Liverpool leads the UK in building for a better urban future
Liverpool has notched up another UK first after joining the UN-HABITAT World Urban Campaign as an ‘exemplar city’.
Liverpool’s request to be included in the UN-HABITAT 100 Cities Initiative was developed by Liverpool Vision and supported by Liverpool City Council and a range of high-profile private and public sector partners, including Peel, Cofely/GDF SUEZ and Arup.
It was endorsed at the highest level during a steering group meeting of the UN-HABITAT World Urban Campaign in Amsterdam earlier this month.
Liverpool presented nine case studies representing the activity and aspirations of public, private and civic organisations.
The nine were:
• Liverpool Waters
• The Eldonians District Energy System
• Liverpool Commercial District partnership
• Global Entrepreneurship Congress 2012
• Liverpool’s Decade of Health and Wellbeing
• Rights and Humanity International Centre of Excellence
• Women’s International Centre for Economic Development (WICED)
• Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
• Liverpool Food Alliance
Liverpool will now be showcased at the World Urban Forum (WUF) in Naples, Italy in 2012 as one of the cities which align to the sustainable development principles of the UN-HABITAT programme.
The last World Urban Forum in Rio de Janeiro in 2010 attracted 14,000 participants from more than 150 countries.
Cllr Nick Small, cabinet member for employment, enterprise and skills, said: “Liverpool clearly has a great story to tell, which resonates across the world and more people want to hear it.
“This is an exciting development and a considerable honour. Only 21 other cities have so far joined the UN-HABITAT 100 Cities Initiative and Liverpool is the first UK participant.
“The UN has recognised our commitment to building a better sustainable future for our citizens through our presence in the Urban Best Practice Area at World Expo last year and the fact Eldonians won a UN-HABITAT award in 2004 means the city already has a profile at their HQ in Nairobi.
“It offers the city the chance to learn from others, share our experience and build long term international relationships which the city can benefit from for many years, as well as showcasing the city to potential investors and visitors.”
In addition to World Expo 2010 and European Capital of Culture 2008 Liverpool’s assets focused on many of the achievements during the last decade including: World Heritage Site Status 2003; UN-HABITAT award-winning Eldonian Village 2004; Urban Land Institute award-winning £1bn Liverpool ONE retail development 2008; Europe’s greenest Arena and Convention Centre; RIBA award-winning extension to the Liverpool-Leeds Canal link 2009 and the pioneering work of the Universities and School of Tropical Medicine.
Max Steinberg, chief executive of Liverpool Vision, said: “These are exciting times for Liverpool. We have always said that our city must not stand still and that we must take every opportunity to maintain our momentum and build a more prosperous city.
“The city has picked up many accolades in recent years and is well-known for its excellence in many sectors, but we are not resting on our laurels.
“There must be no let up and that is why we opened an embassy in London, it’s why we bid for the GEC, beating other cities from around the world and now joining the UN-HABITAT 100 Cities initiative will allow us to take further steps forward.
“Being part of this initiative will grant us exposure to a global network of private sector partners that are promoting leading edge practices in sustainable urban development and give us insight into new public private partnerships and models for investment.”
UN-HABITAT´s spokesperson, Ana B. Moreno, said “It is with great satisfaction we welcome Liverpool to the 100 Cities Initiative. The World Urban Campaign is a global platform of public, private and civil society partners working together cooperatively with a common vision and set of goals to promote and reinforce policies, strategies and actions to contribute to the well-being of cities throughout the world”.
“We will be pleased to have Liverpool´s experience at the World Urban Forum next September 2012 in Naples to show best practices on how to improve citizens’ quality of life. We expect more cities to join this initiative as a way on developing a better urban environment.”.
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