Here you have the first letters of support for this nomination that have come in from the world network since the formal nomination was announced on 18 July.

Messages of support

From: Francis Papon
Sent: Monday, July 18, 2005

Eric,

I fully support the nomination of Seoul for the 2005 Environment Prize for at least two reasons.

• First, Seoul shows that things are moving, and moving in a sustainable direction, more rapidly in Asia than in Europe, where stagnation depresses the best will, or North America, where the unsustainable way of life seems intangible.

• Second, the leadership of mayor Lee Myung-Bak is evidence that errors of the past can be corrected, and that the equation progress equals environmentally unfriendly development is not ineluctable, so that many paths can lead to Reconcile Outlasting Mankind with the Earth (ROME).

Best regards

Francis Papon
Département Économie et Sociologie des Transports
Institut National De Recherche Sur Les Transports Et Leur Securite
F-94114 Arcueil France

From: On Behalf Of Prof J G Krishnayya
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2005 6:15 AM
To: 'Eric Britton'
Subject: Restoration project - radical plans and achievement in Seoul

Dear Mr. Britton,

I would like to support your nomination of Seoul’s Mayor for the prize this year, for most effective and innovative Transportation based policies.

Your description makes it sound almost unbelievable. I have never heard before of any city which has actually dismantled an expressway, and certainly never to restore a waterway. That IS remarkable in itself. All the other things you mention – the Busways, the GPS equipment, the new busses. All must have required tremendous political push, and in a capital city it must have required enormous financial muscle collected for the purpose.

I certainly support your nomination.

With kind rgards,

J G Krishnayya

Prof J G Krishnayya
Director, Systems Research Institute
17-A Gultekdi, Pune 411037 India

From: Carlos F. Pardo
Sent: Wednesday, July 20, 2005 9:16 AM

This is actually the biggest waterway restoration project I've known of in a developing coutry. As pointed out in your description, waterways are one of the key reasons for which most cities are chosen as major travel, commerce or political "hubs" for a city. Cities (and citizens) should remember that they live in a place that can't forget its history or its future, in terms of economic, environmental and social sustainability. I sincerely hope (and predict) that Seoul's life quality will continue to improve immensely if it continues to have these wonderful ideas. These are the kind of cities that others should look up to.

In short, I fully support this nomination and expect mayor Lee Myung-Bak to keep up the good work.

Best regards, Carlos F. Pardo
Project Coordinator
GTZ Sustainable Urban Transport Project (SUTP)
Bangkok 10200, Thailand

From: Robin Chase
Sent: Monday, July 25, 2005

I strongly support this nomination for the World Technology Award.

Robin Chase
Loeb Postprofessional Fellow, Founder of Zipcar
Graduate School of Design, Harvard University
Cambridge, Mass., USA

29 July 2005

World Technology Network
133 East 80th Street, Suite 10A
New York, NY 10021

Dear Sir or Madam:

For those of us who work on helping to create more sustainable cities, there are few times when events make us stop with great surprise and joy. For the most part, the inevitable march towards motorisation has simply meant trying to develop a few small demonstrations within an otherwise exploding car market. China and other Asian countries are quickly moving towards full car-dependency.

Thus, the dramatic events in Seoul over the past three years are difficult to comprehend. The demolition of a city-centre elevated roadway is unusual in any circumstances. To do so in the burgeoning auto market of Asia is seemingly miraculous.

As a professional working on transport and environment issues in the developing world, I would like to give my strongest support to the nomination of Mayor Lee Myung-Bak and the municipality of Seoul. Mayor Lee and his team have redefined what is possible with our urban environment. Demolishing elevated expressways, revamping the public transport system, and transforming waste sites into vibrant communities is a powerful combination of accomplishments.

Undoubtedly, over the next few years there will be many mayors and other municipal officials from the world over making a visit to Seoul in order to see first hand the transformation of the city. The best indication of Seoul's revival, though, is the steady stream of citizens who now make their way to the Cheonggyecheon River instead of the Cheonggyecheon Expressway. Amongst the crowds and children, it is difficult to imagine that this oasis of water and green space was layers of concrete just a few months back.

So many cities today talk about "sustainability" but few achieve anything that really even begins to reverse the ravages of unrestrained motorisation. Seoul has shown that local governments and a concerned citizenry can indeed reclaim their city. Without reservation, I encourage you to give Mayor Lee Myung-Bak and the Seoul municipality the highest consideration with your 2005 awards.

Sincerely,

Lloyd Wright
Gakushin Fellow, Osaka University, Japan

From: María Fernanda Escallón
Sent: Thursday, August 04, 2005

Dear Mr. Britton,

I wish to fully support this fabulous initiative. Undoubtedly enormous political will, clearly defined goals and technical capacity are all great examples for "third world" cities that are moving towards more sustainable ways of life. I wish to encourage more cities to look up to these initiatives and learn not only from what is being said, but from what is actually being done.

Congratulations and best wishes to Mayor Lee Myung-Bak.

Best,

María Fernanda Escallón
Coordinadora General, Desarrollo Estratégico
Fundación Ciudad Humana
Bogotá, Colombia

From: Chew Hooi Lian [mailto:ChewHooiLian@smrt.com.sg]
Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Dear All

I had the opportunity to be in Seoul on two occasions in July 2005.

During that time, I saw the tremendous changes that the Seoul government has made successfully to improve the city's public transport services and the environment.

The nomination certainly deserves full support from all.

Best regards,

Chew H L
SMRT Corporation Ltd (SMRT)
Singapore