| Statements from Cities 1. ACCESS "Bad air quality reduces the quality of life in our cities. The motorized individual traffic ranks among the main polluters. To minimize these negative impacts of traffic, we should all together promote alternative and environmentally friendly modes like public transport or cycling. In addition, new technologies in the field of clean fuels can contribute to the improvement of the air quality and thus the quality of life." 2. Athens "Air Quality Measures in Athens, a heritage to take advantage of in the after 2004 Olympic Games era". 3. Birmingham "The delivery of air quality improvements continues to be a key challenge for the City of Birmingham. The sharing of best practice between European cities through projects such as INTEGAIRE is essential to the development of effective actions to improve air quality". 4. Bristol "In Bristol we believe that, by working together in partnerships, such as 'Integaire', we can have cleaner air for a healthier future". 5. ENEA “Our children have the right to breath better air than we did, since we were given time to act for improving it". 6. Düsseldorf "Düsseldorf lives by the mobility of its people! Motor vehicles should guarantee a healthy atmosphere so that the citizens feel well in the city." 7. EUROCITIES “Good air quality is important for a healthy living in our cities and air quality knowledge is necessary for a sustainable city planning. Integaire as a Eurocities project keeps the members of the Eurocities Environment Forum well informed. Well informed not only on the latest developments on European air quality policy and legislation, but even more importantly on the range of actions cities can and do take to improve their air quality. Projects like Integaire are vital to spread knowledge and inspiration”. 8. Gothenburg “The local Environment Committee has a vision on an ecological sustainable city and good health for the citizens in Gothenburg. International cooperation, like INTEGAIRE is supporting us to find the way”. 9. Leipzig “Leipzig’s air has seen tremendous improvements since 1990. Today, we have to take measures to limit the impact of traffic-related air pollution to secure clean air for our citizens. INTEGAIRE shows us the best practices available in Europe.” 10. Malmö “The last decades air quality has improved much due to national initiatives but also due to local measures. Some of the remaining problems can not be solved on a local basis but need international co-operation to reduce the border crossing pollution. We are convinced that our common efforts within the EU will help solve these problems. INTEGAIRE has given us the tools”. 11. NILU Local air quality in urban areas in Europe keeps affecting people’s health, and producing decease. To achieve healthy air, local measures and national/European-scale measures must work together. Through our common efforts in the INTEGAIRE project, its best practice data base gives local AQ managers tools, examples and good ideas from other cities. 12. Seville "Air Quality is historically of utmost importance for the City of Seville. In fact, Seville was the first Spanish city to implement an AQ network in 1988. Within the INTEGAIRE Project, Seville is walking firmly towards the maintenance of a high quality of life by minimising the emission of pollutants, specially NOx and ozone." 13. TNO "The INTEGAIRE network is for TNO an excellent way of applying expertise. Intensive contact between users and providers of knowledge is the best way for finding effective solutions for environmental problems and for developing these further." 14. Utrecht “For the city of Utrecht using the INTEGAIRE network was very useful for comparing situations in cities in different countries and for giving feedback to the EC about air quality policies”. 15. UBC (Turku, Finland) "Integaire has provided UBC with a platform of experts to make progress towards better air quality in our cites”. 16. UWE "Integrated urban governance and management to achieve the more sustainable development of Europe's cities is a key objective of EU environmental policy. INTEGAIRE provides a unique opportunity to contribute to UWE's strategic commitment to develop, in partnership with European, cities new and more effective concepts, methodologies and tools that are central to the development of a strongly integrated model of urban governance". 17. Venice "Air Quality issues are central in the City of Venice Environmental Policies: INTEGAIRE has given a further opportunity of knowledge and networking with other cities and scientific bodies that is a precious experience and an important heritage for our future work". |