New Taipei City has just received an award in London recognizing its efforts in sustainable urban development.
The London-based Financial Times and the International Financial Corporation presented New Taipei with an Award for Excellence in City Transformation. This is the first time a city from Taiwan has won the award, edging out seven other shortlisted cities, including Busan, South Korea, and Lviv, Ukraine.
New Taipei City surrounds Taipei and is Taiwan’s most populous city. Organizers chose it for its vision of “building a ‘Livable City’ that identifies and accommodates the needs of its people.”
New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu responded on Friday morning to the win, saying it was the result of the long-term efforts of the government and citizens. Chu said that for the past six years, the city has been promoting creativity in traditional industries and participatory budgeting, and that it has been working to improve infrastructure.
Organizers also highlighted the city’s Happiness Protection Station initiative, in which convenience stores offer free meal boxes to children and the disadvantaged. The program also enables the government to learn about and help families in need.