Habitat Debate December 2004 A message from the Executive Director

In 19th century Europe and North that the function still falls short. America, the slum problem in was Slums are multiplying, urban crime is ram- the catalyst for modern . pant, development keeps sprawling, trans- But we need to bear in mind that it took port efficiency is declining, energy costs well over a century to substantially elimi- are rising, health problems increase, and nate those slums. many citizens are walling themselves off Slums are the worst, most degrading from others. What’s happening here? Has manifestations of urban poverty, depri- planning failed and does it need to be re- vation, and exclusion in modern world. placed by a more effective approach? And it is a fact that today we have both As the articles in this issue reveal, plan- the technical know-how (such as Geo- ning is accepted everywhere as a neces- graphical Information Systems un- sary function – a hallmark of human soci- dreamed of in the 19th century) the power ety. Municipalities, communities, and and the resources to plan effectively for states all engage in planning. Where it is the target established in the Millennium not working, however, there has been Declaration. much experimentation and innovation to As we enter the 21st century, urban plan- make planning fit the prevailing mood and ning faces the challenge of harmonizing political mode of governance. There have the global norms with locally distinct cul- been some striking success stories. here was a time when messengers tural conditions. While the broad frame- The question raised in this issue of the were executed for being the bear work for planning can have universal ap- Habitat Debate is how to make planning T-ers of bad tidings, and to blame peal, societies and countries should si- more relevant. It would seem that com- urban planners for our urban crises is like multaneously be able to develop their munication throughout the development turning back the clock and going back in own proposals and solutions. Rapid process is part of the key. Open and trans- history to a time when no-one could have change, driven mainly by business and parent governance and inclusive are an- foreseen the problems that we now face. technology, has to be tempered by cul- other big part. Likewise, some humility. We live in a world where UN-HABI- ture and local specificities. Planning thus needs to be interdiscipli- TAT research shows that nearly 1 billion In recent decades, has nary, taking in social and cultural situa- people, or 32 per cent of the global urban been grossly maligned. Many of the ills tions. There is no substitute to planning. population languish in slums, mostly in of have been conveniently But if it is not anchored to local condi- developing countries. In a process that dropped upon the doorstep of urban plan- tions, it can easily be substituted by an- we call the urbanisation of poverty, the ners. Planning, however, does not exist archy. locus of global poverty is moving into as an independent function or as a sepa- Thus the success of planning in the cities. rate agenda. It is one of the responsibili- future may depend on the success with We have to find a concept of urban ties of government to anticipate the fu- which we can cross the boundaries be- planning, which combined with concerted ture and to prepare for it. tween the arts, design, urban and spatial action by local authorities, national gov- There are many reasons why planning planning, , market forces, ar- ernments, civil society actors and the in- may not result in a better living environ- tistic creativity and cultural management. ternational community, works to alleviate ment for all. Planners’ advice may be good Planning needs to be continuously re- the plight of slum dwellers. If we fail, the or bad, taken or ignored. Planners may invented. number of slum dwellers is projected to not have adequate training. Politicians double over the next 30 years to 2 billion, may have a distorted sense of the public making the cauldron of misery and the interest. Plans may be unrealistic, given potential for social unrest twice as great their resource requirements. Powerful eco- Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka as it is today. Member States of the United nomic interests may feel threatened by Nations are committed to “achieve a sig- planning recommendations. Plans may Executive Director nificant improvement in the lives of at not reflect the priorities of community least 100 million slum dwellers by the year groups or business interests. Implemen- 2020”. UN-HABITAT is the agency man- tation authority may be fragmented dated to help governments, municipali- among jurisdictions. ties and all urban actors find the way here. In trying to correct these deficiencies, It means that urban planners and their planning has opened itself to public par- political leaders have not only to address ticipation, to a more realistic view of the needs of slum dwellers for better shel- stakeholder interests, to advocacy work, ter, but also the broader problems of ur- to setting social priorities, to environmen- ban poverty, unemployment, urban gov- tal impact analyses, to multi-jurisdictional ernance, low incomes, and a lack of ac- management and other areas where con- cess to basic services like water and elec- sensus signals good governance at work. tricity. Yet, in today’s world, it would appear

2 Habitat Debate December 2004

3 Global Overview Habitat Debate December 2004 Planning for a better future

By Paul Taylor This often left the plans out of date even cern for governance. Management and before they were completed. In the de- managerialism were outflanked, just as rban spatial planning has been veloping world, most of what was imple- planning had been, by an inability to re- in the doldrums for many years. mented had not been planned, and infor- spond fast enough to changes in the ex- UIt has typically been regarded as mal development overwhelmed the as- ternal environment. Management might be old-fashioned, technocratic, and bureau- sumptions and projections of the plans more realistic and efficient, but not nec- cratic, stifling development by wrapping and their visions of orderly development. essarily forward looking. Governance, it up with red tape. Cartoonists depict The world was proving just too chaotic with its emphasis on participation and in- planners as faceless officials, insensitive and dynamic to be encompassed within clusion, responds to the growing demand to the public and responsible for many the bounds of comprehensive master from civil society to address the needs of of the ills faced by modern cities. plans. the poor in a manner that reflects their From the 1950s to the 1970s ur- And even if plans were produced priorities, not just those of planners, tech- ban planning, despite isolated manifes- expeditiously, they took little account of nocrats and administrators. Various glo- tations of public unease with the direc- implementation realities. Plans were of- bal programmes such as UN-HABITAT’s tion it was taking, was a magnet for the ten the product of specialised agencies Urban Management Programme and the brightest and best of those involved in and departments composed of physical Sustainable Cities Programme have pio- government. It was the embodiment of planners. They had little power over neered techniques of participatory urban the dream of the brave new world. Plan- sectoral and infrastructure provision en- decision making with a sectoral focus on ners were socially and politically progres- tities, which were generally reluctant to themes such as the environment, poverty sive. Planning was seen as the means by implement plans in which they hardly had and gender. which government could deliver equi- any say. The only power left to planners table and economically efficient devel- was the control of , which they The revival opment in both the developed and the exercised through costly, bureaucratic, developing world. Indeed, in a number So, just as we may have been con- quasi-legalistic and often punitive re- sidering its demise, everywhere there is of countries in the economically devel- gimes. The reliance on this tool has been oped north, it has fulfilled many of its an expectation for a revival in urban plan- one of the main reasons for the alienation ning. This was evident in a vigorous de- expectations. Land use planning has of the citizenry from the process con- been an essential component in the avoid- bate at the Second World Urban Forum in ceived as having public – as opposed to Barcelona in September 2004. The revival ance of sprawl, economical land use private – interests as its focus. and efficient infrastructure provision, of planning has been evident for some One of the greatest failures of time throughout Western Europe, where especially public modes of transport. planning in the developing world has But, as the neo-liberal world view new approaches to strategic and eco- been its inability to respond to growing nomic planning have incorporated spa- gained dominance during the 1980s, poverty and exclusion. Planning dealt some of the problems of urban spatial tial planning components. with the world through planners’ eyes, The main reason for this is the rec- planning became more evident. But to and planners rely extensively on data. ascribe this to the fall-out of the ascen- ognition that planning is a much-needed The formal economy produces data, but integrative mechanism. Choices need to dancy of a new development model does by definition, the informal economy and not wash. Planning often failed the tasks be made between infrastructure sectors, society is less likely to. Therefore, the and where there are discontinuities be- it set itself. The nature of the failures of burgeoning informal sector was not fully the planning has been rehashed many tween financial resources, sectoral strat- included in master plans, and its unpre- egies and projects that need to be recon- times in different forums, but they are dictable evolution played a significant worth repeating. ciled, a “clearing house” function is re- role in rendering plans obsolete. Thus the quired to allow development objectives obsession with formal statistics contrib- The Problems to be achieved. Urban planning can fulfil uted to the failure of planning to deal sat- this function at city level. The dominant planning approach isfactorily with one of the major issues of of the period was master planning. Al- the time - that of urban poverty. though this was never a monolithic model Inclusion (structure planning as developed in the The Alternatives The new urban planning system is 1960s was one response to the failings part of the governance agenda. Planning Sectoral programmes and projects of the classic format), there were some pioneered public consultation, admittedly took the place of planning. They produced characteristic problems. often in an anaemic and ineffective form, identifiable outputs with tangible social, Plans were expensive, involved long before sectoral and economic plan- economic and environmental benefits de- large teams of professionals, and took ning agencies ever contemplated it, so it livered in time and within budgets. years to produce, in some cases decades. is not something that is entirely new. New The implementation failures of This would not have mattered so much planning practices around the world planning also led, initially at least, to an had the plans been implemented, but, wholeheartedly embrace participatory increased focus on management at city save for some countries in the North, they approaches. They recognise that the ex- level. The limitations of the managerial were not. Reality had normally moved on pert-driven decision making processes of approach, with its focus on technocratic after the base data had been gathered. the past were an important factor behind capability, thereafter gave way to a con- ineffective planning. 4 Habitat Debate December 2004 Global Overview

The new urban governance agenda plans embody realistic budgets and time- Programme, which embodies many of the is also unambiguously pro-poor and in- frames. It is through such means that plan- elements described above, provides guid- clusive. It accepts that one of the rea- ning can again become relevant and af- ance on how local authority departments sons why the poor are poor is because fordable to developing countries where and civil society can work together. But they have been excluded. Urban planning traditional planning had become too ex- this is based on principles of voluntary has been seeking ways of bringing ordi- pensive. cooperation. It may be that such volun- nary citizens, and especially the poor, into tary collaboration runs against the grain decision-making processes, using partici- The future of many institutions. Insofar as planning patory mechanisms to ensure their needs is marooned in dedicated land use depart- and priorities are explicitly recognised. But the of the new ments, the possibilities of being strategic Indeed, contemporary urban planning is planning is not yet fully formed. The new may be still-born. increasingly accepting the notion that planning will not be as immutable in con- And finally, what about planners planning is not normatively neutral - that ception as the old. Indeed, the old still themselves? Are they up to the job? Can its achievements must be measured has much life left in it. Master planning is they move away from an obsession with against broad societal goals and values practised and successful in a number of control and expert knowledge towards a such as included in the inclusive prin- high countries, particu- flexible approach that emphasises knowl- ciples of UN-HABITAT’s Global Cam- larly in Asia, that have strong traditions edge of the socio-economic environment, paign on Urban Governance. Key think- and cultures of central control and direc- and social entrepreneurship that pro- ers say it is essential that new urban plan- tion accompanied by clear, simple visions motes interaction with civil society? Un- ning engage with the long neglected in- and long term planning backed by sub- less there is a transformation of planning formal sector in the developing world. But stantial government investment. practice and education to reflect these planning’s engagement with the gover- The term strategic planning means new realities, strategic planning may re- nance agenda, is not the only strand that many things to many people. Some see it main a good idea - just that and no more. constitutes the emergent paradigm. as a means for setting a vision for the future, others as a means of focussing on Paul Taylor is Chief, Urban Development Implementation large-scale priority infrastructure projects. Branch, UN-HABITAT It is also seen as a means of binding tech- There is also a concern with imple- nical rationality into political decision mentation - the Achilles’ heel of master making. planning. Strategic planning practice, City development strategies sup- which is becoming the dominant meth- ported by various UN-HABITAT odology, involves a move away from com- programmes vary from place to place. prehensiveness towards focusing on pri- There is no ready-made formula. UN- ority urban problems. Subsequent action HABITAT’s Sustainable Cities Urban Planning in : A paradigm shift

By David Kithakye to genuinely participate in decision–making, the plan- ning and implementation of self-improvement initiatives. y 1989, the ten-year-old Master Plan of the City The process resulted in empowerment of the communi- of Dar es Salaam had become obsolete. Most of ties, building of social trust among the stakeholders Bthe assumptions underlying the plan were no and a Strategic Urban Development Plan (SUDP) pre- longer valid in the light of the social, economic and policy pared through a consultative process. changes, which had been going on in Tanzania since The SUDP documents the shared vision of the the preparation of the Master Plan. City of Dar es Salaam, outlines the strategic develop- The City’s social and physical infrastructure had ment issues, proposals for environmentally sustainable deteriorated very badly. The Master Plan had not worked. development including projects, and the A change was therefore needed to prepare a plan that methodology of its preparation. would work and remain sustainably relevant. In the preparatory process all stakeholders were The introduction of the engaged and committed to the output. But the fact that and Management process in the Sustainable Dar es the SUDP has yet to be adopted as the legal replace- Salaam Project (SDP) marked the beginning of a new ment of the Master Plan is probably a weakness to be planning approach. The Environmental Planning and recognised. It has, however, been guiding the develop- Management process led to building collaborative bridges ment of the City of Dar es Salaam with a difference and between different stakeholders in the public, private and has been achieving results. popular sectors, as well as within institutions and com- munities. The collaboration promotes the sharing of David Kithakye is a Senior Human Settlements Officer knowledge and capacity building among stakeholders. with UN-HABITAT’s Regional Office for and the More important, stakeholders have the opportunity Arab States (ROAAS).

5 Forum Habitat Debate December 2004 A Commonwealth perspective By Cliff Hague gic, Integrative, and Participatory in in- not standing apart. Work across the di- tent, and Inclusive, Creative and Equi- vides: listen, link and add the spatial di- rban development is wound up table. mension to the other discourses. It’s a with issues of poverty. UN- Much of what passes for plan- demanding job. UHABITAT figures indicate that ning is actually regulation of development Pro-poor planning means moving the world’s urban population increased in a routine, administrative manner. Scarce from public participation to participatory by 36 per cent in 1990s, and between 2001- professional resources are frittered away planning. Participation that is not based 31 the urban population of the develop- in futile attempts to micro-manage land on awareness of patterns of inequality is ing world will double to about 4 billion use. Out of date, detailed plans encour- likely to exacerbate inequalities. people, an increase of about 70 million age haphazard development, and mean Inclusive planning recognises per year. that infrastructure is underprovided and that the poor are not a homogenous group. Ninety-three per cent of the addi- follows development. Such “planning” They are differentiated by age, gender, tional urban population 2000-2015 will be favours speculators and squeezes the length of residence, ethnicity, and forms in less developed countries; 75 per cent poor. of physical or mental handicap. The team of the growth is expected to be in cities of In contrast, pro-poor planning at Heriot-Watt are writing a Good Practice 1 million to 5 million; rural populations should be strategic and integrative; put Guide on Planning for Diversity and will barely increase and are expected to , markets and Equality for the government in the United decline after 2020; one person in six lives in a slum. On present trends, the figure will be one in three by 2033. The Commonwealth Association of Planners How will another 1 billion urban The Commonwealth Association of Planners deals with the planning residents over the next 15 years affect the and management of settlements and regions across the Commonwealth. environment? We can expect more land Professional organisations of urban and regional planners across the Com- conversion from agriculture and forests; monwealth are members. CAP is a forum for creative ideas and practical extended urban ecological footprints and action to make healthy, attractive and competitive towns, cities and re- “heat island” effects - e.g. increased run- gions. It has a website that includes, news, papers, lists of contacts and off; greenhouse gases and climate events. It also produces quarterly newsletters that carry news and articles change. from across the commonwealth. Everywhere it is the poor who live CAP engages with other professions and non-governmental in the most hazardous locations. In the organisations within and beyond the Commonwealth to promote aware- rich countries the spread of cities and the ness and action for sustainable human settlements. It supports the work associated energy costs and greenhouse of UN-HABITAT and of Commonwealth Habitat through involvement in their gas emissions impact on global climate. events and activities. It also uses its extensive network of practising plan- Patterns of land use and transport in these ers and planning researchers to work on projects with international devel- countries are an important contributor in opment agencies. sea level rise and the incidence of the ex- CAP is open to membership and support from many different types treme weather conditions. The impact is of planning organisations. For more information, visit the website: http:// most severe on small island states and www.commonwealth-planners.org. countries vulnerable to flooding like Bangladesh. people – not buildings – at the core of Kingdom. What can be done? planning. Big urban growth is going to Our Good Practice Guide will show The message of the Commonwealth happen. It should be where people want how to work for equity, for instance, Association of Planners (CAP) is simple to live and where businesses want to de- through audit plans that assess impacts but needs repeating: velop – unless such places are danger- on different groups and areas, use of moni- • We share one planet ous or threaten essential ecological re- toring to demonstrate equity in treatment, sources. Plan the major transport net- and ensuring equity in recruitment and • There can be no sustainable develop- works and hubs and allocate more than promotion within planning organisations. ment without sustainable urbanisation enough land for development. Develop- The culture of planning must (in the rich countries as well as the ment will follow infrastructure. change and is changing. The CAP poor countries) Planning needs to be integrative (www.commonwealth-planners.org) is • There can be no sustainable of, and to express the development in- keen to take this agenda forward. urbanisation without a new form of tentions of business and infrastructure planning providers. Planners need spatial under- Cliff Hague is Professor of Planning at • That form of planning has to be pro- standing, and skills of synthesis, com- Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh and poor munication and negotiation. To contrib- President of the Commonwealth Associa- So how do we begin to change ute to poverty alleviation, plans need to tion of Planners. planning? I suggest an acronym – SIPICE be integrated with services such as edu- – because planning needs to be Strate- cation, housing and community work –

6 Habitat Debate December 2004 Forum Making city planning affordable to all countries By Daniel Biau planning and subsequently introduced countries, is a complex process requiring and management a lot of discussions, commitment and con- The death of urban as an element of good urban governance. tinuity in leadership, and adequate capaci- planning At the Istanbul City Summit, while urban ties at different levels. This process is planning did not figure as a key issue in hardly affordable by least developed its own right, it was in fact subsumed un- countries (LDCs) which lack institutional onventional urban planning or der the broader urban governance frame- capacities, financial resources and often master planning almost passed work which emerged as the main outcome clear policies. away in the mid 1980s, particu- C of Habitat II. This new planning was ex- The challenge, therefore, is to larly in developing countries. Many rea- pected to meet the following criteria: identify and promote a minimalist ap- sons explain this not so sudden “death”: • In terms of process, urban plans proach to urban planning, i.e. an approach • In terms of process, urban plans were should be prepared in a democratic that would generally respect the above- designed by bureaucrats and experts, way, involving civil society organiza- mentioned criteria while simultaneously generally ignoring political and social tions and all concerned stakeholders. focusing on very few top priorities con- dynamics of the city. City planning was Experts should mainly play a facilitat- sidered as essential for guiding urban a top-down technocratic exercise, not ing role. development. This concept could be too different from economic planning. • In terms of product, strategic plans or called “affordable participatory plan- • In terms of product, urban plans were ning”. By definition, the minimalist plan- City Development Strategies should essentially spatial and land-use ning approach should not be comprehen- replace master plans. The focus should maps, not associated with investment sive but selective: planning and resource mobilisation. be on a shared vision for the city (link- ing social development, economic pro- • The process should mobilise civil so- • In terms of implementation, urban plan- ductivity and environmental protec- ciety and political organizations in the ning was generally blind on institu- tion) and on multi-partner action plans definition of the vision (“the city we tional issues such as the relationship to translate this vision into reality by want”) and priority areas (“hotspots”) between sectoral ministries, and be- addressing priority issues. through popular consultations; tween central and local governments. In terms of implementation, local au- • In terms of product, it would usually It did not associate long-term goals • prioritise infrastructure development with daily city management constraints thorities should be in the driving seat with emphasis (especially in LDCs) on and short-term priorities. as the level of government closest to the citizens. Powers and resources primary road and water networks and • In terms of strategy, urban planning should be decentralised and local ca- on pricing and municipal finance; tried to go around the need for policy pacities strengthened. Planning and • Implementation should include a and legal reforms, and often unques- urban management should be closely strong component on institutional tioningly accepted existing situations. integrated. strengthening, particularly at the lo- Consequently, it failed to address the • In terms of strategy, planning should cal level; root-causes of many urban problems. be considered as a tool, its effective- • The strategy should preferably be as- ness dependent directly on the qual- As a result of these limitations, most sociated with a review/reform of ur- ity of the urban governance system. Master Plans were simply not imple- ban governance legislation, rules and Good governance and appropriate ur- mented. Many still lie in the archive unit practices. ban policy should almost automatically of Urban Development Ministries and lead to good planning. Town Planning Departments. Of course minimal planning re- The international debt crisis of the quires maximum political commitment to Several programmes of UN-HABI- early 1980s dealt a fatal blow to traditional ensure impact and sustainability. With TAT, such as the Urban Management urban planning as structural adjustment such commitment, urban planning can Programme and the Sustainable Cities programmes (SAPs) were imposed in many certainly become affordable and useful. Programme, have demonstrated that this developing countries. Under SAPs, gov- But planners should also accept to play a new type of city planning is feasible pro- ernments had to slash social spending, more modest and more targeted role in vided it is focused, locally-owned and including on basic services in order to the management of urban affairs. politically supported. However it seems repay their debt. Urban planning became too early to claim that urban planning is irrelevant as there was nothing to plan. Daniel Biau, Director of the Regional back on the global development scene. and Technical Cooperation Division, is Acting Deputy Executive Director of UN- The revival of city Can urban planning HABITAT. planning become affordable for Planning came back through the environmental window in conjunction all? with the Earth Summit held in Rio de The new planning approach pro- Janeiro in 1992. UN-HABITAT was one moted by international organisations and of the agencies that re-appraised urban already adopted by several developed

7 Forum Habitat Debate December 2004 Mega urban regions: marrying planning, politics and the economy

By Jos Maseland of political and administrative definition. funds and capacities in the face of rapid It makes for a planning nightmare. But urbanization. fter 1945 the predominance of evidence indicates that megaurban re- Fragmented governance of poly- discrete national economies and gions can be sustained without political centric metropolitan areas has become the Arelatively self-contained cities or economic collapse if the focus is on world’s most serious urban policy chal- steadily diminished. In the advanced improved management rather than on lenge. economies the combined dynamics of technological fixes. Public policy, cooperation and demographic growth and Modernist plan- Nearly all ‘megacities’ contain a planning set the upper limits of gains to ning ideology caused dispersal of popu- multitude of local governments, munici- be reaped from urban agglomeration. With lation and economic activity beyond ur- palities and special purpose bodies. Met- urban management increasingly becom- ban boundaries. ropolitan Chicago, for instance, has more ing a matter of policy and coordination at In the early 1960s, than 1,100 local government bodies that the urban-region level, experiments with had become the dominant trend in most more or less operate independently, cre- supra-municipal governance and regional of the advanced economies and new ur- ating both governance voids and juris- councils are underway worldwide. To ban spatial configurations started to diction overlaps. Similarly, in 1959, Rob- date, there are few success stories. emerge. Cities in geographic proximity ert Wood already referred to New York’s But metro-wide and urban region connected through their sprawl into con- 1,400 governments. The very term governance cannot be isolated from tinuous urban clusters. The first such ag- ‘megacity’ as such is misleading in itself broader politics and economics. Regional glomeration was the Washington-Phila- and is pointing at the core issue. It classi- governance, inclusive of new layers of au- delphia-New York-Boston megalopolis. fies urban regions by population size with- thority between the local and national Large regional urban clusters and mega- out acknowledging the separate political level are difficult to realize due to the re- urban regions soon materialized in every or administrative units they contain. The sistance of vested interests and inevitable continent: Germany’s Rhine-Ruhr ‘megacity’ is rarely the single administra- restrictions to policy-making at lower lev- conurbation, the Randstad in the Nether- tive body the term appears to imply. els. Furthermore, positions on governance lands, Brazil’s São Paulo-Rio de Janeiro There are only two single municipalities vary with ideology. urban corridor, the Hong Kong- with 10+ million inhabitants: Mumbai (11.4 In Europe and Canada, metropoli- Guangzhou area in China, the Lagos- m) and São Paulo (10.4 m). tan governance focuses on communities, Ibadan corridor in equality, solidarity, and urban and the Gauteng/ management efficiency. The Johannesburg province of Greater Tokyo (26.4 million people) is considered the United States tends more to- South Africa, to name a few. world’s largest city. However, the creation of integrated, wards individualism, market-led urban-based regional economic platforms is rapidly lead- By 2000, a global competition and free choice. ing to hyper-agglomerations that defy comprehension. pattern of urban agglomera- Hong Kong, for instance, through the integration of the Further ideological complica- tions had evolved with some Hong Kong Special Administrative Region with tions arise in situations where 400 city regions of one+ mil- Guangdong, the Shenzen Special Economic Zone and central and metropolitan gov- lion inhabitants worldwide extension into the Pearl River Delta, is rapidly develop- ernments adhere to opposing and 20 mega-urban regions ing into a hyper-urban region with more than 100 million political philosophies. exceeding 10 million people. inhabitants. The Delta Metropolis of The Netherlands, But regardless of ideol- According to UN- the Flemish Diamond in Belgium and the German Rhine- ogy, metropolization trends in- HABITAT’s Global Report Ruhr area are becoming a single, integrated European dicate that local actors need to on Human Settlements 2003, mega-urban region, as is ‘Megalopolis England’ (Lon- redefine their thinking about by 2015, about 1.47 billion don, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and territorial planning, social exclu- Sheffield). people (20.6 percent of the sion, economic development, global population) will be the environment and even de- living in city regions exceed- mocracy at the local level. With ing one million inhabitants and 340 mil- It is clear that urban management governments compelled to devote increas- lion people (4.7 percent of the global popu- and planning practices that worked for ingly more resources to the built environ- lation) in mega clusters of 10+ million. traditional mono-centric cities are hope- ment, a number of societal policy issues With nearly all global demographic lessly inadequate for managing multi-mu- are emerging. In the 21st century the hu- growth now concentrated in developing nicipal, poly-centric city regions. It leads man condition remains threatened and countries, the extended metropolis is be- to highly fragmented urban governance fragile. If no attention is paid to ideology, coming a major feature of the developing that now characterizes most metropolitan particularly that part of urban ideology South. Useful as they may be as demo- areas. Critical urban governance voids, that seeks equality and justice, the cities graphic absorbers, metropolitan regions, function duplications and coordination of the 21st century may become social by their sheer size, create complex and issues have in many countries been com- battlegrounds. multifaceted problems on scales never ex- pounded by steadily diminishing central perienced before. government influence over urban policy Jos Maseland is Chief Technical Advisor The greatest challenges of the - in the North due to poli- of UN-HABITAT’s Sustainable mega-urban regions are the result of a lack cies, and in the South because of lack of Neighbourhoods Programme.

8 Habitat Debate December 2004 Forum Agenda for a new urban planning strategy

By Eduardo López Moreno portant social and economic problems, to a large extent, inclusive and productive. n the developed world, conventional With few notable exceptions, in urban planning has managed to pro most of the cities of the developing world, Iduce effective, economically viable urban planning has not managed to cre- and habitable cities over the last 30 years, ate equitable and sustainable urban perhaps even longer. The planning pro- growth. Cities are far from achieving their cess was often framed around questions potential, and only a handful work as ef- like: where are we now? Where would we fective engines of growth. Today, the re- like to be? How do we get there? How do ality in many African, Asian and Latin we track our progress? What action must American cities is manifest in high crime we take to get there? rates, limited basic services, precarious This type of conventional urban shelter, and local authorities ill-equipped planning worked in stable political and to manage the rising demands. In fact, institutional environments with well-co- most citizens have lost their faith in local A satellite image showing part of the city of ordinated mechanisms, sound develop- institutions, local governance and urban Hargeisa in Somaliland ©: Quickbird ment strategies, functional markets and planning. effective intervention strategies to ad- Despite impressive technical and • Satellite mapping and remote sens- dress market failure. technological advances in urban plan- ing: High-resolution satellite images In these cities, the plan (and other ning, positive changes in developing cit- are increasingly becoming available. related urban planning tools) served to ies can only be expected if personal val- These can serve as an objective data demarcate the areas of protection, ues, ideas, ideology and make-up do not source of the current land use in a city maximise the economic base of the city detract from the vision of the future. Cur- (see the image of Hargeisa below). and reduce risks of natural hazards. The rently, urban plans are mere drawings that They are extremely useful for identify- plan therefore plays a larger role than lack the sociological, political, economi- ing new settlements (e.g. slums in peri- being only a socio-spatial model of the cal and cultural ingredients indicated urban areas), forecasting urban city. It has multiple functions: above. growth, estimating population densi- - technically, it is a visual portrayal of A new approach to strategy de- ties or mapping hazard areas. the city now and tomorrow that relies velopment and planning in developing • Geographic Information Systems on urban information to facilitate de- countries needs to recognize that plans (GIS): Large amounts of geo-refer- cision-making and define priorities of are not and should not be the ultimate enced data-sets can be mapped into intervention. outcome of the planning process. A fresh different information layers on key is- - sociologically, as a “code of social understanding of strategic thinking and sues such as social development, in- conduct” that orders actions, encour- planning in poor and developing coun- frastructure, environmental degrada- ages certain activities, and punishes tries is required to generate the outcomes tion, poverty or traffic flows. This tool transgressions. It is a tool to organize fundamental to the future of the city. can facilitate planning discussions both space and society. Among the wide range of available meth- among different stakeholders and even - politically, it is the written expression ods and technologies, the most promis- participatory mapping. of political commitments and compro- ing are those that transform data into in- • Information-based planning systems mises that help to build consensus and formation and thereafter into urban poli- that use urban indicators data and GIS social and economic stability. cies, such as: technology for strengthening city - economically, it is a blue print that Local and national data systems that • management, policy-making and gov- defines and regulates the modes of collect and analyse comparable, reli- ernance. use/appropriation of local resources able and up-to-date information at city These tools and techniques are (i.e. land, water). and sub-city levels. This can be done deployed in a very limited way in devel- - Culturally, it provides a frame of ref- through local observatories that pro- oping countries. In the cases where they erence for the different actors that com- duce and disseminate information. are used, the emphasis is often on pro- prise the city, and helps define their • Small area statistics: Pockets of pov- duction of “fancy” maps with general actions in an agreed societal environ- erty in cities, populations at risk and prescriptions. Fundamental ingredients ment. areas of exclusion can be identified if such as broader social and political par- All these aspects are possible be- the information is disaggregated at ap- ticipation, accountability and transpar- cause of efficient structures of gover- propriate levels (e.g. neighbourhood). ency often lag far behind these great tech- nance that clearly link actions to re- There is a need to produce local data nological advances. sources, and the complementary roles of for local problems, and small area sta- governments at the local, regional, and tistics techniques and intra-city analy- Eduardo López Moreno is the Chief of national levels. Conventional planning in sis can help to allocate resources the Global Urban Observatory, UN- the developed world has been instrumen- where they are most needed and keep HABITAT tal in avoiding serious conflicts of inter- track of improvements. est, producing cities that are, despite im-

9 Forum Habitat Debate December 2004 Revisiting urban planning at the Second World Urban Forum in Barcelona creasingly operate as regulators and ad- By Shipra Narang ministrators, rather than thinkers and strategists. He said there was growing rban planning has often been realisation that urban planners had to re- blamed for failing to respond focus on addressing socio-economic in- adequately to changes in the U equalities, making cities more inclusive, pace and scale of urbanisation, or to phe- and ensuring . nomena such as widening inequalities, “In a situation where govern- In a packed convention room at the Second rising crime or the deteriorating physical World Urban Forum in Barcelona, the audi- ments cannot govern, is it a surprise that environment of cities. Many argue that ence listen intently as panelists discuss the com- planners cannot plan?” asked Mr. Rod planning as a concept has been super- plexities of urban planning in the modern Hackney, former President of the Interna- world. Photo ©: UN-HABITAT. ceded by that of “good governance.” tional Union of Architects. Planners, he In a lively discussion at a net- said, had to use their skills to develop replaced by “integrated development working event entitled, Urban Planning contextually appropriate models, and planning”, with a strong focus on public Revisited on 17 September 2004 during work with communities with the ultimate participation and action projects. Spatial the Second World Urban Forum in aim of empowering them. plans exist, but are subordinate to Inte- Barcelona, perspectives on planning in Mr. Gert Ludeking, UN- grated Development Plans. Africa, Europe and the transition coun- HABITAT’s Chief Technical Advisor in The debate reached three main tries were debated. It was clear that ur- Kosovo, said that special plans could go conclusions. First, that planning and gov- ban and spatial planning has come full wrong in the absence of a modern legis- ernance are inextricably linked. Strategic circle with growing recognition that sus- lative and regulatory framework, and planning is essentially an exercise in ef- tainable urbanisation is impossible with- where local capacity to develop new fective, efficient and participatory gover- out effective urban planning. plans was limited. He said this was exem- nance, and spatial plans are one of the “Planning is imperative, but it plified by 7,000 illegal and irregular con- development tools available. needs to be based on knowledge rather structions in Pristina, the capital of Second, planners need to develop than technique,” said Professor Akin L. Kosovo. With no straightforward solu- their skills in a manner that emphasises Mabogunje, Chairman of the Presidential tion in sight, such a situation requires knowledge and understanding of the Technical Committee on Housing and Ur- long-term vision needs combined with socio-economic context, as well as tech- ban Development of the Nigerian Presi- action projects to address immediate niques and tools. They need to aim to- dency. Whatever the model adopted, he “flash-points”. It is where strategic plan- wards reducing inequalities, improving said, planners needed to understand the ning becomes imperative. sustainability, and promoting equitable political economy of the society, custom- The debate in Barcelona revealed access to land. ary land ownership systems, how mod- that the basic issues in both developing Finally, planning has an important ern land markets function, and the social and transition countries are not very dif- role in reconciling the growing diversity context within which they prepare plans. ferent. These range from a legacy of and conflict in today’s world. The needs Indeed, there is no single plan- centralised, top-down planning, of women and men, rich and poor, differ- ning model. Master plans still reign su- demoralised and disempowered local au- ent ethnic and racial groups, the preme in many parts of Asia, such as In- thorities and planners, an urgent need to marginalised and the vulnerable, must be dia and China, and in the transition deal with situations of conflict between addressed adequately through planning economies. Detailed spatial planning and communities, the significance of an equi- solutions. stringent zoning are the order of the day table land market, and the importance of The planning profession is cur- in countries with limited land for urban addressing informal settlements to the rently in transition. The World Urban Fo- development like, for example, Japan and imperative of applying and incorporating rum discussion brought together regional The Netherlands. But strategic planning good governance into planning. voices and perspectives on planning, and approaches with a focus on public-pri- Many countries in the North helped to share the approaches employed vate-community partnerships are gaining have brought good governance into their successfully in different parts of the world. ground in countries of the north as (e.g. planning recently. For example, the inclu- It also helped to establish linkages be- The Netherlands, ), well sion of participatory processes in land tween UN-HABITAT and planners’ net- as the south (e.g. Brazil and South Af- use planning regulation in Finland is as works, such as the Commonwealth Asso- rica). The question now being asked, is recent as the year 2000. Gender concerns, ciation of Planners and the Canadian In- whether there is anything that brings especially the issue of participation of stitute of Planners, with a view to holding these diverse planning approaches to- women in planning processes, still remain a wider debate on these issues at the Third gether? to addressed in many countries. World Urban Forum in Vancouver, in 2006. Professor Cliff Hague, of the Com- An interesting approach of “mar- monwealth Association of Planners, cited rying” governance and planning was of- Shipra Narang is an Associate Human the fact that a common problem with plan- fered by Mr. Andrew Boraine, Chairper- Settlements Officer with UN-HABITAT’s ning today was that it was not really un- son of the South African Cities Network. Urban Governance Section. dertaken by planners. Urban planners in- Spatial planning as a concept has been 10 Habitat Debate December 2004 Forum Bringing informal settlements into city planning By Diane A. Dumashie Commission 8 activities are car- ried out through four working groups. he International Federation of Sur Working Group (WG) 8.3 concentrates on veyors (FIG), led by Surveyors in supporting development in the informal TSpatial planning and Develop- sector. This Group is leading a cross- ment (Commission 8), is currently devel- Commission effort to explore how mem- oping a statement on the capabilities and bers of FIG can contribute to the chal- roles of land economists and planning lenge of the city planning and develop- surveyors in the process of improving the ment process, in partnership with inter- lives of 100 million slum dwellers by 2020. national agencies and local governance Under the Sustainable Dar es Salaam It will be published in 2006. institutions. Project (SDP) informal construction like FIG is a UN-accredited NGO The work of Commission 8 will that shown in this picture is intended to give which represents the interests of survey- lead to a publication to be presented at way to a better planned city for all. Photo ©: UN-HABITAT. ors throughout the world. The federation the FIG World Congress to be held in achieves its work through technical and Munich in 2006. It will set out the with branches of UN-HABITAT (particu- professional commissions, each of which Commission’s view on the issues arising larly Urban Governance and Security of is concerned with a different aspect of in informal settlements, collating into one Tenure Campaigns) in managing the de- the multi-disciplinary work of the land single document the multi-disciplinary velopment planning process to integrate economist and surveyor. facets of land economics and surveying. informal settlements into city planning Commission 8 work is inextrica- It will also examine how members of FIG and governance strategies. Finally, it will bly linked to the of people and could increase their awareness so that seek to establish the next steps of a prag- focuses upon settlements, disaster man- they have the appropriate knowledge and matic and practical approach to take the agement and public-private partnerships. skills for good project planning and man- resulting conclusions forward over the Spatial planning development surveyors agement based on city context, needs and period 2006-2010. concentrate on policy, project develop- resources. It will draw on international ment management and research arising case studies in participatory planning Dr. Diane A. Dumashie is the Chair of in urban and peri-urban areas, typically promoted by lead programmes and FIG’s Commission 8 on Spatial Planning linking economic decision making to organisations such as UMP and UN- and Development physical planning strategies in city plans, HABITAT. with the ultimate objective of achieving The publication will also identify sustainable urban development. in detail, potential areas of collaboration

Geographical Information Systems for city planners

By Martin Raithelhuber

rban planners in a Kenyan town were recently surprised by the discovery that several large buildings in the city centre had been built right across access roads and road reserves. During a period of rapid urban Ugrowth, this development had gone unnoticed by the local authority which did not have the means to update old city maps. To cope with such a rapidly changing urban situation, the city introduced a Geographical Information System (GIS) that links plot boundaries with digitized information on buildings and roads. The system uses a high-resolution satellite image that can focus down to 1 metre. It thus enabled new urban development to be immediately detected for appropriate action. As our cover photo shows, UN-HABITAT is able to similarly assist the northern Somali city of Hargeisa using the latest technology. Similar situations exist in many cities in developing countries. Often, maps date back to colonial times, and information on even the most basic amenities such as water connections is fragmented, incomplete or misplaced. Bringing together this information into a unifying system, which is based on an interactive electronic map, allows policy-makers and planners to pin-point problem areas and target their scarce resources more efficiently. Often, the most vulnerable groups living in informal settlements are not even visible in official records. Satellite images in combination with GIS analysis can help those most in need because they show slums where they are, rather than where people might think they are. The GIS maps are a powerful communication tool that can easily be understood by non-technical people or even illiterate persons. Participatory planning becomes a reality when disadvantaged citizens can help map and plan their own neighbourhood together with the local author- ity using a simplified GIS interface.

Martin Raithelhuber manages UN-HABITAT’s 1000 Cities GIS Programme

11 Regional Habitat Debate December 2004 An African Perspective

By Akin L. Mabogunje To improve on the situation, it is enable urban planning to build on its believed that there must be a decisive shift present strength and correct existing n African countries the pace of of emphasis towards decentralisation and weaknesses, especially in respect of guid- urbanisation has been so rapid in the devolution of power and resources to lo- ing and directing development in rapidly Ilast half century as to overwhelm any cal governments and greater inclusive- growing cities such as those in Africa. attempt to control or direct it through the ness and participation in decision-mak- Ms. Peattie, in fact, suggests that use of urban planning. Traditionally it has ing of neighbourhood communities the type of knowledge that the urban plan- depended on the formulation and produc- within each urban centre. Only such a ner will require in meeting the challenges tion of master plans and even of strategic shift could make for effective urban gov- of the situation in many developing coun- planning as the preferred methodology ernance which responds to the increas- tries will constrain him to focus on a num- for guiding and directing the growth and ing diversity and multiculturalism of cit- ber of methodological issues such as val- development of cities. ies. It would have to deal effectively with ues, power, closeness, minutiae, practices, The methodology of master plan- wide-ranging environmental problems, concrete cases and context. It will entail ning, however, assumes a relatively slow promote greater willingness on the part urban planning going beyond just land- pace of urban growth whilst that of stra- of residents to meet their civic responsi- use or physical planning to a concern with tegic planning is closely tied to invest- bilities of paying taxes and rates, and en- collecting and analysing social data based ment decisions. sure greater accountability on the part of on cadastral units in each and all the Indeed, it is estimated that by the the municipal authorities to all the resi- neighbourhoods in the city, such that its year 2025 more than half the population dents of the city. activities covers not only the development of the African continent will be living in In such a context, the future of of new areas of the city but extends si- urban centres and particularly in metro- urban planning can only be assured if, in multaneously to the renewal of the older politan areas and megacities. its turn, it goes through a paradigm shift parts of the city and the slum upgrading It is the inadequacy of these towards more adaptive planning based of peripheral shanty-town areas. Indeed, present approaches in guiding such rap- on a deeper knowledge of the people and slum upgrading must be seen as a central idly changing urban growth and devel- of the physical, economic, social and po- task of urban planning in this situation opment that has cast considerable doubt litical systems of the city. since this is the most important means of on the future of urban planning especially Two experts, Bent Flyvbjerg of integrating spatial development in the city in Africa. Moreover, given this rapid rate Denmark and Lisa Peattie of the United as a whole. This will also entail using of growth, governments in many devel- States suggest that the type of knowl- some of the most recent information and oping countries have been unable to meet edge required such adaptive urban plan- communications technology such as sat- the demands of the heavy streams of mi- ning must derive a lot from what Aristotle ellite images, geographic information sys- grants and even of existing residents of defines as phronesis or the knowledge of tems and global positioning systems to cities for decent housing and gainful em- what to do in particular circumstances. reduce the costs of these activities. ployment. The result has been the domi- This is to be distinguished from episteme Such a shift in the methodology nation of informal sector activities in the or universal knowledge and knowledge of urban planning will ensure that it plays economy of their cities, and the mush- of the art or craft of doing things. It is a pivotal role in promoting and deepen- rooming of slums and shanty towns. such a significant paradigm shift that can ing the growth of an urban land market, which gives some economic and ex- change value to even the relatively small parcels of land of the urban poor in shanty areas and enhances their capacity to re- spond appropriately and with economic rationality to the dynamics of urban land- use changes in the city. It will also ensure that urban plan- ning can be a vital hand-maiden of effec- tive urban governance. It will help cities and metropolitan areas mobilize their population better for greater competitive effectiveness in a globalizing world where cities as well as nation-states are engaged in a veritable contest of attracting to them- selves significant amount of foreign di- rect investments and employment-gener- ating enterprises. Akin L. Mabogunje is the Chair- man, Presidential Technical Committee on Housing and Urban Development, The In the bustling Senegalese capital, Dakar, urban planning combined with democratic gover- Presidency, Abuja, Nigeria. nance sets it apart as one of ’s most modern cities. Photo ©: UN-HABITAT. 12 Habitat Debate December 2004 Regional Europe and North America - community participation in planning

By Rod Hackney launched the Pathfinder Programme. This his wife Edna Jurkowski, has lived in his programme began life as a reasonable at- home for 40 years. He argues that it is a any new immigrants to Europe tempt to address the issue of declining decent place to live out the rest of his life, and North American cities mi towns and cities where the collapse of and having improved his house, it will Mgrate to the older inner cities, the housing market resulted in negative remain a good home for his wife. where they find the cheaper housing, ei- equity in property and where repairs had Natasha Lea Jones, the DRAG ther for purchase or rent, and where they became un-economic. However, some lo- Chair says, “we are fighting for them to can establish themselves close to others cal housing authorities are using the Path- leave us alone.” The Council disagrees. in a similar situation of starting a new life finder programme as a reason to revert to Officials argue that even if all the houses were all brought up to standard, they would only be given a 30-year official life, whereas new houses are classified as having a 100-year life. Nothing though is mentioned of the human cost of disrup- tion, the worry people will have to en- dure, and the weakening of a strong com- munity structure. It is easy to condemn older housing and once the blight sets in, residents find their area is doomed. Mortgages dry up, financial institutions ‘red-line’ (decline to invest in) the area, some people get out quickly and their properties get boarded up. This spiral of decline caused by clumsy administration has to be halted. There is an urgent need for sym- pathetic professionals, including Commu- nity Architects, to come and live and work in these threatened areas to help the resi- dents cope, strengthen their networks, and persuade the Government to change Participatory planning – members of the Peckham Youth Forum researching accessibility of its mind and give their homes a now lease food shops in their area. Photo ©: Planning Aid for London. of life. Only when professionals live in in a new country. The housing though is mass demolition of complete streets and an area, can they fully understand what a often old, dating in some cases to 19th housing areas. community is. Only when they under- century, and thus in need of regular main- The residents of Hannah Street stand the mechanics of how such com- tenance. area of a small town called Darwen, just a munities tick, can low key improvements Despite inadequacies, these prop- few kilometres north of Manchester, find be made. erties can be made into decent homes themselves on the front line, having re- Whole scale destruction of viable through community-centred approaches. ceived letters indicating that their prop- communities will only be stopped when What these communities require most is erty is unfit for human habitation. They the acquired local knowledge is translated a good relationship with their local au- have got together and formed DRAG into planning. It is easy to condemn hous- thorities including the planners, so they (Darwen Residents’ Action Group), in a ing areas from a quick glance at computer can consolidate their housing and imme- panic move to hang on to their homes. statistics and pinpointing mass clearance diate environment and build a secure foot- The locals are made up of a combination areas that will qualify for central govern- ing in their new land. What an opportu- of long established residents and new- ment money, which local authorities can nity for community participation in plan- comers. Race relations are good and crime then use to carry out demolition. ning and community empowerment! How- is low compared to the newer estates. All Easy really. But what has been ever, not everyone in local authorities the residents think it is a safe place to achieved apart from human misery, and agrees, and there is a danger that some of bring up families. To those who like long no guarantee that what will be re-built will these communities will be bulldozed and lines of stone buildings with slate roofs, be any better than what has been demol- the residents homes demolished as part they could be classed as part of a con- ished? of new mass clearance programmes. servation area. Despite the fine architec- The central government in the ture, the residents have been told that Rod Hackney is a community architect United Kingdom, which ceased mass re- they live in slums. and former President of the International housing initiatives in the 1970’s, recently Jozef, who is 80 years old, with Union of Architects 13 Opinion Habitat Debate December 2004 Planning bites the dust – a cautionary tale from the American West By Jay Moor American economy in recent decades has ing a properly enforced development been largely due to housing construction. plan. In the 1970’s, the federal govern- was educated in a good planning A major factor in the highly competitive ment introduced ‘block grants,’ buckling school where social responsibility and business of residential development is to pressure from local politicians. This Ipublic service were implicit. Through land cost. Distant and ecologically frag- meant that the use of federal grant mon- that education I came to believe that the ile lands tend to cost less on the market ies became discretionary, and eventually main role of city planning is to help ar- than vacant and peripheral urban plots. all general planning requirements were ticulate collective values and to help dis- Planners, in their role as analysts, would abandoned. The 1980’s and beyond have charge our fiduciary (trust) responsibil- point out that certain locations could not been the heyday of unfettered business, ity to future generations. sustain development because of a lack of which considered planning to be one of Without public planning, we have water, critical wildlife habitat, soggy soil, the most restrictive of fetters. Most states no mechanism to carry out these neces- steep slopes or because they would be still require their municipalities to main- sary functions. The market has little in- unserviceable from existing mains and tain development plans, but the content terest in subordinating itself to either the facilities. of such plans varies widely from state to collective or the future. Politics is largely In the western US, where large tracts state and from city to city. Enforcement is incapable of addressing future genera- of fragile land were being bought up on mostly a local responsibility and can be tions. And, religion can be capable of speculation, building and development arbitrary and capricious. In one western ignoring the collateral damage caused by interests began to fight planning. First state, a governor erased the category, bad behavior here on earth, promising a they fought the laws, invalidating zoning Planner, from the state employment ros- better existence elsewhere. Only systems and planning ordinances on technicali- ter and removed all planners from policy of governance that rely on civic engage- ties. Then they packed elected and ap- positions. ment, that envisage the future, that make pointed bodies with like-minded citizens, Throughout much of Europe, plan- use of objective analysis in setting policy, who happened to have real estate con- ning has been more effective in calling and that are willing to regulate the activi- nections: engineers, architects, builders, development interests to account. De- ties of individuals and corporations in lawyers, major land owners and develop- velopment has not been foreclosed by order to move toward a shared vision ers themselves. These city councils, planning, it has been channeled. Look at hold the power that is planning. county commissions, planning commis- the Netherlands and ask where it would In recent years it has been fashion- sions and zoning boards would often be without rigorous spatial planning. But, able to declare planning moribund, use- countermand the advice of planners with- again, a nation gets the planning its less, dead weight and even just plain dead. out bothering to look for a good argu- economy demands, and the Netherlands, It was, so they say, a victim of its own ment. They allowed housing many kilo- with its water-based economy, could not irrelevance and of the incompetence of meters from existing development where possibly control its own water regime with- its practitioners. The evidence in the it could not be served either with water or out land use planning. western United States was clear. Un- by fire brigades in case of fire. They al- Planning is a simple and powerful bridled growth, urban sprawl, the domi- lowed development on steep slopes concept. It is a uniquely human activity nance of cars and trucks, slum-like neigh- where houses would slide into their that follows from our ability to anticipate borhoods, environmental degradation, neighbors after a heavy rain. They al- consequences. To enlist it as a reaction- crime and nearly every other nasty prob- lowed variances based on the flimsiest of ary pursuit – only to help smooth the way lem was blamed on the failure of planning sob stories by shoestring developers. for development decisions already made and of planners. In many western American cities – is to kill it off by other means. Planning Planning ‘out west’ did not die of and towns, planners no longer plan. is what it is, and each society needs to irrelevance or incompetence. It was mur- They keep cadastral records up to date, assess its benefits and costs. My experi- der, pure and simple. People receive the manage the GIS system, sit at the zoning ence has told me, and I in turn tell this planning that their economies demand, desk to answer questions and fight to tale, that where greed and short term eco- and the western American economy retain their integrity. Meanwhile, the nomic interests ignore future generations wanted planning stone cold, face down. economy hums along. A problem occurs and where freedom to be irresponsible is Land use planning was worse than both- and it may be addressed, if at all, after the valued over community need, planning ersome. By the 1970’s it was still a practi- fact – after an aquifer has been polluted, will lie gasping in the gutter until it is fi- cal pursuit by which governments tried a habitat destroyed, an historic district nally swept away with other useless pur- to carry out their responsibilities to cur- torn down or a slum formed. suits. rent and future generations. This meant, In the American West, with some among other things, incorporating the noteworthy exceptions, planning has Jay Moor is a planner who has concerns of ecologists and sociologists failed only in the manner that life fails. been through the land use battles in the into city and regional plans. It meant re- Eventually there is not enough strength western United States. He is Chief of Stra- flecting those concerns, based on good left for it to breath. In the 1960’s the fed- tegic Planning, UN-HABITAT. science, in regulations. eral government made local development But the robustness of the western grants contingent upon the locality hav-

14 Habitat Debate December 2004 Opinion Time for a new approach in India

By Jamal H. Ansari world, the projections on which long-term was the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regula- plans are based often go haywire. The tion) Act 1976. This Act was to exercise ontemporary planning in India need for change arises almost as soon as social control over scarce urban land re- started modestly at the begin the implementation process begins. sources, with the ultimate objective of en- Cning of the 20th century in the form Furthermore, conventional mas- suring equitable distribution amongst of piecemeal town planning schemes of ter plans are prepared through a top- various sections of society and avoiding beautification, road-side plantation, road down approach, with limited participation speculative land transactions in cities. widening, land sub-division and devel- of stakeholders and hardly any consulta- But, as a result of hurdles faced during opment. These efforts were largely physi- tion with the private sector. implementation, the spirit and purpose of cal in orientation, being mainly concerned Even if well prepared with all the the Act was lost. Large chunks of urban with the arrangement of plots for residen- available inputs for satisfying the de- land were entangled in legal battles and tial, recreational, educational, health and mands of logic and rationale, a plan that thus could neither be acquired nor other such activities. aims at addressing development needs brought to the market. The resulting To this day, the master plan is in an integrated manner needs to be shortages in supply greatly hindered the projected as the key official document for backed by a well-oiled administrative development process. The Act was ulti- planned development of a town or city in machinery, which simply does not exist. mately repealed earlier this year. India. But politicians, scholars, a section Instead, a plethora of organizations has According to the latest estimates of academia and practicing planners have emerged in the form of development au- prepared by the Town and Country Plan- also been opposed to the master plan- thorities, housing boards, infrastructure ning Organization of the Government of ning methodology and the long-drawn development corporations, slum clear- India, master plans have been prepared process which leads to grandiose plans ance boards, line departments of the cen- for some 2,000 towns and cities in India that are never implemented. tral, state and municipal governments, to date. Most of these plans have not While emphasising physical plan- and parastatal agencies such as water been implemented. However, the irony is ning and civic design aspects, the Mas- supply and sewage disposal undertakings that despite the implementation problems ter Plan touches upon the social and eco- and electricity boards. These organiza- of master plans, the main concern of town nomic dimensions of the proposals only tions, instead of coordinating their efforts, planning directorates and departments peripherally. Little attention is paid to the are actually often found to be working at country-wide is to prepare more such importance of setting develop- plans. ment priorities, in the light of Alarmed by the rising the fiscal and administrative The Delhi Master Plan of 1962 provided for a mini- criticism of the master plan in In- constraints of governments mum plot size of 100 sq. yards (80 sq. metres ap- dia, the Ministry of Urban De- that are ultimately responsible proximately). But this was unaffordable to the large velopment in recent years ar- for implementing the plans. majority of residents. Likewise, in the most populous ranged a national conference on The regional context is Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, the minimum plot size the theme, Alternatives to the often forgotten, and the essen- and infrastructure standards, specified at the levels Master Plan. After extensive dis- established under the Regulation of Building Opera- tial symbiosis that exists be- cussion and debate over three tions Act of 1958, were affordable only to wealthiest tween urban centres and the five per cent of households. The people who cannot days, the meeting concluded surrounding rural area is hardly afford these standards obviously have little choice but that the only alternative to the ever considered. Critics also to settle in unauthorized colonies and squatter settle- master plan is a better master suggest that master plans, if ments. plan! A more meticulously pre- truly comprehensive, should be pared plan, a structured plan, a able to show what integration strategic plan, an innovative and forethought can achieve in terms of cross-purposes and add to the problems combination of all these, or a new con- resolving urgent needs of the urban com- related to implementation of the plan. cept altogether? However, just thinking munity, while economising on scarce mu- In many parts of the country, pri- about an alternative plan concept will not nicipal funds and mobilising resources vate developers are not allowed to en- be enough. through partnerships. What emerges in- gage in large-scale assembly, develop- There is a need to think afresh about stead is largely a bundle of half-baked ment and disposal of serviced plots. The the broader urban management and gov- ideas incorporated into a proposed land entire burden of releasing additional ser- ernance framework, including institu- use plan that planners insist should be viced land in the market rests with devel- tional structure and capacities, coordina- implemented in its entirety, at all costs. opment authorities. These agencies, how- tion mechanisms, implementation proce- The process of preparing master ever, are invariably unable to pace them- dures and resource mobilisation. There plans is time-consuming, and the plans, selves up sufficiently to cope with the is a need for carefully thought-through, even if meticulously prepared, are rigid sharply increasing demand for serviced forward-looking land legislation and de- and often outdated by the time they are land, and end up being the chief cause velopment policy. Without this the best- enforced. The framers aspire to prepare for reducing the supply of developed laid plans can come unstuck. “perfect” plans: once-for-all statements land in the city. Yet another glaring ex- Jamal H. Ansari is the former Di- about the future shape of cities 20 or 30 ample of a bad policy that genuinely re- rector, School of Planning and Archi- years hence. In a rapidly urbanising duced supply of serviced land in India tecture, New Delhi, India.

15 Case Studies Habitat Debate December 2004 A view from Brazil By Edésio Fernandes however, worked well for economic inter- Popular Urban Planning School started in ests that regard the city solely as place to Fortaleza, Brazil, by the NGO Cearah here are many myths in the debate make money. Master plans and spatial de- Periferia. on rapid urban growth, especially velopment laws may not work for the The Brazilian experience of urban in developing and transition coun- T majority of the people in urban areas, par- law reform that has already produced the tries. Two of these remain largely unques- ticularly the most vulnerable, and they 2001 City Statute has given some indica- tioned. may not address other social, environ- tions of how this can be achieved. How- First, that the growing process of mental, and cultural needs adequately. ever, one of the main lessons to be drawn socio-spatial segregation in cities is due But, they have been instrumental in de- is that urban law and urban management to a lack of spatial development planning, termining land values and housing prices have to be conceived together, under a and second, that spatial planning is inef- in the formal market. In most cases, as for comprehensive urban and land gover- fective, as most master plans, zoning example in large cities such as São Paulo nance framework. schemes and urban planning laws are not or Rio de Janeiro, urban laws have pro- Above all, the enormous challenge properly implemented and often aban- moted a generous distribution of present before Brazilian cities, as well as other doned. and future economic land values to pri- countries and cities that are promoting Apparently contradictory, such vate landowners, without being accom- urban law reform, is to guarantee the en- arguments express the frustration felt by panied by compensating value capture forcement of the newly approved laws. urban managers, policy-makers, and mechanisms and proper land taxation. Urban planning is a very powerful pro- above all by city dwellers who feel in- Colombia is one of the few developing cess. If urban laws have long been capit- creasingly powerless in the face of the countries in which there is a consistent alised upon by certain economic groups speculative, socially unjust, and environ- attempt at recapturing surplus value gen- and have thus directly contributed to the mentally unfriendly market forces and po- erated by urban legislation. process of socio-spatial segregation, the litical interests that govern land use and Urban laws have therefore also promotion of urban law reform may sub- development. determined the place - and the space - for stantially contribute towards creating the In many countries, the scope for the urban poor who find themselves in conditions for more inclusive and fairer State intervention through urban plan- areas no-one else wants or to which they cities. ning legislation is substantially limited do not have formal access. To put it succinctly, urban reform by the prevalence of longstanding tradi- In recent years, many cities such cannot be promoted without legal reform. tions of individual rights. Most cities in as Porto Alegre, Horizonte and Recife Reform of urban planning legisla- the developing world do not have com- have approved increasingly sophisticated tion and practice in Brazil prehensive urban legislation expressing urban planning laws, but these have fre- The 1988 Constitution recognised clearly defined urban planning values and quently contributed to the establishment five inter-related rights - collective rights spatial development policy directives. In- of lengthy, bureaucratic, and costly pro- to city and spatial planning, environmen- deed, many countries do not have na- cedures. They have also often failed to tal preservation, the democratic manage- tional legal guidelines on land use and take into account the capacity of local ment of cities, social housing, and the development. government for action and urban man- regularisation of informal settlements. More recently, another argument agement, monitoring and repression. As Both the 1988 Constitution and the has gathered momentum: that where ur- a result, they have been disrespected by 2001 City Statute attributed to the master ban planning laws do exist, they have rich and poor alike. plan legislation the power to recognise been socially ineffective or detrimental to Reversing this situation will re- the contents and reach of individual prop- the urban economy, and thus should be quire significant changes in the rationale, erty rights. The urban law drafting pro- made more flexible or abandoned. content, and conditions of drafting ur- cess was both decentralised and However, a more critical analysis ban legislation. A tradition of comprehen- democratised, and all municipalities with of urban legislation justifies the argument sive regulatory spatial planning does not more than 20,000 inhabitants have to ap- that, far from being ineffective, urban laws mean giving up on the idea of a regula- prove their master plans by 2006. have been a powerful factor in determin- tory framework altogether: the challenge A particularly successful aspect of ing the process of socio-spatial segrega- is getting the regulatory framework right. the Brazilian urban regulatory framework tion. Failure to enforce such legislation The necessary balance would consist of has been the creation of “Special Zones has resulted in range of problems. These regulating less or more in some areas or of Social Interest”, corresponding to both include conflicting judicial interpreta- some processes, as well as regulating bet- urban areas occupied by consolidated tions, institutional inaction, social unrest ter in others. informal settlements and vacant private over legal ambiguities, economic ineffi- There is also a need for signifi- land reserved for social housing ciency and high urban management costs, cant change in the political-institutional programmes. Such zones have specific mistrust of legal-political institutions, process of urban planning and law mak- urban regulation and their own participa- endemic corruption, and the development ing, so that there is a truly participatory tory management processes. of informal justice mechanisms. Needless and inclusive decision-making process at to say, all have contributed to maintain- all levels. The simplification of criteria, Edésio Fernandes, a Brazilian jurist and ing the status quo. standards, requirements, language and city planner, is co-coordinator of Urban laws - from simple perim- procedures is a must. An interesting IRGLUS, the International Research eter laws to complex zoning laws – have, example here is that of the successful Group on Law and Urban Space. 16 Habitat Debate December 2004 Case Studies A new approach towards urban planning in South Africa By Andrew Boraine

t the advent of the transition to democracy in South Africa in A1994, conventional master and spatial planning responsible for decades of racial segregation and spa- tial social engineering, was thoroughly discredited as a planning tool. The focus since has been on the In many informal settlements in and around Cape Town, new roads are being built as part of development of strategic planning tools new metropolitan plans to bring services to the poorest of the poor. Photo ©: Vincent Kitio/UN- over the past 10 years, at national as well HABITAT as city level. A huge effort has gone into strategic planning challenges for the next ronment strategy, etc. It is important to establishing an effective system of de- decade: find ways in which the plans of the differ- velopment planning in South Africa since Challenge One: Linking long term ent ‘line function’ departments can be co- 1994. This has included Integrated De- vision to short term action plans. There ordinated through the city development velopment Plans (IDPs) – legal require- is still a tendency to focus on short-term strategy to lay the basis for making ‘trade- ments for all municipalities since 1996. operational plans rather than a long term offs’ between plans, and confronting the These have evolved into sophisticated city vision – both are needed. problems of ‘parallel planning’. This can instruments in some of the larger munici- Challenge Two: An integrative be done by utilising outcomes-based palities. framework for development. Each city has planning. Municipal IDPs are required to developed its own locally-appropriate Challenge Six: Planning beyond address service backlogs and inequali- strategic planning framework, which boundaries. Many trends affecting a city ties; co-ordinate and align all municipal seeks to integrate the planning compo- development strategy are global or re- resources to meet the economic and so- nents in various ways. gional in nature, and therefore have an cial needs of the community; involve the Challenge Three: City-wide re- impact beyond the area of municipal or public through a process of participation; source mobilisation. There is a need to city jurisdiction. In particular, there is a have indicators for monitoring and evalu- differentiate between a municipal plan need to maximise urban-rural linkages in ation; and provide physical and spatial and a plan for the municipal area/city. Both policy and planning. plans as subordinate components. are necessary. The former focuses on Challenge Seven: Implementation. More recently, there has been a municipal resources, while the latter ad- At the end of the day, well thought-out focus on a system of intergovernmental dresses a collective city vision involv- plans, be they master, spatial, strategic or planning, coordination and alignment, ing all stakeholders. The main focus of community in nature, mean nothing un- based on the IDPs. The Government has the plan is to put governance arrange- less they are implemented and make a dif- a national IDP capacity-building ments in place between the public sector, ference. Professor Lyndsay Neilson of the programme for smaller municipalities. business and civil society, based on an Department of Infrastructure, State of Many South African cities, with allocation of responsibilities with incen- Victoria, Australia, has identified a num- their added resources, have become sites tives for performance. ber of classes of instruments usually of planning innovation and creativity. Challenge Four: Strong guidance available to government, i.e. policy, leg- City development strategies are now for coordinated public sector spending islation and regulation, fiscal, financial, viewed as necessary and appropriate and asset management. There is a need institutional, public asset management, planning responses to the new chal- to focus on the full range of government knowledge management, and advocacy lenges, high levels of complexity and rap- interventions within a city area, and not and leadership. idly changing circumstances facing cit- just on municipal powers and functions. Implementation strategies often ies, particularly as they become incorpo- This means improving the alignment of do not cluster these tools together. For rated into the global economy. all public sector initiatives, recognising example, in South Africa, there has been Much of this city planning expe- the different forms that integrated plan- a tendency towards an over-reliance on rience and information is collected and ning can take, i.e. policies, planning legislation, regulation, government expen- shared through the South African Cities cycles, expenditure, projects. It is particu- diture and institutional restructuring to Network (SACN), a knowledge-based net- larly important to focus on the role of address various development issues. The work of the nine largest cities. The State parastatals and public agencies. challenge is to utilise, coordinate and of the South African Cities Report 2004 Challenge Five: Integration and align all instruments available to ensure provides an evaluation of the planning alignment of sector policies and plans. implementation and delivery. progress. It has identified a number of At city level, there are often insufficient planning challenges facing cities. (see mechanisms to ‘mainstream’ cross-cutting Andrew Boraine is Chairperson of the Publications, page XX). issues such as growth, poverty reduc- South African Cities Network. South African cities and their tion, HIV/AIDS, transportation and envi- partners have collectively identified seven 17 Case Studies Habitat Debate December 2004 Inclusive and strategic planning for Kosovo By Gert Ludeking development is not only a civil right, but is also considered a useful means of in- uilding democratic institutions creasing and direct urban investments. that respect human and civil With funding provided by The Brights is a cornerstone of the on- Netherlands, a guideline and training going international support to Kosovo. toolkit for urban planners on Inclusive As Kosovo adjusts to market circum- Spatial and Urban Planning was drafted stances and requirements, integration, by UN-HABITAT as the basis for the tolerance and social cohesion are prin- ongoing training of approximately 95 ur- ciples that guide the process of strength- ban planners from all 30 Kosovo munici- ening its local and central government in- palities. Pristina, capital of Kosovo, is set to benefit stitutions. This inclusive process is break- from new planning legislation as it gradually Since the end of the conflict in mid- ing with the previous “expert-driven, top- integrates with the wider Europe. Photo©: 1999, Kosovo has taken halting but defi- down” less transparent approach of mas- John Hogan/UN-HABITAT nite steps towards democratization. The ter planning. It supports the ongoing ef- strengthen the skills of urban planners, Provisional Institutions for Self-Govern- forts of building capacity for municipal establish institutional mechanisms for ment in Kosovo, also known as the self-government in Kosovo. multi-disciplinary planning, and train a Kosovo Government and Assembly, are The new planning system envis- new generation of spatial and urban plan- gradually becoming better prepared to ages an active role and interface among ners. A Masters-level programme prepared manage the challenges of regenerating a three key “entities”: civil society, the pri- by UN-HABITAT with its partners, was stalled economy and reducing high un- vate sector and the public sector. The introduced at the Pristina University in employment, while maintaining the cur- establishment of a database for urban 2004. rent fragile political stability. planning enables civil society organiza- This combined effort is made to An upsurge of ethnic violence in tions and the private sector to cooperate ensure that everyone involved in plan- March 2004 and the simmering national- with the public sector in an informed man- ning is familiar with the new inclusive ap- ism, however, are clear signs that democ- ner. Transparency in the planning docu- proach as outlined in the new Spatial Plan- ratization and stabilisation must be ac- mentation helps keep civil servants ac- ning Law. celerated to prepare Kosovo for integra- countable during the planning process However, to prevent territorial iso- tion within the wider Europe. Congested as well as when issuing urban permits, lation of Kosovo and to promote eco- cities, illegal construction and loss of which is an important revenue source of nomic growth, it is crucial that the Gov- quality of life are characteristics of most the municipalities. ernment be involved in the ongoing dia- urban areas in Kosovo after the conflict In addition to being more inclu- logue with European planning networks in 1999. sive, the planning process is also more and international funding institutions to UN-HABITAT has thus intro- strategic. Strategic planning allows plan- integrate Kosovo into the current regional duced a concept of inclusive, strategic ners, together with stakeholders, to de- infrastructure initiatives. Its absence in and action-oriented spatial and urban fine an overall development perspective, these consultations is alarming because planning in Kosovo. Adapting to inter- identify priority areas for action, and fo- it limits the possibilities for regenerating national standards required new planning cus implementation on those areas rather the stalled economy. legislation, institutions and practices. Its than make plans for the entire city. Grand Planning for a sustainable future outdated spatial planning legislation has plans cannot be implemented because in Kosovo and adapting to international been replaced by an inclusive and mod- they require huge financial resources, standards can best be achieved through ern multi-disciplinary planning approach. which are invariably unavailable, particu- a consistent effort of seeking coherence A new Spatial Planning Law was larly in post-conflict situations. among planning systems in the wider drafted with the help of UN-HABITAT The new Spatial Planning Law southeast European context. The capac- and approved by the Kosovo Assembly thus stipulates that municipalities make ity that has been built in the past three to on 3 July, 2003. It was promulgated by plans that prioritise requiring action in four years in Kosovo planning institutions the Special Representative of the UN Sec- terms of funding and deadlines. It pro- is an important contribution to meeting retary-General on 10 September 2003. vides the municipal assemblies with so- the challenges of European cooperation. As one of the main principles of lutions that can be implemented and are Technical cooperation for inclu- the new law, municipal planning depart- tailored to specific urbanisation problems. sive and sustainable development is a vi- ments are increasingly involving citizens This is in line with current European trend able platform for growth and stability in in setting goals and priorities for local of making the public sector more effec- the troubled Balkan region. development. The spatial and urban plan- tive by involving civil society and the pri- ning approach today is oriented towards vate sector. Gert Ludeking is UN-HABITAT’s Chief strategic planning and genuine public Making the new inclusive plan- Technical Adviser in Kosovo. participation in all phases of spatial de- ning system sustainable involves long- velopment. Both the public and private term consolidation of procedures and sector are expected to gain here because practices. At the same time, changes have the inclusion of stakeholders in urban been made to prepare new legislation,

18 Habitat Debate December 2004 Case Studies City development strategies By Dinesh Mehta their comparative advantage, can expect The CDS cycle needs to be placed economic returns. Finally, cities that plan within the context of the ‘life’ of the local he Urban Management Programme their strategic moves over decades will government. A ‘fast track’ approach for (UMP), a UN-HABITAT imple waste fewer resources “catching up” with CDS using tools of rapid appraisals for Tmented multi-donor programme, in rapid growth and poorly sited facilities poverty and economic analysis is more collaboration with the Cities Alliance pio- and services. Many cities have shown suited for conducting a CDS within a rela- neered the first set of City Development that managed growth can extend services tively short period. Strategies (CDS) in seven cities – Bamako to low income populations in a way which It is critical to show concrete re- (Mali), Cuenca (Ecuador), Colombo (Sri allows graduation to higher standards of sults at the earliest possible stage, thus Lanka), Johannesburg (South Africa), service in accordance with public and reinforcing commitment in the participa- Santo Andre (Brazil), Shenyang (China), private capacity to pay. tory process. Small but highly visible ac- and Tunis (Tunisia). Although the seven CDS cities tions and results at intermediate stages The idea is to develop pro-poor vary in terms of their size, economic and of the consultation process lead to sus- urban governance in cities within the fol- socio-political conditions, it was possible tained interest. lowing framework: to adopt a participatory process in each. A CDS can and should capitalize Making cities work means that The pro-poor focus must be em- on existing initiatives in cities. Coordinat- value added to development can be phasized from the outset. Municipal gov- ing and building on existing participatory realised through participatory processes. ernments are the key drivers of the CDS efforts and creating partnerships First, inclusive cities provide their resi- process. But their credibility with stake- strengthens the CDS process and im- dents, especially the poor and the holders is important. proves the likelihood of marginalized, the opportunities and ca- A locally ‘owned’ CDS, as opposed institutionalisation of participatory pacities to participate in the decision- to one that is donor-driven, is more likely mechanisms. making process and share equitably its to succeed in mobilizing all stakeholders Action plans need to strike a bal- social benefits. Second, well-governed and raise local resources. A strong and ance between being realistic and, at the cities can expect to improve the efficiency committed leader, like the mayor, is es- same time, incorporating an agreed future with which their scarce resources are al- sential to drive the process.. vision to bring real improvement in located. A third area of value added is in The presence of organized stake- people’s lives. expanded productivity, both in the pri- holder groups, especially the poor, is im- vate and public sectors. Cities that un- portant for the consultation process. It Dinesh Mehta is Coordinator of UN- derstand their competitive position, and supports sustainability and HABITAT’s Urban Management move wisely and quickly to capitalize on institutionalisation of the process. Programme Urban strategies à la française By Ariella Masboungi Although public planning is open by nature, it does ecentralization reforms legislated in France in not automatically follow that the French State retains all 1981 resulted in the devolution of considerable public authority, or that there are no public-private part- Dresponsibilities for urban planning and city man- nerships. On the contrary. By regulating the negative ef- agement to local authorities, city councils and the coun- fects of a totally free market, the state can entice private cils of metropolitan areas. investors to sites they would otherwise avoid, thus re- But the State still remains responsible for harmo- sponding to a particularly European, albeit not always nizing territorial and human factors. These revolve around successful, notion of social diversity. Overall, however, four key areas: France is less directive in this area than before. The preservation of the natural and man- Always linked to a context, urban strategies can made environment. The state has developed an arse- take a variety of forms. These can range from a large- nal of legislative powers to safeguard what it considers scale strategic plan, a public open space programme, inalienable. City centres and historical neighbourhoods and the regeneration of deprived areas, to the creation of are protected by law and are watched over by the new neighbourhoods. Architectes des Batiments de France (Listed building The underlying aims of sustainable development Architects), not to mention nature conservation legisla- and a careful, considered use of space have to be pur- tion. Solidarity. Through its “Urban Policy” programme, sued. At the same time, proper functioning of infrastruc- the State has responsibility for financing social housing ture and transport and distribution networks must be en- and neighbourhood regeneration schemes. sured. This can only be achieved through strong political Revival of the planning process to contain ur- commitment to combat the social divide. ban growth and promote an urban strategy approach for Ariella Masboungi is Architect-Planner in Chief, Di- future land-use allocation. Reorganization of local au- rector of the Urban Strategy Programme of the Director- thorities. France suffers from having 36,000 municipali- ate General for Town Planning, Housing and Construc- ties for an area covering less than one million square tion of the French Ministry for Infrastructure. This ar- kilometres. Recent new legislation encourages local au- ticle derived from a work published by Le Moniteur in thorities, through financial incentives rather than by force, 2002 entitled, “Projets urbains en France” and financed to group together for more efficient government at the by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry local level. of Infrastructure. 19 Best Practices Habitat Debate December 2004

How are we doing in visioning exercise can em- Bogotá? power citizens with the abil- ity and desire to make the fun- new How are we Doing? cam damental changes required -paign to evaluate the develop for sustainability. This project Ament plan for Bogotá in Colom- has seen thousands of citi- bia is aimed at improving efficiency and zens involved in a variety of accountability in governance through activities leading to the devel- creation of awareness among the city’s opment of the community VI- seven million residents. SION, a broad strategy for The campaign involves 10 result making the vision a reality, and indicators in health, education, the envi- implementation of those rec- ronment, public spaces, domestic ser- ommended actions. vices, road traffic, public safety, public The strategy includes Improved urban planning in Africa can reduce crowded responsibility, urban development, and a Regional Tree Planting informal settlements like the one shown here. Photo ©: public administration. These periodically Programme, a system of moni- Vincent Kitio/UN-HABITAT evaluate whether the targets set in the toring vehicle emissions, as development plan are being met, and the well as industrial smog, and an improved and strengthen the social links of the city. impact they are having on the quality of street cleaning programme. The life. The project involves local citizens, programme has integrated formal policy A people friendly city in and publishes evaluation results in the development, with financial decision-mak- Azerbaijan press and on television. It also engages ing and project planning within the mu- in activities where opinions are ex- nicipality linked with several on-going unicipal planners in the changed with the local population, and citizen involvement activities. Azeri capital of Baku, have em keeps track of the system through sur- Mbarked on a new plan to make veys, opinion polls and focus groups. De- Participatory planning in the city more comfortable and inclusive bates have been held with experts, mem- for people various nationalities, religions bers of the local population and public the Philippines and ethnic groups. Since 2001, the city officers. he success of municipal service fathers in the new municipality have made A major challenge has been how delivery depends on participation housing, infrastructure and an improved to turn technical subjects into popular Tand empowerment of citizens. The urban environment their top priorities. newsworthy information. Although this Naga City People’s Council (NCPC), in For the past three years the has often been difficult, media like El 1995 formed “shadow government”, em- Caspian city has seen major works start- Tiempo and City T.V. have documented powering civil society to work closely ing on new home construction, road reno- the lives of ordinary people relating to with the local government to design, vation, the upgrading of its parks, orphan- the sectors evaluated, and this has made implement and evaluate the City’s devel- ages and homes for the elderly. it easier to sell the technical information opment plans. from the indicators. Through civil society-organized Modern city management task forces and committees, citizen input in The Netherlands is contributing enormously to the effec- Planning for better air he city of Tilburg has 165,000 in quality in Canada tiveness and sustainability of develop- ment initiatives including a clean-up of habitants making it the seventh he City of Hamilton and Region of the Naga River, the management of solid Tlargest city in The Netherlands. Hamilton-Wentworth has a popu waste and the revitalization of the Naga Tilburg presents itself as a modern indus- Tlation of 467,800 covering an area City Hospital. trial city, a strategic vision for the future, of 1,113 km2, with an annual budget of which is key to the city’s development in US$ 510 million. Air quality and its impact many policy areas. on health have always been a concern to Social planning in France The city is thus administered like the citizens of Hamilton-Wentworth. VI- he French town of Sotteville has a business venture. The municipality is SION 2020, Hamilton-Wentworth’s Sus- renovated a once derelict railway split into divisions, which operate like tainable Community Initiative, has been Tbuildings and turned it into an art profit centers and produce clearly defined on-going since 1990 to identify priorities studio known as Atelier 231. It involves outcomes. The basis for the new city man- in air quality management. The commu- people involved in drama, dance, poetry, agement was set in the first City Manage- nity has been empowered with the re- painting an sculpture who since 2000 ment Plan in 1989 and from that moment sponsibility of taking Hamilton- have held regular weekly art fairs that have on, city planning and programming in Wentworth on the road to sustainability. become a major feature of what is a pre- Tilburg was conducted in an organized Partnerships are continually being devel- dominantly railway town. The idea of ini- process with the participation of the resi- oped between government, industry and tiative forms part of cultural planning for dents in the decision making process. One community organisations. Hamilton- the town to bring art to the community. per cent of the city’s budget is reserved Wentworth’s Sustainable Community Ini- The idea is to initiate a cultural project in for initiatives by citizens for local neigh- tiative is an example of how a community a city that had no prior experience and to borhoods improvements. make it sustainable. It has helped build 20 Habitat Debate December 2004 Publications

Pro Poor Land Management: Urban Trialogues: visions, projects, co- Integrating Slums into City productions: Localising Agenda 21 Planning Approaches ISBN: 92-1-131709-6 ISBN No.: 92-1-131710-8 HS: 727/04E HS Number: HS/728/04E Language: English Language: English Publisher: UN-HABITAT Publisher: UN-HABITAT critical reflection on the process and outputs of the his booklet on Pro Poor Land multi-lateral programme, Localising Agenda 21 (LA21). Management is designed to AThe programme was initiated in 1994 by UN-HABITAT, Thelp all stakeholders actively a Belgian Consortium coordinated by the University of Leuven’s involved in the campaign, including Post Graduate Centre Human Settle- multilateral institutions, central and ments (PGCHS), the Belgian Develop- local government, non-governmental ment Cooperation, and others in the organisations, the private sector and grassroots action groups. municipalities of Nakuru (Kenya), It seeks to provide them with the information they need in their Essaouira (Morocco), Vinh (Vietnam), own efforts to implement national strategies, and outlines spe- and Bayamo (Cuba). cific action plans for every category. In this, as in other respects, This work seeks to make use the Campaign for Secure Tenure complements UN-HABITAT’s of the benefit of insights from the LA21 ongoing Campaign on Urban Governance. Both aim to deliver in these four urban contexts. Case on the commitments made at the 2000 UN Millennium Summit studies form the core of this book. and the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development. Both Documented as independent chapters, promote a vision of an urban future based on inclusion, social each includes an overview of the con- and economic development - a future based on human opportu- text, urban history and the competing nity and on hope. influences that define the urban space, the visions and strate- It is an invaluable tool in our collective endeavour to gic projects co-produced during the LA21 process. The work promote universal housing rights. includes a series of essays that conceptualise and develop par- ticular themes with reference to the case study cities. It targets a varied audience including decision-makers, community developers, scholars, designers, students and in- State of the Cities Report 2004 terested individuals. Further information: http:// ISBN: 620-31150-9 www.unhabitat.org/programmes/agenda21. Language: English Publisher: South African Cities Net- work A tool for advocating the provision of ublished by the South African Cities Network (SACN), this re adequate shelter for the urban poor Pport takes a hard look at the ISBN: 92-1-131716-9 forces that have transformed South Language: English Africa’s nine largest cities over the Publisher: UN-HABITAT decade since the country’s first free democratic elections in 1994. The re- his is the second edition of a port gives an insight into which way concept paper for UN- the winds of urban change are blow- THABITAT’s Global Campaign ing, and through a detailed statistical almanac it analyses key for Secure Tenure. trends. This vital activity being imple- The 200-page report collates a range of indicators from mented by the agency’s Shelter the nine cities that are part of the network: Johannesburg, Cape Branch, encourages negotiation as an Town, Buffalo City (greater East London), eThekwini (Durban), alternative to forced eviction, and the Nelson Mandela (greater Port Elizabeth), Mangaung (greater establishment of tenure systems that Bloemfontein), Msunduzi (Pietermaritzburg), Ekurhuleni (the reduce bureaucracy and the displace- East Rand) and Tshwane (greater Pretoria). ment of the urban poor by market The report - a special edition that is the SACN’s contri- forces. It highlights the plight of bution to marking the decade of democracy - measures how far women, most of whom in developing countries cannot afford to cities have come over the past 10 years. buy land or homes, unless they have the help or permission of male relatives. This 80-page document will be found useful to governments, policy makers, professionals, slum dweller asso- ciations, civil society groups and others involved in housing rights and the provision of shelter.

21 Letters Habitat Debate December 2004

Upcoming issues

rom 28 February to 11 March, 2005, the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) will conduct the ten-year review and appraisal of the Beijing Platform for Action (Beijing + 10) and commemorate the 30th Fanniversary of the First UN World Conference on Women held in Mexico in 1975. During 2004, regional meetings were held to prepare for this review. The idea is to examine progress in implementing the Beijing Platform for Action -signed by 189 governments- and the outcome documents. The next issue of Habitat Debate, Vol. 11, No. 1, will examine women’s role in human settlements development. It will carry the views of leading experts who will weigh progress in an area where women still face considerable prejudice a decade after the 1995 Beijing conference. UN-HABITAT welcomes readers’ letters to stimulate the debate for publication on this page. We also welcome brief articles of no more than 700 words related to topics in forthcoming issues. The issues for the year 2005 are tentatively: Volume 11, No. 1 – Women in Cities. Deadline for the submis- sion of articles 30 January 2005; Volume 11, No. 2 – The urban downside: evictions, housing rights and street children. Deadline 30 April; Volume 11, No. 3 - Keeping the Promise, a special World Habitat Day issue on the Millennium Development Goals. Deadline 30 June 2005; and Volume 11, No. 4 – Urban Management – the legacy of UN-HABITAT’s Urban Management Programme. Deadline 30 October 2005.

UN-HABITAT does not pay for articles submitted for publication in Habitat Debate. The decision to publish articles or to edit these for format purposes lies exclusively with the Editor and the Editorial Board of Habitat Debate. These decisions therefore cannot be appealed or discussed via e-mail or otherwise. Write to [email protected], or send a fax to +254-020-623477. Our postal address is: Information Services Section (Habitat Debate), UN- HABITAT, P.O. Box 30030 GPO, 00100 Nairobi, Kenya.

Habitat for Humanity International The Asian Rural & Social Welfare Congratulations on the last issue (Vol. 10, No. 3 Cities – En- Council gines of rural development). I was especially impressed with We receive Habitat Debate from from the office of the Commer- the fine message of the Executive Director on Page 2 of the cial Secretary of Pakistan at Abu Dhabi. We appreciate this kind publication. of work for humanity. Our work continues to expand both here in the United States and around the world. We now have a presence in 100 Best wishes and profound regards, nations. We have completed something over 180,000 houses for more than 900,000 people. By late 2005, we will have com- Engineer: Shaukat Ali Qureshi, Director, pleted 200,000 houses for a million people. Asian Rural & Social Welfare Council, Currently, new Habitat houses are going up at the rate Sargodha, Pakistan. of a new house every 26 minutes. Many of those houses are being built in urban areas and, as time goes along, I know we The problem with planning is that it has been over will build more and more houses and apartments in urban set- taken by mathematical models - traffic, density, impact tings. “assessment, public costs etc. discarding common sense Again, congratulations on your good message in your and empirical observation. When the job seems too difficult, the publication. tool is probably wrong. Millard Fuller, Founder and President, – Andrès Duany, American” architect, Co-Founder of Congress Habitat for Humanity International for the New , author of Suburban Nation and Devel- oper of Urban Transect Theory

22 Habitat Debate December 2004 Events

New agreement with ACP Group The Second World Urban Forum

UN-HABITAT and the Brussels-based African, Caribbean, and The Second World Urban Forum closed with a call from urban Pacific Group of States (ACP Group) signed a cooperation agree- leaders on governments to give local authorities more support ment on 25 October aimed at promoting sustainable urbaniza- saying the challenge of urbanisation is the greatest facing hu- tion and the eradication of poverty in ACP countries. The agree- manity in the new Millennium. The forum was held in Barcelona ment also aims to help the international community to implement 13-17 September 2004. Keynote speakers called for a renewed the Habitat Agenda and the Declaration on Cities and other drive for decentralization, and expressed concern that millions Human Settlements in the New Millennium. people in cities around the world still lacked access to safe water and sanitation, health care, education, shelter, and secu- New launches of Governance and rity of tenure. Mrs. Tibaijuka accepted Canada’s invitation to Secure Tenure campaigns host the Third World Urban Forum in Vancouver in June 2006.

Several thousand residents of an informal community gathered on the outskirts of Ouagadougou on 12 October to witness the signature of a plan of action to launch UN-HABITAT’s global campaigns on urban governance and secure tenure in Burkina Faso. On World Habitat Day, 4 October, in Casablanca, Mo- Future events rocco, the campaigns were launched by the Minister of Housing and other Government members. African Ministerial Conference on Housing & Urban Development Norwegian Prime Minister visits UN- 31 January - 4 February, Durban, South Africa HABITAT Theme: Towards an enhanced framework for promoting sus- tainable cities and towns in Africa. This conference is convened by the African Union and the Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik of Norway and the Nor- South African Government, in collaboration with UN-HABI- wegian Minister for International Development, Ms. Hilde TAT. Frafjord Johnson visited UN-HABITAT headquarters on 12 October and signed a Framework Agreement with the Executive Director, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, aimed at improving the lives of slum dwellers and urban poor. 20th Session of the UN-HABITAT Governing Council Kenya’s first Nobel Peace Prize winner 4-8 April 2005, Nairobi, Kenya. The GC will examine the work programme for the 2006 – 2007 UN-HABITAT Executive Director Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka hailed biennium, the budget of the United Nations Habitat and Hu- Professor Wangari Maathai on winning the 2004 Nobel Peace man Settlements Foundation for the biennium 2006-2007, and Prize saying that her award showed recognition of the courage the progress report of the Executive Director. and endeavours of African women. Professor Maathai, 64, Kenya’s Deputy Environment Minister, is the first African woman Special themes: Involvement of civil society in improving to be awarded the peace prize since it was created in 1901. local governance and Post-conflict, natural and man-made disasters assessment and reconstruction. Senior Chinese leader visits E-Mail: [email protected] The Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese Na- tional People’s Congress (NPC), Mr. Wu Bangguo, visited the United Nations headquarters in Nairobi on 30 October. He was United Cities and Local Governments, welcomed by the Deputy Executive Directors of UN-HABITAT and UNEP Asia-Pacific Regional Section 26-29 April 2005, Daegu, Korea Theme: Glocalization for the future Bringing Africa to the G8 agenda

Mrs. Tibaijuka met in the Ethiopian capital, , on 7 October for two days of talks with members of the new Commis- World Habitat Awards 2005 sion for Africa that is preparing a report for next year’s meeting The UK-based Building and Social Housing Foundation is of the Group of Eight leading industrialized nations. Mrs. currently seeking entries for the World Habitat Awards 2005. Tibaijuka is one of 17 internationally known figures on the Com- The awards which carry prize money of 10,000 pounds ster- mission convened by the British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair. ling are presented each year on World Habitat Day on the first Monday in October. For information see: www.bshf.org

23 UN-HABITAT OFFICES

HEADQUARTERS LIAISON OFFICES INFORMATION OFFICES UN-HABITAT New York Office Central Europe P.O. Box 30030, GPO, UN-HABITAT New York Office UN-HABITAT Information Office for Nairobi, 00100, Kenya Two United Nations Plaza Central Europe Tel: (254-020) 623120 Room DC2-0943 H-1124 Budapest Fax: (254-020) 624266/624267/ New York, N.Y. 10017, U.S.A. Németvölgyi út 41. 2. ep. 1.1., 624264/623477/624060 Tel: (1-212) 963-8725/963-4200 Hungary E-mail: [email protected] Fax: (1-212) 963-8721 Tel/Fax: (36-1) 202-2490 Website: E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: http://www.unhabitat.org/ [email protected] Geneva Office REGIONAL OFFICES UN-HABITAT Geneva Office ONU-HABITAT Bureau de Genève India Africa and the Arab States Maison Internationale de l’Environnement 2 UN-HABITAT Information Office UN-HABITAT Regional Office for International Environment House 2 5th Floor (East Wing) Africa and the Arab States 7, Chemin de Balexert Thalamuthu Natarajan Building P.O. Box 30030, GPO, 5th Floor (CMDA Building) Nairobi, 00100, Kenya CH-1219 Châtelaine, Genève Egmore, Chennai 600 008 Tel: (254-020) 621234/623221 Postal address: India Fax: (254-020) 623904/623328 UN-HABITAT Geneva Office Tel: (91-44) 2853-0802/ 2855-5834 (Regional Office) Palais des Nations Fax: (91-44) 2857-2673 624266/7 (Central Office) Avenue de la Paix 8-14 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] CH-1211 Genève 10, Switzerland Website: Tel: (41-0) 22 917-86 46/7/8 http://www.unhabitat.org/roaas/ Fax: (41-0) 22 917-8046 E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.unhabitat.org China Asia and the Pacific UN-HABITAT Beijing Information Office UN-HABITAT Regional Office for No. 9 Sanlihe Road Asia and the Pacific Beijing 100835 ACROS Fukuoka Building, 8th Floor European Union Office People’s Republic of China 1-1-1 Tenjin, Chuo-ku Tel: (86-10) 6839-4750, 68350647 Fukuoka 810-0001, Japan UN-HABITAT Liaison Office with the European Union and Fax: (86-10) 6839-4749 Tel: (81-92) 724-7121 E-mail: [email protected] Fax: (81-92) 724-7124 Belgium 14 rue Montoyer Website: E-mail: [email protected] http://www.cin.gov.cn/habitat Website: http://www.fukuoka.unhabitat.org B-1000 Brussels, Belgium Tel: (32-2) 503-35-72 (32-2) 503-1004 Latin America and the Fax: (32-2) 503-46-24 Caribbean E-mail: [email protected] or Russian Federation [email protected] UN-HABITAT Regional Office for UN-HABITAT Executive Bureau in Website: www.unhabitat.org Latin America and the Caribbean Moscow (ROLAC)/Oficina Regional para 8, Stroiteley Street, America Latina y el Caribe (ROLAC) Building 2 Av. Presidente Vargas, 3131/1304 Office 809 20210-030 - Rio de Janeiro RJ, Moscow, 119991 Brazil Russian Federation Tel: (55-21) 2515-1700 Tel: (7-095) 930-6264 Fax: (55-21) 2515-1701 Fax: (7-095) 930-0379 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.unhabitat-rolac.org URL: www.unhabitatmoscow.ru