with eminent speakers from across the globe. Speakers comprise representatives from government, trade and research organisations, key technology providers, financial institutions and urban authorities. They will share a myriad of areas including city management, development projects and opportunities in the global urban sector.
The Singapore Index on Cities' Biodiversity
Global demographic trends indicate that the degree of urbanisation will increase and that more people will live in cities. Already, in 2008, more than half of the world’s population lived in cities. Biodiversity will play an increasingly important role within the urban landscape. SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, though being a highly urbanised island-city-state, still manages to retain a surprisingly rich array of biodiversity by virtue of its geographical location within a biodiversity hotspot. Therefore, Singapore is well suited and equipped with relevant expertise to establish a cities' biodiversity index.
Hence, Singapore's Minister for National Development, Mr Mah Bow Tan
Mah Bow Tan
Mah Bow Tan is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he is currently a Member of Parliament representing the Tampines Group Representation Constituency...
, proposed the establishment of an index to measure biodiversity in cities at the 9th Meeting of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
Convention on Biological Diversity
The Convention on Biological Diversity , known informally as the Biodiversity Convention, is an international legally binding treaty...
in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in May 2008 . To lay out the details for the index, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
Convention on Biological Diversity
The Convention on Biological Diversity , known informally as the Biodiversity Convention, is an international legally binding treaty...
and the National Parks Board
National Parks Board
The National Parks Board is a statutory board of the Singapore Government.The National Parks Board is responsible for providing and enhancing the greenery of Singapore. NParks manages around 300 parks, the park connector network and the roadside greenery in Singapore...
of Singapore jointly organised a Technical Expert Workshop on The Singapore Index on Cities' Biodiversity. 17 technical experts on biodiversity indicators as well as city executives responsible for implementation and management of biodiversity and urban projects attended the workshop.
The Singapore Index on Cities' Biodiversity would measure performance and assign scores based on three categories :
- Biodiversity - the number of plant, animal and other species that exist in a city
- The services that these plants and animals provide, such as pollination and as carbon sinks
- How well a city manages its biodiversity - for instance, by setting up a conservation agency or a museum to document species and habitats
The Index will be presented for endorsement during the 10th Meeting of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
Convention on Biological Diversity
The Convention on Biological Diversity , known informally as the Biodiversity Convention, is an international legally binding treaty...
in Nagoya, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in October 2010.
A User’s Manual for the Singapore Index on Cities’ Biodiversity is available online. More information about biodiversity conservation in Singapore is available from the National Biodiversity Centre.