On 6 October 2020, the 1st ever Forum of Mayors took place in Geneva. City leaders from the UNECE region gathered at the multilateral level to share concrete ways to tackle the main challenges they face.
This unprecedented meeting culminated with the endorsement of the Geneva Declaration of Mayors, in which Mayors committed to strengthen the resilience of their cities, make them greener, ensure sustainable urban transport and affordable housing for all, as well as to make their cities more equitable and inclusive.
Cities have since led many projects to meet these objectives. This page displays a few of the good urban practices that municipalities have implemented in relation with the Geneva Declaration of Mayors.
We, the mayors of the UNECE region, are willing to use the existing tools, and our influence and channels to turn these aspirations into reality. We consider the UNECE as a connector and enabler, and the Forum of Mayors as a platform for:
• On-going exchange and mutual learning: We will share successful local solutions and action plans with our peers to facilitate mutual learning and to support each other in making progress.
• Spreading the word: We will act as promoters and champions of this Declaration and publicly commit to it, e.g. by translating and publishing it on our communication channels. We will consult with stakeholders regarding our action plans, and create local partnerships for their implementation. We will actively encourage fellow mayors to become champions for this Declaration.
• Multiplier effect: We will act as multipliers and join urban networks and initiatives, including the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy, in order to develop and subscribe to concrete, ambitious commitments for our cities.
• Tracking progress: We commit to tracking the progress on the commitments, respond to the UNECE’s progress survey, and present results of progress at next year’s Forum of Mayors.
GENEVA DECLARATION OF MAYORS
Mayors from the UNECE region and beyond came to Geneva to present the projects they had undertakes in their city to implement the Geneva Declaration of Mayors. Discover their speeches here.
Mayor Іgor Terekhov presented projects to rebuild the city of Kharkiv in Ukraine.
Deputy Mayor Abdallah Boulghmair presented projects from the city of Agadir in Morocco during the session on Sustainable urban planning, the 15-minute city and smart urban development solutions.
Deputy Mayor Vesna Baltina presented projects from the city of Burgas in Bulgaria during the session on Sustainable urban planning, the 15-minute city and smart urban development solutions.
Mayor Dário Saadi presented projects from the city of Campinas in Brazil during the session on Sustainable urban planning, the 15-minute city and smart urban development solutions.
Mayor Gabriel Pleșa presented projects from the city of Alba Iulia in Romania during the session on Sustainable urban planning, the 15-minute city and smart urban development solutions.
Mayor Pekka Timonen presented projects from the city of Lahti in Finland during the session on Sustainable urban planning, the 15-minute city and smart urban development solutions.
Mayor Ivan Vukovic presented projects from the city of Podgorica in Montenegro during the session on Sustainable urban planning, the 15-minute city and smart urban development solutions.
Mayor Matjaž Rakovec presented projects from the city of Kranj in Slovenia during the session on Sustainable urban planning, the 15-minute city and smart urban development solutions.
First President of the Parliament Ernst Woller presented projects from the city of Vienna in Austria during the session on Sustainable urban planning, the 15-minute city and smart urban development solutions.
Mayor Dagur Bergþóruson Eggertsson presented projects from the city of Reykjavik in Iceland during the session on Sustainable urban planning, the 15-minute city and smart urban development solutions.
Mayor Alec von Graffenried presented projects from the city of Bern in Switzerland during the session on Sustainable urban planning, the 15-minute city and smart urban development solutions.
Deputy Mayor Lenka Antalova Plavuchova presented projects from the city of Bratislava in Slovakia during the session on Resilient, healthy and climate-neutral buildings and affordable and adequate housing.
Mayor Marcin Krupa presented projects from the city of Katowice in Poland during the session on Resilient, healthy and climate-neutral buildings and affordable and adequate housing.
Mayor Manfred Bischof presented projects from the city of Vaduz in Liechtenstein during the session on Resilient, healthy and climate-neutral buildings and affordable and adequate housing.
Mayor Marvin Rees presented projects from the city of Bristol in the United Kingdom during the session on Resilient, healthy and climate-neutral buildings and affordable and adequate housing.
Vice Mayor Viktoriia Mozgacheva presented projects from the city of Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan during the session on Resilient, healthy and climate-neutral buildings and affordable and adequate housing.
Deputy Lord Mayor Mick Finn presented projects from the city of Cork in Ireland during the session on Resilient, healthy and climate-neutral buildings and affordable and adequate housing.
Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis presented projects from the city of Athens in Greece during the session on Resilient, healthy and climate-neutral buildings and affordable and adequate housing.
Mayor Michelle Wu presented projects from the city of Boston in the United States during the session on Sustainable urban transport, shared mobility and safer roads.
Mayor Mahadi Che Ngah presented projects from the city of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia during the session on Sustainable urban transport, shared mobility and safer roads.
Mayor Yvonne Denise Aki-Sawyerr presented projects from the city of Freetown in Sierra Leone during the session on Sustainable urban transport, shared mobility and safer roads.
Mayor Fatma Şahin presented projects from the city of Gaziantep in Türkiye during the session on Sustainable urban transport, shared mobility and safer roads.
Municipal climate emergency strategy
The City of Geneva is currently developing a roadmap for its « Stratégie municipale d’urgence climatique ».
This case study was shared by Ms. Julie Perrenoud, Project officer, Agenda 21 – Ville durable, Geneva, Switzerland
Chief Executive Morten Wolden presented projects from the city of Trondheim in Norway during the session on Sustainable urban transport, shared mobility and safer roads.
Installation of early alerts to avoid disasters in Toro
The city of Toro is crossed by two rivers and the population lives on their banks. With these early alerts, a tragedy can be avoided, since a torrential avenue caused by landslides can cause deaths and destroy infrastructure.
This story was shared by Mr. Roberto Bolanos, Coordinator, Risk Management, City of Toro.Tel: +57.310.890.34.56
Captain of the Castle Tomaso Rossini presented projects from the city of San Marino in San Marino during the session on Sustainable urban transport, shared mobility and safer roads.
Drones come to the rescue on Gandia beaches
The City of Gandia launched a pilot project using drones to help swimmers who might be in distress and drowning. The name of the initiative, ‘Stop drownings’, speaks to the ambition of the local authorities to make their beaches completely safe for people enjoying their holidays.
Read the full article by Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov on TheMayor.EU.
Mayor Sharon Dijksma presented projects from the city of Utrecht in the Netherlands during the session on Sustainable urban transport, shared mobility and safer roads.
Rotterdam with preferential loans for young homebuyers
In a continuous effort to ensure affordable housing for its residents, the Municipality of Rotterdam is offering its youngsters the possibility to get preferential housing loans.
Read the full article by Aseniya Dimitrova on TheMayor.EU.
Mayor Andria Basilaia presented projects from the city of Tbilisi in in Georgia during the session on Sustainable urban transport, shared mobility and safer roads.
#ChangeonsLesRègles
As part of the public policies put in place in connection with the Sustainable Development Goals, the city of Evian launched a project to provision of free sanitary protection for all Evian women.
This case study was shared by Ms. Aurore Dupays, directrice du Centre Communal d’Action Sociale (CCAS), Evian, France
Mayor Hrachya Sargsyan presented projects from the city of Yerevan in Armenia during the session on Sustainable urban transport, shared mobility and safer roads.
Mayor Amir Kochavi presented projects from the city of Hod Hasharon in Israel during the session on Vibrant public spaces, green cities and nature-based solutions.
Low Emissions Zone is making Brussels a healthier city
Researchers link the zones to sustained improvements in the air quality, especially when it comes to pollutants like nitrogen, soot and fine dust particles, detrimental to physical and mental health. Furthermore, the zones prove an effective tool for reshaping the car habits of private citizens, promoting the usage of more efficient vehicles.
Read the full article by Denis Balgaranov on TheMayor.EU.
Mayor Eric Piolle presented projects from the city of Grenoble in France during the session on Vibrant public spaces, green cities and nature-based solutions.
Mayor Andreas Vyras presented projects from the city of Larnaca in Cyprus during the session on Vibrant public spaces, green cities and nature-based solutions.
How Atlanta built trust with immigrant leaders, community navigators through a pandemic
As the U.S. continues to recover from some of the worst parts of the pandemic, Welcoming Network members worked in communities to make the recovery process as inclusive as possible.
Read the full article by Steve Tobocman on Welcoming America.
Mayor Lisa Helps presented projects from the city of Victoria in Canada during the session on Vibrant public spaces, green cities and nature-based solutions.
Sharing Cities
Sharing Cities is a EU-funded project aiming to create smart districts in 3 “lighthouse cities” (London, Lisbon, Milan).
This case study was shared by Ms. Vittoria Beria, Director, International Relations dept., Mayor’s Office, City of Milan.
Mayor László Papp presented projects from the city of Debrecen in Hungary during the session on Vibrant public spaces, green cities and nature-based solutions.
Vienna pushing for fairer police force with cadets from migrant backgrounds
Vienna launched a new campaign called ‘Vienna wants you!’ with the aim of recruiting people from a migrant background to the city’s police department.
Read the full article by Denis Balgaranov on TheMayor.EU.
Mayor Peter Danielsson presented projects from the city of Helsingborg in Sweden during the session on Vibrant public spaces, green cities and nature-based solutions.
Civil Defense takes a first aid course for communities
The initiative aims to train volunteers to provide first aid in emergency situations and provide basic support until help arrives in the communities.
This case study was shared by Mr. Gil Kempers, Municipal Secretary for Civil Defense in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil..
Mayor Alexandru Ambros presented projects from the city of Ungheni in the Republic of Moldova during the session on Vibrant public spaces, green cities and nature-based solutions.
Denmark’s first playground built from plastic waste opens in Randers
The Danish Municipality of Randers unveiled Denmark’s first playground built from plastic waste, the “The Circular Playground” project. As its name suggests, “The Circular Playground” sought inspiration from the principles of circular economies.
Read the full article by Svilena Iotkovska on TheMayor.EU.
Lord Mayor Katja Dörner presented projects from the city of Bonn in Germany during the session on Vibrant public spaces, green cities and nature-based solutions.
Paris caps speed at 30 km per hour
Paris is limiting street traffic speed to 30 kilometres per hour. The motive behind the change is to reduce the number of road accidents and decrease the levels of noise pollution in the French capital.
Read the full article by Aseniya Dimitrova on TheMayor.EU.
Vice Mayor Begoña Villacís Sánchez presented projects from the city of Madrid in Spain during the session on Vibrant public spaces, green cities and nature-based solutions.
What are the citizens’ main worries?
To address the issues that matter to the residents of Bishkek, the Mayor’s Office of Bishkek is in constant and operational communication with them.
Read the full article on the Official website of Bishkek.
Mayor Vitor Manuel Gonçalves Aleixo presented projects from the city of Loulé in Portugal during the session on Vibrant public spaces, green cities and nature-based solutions.
Making the night safer for women and children in Madrid Region
Arganda del Rey, a municipality in the southern periphery of Madrid, joined the ‘Parada a demanda’ (Bus stop on demand) service programme.
Read the full article by Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov on TheMayor.EU.
Mayor Kiril Pecakov presented projects from the city of Ohrid in North Macedonia during the session on Vibrant public spaces, green cities and nature-based solutions.
New social housing programme in Ruse aims to break cycle of poverty
The Bulgarian city of Ruse launched its social housing programme. Access to housing comes with an aid programme combining financial and educational support, with the whole project aiming to help the homeless, minority groups and underage mothers.
Read the full article by Denis Balgaranov on TheMayor.EU.
Mayor Remigijus Šimašius presented projects from the city of Vilnius in Lithuania during the session on Vibrant public spaces, green cities and nature-based solutions.
Nice studies smokers’ behaviour to protect beaches from cigarette butts
To address the issue of smokers who dispose of cigarette butts incorrectly and preserve the cleanliness of its beaches, authorities will try to learn more about smokers who visit local beaches and try to adapt to their needs.
Read the full article by Aseniya Dimitrova on TheMayor.EU.
Mayor Mārtiņš Staķis presented projects from the city of Riga in Latvia during the session on Vibrant public spaces, green cities and nature-based solutions.
Liberec will strengthen its flood warning system
Strengthening the warning and information system in the city will warn the Integrated Rescue System (IRS) and the public if they are faced with threats such as floods.
Read the full article by Svilena Iotkovska on TheMayorEU.
Mayor Eugenio Di Sciascio presented projects from the city of Bari in Italy during the session on Vibrant public spaces, green cities and nature-based solutions.
Bialystok – Become a Hero in your city
Offering locals money to come up with great ideas that meet their needs may sound like an easy win, but it’s not as simple as it sounds. Over several editions, Bialystok has fine-tuned a process that opens the door for anyone to, as they put it ‘Become a hero in your city’.
Read the full article by Anthony Colclough on Eurocities.
Mayor Mihhail Kõlvart presented projects from the city of Tallinn in Estonia during the session on Vibrant public spaces, green cities and nature-based solutions.
Inventing cool in the heatwave
In the years to come, climate change is going to become an increasingly pressing challenge for cities. Urban settings are on average 5°C hotter than their surroundings. This “urban island effect” poses a threat to populations during heatwaves. Fortunately, cities can act quickly to protect their residents.
Read the full article by Wilma Dragonetti on Eurocities.
Mayor Mathias De Clercq presented projects from the city of Ghent in Belgium during the session on Vibrant public spaces, green cities and nature-based solutions.
In Vienna, more plants make the city cooler
Vienna is fighting global warming by promoting a greening initiative for facades, roof and courtyard installations. As such, the city offers funding and advice to anyone interested in greening their buildings with vegetation.
Read the full article by Denis Balgaranov on TheMayor.EU.
Mayor Erion Veliaj presented projects from the city of Tirana in Albania during the session on Vibrant public spaces, green cities and nature-based solutions.
Vancouver offers leisure discounts to boost public transit use
“This summer’s campaign is the first of our efforts to encourage our customers to rediscover their transit system — it’s affordable, it’s convenient and it will connect you and your family and friends to everywhere you might want to visit in our region.”
Read the full article by Christopher Carey on Cities Today (subscription required).
Mayor Elizabeth Naa Kwatsoe Tawiah Sackey presented projects from the city of Accra in Ghana during the session on Vibrant public spaces, green cities and nature-based solutions.
A solar sheep farm in Vienna
Read the full article by Denis Balgaranov on TheMayor.EU.