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June
4, 2003 -
CANADA WINS GRAND PRIZE IN SUSTAINABILITY COMPETITION
The Canadian Team entry was submitted
in February 2003
Click here for Official
Press Release
The
submission can be viewed on the Sheltair Group's website
at www.sheltair.com.
 Tokyo,
Japan –Canada was awarded the grand prize at an
international competition for urban sustainability at
the World Gas Conference in Tokyo today. Some 4,800
delegates from the industrial, governmental and academic
sectors are in Tokyo for the conference, a flagship
event for the International Gas Union (IGU).
The
IGU is comprised of 70 member countries. Canada is represented
on the IGU through the Canadian Gas Association, which
was instrumental in advancing the Canadian entry into
this international competition.
Addressing
the packed Opening Ceremony, the Crown Prince of Japan
said, “Today the whole world is increasingly concerned
about issues involving energy and the environment, and
in finding solutions to these issues.” In describing
the conference, he added, “This is an excellent
opportunity to examine, from a wide range of viewpoints,
the road that the world’s energy industry should
take, and to generate information of value to the entire
world.”
The
competition involved nine teams from around the world,
each preparing a staged 100-year plan for a major metropolitan
area. The competition organizers wished to build on
the potential of natural gas and its technologies to
meet growing energy needs, mitigate climate change and
create alliances with other industries and sectors to
meet the challenges of sustainable development.
Cities
Planning for Long-term Urban Sustainability, or citiesPLUS
, was the name coined for the Canadian entry in the
sustainable urban systems design competition, a showcase
of the conference. In addition to the Canadian grand
prize, the seven member international jury of eminent
experts awarded three special jury awards to the teams
from India, U.S. and Japan.
Canada’s
submission focuses on the Greater Vancouver Regional
District (GVRD) – a metropolitan area that encompasses
21 distinct municipalities that work together, as a
federation, to plan urban systems.
Led
by Sebastian Moffatt, President of the Sheltair Group,
the citiesPLUS team includes a number of distinguished
Canadians. The National Chair is Honourable Lloyd Axworthy,
former Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs and current
Director of the Liu Institute for Global Issues. The
Vice-Chair is the Honourable Michael Harcourt, former
Premier of British Columbia and former Mayor of Vancouver.
Key partners include the GVRD and the Vancouver-based
International Centre for Sustainable Cities.
Ken
Cameron, Manager of Policy and Planning for the GVRD,
said from Tokyo, “This award reflects
and strengthens the ability of Canadians to demonstrate
leadership in the rapidly growing international market
for expertise in urban sustainability. We are looking
forward to applying the results of this process to our
own continuing efforts to enhance the liveability and
environmental quality of the GVRD.”
- More -
Page 2.
The
Honourable Lloyd Axworthy, said “This win is a
tribute to the involvement of many Canadians who helped
shape the long-term plan, and it would not have been
possible without the generous support of our many sponsors”.
The Canadian submission was grounded in a collaborative
approach, one of the key elements that influenced the
judges decision. The process doesn’t end in Tokyo.
The citiesPLUS team plans to extend their experience
and learnings through the creation of networks of like-minded
regions nationally and internationally. The network
participants will be invited to share their tools, methods
and processes for long-term planning for sustainability
at the 30th anniversary of the original Habitat conference
in conjunction with the 2006 World Urban Forum, to be
held in Vancouver.
Mike
Harcourt, recovering from a near fatal accident last
November that prevented him from accompanying the team
to Tokyo, summarized the significance of the project
” I thought I knew cities well before this project,
but through citiesPLUS my awareness and excitement have
increased immensely. I now believe that innovative long-term
planning can lead to a true renaissance in urban thought
and action. Cities are all about choices – choices
that become reality very quickly, with lasting consequences.
Over the 21st century – the urban century –
much will depend upon getting the choices right. By
sharing our experiences, each of the teams in the International
Gas Union competition can contribute to this renaissance.
We can avoid horror stories of undrinkable water, unbreathable
air, unaffordable housing and corrupt government, and
instead see the vast majority of people on our planet
living lives rich in dignity and enjoyment.”
Media
are invited to contact the team spokespersons, Michael
Harcourt or Lloyd Axworthy
Media Contact: Lourette Swanepoel, 604-732-9106, ext.
304, or
email
to: lswanepoel (at) "sheltair dot com"
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