Abstract
The 1991 International Training Program (ITP), hosted by the Unit for Housing and Urbanization (the Unit) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, addressed strategies of re-manipulating old urban fabric, including plans to restructure central zones, recapture the development potential of strategically located parcels, and preserve valued urban and architectural heritage.
Case studies addressed a range of old urban zones needing restructure:
- Redeveloping obsolete and dilapidated zones (London Docklands);
- Reshaping deteriorating central zones (Boston’s Waterfront);
- Halting the degradation of the physical environment (Hafsia district in Tunis, Tunisia); and
- Preserving the distinctive character of historical areas (Vieux Carré in New Orleans).
Documents represent curriculum components from the 1991 ITP, including case studies, project summaries, newspaper and journal articles, and module overviews. Some materials may be replicated in other years of the ITP programs.
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| Project Year: | 1991 |
| Project Type: | ITP; Education |
| Geographic Regions: | Waterfront, Boston, USA / London Docklands, UK / Hafsia, Tunis, Tunisia / Vieux Carré, New Orleans, USA / Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany / Maarouf, Cairo, Egypt / Walled City of Lahore, Pakistan / Ij Waterfront, Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Reports: | |
| Authors: | François Vigier; Mr Victor Karen; Barry Shaw |
| Sponsors: | Unit for Housing and Urbanization, Harvard University Graduate School of Design |
| Categories: | International Training Program; Education |
| ID: | 1991_07_001 |
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A History of ITP and IEP Seminars
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:
- ITP 1988: “Housing Affordability: Project Appraisal and Program Structure” with Boston Redevelopment Authority Site Visit and Documentation (Project ID: 1988_00_002)
- ITP 1991: Development Strategies for Urban Regeneration of Old Urban Fabric: Case Studies and Curriculum (Project ID: 1991_07_001)
- ITP 1994: Revitalization in Older Urban Spaces: Upham’s Corner, Dorchester, Boston, South Boston, New Haven (USA); Montpellier (France), Cork (Ireland), Case Studies and Curriculum (Project ID: 1994_07_001)
- ITP 1995: “Linking Economic and Physical Development Strategies Intergovernmental Responsibilities in the Context of Decentralization” (Project ID: 1995_06_001)
- ITP 1997: “South Boston Metropolitan Area Community Housing,” Case Studies and Curriculums (Project ID: 1997_00_002)
- ITP 1998: “The Role of Public/Private Partnerships in Urban Improvements,” with Case Studies on Kreuzberg, Berlin (Germany), GIS Mapping on Cape Cod (US), and the Maarouf Quarter of Cairo (Egypt) (Project ID: 1998_07_001)
- ITPs 1982-2000: Survey of Modules and Curriculum Materials, 1982-2000 (Project ID: 1982_00_001)
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:
- IEP 2000: “Boston, Massachusetts: Strategic Plans and Community Participation,” Case Studies and Curriculum (Project ID: 2000_08_002)
- IEP October 2000: “Seminar on Strategic Planning for Urban Revitalization and Local Development” in Pretoria, South Africa (Project ID: 2000_10_001)
- IEP 2000-2001: Seminar on Urban Planning and Local Economic Development for Romania (UPLED), for Oradea, Iasi and Focșani, Romania, 2001 (Project ID: 2001_03_001)
- IEP May 2001: “Infrastructure Planning and Partnerships for Local Economic Development,” Eastern Cape, South Africa (Project ID: 2001_05_001)
- IEP August 2001: “Infrastructure Planning and Partnerships for Local Economic Development” in Pretoria, South Africa (Project ID: 2001_08_003)
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.
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