Policy Brief: Nordic Cities – Green, Resilient, Healthy: Fostering national policies and initiatives for urban green space

Policy Brief: Nordic Cities – Green, Resilient, Healthy: Fostering national policies and initiatives for urban green space
Author: Nordic Council of Ministers Secretariat
Publisher: Nordic Council of Ministers
Total Pages: 20
Release: 2022-09-12
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9289373954

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/nord2022-018/ This policy brief is issued by the Nordic Working Group for Sustainable Cities, under the umbrella of the Nordic Council of Ministers. The overall objective and purpose of the efforts of this working group, which ended its work at the end of 2021 and was subsequently integrated into the Nordic Working Group on Biodiversity, was to contribute to achieving the sustainable development goals of Agenda 2030 with an emphasis on strengthening the exchange of experiences and co-operating on Nordic solutions for sustainable urban development. The importance of urban green spaces in achieving this has been a key focus of the group’s work. The text was prepared by Cecil C. Konijnendijk under assignment from the Working Group.

THE NORDIC REGION – a sustainable and integrated region?

THE NORDIC REGION – a sustainable and integrated region?
Author: Nordic Council of Ministers Secretariat
Publisher: Nordic Council of Ministers
Total Pages: 73
Release:
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9289376058

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/politiknord2023-728/ Our Vision 2030 describes what it will take to make the Nordic Region the most sustainable and integrated region in the world. The sheer ambition makes it important to monitor progress closely. To this end, the Nordic Council of Ministers commissioned Rambøll Management Consulting to conduct baseline measurements back in 2021. The idea was to map out the starting point for work on the vision. This status report follows up on the baseline measurements and assesses progress towards realising the vision. It is based on the 45 indicators adopted by the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2021 and the methodology used for the baseline report. Overall, the 2023 status report shows that the Nordic Region remains on track to become the most sustainable and integrated region in the world. This is particularly true for the visions of a competitive Nordic Region and a socially sustainable Nordic Region. However, there is room for improvement with regard to the visions for a green Nordic Region.

Sustainable Nordic cities with focus on climate smart mobility

Sustainable Nordic cities with focus on climate smart mobility
Author: Mellin, Anna
Publisher: Nordic Council of Ministers
Total Pages: 76
Release: 2021-02-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 928936923X

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/temanord2021-505/# Sustainable Nordic cities with a focus on climate-smart mobility is one of four projects launched under the Swedish Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2018. The aim of the project is to contribute to a sustainable urban development by supporting the transition to fossil free and sustainable transportation in Nordic cities and their surround-ing regions. The project involves collaborating and exchanging experi-ences with other Nordic countries to find solutions for charging electric vehicles and creating attractive and climate-smart urban transport. This report has been compiled from some of the most interesting applicable examples found in the Nordic countries. In here we present policy recom-mendations and good examples on how to accelerate the transition to cli-mate-smart mobility and accessibility based firmly on these Nordic exchang-es of knowledge and experiences.

Policy brief: Stronger together for a climate resilient north

Policy brief: Stronger together for a climate resilient north
Author: Matthíasdóttir, Theódóra
Publisher: Nordic Council of Ministers
Total Pages: 22
Release: 2023-06-13
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9289376112

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/nord2023-017/ The 6th Nordic Conference on Climate Change Adaptation, NOCCA23, took place in Reykjavik, Iceland in April 2023. The focus of the conference was on ways to accelerate mainstreaming of adaptation at the municipal level in the Nordics. Four themes were studied: sea level rise, transboundary climate risks, nature-based solutions, and local master planning. The conference explored the current state of adaptation as well as actions implemented in the Nordic countries and the challenges, opportunities, and learnings from the implementation process. The role of different actors was discussed, and how engagement with the community is paramount to success. Finally, the role of the Nordic Council in accelerating adaptation measures within the Nordic region and beyond was discussed. The results have been summarized into a policy brief capturing the thrust of the discussion of the conference.

Sustainable Development Action – the Nordic Way

Sustainable Development Action – the Nordic Way
Author: Halonen, Mikko
Publisher: Nordic Council of Ministers
Total Pages: 175
Release: 2017-05-04
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9289349557

The 2030 Agenda, adopted by the UN General Assembly in September 2015, outlines an ambitious and universal plan of action for people, planet and prosperity as it seeks to strengthen universal peace and freedom. This report presents national and Nordic action on Agenda 2030 with the aim to inform and support the Nordic Council of Ministers in formulating a new Nordic Sustainable Development Programme. All Nordic countries are engaged and strongly committed to implementing Agenda 2030 and there is a broad societal interest in joint Nordic action. The existing Nordic Strategy for Sustainable Development and several other key initiatives within Nordic cooperation already contribute to the goals of Agenda 2030. A new Nordic Sustainable Development Programme can build upon a strong foundation and add further value to the national and international work done by the Nordic countries.

Urban Health and Wellbeing Programme

Urban Health and Wellbeing Programme
Author: Franz W. Gatzweiler
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 61
Release: 2021-02-18
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 9813360364

This book is a collection of policy briefs produced from research presented at the 16th Conference on Urban Health in Xiamen, China, November 4–8, 2019, under the theme “People Oriented Urbanisation: Transforming Cities for Health and Well-Being”, co-organized by the Urban Health and Wellbeing (UHWB) programme of the International Science Council (ISC). The UHWB programme takes an interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral and systemic view on issues of health and wellbeing in cities which include the urban economy and finance systems, education, employment, mobility and transport, food, energy and water resources, access to public services, urban planning, public spaces and urban green, as well as social inclusion. Contributions to this book have been made by scientists from multidisciplinary research fields. The policy briefs in this book present the background and context of an urban health issue, research findings and recommendations for policy/decision-makers and action-takers. In some cases, they inform about relevant events and developments from the science community or important opinion pieces which address health emergencies, like the current COVID-19 pandemic. The book is intended for citizens and political decision-makers, who are interested in systems perspectives on urban health and wellbeing, examples of how to deal with the increasing complexity of cities and the accompanying environmental and social impacts of increasing urbanization. Furthermore, it hopes to inspire decision-makers to facilitate finding solutions, in order to reach the goal of advancing global urban health and wellbeing.

Cities Designed for Winter

Cities Designed for Winter
Author: Jorma Mänty
Publisher:
Total Pages: 390
Release: 1988
Genre: Architecture and climate
ISBN:

Series of papers which describe approaches to cold climate habitability from various northern nations including examples from Canada, China, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Japan, Mongolia, Norway, Soviet Union, Sweden and the United States.

Smart Sustainable Cities Profile: Voznesensk, Ukraine

Smart Sustainable Cities Profile: Voznesensk, Ukraine
Author: Economic Commission for Europe
Publisher: United Nations
Total Pages: 51
Release: 2020-11-05
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9210046447

The purpose of this study is to analyse the city of Voznesensk by using the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Smart Sustainable Cities and support the municipality in setting priorities for action. The KPIs have been developed by the UNECE with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and 14 other UN bodies, as well as other partners in the global United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC) initiative. In 2016, the Ukrainian Ministry of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services appointed Voznesensk as their pilot city for the United Smart Cities programme and requested the UNECE to prepare a Smart Sustainable Cities Profile. The UNECE together with the United Nations Development Programme and a team of international and local experts developed this Profile for Voznesensk based on a research mission and stakeholders’ consultation which took place in Kyiv and Voznesensk in December 2017. This summary provides an overview of the city’s situation, the analysis of its economic, environmental and socio-cultural indicators and policy recommendations.

Green Infrastructure Planning

Green Infrastructure Planning
Author: Ian Mell
Publisher: Concise Guides to Planning
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2019
Genre: City planning
ISBN: 9781848222755

This useful guide provides an essential introduction to green infrastructure for planners, landscape architects, engineers and environmentalists.

U.S. Health in International Perspective

U.S. Health in International Perspective
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 421
Release: 2013-04-12
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0309264146

The United States is among the wealthiest nations in the world, but it is far from the healthiest. Although life expectancy and survival rates in the United States have improved dramatically over the past century, Americans live shorter lives and experience more injuries and illnesses than people in other high-income countries. The U.S. health disadvantage cannot be attributed solely to the adverse health status of racial or ethnic minorities or poor people: even highly advantaged Americans are in worse health than their counterparts in other, "peer" countries. In light of the new and growing evidence about the U.S. health disadvantage, the National Institutes of Health asked the National Research Council (NRC) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to convene a panel of experts to study the issue. The Panel on Understanding Cross-National Health Differences Among High-Income Countries examined whether the U.S. health disadvantage exists across the life span, considered potential explanations, and assessed the larger implications of the findings. U.S. Health in International Perspective presents detailed evidence on the issue, explores the possible explanations for the shorter and less healthy lives of Americans than those of people in comparable countries, and recommends actions by both government and nongovernment agencies and organizations to address the U.S. health disadvantage.