Launch of the Initiative "environMENTALISE"

The Urban Pathways project of Wuppertal Institute, UN-HABITAT, and UN Environment has launched the initiative "environMENTALISE – co-creating safe, friendly and green neighbourhoods". Since its start, this initiative has been organising several events in cities in Latin America, Africa and Asia that contribute to raising awareness about the environmental, health, social and economic benefits of non-motorised transport, as well as of waste reduction. environMENTALISE includes awareness raising and capacity building activities on-site and on-line. For this purpose, Urban Pathways is collaborating with

• cities: Belo Horizonte (Brazil), Quito (Ecuador), Cuenca (Ecuador), Aguascalientes (México), Nairobi (Kenya), Addis Abeba (Ethiopia), Kochi (India) and Kathmandu (Nepal);
• organisations active in the regions: ITDP Mexico, WRI India, ICLEI, FabLab Barcelona and Ciudad Emergente; and
• initiatives: World Habitat Day, Waste Wise Cities Campaign, Day of walking and cycling to school, African Mobility Month, European Mobility Week

The scope of the awareness raising on-site depends on the local challenges and organisations’ and initiatives’ priorities, but may include activities such as car-free days and tactical urbanism. To measure the impact of these activities, Urban Pathways has provided air quality monitoring devices known as ‘Smart Citizen kit’. These activities are complemented with online training. So far, Urban Pathways has conducted the webinars "Walking and Cycling for Safer, Friendlier and Greener Neighbourhoods" and "Transforming waste into wealth: Global challenge, local solutions".