The Technical Committee of 2012 Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation Announces 15 Finalists

NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Technical Committee of 2012 Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation today announced the result of the Guangzhou Award Technical Committee assessment. 15 short-listed initiatives and 30 deserving initiatives for the award were selected based on the criteria of innovativeness, effectiveness, replicability, and significance and the 15 cities making the final list are: Aguascalientes, Chiang Rai, Curitiba, Dakar, Kaohsiung, Kocaeli, Lilongwe, Medellin, Perm, Sakhnin, Salerno, Seoul, Sylhet, Vancouver, and Vienna.

Evaluated by a panel of eight judges from the Technical Committee, who met in Guangzhou from October 15 to October 17, 2012, the highly competitive submissions range from urban ecosystem, biodiversity conservations to cities transforming themselves to the digital age.

The Committee selected outstanding and deserving initiatives with a view of enhancing the implementation of sustainable urban development through inspiration and knowledge sharing. It also took into consideration the goal of the Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation to reward innovations in improving social, economic and environmental sustainability in cities and local governments worldwide. More specifically, the Committee strived to highlight exemplary models of innovative policies and practices and to motivate cities and local authorities to further promote innovation and improve urban governance.

The Committee reviewed all of the 255 initiatives submitted by 153 cities from 56 countries and regions. Of these 255 initiatives, 45 were identified as outstanding plans. The Committee further selected 15 of those initiatives as the shortlist to be submitted to the Jury for consideration and final selection of the five award-winning initiatives. The Committee plans to announce the five winners on November 16 and will host a ceremony to celebrate the honor.

"We are extremely satisfied by the scope and quality of the final entries, which demonstrate a high degree of dedication and creativity in the use of renewable technology and dedication to high-demanded public services," said Mr. Cao Jianliao, Deputy Director General of Organizing Committee of Guangzhou Award and Vice Mayor of Guangzhou. "Those initiatives feature strong innovativeness, high practicability and feasibility. We thank our judges, congratulate all of our finalists, and look forward to seeing the final award winners."

"Establishing this Guangzhou Award is a perfect example of the wisdom and courage of the government of Guangzhou. Nowadays, every city is planning their future and seeking their transformation. Guangzhou is such a city, which not only has the courage to learn but also the wisdom to learn. This is what defines Guangzhou's promising future. I firmly believe that Guangzhou Award will not only enhance Guangzhou's reputation, but also elevate Guangzhou citizen's satisfaction and sense of belongs towards this city, because this honor brings innovation wisdom together and makes the most fresh city management information available," said Mr. Nicholas You, Co-Chair of the Technical Committee and Chairman of World Urban Campaign Steering Committee.

In addition to Mr. Nicholas You, other judges at the Technical Committee include:
Mr. Yu Keping, the Chair of the Technical Committee and Director of the Center for Chinese Government Innovations,
Ms. Claudia Laub, Director of El Agora Association, Argentina,
Mr. Roberto Mizrahi, Chairman of South North Development Initiative,
Mr. Thierry Lafont, Professor of the Ecole Nationale Superieure d'Architecture of Versailles,
Mr. Jim Powell, Former Deputy Mayor and Assembly Member, City and Borough of Juneau, Research fellow of the University of Alaska,
Mr. Jeremy Smith, former Secretary General of the CEMR, United Kingdom,
Mr. Zhang Xiaojin, Dean of the Department of Political Science, Tsinghua University.

Six of the 15 finalists are from Asia, representing a variety of initiatives in developing the economy, increasing employment and reducing the social impact of the financial crisis. The three European finalists and the two from North America focus on improving renewable energy and green technology. South America and Africa also have two cities on the shortlist, respectively.

For more information about the Guangzhou International Awards for Urban Innovation, please visit: http://www.guangzhouaward.org/.

About Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation

The concept of the Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation (abbreviated as Guangzhou Award) is derived from the city's long-term cooperation with United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) from its foundation in 2004 and with the World Association of Major Metropolises (Metropolis) since 1993. 

Co-hosted by UCLG, Metropolis, and Guangzhou Municipal Government, the Guangzhou Award aims to reward innovations to improve the socio-economic environments in cities and regions, promote sustainability, and hence advance the livelihood of their citizens. Presented biennially, the award will encourage and recognize outstanding innovative projects and practices in the public sector.

Against the background of a rapidly changing social, economic and environmental context in the 21st century, the Guangzhou Award contributes to the progress of city performances by promoting innovations in the public sector and presenting a platform for cities and regions around the world to share and disseminate their achievements. 

The award is open to all cities and local governments, including members of Metropolis and UCLG as well as other cities. Applicants can submit innovative achievements in such thematic fields as Public Services, Organization and Administration, Partnership and Citizen Involvement, Smart City, Sustainable City, and others. The Guangzhou Award will be granted to up to 5 winners. Each of the winners will be awarded with USD 20,000, apart from a trophy and a certificate. Winners will also be invited to attend side events including seminars and exhibitions on urban innovation.

SOURCE Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation