N E T

Special

October 2005 Edition

15 Years Young Planners Programme 1991 — 2005 ‘Down Memory Lane’ contributions

© ISoCaRP, International Society of City and Regional Planners P.O. Box 983, 2501 CZ , The Netherlands phone: +31-70-3462654; fax: +31-70-3617909; Email: [email protected]; www.isocarp.org

Foreword by the President Alfonso Vegara

(ISoCaRP) has become a truly global orga- suggested that interested Young Planners nisation of experienced professional plan- should write a piece of reflection on the The processes of globalization that the ners with members in over 70 countries on way they experienced the Young world is experiencing is leading to a closer the five continents. Planners’ Workshops and on their further integration of countries, cities and peoples of As evidenced by the themes of our career. Many Young Planners reacted the world. This phenomenon has been facili- annual Congresses, ISoCaRP has always enthusiastically and several of them have tated by the innovations in information tech- been a forward-looking organisation. As we written short articles about their memories nology and the enormous reduction of costs approach the milestone of forty years – one on their personal journey with ISoCaRP. of transport and communication, and by the generation – it is good to indulge in a little Our society is very proud to share breaking down of barriers that restrict the “looking back” and remember and honour those memories with all our members. flows of goods, services, capital, knowledge, all those who worked tirelessly to improve We would like to thank the Young Plan- and peoples across borders. the human habitat, the planning profession ners very much for their contributions; Our cities and our city systems are in the and ISoCaRP. This is also the year in contributions that are overwhelmingly centre of these processes. When ISoCaRP which we celebrate another milestone: positive, but also the critical note is not was founded in 1965, about one third of the 15 Years of ISoCaRP Young Planners missing. They allow us to have a close world’s population lived in urban areas. By Workshops. look at their very personal ways of experi- 2025, this figure will have doubled. This is an By the end of last year Olusola Olufemi encing the Workshop. immense global challenge, and one that the (Canada-Nigeria), a Young Planner partici- Planning Profession is acutely aware of. pating already at the ISoCaRP YP Work- Thank you very much to all of you! From small beginnings in 1965, the Internatio- shop in its beginning years, came up with Your ‘Down Memory Lane’ contributions nal Society of City and Regional Planners the idea to give this milestone a face. She are very precious to us. Foreword by Vice President Young Planners Fernando Brandao Alves

been used as inputs in their own strate- :"…our multi-skilled and multi-cultural team gies for the study area. kicked off our work with a lot of enthusiasm and Since 1991, UNESCO has extended eagerness … After a bumpy start and a lot of generous funding for the annual "Young deliberation of what we want to do, what we The idea of an international forum for Planners Workshop". For 15 years, se- think we should do, what we could do, what we younger planning professionals, was real- lected young planning professionals from want to give comments about and what we had ized with the first Young Planners' Work- all over the world have had the benefit of opinions about, we decided to make it even shop (YPW) at the 26th ISoCaRP Con- a UNESCO grant for participating in the more complicated by facing a REAL SITUA- gress in Guadalajara, Mexico (1991). YPW. The growing number of ISoCaRP TION!" Since then, the elder members of ISo- members from the developing world is This comment confirms how young profession- CaRP have happily – and at times per- encouraging, particularly as the formative als, through the Workshops, have the opportu- haps a little enviously – observed the com- processes of the urban future of the nity to develop new ideas, concepts or propos- petition for admission to the Workshop, the world are taking place primarily in these als for the area under study – as defined by creative spirit of the Workshop itself, and countries. ISoCaRP, as an independent Local Authorities or University Departments – the enthusiastic response of the partici- think tank and as a network of profes- that need new strategies and/or action plans. pants. The YPW has become a source of sionals, can make meaningful contribu- Another benefit of the YPW is related to the meaningful debate, new ideas and rejuve- tions to the enormous tasks ahead. In quality of the new ideas, concepts or proposals nation for the Society. After 15 years, the this perspective, the YPWs can play a that are prepared and presented. The Young YPW has developed its own unmistake- significant role in bringing in new talent. able style. It is now not only a unique op- Planners are required to defend their ideas in With UNESCO support, the proportion front of a critical jury, often in the Opening Ses- portunity for young planning professionals of participants from developing countries sion or during the General Assembly. Thus, the and post-graduate students from around has increased significantly. UNESCO working teams have to prepare a well- the world to meet and exchange technical support to this continuing effort is vitally rehearsed presentation that frequently catches and scientific knowledge, but also a basis important and very gratefully acknowl- the special attention of the planning authorities for making life-long friends. edged by ISoCaRP. and the General Assembly. The host Local YPWs are brief-but-intense brainstorm- Authority or Planning Agency usually welcomes ing and design exercises that resemble The wonderful collection of these the fresh ideas that arise from the Workshops. what architecture students know as 'char- YP’s contributions speak for themselves! Sometimes these ideas and inputs have even rettes'. In the established tradition of the YP Workshops, you could hear the follow- ing comments by the young planners: Since 1991 Annual YPW reports have been edited by 2 the Young Planners and Workshop Coordinators. In 2001 Prof Alves edited an extensive 10 Year YPW report.

Personal Reflections by Olusola Olufemi, Nigeria

Here I was on a 13 hours flight from La- and calmness in which people collabo- gos, Nigeria to New Delhi, India in 1987 rate), green (creativity and cross fertiliza- to attend the ISoCaRP congress on tion of ideas) and white (visibility and ‘Planning and Actions for the Homeless’. benevolence of its members). The ISo- 1987 marked the Interna- CaRP legacy, in my mind, lies in foster- tional Year of Shelter for the Homeless. ing planners to imbibe directly or indi- As a young planner, fresh from school, rectly unwritten values of Respect, Dig- first year in the job market with barely nity, Hard Work and Belief in Self. any experience I was conducting my research on the homeless in Nigeria at These values as a young planner transit- that time. In my naivety I sent in an ab- ing from the academic life into the pro- Olusola is Associate Professor stract and application to the ISoCaRP fessional world was priceless especially in Urban and Regional Planning committee to attend the congress. The when the first brush with professional life • Background: Obtained a Master’s application was accepted and I was in- were during a 2-3 months internship with degree in Urban and Regional planning vited as one of the young planners to a Planning Authority. This was where from the Centre for Urban and Regional present my work. you first put to test the theories taught in Planning, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria in 1986. Proceeded to do a PhD It was a great opportu- in Urban and Regional Planning at the nity to test the waters School of Architecture and Planning, as a fresh graduate but University of the Witwatersrand, Johan- I was apprehensive and nesburg, South Africa; graduated in began to develop cold 1998. feet because I thought, ‘oh! How am I going to Personal career until now: face the large audi- • Worked as a Research Fellow at the ence? I‘d never done Physical Development Department of this before’. With mixed the Nigerian Institute of Social and emotions, anxiety and Economic Research, Ibadan, Nigeria excitement I set out on for about 10 years. Worked as a the journey. The ISo- Chief Researcher at the Human Sci- CaRP congress that year was prodigious the classroom into practice. ences Research Council, Pretoria, and memorable (the same goes for all ISoCaRP presents a forum for planners South Africa and taught at the School ISoCaRP congresses) and what I learnt regardless of age, gender, colour or race of Architecture and Planning, Univer- during that conference is still with me to interact, share today. ideas and knowl- Since New Delhi, I have been involved edge about plan- with ISoCaRP in various ways. As a ning. young planner then I was opportune to attend a project workshop in Warsaw, The wealth of Poland (1990); and the Young Planners knowledge dissemi- Workshops in Cordoba, Spain (1992) nated during the and Jerusalem, Israel (1996). In 1991 I congresses and entered a competition jointly sponsored through ISoCaRP by IKEA/ISoCaRP to conduct a publications are ‘Comparative Study on Urban Design in outstanding. ISo- Selected Cities’. I was fortunate with CaRP provides a three other young planners to win that broad and diverse competition whose output was an ISo- but unique perspec- CaRP publication in 1992. I also have tive to planning. sity of the Witwatersrand, Johannes- contributions in the International Plan- burg, South Africa. ning Manual. Thank you ISoCaRP for the exposure, experience, enrichment and enlighten- • Now residing in Canada and working The symbolic representation of the ISo- ment on international planning matters. as an independent researcher and CaRP emblem (my own interpretation) is engaged in part time teaching at the embedded in its colours, blue (nobility Memorial University of Newfound- land, St John’s, Canada.

3

Two Young Planners’ Workshops attended by Aafke Nijenhuyzen, Netherlands

From 30 August to 4 September 1993 I and Gordon Kirkby. participated in the Young Planners Work- There also was a true shop on the river Clyde in Glasgow. It romance, Laura Rent- was a nice time to work with people from sen married Andrew other countries on a design in the con- Fleming. It was all gress city. The workshop was very well sunshine in Glasgow. prepared, there were clear presentations Two times I went back by representative of Strathclyde Regional to Scotland but the Council and the City of Glasgow District weather has never Council. The three groups worked on been so beautiful. different areas, I participated in group 2 In 1996 I partici- where we were asked to make a pro- pated in the Young Planners Workshop nice to see the difference in solutions. I posal for the central area. The result of a in Jerusalem. I knew the concept, so that found it a unique country but not a coun- one day work with seven people you do was not a great surprise. The place was try easy to live or work in. not know before and who all speak differ- impressing, so much history, fight and Some elder Young Planners among ent languages is still astonishing. culture in a compact place. Participants which Maurits Schaafsma and Andreas from Yugoslavia had an advantage here, Schneider organised TAN, a Temporary The older planners gave us the feeling they knew how planning can be used in Autonomous Network of professionals that we were really welcome and we war. In Holland we had the struggle interested in future planning (active for became part of an international family. against water, but not against people in four years from 1997). This was an in- The visit to the Burrell collection with live planning. The Young Planners Workshop spiring study group that made it possible music was also an event I will never was well prepared by Hein Struben, He- to be still active in international working forget. lena Heyning, Prof. Salomon and Ronni teams while I was already older than 35. Ellenblum. The four groups all worked on I am glad that I have joined those two On Saturday, 4 September, we rented a the same area, the Mamilla area, located Young Planners’ workshops. I became small bus with 15 Young Planners and between the Old and the New City of an ISoCaRP member and I am still en- went to Lake Logan and the oldest Inn of Jerusalem. We worked near the location, joying this. I think back to the Young Scotland were we had lunch and made a at Moshe Safdie's office. Because the Planners’ workshops nostalgically and walk. I kept in contact with Bruno Widmer task was the same for all groups it was with happiness.

Opening of minds and hearts to many cultures Aafke is Head of Development of by Hari Srinivas, Japan (India) the City of Nieuwerkerk a/d IJssel (NL) meet the occasional 'foreigner', but visit- ISoCaRP over- ing the different countries that ISoCaRP and drank with them. whelmed me at met in, opened me up to a whole new I remember that I had my first glass of first. It was just world or set of worlds actually! wine – several that night, actually! – in after I had fin- an ISoCaRP pre-congress dinner (and ished my teach- And ISoCaRP's own multi-cultural promptly spent the rest of the night in ing work at the mix of members made me realize in the the toilet, of course). Asian Institute real sense, the meaning of the real of Technology, global family we all were. And here I am today, an officer of the in Bangkok, and before starting off my I think that is the key message I will U.N., working all over the world on a Ph.D. in Japan. All those European cherish with me today as ISoCaRP cele- range of topics and themes that I never faces talking a lot of both theoretical and brates its many years of existence – the imagined I would be working on (my practical planning issues – initially I did opening of minds and hearts to the family still thinks I am an architect). But I not have my wits around me to under- many cultures I watched and interacted owe not a small part of that to the open- stand what on earth they were saying. with, and the realization that we are ing of minds and to listening to different They seemed to live in their own world. indeed part of the same 'global commu- ideas and viewpoints that ISoCaRP Its only now, several years later, nity'. Being part of ISoCaRP ultimately afforded me. That is what I will cherish and many congresses and meetings gave me the confidence, the self- as I move on with my life. past, that I can reflect on the effect that assurance and the ability to develop ISoCaRP has had on me. Being an professionally – because I had inter- Hari is Architect and Urban Planner. Indian and an Asian, it helped me open acted with my peers. I had seen them, He is Coordinator of the UNEP Global up perspectives and viewpoints that I talked to them, and learnt from them. I Development Research Center; he is a had not yet been exposed to – yes, you had also laughed and ate and travelled visiting Professor at the Osaka Univer- do read newspapers and watch TV and sity and Chiba University of Commerce.

4 Compilation by Dino Juloya, Spain (Philippines)

5 Love is paid with Love, Land will talk about us through the Works we will leave Júlia Lourenço, Portugal behind.”

I truly believe that Young Planners’ driver will tell you: “no tourist comes here!” Workshops are essentially a MATTER In July 2005, already my fourth stay in Pra- I participated OF LOVE: Love to Land; Love to Terri- gue, three of my ERASMUS students stud- just once at a tory Planning; Love to Young People. ied the same area I did when I was a Young Plan- Young Planner: Bubny-Holesovice and the ners´ Work- ISoCaRP is to be thankfully acknowl- facing river banks. Not the three days I did shop a long edged for keeping this already traditional but rather three months. It was funny dis- time ago in the mid-nineties in Prague… event: the Young Planners´ Workshop. cussing the same area with them, a prob- a memorable souvenir in my technical We, ISoCaRPians, are like a big family, lematic flooding area that I still recall being up-bringing. scattered all over the World. We take told in Prague at YP Workshop that it was I remember the hard work but also the pleasure in seeing each other annually or playground for planners… I asked their fun! The exciting discussions and the not so often. It is indeed different from Czech Supervisor, my Colleague Prof. Ivan hectic time to produce something pre- other Societies I belong to. At first, this Horky, why this area as it did not seem to sentable to the Seniors! feeling estranged me but now I cherish it. me the best suited to test my model. And I revive part of that atmosphere at Young As we Young Planners grow old, we see the answer was for the fun! Planners´ Presentations whenever I at- more and more the importance of Love Yes, problematic areas give us, planners, tend an ISoCaRP Congress. But I only and Understanding. I go back to my for- the best fun… Will the Olympic Games in had again this very special fun at the mer PhD Supervisor Manuel da Costa 2016 or better 2020 take place in this area? Implementation Lab in Delft promoted by Lobo, to his Scottish connection Percy Make your guesses but things are on the ISoCaRP, once again innovatively! Marshall and the plan they did for Oporto move anyway! Still to this day, I remember the dis- Region together with other ISoCaRP Still to this day, I show my University cussions between YPs, some vivid situa- planners such as Derek Lyddon, Sofia Students the reports of YPs, mine and the tions still come to my mind, the nice com- Leonard, to their inspirer Patrick Geddes, ten years one, to thrill and motivate them. ments by Max van den Berg, but contact and I see my networking through the And I know that the fun some students say is more or less lost. That is, it is reno- times. they have in making the work for my vated if needed: last year, a YP Col- classes, comes also from my participation league John Leonard visited me in My actual networking does follow some at YPs´ Workshops and the positive feeling Oporto. Along came his wife as well as of our ISoCaRP connections. we can produce something in a short pe- his boss and around 20 colleagues of I truly believe that the Young Plan- riod of time! their architectural London firm. I felt it like ners’ Workshops are a very important Still to this day, I am looking forward to a wonderful privilege to show my town to opportunity for this networking, but find the right student to nominate to be at them and learn with and from them. even more important, for real hands-on the Young Planners. I look forward to their Still to this day, I keep going to the planning activities performed in a short joyful sharing in this special interactive same Czech Technical University build- time, high intensity, great fun! learning atmosphere! ing where I was received by the ISo- I can only wish that more and more Agustina Bessa-Luís, a famous writer from CaRP Secretariat – Hello Judy! Were YOUNG PLANNERS keep sharing this my town, Oporto, gave me and my planner you there Gaby? I keep walking around unique experience! Prague without a map. I feel it a little bit colleagues at the turn of the twentieth anni- my town, not the tourist main routes but versary of CCRN (the Land Use and Devel- Júlia is Professor and Civil Engineer at the other routes where a puzzled bus opment Agency for the Northern Region of the Comissao de Coordenacao Regiao Portugal) a wonderful text. It ended like “As Do Norte, -Portugal Diagnosis: Not capable to reform?! Some thoughts on our profession mixed group of young planners from ductive middle-age group (that would be and organisation Europe, North America and the Near most interesting for young planners to by Andreas Schneider, Switzerland East, we experienced amazing profes- network with). And the participants sional exchange, paralysing discussions seemed much more interested in the Jerusalem 1995 ... on where to go for dinner and had a lot of tourism and leisure aspects than in any Joining the 1995 young planners' work- fun together. For me, this ISoCaRP serious content discussion. For me, it shop in Jerusalem was an amazing young planners' workshop was a real looked rather like a big family meeting experience for me. Instead of just carry- eye-opener in every aspect. than like a professional congress. So we ing out the harmless urban design exer- As great the young planners' work- started to organise our own programme, cise that our hosts prepared for us, we shop was, as disappointing the subse- together with some elderly young plan- entered discussion about the political quent congress itself was for us: It was a ners. significance of the site situated exactly thematic potpourri of anything but contri- One of them, Luuk Boelens, provoked on the "green line" near old Jerusalem's butions on the very congress topic (water us with his remark that he considers the Jaffa gate. - And got a very deep insight as a key resource for development). It classical ISoCaRP planners as neither in the settlement strategies Israel's plan- was an assembly of well-renowned old willing nor able to adapt to contempo- ners and politicians executed at the planners, almost lacking the really pro- beginning of second intifada. Being a

6 seems obstructed by filibustering func- tionaries in the EXCO. And although professional exchange aspect more and (Schneider, continued) ISoCaRP organises its 41st congress more to that of a (very expensive) "family this year, the lack of standards and meeting" and congress tourism... It is nice rary challenges. And that it might be steady guidance to the secretariat to see each other every now and then, and better to let this discipline die and create leads to an expensive re-invention of have a good time together. For a good a new one: Revolution instead of reform! all congress organisation aspects professional exchange, there exist as inter- Another elderly young planner, Maurits every year - and the replication of old esting opportunities within other networks Schaafsma, was rapporteur of the work- faults every now and then. But never (like INURA, TAN etc.) that cost much less shop where we presented the draft mind, Swiss planners are not better in than an ISoCaRP congress. Guidelines of Swiss Spatial Development learning from the past. Since the 1997 th For me the most productive outcome of 1997 (in comparison to the 4 Nota of spatial development concept for Swit- ISoCaRP still is, that the Jerusalem con- the Netherlands). A concept that, like all zerland didn't work, we are just now gress led to the creation of the Temporary others since 1942, was strongly based discussing the "new" one. - Based on Autonomous Network (1997 - 2001). A spin on the "decentral concentration" thought a revision of the outdated "decentral off of elderly young planners truly inter- - a wishful thinking that never worked concentration" paradigm again! Too ested in an in-depth discussion on the fu- properly in the past. And that I then criti- little learning ability to cope with the ture development of the planning profes- cised being against all logic of a global- challenges of the future! sion, including some of the participants of ised economy, neo-liberal political sys- Looking back, I more and more have the Jerusalem congress. And that we got tem and a mainly private transport-based the feeling that Luuk Boelens was right the opportunity to present our results and spatial behaviour. when he said that the classical plan- propose some conceptual and organis- ners and ISoCaRP are neither willing ational innovations at the ISoCaRP con- ... and 10 years later nor able to adapt to contemporary gress 2001 in . In the ten years since then, my profes- challenges as fast as necessary. Per- And the most disappointing point on the sional profile changed from senior assis- haps it is really worth creating some- other hand is, that ISoCaRP - in a ten years tant at the ETH and owner of a small thing new for younger professionals, overview - seems to be anything else but a business, via officer for urban and eco- instead of investing energy in trying to learning organisation concerning the per- nomic development in a medium-sized reform existing structures. - As ISo- ception of their environment or its organisa- town to senior project manager in one of CaRP did when it split off from IFHP tional matters. Even though the current the big planning firms in Switzerland. In forty years ago... . (and former) president did a proper analy- that time I joined several ISoCaRP con- gresses (like Gelsenkirchen, Azores, sis and has developed a whole bunch of Andreas is Senior Project Manager/ Utrecht, , ). Even though entrepreneurial ideas for ISoCaRP's re- Consultant, Architect and my motivation for this changed from the newal, most of the necessary dynamic Town Planner, Brugg, Switzerland

Recollections of a (former) Young Planner ate studies at the University of Massachu- by Amit Prothi, USA (India) setts in Amherst, I have worked in the planning field – first in the public sector, and then in private sector consulting. My interest in ISoCaRP stemmed from a continuing interest in understanding how communities evolve around the globe. The Young Planners’ Workshop provided the perfect forum where, through hands-on experience, I got an opportunity to experi- ence how planning is approached in differ- ent parts of the world.

Germany 1999: Art of Communication While working on a redevelopment plan for The Young Planners’ Workshop has truly a vacant coal mine at Gelsenkirchen, I got been one of my most memorable experi- into an interesting debate with a team- ences, both in a professional capacity, mate from . For the first two days of and on a personal level. I had the oppor- ideas with professionals whose ap- the workshop, my team-mate stayed ex- tunity to be a young planner twice – first proach to planning problems is different tremely focused on the physical aspects of at the 35th Congress in elsenkirchen than mine. And I learnt about ‘dao’- a the redevelopment plan, while I kept push- (Germany), and then at t36th Congress in Chinese expression symbolizing ing for an economic focus. On the third Cancun (Mexico). In both cases, I learnt change. and last day, with not a whole lot of sleep some valuable professional lessons, and between us, we had a break through. He Mexico 2000: Diversity in Planning made friends who I continue to stay in accepted that economics could shape and Cancun proved another rich ground for touch with today. be shaped by decisions affecting the learning. While working with a group of Originally from India, where I did my physical environment, and I learnt a valu- young planners from South Africa, I undergraduate studies in architecture, I able lesson – to be able to communicate realized for the first time in my life how have been living in the US for the past 12 planning had been used as a tool for years. Subsequent to completing gradu-

7 segregation. And how the new genera- City, for example, is surrounded by some of how to approach a redevelopment tion of contemporary planners is pushing the city and country’s most prominent build- strategy, of how to communicate with to eradicate the very boundaries that ings and is constantly the hub for formal professionals with foci other than their profession had helped build during and informal activity. Our challenge, as mine, of how to look at successes from the Apartheid era. I also remember notic- young planners in Cancun, was to create a other parts of the world – are proving ing, in particular, the interaction between similar space for a portion of the city that very useful in my current work. two young planners from South Africa – was earmarked for substantial growth in the The workshops have also touched one white and one black. It seemed that future. me on a personal level. I have made by interacting in an environment that was several good friends from over 15 out of their normal realm, they were able On the lighter side… countries ranging from Japan, to Bel- to discuss issues and address stereo- Not that ISoCaRP workshops were just a gium, to South Africa. In fact, last year, types that they may not have been com- serious affair - in Mexico, young planners I enjoyed some homemade spaghetti fortable to discuss back home. from the local host committee went out of with Giuseppe Occhipinti (in Rome), their way to ensure we had some fun too. and walked through historic Sintra with For the 10 days that we worked during the Bruno Marques (in Portugal). workshop and the conference, we enjoyed five nights of dancing (much to the envy of some of the ‘mature’ planners!). We had added salsa and merengue to our vocabu- lary, and footwork, by the time we left Mex- ico!!! And now… Since participating at the two Young Plan- ners’ Workshops, I have moved as a pro- While in Mexico, I also learnt of the ject manager to EDAW, Inc., an internation- ‘zocalo’. A Mexican version of a central ally renowned planning and landscape square, it provides an outdoor gathering architecture firm. I currently manage pro- place for activities such as markets or jects that range in scope from environ- political rallies. The Zocalo in Mexico mental planning to urban design. The les- Amit is a Planner and works sons I learnt in Germany and Mexico – of in a private Planning Firm in Washington, USA sobre la aplicación interdisciplinaria de Haydée Beltran Uran, Colombia acciones. En estos trabajos, es mi apre- ciación personal, hay un enriquecimiento tifican como nación o como pueblo es total, por una parte, de la docencia con la parecido como una donación algo que Haber tenido la grandiosa oportunidad práctica y por otra del propio proceso pro- recibimos del pasado con tal prestigio de formar parte de su comunidad para ductivo con su perfeccionamiento simbólico que no cabe discu- el conoci-miento no solo individual sino científico, soportado en los debates que tirlo" (Canclini 1990), y es que el re- de progreso social, es una de las mejo- permiten revelar la información y los crite- conocimiento del mismo que conlleva res cosas que han ocurrido en mi vida. rios a que se llegue mediante la toma de a una identificación con él, implica que El modelo de excelencia impuesto por posiciones sobre distintos ángulos de un éste fundamentalmente, se "deja leer", ISoCaRP a lo largo del tiempo, resulta problema. se hace reconocible y por tanto ase- indispensable para la configuración de quible, gracias a que de tal forma se un paradigma homogéneo del desar- Sin duda alguna, la capacidad de discutir aviene como lenguaje manifiesto en: rollo social y humano, acorde con la y convencer que se fortalece de manera símbolos y en la manera como se universalización del mercado y las maravillosa en estos trabajos como YP plasman en formas de ocupación del relaciones económicas, lo que permite potencia los conocimientos, perfecciona territorio por parte de los distintos al Plani-ficador Urbano, recrear su que- hábitos y habilidades de actividad crea- grupos que lo hacen suyo. hacer dentro de un discurso racional en dora en beneficio del desarrollo de las el contexto del saber y la práctica hu- tareas y esto lo digo porque fui la primera Ahora, cuando formo parte del mana, como principio de la comunica- Socióloga de un país latinoamericano, ISoCaRP adulto, la vida me ha indi- ción pedagógica, razón de ser de la Colombia, Medellín, que llegó a participar cado su continuidad desde la con- sociedad humana del futuro. en este proceso, situación que revelaba forntación, en un principio de angustia enormes diferencias, pero es pre- y de sufrimiento, al vivir en carne Esta doble dimensión la viví como YP cisamente el patrimonio cultural el que se propia los rigores de la violencia y el en Escocia y al construir de- presenta como ajeno a los debates sobre conflicto armado en mi país, los cuales bates de conversación abierta sobre la modernidad y constituyen el recurso deben ser analizados para una re- problemas reales a "solucionar" selec- "menos sospechoso" para garantizar la flexión histórica razonada, la cual cionados por la experiencia profesional complicidad social. "Ese conjunto de bie- plasmé en el 37 Congreso Interna- de la dirección de ISoCaRP de manera nes y prácticas tradicionales que nos iden- cional en la sesión 3 Cyberespace and interinstitucional, para unificar criterios

8 the loss of concentration, con el nombre sociales, económicas y tecnológicas dar terminación, comprensión, potenciación de Displacement and construction cuenta de los procesos de desarraigo, o transformación, según el caso, de la (Beltran Uran, continued) desapego, pérdida del sentido de pertenen- forma de ser de los distintos grupos en of city. Emergency territory. cia y de identidad que dan cuenta de la sus "ahí" respectivos, resulta crucial, no Ahora corresponde al Planificador grave crisis por la que pasan las locali- sólo para la Planeación Urbana, sino Urbano, partir de una serie de contradic- dades y con ella los grupos humanos que para la efectiva y auténtica habitación ciones ideológicas, políticas, culturales, las habitan, tanto a nivel micro (barrial o del mundo. sectorial), como a nivel macro, abarcando así la ciudad entera. Por tal motivo la de- Haydée is Sociologist and Urbanist and works for the Municipio de Medellin, Colombia Down Memory Lane by Brett Clavio, USA

to share my experiences and knowledge of land use and transportation planning, continues to develop, I shall be mindful and to learn from others. of my peers at ISoCaRP, and strive to be Indeed, I learned a great deal from the as professional and esteemed as so workshop, from the sponsors, the coordina- many of the Society’s members are. tors, and the other young planners, not to What a great society it is! One couldn’t Having been to Egypt before, I was mention the Congress itself. What a fantas- wish for such a great group of friends. excited to return, especially with some tic experience! Until next time… greater purpose than just traveling. It was a real honor to later be accepted as Brett is Planner and Architect with a ISoCaRP provided the perfect reason a regular member of the Society. private planning office to revisit Cairo, a professional mission. Since then, my personal career has re- Oakland, USA I was interested in participating in mained relatively the same. But my insight the Young Planners Workshop in order into the world of planning internationally has grown tremendously. As my career ministrative structure and many deci- sion makers of the administration of Vienna. In 2000 I made the examina- The better Qualification the better Chance in Career tion in urban planning for the by Irene Rubitzki, Austria “Specially Certified Engineers”, which enable Austrian engineers to run a “civil engineers office”. With this spe- Let me give you a short overview about me, cial qualification I changed my job and my career and the most important projects I started to work for a private company, Today, 30 was working in: I grew up in Linz, Upper being one of the project managers of June 2005, is Austria, finished my A-levels in 1990 and the S 1, a motorway which will sur- an important decided to study urban planning in Vienna. round Vienna in the southern parts. day in my During my studies I had several part-time For this motorway one of the first and personal ca- jobs e.g. working for the City of Linz in the largest environmental impact assess- reer. It is the urban planning department, on surveying ments of Austria has been made, the last official day and for several small or medium size mu- closeness to urban settlements and in my previous nicipalities in the field of zoning and urban the routing and configuration of the job, working for the City of Salzburg at the development. motorway was an enormous chal- urban planning and traffic department. To- lenge. morrow I will start to work for the Austrian After finishing my studies I Energy Agency in Vienna, working on sus- had great luck and started to tainable and ecological traffic-projects for work with the City of Vienna, the Austrian federal ministry of environment. advising Viennese Politicians A great chance and a big challenge for me. of the municipal council and Definitely the Young Planners Program in the Viennese Parliament in Cairo 2003 and the Urban Task Force in La the field of urban and traffic Rioja 2004 are some important steps in my planning. (Vienna is as well a personal career, these programs enabled municipality as a federal me to have a better qualification than other state.) This job enabled me colleagues. to work in the strategic part of Warm and sincere thanks to ISoCaRP, es- planning, in the legislation of pecially Ric Stephens, Milica Bajic and Judy a federal state, having a van Hemert, for providing me this opportu- good overview of several parts of planning, Another project of this civil engineers nity! getting to know the whole political and ad- office was to plan a commuter railway

9 (Rubitzky, continued) tional colleagues coming from

system for the city and the suburban all over the world, having on region of Salzburg. Getting into contact the one hand the same or with the City of Salzburg they offered me similar degree but on the a job in the urban planning department. other hand a completely dif- My main project for the last three years ferent cultural background. was to organize an international competi- tion on urban planning and design for a From my point of view it was square in the heart of the City of Salz- amazing, that the way of find- burg next to the very famous houses of ing solutions and the whole the Salzburg Festival and to start to real- process of working was not as ize all four parts of the competition different as I thought. The (redesign of the square, redesign the study area in the heart of historic garden of the old university, build Cairo, a mega city being at the edge of Africa and Asia, a new staircase to the major auditorium First Urban Task Force, La Rioja of the university, use the ground floor of having the important Islamic culture but the university in an adequate way of this living from tourists coming especially from long period we had enough time to get to important place). As the project manager Europe and the U.S. was an extremely know the way of working of every mem- I had to coordinate all divisions of the interesting situation. ber of the group, discuss different solu- city-administration of Salzburg as well as Getting a second chance to work in an tions and find a proper way for the small all the external partners e.g. stake- international field with colleages coming village of Enciso to enforce tourism on holders, architects and civil engineers. from all over the world was to take part in dinosaur footprints. the first Urban Task Force in La Rioja in Thanks a lot to ISoCaRP and all mem- Working for the city of Salzburg I started Spain. The big difference to the Young bers of ISoCaRP who enabled us Young Planners was, that we were a very small Planners this possibilities of qualification! to get in contact with ISoCaRP and the Young Planners Programme. I got a group of five planners working for a rather Irene is an Urban Planner and works for scholarship for Cairo and overall it was a long time of 9 days together. During this the Austrian Energy Agency, Vienna great experience working with interna-

Journeys through ISoCaRP gress. Perhaps the only aspect I would you imagine Charles de Gaulle airport? by Victor Terrazas, Mexico reconsider is that the workshops could How could I arrange the flight to Am- have taken place in the same building. All sterdam now? It was not that bad after trips and meetings gave us the opportu- all, just hundreds of people changing Patrick Geddes, you all must be familiar nity to make friends, visit interesting sites flights but they managed to put me on a with him, otherwise please read something and projects and so much to thank for. flight within the next two hours. No wel- about him. Well while taking some lectures Two years later, 2001 (Planning in come party for me anymore, I got to at the Patrick Geddes centre in Edinburgh I the information Age): The YPs subject sleep and … see you tomorrow. got to know about ISoCaRP by Sophia was: science and technology parks. Just In the morning I was running through Leonard who was involved in the meeting perfect, it was my dissertation subject in the campus, came back for breakfast of the congress in Glasgow and a School- the master course. I submitted a paper and then to the Telematica Institute. The mate, Malvina Arrarte, was participating in and was accepted. four groups worked on the options for the young planners Programme. Here I am at 7:15 in Chihuahua airport integration of the business park with the I tried to also participate and although it looking at a TV screen. An airplane campus, but in this case each group had was too late by then ISoCaRP gave me the crashed into a building, and at that same guidelines for their proposals. It was a opportunity to present a paper. It was re- moment while looking at the smog an- strange environment in comparison to jected; besides there was a Mexican se- other one crashes. Lineu Castello was in the working environment in Gelsen- lected already. the Twin towers on the 10th of Septem- kirchen, but nevertheless it gave us the A couple of years later, precisely on the ber. My story is maybe just half of what opportunity to see results which varied closing date I had a look at the ISoCaRP he can tell to us. from practical to theoretical ones. We homepage. The subject to be considered in I got onto the plane. When I arrived in had all kinds of GIS material to work the young planners programme in Ger- Mexico City there was a big chaos, our with, so there were no limits on this. many was derelict mines sites, the topic of flight was cancelled. I had organized eve- my final project in Edinburgh, and I decided rything so perfectly, just to be in time to Now we had to get to Utrecht. There our to submit an abstract which was accepted. meet another young planner at Schiphol hotel was terrible. The bus driver of our My trip to Germany was arranged and I had Airport in the Netherlands and take the site tour got lost and never found the the opportunity to visit some friends in Ber- train together to Enschede. I finally took way back so she left us on the outskirts lin, Hannover and finally get into Gelsen- the next flight, nine hours of delay. What of Utrecht and we had to take two local kirchen. a surprise, they changed me into busi- buses to get back to the hotel. I was so Can you imagine: a whole table full of sau- ness class. We flew through Venezuela tired then and jet-sick - no more running sages and beer - this was our welcome in instead through the U.S. air space. Could for me anymore. Gelsenkirchen. Everything was perfect in this Young Planners programme and Con-

10 ( Terrazas, continued) lovely. So it was the little hotel. They pre- luggage; my strength was to have carried

This time the workshops took place in pared your bed and leave you a piece of it through so many places and trains. the same building and we could choose delicious chocolate on top of it. Anyway, the bag came three days later from several subjects. This was very I walked through the city, came back and and not a single thing was missing. good. We had a magnificent dinner in rested for a while. When I woke up it was Looking back, every project develop- where I finally met Prof. dark and I almost lost the opportunity to ment was done in a short time and it Lineu Castello and gave him a slide that I visit the canal house of Prof Nico Roorda. I required plenty of energy of each of us, had taken during the final dinner in Gel- just had a glass of wine of the house. It but each time it was incredible. It must senkirchen. In one of those photographs was a Welcome drink. have marked our professional output appears Dirk Engelke as the Post It Man The Randstand South West area was the from then on. in order to be present in a photo that he subject of the study and this allowed us to After having attended several con- had taken himself. We were delighted to visit some sites in the area. This time we gresses of multidisciplinary subjects, I assist at the performance of the Indone- had a whole boat for us with waiters and can say that ISoCaRP congresses repre- sian dance group Cast Ramayan, includ- food and wine; can you imagine going sent the most complete programmes of ing Judy Van Hemert. through the Rhine river in ’s Port. all and the complete involvement of local Time to extend my stay and get into The discussion was now with the most committees. Certainly under the guid- the Implementation Lab held hosted by recognised planners in Europe. ance of the secretariat. the Delft University of Technology. I took While in Holland, I was invited to visit my time and crossed through Gouda to Antwerpen in Belgium, hometown of an- Victor is working on architectural design see the cheese town. Then to Rotter- other young planner, Pieter van den and regional planning dam. I took the train which was sup- Broeck. His family received me for a couple strategies in Chihuahua and Monterrey, posed to stop in Delft but did not; it went of days so I could visit the city. Other cities Mexico. He is participating in a pro- all the way to the Hague although I had visited were: Dusseldorf, Brussels and gramme of CYTED (Ciencia y tecnologia asked before. I explained the train officer Eindhoven. para el desarollo), an Iberamerican or- and they let me get on the train back to Going back, to my surprise, my luggage ganization that is in charge of finding Delft for free. If you have never have did not arrive in Paris. So I took my back- solutions for the inclusion of mining been in Delft you must visit the town/ pack with some tulip bulbs and I took my activities in the developments of Utrecht center is nice, but Delft is just final flight to Chihuahua. I was not angry to the territory. loose the bag and the souvenirs inside the

A walk down memory lane with In the Indian context we ISoCaRP by Nupur Prothi Khanna have a brigade of young India planners- Anshu and Manu who encouraged me to gain this experi- If there is one sentiment that I associ- ence and I in turn intro- ate with ISoCaRP it is the gratitude of a duced Amit, Roli and Young Planner being encouraged to find Rupa thus each contrib- her niche in ‘Planning this World’! uting in our own modest The Young Planner programme has capacity to ensure that been a unique and beneficial outlet for more professionals con- scores of planning professionals like me tinue to benefit from this trying to find their footing in the profes- international group of young profession- programme. sional realm. What better way to do this als, the exchange of ideas and working than be made to interact with a group of through the night to get our presentations The Special moments….. equally young and equally ambitious in order was a unique experience at that The experience that I would keep with young professionals early on in their cho- stage of my career. Looking back it is me through my years as a practicing sen carriers. I am sure most of us would unimaginable how one could have felt so design professional is my first encounter acknowledge the benefit we have derived comfortable, worked in complete har- with ISoCaRP. This was in September from these interactions, formal and infor- mony and come away with lasting friend- of 1998 where as a fledging professional mal with the young and the experienced. ships from such a brief experience with I had been invited to join the band ISoCaRP could truly be called a trendset- complete strangers to begin with. But the wagon of Young Planners at the Azores ter in this effort as this concept has caught fact remains that these interactions have Congress in Portugal. The hard work the fancy of many an organisation where it resulted in long standing associations to and equally dedicated fun in our daily has found mention. During my academic the extent that I can confidently claim routine in one of the most exquisite tenure at the University of York, U.K, the now to have one friend in every conti- locales is an episode difficult to let slip Alumni Society was quite taken in to start nent! Amongst them, Alicia, Giuseppe from memory. Added to it the ISoCaRP a similar forum for the young conservation and Andreas have been gracious hosts Award (UNESCO) I received for my professionals during their annual meets helping me discover their cities on my paper and presentation has permanently though I am not aware whether it eventu- travels through Europe. etched this event in my mind. ally bore fruit.

The entire experience of working with an

11 to help solve visa and travel issues and (Nupur Prothi continued) making that every extra bit of effort at The subsequent Young every moment has helped redefine effi- Planners Workshops were ciency in my dictionary. in some ways an extension If there is one thing I take away from of my first experience and each encounter with ISoCaRP may it be in others they carved a as a Young Planner or in any other ca- unique niche in my psyche. pacity, it is the mutual respect, regard The Congress at Gelsen- and affection that exists in so large and kirchen had a lasting pro- diverse a body of professionals. Kudos fessional impression on my to ISoCaRP and best wishes for continu- career as a Landscape ing with their good work especially their Architect and Conservation contribution towards the development of tribution I had intended to make as part of Professional and I continue in my interest the fledglings in the Planning Commu- my responsibility towards the workshop. on the rehabilitation of industrial regions nity. This is also surely the time and oppor- as shown through the success of the IBA Nupur is a Private Planner, tunity to thank amongst a host of very spe- Emscher project. The Cairo Congress Landscape & Conservation Architect, cial friends, Judy and Gaby for their unstint- was special due to the hard work that New Delhi - India ing support at every step of the way. Their went into it as a rapporteur and I came prompt responses, their rushing to my aid away learning much more than the con- what was happening to the international during a very short period of available law and security, the role of the United My dear time (about 72 hours). Nations, religions, international develop- ISoCaRP I remember the creativity, the freedom ment gaps, politics and diplomacy, eco- by to experiment with new ideas and con- nomic interests in war and terrorism, Ricardo cepts, the hard work, the pressure, the etc. In this context I found myself very Veludo discussions, the enthusiasm, the chal- ignorant about all this. I became tremen- Portugal lenge built up a shared vision of problems dously curious to know more about the and solutions, the jokes and comic situa- developing countries, Islamic religion, tions. I also remember the care of the ISoCaRP secretariat and the great job culture and people. Cairo was, in this My first contact with the ideals and prin- done by the workshop coordinators: Zey- sense, clearly a discovery of a new part ciples that inspire ISoCaRP was in the nep Enlil (Turkey) and Dimitris Karidis of the world for me. I was the contact university classroom, through one of its (Greece). The success of the cooperation with the Islamic religion, culture, way of founders, Prof. Manuel da Costa Lobo, by between Zeynep and Dimitris gains a life and thinking. I mainly talked with the time I was his student. In 1996, I met stronger sense considering the context of colleagues from Egypt, Togo, Senegal, two other members of ISoCaRP: Adriana tension in the official relationships be- Burkina Faso. With my new Egyptian dal Cin and Javier de Mesones (Spain). tween Greece and Turkey governments. friends I went for meditation to a local They were, with da Costa Lobo, active par- The result of the Young Planners’ work mosque, for lunch in a restaurant where ticipants in the Scientific Committee of the pleased the participants in the congress, the low wages workers usually go, for first International Meeting of Planning Stu- and we were very happy about that. How- party on a disco-boat, etc. dents, promoted by NET (Territorial Engi- ever, besides the relevance of the results neering students association, at the Insti- of the workshop, the most enriching as- I sincerely believe that the kind of tuto Superior Técnico, Lisbon) in Portugal pect of this model is the process of coop- work that is being done by ISoCaRP for in the same year. eration, creativity, solidarity and competi- the YP is helping to build bridges for a This international meeting generated an tion combined in a very healthy manner. better international understanding, impulse for the constitution of several uni- peace and respect for the diversity of versity based planning students associa- In 2003, I had the chance to assist the cultures and people. tions, which, in some cases, became ISo- YP workshop coordinator for the Cairo The friends I gained in ISoCaRP, both CaRP institutional members. The link be- congress in 2003, Akgunduz Eronat young and senior planners, the increas- tween these groups of students and ISo- (United Arab Emirates). It was a new ing quality of the discussions and pa- CaRP was very much nursed by Adriana great experience, giving me the possibility pers presented, plus the possibility to dal Cin, Javier de Mesones and Manuel da to work with the other YPs and to share discover new countries and cultures Costa Lobo, who were and continue to be a some of the concerns and action of the became an irresistible attraction for this strong inspiration for all of us. coordinators to provide the best possible society. My first direct experience as a young work environment to all participants. The Congratulations and thank you to planner in one ISoCaRP congress was six Cairo YP workshop happened just a few ISoCaRP pioneers and to all that make years later, in 2002, in , just before moths after the US major attack to Iraq, in this international society improve each the Olympic Games. It was fantastic!!! It the context of the war and retaliation for year with their work, commitment and was an intensive and delicious challenge to the 11th of September (2001) terrorist energy. work on a real case study, in a foreign attacks. Terrorism and the war were the Ricardo is City & Regional Planner and country, with a group of people with very big issues at the international level. Many Lecturer; Sines Municipality, different cultural, academic and profes- questions were raised by that time about Association of Municipalities of Alentej sional experience, in a foreign language,

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