And here: Cities bypass slow government to lead the way on climate change (Mike Scott, The Guardian, Sep. 12, 2013)
Today we review a report on how cities can achieve greatness in terms of quality of life and in meeting the climate change challenge by smart growth, by doing more with less and by winning support for change- things that the Mayor of New York City, along other mayors, serves as a model. The key point is that most people in the world live in cities and this is where all but a quarter of the world’s energy and greenhouse gas emissions is generated.
Key Quotes:
“more than half the world's people live in cities, they consume two-thirds of the world's energy and generate 70% of carbon emissions.”
“by 2030, 5 billion people—60 percent of the world’s population—will live in cities, compared with 3.6 billion today”
"mayors have found a way to take action that is accountable to the population and brings them visible, tangible benefits that improve their quality of life… leaders who make important strides in improving their cities do three things really well: They achieve smart growth. They do more with less. And they win support for change."
“Smart growth identifies and nurtures the very best opportunities for growth, plans ways to cope with its demands, integrates environmental thinking, and ensures that all citizens enjoy a city’s prosperity”
‘private–public partnerships can be an essential element of smart growth, delivering lower-cost, higher-quality infrastructure and services.”
“Successful city leaders build a high-performing team of civil servants, create a working environment where all employees are accountable for their actions, and take every opportunity to forge a stakeholder consensus with the local population and business community”
“the former mayor of Bogotá….famously hired 420 mimes to make fun of traffic violators: this entertaining public ridicule reduced traffic fatalities by more than 50%."
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