The Stockholm Partnerships for Sustainable Cities Conference, Exhibition & Award Programme

5-8 June 2002 Kulturhuset, Stockholm, Sweden

Invitation to Showcase Urban Sustainable Solutions
The Stockholm Partnerships for Sustainable Cities hereby extends a worldwide invitation to other cities, national and international corporations and organisations, and all other stakeholders to an award programme for pioneering urban sustainability projects.

On 5-8 June 2002 The Stockholm Partnerships for Sustainable Cities will host an international exhibition, conference and award programme at Kulturhuset in Stockholm, Sweden. The three-day gathering will showcase leading-edge work in urban sustainability from around the world, identifying innovative and replicable examples that can move communities away from health-threatening urban congestion towards improved living conditions and creative environments.

You are cordially invited to attend this event and to submit examples of best practice in urban sustainable solutions for display at the exhibition. Fifty entries will be selected for exhibition and these will be automatically entered for the award programme. Prizes will be awarded to winning projects in ten categories.

International delegates who attend will represent all possible stakeholder groups. They will analyse and discuss pre-selected competitive, sustainable urban solutions from many parts of the globe, ranging from countries in the developing world and those in economic transition to industrialised nations. Field trips will be arranged from Stockholm to relevant points in the surrounding region.

Understanding Urban Sustainable Solutions Better
The Stockholm Partnerships for Sustainable Cities - set up and funded by the City of Stockholm - is a catalyst for promoting innovative, inspiring and sustainable solutions to modern urban issues and problems. Its mission is to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and applied technology from groundbreaking urban sustainability projects. These will emanate from national and local governments, industry, NGOs, academia, media, finance institutions, international organisations, individuals, etc. The backbone of The Stockholm Partnerships is a conviction that many creative solutions to common problems of cities already exist. However, we know much too little about them and how successes can be replicated.

The Stockholm Partnerships for Sustainable Cities focuses on the positive effects of modern technology, creative urban management responses and community-based proactive initiatives. It seeks to highlight existing solutions for urban sustainability by providing a platform for demonstration and inspiration. The initiative supports networking aimed at creating a better understanding of sustainable initiatives across borders, cultures and economies.

Linking History with the Future
The Stockholm Partnerships for Sustainable Cities will be an important event in linking history with the future. It coincides with World Environment Day, held every year on 5 June. World Environment Day was inaugurated at the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, which also took place in Stockholm. The Stockholm Partnerships for Sustainable Cities event will mark the 30th anniversary of that milestone conference. At the same time, Stockholm will be celebrating its 750th anniversary as an established city.

The 1992 Earth Summit in Rio adopted the comprehensive action programme known as Agenda 21, which is a leading instrument for local, regional, national and international development. The chapter on local authorities has, in particular, inspired the formulation of thousands of LA21s worldwide.

A few months after the event in Stockholm, the World Summit on Sustainable Development will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa. This gathering will be an important forum for building on what is achieved in Stockholm.

A number of prominent international organisations and corporations, including UNCHS (Habitat), Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) and Global Cities Dialogue, have expressed strong interest in participating in The Stockholm Partnerships for Sustainable Cities and making it a milestone event.

Fifty Projects Eligible for Display
The programme aims to gather detailed information on the most inspiring and concrete projects in the field of urban sustainability. A total of 50 projects will be selected for inclusion in the exhibition in Stockholm and a virtual exhibition to be shown on the internet. These projects will form the basis for the conference agenda. The project submission deadline is Friday 18 January 2002. Early entries are reaching the Secretariat, so you are encouraged to act as soon as possible.

Entry forms are available electronically at the programme website, www.partnerships.stockholm.se. Hard copies can be requested from the Secretariat at City of Stockholm Economic Development Agency, S-105 35 Stockholm, Sweden or by fax +46 8 508 28 030.

The project categories are:

  1. Mobility.
  2. Housing.
  3. Work, production and economy.
  4. Energy.
  5. Solid waste.
  6. Water.
  7. Nature, culture and recreation.
  8. Local Agenda 21.
  9. Urban regeneration and land-use conversion.
  10. The little citizen.

More details of these are available at our website.

Conference Details
Projects selected for the exhibition and two associated experts may participate free of charge at the exhibition and in the meetings. Individual projects must, however, cover the costs of preparation and transportation of exhibits and all costs associated with travel to and from Stockholm, as well as all expenses incurred during each participant's stay in the city.

All organisations/companies that submit proposals for the award programme are responsible for the conceptualisation and finalisation of the relevant exhibits. Some prospective participants may therefore wish to look for financial support. It should be stressed that it is not the Secretariat's responsibility to identify and establish such contacts.

Shorter study tours will be arranged in close association with relevant topics profiled at the event. These visits will be free of charge but pre-registration is required. Schedules will be made available shortly.

Continuously updated information about the event and participation is available at www.partnerships.stockholm.se.

Sincerely yours,
Barbara Evaeus
Project Advisor
Tel/Fax: +46 8 760 9330
Mobile: +46 70 393 9030
e-mail: barbara@evaeus.se