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Malmö: City of Tomorrow An Example of a Local Agenda 21, Sweden
The city of Malmö is located in the south of Sweden. Historically, it was an industrial city, and now its main activities revolve more around culture and information technology. The city is now connected to Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital, thanks to a bridge that crosses the Öresund Straight. In the early 1990s, the municipality decided to address the three dimensions—social, economic and ecological—of sustainable development, and have launched a Local Agenda 21 in order to implement their projects. The city encourages the use of a variety of modes of transportation; among these are bicycles (390 km of bicycle lanes), trains, and busses (which use natural gas). The car is used for only half of all travels. In 2001, the city built the Bo01 neighbourhood in what was formerly an industrial and port area (home to the shipbuilding industry). For its promoters, this is a district that serves both people and the environment. The residential units are designed around sustainability principles: use of renewable energy (all needs are covered by solar, wind or hydro energy); energy savings; good waste management… Older neighbourhoods such as Augustenborg are refurbished with sustainable development in mind; residents are actively involved at all levels of the decision-making process. The city is very concerned about social issues. In the low-income neighbourhoods, organizations that benefit from the municipality’s support work on education, health and the urban environment. The goal is to meet the needs of the citizen as best as possible. In addition to these projects and urban renewal initiatives, Malmö offers pedagogical activities around sustainable development, in particular for children. In the various neighbourhoods, the participation of residents is highly encouraged, not only to solicit their input for projects that concern them directly, but also to discuss broader societal issues. Despite the difficulties that are encountered, such as the challenge for the various city departments to cooperate with each other, the City of Malmö wishes to keep making headway with regards to sustainability; slowly, the change that is occurring becomes of concern to everyone.
For more information: An article by Emmanuel Prinet: Innovative Social and Ecological Projects Websites: - The City of Malmö: www.malmo.se/servicemeny/cityofmalmo.4.33aee30d103b8f15916800021923.html - Green roofs: www.greenroof.se - The envionmental website for the City of Malmö (English version available):
Purchasing the video: The report on Malmö is available on DVD: Licence 1 (for personal use): $ 23 (Canada) / 15 € (other countries) Licence 2 (for public projections): $ 80 (Canada) / 50 € (other countries) Other uses (exhibitions, festivals, TV broadcasts, etc.): please contact us.
This report is also available in French on the same DVD / Ce reportage est également disponible en français sur le même DVD
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