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“Economy of Historic Preservation” in Erbil, Kurdistan, Report for Strengthening Urban & Regional Planning (SURP), UN-Habitat, 2014

Abstract

Mona Serageldin directed a report series titled “Economy of Historic Preservation” in 2014, in collaboration with the Ministry of Municipalities and Tourism (MOMT) and the Iraqi-Kurdistan Erbil Governorate. The project fulfilled a UN-Habitat program “Strengthening Urban and Regional Planning” (SURP), with support from François Vigier and Barbara Summers.

The report examines the interrelationship of cultural heritage preservation and urban development, in light of globalization, urbanization shifts, and technological innovation. The analysis aligned with the SURP program goals, which support the capacity of officials in Erbil, the capital city of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, to stimulate financing for local infrastructure, and promote land value capture and community participatory processes.

Documents include the main report in two sections, an outline, slides for the full presentation, and supporting presentations with photographs. Case studies cover cultural heritage sites in the Medina of Tunis, Tunisia; Icheri Sheher in Baku, Azerbaijan; and in Quito, Ecuador.

See also: “National Urban Strategy for Governorates in Iraq,” Development Strategy for Phase II of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Iraq Ministry of Planning Local Area Development Programme (LADP II), 2014-2018 (Project ID: 2014_11_001)

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Project Year:2014
Project Type:Capacity Building Project
Geographic Regions:Erbil, Southern Kurdistan, Iraq (also Medina of Tunis, Tunisia; Icherisheher, Baku, Azerbaijan; and Quito, Ecuador)
Reports:

Authors:Mona Serageldin; François Vigier; Barbara Summers; David C. Jones
Sponsors:United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UN-Habitat)
Categories:Historic Districts
  
ID:2014_06_002

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“Comprehensive Plan for Makkah, Madinah and Mashaer,” Urban Development Strategy for Ancient Holy Sites in Saudi Arabia, 2009

Abstract

In 2009, I2UD submitted a development strategy, “Comprehensive Plan for Makkah, Madinah and Mashaer,” to promote the preservation and integrated urban development in Saudi Arabia for the Holy Cities of Mecca (Makkah Al-Mukarama) and Medina (Al-Madinah Al-Munawara), and the holy sites area of Mashaer (Mina, Muzdalifah, and Arafat) in Mecca. The project included a series of 6 workshops, led by François Vigier and supported by Moriyama & Teshima Architects & Planning, the Development Commission of Makkah Al-Mukarama, Al-Madinah Al-Munawara and Al-Mashaer Al-Muqaddasa (DCOMMM), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The development plan involved seven main steps:

  1. To buy land and compensate for lost development rights;
  2. To build world class developments;
  3. To facilitate informal area improvements;
  4. To improve mobility around Mecca;
  5. To beautify and improve the quality of space within the city and create peaceful places;
  6. To integrate Mashaer as a critical part of the city; and
  7. To support strategic infrastructure management.

Documents various component reports of the plan, documents from six workshops, including outlines and reports, and notes and reviews authored by François Vigier.

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Project Year:2009-2010
Project Type:Development Strategy
Geographic Regions:Makkah, Madinah, and the Mashaer district, Saudi Arabia
Reports:

Workshops:

Reports & Plans:
Authors:François Vigier
Sponsors:Development Commission of Makkah Al-Mukarama, Al-Madinah Al-Munawara and Al-Mashaer Al-Muqaddasa (DCOMMM); United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Categories:Historic Districts
  
ID:2009_04_001

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“Sustainable Development Based on Valorizing the Historic Urban Fabric,” Paper by Dr. Mona Serageldin, 9th World Congress of the Organization of World Heritage Cities in Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia, 2007

Abstract

Mona Serageldin authored this report and presented it to the 9th World Congress of the Organization of World Heritage Cities in Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia in June 2007. The report posits that cities must preserve their identities in the midst of change in order to integrate their cultural heritage and their economic development strategy, and outlines 10 steps towards accomplishing this objective.


[Excerpt: Mona Serageldin, “Sustainable Development,” 1 – Background, page 1]

“From ancient oracles to medieval pilgrimages to modern tourist attractions, cities flourished capitalizing on their cultural and natural heritage long before national governments understood its potential as a driver of national economic development. Development is a multifaceted concept integrating economic, social, institutional and cultural dimensions. It deals with the present and strives to shape the future. It entails change spurred by visions and a sense of purpose but it also embodies varying degrees of continuity that define identity and shared values.”
……

“Today culture is recognized as an important dimension of development, but viewpoints differ widely regarding the role that the legacy of the past should play in shaping the future and the role economic considerations should play in determining the use of the heritage. Two key economic trends pose serious challenges to heritage preservation:

1. The economic restructuring brought about by globalization and the massive population movements it has generated are increasing the ethnic and cultural diversity of cities and contributing to generating urban dynamics of growing complexity;

2. The rapid pace of technological innovation is generating a constant onslaught of new messages and images displaying symbols and lifestyles associated with status and achievement that tend to devalorize the old. Simultaneously, the propagation of unfiltered information is fostering the perpetuation or revival of distinctive cultural values, beliefs and customs. Ethnically diverse subgroups among a population can cluster and operate in separate patterns of activity within the same urban space.

“Astute political and civic leaders view these trends with apprehension and try to overcome fragmentation by promoting interactions that enhance shared values across cultures and counter narrow views that create exclusion.”

Project Year:2007
Project Type:Research Paper
Geographic Regions:Kazan, Russia (Conference Location)
Reports:Sustainable Development Based on Valorizing the Historic Urban Fabric: (Mona Serageldin, June 2007)
Authors:Mona Serageldin
Sponsors:Getty Conservation Institute
Categories:Historic Districts
  
ID:2007_06_001

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“Integrated Area Management Action Plan,” Urban Management Plan for the Ancient Walled City Icheri Sheher, Baku, Azerbaijan, 2006

Abstract

Between 2006 and 2007, I2UD developed a comprehensive urban management plan to safeguard the Walled City of Icheri Sheher in Baku, Azerbaijan, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Icheri Sheher (the Walled City) is the oldest inhabited part of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.

The project was accomplished in association with Alstrup & Avnby Architects of Denmark, and supported by The World Bank. The action plan positioned Icheri Sheher in light of the new State Department of the Historic and Architectural Reserve Icheri Sheher (SDHARIS), created in February 2005 by Presidential Order No. 629. The safeguard and development strategy provided:

  • An institutional and operational framework for the new Administration, SDHARIS;
  • Design guidelines and development regulations to preserve the World Heritage site while allowing private sector viability in the Historic Centre of Baku;
  • Strategic interventions to remedy current weaknesses and develop tourism potential;
  • Creation of a citizen participation component to involve stakeholders in the decision making process.

Documents include an executive summary report, Volumes 1-4 of project documentation, and a presentation on Baku’s urban fabric. For more information, see UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention: “Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah’s Palace and Maiden Tower.”

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2006
Project Type:Comprehensive Plan
Geographic Regions:Icherisheher, Baku, Azerbaijan
Reports:
Authors:François Vigier; Mona Serageldin; Samir Abdulac; Freddy Avnby; Tue Avnby; John Driscoll; Cahid Gadirli; Kamil Ibrahimov; Andrey Ivanov; Paulius Kulikauskas; Christa Lee-Chuvala; Ilham Polukhov; Rimas Steponaitis; Agshin Yunussov
Sponsors:World Bank
Categories:Historic Districts
  
ID:2006_04_001

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“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.”

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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

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

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“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.

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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

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“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.”
____

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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

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“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]

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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

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“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.

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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

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

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“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.

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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

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“Preserving the Historic Urban Fabric in a Context of Fast Paced Change,” Research Essay by Mona Serageldin, 1998

Abstract

In this 1998 essay, Mona Serageldin responded to the Getty Conservation Institute’s “Agora Values and Benefits Inquiry” by examining the challenges of preserving historic centers in societies experiencing fast-paced political, economic, or demographic change. Documents include the 1998 report and a draft report with reference list. Contributing authors included Sameh Wahba.

Serageldin’s 1998 essay laid the grounded for the Institute’s ongoing directives from the late 1990s onwards. Her research drew clear links between the need to bolster urban populations during politically challenging periods and the need to protect historic cultural and architectural districts during times of unpredictable change. This dual approach attempted to navigate a cross-disciplinary approach to solving these issues, offering in-depth social and economic analyses. This perspective continues to be relevant in the present global environments, where the stressors of climate change and migratory upheaval necessitate complex planning to preserve valuable urban spaces.



[Excerpt: Mona Serageldin, Final Report, “Preserving the Historic Urban Fabric in a Context of Fast Paced Change,” p. 2]

“This essay looks at cultural heritage from the viewpoint of addressing the challenge of preserving historic centers in societies experiencing fast paced change. This situation is commonly encountered in newly independent states, countries undergoing economic restructuring and nations charting a course through difficult political transition. The cultural heritage contained in the historic cores of urban settlements is subjected to the interplay of two major forces:

1. The dynamics of development and transformation as they affect population movements and real estate markets.

2. The perceptual and practical links between people and their architectural and cultural
heritage.

“Rapid economic and institutional transformation subjects the built environment to varying degrees of strain which expose cultural heritage to risk. Concepts of preservation transferred from countries enjoying prolonged stability and growth often prove to be unaffordable and ineffective in preventing the onset of decay in historic cores. National development policies focused on economic issues do not adequately support conservation objectives and may even clash with them while the dynamics of real estate markets reinforce disparities in valuation between the old and the new. They create situations where the value of the land in accessible sites is depressed by the historic buildings standing on it because of their condition or use.”

“Appreciation of the built environment is partially conditioned by participation in the network of interlinked organizations underlying the social order: family and kin groups, ethnic, religious and political associations and even occupation and business interests. Rapid transformation causes strains and dislocations in these structures. Restructuring of production opens new fields and opportunities to acquire status and wealth independently of old systems. Reshaping the institutional and legal frameworks within which new and surviving organizations have to function creates new channels for upward mobility as well as new symbols of achievement and status. The mechanisms of self improvement and the experience of personal fulfillment are more or less profoundly altered.”
___

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Project Year:1998
Project Type:Cultural Heritage Essay
Geographic Regions:Global / None Specified
Reports:
Authors:Mona Serageldin; Sameh Wahba
Sponsors:Getty Conservation Institute
Categories:Historic Districts
  
ID:1998_11_001

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Reuse Plans for Boston’s Navy Yards and Military Bases: “Balanced Growth Reuse Strategies for Military Base Conversions,” Boston, United States, 1993-1996

Abstract

Between 1993 and 2008, the Unit for Housing and Urbanization (the Unit, later I2UD) compiled three urban planning reports for the reuse of decommissioned military bases and historic navy shipyards in Boston and other areas of Massachusetts in the United States.

The first report, “Balanced Growth Reuse Strategies for Military Base Conversions” (1993), was a Technical Assistance and Research and Evaluation led by François Vigier, from the Unit, and Victor W. Karen, from the City of Boston’s planning agency. The undertaking was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA). The EDA in turn supported the Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) to assist communities through the military base decommissioning process and transition to civilian life.

The report presented urban planning approaches to harness the potential social and economic reuse of U.S. military bases scheduled for closure. Forts included:

  • Fort Devens, MA, an army base in a rural setting (c. 1996);
  • Charleston Navy Yard, SC, a navy facility in an urban setting; and
  • Lowry Air Force Base, CO, an air force installation in a suburban setting.

Local professionals were consulted for the study, including leading educators and urban planning experts in the Boston area from the mid-1990s, including Robert W. Rush, James English, Paul Van Dien Davis, William Poorvu, and Alan Altshuler.

The second report, “Reuse Strategies for Military Base Conversions ” (1996), was authored by the Unit team, led by Vigier and Edward Robbins (Lecturer in Urban Design). Documents include an Executive Report, a Summary Report, and Main report. The strategy addressed four points of value in the specific case of Boston’s base zones: historic value, regional economic trends, investment for economic growth, and the centralization of a community input process in the formulation of a closure strategy for Boston’s bases. Overall, this pair of reports are excellent models of the Unit’s early style of professional urban planning.

The third report, “A Case Study of Fort Devens: The Transition to Civilian Use” (2008), authored by I2UD research associate Erick Guerra, expanded on the previous reports and provided an updated examination of the reuse plans for the former military base in rural Massachusetts, highlighting the cooperation as well as competing interests amongst stakeholders at the local, state, and federal levels in converting the land to civilian use.

See also: The Redevelopment of Charleston Navy Yard, Boston Case Study, 2001 (Project ID: 2001_03_001).

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Project Year1993-1996
Project Type:Technical Assistance
Geographic Regions:United States
Reports:
Authors:François Vigier; Victor W. Karen; Edward Robbin; Robert W. Rush; James English; Paul Van Dien Davis
Sponsors:U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA)
Categories:Urban Finance
  
ID:1996_12_001

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“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).

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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

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

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“Samarkand, Uzbekistan: Revitalization and Rehabilitation of the Historic District,” Technical Assistance for the City of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, 1994

Abstract

In 1994, the Unit for Housing and Urbanization implemented an urban revitalization strategy for the rehabilitation of the historic urban fabric in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Through the Technical Assistance project the Unit aimed to assist local government authorities to adopt improvement strategies. The Unit worked with local public officials, practitioners, and Mahalla leaders to establish an institutional framework for local revitalization and rehabilitation initiatives within the city’s Ghur Emir historic district. Documents include the Full Report, “Institutional Framework to Foster Revitalization and Local Rehabilitation Initiatives,” as well as color maps and color photographs.


[Excerpt, Full Report, August 1994]

“This report presents the findings of a mission to Samarkand undertaken by Mona Serageldin adjunct professor of Urban Planning and Associate Director of the Unit for Housing and Urbanization at Harvard University Graduate School of Design in June 15-22, 1996. The Mission was sponsored by the Aga Khan Trust of Culture, Historic Cities Support Program, for the purpose of assisting the government authorities in Samarkand and the AKTC in establishing an institutional framework to foster revitalization and local rehabilitation initiatives in the city’s Historic District. The support received from Dr. Stephano Bianca, Director of the Historic Cities Support Program, Mr. Nemetjon Sadiqov, AKTC representative in Samarkand and their staff contributed to the successful completion of the mission.”

Excerpt: Color Maps: “Major Streets in Ghur Emir Area”

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Project Year:1994
Project Type:Local Rehabilitation Initiative and Technical Assistance
Geographic Regions:Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Reports:
Authors:Mona Serageldin; Boguslaw Trondowski; Sameh Wahba; Anna Zietek
Sponsors:Aga Khan Trust for Culture, Historic Cities Programme
Categories:Historic Districts
  
ID:1994_00_003

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“Upgrading and Conservation of the Walled City of Lahore,” Regional Report on the Preservation of Historic Lahore, Pakistan, 1988

Abstract

The project “Upgrading and Conservation of the Walled City of Lahore” was implemented in 1987 by Rafique H. Keshavjee, Mona Serageldin, and François Vigier, under the Unit for Housing and Urbanization (the Unit) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, to address the urban circumstances surrounding the historic Walled City in Lahore, Pakistan.

The report was part of a larger project undertaken from 1978 through 1980, “Lahore Urban Development and Traffic Study” (LUDTS). This study defined issues of urban economics, housing dilapidation, infrastructure development, urban management, and finance, with the aim of developing comprehensive strategies to implement improvements for Lahore, specifically for the Walled City area.

This study format—a robust detailed review and strategic presentation for improvements in historic and low-income urban spaces—was replicated throughout later work under the Unit, CUDS, and I2UD. Documents include a Primary Information paper, Background paper, Preliminary report, Interim report, Progress report and a Project Summary paper.

See also below: Photograph galleries of the Walled City of Lahore, Pakistan—including streetscapes, housing exteriors and interiors, and historic architecture—which were initially produced for the Unit’s study, and then later used as case study material and curated within Serageldin’s slide collection.



[Excerpt: Overview of the Walled City of Lahore, Primary Information Paper, Page 9-14]

“The Walled City of Lahore, one square mile (2.5 sq. km) in area, is the oldest and most densely populated quarter of the provincial capital of the Punjab. It acquired some of the greatest monuments of Indian Muslim architecture. The palace-fort complex, the vast badshai mosque, as well as the superbly decorated Wazir Khan mosque, with its attached madrasah, bindery stalls and hammam are among the symbols of the heritage of Pakistan. The domestic architecture is also of value, and numerous dwellings, often with rich hierarchies of space, ranging from large homes to palaces of city notables, especially from the Sikh period, dot much of the area….Numerous shrines, mainly tombs of Muslim saints and sages, within and just outside the walls, entire some venerated regularly, some periodically by thousands of Muslims each year, usually in large processions. In short — with its proud history, varied urban texture, 20 protected national monuments, numerous shrines and other estimated 4,000 buildings of cultural value, the Walled City is one of the richest repositories of the nation’s cultural heritage.”

“The Walled City is an integral and vital component of the metropolitan complex. It provides shelter and employment to more than 8% [circa 1988] of Lahore’s population, and contributes about 8% of the revenues collected through property tax, and about 13% of the octroi (trade tax) revenues….”

“…Yet Lahore has one of the highest densities in the world and represents a major concentration of urban poor in the city as a whole. Population densities are the highest in Lahore, ranging around 1,100 persons per hectare…The man-made mound of the old city provides an unstable base for foundations. This, coupled with a falling water-table, frequent seepage from water mains and age, has weakened many of the buildings structurally and even to the point of danger [of collapse]…Of the 22,500 premises, more than one eighth lie vacant where houses have collapsed and not been rebuilt, and more than every twelve is structurally dangerous. Less than 18% of the buildings have been constructed since partition (1947).”

“As a result about one third of the population now live in dilapidated buildings and most dwellings are overcrowded, with nearly seven persons per household….The structures, mainly of burnt brick walls and timber floors and balconies, are densely packed into tiny plots of 42 to 62 sq. m each, rising often 3 or 4 stories. More than half the premises are occupied by single households, about a quarters contain two households each, while the remainder house three or more.”

“Recent Trends – Upgrading and Affordability: Owing to the constraints of cost and logistics, increasing attention has been given to in-situ slum upgrading. A prime component of this approach is legalization (through leases) and upgrading of squatter settlements. The Government has also begun to consider the need to reduce land development standards. This is critical to increasing the affordable housing stock, as well as to encouraging conformity of the “informal” building sector with new standards.”

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:1987
Project Type:Regional Report
Geographic Regions:Lahore, Pakistan
Reports:
Authors:Rafique H. Keshavjee, Ph.D.; Mona Serageldin; François Vigier
Sponsors:World Bank
Categories:Historic Districts
  
ID:1987_00_003

Related I2UD Projects

Gallery 11: Pakistan: Lahore and Karachi (1982-1993)