European Metromonitor

Posted on: 21 May 2013
By: mackene
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LSE Cities has launched a new free online resource, supported by the Higher Education Innovation Fund, which shows the impact of economic recession and recovery in over 150 of Europe’s largest metropolitan areas. Drawing on forecasting data previously unavailable to the public, the European MetroMonitor features an interactive map, offering users the chance to browse data visualisations showing how the financial crisis has affected European cities. The European Metromonitor, currently in Beta mode, will be developed in the coming months to include expert commentaries and city-level case studies. The website will also allow public, private and third sector stakeholders to interact with the platform to share their local perspectives on the impact of the current economic recession.

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Internalisation of external effects in European freight corridors

Posted on: 17 May 2013
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External effects or externalities “consist of the costs and benefits felt beyond or ‘external to’ those causing the effect”.  In the case of transportation, the negative externalities (costs) can take the form of air pollution, noise and accidents. Since external effects do not have a market price, external effects are a form of market failure. Wear and tear of the infrastructure is external to individual drivers and operators, and thus also included in the analysis. The aim of this project is to study the rate of internalisation of external effects through taxes and charges in two European freight corridors during 2012; for road, rail, and sea transport, respectively. The study is based on two presumed freight corridors, between Norway (Narvik) and Italy (Naples), and between Norway (Oslo) and the Netherlands (Rotterdam).

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The competitiveness of global port-cities: The case of Rotterdam/Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Posted on: 17 May 2013
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This working paper offers an evaluation of the performance of the ports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam, an analysis of the impact of these ports on their territory and an assessment of policies and governance in this field. It examines port performance over the last decades and identifies the principal factors that have contributed to it. The effect of the ports on economic and environmental questions is studied and quantified where possible. The value added of the port clusters of Rotterdam and Amsterdam is calculated and its interlinkages with other economic sectors and regions in the Netherlands delineated. The major policies governing the ports are assessed, along with policies governing transport and economic development, the environment and spatial planning. These include measures instituted by the port authorities, as well as by local, regional and national governments. Governance mechanisms at these different levels are described and analysed. Based on the report‘s findings, recommendations are proposed with a view to improving port performance and increasing the positive effects of the ports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam on their territory.

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UNECE countries in Europe 2013

Posted on: 16 May 2013
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The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) has published a report which provides a snapshot of the social and economic conditions in each of these member States, using statistical indicators from a wide variety of different domains.

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Competing for urban land

Posted on: 15 May 2013
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This is the third in a series of synthesis reports produced by URBAN-NEXUS. These Reports are intended mainly for municipalities, policy-makers and businesses engaged in urban issues. This report that addresses the challenges of growing and shrinking cities, focusing on three dimensions: socio-cultural space, green-blue infrastructure and building mass and physical structure. Drawing on numerous examples from cities all over the world, the report argues that the distribution of land use can be understood as a contest between diverse interests in a context of asymmetrical power relations, and offered a number of recommendations for building better, more liveable cities.

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Transition management in urban context

Posted on: 15 May 2013
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This practical manual is aimed at inspiring and guiding city officers who work on creating a sustainable future for their city. It introduces Transition Management, a governance approach that aims to influence the pace and direction of societal change dynamics. The approach is illustrated by experiences from five European cities working on energy transition, including Ghent (Belgium), Montreuil (France), Aberdeen (Scotland), Ludwigsburg (Germany) and Rotterdam (Netherlands).

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Reference Framework for European Sustainable Cities

Posted on: 15 May 2013
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The Reference Framework for European Sustainable Cities (RFSC) is an online toolkit designed to help cities promote and enhance their work on integrated sustainable urban development. It is available free of charge to all European local authorities and offers practical support in integrating sustainability principles into local policies and actions. A joint initiative of the Member States, the European Commission and European organizations of local governments, the RFSC gives a common space and language to the community of cities that are interested in learning from each other, while respecting the diversity of local priorities.

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European Tourism Trends & Prospects: 1st quarter 2013

Posted on: 14 May 2013
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This report presents the latest tourism statistics from the European Travel Commission, highlighting the recent performance of the tourism industry and future prospects.

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CityMobil2

Posted on: 14 May 2013
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CityMobil2 is a multi-stakeholder project co-funded by the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological development. CityMobil2 is setting up a pilot platform for automated road transport systems, which will be implemented in several urban environments across Europe. Automated transport systems are made up of vehicles operating without a driver in collective mode. They are deemed to play a useful role in the transport mix as they can supply a good transport service (individual or collective) in areas of low or dispersed demand complementing the main public transport network.

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Stadslab: European Urban Design Laboratory

Posted on: 13 May 2013
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Stadslab was established in the summer of 2006 to create a European urban design laboratory where professionals and academia would meet to exchange knowledge and know-how, while addressing real time cases proposed by our hosting cities. After six years our track record consists of strategic design studies for cities and regions in Poland, Hungary, Ukraine, Georgia, Serbia, Japan and the Netherlands. More than eighty participants took part in these studies, representing over 15 nationalities and varying degrees of professional experience in different fields. Programmess for cities both within and outside of Europe are currently being developed. One of Stadslab aims is to train local professionals in design methodology and international exchange. A new Stadslab publication is now available online. The 52 pages booklet is a comprehensive presentation of the results of the October 2012 Master Class on Mobility and Urban Transportation in Fukuoka, the largest city on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu. The proposal for a new hierarchy of bus-lines to fight congestion and redundancy is at the core of the Master Class results.

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