ICLEI Secretary General Konrad Otto-Zimmermann with Suwon Mayor Yeom Tae Young, Suwon Vice Mayor Lee Jae Joon, 8-80 Cities Director Gil Penalosa, Kulwant Singh, UN-HABITAT project coordinator Andre Dzikus and Intelligent City Forum Director Florian Lennert. © ICLEI e.V. 2012 / Sophie Verstraelen Konrad Otto-Zimmermann and Park Yeon Hee talk to a Suwon resident about issues relating to ecomobility. © ICLEI e.V. 2012 / Sophie Verstraelen Gil Penalosa delivers a presentation on the benefits of ecomobility to Suwon city officials © ICLEI e.V. 2012 / Sophie Verstraelen

World’s first EcoMobility Festival to showcase a new urban lifestyle

The City of Suwon and ICLEI, together with UN-HABITAT officially signed a partnership today to host the world’s first EcoMobility Festival to take place in Suwon, Korea in 2013.

The four-week long Festival will present a real-life vision of car-free urban living in the future. It will see a neighborhood in Suwon turn into an ‘ecomobile’ neighborhood, with Suwon’s residents playing an active role in the actual implementation of the project.

“With this Festival, we will work together to show what an ecomobile city looks like and deliver the message that this new urban lifestyle is possible”, says Mayor Yeom, Tae-young of Suwon City.

“Being able to commute in an affordable and environmentally friendly way, while at the same time feeling healthy, enjoying urban public space and being more socially included – this is what EcoMobility means and this is what the Festival will showcase”, explains Mr. Andre Dzikus, coordinator of UN-HABITAT’s Urban Basic Services Branch, an EcoMobility Festival partner.

The Festival will also serve as a cultural and educational event for citizens, NGOs, cyclists and pedestrian associations as well as businesses, educational institutions and universities worldwide.

Konrad Otto-Zimmermann, Secretary General of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, as initiator and Creative Director of the Festival project, says that “the EcoMobility Festival will be exciting for all: the Suwon citizens will demonstrate healthy and environmentally-friendly mobility; the EcoMobility industry can promote their vehicles and test innovative products; city decision makers and urban planners from all over the world will visit Suwon and gain an impression of 'urban EcoMobility in action’”.

Last but not least, Mr. Otto-Zimmermann adds that “the Festival project will produce report and film documentaries that will be used by city councils, pedestrians and cyclists associations, environmental organizations, and in the education of town and transport planners”.

Preparations for the Festival are well under way, kicking off with a workshop in January and follow up workshop in May this year. Mr. Gil Peñalosa, former Director of Parks and Recreation of Bogotà, Colombia and Executive Director of 8-80 Cities, mentioned during the workshop that “EcoMobility is not just about improving transportation. We also end up with cleaner air and a better environment, improved public health, and a more vibrant economic development”.

As the Festival is being prepared, a diverse and exciting program is being developed ranging from exhibitions, EcoMobility parades and races, cultural activities, seminars, workshops, to training courses. The program will highlight ecomobile visions, products and services in a unique, international and real-life setting. Ecomobile products will be linked to a policy environment, connecting leaders and international experts as well as city residents to share EcoMobility ideas and experiences.

Visit www.ecomobility.org for more information.