Atty. Violeta S. Seva, General Secretary of EMI, and Dean Asteya M. Santiago, member of EMI’s Board of Trustees attended the 5th World Urban Forum in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil last March 22-26, 2010.  In her capacity as Senior Advisor of Makati City, Atty. Seva presented the case study of the Risk-Sensitive Urban Redevelopment Planning Project undertaken by the city and EMI.  Dean Santiago provided additional comments and observations to support Atty. Seva’s presentation.

Atty. Seva and Dean Santiago also participated in the launch of the World Urban Campaign (WUC) and the 100 Cities Initiative at the Forum.  The Campaign is envisioned to serve as a platform for public, private and civil society stakeholders to discuss and reach consensus on policies, as well as share practical tools for sustainable urbanization.  The success of the WUC will be measured by the number of additional sustainable urban policies at the national level and increased investments and resources in support of those policies.  As part of the Campaign, the 100 Cities Initiative seeks to encourage different actors to tell their stories on how they contribute to better and more sustainable cities.  The Initiative will focus on the concept of Living Practices, holistic and forward looking approaches to the challenges faced by cities.  The processes and outcomes of such practices will then be documented, reported and measured over time.  EMI will contribute to the 100 Cities Initiative by highlighting the sustainable practices of Makati and its other partner cities.

More information on the World Urban Campaign can be found here: UN HABITAT