City and government officials from around the world are in Rio de Janeiro to make the argument that urban hold the key to sustainability. Neal Peirce reports.
Peirce looks at a new effort to pool stakeholders to work on and invest in sustainable city initiatives.
"[A] new World Urban Campaign, nurtured into existence by UN-Habitat senior official Nicholas You and enthusiastically backed by UN-Habitat Executive Director Anna Tibaijuka, gets officially launched Friday. City governments and their regional and global alliances are included but so are multiple new types of partners - media groups, development banks, academics, trade unions and such corporations as Siemens, Arcadis, CEMEX and Veolia Environment.
The World Urban Campaign doesn't reject the ongoing need of cities to capture the attention and support of central governments. But its focus is different: to unite a broad range of interested stakeholders to invest in sustainable cities, share knowledge of what works, and set benchmarks to help cities - and the world - monitor urban progress."
FULL STORY: Eyes On Rio As It Hosts The World Urban Forum

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

From Throughway to Public Space: Taking Back the American Street
How the Covid-19 pandemic taught us new ways to reclaim city streets from cars.
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