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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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“Arusha Urbanization Strategy and Urban Development Plan,” Development Strategy for Arusha Municipality, Tanzania, 2009-2012

Abstract

The “Arusha Urbanization Strategy and Urban Development Plan” was a comprehensive development strategy completed by I2UD for the East African Community of Arusha, Tanzania in 2012.

I2UD compiled the plan between 2009 and 2012, funded by the Aga Khan University, which has an extensive East African campus. As the designated capital of East Africa, Arusha attracts investments and donor support for development projects, is a prime tourist destination, wildlife region and key node in the African Rift Valley with a wealth of natural and cultural heritage.

Documents include a Planning Proposal draft, a 2009 Inception Report, Second Interim, Summary, and Field reports from 2010, followed by Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Interim Reports. Finally, a Final Report, Brief, and Community Case Studies from 2012 complete the materials on this project.

Project Year:2009-2012
Project Type:Comprehensive Plan
Geographic Regions:Arusha, Tanzania
Reports:

—
Authors:Mona Serageldin; Warren Hagist; Caroline Jordi; Richard Kruger; Christa Lee-Chuvala; Kendra Leith; Biorn Maybury-Lewis; Carolina Morgan; Alejandra Mortarini; Natalie Pohlman; Linda Shi; Daniel Tsai
Sponsors:Aga Khan University
Categories:Urban Planning
  
ID:2012_01_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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“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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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

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

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“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

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

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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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“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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ITP 1991: “Development Strategies for Urban Regeneration of Old Urban Fabric,” Case Studies and Seminar Curriculum, International Training Programs, 1991

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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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.

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

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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.”

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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

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