Because creating an image of city must have several factors in Bristol we have a unique cocktail, despite its midsize as discussed below: history, finance, art, development and transportation that make it different from other urban cores.

First, Bristol has a large number of groups known in what at the time was called Bristol Sound, such as Tricky, Portishead or Massive Attack.

Massive Attack, reference in the Bristol Sound

Without this music scene the 90s and electronic music would not have been the same. The trip-hop was the main style and numerous international bands were based on it. The city began to be a unique urban conception in the mature and diversified British music market.

On the other hand, Bristol can be proud of a solidarity background. In the XVIII century we found the character of Hannah More, a writer, religious and philanthropist originalte in this city, that apart from its great literary work she was known by good social works. It was at a time when Bristol opened overseas trade with slave labor, when this loyal defender of the abolition conducted major campaigns against the slavery.

From the Hannah Moore’s abolition of slavery to current policies integrations in Bristol

Their good work is part of the urban identity of Bristol and it helps to understand the idiosyncrasies of this city. A solidarity that goes beyond the streets and engage in global projects.

Today we have got Triodos Bank, the independent European bank, which has its UK headquarters, not in London, but in the city of Bristol, the basis of all this urban brand. This organization promotes the renewal of the financial system itself through a banking model values, using the money from their customers to give loans to socially responsible companies and cultural, environmental and social associations.

But one thing that identifies Bristol is its ecological spirit, this is the real city branding. For bristolians surely it’s no surprise that Bristol has been ranked No. 1 city in the sustainability of other British cities, based on criteria such as environmental development, quality of life, recycling or biodiversity. It is said by the Forum for the Future 2008, also the Sunday Times, which states that Bristol is the best city to live throughout Britain or Europe award given as the European Green Capital 2015.

Bristol, European Green Capital

The Association of the Green Capital of Bristol is an independent organization with more than 800 institutions that share as goal to make Bristol a city with very low carbon content and high quality of life for all. It emerged in 2014 established itself as a company of common interest and today it continues encouraging collaboration among its members, creating collaborative spaces (both real and virtual), promote excellence, critical thinking and citizen participation as main channel “using many voices to carry out an exceptional defense.”

Green Bristol: parks and neighbors

With all this, it was awarded with the prize of the European Green Capital. The intent of this award was to support and encourage European cities to improve their environment, with their own initiatives and innovative efforts to achieve a healthy urban environment. This award recognizes their good work to local authorities with greater environmental awareness.

Bristol can get this great community award in 2015 thanks to the achievement of these points:

• Demonstrate an established track record of compliance with environmental standards.
• Commit to achieving ambitious targets to further improve the environment and sustainable development
• Being a rol model and part of a growing group of cities that have as objetive to inspire and promote best practices to other European urban cores.

The recognition of this urban environmental brand was made on the basis of a technical and independent assessment based on an offer made by the City of Bristol and the Bristol Green Capital Partnership whose members led a major campaign to raise awareness of its own citizens.

Another example of sustainability: More than a transversal activity, we can talk about Sustrans as an environmental institution born in Bristol.

It was in 1977 when a pioneering group created Cyclebag as an initiative to raise awareness of the depedency on the private car and its ecological impact. Besides the launch of cycle paths, also they encouraged the railways, first between Bristol and Bath, and then more routes (Green routes) in the rest of Britain.

Green Routes by train from Bristol

In the 90s, when the NGO made Sustrans official, the group detail a number of urban and rural projects to create safe routes, display campaigns that continue raising awareness today to British citizenship to travel walking, cycling or by public transportation.

Sustrans vision is that by 2020 4 out of 5 local journeys to be made by bike, foot or public transport, that is double the current figure. Bristol is certainly an example and perhaps the first English city to get it.

Sustrans: Bristol citizens cycling

The role Bristol citizens have had in recent decades has been key in order to become environmental reference in Europe and we are confident that it is a case study to progress towards a better society.

This city, which is the Ethiopian capital also formed a state within its territorial organization, giving this town a special independence.

In its way, and with all the characteristics that Ethiopia had in African colonial history, Addis Ababa is a unique melting pot, with over 80 nationalities and where live important communities of Christians, Muslims and Jews.

Lion of Judah, current symbol of Ethiopia.

It is a city full of contrasts and thriving neighbors who live in the old Abyssinia seeking opportunities in the capital, and diplomats from many countries, paradoxically also coming to this city for the same reason.

Addis Ababa is the headquarters of the African Union Commission, its executive and administrative arm, the equivalent of the European Commission.

African Union Headquarters

In 1936, 32 African countries that had so far achieved independence established the Organization of African Unity in Addis Ababa, but gradually were adding countries to what is now known as African Union (AU).

Currently the AU is a continental union that includes 54 African countries. Morocco is the only country that for political differences over the Sahara conflict is not part of the organization.

This contemporary version of the organization maintains its headquarters in the Ethiopian capital.

Shield of the African Union, headquartered in Addis Ababa.

Its objectives include increasing the unity and solidarity among African people, defend the sovereignty of its member states, as well as accelerate the socio-economic integration and promote international cooperation among its member countries.

Africa Hall, UNECA permanent headquarters

Addis Ababa, not surprinsingly, is also the headquarters of the UNECA, the Economic Commission for Africa United Nations, the executive arm of UN programs on the continent in these fields:

• Macroeconomic Policy
• Regional Integration and Trade
• Social development
• Natural resources
• Innovation and Technology
• Gender
• Governance

All these diplomatic works makes Addis Ababa an international reference among global cities in the World.

In the XXI century, this city could not remain outside the transversal development of good messages that international agencies give from their headquarters to the rest of the continent.

The challenge, therefore, has been to connect (or reconnect) the city to its citizens and to offer a public, efficient, modern and environmentally friendly transport.

The light rail of Addis Ababa is the first to be built in Sub-Saharan Africa and it could be considered as a milestone to demonstrate that this country is coming out of poverty.

The construction that lasted three years was completed with a total of 41 stations on two lines and each train has the capacity to carry 286 passengers at a time, or what is the same, 15,000 passengers for an hour, a record for a city collapsed, and it is expected that these lines are scaled according to demand citizenship.

Light Rail station

This new transportation system helps to facilitate the life of the community. It is efficient and apart from its high capacity, it allows the coexistence of other means of transport that have traditionally been used in Addis Ababa. From the perspective of city branding, light rail is attractive to residents, travelers, tourists and other visitors and it can be a call for a greater investment of private capital.

From the point of view of development, light rail is a conductor element of other urban regeneration projects, providing a permanent and attractive infrastructure to other investments that stimulates projects and associated activities such as urban and residential renovation, commercial development in areas that were previously inaccessible and it gives a positive message to all stakeholders, that are the neighbors and the public and private companies.

Moreover, as we are talking about an electric transport, it is also presented as one of the more sustainable modes of transport, at a time when all the world’s cities have  equally the challenge of climate change in their long-term strategies.

Possibly it is a small gesture that helps the urban identity of Addis Ababa, but we are confident that in the short term it will improve the life quality of its neighbors, and therefore we should continue putting in place such projects in countries in development where most of the population that are seeking improvement opportunities are concentrated. When we speak of progress we can not leave anyone lying on the platform.