+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Dear Sir/Madam, Please find below the forth issue of the Urban Observer 2003. ============================================== T H E U R B A N O B S E R V E R ============================================== 4th Edition 2003 The Global Urban Observatory's Newsletter Apologies for cross-postings ============================================== IN THIS ISSUE ============================================== - Welcome to the Urban Observer - GUO cooperation with Metropolis - "1000 Cities GIS Programme" Update - New GUOnet member: Vladivostok - UN-HABITAT's new global slum estimates - Webshots - New GUO Publications - New recipient to the Urban Observer? - Our Contacts ============================================== Welcome to the URBAN OBSERVER ============================================== The Urban Observer is a quarterly newsletter published by the Global Urban Observatory Section (GUO) of the Monitoring Systems Branch, United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT). It provides information about the Global Urban Observatory network and constitutes a platform for exchanging experiences and lessons learned from urban observatories around the world. ======================================================== GUO cooperation with Metropolis: Performance Measurement ======================================================== GUO cooperates with Metropolis, a worldwide network of metropolitan cities, on performance measurement and indicator development. Metropolis has specifically set up Commission V for that purpose. Commission V members and several guest cities met in September 2003 for a training workshop on Metropolitan Performance Measurement held by GUO. The participants expressed a high demand for technical support from UN-HABITAT in the field of performance monitoring, and appointed GUO as the focal point for Commission V. Over half of the participants were interested in establishing an Urban Observatory in their city. GUO is looking forward to continue this promising collaboration. See http://www.metropolis.org/ http://www.developmentgateway.org/node/350139/ for more information on Metropolis and Commission V. =================================== "1000 Cities GIS Programme" Update =================================== So far, over 130 institutions in developing and transitional countries have applied for a GIS software grant under the 1000 Cities GIS Programme. GUO approved already about half of them, and ESRI, the cooperating partner, sent out the first software packages for four cities in Somalia. New applications are welcome. Go to http://www.unhabitat.org/guonet/gis.asp for more information on the programme. UN-HABITAT co-hosts with the Association of Local Government Authorities a workshop on GIS and Local Authorities in Kenya on 19 November 2003, the World GIS Day, in Nairobi. GIS is still not in widespread use in Kenyan cities but many of them are catching up fast and have applied for a UN-HABITAT GIS software grant. ============================================== New GUONet member: Vladivostok ============================================== The GUONetwork welcomes a new member: the Far Eastern State Academy of Economics and Management in Vladivostok has agreed to host an Urban Observatory for the city of Valdivostok in collaboration with various partners including the city council. ============================================== UN-HABITAT's new global slum estimates ============================================== Today, nearly 3 billion people, nearly half the world's population, live in cities. One third of them are slum dwellers. In the developing world, even 40% of the urban population lives in slums or informal settlements. If trends continue, urban slums will double within the next 20 years, accounting for almost 2 billion people by 2020. (see also new publications) ============================================== New Publications on Slums ============================================== The Global Urban Observatory has published a new book on slums: UN-HABITAT (2003): Slums of the World: The face of urban poverty in the new millennium? The book contains UN-HABITAT's slum estimates by country and region and explores regional variations. The text is richly illustrated with colour maps and graphs. To get your copy write to unhabitat@unhabitat.org or download the file at http://www.unhabitat.org/programmes/guo/publications.asp . The new "Global Report on Human Settlements 2003: The Challenge of Slums" is out! The report is packed with case studies and figures on our rapidly urbanizing world. Go to http://www.unhabitat.org/register/shop.asp for more information. ============================================== Webshots: ============================================== The UN Statistics Division announces that the official list of MDG goals, targets and indicators, and some supporting information, is now available in French and Spanish at our Web site http://millenniumindicators.un.org. ============================================== New recipient to the Urban Observer? ============================================== This issue has been sent to a number of new recipients, including all persons or institutions that have shown interest in the Global Urban Observatory, recently or in the past, and are on email. If you feel that the Urban Observer should be sent to an email address different from the one we are using now, or you want a friend or colleague to receive the Urban Observer, please, let us know. ============================================== OUR CONTACTS ============================================== Global Urban Observatory Monitoring Systems Branch, UN-HABITAT P.O. Box 30030 - Nairobi 00100 - Kenya Tel: 254-20-623119 !!! New Prefix for Nairobi !!! Fax: 254-20-623080 Websites: www.unhabitat.org/guo www.unhabitat.org/guonet Email: guo@unhabitat.org