Posted on

“Romania Local Governance Bridge Program – Metropolitan Planning and Cooperation in Romania,” USAID-Romania Report for the Association of Romanian Municipal Chief Architects, Ploiesti Metropolitan Area, Romania, 2005

Abstract

Team members John Driscoll and François Vigier contributed to a USAID-Romania and ARD Inc. report from 2005 on the “Romania Local Governance Bridge Program: Metropolitan Planning and Cooperation in Romania,” by outlining technical assistance approaches to metropolitan development and governance used in Romania. The report identifies the development of approaches best suited to Romania, drawing upon technical assistance previously provided to the Municipality of Oradea and surrounding communes.


[Excerpt]: Introduction and Preface

“This report was developed based on joint missions with John Driscoll, Institute for International Urban Development and Mr. Liviu Ianasi, Vice-Dean of the School of Urban Planning in Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urban Planning and consultant to the Chief Architects Association and Ploiesti municipality.

“This report is based on a request to USAID to help the Municipality of Ploiesti to redefine its approach to implementing metropolitan development—spatial and metropolitan governance—and to assist the Romanian Chief Architects Association to identify different approaches to metropolitan development in Romania. This is part of a larger activity of the association to systematically highlight major challenges on various topics that are relevant to the planning activities of chief architects in Romanian cities.”

“This report is divided into the two major topics of the request for assistance: (a) an overview of metropolitan and inter communal planning approaches in the U.S., the EU and Romania; and (b) a review of current initiatives in Ploiesti and recommendations for subsequent activities. For the purposes of this report, the Association requested that an emphasis be put on reviewing U.S. experiences that could be relevant to the Romanian context. More extensive work on the EU dimension of metropolitan planning and inter-communal cooperation has been undertaken separately by the Chief Architects Association and covered in related work by Romanian consultants working on metropolitan initiatives in Romania. In the last five years, the concept of metropolitan and inter-communal cooperation and the emergence of specific proposals have gained momentum in Romania. There is an emerging body of experience and research within in both the fields of urban and public administration on the topic.”

“This report was developed based on joint missions with Mr. Liviu Ianasi, Vice-Dean of the School of Urban Planning in Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urban Planning and consultant to the Chief Architects Association and Ploiesti municipality… Ms. Simona Munteanu, Chief Architect of the Municipality of Ploiesti, worked with the consultants to review current initiatives for the Ploiesti metropolitan area and develop proposals for further cooperation. The consultants would like to thank ARD-Romania for the assistance provided during the course of this assignment.”

“Professor Francois Vigier, (formerly) Professor Emeritus at the Harvard School of Design and President of the International Institute for Urban Development in Cambridge Massachusetts contributed advice and text to the summary of the experience of metropolitan development in the United States. Ms. Muneanu, Mr. Andrei Luncan, Dr. Arh. Radu Radoslav and other members of the Subcommittee on Metropolitan Cooperation of the Chief Architects Association provided important insights to the current efforts in metropolitan development in Romania. The work of the Association should receive continued support given the potential impact of positively shaping urban growth in Romania. Discussions with Dr. Nicolae Taralunga and Dr. Sorina Racoviceanu of the Institute for Housing and Urban Development.” [End excerpt]

(Reproduced for Education and Research Fair Use. Copyright Information: This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by ARD, Inc. 2005. USAID Task Order 810: USAID Contract No. AEP-I-00-00-00016-00.)

Project Year:2005
Project Type:Policy Paper
Geographic Regions:Ploiești, Romania
Reports: Romania Local Governance Bridge Program: (Report, 2005)
Authors:François Vigier; John Driscoll; Liviu Ianasi
Sponsors:USAID-Romania
Categories:Urban Planning
  
ID:2005_07_001

Related I2UD Projects

I2UD Digital Library Study Guide: The Role of Urban Planning and Management in Post-Crisis Reconciliation and Recovery, October 2025

Posted on

“Revitalization of Kars Historic Center” & “Strategies for Sustainable Development,” Technical Assistance and Capacity-Building for Kars, Turkey, 2004-2008

Abstract

Through two projects, “Revitalization of Kars Historic Center” (2005) and “Strategies for Sustainable Development” (2006-2008), I2UD provided technical assistance and institutional capacity-building to Kars Municipality, Turkey. The Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design began the Kars collaboration in 2004, and I2UD brought it to completion in 2008.

A 2005 Municipal Law devolved city planning responsibilities to individual local municipalities, decentralizing urban planning and management in Turkey. I2UD fostered a dialogue among stakeholders, including civil society and low-income dwellers, toward the collective revitalization of the historic Ottoman core of the city of Kars, to strengthen its ability to plan and manage sustainable development.

Documents include an Executive Summary for the “Revitalization of Kars Historic Center” (2005) report, followed by project documentation: A Mission Report, Interim Report, and a Final report. Additionally, see “Revitalization” Volume 2 (Annexes). Supporting documents include a Press Release by Mona Serageldin and a “Kars Social Survey” (Mustafa Gönen and Elda Solloso, June 2005).

The “Strategies for Sustainable Development” (2006-2008) project includes an Interim Report, two Progress reports and a Final Narrative Report. Supporting documents include a “Strategic Plan Exercise” and a “Household Composition Survey Interview Template” for Kars, Turkey.


[Excerpt: Executive Summary, page 1]:
“The Center for Urban Development Studies at Harvard University undertook this project to assist the municipality of Kars in developing revitalization strategies and action plans to initiate the regeneration of its historic center. These strategies focus on valorizing cultural heritage, social inclusion, and economic impact, and aim to incorporate the perspectives of stakeholders with an interest in the historic center. Our work took place over six months and included site visits; meetings with the Governor, the Mayor, senior officials, and NGO representatives; community meetings; and a social survey.”

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2004-2008
Project Type:Development Strategy
Geographic Regions:Kars, Turkey
Reports:
—
Supporting Documents:

—
Supporting Documents:
Authors:Samir Abdulac; Berhan Ipek; Ali Kural; Christa Lee-Chuvala; Mona Serageldin
Sponsors:Christensen Fund
Categories:Urban Planning
  
ID:2004_11_001

Related I2UD Projects


Gallery 14: Turkey: Tarsus, Adana, Mersin, Iskenderun, Istanbul, and Batikent (1987)

Posted on

“Cooperation and Capacity Building for Promoting Cultural, Natural and Built Heritage in Transylvania,” Technical Assistance Report for Brașov, Sibiu, Sighișoara and Târgu Mureș, Romania, 2004

Abstract

The Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design prepared the report “Cooperation and Capacity Building for Promoting Cultural, Natural and Built Heritage in Transylvania” in 2004, as a background paper for the capacity-building of local officials in Romania.

The study addressed current development challenges in Romanian regions referred to as Saxon Villages of Transylvania: Brașov, Sibiu, Sighișoara, and Târgu Mureș. The project addressed efforts to protect cultural and natural heritage, outlined issues, and provided recommendations for future programs. The CUDS team sought to locate areas of cooperation among communes and the Saxon Villages of Transylvania. The team reviewed opportunities for capacity-building activities that could support a long-term heritage management approach for the city of Sighisoara.

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2004
Project Type:Technical Assistance
Geographic Regions:Romania (Brașov, Sibiu, Sighișoara, and Târgu Mureș)
Reports:Cooperation and Capacity Building, Transylvania: (Report, September 2004)
Authors:John Driscoll; Liviu Ianasi; Andrei Luncan
Sponsors:Gaia-Heritage Trust (sal); Mihai Eminescu Trust (MET)
Categories:Historic Districts
  
ID:2004_09_001

Related I2UD Projects

I2UD Digital Library Study Guide: The Role of Urban Planning and Management in Post-Crisis Reconciliation and Recovery, October 2025

Posted on

“Continuity and Change” by Dr. Mona Serageldin, Topic Paper for 48th World Congress, International Federation for Housing and Planning (IFHP), 2004

Abstract

In 2004, Mona Serageldin prepared remarks in a report titled “Continuity and Change” for a topic panel on “Governance for Urban Change” at the 48th International Federation for Housing and Planning (IFHP) World Congress in Oslo, Norway. Serageldin’s paper addressed change in urban zones and the value of consistency to preserve cultural heritage, in relation to urban dynamics and large migratory flows.

Documents include the report, as well as another IFHP panel presentation by Serageldin, titled “Managing Dynamics on Development and Change.”


[Excerpt: Introduction, “Continuity and Change,” Dr. Mona Serageldin, 2004]

“Culture is now recognized as an important dimension of development. Professor Amartya Sen has convincingly demonstrated this link from the standpoint of an economist and a philosopher. Culture and Development both embody concepts of continuity and change but attitudes vary regarding the value placed on the legacy of the past and the role this legacy should play in shaping the future. Cultural continuity provides a coherent framework which can integrate change while providing anchors that shape identity and references that affect social behavior.”

“The inability to manage change creates disruptions that tend to aggravate cleavages along ethnic, religious and class lines. It also affects governance in that it tends to encourage the transfer of imported models and the establishment of technocratic structures as an expedient solution. Yet devoid of cultural significance, these structures can neither motivate participation nor provide modes of empowerment and end up undermining the development of local institutions.”

“Dr. Ismail Serageldin has argued that the management of change in developing countries which have experienced sudden culturally disruptive transformations requires restoring the coherence of the socio-cultural framework so that it can evolve by incorporating new elements, adapting and responding to new challenges and generating new opportunities. This implies restoring some degree of continuity.”

“This presentation focuses on two major challenges to continuity confronting local authorities in both developing and developed countries: (1) Dealing with increasingly complex urban dynamics and (2) Coping with unprecedented mobility and large migratory flows.”
____

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2004
Project Type:Research Paper
Geographic Regions:Oslo, Norway (Conference Location)
Reports:
Authors:Mona Serageldin
Sponsors:Center for Urban Development Studies, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:Climate Change and Resilience Building
  
ID:2004_09_002

Related I2UD Projects

I2UD Digital Library Study Guide: The Role of Urban Planning and Management in Post-Crisis Reconciliation and Recovery, October 2025

Posted on

“Municipal Finance of Urban Development,” Background Report for UN-Habitat Global Report on Human Settlements, 2005

Abstract

In 2005, staff at the Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design prepared a research background paper, titled “Global Report on Human Settlements: Financing Shelter and Urban Development,” for the UN-Habitat Global Report on Human Settlements for 2005, Financing Urban Shelter.

The report emphasized new approaches developed by emerging economies and poorer countries, where challenges are the greatest and resource constraints are most acute. The chapter discussed the wide range of problems that faced municipal authorities in financing urban development—based on extensive research and a review of more than 40 case studies—as community leaders responded to the challenges of major shifts in their economic base resulting from falling trade barriers and a globalizing economy. Case studies document sources of municipal revenues, the evolution of spending patterns as result of decentralization, and the impact of privatization of public services.


[Excerpt]: INTRODUCTION: This report was prepared as a background paper for the UN-Habitat Global Report 2005: Financing Urban Shelter and a summary was included as Chapter 3 of the Global Report under the title: “Municipal Finance: Conditions and Trends.

“It addresses the wide range of problems that face municipal authorities in financing urban development as they respond to the challenges of major shifts in their economic base resulting from falling trade barriers and a globalizing economy. Concurrently in, the devolution of administrative and financial responsibility from central governments has forced them to finance a growing proportion of their recurring and capital expenditures at a time when, in most countries, migrants constitute a growing proportion of their population. Local authorities have had to: (1) enhance their economic competitiveness; (2) meet the demands for public services; (3) expand and diversify the local tax base; and (4) generate funding for capital investments.

“Municipalities are but one actor in the financing of urban development, but in many ways they are the pivotal one because of their statutory powers and their ability to act on all sectors in a defined geographic space. Households and private enterprises are the developers and builders of urban communities and the owners and operators of economic activities. But unless the municipality can deliver to them the support infrastructure and services they need, orderly development will be impaired.

“In emerging economies, the rapid pace of urbanization and large migratory flows have increased the pressure on local government spending for urban development. In most of these countries decentralization laws were enacted in the decade of the 80’s and 90’s amid fiscal deficits, financial crisis and political unrest, eroding local revenue and disrupting access to funds for capital investment. In this report, the emphasis is placed on emerging economies and poor countries where the challenges are the greatest and the resource constraints the most acute. They are the areas targeted by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and associated 2015 targets adopted in 2001 (The Millennium Project, 2003). Reaffirming the world commitment to address the growing disparities in income and wealth among countries and within countries, multilateral and bilateral development organizations are placing a priority on poverty reduction.

The success of these efforts hinges on democratic local governance, partnerships involving communities and stakeholders in urban development initiatives, and strengthening the capabilities and resources of local governments as the pivotal partners in the development process.” [End Excerpt]

Project Year:2004
Project Type:Research Paper
Geographic Regions:Global / None Specified
Reports:
Authors:David C. Jones; Mona Serageldin; Elda Solloso; François Vigier
Sponsors:UN-Habitat
Categories:Urban Finance
  
ID:2004_07_001
Posted on

“Development Corridors and Urban Development Strategies” and “Slum Improvement Strategies and Social Inclusion,” Presentations by Mona Serageldin, 11th United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, São Paulo, Brazil, 2004

Abstract

Mona Serageldin authored a presentation, “Development Corridors and Urban Development Strategies,” for the 11th UN Conference on Trade and Development held in São Paulo, Brazil in June 2004. Her speech addresses the challenges affecting urban management and development at national and local levels.

Additionally, Serageldin presented a slide presentation titled “Slum Improvement Strategies and Social Inclusion” for a panel on Metropolitan Policies, Urbanization and Regularization of Informal Settlements at the conference. This presentation details a case study from South Africa, reviewing slum upgrading efforts, national expenditures, and housing patterns. Photographs depict people and neighborhoods, economic enterprises, and housing in South Africa.

[Excerpt: “Development Corridors and Urban Development Strategies,” pages 1, 2, 4-5.]

1.0 Positioning Cities in the Increasingly Complex and Competitive Global Economy
“Europe took an early lead in exploring the urban configuration that would result from unification and economic restructuring. The French National Planning Agency produced, in the late eighties, a landmark study ranking cities according to indicators of strength in the high-tech and high-value added sectors. The resultant diagram delineated the major economic regions and growth nodes in Western Europe. The main transportation corridors linking the larger centers, act as the backbone of the system, structuring networks of interlinked cities and channeling development along their alignment.

1.1 Structuring Development Corridors
Throughout the decade of the 90’s, globalization reshaped patterns of production, leading to the emergence of interlinked clusters of entrepreneurial businesses working through strategic alliances. Looking at Montpellier, France and the region around the technopole as an example shows that each economic cluster has its own pattern of spatial interconnections and dispersion based on functional, physical and virtual links. Technological innovation and fierce international competition are constantly reshaping these patterns, adding and eliminating whole categories of businesses and redirecting the flows of private investment to new and more advantageous locations.”

….

2.0 Coping with unprecedented mobility and large migratory flows
“Attempting to slow the growth of the metropolitan areas in order to divert population and activities to lagging regions is ill advised. Such policies have met with little success at a very high cost to the nation. Their wisdom is to be questioned at a time when unprecedented mobility has multiplied the capacity of the larger centers to contribute to the development of by-passed regions and economically distressed areas. Commuting from surrounding villages and towns, migration from rural areas and small provincial towns, lifts people out of poverty and contributes to channeling large flows of remittances to these lagging regions.”

Project Year:2004
Project Type:Conference
Geographic Regions:São Paulo, Brazil (Conference Location)
Reports:
Authors:Mona Serageldin
Sponsors:United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
Categories:Informal Settlements and Urban Upgrading
  
ID:2004_06_001

Related I2UD Projects

I2UD Digital Library Study Guide: Understanding Informal Settlements and Slum Upgrading, October 2024

Posted on

“Migratory Flows, Poverty and Social Inclusion in Latin America,” Research Report by Mona Serageldin with Swedish International Development Agency (Sida), 2004

Abstract

Mona Serageldin researched and wrote the report “Migratory Flows, Poverty and Social Inclusion in Latin America” in collaboration with authors from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) in 2004. The 2004 paper was published as Chapter 7 in Urban Futures: Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction (Nabeel Hamdi, ed.). Sida partially funded the collaboration through a grant, with the purpose of documenting two additional case studies in Central America: León, Nicaragua and San Salvador, El Salvador.

This project emerged from a previous study, funded by the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard University, to document the impact of human migratory flows on across Central and South American nations. See related content in the I2UD Digital Library: “Reintroducing the Spatial Dimension in the Planning and Management of Latin American Cities,” Lecture by Yves Cabannes (Project ID: 2003_03_001).

Documents include a Proposal, Executive Summary, two Final Reports from February 2004 (CUDS) and August 2005 (I2UD), and a Bibliography in Spanish.


[Excerpt: Final Report, Executive Summary, “Migratory Flows, Poverty and Social Inclusion in Latin America,” February 2004]

1. Introduction.
“Current poverty reduction strategies in LAC (Latin American Countries) underestimate the impact of migratory movements and remittances on social inclusion and do not fully include migration as a component of their strategies.”

“Some Latin American municipalities have launched creative initiatives in this field and their experience is well worth reviewing. To date little documentation of these efforts has been made particularly in terms of assessing the performance of the methods used and the impact of the monitoring on local development policies and governance.”
…
“Given the importance of migratory movements in Latin America, the findings will be of interest for local authorities as well as multinational and bilateral development organizations working in local development and poverty alleviation programs. This paper presents some preliminary findings of the study, which is still in progress, based on research and field documentation in Cuenca, Ecuador.”

Project Year:2004
Project Type:Research Paper
Geographic Regions:Latin America (Central America; Caribbean; Cuenca, Ecuador; Maracaibo, Venezuela; Mexico; León and Rivas, Nicaragua; San Salvador, El Salvador)
Reports:
Authors:Yves Cabannes; Mona Serageldin; Elda Solloso; Luis Valenzuela
Sponsors:Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)
Categories:Informal Settlements and Urban Upgrading; Urban Planning
  
ID:2004_02_001

Related I2UD Projects

Gallery 4: Chile: Santiago, Concepción, and Talcahuano (1992-1993)

Gallery 16: Venezuela: Caracas (1989)

Posted on

Seminar on “Partnerships and Urban Development in Older Neighborhoods in Paris and Boston,” with Centre de Recherches sur l’Habitat (CRH), April 2004

Abstract

In collaboration with the Centre de Recherches sur l’Habitat (CRH) in Paris, the Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design documented community development strategies and neighborhood initiatives in La Goutte d’Or in Paris, France and the South End, Boston.

Activities included a seminar in Paris and a study tour of Boston community-based organizations for 21 French local governments and NGO representatives. The research was supported in part by PUCA (Le Plan Urbanisme, Construction et Architecture), an agency of the French Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing. Documents include a draft project summary, a project proposal in French, and bibliography.



[Excerpt: Proposal, “Partnerships and Urban Development in Older Neighborhoods in Paris and Boston,” 2002]

“Researchers from the two Centers have initiated joint activities to compare urban development in older and economically distressed neighborhoods in Paris and Boston and their respective economic, social and spatial manifestation. The research will provide a better understanding of the dynamics that drive urban development in older districts and their effect on neighborhood revitalization programs. Particular attention will be paid to the method local governments use to work in partnership with local communities in order to improve the quality of life and economic opportunities for lower-income residents. The research is focusing on older districts in transition including: La Goutte d’Or in Paris and St. Denis on the edge of Paris; and in Boston the South End and Dudley neighborhoods. In each city, the neighborhoods illustrate the challenges facing older districts today.”

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2004
Project Type:IEP; Education
Geographic Regions:South End, Boston, USA / Goutte d’Or, Paris, France
Reports:
Authors:John Driscoll; Marie Hélène Bacqué; Yankel Fijalkow
Sponsors:Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (French Government); National Science Foundation
Categories:International Education Program; Executive Training Program; Education
  
ID:2004_00_001

Related I2UD Projects


Gallery 12: Poland: Gdansk and Lublin (1994–1995)

Gallery 15: United States: Boston, Massachusetts (1994-1997)

Posted on

“Local Authority-Driven Interventions to Improve the Lives of Slum Dwellers,” Mona Serageldin for UN Millennium Task Force 8 on “Improving the Lives of Slum Dwellers,” 2003

Abstract

In October 2003, Mona Serageldin participated on “Task Force 8,” a working group for the United Nations Millennium Project, directed by Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General.

The Task Force 8 sought to recommend strategies to achieve the defined Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), adopted by world leaders at the UN Millennium Summit in September 2004. MDGs were targets to reduce global poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation, and gender discrimination for populations around the world.

Along with authors from the Center of Urban Development Studies (CUDS) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, Serageldin prepared an assessment of 50 best practices worldwide as a background paper for the Task Force 8. The paper highlighted the key features underlying their success–namely, partnerships, strategic priorities, multi-sectoral action plans–and focused on programs targeting vulnerable populations and marginalized informal settlements.

Documents include the October 2003 report, a goal indicators document, a case study on the Tsiganes in Greece, and a presentation titled “Partnerships and Targeted Programs.” See also the UN-Habitat Mandate for the Millennium Development Project initiative, which includes a guide section on “The Do’s and Don’ts of Slum Upgrading.”


[Excerpt: Report, October 2003, 1. Executive Summary – Overview, p. 5]

1.1 Overview

“This background paper is based on an extensive review of local authority-driven initiatives that managed to improve the lives of slum dwellers. The review discusses the growing role of local authorities with reference to the institutional context conditioning government action. The imbalances created by asymmetrical decentralization of powers, responsibilities and resources is a cross cutting theme prompting local authorities to seek strategic partners for their initiatives. The conceptual framework used to define the range of locally driven initiatives that can improve the lives of slum dwellers underscores their breadth and diversity. The review focuses on process, strategy and action, and how these were shaped by the nature of the challenges that local authorities had to cope with and the partnerships they managed to structure in order to access resources, engage poor communities, reach marginalized populations and address vulnerable groups.”

“The performance of these institutional frameworks and decision making processes are assessed with reference to the difficulties encountered and results achieved. The selected initiatives presented in the different sections of the paper are grouped under headings highlighting recent trends and pointing to future directions. The paper focuses on initiatives implemented during the past decade in different economic, social, political and cultural settings. Emerging trends with regard to processes, strategies, and actions highlight the expanding scope of partnerships and the emphasis on empowerment and social inclusion.”

Project Year:2003
Project Type:Research Paper
Geographic Regions:Weihai, China (Conference Location) / Sofades, Greece (Case Study)
Reports:
Authors:Mona Serageldin; Elda Sollos; Luis Valenzuela; Peter Stathopoulos
Sponsors:United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UN-Habitat)
Categories:Informal Settlements and Urban Upgrading
  
ID:2003_10_001

Related I2UD Projects

I2UD Digital Library Study Guide: Understanding Informal Settlements and Slum Upgrading, October 2024

Gallery 2: Côte d’Ivoire: Adjamé, Abidjan, 1990-1995

Gallery 4: Chile: Santiago, Concepción, and Talcahuano, 1992-1993

Galleries 6-7: Egypt: Cairo and Helwan, 1986, 1990

Gallery 16: Venezuela: Caracas, 1989

Posted on

Design Studio 2003: “Urban Strategies for Economic Recovery: A Revitalization Strategy for New Bedford, Massachusetts,” Seminar Curriculum

Abstract

The Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design offered a Design Studio in Fall 2003, “A Revitalization Strategy for New Bedford Massachusetts,” led by François Vigier and John Driscoll. The seminar gave students a history of revitalization efforts in Boston, Massachusetts, and tasked them with designing their own strategies, addressing both social and physical problems in the community environment.

Documents include a summary paper on “Urban Strategies for Economic Recovery,” as well as curriculum documents for “A Revitalization for New Bedford, Massachusetts.” A seminar overview document contains an introduction, course schedule, and charts. A series of presentations provide material on Boston’s projects, with images, statistics, and a timeline.


[Excerpt: Background Presentation, for “Urban Strategies for Economic Recovery,” p. 1, 2.]

Background
“Boston’s economy has been closely linked to its educational institutions. The region is a dynamic center of knowledge. It has no less than 65 colleges and universities. Since 1970, the city has gone through a full economic cycle twice rebounding from deep recession on the strength of innovation and skills. Throughout the 60’s and 70’s the government funded/research at the universities led to the emergence of new high-tech industries, mainly electronics and computer firms. This economic resurgence followed the loss of traditional manufacturing to lower wage regions in the South.”

….

Massachusetts’ Strategic Plan: “Choosing to Compete” as a Strategic Objective.
“Choosing to Compete was the culmination of several years’ effort between the State of Massachusetts, the City of Boston, academic institutions and the business community to understand the State’s economic situation and prospects and to develop a public-private strategy to support economic recovery. Fourteen conferences were held by the State and the University of Massachusetts bringing government officials and civil servants together with business, academic and community leaders. Extensive research and analysis of the economy was carried out jointly by government, academic and private firms. The result was a strategy that starts with an in-depth understanding of the competitive position and future prospects of Massachusetts’ key industries and defines government’s role as a partner with the private sector in making the state’s business sector more competitive in a globalized economy.

“Choosing to Compete” sets out a strategy for how government can enable and assist the private enterprise which drives the economy. It focuses on nurturing the growth of industries which export goods and services to other states or nations and thus bring money into the state and constitute the foundation of its economic development. These industries include manufacturing but also services ranging from tourism to finance and business services like environmental and other consulting firms, to educational institutions which attract students from around the world. If this economic base grows, the local industries which serve it will also grow – industries like construction, retail and wholesale trade, and personal services. Government should not focus its efforts on growing these local industries except in situations where it is attempting to stimulate business development in disadvantaged communities. If the base economy grows, the local economy should automatically grow with it.”
___

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2003
Project Type:Urban Design Studio
Geographic Regions:New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA
Reports:
Authors:François Vigier; John Driscoll
Sponsors:Center for Urban Development Studies, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:Design Studios; Education
  
ID:2003_09_001

Related I2UD Projects

Gallery 15: United States: Boston, Massachusetts (1994-1997)

Posted on

IEP 2003: “Infrastructure and Partnerships for Local Economic Development” in Pretoria and Bloemfontein, South Africa, International Education Programs, 2003

Abstract

Curriculum components from the 2003 IEP (International Education Program) “Infrastructure and Partnerships for Local Economic Development,” which was held in Pretoria and Bloemfontein, South Africa in August and September 2003.

Documents include agendas, case studies, project summaries, and reference materials. Noted work by Mona Serageldin includes “Decentralization and Urban Infrastructure Management Capacity,” a background paper for the 2001 Third Global Report on Human Settlements.

Additional contextual documents include: The “Best Practices 2001” submission for Middledrift, Eastern Cape, South Africa; an executive summary from May 2000 for the “Housing Microfinance Initiative”; a presentation of indicator reports by CUDS “Neighborhood Improvement Program, Neiva, Colombia”; and “Participant Evaluation and Comments” forms for the 2003 seminar participants.

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2003
Project Type:IEP; Education
Geographic Regions:Pretoria and Bloemfontein, South Africa (Program Locations) / Brazil / Boston, Massachusetts, US / South Africa / Bogotá, Colombia / Southwark, London, UK / Saint-Denis and Aubervilliers, France / Ahmedabad, India / Adjamé, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire / Szczecin, Poland
Reports:
Authors:CUDS Team
Sponsors:Center for Urban Development Studies, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:International Education Program; Education
  
ID:2003_08_001

Related I2UD Projects

Beginning in 1982, the Unit for Housing and Urbanization at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design hosted International Training Programs (ITP), an annual series of 2- to 4-week summer seminars designed to strengthen the decision-making skills of senior professionals in public and private agencies responsible for urban development.

The I2UD Digital Library holds curriculum materials for ITPs from 1988, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, and 1998:

The tradition of ITPs continued after 2000, when the Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) (a re-organization of the Unit) continued training seminars as International Education Programs (IEP) from 2000-2004:

Programs included inter-linked modules, lectures, case studies, interactive computer simulation models, site visits to urban projects, discussion groups and networking with professional counterparts from international metropolitan regions. Sessions had a modular format and structured team teaching, taught by a team of senior faculty and guest lecturers. Programs ended with a synthesis presented through a project evaluation exercise. Participants used case projects to examine strategies from the viewpoint of both public and private partners — to assess the feasibility and potential impacts of policies and projects on the community and the city. Presentations by guest speakers, representing U.S. and international agencies, NGOs, and community groups, were also integrated within the pedagogic framework of each module.

Gallery 2: Côte d’Ivoire: Adjamé, Abidjan, 1990-1995

Gallery 12: Poland: Gdansk and Lublin, 1994–1995

Gallery 15: United States: Boston, Massachusetts, 1994-1997

Posted on

“The Revitalization of Traditional Urban Centers in Puerto Rico,” Technical Assistance, 2003

Abstract

In 2003, team members at the Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design authored an urban documentation and technical assistance strategy titled “The Revitalization of Traditional Urban Centers in Puerto Rico.” The report built upon cooperation with academics and government officials in seven Puerto Rican municipalities: Isabela, Luquillo, Aibonito, Morovis, Cabo Rojo, Coamo, and Humacao.

The project was accomplished through collaboration with a new organization, the Directoría de Urbanismo, created within the Department of Transportation and Public Works of Puerto Rico. The report identified regional planning capacities in municipalities, discussed concerns and needs, and addressed the strengths of existing community and their participatory programs. Documents include trip and summary reports for the seven municipalities.


[Excerpt: Summary Report, May 2004, Introduction, p. 5]

“In May 2003, the Center for Urban Development Studies of the Harvard Design School received a research grant from the Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies to cover travel expenses for a research study on the program for the revitalization of Urban Centers being led by the Directoría de Urbanismo in Puerto Rico.

During their first visit to the Island (June 2003), John Driscoll and Liz Meléndez San Miguel had the opportunity to work with staff members from the Directoría and meet with representatives working in 7 of the 18 municipalities included in the pilot program as well as the architects who worked on the development of the pilot revitalization plans. During a follow-up visit, ten months later (April 2004), 3 municipalities were visited and additional interviews were conducted to understand the program’s progress and learn more about future plans.”

“The following summary report reviews the information gathered to outline the importance of the program while posing questions on its future development and implementation.”

Introduction

“The urban centers of Puerto Rico manifest a complex array of problems characteristic of traditional urban centers around the world. The number of residents living in city centers continues to decline while the urban periphery experiences rapid demographic and spatial growth. Ongoing changes in the functional and economic needs of the city are resulting in the deterioration of the social and physical structure of certain areas, even as other areas are benefiting from new investments.

In Puerto Rico, the spatial dimension of the economic restructuring is evident both at the Island level as smaller municipalities, particularly those in the center of the Island, lose investment to the larger more powerful municipalities of the metropolitan areas, as well as the city level in the general decline of the traditional centers of social and economic activity throughout the Island. The resulting spiral of disinvestments can be characterized by the diminished quality of life for residents, declining economic opportunities, damages to historic structures and traditional edifices and the deterioration of the natural environment. Administrative and resource constraints have made it difficult for municipalities to address these issues and compete with larger metropolitan areas for resources. Many local municipal governments lack funding resources and adequately trained staff to undertake regular planning activities or implement special public works projects.”


Program for the Revitalization of Urban Centers

“In an effort to promote the revitalization of the 78 traditional urban centers of Puerto Rico, the central government, through the August 2002 Law for the Revitalization of Urban Centers, created a program to develop and coordinate projects and activities to revitalize the urban centers in the Island. The Directoría de Urbanismo, created within the Department of Transportation and Public Works in January 2002, is leading the program. The law declares that the Directoría will, in coordination with the mayors and with the assistance of the Planning Board, lead, coordinate and implement projects and activities to foster the rehabilitation of the urban centers, designate the areas to be impacted, develop rehabilitation plans, and implement appropriate projects.”
___

Project Year:2003
Project Type:Technical Assistance
Geographic Regions:Puerto Rico
Reports:
Authors:John Driscoll; Liz Meléndez San Miguel; François Vigier
Sponsors:David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, Harvard University
Categories:Reconciliation and Development
  
ID:2003_05_001

Related I2UD Projects

Posted on

“Reintroducing the Spatial Dimension in the Planning and Management of Latin American Cities,” Lecture Presentation by Yves Cabannes, 2003

Abstract

In March 2003, the Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design offered a lecture presented by Yves Cabannes, the Regional Coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean, as part of the Urban Management Program for Latin America and the Caribbean from UN-Habitat. The lecture covers past and current planning of spatial dimensions in Latin American cities and highlights the importance of spatial factors in social integration. It also touches on the significance of citizen participation and of partnerships among civil society, governments, and private sectors.

Presentation topics include:

  • Land use plans in the 90s;
  • (Mono) sector approaches to planning;
  • Strategic City Planning (Barcelona);
  • Influence of UN and Global Agenda in the 90s; and
  • Participatory Action Planning with spatial dimension.

The presentation addresses principles behind the term social inclusion, as “a multidimensional problem: territorial (physical), legal, social, cultural, economic and racial,” going beyond just poverty. The presentation detailed four examples of urban upgrading projects that sought to solve issues of social exclusion and housing shortages in Ecuador, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina.


[Excerpt: Presentation, Experiences 1-5, lessons in social inclusion from urban development projects in Latin American cities]

“Lessons from some experiences addressing at the same time the global development of the city, the inclusion of the poor communities in the perspective of building democratic, productive and inclusive cities.”

Experience 1: Comunidades, Fortaleza Metropolitan Region, Brazil.

Experience 2: Neighborhood Improvement Participatory Action Planning (City Consultation) in Mesa Los Hornos, Mexico City, Mexico, (1998-2000).

Experience 3: Mapping the social exclusion at city level: Exclusion and Inclusion Map of Santo André, Brazil.

Experience 4: The Spatial dimension of Social inclusion: Integrated Program for Social Inclusion, Santo André, Brazil.

Experience 5: Optimization of Vacant Land in Rosario, Argentina.
___

Project Year:2003
Project Type:Public Lecture
Geographic Regions:Fortaleza and Santo André, Brazil / Rosario, Argentina / Mexico City, Mexico / Quito, Ecuador
Reports:
Reintroducing the Spatial Dimension in the Planning and Management of Latin American Cities: (Presentation)
Authors:Yves Cabannes
Sponsors:Center for Urban Development Studies, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:Reconciliation and Development, Urban Planning
  
ID:2003_03_001

Related I2UD Projects

Gallery 4: Chile: Santiago, Concepción, and Talcahuano (1992-1993)

Gallery 16: Venezuela: Caracas (1989)

Posted on

“Historic Center of Mexico City” Diagnostic Summary, Technical Assistance for Mexico City, Mexico, 2003

Abstract

The Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design conducted a technical assistance study in 2003 aimed at identifying the place and function of the Historic Center within Mexico City’s multinuclear urban structure. The Diagnostic Summary documented the social, economic, and environmental conditions that challenged its integration and development as part of the living city. The study’s main authors were François Vigier, Liz Meléndez San Miguel, Luis Valenzuela, and Elda Solloso.

The report discussed physical deficiencies in Mexico City, Mexico, such as infrastructure, proposed to be addressed in future development plans. Working off the strategic analysis by which the interest and capabilities of key players could contribute to regional revitalization, CUDS located municipal structures helpful for developing a preservation strategy. Documents consist of a diagnostic report with annexes.

[Excerpt: Table of Contents page 1 (3), Diagnostic Summary and Annexes]

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2003
Project Type:Technical Assistance
Geographic Regions:Mexico City, Mexico
Reports:Historic Center of Mexico City: (Diagnostic Summary and Annexes, June 2003)
Authors:Liz Meléndez San Miguel; Elda Solloso; Luis Valenzuela; François Vigier
Sponsors:Historic Center Foundation (Mexico City)
Categories:Historic Districts
  
ID:2003_02_001

Related I2UD Projects

Posted on

Seminar on “Protecting Cultural and Natural Heritage in the Western Hemisphere: Lessons from the Past, Looking to the Future,” World Cultural Heritage Convention 30th Anniversary, Conference Materials, 2002

Abstract

The Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design hosted a seminar in December 2002 titled “Protecting Heritage of Western Hemisphere,” organized as part of the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the World Cultural Heritage Convention. The seminar brought together international policy makers, public officials, practitioners, and academics involved in the protection and management of national and cultural heritage sites.

Documents include a substantial list of conference materials, including lecture presentations by guest speakers, memos, conference addresses by participants, transcripts of individual panel contributions, and a conference booklet containing a schedule and list of participants.


[Excerpt: CUDS Internal Memo, Francois Vigier, June 2002, p. 1]

“Open to the general public, the Seminar [was] attended by senior officials of UNESCO, the World Heritage Center, The World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Organization of American States and bring together policy makers, public officials, practitioners and academics involved in the protection and management of natural, archeological and urban cultural heritage sites in the Western Hemisphere.

“Key participants include[d] international organizations and foundations, bilateral and international development agencies and representatives of the major institutions and foundations active in promoting the conservation of the natural and cultural heritage in multiple regions:

Ecuador — Peru National Park — Colombia — Venezuela — Upper Amazon (Peru and Brazil) — Cuna language regions (Central Panama) — Galapagos Islands

“The objective of the Seminar [was] to review past and present experiences. An open discussion of the economic, social and managerial issues in the designation, conservation and use of cultural sites [addressed]:

▪ Disseminate cutting-edge approaches;
▪ Allow an exchange of successful practices; and
▪ Help the participants address emerging challenges in the preservation of the natural and manmade cultural heritage.”

Project Year:2002
Project Type:Conference
Geographic Regions:Cambridge, Massachusetts, US (Seminar Location) / Latin America / United States
Reports:
Authors:Francesco Bandarin; Mounir Bouchenaki; Orestes del Castillo; Francesco di Castri; Belia Contreras; Maureen Finnerty; Silvana Giaimo; Pamela W. Hawkes; Maria-Valeria Junho Pena; Roberto L. Klabin; Vincent J. Lujan; Claudio C. Maretti;Colonel James G. May; David Maybury-Lewis; William Moss; Bernie Perley; Eduardo Rojas; Peter Rowe; Ismail Serageldin; Bradford H. Sewell; Anthony Stocks; François Vigier
Sponsors:Center for Urban Development Studies, Harvard University Graduate School of Design; United States Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (US-ICOMOS); UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Categories:Evaluations and Assessments
  
ID:2002_12_001

Related I2UD Projects

I2UD Photograph Collection, Gallery 4: Chile: Santiago, Concepción, and Talcahuano (1992-1993)

Posted on

“Monitoring Processes of Change in Historic Centers: A Case Study of Fes, Morocco,” Case Study Paper for UNESCO World Heritage Center and the International Centre for the Study of Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), 2002

Abstract

Mona Serageldin presented the report “Monitoring Processes of Change in Historic Centers: A Case Study of Fes, Morocco” at a workshop on Monitoring World Heritage in November 2002, held in Vicenza, Italy and sponsored by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the International Centre for the Study of Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM). Serageldin’s report assesses the rehabilitation strategy for the Medina of Fez based on a spatial analysis and social and economic indicators, and outlines the considerations involved in implementing the strategy and a geographic monitoring system.


[Excerpt: Abstract, p. 3]

ABSTRACT
“Historic centers encompass monumental buildings and landmarks embedded within a rich urban fabric of utilitarian buildings. Property owners and residents are constantly altering these buildings to adapt them to new needs and lifestyles. Their interventions trigger interlinked processes of transformation that lead either to preservation or to deterioration. Rehabilitation strategies must reconcile the plurality of views, interests, mandates and missions adds layers of complexity to the already challenging task of coping with the impact of disinvestments, misuse, abuse and neglect eroding the quality of life in historic centers.”

“The strategy developed for the first phase of the rehabilitation of the Medina of Fez required a thorough understanding of the dynamics at work in the Medina and of the institutional and financial blockages that prevented reinvestment and fostered the continued deterioration of residential buildings. This assessment was based on a spatial analysis of the key physical, social and economic indicators for the area, including property transactions and building permits for new construction and improvements.”

“The institutionalization and periodic updating of a monitoring system recording the key indicators used in the preparation of the project and linking these databases to the ADER-FEZ GIS has been recommended, but not yet implemented. With a good monitoring system in place and closer collaboration between the tax Department and the Municipality the tax yield from the Medina would be enhanced and the interest of the authorities in the historic core as a viable economic entity [would be] rekindled.”

—

“At the Center for Urban Development Studies, we have developed an approach to revitalization and rehabilitation that recognizes the plurality of stakeholders in historic centers. We accept the evaluation of cultural significance given to different components of the historic urban fabric by specialized agencies. Our role is to assist local government in devising strategies ensuring coherence, inclusion and impact. Our approach to action plans focuses on valorization of the urban fabric based on the dynamics of change in the site as a living component of a larger urban agglomeration.”

Project Year:2002
Project Type:Workshop
Geographic Regions:Fes, Morocco
Reports:Monitoring Processes of Change in Historic Centers: Fes, Morocco (November 2002)
Authors:Mona Serageldin
Sponsors:UNESCO World Heritage Centre; International Centre for the Study of Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM)
Categories:Education
  
ID:2002_11_001

Related I2UD Projects

Gallery 10: Morocco: Fes, Casablanca, and Rabat (1983-1993)

Posted on

“Svishtov: A Community-Based Investment Program for Municipal Development,” Technical Assistance for Capital Investment Strategy in Svishtov, Bulgaria, 2002

Abstract

A 2002 report “Svishtov: A Community-Based Investment Program for Municipal Development” addressed the capital investment strategy in Svishtov, Bulgaria, involving an implementation strategy designed to encouraged financial partnerships among civic groups, the private sector, and the municipality to address city-wide and neighborhood improvement priorities.

Based on this initiative, the Svishtov municipality received a 2004 award from the Conrad Adenauer Foundation of Germany for innovations in Bulgarian municipalities. The initiative was also featured in a 2007 World Bank publication on participatory budgeting.


[Excerpt: Introduction, “Svishtov: A Community-Based Investment Program, p.2]

“In Bulgaria, the current investment planning process for municipalities, regions and the central government is not able to mobilize the financing that is so desperately needed for municipal investments nor effectively leveraging local resources. Many municipal projects submitted for funding from central and regional sources are not funded and remain on waiting lists for a considerable period. This has a direct impact on citizen participation in the planning and budgeting process. Citizens are often unsure if their participation will prove meaningful. The lack of meaningful participation at the local level is often a result of a feeling that “nobody will listen to us.” Additionally, local authorities feel frustrated because regional and national projects that have a significant impact on local development policies are carried out with little consultation from local authorities.”

“Tight municipal budgets and an increasing demand for improved services among residents and businesses is leading to new public/private partnerships that focus on mobilizing community-based resources to improve the urban environment. This places a challenge to the local governments to integrate effective and sustainable participation of the local communities and businesses in improving the quality of the living environment.”

“This case study describes initiative currently underway in Svishtov to develop a community based investment program. The program is suitable for smaller municipalities that can fund local programs from their own resources and can mobilize external funds for community-based activities. The methodology concentrates on developing a more responsive planning system for community based programs that complements the existing investment process that is primarily oriented towards larger scale projects. While elements of the community-based investment program are specific to Svishtov such as project selection criteria that reflect the programs that are a priority for the municipality, the process can be adopted to other municipalities.”

Project Year:2002
Project Type:Technical Assistance
Geographic Regions:Svishtov, Bulgaria
Reports:Svishtov: Community Based Investment Program for Municipal Development (Report, January 2004)
Authors:John Driscoll; Marianna Eneva; Anna Laskowska
Sponsors:RTI International; USAID
Categories:Informal Settlements and Urban Upgrading
  
ID:2002_03_001

Related I2UD Projects

I2UD Digital Library Study Guide: The Role of Urban Planning and Management in Post-Crisis Reconciliation and Recovery, October 2025

Posted on

IEP 2002: “Strategic Planning for Local Development & Urban Revitalization,” Program Overview, International Education Programs, 2002

Abstract

The 2002 International Education Program “Strategic Planning for Local Development & Urban Revitalization,” addressed the range of strategies adopted by public and private organizations active at the local level to promote economic growth and urban revitalization. The course covered the challenges faced by professional urban developers, focusing on designing programs to address increasing levels of urban poverty, income inequalities and the lack of urban services. Participants explored strategies that create a supportive environment for development including:

  • Expanded access to services and economic opportunity for lower-income households;
  • Improved efficiency in the management of infrastructure and urban services; and
  • Enhanced access to financing, technology, and managerial expertise.

This document is an overview of the seminar, including overall scope, a list of guest lecturers and speakers, program faculty, and seminar components.

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2002
Project Type:IEP; Education
Geographic Regions:Cambridge, Massachusetts, US (Program Location)
Reports:IEP 2002 (Information Document)
Authors:CUDS Team
Sponsors:Center for Urban Development Studies, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:International Education Program; Education
  
ID:2002_01_001

Related I2UD Projects

Beginning in 1982, the Unit for Housing and Urbanization at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design hosted International Training Programs (ITP), an annual series of 2- to 4-week summer seminars designed to strengthen the decision-making skills of senior professionals in public and private agencies responsible for urban development.

The I2UD Digital Library holds curriculum materials for ITPs from 1988, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, and 1998:

The tradition of ITPs continued after 2000, when the Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) (a re-organization of the Unit) continued training seminars as International Education Programs (IEP) from 2000-2004:

Programs included inter-linked modules, lectures, case studies, interactive computer simulation models, site visits to urban projects, discussion groups and networking with professional counterparts from international metropolitan regions. Sessions had a modular format and structured team teaching, taught by a team of senior faculty and guest lecturers. Programs ended with a synthesis presented through a project evaluation exercise. Participants used case projects to examine strategies from the viewpoint of both public and private partners — to assess the feasibility and potential impacts of policies and projects on the community and the city. Presentations by guest speakers, representing U.S. and international agencies, NGOs, and community groups, were also integrated within the pedagogic framework of each module.

Posted on

“Strategic Planning and Management of Local Development,” Proposal for Executive Education Program for Brazilian Municipal Officials, October 2001

Abstract

In October 2001, the Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design submitted the proposal “Strategic Planning and Management of Local Development” for the Executive Education Program for Brazilian Municipal Officials.

The proposal outlines a week-long program that includes the themes of strategic framework for local development, capital improvement programs and participatory budget process, management of infrastructure services, assessing the impacts of municipal capital investments, and strategic approaches to planning and management of local services.

This document is a valuable reference model for creating similar proposals within the urban development field. In addition, “Annex 1, Relevant Experience” includes summaries of previous IEP seminars (1999-2001) held by CUDS for urban development engineers, industry representatives, and municipal leaders.

Project Year:2001
Project Type:IEP; Education
Geographic Regions:Brazil (Porto Alegre, Fortaleza, Sao Paolo, and Rio de Janeiro)
Reports:Executive Education Program for Brazilian Municipal Officials (Proposal, October 2001)
Authors:CUDS Team
Sponsors:Center for Urban Development Studies, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:Executive Training Program; Education
  
ID:2001_10_001
Posted on

“Assessment of Participatory Budgeting in Brazil,” Research Assessment, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 2001-2003

Abstract

A study team at the Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design contributed the report on “Assessment of Participatory Budgeting in Brazil: The Experience of the Participatory Budget In Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil,” assessing the extent of citizen involvement fostered by participatory budgeting. The report measured the efficiency of resource allocation in local planning and management within Brazilian communities in Rio Grande do Sul.

Documents include a 2001 summary of research on Rio Grande do Sul and a 2003 final report with accompanying Annexes.

Excerpt: 1.0 Executive Summary, p. 8

The main objective of the study is to assess the extent to which participatory budgeting (OP, or Participatory Budget is “Orcamento Participativo,” or Particatory ) is fostering the efficient and democratic allocation of resources and citizen involvement in the planning and management of their localities. The report draws upon extensive field research undertaken by the Center for Urban Development Studies in: Porto Alegre (population 1.3 million), the initiator of the OP in 1989; Gravatai (population 230,000), an industrial city in the Porto Alegre metropolitan area; Caxias do Sul (population 360,000) an urban center in a predominately rural area; Belo Horizonte (population 2.1 million), which implemented the first participatory housing budget (OPH); Santo Andre, (population 650,000), in the Sao Paulo metropolitan region, the city which has interlinked its participatory planning and budgeting processes; and, Rio Grande do Sul (population 10.2 million), the only state to have successfully implemented participatory budgeting.”

Project Year:2001-2003
Project Type:Research Paper
Geographic Regions:Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Reports:
Authors:Mona Serageldin; John Driscoll; Liz Meléndez San Miguel; Luis Valenzuela; Consuelo Bravo; Elda Solloso; Clara Solá-Morales; Thomas Watkin; Yves Cabannes; Maria Gezica Baladares; Tarson Núñez; André Passos
Sponsors:Inter-American Development Bank
Categories:Informal Settlements and Urban Upgrading
  
ID:2001_09_001

Posted on

“Indicators of Performance for Local Development,” Case Study on the LITMUS Programme by the Borough of Southwark, London, 2001

Abstract

Team members at the Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, Barry Shaw and Clare Wright, developed a case study in 2001 examining the Local Indicators to Monitor Urban Sustainability (LITMUS) program adopted by the London Borough of Southwark. The report sought to document indicators used to monitor sustainability in urban communities and to encourage involvement in developing improvement efforts. Documents include a final report and presentation slides.

Excerpt:

Case Study: The Litmus Programme: “This paper discusses the use of local indicators beginning with the LITMUS programme developed for the London Borough of Southwark (LBS). It draws on the work of The New Economic Foundation (NEF). The authors acknowledge the assistance of Sanjiv Lingayah and Florian Sommer, both of NEF, and Julie Tallantire of LBS in drawing up this Case Study.

Introduction: “A key feature of UK regeneration projects focused on areas of multiple deprivation is the engagement of the local community in identifying the problems and helping manage the solutions with the aim of creating a more sustainable improvement in their living conditions. It is an approach that brings together the concepts of strategic partnerships and Local Agenda 21. Measuring the effectiveness of the approach has been difficult, especially in the most deprived areas with large numbers of residents from ethnic minority groups.”

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2001
Project Type:Research Paper
Geographic Regions:Southwark, London, United Kingdom
Reports:
Authors:Barry Shaw; Clare Wright
Sponsors:Center for Urban Development Studies, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:Urban Planning
  
ID:2001_09_003

Related I2UD Projects

I2UD Digital Library Study Guide: Urban Climate Adaptation and Resilience: Planning for Equitable and Inclusive Cities, March 2026

Posted on

“Development of Infrastructure and Initiating of Sustainable Projects in Elim, South Africa,” Report for the 2001 UN-Habitat Best Practices Leadership Programme for Elim Historic Settlement, Western Cape, South Africa

Abstract

The Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design prepared a report “Development of Infrastructure and Initiating of Sustainable Projects in Elim” for submission to the UN-Habitat 2001 Best Practices Local Leadership Programme, based on the upgrading initiative that began in 1995 on the historic settlement of Elim in Western Cape, South Africa.

Primary initiative goals included:

  1. Upgrade the basic town infrastructure and services;
  2. Improve the living standards of the residents;
  3. Improve economic growth within the community;
  4. Preserve the historical character of the village; and
  5. Create employment opportunities, agriculture development, social health and sustainable community development in Elim.

The project assisted in upgrading sewage systems, streets and stormwater systems and the electrical reticulation system. Prior to these upgrades, sewage would flow through the streets and the town reservoir would often dry up in the summer months, causing a shortage of water.

[Excerpt: Summary, page 3]:

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2001
Project Type:Development Strategy
Geographic Regions:Elim, Western Cape, South Africa
Reports:Development of Infrastructure and Initiating of Sustainable Projects, Elim, South Africa: (Report, August 2001)
Authors:CUDS Team
Sponsors:United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UN-Habitat)
Categories:Informal Settlements and Urban Upgrading
  
ID:2001_08_001

Related I2UD Projects

I2UD Digital Library Study Guide: Understanding Informal Settlements and Slum Upgrading, October 2024

Posted on

“Strategic Frameworks for Local Development: The Expanding Scope for Public Private Partnerships,” United Kingdom, 2001

Abstract

The report by Barry Shaw, “Strategic Frameworks for Local Development: The Expanding Scope for Public Private Partnerships,” from 2001, examined the changing use of public-private partnerships in urban regeneration projects in the United Kingdom between 1980-1990s. The report outlines important facets of comprehensive urban space regeneration. Documents include the report and accompanying presentation slides.

[Excerpt: Introduction, Final Report, page 1, by Barry Shaw]

“The last two decades in the UK have seen the approach to regeneration evolve from a few mainly large-scale initiatives in big cities to a multiplicity of smaller interventions capable of being targeted at small towns and settlements. Many of the initiatives involve the use of public-private partnerships in the form of autonomous agencies to manage their delivery. The framework within which these partnerships operate has evolved from one of close control directly exercised by central government departments to a more devolved structure of regional management and policy formation.”

“Regeneration is characterised by the need to be holistic in approach and even those interventions with clearly defined outputs such as the provision of mass housing have had to achieve a broader range of outcomes including job creation and social support. Twenty years ago partnership with the private sector was greeted with hostility and concern, particularly with regard to public and financial accountability. The early schemes, while still controversial, were seen to be successful and public-private partnerships are now the accepted norm across the political spectrum.”

Project Year:2001
Project Type:Research Paper
Geographic Regions:United Kingdom
Reports:
Authors:Barry Shaw
Sponsors:Center for Urban Development Studies, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:Informal Settlements and Urban Upgrading
  
ID:2001_08_002
Posted on

IEP August 2001: “Infrastructure Planning and Partnerships for Local Economic Development,” Pretoria, South Africa, International Education Programs, 2001

Abstract

The Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design developed curriculum on “Infrastructure Planning and Partnerships for Local Economic Development” for its August 2001 International Education Program (IEP) held in Pretoria, South Africa. Materials for the seminar included a workshop discussion guide and case studies and excerpts of past CUDS research. Some materials were repeated or reworked from previous IEP and ITP sessions.

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2001
Project Type:IEP; Education
Geographic Regions:Pretoria, South Africa (Workshop Location)
Reports:
Authors:Mona Serageldin; Sameh Wahba
Sponsors:Center for Urban Development Studies, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:International Education Program; Education
  
ID:2001_08_003

Related I2UD Projects

I2UD Digital Library Study Guide: The Role of Urban Planning and Management in Post-Crisis Reconciliation and Recovery, October 2025

Beginning in 1982, the Unit for Housing and Urbanization at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design hosted International Training Programs (ITP), an annual series of 2- to 4-week summer seminars designed to strengthen the decision-making skills of senior professionals in public and private agencies responsible for urban development.

The I2UD Digital Library holds curriculum materials for ITPs from 1988, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, and 1998:

The tradition of ITPs continued after 2000, when the Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) (a re-organization of the Unit) continued training seminars as International Education Programs (IEP) from 2000-2004:

Programs included inter-linked modules, lectures, case studies, interactive computer simulation models, site visits to urban projects, discussion groups and networking with professional counterparts from international metropolitan regions. Sessions had a modular format and structured team teaching, taught by a team of senior faculty and guest lecturers. Programs ended with a synthesis presented through a project evaluation exercise. Participants used case projects to examine strategies from the viewpoint of both public and private partners — to assess the feasibility and potential impacts of policies and projects on the community and the city. Presentations by guest speakers, representing U.S. and international agencies, NGOs, and community groups, were also integrated within the pedagogic framework of each module.

Posted on

IEP May 2001: “Infrastructure Planning and Partnerships for Local Economic Development,” Eastern Cape, South Africa, International Education Programs, 2001

Abstract

The Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design produced a curriculum in 2001 for their International Education Program (IEP) held in Eastern Cape, South Africa in May of that year. The seminar was titled “Infrastructure Planning and Partnerships for Local Economic Development” and included relevant case studies and excerpts pulled from previous CUDS work.

[Excerpt: Executive Summary, May 2001, p. 1]

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2001
Project Type:IEP; Education
Geographic Regions:Eastern Cape, South Africa
Reports:
Authors:John Driscoll; Emly Costa; Mona Serageldin; Sameh Wahba; Patrick Bodart; Yves Cabannes; Boguslaw Trondowski
Sponsors:Center for Urban Development Studies, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:International Education Program; Education
  
ID:2001_05_001

Related I2UD Projects

I2UD Digital Library Study Guide: The Role of Urban Planning and Management in Post-Crisis Reconciliation and Recovery, October 2025

Beginning in 1982, the Unit for Housing and Urbanization at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design hosted International Training Programs (ITP), an annual series of 2- to 4-week summer seminars designed to strengthen the decision-making skills of senior professionals in public and private agencies responsible for urban development.

The I2UD Digital Library holds curriculum materials for ITPs from 1988, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, and 1998:

The tradition of ITPs continued after 2000, when the Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) (a re-organization of the Unit) continued training seminars as International Education Programs (IEP) from 2000-2004:

Programs included inter-linked modules, lectures, case studies, interactive computer simulation models, site visits to urban projects, discussion groups and networking with professional counterparts from international metropolitan regions. Sessions had a modular format and structured team teaching, taught by a team of senior faculty and guest lecturers. Programs ended with a synthesis presented through a project evaluation exercise. Participants used case projects to examine strategies from the viewpoint of both public and private partners — to assess the feasibility and potential impacts of policies and projects on the community and the city. Presentations by guest speakers, representing U.S. and international agencies, NGOs, and community groups, were also integrated within the pedagogic framework of each module.

Posted on

IEP 2000-2001: Seminar on Urban Planning and Local Economic Development for Romania (UPLED), for Oradea, Iasi and Focșani, Romania, International Education Programs, 2001

Abstract

CUDS developed an International Education Program (IEP) seminar for the Romanian Urban Planning and Local Economic Development Program (UPLED), in 2000 and 2001 in Romania. The programs assisted the three Cities of Oradea, Iași, and Focșani to formulate city development strategies and adopt improved urban management practices in support of local economic development in Romania.

The seminar from September 19-23, 2001 for the city of Oradea, Romania was organized in association with the Research Triangle Institute Romania and the USAID Local Government Assistance Program, with support from the Open Society Foundation and Partners Foundation for Local Development.

The seminar from March 20-23, 2001 for the city of Iași, Romania was co-organized by the City of Iasi and Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Center for Urban Development Studies, in Association with The Research Triangle Institute, and the USAID Local Government Assistance Program.

Documents include these seminar materials, and a letter from the Mayor of Iași to the USAID Mission Director regarding the UPLED seminar, and case studies.

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2000-2001
Project Type:IEP; Education
Geographic Regions:Romania (Oradea, Iași, and Focșani)
Reports:
—

Authors:David Jones; François Vigier; John Driscoll; Liviu Ianasi, Alexandru Sandu; Georgeta Stirbu; Adrian Cuperman; Cristina Costin; Carmen Grosu; Sorin Caian; Katalin Pallai; Viorica Serbu; Ion Oancea; Mircea Grigorovschi; Victor Giosan; Daniela Olaru; Violeta Balica; Robert Kehew; Oradea Mayor Petru Filip; Tanase Miculescu; Andrei Krausz; Andrei Luncan; Claudia Pamfil
Sponsors:RTI International; USAID Local Government Assistance Program; Open Society Foundation; Partners Foundation for Local Developement
Categories:International Education Program; Executive Training Program; Education
  
ID:2001_03_001

Related I2UD Projects

Beginning in 1982, the Unit for Housing and Urbanization at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design hosted International Training Programs (ITP), an annual series of 2- to 4-week summer seminars designed to strengthen the decision-making skills of senior professionals in public and private agencies responsible for urban development.

The I2UD Digital Library holds curriculum materials for ITPs from 1988, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, and 1998:

The tradition of ITPs continued after 2000, when the Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) (a re-organization of the Unit) continued training seminars as International Education Programs (IEP) from 2000-2004:

Programs included inter-linked modules, lectures, case studies, interactive computer simulation models, site visits to urban projects, discussion groups and networking with professional counterparts from international metropolitan regions. Sessions had a modular format and structured team teaching, taught by a team of senior faculty and guest lecturers. Programs ended with a synthesis presented through a project evaluation exercise. Participants used case projects to examine strategies from the viewpoint of both public and private partners — to assess the feasibility and potential impacts of policies and projects on the community and the city. Presentations by guest speakers, representing U.S. and international agencies, NGOs, and community groups, were also integrated within the pedagogic framework of each module.

Posted on

IEP October 2000: “Seminar on Strategic Planning for Urban Revitalization and Local Development” in Pretoria, South Africa, International Education Programs, 2000

Abstract

Seminar materials represent curriculum components from the 2000 International Education Program (IEP), “Seminar on Strategic Planning for Urban Revitalization and Local Development” held October 30 through November 3, 2000 in Pretoria, South Africa. Documents include project excerpts and case studies used in the seminar, including a presentation by Mona Serageldin presented at the HABITAT II Urban Finance Conference in 1995, “Empowerment and Accountability in Local Governance: Adjame’s Community Development Experience.”

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2000
Project Type:IEP; Education
Geographic Regions:Pretoria, South Africa (Seminar Location)
Reports:
Authors:Mona Serageldin; John Driscoll; Sameh Wahba; Boguslaw Trondowski; Patrick Bodart; Yves Cabannes; Emily Costa
Sponsors:Center for Urban Development Studies, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:International Education Program; Education; Informal Settlements and Urban Upgrading
  
ID:2000_10_001

Related I2UD Projects

I2UD Digital Library Study Guide: The Role of Urban Planning and Management in Post-Crisis Reconciliation and Recovery, October 2025

Beginning in 1982, the Unit for Housing and Urbanization at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design hosted International Training Programs (ITP), an annual series of 2- to 4-week summer seminars designed to strengthen the decision-making skills of senior professionals in public and private agencies responsible for urban development.

The I2UD Digital Library holds curriculum materials for ITPs from 1988, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, and 1998:

The tradition of ITPs continued after 2000, when the Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) (a re-organization of the Unit) continued training seminars as International Education Programs (IEP) from 2000-2004:

Programs included inter-linked modules, lectures, case studies, interactive computer simulation models, site visits to urban projects, discussion groups and networking with professional counterparts from international metropolitan regions. Sessions had a modular format and structured team teaching, taught by a team of senior faculty and guest lecturers. Programs ended with a synthesis presented through a project evaluation exercise. Participants used case projects to examine strategies from the viewpoint of both public and private partners — to assess the feasibility and potential impacts of policies and projects on the community and the city. Presentations by guest speakers, representing U.S. and international agencies, NGOs, and community groups, were also integrated within the pedagogic framework of each module.

Posted on

IEP August 2000: “Boston, Massachusetts: Strategic Plans and Community Participation,” International Education Programs, 2000

Abstract

The Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design conducted an International Education Program (IEP) on “Boston, Massachusetts: Strategic Plans and Community Participation” in August 2000. The curriculum for the program included case studies and project summaries from influential offices and agencies from Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Many case studies were replicated for later years of the IEP program.

Multiple curriculum components are contained in each document. See individual cover pages for full section indexes, or the Program Reference Materials List (Volume 1 Index). For example, the document “Boston Strategic Plans and Community Participation (Case Studies)” contains multiple works:

  • A Civic Vision for Turnpike Air Rights (Strategic Development Study Committee, Boston Redevelopment Authority Boston, MA, 2000)
  • Private/Public Development of South Station (Center for Urban Development Studies, Cambridge, MA, 1995)
  • Boston 400 Guide to Community Participation (Boston Redevelopment Authority, Boston, MA, Summer 1999)
  • Choosing to Compete: A Statewide Strategy for Job Creation and Economic Growth: Executive Summary (Executive Office of Economic Affairs, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, May 1993)

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2000
Project Type:IEP; Education
Geographic Regions:Boston, Massachusetts, US / Providence, Rhode Island, USA / New York Metropolitan Area, USA / Paris, France / Szczecin, Poland / Tirana, Albania / St. Petersburg, Russia
Reports:
Authors:François Vigier; Mona Serageldin; John Driscoll; David Jones; Christopher Rogers; Kath Phelan; Linda Haar; Thomas Nally; Carol R. Johnson; Deborah Goddard; Richard Henderson; Martin Nee; Jorge Martinez; David Knowles; Margaret Thalwitz; Robert Yaro; Kimberley Wilson
Sponsors:Center for Urban Development Studies, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:International Education Program; Education
  
ID:2000_08_002

Related I2UD Projects

Beginning in 1982, the Unit for Housing and Urbanization at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design hosted International Training Programs (ITP), an annual series of 2- to 4-week summer seminars designed to strengthen the decision-making skills of senior professionals in public and private agencies responsible for urban development.

The I2UD Digital Library holds curriculum materials for ITPs from 1988, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, and 1998:

The tradition of ITPs continued after 2000, when the Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) (a re-organization of the Unit) continued training seminars as International Education Programs (IEP) from 2000-2004:

Programs included inter-linked modules, lectures, case studies, interactive computer simulation models, site visits to urban projects, discussion groups and networking with professional counterparts from international metropolitan regions. Sessions had a modular format and structured team teaching, taught by a team of senior faculty and guest lecturers. Programs ended with a synthesis presented through a project evaluation exercise. Participants used case projects to examine strategies from the viewpoint of both public and private partners — to assess the feasibility and potential impacts of policies and projects on the community and the city. Presentations by guest speakers, representing U.S. and international agencies, NGOs, and community groups, were also integrated within the pedagogic framework of each module.

Posted on

“Decentralization and Urban Infrastructure Management Capacity,” Research Paper for UN-Habitat’s Third Global Report on Human Settlements, 2000

Abstract

The Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design produced a research paper in 2000 that provided an overview of decentralization and infrastructure policy throughout the 1990s. The study noted the expanding scope for private sector involvement and the growing role of non-governmental organizations and civil society in the delivery of infrastructure services for informal settlements. The report served as a background paper for UN-Habitat’s Third Global Report on Human Settlements.

[Excerpt: Background Paper, August 2000]

1.0 Overview: This background paper is based on an extensive review of infrastructure initiatives implemented since the early 1990s in different economic, social and cultural settings. Recent trends are assessed and creative approaches presented. In each case, the challenges faced and the context within which infrastructure problems have to be addressed determined the range of options and the choice of strategies. The remarkable results achieved by Best Practices are highlighted with a special focus on the ingredients underlying their success.”

[Excerpt: Table of Contents, Background Paper, August 2000, p. 2 of 31]

  1. Overview
    • Decentralization and Infrastructure Policy
    • Decentralization of infrastructure services
    • Expanding the scope for private sector involvement
    • A growing role for NGOs and civil society
    • Challenges in the decentralization of infrastructure
  2. Decentralized institutional frameworks, participatory processes and capacity building
    • The role of regional and intermediary institutions
    • Strengthening local government leadership and initiative
    • Partnerships between municipalities and NGO
    • Community-based approaches to infrastructure services and neighborhood revitalization
  3. Financing investments in infrastructure services and neighborhood revitalization
    • Public/Private partnerships to finance infrastructure
    • The role of intermediary institutions in infrastructure finance
    • Privatization of infrastructure services: public utility companies
  4. Equitable Access to Infrastructure and the Empowerment of Poor and Marginalized Communities
    • Community-based financing of infrastructure projects
  5. Concluding Remarks
  6. List of references
Project Year:2000
Project Type:Research Paper
Geographic Regions:Global / None Specified
Reports:Decentralization and Urban Infrastructure Management Capacity (Background Paper, August 2000)
Authors:Mona Serageldin; Suzanne Kim; Sameh Wahba
Sponsors:UN-Habitat
Categories:Informal Settlements and Urban Upgrading
  
ID:2000_08_003
Posted on

“Mauritanian National Urban Development Strategy,” Policy Action Plan for Nouakchott, Nouadhibou, and Kaédi, Mauritania, 2000 (French)

Abstract

In 2000, the Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design provided assistance in formulating the “Mauritanian National Urban Development Strategy” and policy action plan for Mauritania. This project originated from the Mauritanian “Seminar on Urban Planning and Management,” led by CUDS in 1999.

The CUDS team included Mauritanian urban and legal experts and worked closely with local officials on an economic development strategy for the country’s three largest cities (Nouakchott, Nouadhibou, and Kaédi) and on an update to the legislative framework for land tenure and real estate development.

Documents include multiple provisional and progressive reports from May, June, July, August, and October 2000, as well as preliminary documents, all in French.

Project Year:2000
Project Type:Policy Action Plan; Education
Geographic Regions:Nouakchott, Nouadhibou, and Kaédi, Mauritania
Reports:
Authors:François Vigier; Mona Serageldin; Sameh Wahba; Alain Durand-Lasserve; Jacques Carol; Ahmed Salem Ould Bouboutt; Issakha Diagana; Samir Abdulac
Sponsors:World Bank; AMEXTIPE
Categories:International Education Program; Executive Training Program; Education
  
ID:2000_05_001
Posted on

“Reconnaissance Report: Local Economic Development,” Regional Planning Survey for Bucharest, Romania, 2000

Abstract

In 2000, John Driscoll and Liviu Ianasi produced a survey report on local planning processes in Bucharest, Romania titled “Local Economic Development: Reconnaissance Report.” The report proposed a technical assistance and capacity-building program for the Bucharest region. It includes an overview of the program objectives and a detailed implementation framework, highlighting tools to assist USAID and RTI International in planning, prioritizing, and selecting projects to foster local economic development in Romania.

Excerpt

Table of Contents:

  • Introduction (p. 2)
  • Country and Urban Context (p. 2)
  • Linkages Between Economic Development and Urban Planning and Land Management (p. 3)
  • Legal and Regulatory Framework for Planning and Land Management (p.p.3)
  • Existing Legislation relating to Urban Planning, Land and Economic Development (p. 6)
  • Institutional Context Related to Economic Development and Urban Planning (p. 7)
  • Municipal Finance and Links to Economic Development (p. 9)
  • Proposed Capacity Building Activities (p.10)
  • Key Areas of Focus (p. 11)
  • Capacity Building Approach (p. 14)
  • Next Steps (p. 15)
  • Framework for Capacity Building and Highlighting Changes for Legislative Action (p. 16)
  • Annex 1. Standard Outline for GUP and Regulations (p. 23)
  • Annex 2. Organizational Chart—Municipal Government (p. 27)
  • Annex 3. Meetings and contacts during the Mission (p. 28)
  • Annex 4 NARD Funding by Source (p. 30)
Project Year:2000
Project Type:Technical Assistance
Geographic Regions:Bucharest, Romania
Reports:Local Economic Development Reconnaissance Report: (March 2000)
Authors:John Driscoll; Liviu Ianasi
Sponsors:RTI International; USAID
Categories:Urban Planning
  
ID:2000_02_001

Related I2UD Projects

I2UD Digital Library Study Guide: The Role of Urban Planning and Management in Post-Crisis Reconciliation and Recovery, October 2025

Posted on

“Master Plan for the Revitalization of the Older Urban Fabric,” Preservation in the Old City of Al Qusair, Egypt, 2000

Abstract

In 2000, the Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design produced a planning program that encouraged both economic urban development and historic district revitalization for the preservation of the Old City of Al Qusair, Egypt.

The revitalization program focused on the recently restored major Ottoman fort, archeological excavations of Pharaonic settlements, and tourism development along the Red Sea coast. The CUDS survey emphasized the benefits of a revitalization plan to enact an “operational strategy for the revitalization of Qusair’s old urban fabric” and to “ensure its integration within the official master plan for Qusair commissioned by the Governor.”

Documents include a Full Report, Questionnaire, Suggested Urban Regulations and Building Code, Intervention List, Action Plan Write Up, and a Statistical analysis.



[Excerpt: The Full Report, The Old City of Qusair]

“The Old City of Qusair is an integral component of the whole city…Between the planned extension and the existing city, uncontrolled expansion is occurring primarily along the main roads. This informal and rather chaotic urbanization is bound to have a negative impact on the environment of both the Old and New Qusair. These settlements house families who lived previously in the older neighborhoods and should be included in future development and upgrading plans at the city scale.”

The documentation and analysis involved “three fundamental determinants of change and transformation of the historic urban fabric”:

1. A thorough understanding of tenure patterns and development dynamics in the city as they affect the historic center.

2. The documentation of economic and socio-cultural changes and their impact on lifestyles, on housing, and commercial activity in the different zones of the study area.

3. The identification of factors prompting property owners, shopkeepers, and households to invest in the improvement of their buildings, shops and dwellings.

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2000
Project Type:Master Plan
Geographic Regions:Al Qusair, Egypt
Reports:
Authors:Mona Serageldin; François Vigier; Tarek Waly
Sponsors:Wallenberg Foundations
Categories:Historic Districts
  
ID:2000_00_002

Related I2UD Projects

Galleries 6-7: Egypt: Cairo and Helwan (1986, 1990)

Posted on

“St. Petersburg Center City Rehabilitation Project,” Urban Planning Network for St. Petersburg, Russia, 2000

Abstract

The St. Petersburg Center City Rehabilitation Project was a cooperative urban planning network produced through a collaboration between the Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and professional associates at the Leontief Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia in 2000.

Documents include a summary by Nicholai Zunda of the Leontief Institute, “City of St. Petersburg, Russian Federation Making Municipal Investment More Effective: Principles for the Formation of a Municipal Investment Program.” The summary measured the improvement plans within the St. Petersburg city administration, and estimated the social effectiveness of the program. The Leontief Institute contributed a document titled “Strategy for the Development of the Centre City of St. Petersburg: Plan for Action and Achievement.”

CUDS contractor David C. Jones contributed an Annex to the the Leontief document, titled “Cost Definition and Recovery for Infrastructure, Land and Property.” Leontief’s authors also contributed a case study covering the preparation of the St. Petersburg municipal investment budget, including expenses, sources of revenue, and budgetary processes.

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2000
Project Type:Urban Planning Network, Case Study
Geographic Regions:St. Petersburg, Russia
Reports:
Authors:David C. Jones; Nicholai Zunda
Sponsors:Leontief Center, International Centre for Social and Economic Research (ICSER) (St. Petersburg, Russia)
Categories:Historic Districts
  
ID:2000_01_001

Related I2UD Projects

Posted on

Executive Training Program 1999: Seminar on “Urban Planning and Management” for Executive Officials from Nouadhibou & Nouakchott, Mauritania, 1999

Abstract

The Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design hosted a seminar on “Urban Planning and Management” for a delegation of senior officials from Mauritania, held in Cambridge, Massachusetts in October 1999. The seminar was organized in response to a request from the Agence Mauritanienne d’Exécution des Travaux d’Intérêt Public pour l’Emploi (AMEXTIPE), and led to a formal consultation project by CUDS on recommendations for urban development in October 2000.

In the late 1990s, decentralization initiatives in Mauritania shifted central and local relationships and created new responsibilities for municipalities. Impacted cities under survey included Nouadhibou and Nouakchott. Nouadhibou is the second largest city in Mauritania and serves as a major commercial center, while Nouakchott is the capital and largest city of Mauritania, and serves as the administrative and economic center of Mauritania. Urban issues facing local authorities included increasing urban poverty, demand for urban land, uncontrolled urban development, and underserved communities.

Documents are primarily in French, and include two preliminary reports on Nouadhibou and Nouakchott from 1995 and 1996. A seminar program outline from October 1999 is in English. Also included are copies of the eventual CUDS reports from October 2000. See “Mauritanian National Urban Development Strategy” (Project ID: 2000_05_001) from 2000 for full project documentation.

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:1999
Project Type:ITP; Education
Geographic Regions:Nouadhibou and Nouakchott, Mauritania
Reports:
Authors:François Vigier (Team Leader); Mona Serageldin; Samir Abdulac; James Kostaras; Sameh Wahba; Jacques Carol; Ahmed Salem Ould Bouboutt; Isakha Diagana
Sponsors:World Bank; AMEXTIPE
Categories:International Education Program; Executive Training Program; Education
  
ID:1999_10_001

Related I2UD Projects

Beginning in 1982, the Unit for Housing and Urbanization at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design hosted International Training Programs (ITP), an annual series of 2- to 4-week summer seminars designed to strengthen the decision-making skills of senior professionals in public and private agencies responsible for urban development.

The I2UD Digital Library holds curriculum materials for ITPs from 1988, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, and 1998:

The tradition of ITPs continued after 2000, when the Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) (a re-organization of the Unit) continued training seminars as International Education Programs (IEP) from 2000-2004:

Programs included inter-linked modules, lectures, case studies, interactive computer simulation models, site visits to urban projects, discussion groups and networking with professional counterparts from international metropolitan regions. Sessions had a modular format and structured team teaching, taught by a team of senior faculty and guest lecturers. Programs ended with a synthesis presented through a project evaluation exercise. Participants used case projects to examine strategies from the viewpoint of both public and private partners — to assess the feasibility and potential impacts of policies and projects on the community and the city. Presentations by guest speakers, representing U.S. and international agencies, NGOs, and community groups, were also integrated within the pedagogic framework of each module.

Posted on

City of Boston’s “Neighborhood Partnership Initiative” & “Main Street Program,” Urban Revitalization for Roslindale and West Roxbury, Boston, United States, 1997

Abstract

The Center for Urban Development Studies at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design collaborated with the City of Boston on its Neighborhood Partnership Initiative in the late 1990s. The initiative aimed to restructure distressed neighborhoods and revitalize districts in Boston through community organization, the promotion of new economic activity, and housing improvements, including a redesign for Boston’s main streets. Neighborhoods included Washington St/Grove St in West Roxbury and Washington St/West Roxbury Parkway in Roslindale.


[Excerpt: Overview]

Boston, MA:
“Municipalities worldwide have successfully engaged community groups in structured partnerships based on joint definitions of needs and opportunities. Local initiatives programs support and encourage civic leadership and all of them involve a program of shared financial commitments that leverage public and private resources. In the case of Boston, the city and its development agencies created an array of programs to address the needs of the city’s distressed neighborhoods and utilized collaborative approaches that build upon the economic, social, and physical assets in a community.

Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development (DND) Neighborhood Partnership Initiative (NPI) is an example of a model program that worked actively with neighborhood residents and community organizations to develop coordinated plans for neighborhood preservation and housing improvements. The NPI ended in 1996 and evolved into Boston’s Main Street Program, another partnership program that focuses on the revitalization of business districts in 19 neighborhoods. In Main Streets, the city provides seed funding for a coordinator who works with a board representing local businesses and NGOs in the neighborhood.”

The Neighborhood Partnership Initiative:
“In the 1980s, DND redefined its role from a capital planning agency to a community development agency managing a number of diverse programs. The DND’s goal was to strategically invest resources to build up the strength and vitality of neighborhoods and work directly with community-based organizations to coordinate and implement public improvements, housing, open space, and youth social programs. The Neighborhood Partnership Initiative grew out of a review of existing programs working at the neighborhood level that were not having their desired impact and the realization that DND needed to develop a more focused strategy for allocating scarce public resources.”

Project Year:1997
Project Type:Case Study
Geographic Regions:Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Reports:
Authors:John Driscoll
Sponsors:Center for Urban Development Studies, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:Informal Settlements and Urban Upgrading
  
ID:1997_05_001

Related I2UD Projects

Posted on

“Community-Based Urbanization and Favelas Rehabilitation Processes,” Case Study in Academy Editions, Architecture of Empowerment: People, Shelter and Livable Cities, for Fortaleza, Brazil, 1997

Abstract

Specialists at the Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, including Mona Serageldin, wrote the report “Community-Based Urbanization and Favelas Rehabilitation Processes” in 1997, published in The Architecture of Empowerment: People, Shelter and Livable Cities.

This housing case study of Fortaleza, Brazil examined the four interlinked urban programs in Fortaleza, which formed a coordinated framework for public and community action to address the human and environmental aspects of rapid urbanization. Programs combined capacity building, participation, civic engagement, and community-based management of local resources.


[Excerpt: Final Report, 1997]

“Fortaleza’s interlinked urban programs (Mutirão 50, Comunidades, Casa Melhor and the Integration Council) created a framework for coordinated public and community action addressing the human aspects as well as the environmental dimensions of rapid urbanization. The programs combined capacity building, participation, civic engagement and community based management of local resources. Fortaleza, the capital of the Ceara State, in the Northern region of Brazil, has a population of 2.5 million inhabitants, over half of whom live in more than 350 irregular settlements, known as “favelas”, lacking infrastructure and services. Rapid demographic growth and sustained migration from rural areas has fueled their proliferation. Since 1973, a new favela has developed every month . . .”
. . . .

“The goal of the Mutirão 50 pilot and the Comunidades programs is to create an interface for coordinated action by the different actors involved in urban development. The process capitalizes on the complementary roles of NGOs that have the capacity to innovate and lead an outreach and mobilization effort, and the public authorities that can foster institutionalization and replication of successful actions. The programs have 3 strategic objectives: to create a setting for self-built mutirões housing; to generate employment opportunities; and to set in motion a process of sustainable development.“

“The programs reinforce citizen participation and the autonomy of community based organizations by building up their capacity to negotiate with public authorities and broadening their vision and understanding of the wider socio-economic context. The Comunidades program is managed by a special commission, referred to as the Integration Council. It includes two representatives of each of the partners involved: the State, the municipalities, the university and the technical school, the NGOs and the community groups. . . “
. . . .

“Close ties to education and research institutions help develop innovative approaches to the three complementary and integrated action lines of the program: Housing construction institutional development and job creation. In light of the importance given to technical training, the collaborative effort with educational institutions is considered critical to the program’s success.”

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:1995
Project Type:Research Paper
Geographic Regions:Fortaleza, Brazil
Reports:Community Based Urbanization and Favelas Rehabilitation Processes: (Final Report, 1997)
Authors:Mona Serageldin; Boguslaw Trondowski; Sameh Wahba
Sponsors:Center for Urban Development Studies, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:Urban Planning
  
ID:1995_00_006

Related I2UD Projects

I2UD Digital Library Study Guide: Understanding Informal Settlements and Slum Upgrading, October 2024

Posted on

“Lublin Local Initiatives Program” & “Lublin Old Town Rehabilitation Project,” Technical Assistance for Urban Upgrading in Lublin, Poland, 1994-2000

Abstract

Between 1994 and 2000, the Unit for Housing and Urbanization (the Unit) and its successor, the Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS), at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, worked on the Lublin Local Initiatives Program to promote urban development in Lublin, Poland. The program focused on rehabilitation and revitalization in Lublin’s neighborhoods to improve the quality of life by introducing the involvement of citizens in the planning process through participatory and empowerment strategies and the mobilization of local resources.

The Unit/CUDS subcontracted for the consulting firm Planning and Collaborative Development International (PADCO), and USAID/RHUDO Warsaw funded the mission to prepare guidelines for the development of Lublin’s municipal, technical, and managerial capabilities. The project included tenant participation and housing rehabilitation components. This work by the Unit and CUDS earned a Best Practice Award for excellence in improving the living environment at the Habitat II Conference in Istanbul in June 1996.

Documents fall into three main groups:

  • First, the Lublin Neighborhood Partnership Initiative documents (1995), including a Program Review mission, a Final Report, an Organizational Framework and Work Plan, a Strategy and Impact Assessment Impact Table, a paper on “Local Government Finance” by David Jones, and a Summary on “Initiating Neighborhood Partnerships” by Mona Serageldin and Ewa Kipta.
  • Second, a “Lublin Old Town Rehabilitation Project” proposal for the community supported upgrading plans for the historic Old Town region of Lublin, with Summary by Mona Serageldin from July 1996, “Lublin Seminar on City Revitalization: Revitalization of Distressed Urban Neighborhoods.”
  • Finally, a “Program Review Mission Field Report” November 1996 for the Polish cities of Szczecin and Lublin, with a “Lublin Field Report” from January 1997.

CUDS, later becoming I2UD, continued to rework Lublin-related documentation throughout the 2000-2010s for educational case studies or presentations. See two examples below for the Lublin Local Initiatives Program: Institutionalization of Community Based Development (Case Study, March 1997) and Lublin Local Initiatives Program: A Success Story (Report, October 2000).

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:1994-2000
Project Type:Technical Assistance
Geographic Regions:Lublin, Poland
Reports:

—

—
Authors:Mona Serageldin; Janne Corneil; John Driscoll; Ewa Kipta; David C. Jones; David Neilson; Richard Shortt; Bogue Trondowski; Anna Zietek
Sponsors:USAID Regional Housing and Urban Development Office
Categories:Reconciliation and Development
  
ID:1994_08_001

Related I2UD Projects

I2UD Digital Library Study Guide: The Role of Urban Planning and Management in Post-Crisis Reconciliation and Recovery, October 2025

Gallery 12: Poland: Gdansk and Lublin (1994–1995)