I n t e r n a t i o n a l N e t w o r k f o r U r b a n B i o d i v e r s i t y a n d D e s i g n T h e S c i e n t i f i c P a r t n e r o f t h e U N C B D M a j o r G r o u p ’ L o c a l A u t h o r i t i e s ’

URBIO Newsletter

Dear colleagues, Best wishes for Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2017. The Organizations Urban Biodiversity and Design (URBIO) and the International Fed-eration of Landscape Architects America Region (IFLA-Americas) held a joint convention dur-ing 25th to 27th October, 2016 in Panama City, Panama at the City of Knowledge The congress‟ theme —From Cities to Landscape: Design for Health and Biodiversity—reflects the global need to reconceive how we build communities that benefit both people and the environment. As the world becomes increasingly urbanized, we cannot repeat the mistakes of past. Rather, we require a new paradigm that integrates social and environmental needs, that uses existing and fresh knowledge, mixing sectors and disciplines, to design human settlements in concert with nature. We had participation from around 300 scientists and Practitioners from more than 20 countries who discussed the challenges for the cities and design of cities for liveability. The conference was inau-gurated by the Mayor José Isabel Blandón and he gave a talk on Action Plan: Metropolitan Pana-ma: Sustainable, Human and Global. The conference had in addition 12 keynote speakers and sev-eral parallel sessions of presentations. The conference had the following key note speakers and key note titles: Risk Management as an added value to the landscape Action Plan: Metropolitan Panama: Sustainable, Human and Global - Raisa Banfield; Reaching the Heart - How to make relevant Urban Biodiversity - Jorge Ventocilla; Designing cities that love nature: The promise and potential of the global Biophilic Cities move - Tim Beatley; Theory and Practice: Inside Sao Paulo‟s seams - Anna Dietzch; Ecological Urbanism in Practice - Gareth Doherty; Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services and Human Health - In-sights from raw HABITAT III Conference - Thomas Elmqvist; Design for Blue and Green Infrastruc-ture - Towards an Ecological Urbanism - Nina Marie Lister; Landscape architect as „mediator‟ in the design of sustainable Middle Eastern cities: Integrating environment health, social betterment, and heritage conservation - Jala Makhzoumi; Urban and Nature, Towards a siamese symbiotic - Hitesh Mehta; Legibility is a critical lever for achieving urban and global biodiversity imperatives - Collin Meurk; Meaningful steps towards urban green infrastructure agenda - Claudia Oñate Pechini Urban Parks: Creating Vibrant and Healthy Cities for All - Gil (Guillermo) Peñalosa. The Panama Declaration was adopted by the delegates on the last conference day. This was presented at the Global Biodiversity Summit during CBD-COP13 at Mexico on 10th December at Cancun, Mexico. See page 3 the Panama city declaration (which is also available on the URBIO website). We express our heartfelt thanks to Dr. David Maddox (URBIO, Vice President), who has co-organized this with IFLA (President, Raquel Penalosa) with the support of steering committee members from URBIO (President, Ian McGreggor, Maria Ignatieva and Mark Hosteller) and IFLA for making such a wonderful conference happen! Also, we want to thank all participants for interesting presentations and posters, as well as lively discussions and inspiring conversations! We profusely thank ICLEI and CBD for their continued support for us.

-Haripriya Gundimeda

YEAR 2016, I SSUE 39

DECEMBER 15 TH, 2016

URBIO Newsletter is a quarterly publica-tion of the URBIO Network. The next issue of URBIO Newsletter will be dis-tributed in March 2017. Contributions c a n b e s e n t t o m e m -bers@urbionetwork.org by 15th January 2017.

URBIO Highlights

URBIO at Global Biodiversity Summit The Quintana Roo Commu-nique on Mainstreaming local and and subnational Biodiversi-ty Action 2016, had the follow-ing paragraph recognizing our efforts — “We commend the The Panama City Declaration adopted by URBIO and IFLA at their joint conference of the Urban Biodiversity and Design Network (URBIO) and the Inter-national Federation of Land-scape Architects of the Ameri-cas Region (IFLA-AR) following a joint conference ‘From Cities to Landscape: Design for Health & Biodiversity’ held in Panama City, Panama, from 25 to 27 October 2016, and which emphasizes the essential focus for urban landscape design on urban health and biodiversity for resilient and sustainable cities”.

Page 2 Year 2016, Issue 39

Results of the URBIO Advisory Board meeting during the 5th URBIO conference in

Panama

At the meeting we discussed the need for a relook at the way the network is currently being organized and for making this network sustainable, decided to initiate the action towards form-ing a registered society driven by nominal membership fees. The members would get a discount in the biennial conferences organized along with other benefits which would be announced soon in the next news letter. The modalities are being worked out and would be informed soon.

Global Round Table Habitat III is finally a reali-ty. From your perspective, what would be the single most important tangible outcome (not output) of the event—short or long term—and what will it take to achieve this outcome? In this roundtable, we want to focus the hope—for outcomes of Habitat III, as opposed to its outputs. Many, or even most, of the agenda‟s outcomes won‟t be known or evaluated for years. So, we‟ve asked a group to project what they think the most important one is. As one might expect, the responses are diverse. Justice, equity, and housing are mentioned often. Better governance and increased capacity are key. Several of our contributors discuss the need for integrating the ur-ban-rural gradient into a landscape concept that avoids false and unhelpful dichotomies. (http://www.thenatureofcities.com/2016/10/11/habitat- i i i - is-f inal ly -a-real i ty - from-your-perspective-what-would-be-the-single-most-important-tangible-outcome-not-output-of-the-event-short-or-long-term-and-what-will-it-take-to/)

News IFLA(AR) - URBIO Conference 2016

Some memorable conference moments.

Page 3 URBIO Newsletter

The Panama City Declaration

The Panama City Declaration URBIO and IFLA 2016, Panama City, October 27 2016

Preamble: This declaration was submitted during the joint conference of the Urban Biodiversity and Design Network (URBIO) and the Inter-

national Federation of Landscape Architects of the Americas Region (IFLA-AR) following a joint conference held in Panama City,

Panama, from 25 to 27 October 2016. The conference, „From Cities to Landscape: Design for Health & Biodiversity‟, sought to

grow our collective understanding of the critical role of biodiversity, the Landscape Approach, and associated ecosystem health

and services underpinning human health in our cities. The conference activated essential interdisciplinary collaboration and ad-

vanced research and practices to better plan, design and manage our urban landscapes for improved liveability and health. This

meeting was intended to foster conversation around design and science for better cities that are sustainable, resilient, livable, and

just. We salute and commend the vision and engagement shared by Mayor José I. Blandón and Deputy Mayor Raisa Banfield, on

their contemporary vision for an integrated city with its landscape, biodiversity and human health.

Given that:

Existing and growing scientific evidence points to the critical role of urban biodiversity in underpinning health. Human health is

fundamentally dependent on ecosystem health and as such underpins the well-being of society. Urban landscape design must re-

flect this essential relationship. Therefore, biodiversity and ecosystem health must be central considerations in urban planning and

landscape design in order to meet Aichi targets.

We therefore recognize and assert that urban landscape design for resilient and sustainable cities must focus on urban health

together with biodiversity.

This means:

We will be guided by the Habitat III New Urban Agenda and the Landscape Architecture Foundation‟s New Landscape Decla-

ration towards achieving the CBD “Plan of Action” and achieving the Aichi targets. We will continue to collaborate ac-

tively with ICLEI to stimulate research that meets the needs of local authorities.

We pledge to contribute to the transformation of public policy, to innovation in design strategies, to activation of associated

research agendas, and to share knowledge and experience relevant to Local Bio-Diversity Strategy and Action Plans

(LBSAPs).

Recognizing the essential link between biodiversity and human health, we pledge to advocate for policies that shift the focus

of responsibility from ecosystems, and rather to the management of human activities.

We pledge to actively support the generation, co-creation and mobilization of trans disciplinary knowledge--from science to

policy to design--that is urgently needed to address complex urban issues. In this we will work specifically, proactively

and collaboratively to generate evidence-based knowledge to inform and transform policy development to effectively

meet the SDGs.

In light of fruitful and successful engagement in this conference, we will seek out, support, and collaborate with local, national

and international networks that share our vision and mission.

We pledge to establish practical methods to incorporate and empower diverse peoples‟ engagement and collaboration in de-

signing with/in urban nature.

A Shared Vision:

The URBIO and IFLA collectively share as a joint vision the declaration of concern as presented in the Landscape Architecture

Foundation‟s New Landscape Declaration where it states, „The urgent challenge before us is to redesign our communities in the

context of their bioregional landscapes enabling them to adapt to climate change and mitigate its root causes. As scientists,

designers and planners versed in both environmental and cultural systems, we are uniquely positioned to bring related professions

together into new alliances to address complex social and ecological problems. We bring different and often competing interests

together so as to give artistic physical form and integrated function to the ideals of equity, sustainability, resiliency and

democracy.‟

(see: https:// lafoundation.org/news-events/2016-summit/new-landscape-declaration)

URBIO Headquarter IIT Bombay, Powai,

Mumbai - 400 076, India.

Prof. Dr. Haripriya Gundimeda

Tel: 022-2576-7382/7350 Fax: 91-22-2572-3480

president@urbionetwork.org

www.urbionetwork.org

Articles

The URBIO network (URban BIOdiversity and Design) is an open worldwide scientific network for education and research to promote the implementation of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in urban areas. Within the CBD programmes, URBIO is scientific advisor for the Major Group "Local Authorities" and partner of the "Global Partnership on Local and Subnational Action for Biodiversity". Currently the Network has 1121 mem-

bers from 62 countries (November 2014). To foster the scientific exchange between researchers, practitioners and stakeholders the network organizes international scientific conferences and workshops as side events to CBD-COP meetings, maintains a website, distributes a quar-terly newsletter to the network members and collaborates with various international networks. Since 2008 the URBIO network has held five conferences: URBIO2008 during May 2008 in Erfurt/Germany, URBIO2010 during May 2010 in Nagoya/Japan, URBIO2012 during October 2012 in Mumbai/India, URBIO2014 in October 2014 in Incheon/Korea and IFLA AR-URBIO 2016 Conference in October 2016 in Panama.

[URBIO Network Newsletter Editorial team: Prof. Dr. Haripriya Gundimeda and Nitin A. Lokhande]

About Us

90 books about cities that everyone should read We have assembled a list of 90 must-reads on cities from a diverse group of TNOC contributors—a nature of cities reader's digest. The recommendations are as wide ranging as the TNOC commu-nity, from many points of view and from around the world. They are a reflection of the breadth of thought that cities need. But it turns out to be difficult to recommend the one thing everyone should read on cities, and what we have created here is a remarkable and diverse reading list for the na-ture of cities. The list below could serve as a wonderful reading list for courses or a focus for dis-cussion at gatherings. The recommendations come in two forms, starting with a simple list. This is followed by the brief explanation from each of the contributors on why the book is important. (https://www.thenatureofcities.com/2016/12/14/read-this-from-your-world-view-andperspective-what-is-the-one-book-about-or-relevant-to-cities-that-everyone-should-readwhy/) Policy matters : from solutions to resolutions : a new social compact for just and effective conservation of biodiversity The IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP) has been at the forefront of advocating for a more de-centralized and localized participatory approach to conserva-tion taking the view that better conservation outcomes can be achieved when the peoples and communities who interact with species and nature are directly involved in all aspects of decision-making, management and governance. The notion of a new social compact comes from this per-spective acknowledging that in order to achieve a new conservation ethic requires groups, organi-zations and different levels of government to work collaboratively together. (https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/Policy%20Matters-Issue%2020.pdf) UN Biodiversity Conference results in significant commitments for action on biodiversity Agree-ments reached on actions to integrate biodiversity in forestry, fisheries, agriculture, and tourism sectors and to achieve the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development · Pledges and commitments in support of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity made by Business; Cities and Subnational Authorities, IPLCs and Youth; · Capacity-building strategy agreed for the Convention and its Protocols; · Protected areas on the land and in the oceans and seas, expanding considerably, with Mexico increasing marine protection to 23 per cent; · Marine agenda advances with work on marine debris, underwater noise and spatial planning; · Decisions made on Climate-related Geo-engineering, synthetic biology and others. (https://www.cbd.int/doc/press/2016/pr-2016-12-18-un-bidov-conf-en.pdf)

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