The World Choir Games 2022 are being held in Gangneung, Korea. Prof. Hak-Won Yoon, one of the grand masters of Korean choir music, is working hard to host a successful event.
Conductor Prof. Hak-Won Yoon, often called the godfather of the Korean choral world, has left a great mark on the music world. In particular, he is famous for his contribution to the birth and revival of the Korean choral scene.
Further, he is known and highly appreciated internationally for his efforts to introduce Korean choir music to the world. New original compositions, but also “Korean Style” arrangements, were always a hallmark of his work.
High expectations for the World Choir Games 2022 in Korea
In 2022 the 12th World Choir Games – the largest international choir competition in the world held every two years on different continents – will take place in Yoon’s home country again: the city of Gangneung in the Gangwon Province will welcome amateur choristers from all around the world on July 4-14, 2022. In an interview with the Korean edition of “Choir & Organ” magazine published in the edition of July 2021, the maestro recently expressed his expectation for the Games and the meaning of holding the event in Korea for the second time after 20 years:
“The World Choir Games, a representative choral event hosted by INTERKULTUR, is a festival full of fun and with a high level of perfection, so that once you participate, you will fall in love with its charm and want to continue participating. In addition, the fair evaluation system established by INTERKULTUR for the contest, which accumulate into the foundation for fair competition along with the know-how accumulated over their 30-year history are also great advantages.
“The anticipation for the 12th World Choir Game to be held in Gangneung in 2022, 20 years after it was held in Busan, is very high. As a choir person, having the World Choir Games in Korea again is very meaningful and I have high expectations. I hope that this event will be an opportunity for another choral boom in Korea. The World Choir Games have enough elements to entertain the public. It’s not just a stage event, it’s a large-scale choral festival including a huge street parade in folk costumes. I hope that these merits will become widely known, and many choirs will participate and look forward to participating in the world-class choral festival in Gangneung for ten days.”
Working with a choral legend: Prof. Hak-Won Yoon’s cooperation with INTERKULTUR
Based on the spirit of the World Choir Games, ‘Singing together brings nations together’ Prof. Hak-Won Yoon has built a deep and long-term friendship with INTERKULTUR, the German-based organizer of the World Choir Games, and has supported its various activities at international choral events over the last decades:
“INTERKULTUR is the most powerful organization in the world to host international choral festivals. I think President Günter Titsch and INTERKULTUR have made a huge contribution to the choral world by successfully hosting a novel event with the World Choir Games. International choral festivals very greatly depend on who has organized them. There are many international choral festivals, but INTERKULTUR is unique in having a global organization. I participated several times and felt that the organization was good, and I also participated as a juror, and it was impressive to see a variety of different organizations participating.”
Honoring his work for the international choral world and his commitment to INTERKULTUR events, Prof. Hak-Won Yoon was even appointed Honorary Artistic President of INTERKULTUR, the World Choir Games and the World Choir Council in 2020. Until today Yoon supports and promotes the idea of INTERKULTUR and their mission of bringing people together through music. Events like the World Choir Games are important to promote choral singing as a whole – including all its artistic, entertaining, social and healthy aspects, which Yoon also summarizes in his most recent interview with Choir & Organ:
“Chorus is the basis of music. Chorus is something you do with someone other than yourself. If you want to be together, you naturally develop social skills because you think about other people and consider whether the balance is right. The best activity to develop character is choral singing.”
The World Choir Games go around the world, every two years in different cities on different continents, with the aim to spreading its message of peace and mutual understanding through choral singing to every choir and every singer in the world.
If you’re interested in hosting the event in your own city, please visit worldofchoirs.com
Category: City Development
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“This event will be an opportunity for another choral boom in Korea”
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Urbanisation is a ‘dizzying’ global challenge – Le Havre Mayor
The pace of urbanisation, especially in China, is a “sensitive and significant” challenge facing humanity today, according to former French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe and Mayor of Le Havre.
“The world changes all the time, but the challenges that we face now are literally dizzying,” Philippe said in a keynote address to the Annual Conference of the Fondation Prospective et Innovation.
The hybrid conference took place at Convention Center of Futuroscope with the theme of Finding Balance in an Unstable World.
He identified demographics, the environment and China as “three elements that are sensitive and significant”.
“Urbanisation is dizzying in its pace around the world,” he said, pointing out that since the outset of the industrial revolution in the early 19th century it took until 1931 for the urban population to exceed 50%, and another 50 years to reach 80%.
This contrasts greatly with the much faster speed of urbanisation in China in recent years.
“The transformation of China is like a city as big as Rome being built every 2 weeks,” said Philippe, pointing out that China has experienced in 30 years what took 250 years in Europe, and has used more concrete since 2013 than the US did in the whole of the 20th century.
“This transformation of infrastructures is incredibly dizzying.”
He also highlighted the contrast between demographic changes in Europe and other developing countries, as global population growth continues to soar. Europe’s median age is 43 and its net population of around 5m fell in 2020, whereas Africa’s median age is 20, with a population of 1.3bn set to double by mid-century.
Philippe also identified the environment as another dizzying change, with the effects of global warming already palpable everywhere. Climate change is causing terrible fires in Siberia, famine in Madagascar, and also affecting his city.
“The problems that we see in Le Havre due to rising sea levels are making it very difficult to build in the lower part of the city, because of the flood risk.”
We should all be worried about these changes, he said. “Those who are not feeling dizzy are a worry to me!”
As for solutions: “We must underscore the role of leaders in this dynamic. Thought, insight and debate can contribute to understanding the situation.”
Cultural codes
As French Prime Minister in 2018, Phillipe met Chinese President Xi Jinping who told him that other nations had shouldered the universe for a long time, but now China has the power to carry the whole weight of the universe.
European nations have a key role in counterbalancing risk of polarisation between the global economic superpowers, US and China.
“We can work within our means to be a European power, to try to be a strong France within Europe,” he said.
“We need intelligence and multilateralism – we need to be very careful how we understand our US and Chinese counterparts.
“We share some cultural codes with the US, but that doesn’t make us natural allies.
“We have different language and culture to China; it’s crucial that we create links with a country that remains difficult for Westerners to understand.”
The Fondation Prospective et Innovation , chaired by former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, is also co-organising RAID2021 (Regulation of AI, Internet & Data) online on 12 Oct. Register for free here: http://www.raid.tech/register -
New ASOIF report provides common indicators for measuring the impact of events
[Source: ASOIF] The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) have released a new report which, for the first time, establishes a standard set of data points for event stakeholders to cost-effectively assess the value of sporting events.
Overseen by ASOIF’s Commercial Advisory Group (CAG), the report consolidates relevant and easily available data in a clear way to ensure consistency of data gathering and reporting between events, with the intent of helping the industry deliver, and demonstrate, true value to investors and policy makers. It provides event professionals with a practical tool throughout the lifecycle of events, including a defined set of 30 “input”, 50 “output” and 10 “outcome” Key Performance Indicators from which rights owners and partners can gather data relevant to their own event objectives.
Click here to read the full report.
ASOIF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said about the report: “Through previous projects in this field we knew about the lack of systematic approach to IFs’ sporting event data collection and analysis. However, consistent data reporting is essential to build trust amongst all stakeholders seeking to benefit from the staging of sporting events, whether that be for tangible economic gain or less tangible benefits to society. At a time when communities start to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, it has never been more important for events to show their value.”
The indicators and guidance align with international best practice and intergovernmental work linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They support other global initiatives such as the OECD Recommendation on Global Events and Local Development, that calls for “rigorous criteria that enables comparison across different types of events in different geographic areas which should be set to monitor public expenditure and impact at all levels”.
As more organisations use these common indicators, it will become easier to learn from past experience, become more cost effective to gather data and improve how events deliver, and report on, a return on investment for their investing partners.
The report is authored by Iain Edmondson, Founder and Managing Director at Legacy Delivery, commissioned by ASOIF to aggregate the perspectives of key players in the sporting event evaluation industry. For this purpose, three workshops were conducted between July and October 2020, with more than 40 participants from IFs, host cities, commercial entities and academic experts.
In May 2021, in a joint commitment to implementing the common indicators amongst both event host organisations and international rights owners, ASOIF signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Association of Event Hosts (IAEH) to endorse the content of this report and support their members in implementing it.
The Chair of IAEH, Susan Sawbridge, said about the new report: A common view of event impact measurement standards is something event hosts have been eager to have in place for a long time. The partnership between the IAEH and ASOIF to build this shared language has reached a significant milestone this week, with the publication of the report. We expect this work will help hosts and rights holders to better understand the social and economic benefits events generate for many years to come.
As a next step, ASOIF and IAEH will collaborate to obtain additional support from third-party organisations to enhance the tools available for sporting event impact evaluation. -
AIPH Virtual International Expo Conference takes place on 19 October
[Source: AIPH] This conference presents an excellent opportunity to learn more about hosting or being involved with an International Horticultural Expo and to network with expo organisers, city representatives interested in hosting an expo, urban developers, AIPH members, NGOs, international city and environmental organisations and suppliers to major events.
Millions are spent on developing these international spectacles that can stimulate the development of entire cities and transform the international reputation of hosting regions. Each Exhibition attracts many international participants and millions of visitors and lasts up to six months, with sites ranging in size from the smallest of 25 hectares to the largest of 500 hectares or more. Every Expo is carefully regulated, steered, and monitored by AIPH.
The period from now until 2027 already includes AIPH approved expos in China, Turkey, Qatar, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Japan. The following Expos will be submitting their progress reports on 19 October.
A1 World Horticultural Expos
The World Horticultural Expos include:
• Expo 2022 Floriade (the Netherlands)
• Expo 2023 Doha (Qatar)
• World Horticultural Exhibition 2027 Yokohama (Japan).
B International Horticultural Exhibitions
The International Horticultural Exhibitions include:
• Expo 2021 Yangzhou (China)
• Expo 2021 Hatay (Turkey)
• Expo 2023 Kahramanmara? (Turkey)
• Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo (South Korea).
• International Horticultural Exhibition Chengdu 2024 (China)
• Expo ?zmir 2026 (Turkey)
There will also be news on progress from the organisers of the International Horticultural Show, Euroflora 2022. More Exhibitions will be approved in upcoming meetings.
Putting Sustainability at the heart of AIPH-approved Expos
Sustainability is now a high priority. As the world’s champion for the power of plants, AIPH is committed to a sustainable future in which humanity, technology, and nature exist in a healthy and stable equilibrium.
To cement our dedication to a sustainable future, AIPH has developed a new Sustainability Policy. Independent Sustainability Expert Mr David Stubbs, of Sustainability Experts Limited, will present the policy and Rules for Expos at the Virtual Expo Conference. These rules will describe the standards for the planning and staging of horticultural expos to ensure they are the world’s most sustainable major events.
New AIPH Reporting procedures
During the conference, AIPH will reveal news on the new reporting procedures for approved Expos. Ms Elena Terekhova, AIPH International Relations Manager, and Mr Peter Ward, Managing Director of WeTrack, will introduce the WeTrack online programme that Expos will be required to use for reporting as well as the benefits of using this as an event management tool.
WeTrack’s project management software has been used by organisers of some of the world’s most prestigious events, venues, and organisations, including World Triathlon, the FIA, Expo 2020 Dubai, Wimbledon, and the International Cricket Council. It enables teams and departments to track tasks and projects, collaborate better with stakeholders, and build, download, and share custom reports.
In the same platform, organisations can then integrate their sustainability, readiness and operational planning, providing consistency from the early stages of planning your Expo, to the final stages of delivery. Bespoke, automated reporting underpins every stage of this process.
We are grateful to our Gold Sponsor PERA Event for their support of the conference.
Registration for the virtual conference is free. For more information on this event, visit our website. -
AIPH announces Virtual International Horticultural Expo Conference
[Source: AIPH] For the past 18 months, people have faced isolation challenges worldwide as they cope with the Covid-19 Pandemic. Many have sought and found harmony interacting with nature and in open green spaces. It has become evident, too, in the face of climate action, that more than ever, cities need to develop green credentials and urban areas and drive the appreciation and benefits of plants and flowers in the built environment.
International Horticultural Expos are beautiful events that showcase nature, are enjoyed by millions of visitors, and leave environmentally positive legacies for the host city’s residents. The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) has a mandate agreed by the 1928 Paris Convention and subsequent protocols. Since 1960, International Horticultural Expos have been approved and regulated by AIPH. A gallery of these expos can be viewed online www.aiph.org/expos/history/
On 19 October 2021, organisers from forthcoming AIPH approved Expos will be presenting their progress reports. This free online conference is an excellent opportunity to learn more about upcoming Expos as well as hosting or being involved with an International Horticultural Expo and network with Expo organisers, city representatives interested in hosting an expo, urban developers, AIPH members, NGOs, international city and environmental organisations and suppliers to major events.
Millions are spent developing these international spectacles that can stimulate the development of entire cities and transform the international reputation of hosting regions. Each Exhibition attracts many international participants and millions of visitors and lasts up to six months, with sites ranging from the smallest of 25 hectares to the largest of 500 hectares or more. Every Expo is carefully regulated, steered, and monitored by AIPH.
From now until 2027 AIPH has approved the following Expos in China, Turkey, Qatar, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Japan.
A1 World Horticultural Expos
Expo 2022 Floriade (the Netherlands)
14 April – 9 October 2022.
Theme – Growing Green Cities
Expo 2023 Doha (Qatar).
2 October 2023 – 28 March 2024
Theme – Green Desert, Better Environment
World Horticultural Exhibition 2027 Yokohama (Japan).
March – September 2027
Theme – Scenery of the Future for Happiness
B International Horticultural Exhibitions
Expo 2021 Yangzhou (China)
Expo 2021 Hatay (Turkey)
Expo 2023 Kahramanmara? (Turkey)
Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo 2023 (South Korea).
International Horticultural Exhibition Chengdu 2024 (China)
Expo ?zmir 2026 (Turkey)
There will also be news on progress from the organisers of the International Horticultural Show, Euroflora 2022, where organisers promise a voyage of rare beauty from 23 April until 8 May in Genova, Italy.
Putting Sustainability at the heart of AIPH-approved Expos
As the world’s champion for the power of plants, AIPH is committed to a sustainable future in which humanity, technology, and nature exist in a healthy and stable equilibrium.
To cement our dedication to a sustainable future, AIPH has developed a new Sustainability Policy. Independent Sustainability Expert Mr David Stubbs, formerly Head of Sustainability for London 2012 Olympics & Paralympic Games, will present the policy and Rules for AIPH Expos at the Virtual Expo Conference. These rules will describe the standards for the planning and staging of horticultural Expos to ensure they are the world’s most sustainable major events.
New AIPH Reporting procedures
During the conference, AIPH will reveal news on the new reporting procedures for approved Expos. Ms Elena Terekhova, AIPH International Relations Manager, and Mr Peter Ward, Managing Director of WeTrack, will introduce the WeTrack online programme that Expos will be required to use for reporting and the benefits of using this as an event management tool.
We are grateful to our Gold Sponsor PERA Event, and Event Partners AGES (Association of Global Event Suppliers), the Department for International Trade, and Major Events International. Including Media Partners Host City and FloraCulture International.
Registration for the virtual conference is free. For more information on this event, visit our website www.aiph.org/event/expo-conference-oct-2021/ -
AIPH Expos can be the most sustainable events in the world – former London 2012 Director
“AIPH is interesting for me because it’s committed to using knowledge of the power of plants for a sustainable future,” David Stubbs told the AIPH Expo Conference on 19 October.
“For me, that’s all about urban greening, and comes back to my early passion around biodiversity and creating good viable spaces for people’s health and well-being; it’s good for climate action and it’s a fantastic platform for spreading awareness.”
Early in his career, Stubbs was involved in a survey of all green spaces in London, through which he discovered that golf courses take up 3 per cent of the Greater London area. This led to more work in the sports sector, including his role as Director of Sustainability at the London 2012 Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Since then, Stubbs has worked in the field of major event sustainability for rights holders including the IOC, FIFA, F1 and World Economic Forum – and earlier this year he started working with AIPH – the global approving body for International Horticultural Expos – to develop their sustainability strategy.
Together they identified five policy themes where AIPH can make most difference, starting with climate action. Stubbs cited the recent IPCC reports tracking progress on meeting the Paris accord target of global warming of no more than 1.5 degrees.
“We are not on track to meet that and you can see the evidence all over the world through floods, droughts, forest fires and sea level rises – there are so many impacts of climate change that are happening all over. If through using plants and green spaces we can support climate adaptation and resilience programmes in urban environments, that will be a really important thing to do.
Linked to climate action is the biodiversity agenda, which promotes nature in cities and sustainable horticultural practices worldwide.
“Beyond that let’s look at sourcing and resource management. Think of all the materials that become waste or other forms of pollution, how we can become more efficient and create better policies towards the sourcing, use, disposing and reuse of these materials – it’s a circular economy approach.
“There’s also an important people dimension about equity and inclusion, making sure these green spaces are accessible by all. It’s also about upholding fair and equitable practices across the value chain, supporting diversity and human rights within the industry.
“Finally there’s education and awareness raising. Through green spaces, horticultural shows and green city initiatives we can inform people and inspire them about the role of plants and how it all links to biodiversity, climate action and the other themes.”
These policy themes will be implemented across a number of action areas. These include advancing sustainable practices in expos, making sure they are used to promote biodiversity and create legacies. Other action areas include providing help in the form of best practice guidance and trying to get urban areas more environmentally friendly through green city initiatives.
Through this work, the AIPH strategy will substantially help towards a number of the UN sustainable development goals.
“Having a programme which can support the realisation of some of these goals is a very exciting opportunity for the association.
“AIPH has the ambition for World Horticultural Expos to be recognised as among the world’s most sustainable major events. This is a great opportunity, when you think about how these sites can promote biodiversity conservation and create green legacies. It’s about helping these cities to improve their adaptation and resilience to climate change.
“We must also recognise that putting on these events can create a lot of impacts – waste, construction impacts, congestion – unless they are planned and delivered properly you don’t necessarily realise these benefits. The key to this strategy we are developing is to direct organisers to a much more sustainable approach.”
Stubbs cited the example of the London Olympic Park, which resulted in the cleaning up of a polluted river and industrial land, the use of renewable energy, sustainable materials, nature-friendly features such as streetlights that face away from the river to avoid disturbing bats – and an accessible parkland was created for people to visit and enjoy.
Biodiversity-enhancing features of the park include reedbeds, woodlands and microhabitats. It also serves as a flood alleviation site, absorbing large quantities of water to prevent flooding downstream.
“Plant Expos are like Olympic Parks – the horticultural elements were a big part of the Games,” Stubbs said.
Watch the full presentation here
AIPH is the global approving body for International Horticultural Expos. To find out more, please visit https://aiph.org/expos/ -
AIPH calls on cities to enter World Green City Awards
[Source: AIPH] AIPH is the world’s champion for the power of plants. The inaugural edition of the AIPH World Green City Awards 2022 recognises city-led initiatives relying on a greater use of plants and nature to create better and greener city environments – helping to fulfil local aspirations for improved economic, social and environmental resilience. With the deadline for submission of entries on 14th March 2022, AIPH invites all cities, large and small, to showcase their “living green” and demonstrate that they are champions for the power of plants.
“Plants are at the core of stabilizing our ecosystems and humanity has only recently begun to understand the multitude of benefits they can provide”- Mr. Pavel Dostal, CEO at GreenVille & Vice President of the EFB
Cities are only a few short steps away from submitting an entry. Registering a city profile starts the simple process and gives you access to the online portal to compile your entry and make your final submission online. A step-by-step guide to entering the AIPH World Green City Awards contains all the information cities need to progress along this exciting journey. There is still time to join the growing number of leading cities who are actively preparing their entries and reap the benefits of this exciting opportunity. Show the world how plants and nature have transformed your city.
“Local and regional governments have a pivotal role to play in developing nature-based solutions and inclusion of plants in an urban environment. The Awards will be the moment to celebrate those success stories from our members around the world”- Ms. Emilia Saiz, Secretary General of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG).
The AIPH World Green City Awards are designed to celebrate and champion ambitious nature-orientated approaches to city design and operation. The 2022 edition is offered in six categories, with awards presented to the best entry in each category, and with one overall AIPH World Green City winner. Cities can submit multiple entries in more than one category to increase their chances of being chosen as a winner by the esteemed technical panel and jury. There is no cost for cities to register or to enter the Awards, and there are many benefits, which you can read about here.
AIPH has partnered with leading organisations and city networks to bring the AIPH World Green City Awards to life: the first global cities awards where plants and nature are the core focus.
“Having promoted the sustainable development of cities for many years, Host City is proud to be a partner among this prestigious group” said Ben Avison, Editorial & Conference Director of Host City. “We commend AIPH for their leadership in recognising positive action through the World Green City Awards.”
As a global urban community, we stand together at a critical moment in the history of our planet. As our cities grow exponentially and nature continues to diminish at unprecedented rates, now is our time to take ambitious action and transform our cities into greener, healthier, and more liveable places where both humans and nature thrive in harmony.
The solutions to the complex challenges that our cities face come from nature. There has never been a better time to harness the power of plants. As we stand together, united by a common vision, the AIPH World Green City Awards aims to enable accelerated action by cities, both in 2022, the critical year for nature, and in the coming Decade of Ecosystem Restoration.
The AIPH World Green City Awards are well within reach for all cities who are committed to shaping a greener future. AIPH and partners call on cities from around the world to act now. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to lead the way and inspire a global movement for greener cities. For more information or to enter, click here.
By entering the AIPH World Green City Awards, everyone wins- Cities, People, and Planet. Please read the Frequently Asked Questions. The AIPH Green City team is available to assist cities every step of the way. For assistance or support, please contact greencity@aiph.org. -
Glasgow Life appoints Susan Deighan as new Chief Executive
[Source: Glasgow Life] Glasgow Life has today (Friday 11 March) announced the appointment of Susan Deighan as the charity’s new Chief Executive.
Susan (57) helped to establish Glasgow Life in 2007 and has held a number of senior positions, including Deputy Chief Executive, and Director of City Marketing and External Relations.
She will take up her new role on Monday 25 April, replacing Dr Bridget McConnell CBE who is retiring after nearly 24 years leading the delivery of culture and sport in Glasgow on behalf of Glasgow City Council.
Susan currently holds strategic responsibility for a diverse portfolio within Glasgow Life, comprising tourism; museums and collections; arts, music and cultural venues; and marketing communications. She also leads the city’s destination marketing, which includes the People Make Glasgow brand and award-winning Glasgow Convention Bureau.
As a senior leader in culture and sport with a background in outdoor and site-specific theatre performance and events, Susan brings extensive experience in the management of large and complex public sector organisations and also in operating Glasgow Life as a charity. She is recognised as a strong advocate for the city’s tourism industry, and her work supporting the visitor economy has been well received at a national level.
Born in Glasgow, Susan has worked in the city’s arts and culture sector for more than 30 years. She began her career in 1988 as part of preparations for the city’s 1990 Year of Culture celebrations, and her previous roles have included Performance Producer at Tramway.
Councillor David McDonald, Chair of Glasgow Life, said: “Susan’s passion for Glasgow, and for culture and sport, is infectious. She’s a tremendous asset to the city – a natural leader and strategic thinker, and her knowledge, creativity and networks will ensure Glasgow Life continues to play a critical role at the heart of Glasgow’s communities.
“Our highly valued services and programmes are fundamental to supporting the city’s mental, physical and economic wellbeing, and under Susan’s dynamic leadership I’m confident Glasgow Life will continue to achieve its mission of inspiring every citizen and visitor to become engaged and active in a city globally renowned for culture and sport. On behalf of Glasgow Life’s Board, I congratulate Susan on her appointment and wish her every success in her new role.”
Susan Deighan, Chief Executive of Glasgow Life, said: “I’m really delighted to be appointed the new Chief Executive of Glasgow Life; the wonderful charity which benefits the people of Glasgow through culture and sport. I’m looking forward to working with colleagues and partners to contribute to the city’s social and economic recovery and to leading Glasgow Life towards an ambitious and sustainable future.” -
Shortlist announced for inaugural AIPH World Green City Awards
[Source: AIPH] The International Association of Horticultural Producers, AIPH, is proud to announce the shortlist of eighteen entries from cities around the world for the first edition of the AIPH World Green City Awards. In each of the six Awards Categories, the Technical Panel of Judges selected the three top scoring entries for this prestigious list.
“We are thrilled to be showcasing excellence in city greening from cities around the world,” said Tim Briercliffe, AIPH Secretary General. “As we reach this very exciting milestone, AIPH is confident that the first ever AIPH World Green City Awards is a resounding success, leaving a legacy that will shine through in future editions. Congratulations to each and every one of the shortlisted cities. We proudly celebrate this amazing achievement with you.”
The 2022 AIPH World Green City Awards Shortlist of entries per category is proudly announced as follows:
Living Green for Biodiversity
Addressing the loss of species, habitats, ecosystem health, and genetic diversity
Reverdecer Bogotá
Bogota D.C., Colombia
Act Local, Contribute Global to World Biodiversity Conservation
Town of Victoria Park, Australia
Ville de Paris- DEVE
City of Paris, France
Living Green for Climate Change
Tackling the root causes and effects of climate change to build more liveable and resilient cities
Peynircioglu Stream Ecological Restoration Project
City of Izmir, Turkey
Grey to Green
City of Melbourne, Australia
Mexico City’s Environmental and Climate Change Program
Mexico City, Mexico
Living Green for Health and Wellbeing
Addressing the medical, behavioural, and social determinants of health for residents
Transforming degraded land into Urban Micro Parks
City of Fortaleza, Brazil
Utrecht Green and Healthy City
City of Utrecht, Netherlands
Sunvale Community Park
City of Brimbank, Australia
Living Green for Water
Ensuring that water resources are safeguarded and wisely used, with clean water available to all while also protecting residents from flooding risks
The Phytotechnology Stations at the Montréal Botanical Garden / Space for Life
City of Montreal, Canada
Creating a Green City
Logan City Council, Australia
uMhlathuze Water Stewardship Partnership
City of uMhlathuze, South Africa
Living Green for Social Cohesion
Fostering belonging, trust and inter-generational as well as cross-cultural relationships to prevent exclusion, marginalisation and violence
Socio-urban integration in the midst of an ecological reserve: The case of Rodrigo Bueno
City of Buenos Aires, Argentina
Sunchoenman Bay Wetland Conservation Project
Suncheon City, South Korea
OASIS Schoolyard Project
City of Paris, France
Living Green for Economic Recovery and Inclusive Growth
Creating systems and solutions that allow all city residents to overcome economic distress and thrive
The 2020-2030 Master Plan for the Conservation, Improvement and Development of Parc Jean-Drapeau
City of Montreal, Canada
Transformation of “Beltway to Green Belt”
City of Mashhad, Iran
Green Necklace to the State of Telangana
City of Hyderabad, India
“Addressing the multiple challenges cities face”
The shortlist of entries is presented on behalf of the Technical Panel by the six Category Leads to the 2022 Awards Jury who will identify one winner for each category, as well as the overall AIPH World Green City Awards 2022 winner.
“After reviewing the submissions for the AIPH World Green City Awards 2022, I was amazed at not only the commitment to building green cities but the creativity and expression of local culture that was at the core of the submissions,” said Grant Pearsall, Urban Ecological Planner, Edmonton, Canada (Technical Panel member).
In addition to selecting the shortlist, the Technical Panel has made non-category-specific nominations to be considered by the Jury for Highly Commended Awards. These Highly Commended Awards are given to city entries that did not score highly enough to make the shortlist, but which demonstrate a particularly innovative and inspiring approach.
“The spread of very different entries is an indication of the wide range of initiatives, with plants at their heart, that are addressing the multiple challenges cities face due to climate change and the ecological emergency. This initiative by AIPH encourages cities to demonstrate the range of innovative urban nature-based solutions that are possible,” said Marcus Grant, Editor-in-Chief, Cities & Health (Technical Panel Category Lead, Health and Wellbeing).
Each eligible entry was assessed and scored by members of the Technical Panel against the following judging criteria:
• Vision: the initiative should be bold and include a fresh new model for using and/or delivering nature-orientated solution(s).
• Significance: the initiative should be designed to address a serious local problem or set of problems.
• Implementation: the initiative should have achieved or be well on its way to achieving its stated objective(s) and/or desirable outcomes.
• Learning and Transferability: the initiative should have generated some learning content or mechanisms that enable enhanced local practice in the future and/or offer potential for customised replication in other cities.
• Resilience: The initiative should be mindful of its impact on the planet and of its ability to be sustained over time.
“To create a healthy and happy urban life we need to include plants and nature in our cities. The 2022 entries for the AIPH World Green City Awards show that cities are taking action to showcase the value of living green. This is truly an inspiration for many other cities,” said Judith van der Poel, Director, Niek Roozen Landscape (Technical Panel member).
To learn more about the exciting initiatives by the shortlisted cities, click here.
“The AIPH Awards program is an important initiative to recognize outstanding worldwide contributors and projects that are transforming our world into a greener and healthier place,” said Michael von Hausen, President, MVH Urban Planning & Design Inc., Adjunct Prof., Simon Fraser University + University of Vancouver Island (Technical Panel member).
Looking ahead, AIPH will profile city entries as case studies to inspire other cities around the world to take action for plants and nature. AIPH celebrates each and every city entry as a leader in urban greening, and a champion of the green city principles.
All winners will be announced at a gala event in September/October 2022. The date and venue for this event will be announced soon. AIPH and partners will also launch the 2024 edition of the World Green City Awards at this gala event. To stay in the loop and receive further news about the AIPH World Green City Awards direct to your inbox, subscribe to the AIPH Global Green City Update here.
AIPH is grateful to the network of partners for their ongoing support for the AIPH World Green City Awards – Biophilic Cities, Cities & Health, CitiesWithNature, European Federation of Green Roof & Green Wall Associations (EFB), The Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments (GTF), Greener Spaces Better Places, #NatureForAll, Salzburg Global Seminar, The Nature of Cities (TNoC), Trees for Cities, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), Urban Biodiversity Hub (UBHub), Urban Land Institute, World Urban Parks, Youth Climate Leaders, and 8 80 Cities. Thank you also to sponsor Expo 2021 Hatay and media partners Cities Today, FloraCulture International, and Host City. -
2023 UCI Cycling World Championships unveils full schedule for inaugural mega-event in Scotland
The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships has unveiled the official schedule of the inaugural multi-discipline cycling event, giving cycling fans around the world a first sight of the full scale of the historic festival of cycling coming to Glasgow and across Scotland for 11 days (August 3-13, 2023).
From the Highlands to the Borders and across the central belt, the carefully created schedule boasts a world class line-up of elite cycling competitions, designed to unite Scotland while sharing an inspirational cycling message with the world.
The schedule was designed by the UCI, the Organising Committee of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, host cities and key stakeholders to give an unrivalled live spectator and TV viewing experience, packed full of daily elite finals and nonstop action with at least three disciplines on display each day of the UCI Cycling Worlds.
Thousands of the world’s top cycling athletes will compete across the 13 UCI World Championships, with only a select few earning the title of UCI World Champion and the prestige of the rainbow jersey. With inclusivity at its core, the event will also feature para-cycling and junior competitions.
In a first for a UCI World Championships, the Women Elite road race will bring the curtain down on the competitions, on Sunday, August 13. In addition to championing female cyclists, the decision to stage the Men Elite road race on the opening weekend and the Women Elite road race on the closing day was taken to ensure the best possible alignment with the UCI Road International Calendar, in particular with respect to their respective Tours de France.
The opening weekend of the Championships (5-6 August) will include exhilarating action in Glasgow, Fort William and across Scotland. The Men Elite road race will take place in the stunning scenery of central Scotland while the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome will host Track finals each day. Fans will be able to witness the fast and exhilarating Mountain Bike Downhill competitions against the awe-inspiring backdrop of the Nevis Range.
At the other end of the country, Glentress Forest in the Tweed Valley will host tough endurance racing with the Mountain Bike Cross-country Marathon.
The full schedule of events across all 11-days, including BMX Racing, BMX Freestyle, Gran Fondo, Indoor Cycling and Trials can be found at the website for the cyclingworldchamps.com/schedule
This is the first time all 13 UCI World Championships will be combined into one mega-event, making it a cycling event unmatched in size and scale. The anticipated global TV audience will place the Cycling World Championships in the top-10 most watched sporting events in the world, rivalling the Olympics and Commonwealth Games and placing Scotland on the world stage as a destination for
elite cycling and cycle tourism.
David Lappartient, President of the Union Cycliste Internationale said: “Glasgow and the whole of Scotland are creating sporting history by hosting this multi-discipline cycling event for the first time. The UCI Cycling World Championships were one of my visions when I was first elected President of the UCI in 2017. That vision is now becoming a reality and the inaugural edition is really taking shape. The unveiling of the schedule enables us to visualise what awaits during these 11 days of non-stop cycling action. The entire cycling community can definitely expect great things!”
Paul Bush OBE, Chair of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, said “Unveiling the full schedule for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships is an incredibly exciting milestone in the build-up to the largest cycling event in history. Fans from around the world can start planning their trips to Scotland to celebrate the power of the bike across 13 exhilarating UCI World Championships. The first-of-its-kind event further strengthens our position as a world leading events destination and reinforces Scotland’s place as the perfect stage for events, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone in 2023.”
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “We are looking forward to welcoming people to Scotland for a packed 11 days of competition next August. The strength and breadth of competition and viewing experiences really does have something for everyone. What’s more, along with a host of diverse and wholly inclusive events, it feels fitting to close these UCI World Championships with the Women’s Elite road race.”
Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council said: “Glasgow is proud to be hosting 8 of the 13 UCI World Championships and we are delighted with the breadth of action taking place in the city throughout the 11 days, showcasing our amazing venues and giving citizens and visitors alike the chance to experience first-hand, elite sporting competitions. I am particularly excited to see the Women’s Elite road race scheduled as the final event, finishing in George Square, the civic heart of Glasgow.
“As a UCI Bike City and European Capital City of Sport for 2023, we look forward to welcoming thousands of visitors to our wonderful city, not only to enjoy the event, but to embrace all that Glasgow has to offer in terms of art, culture and entertainment.”The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will take place across 11 days from 3 to 13 August 2023 in venues and locations in Glasgow and across Scotland. More than a million spectators are anticipated as well as a global television audience of over one billion, making it one of the world’s top 10 watched sporting events next summer.
The event is being delivered in collaboration between the UCI, Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council, UK Sport and British Cycling as principal funders. The partnership aims to create a blueprint for future editions by ensuring the inaugural event is authentic, innovative, and distinctive whilst bringing all cycling disciplines together every four years, one year ahead of the Olympics.
For further information on the UCI Cycling World Championships, visit www.cyclingworldchamps.com
David Lappartient, President of the Union Cycliste Internationale and Paul Bush OBE, Chair of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships are speaking at Host City 2022 on 15-16 November. Register for Host City 2022 here