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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)

See related I2UD projects below

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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“Technical Assistance to Ezakheni, Ladysmith/Emnambithi Local Municipality,” Urban Development Strategy, South African Government Neighborhood Development Partnership Grant, 2010

Abstract

In 2010, I2UD developed a regeneration plan for Ezakheni, an economically distressed township in Ladysmith–Emnambithi Local Municipality located southeast of Johannesburg, South Africa. The Institute partnered with KV3 Engineers, with funding from the South African Government’s Neighborhood Development Partnership Grant (NDPG). I2UD’s urban development framework focused on renewal, connectivity, and socio-economic integration in the region. Note: In 2016, the Emnambithi Local Municipality and Indaka Local Municipality were regrouped into the new Alfred Duma Local Municipality.

The development strategies presented by I2UD included:

  • Developing an East-West corridor and a North-South spine;
  • Creating a hierarchy of road networks;
  • Improving the two main entrances;
  • Developing unused space in the urbanized areas for parks, housing, commercial and institutional uses;
  • Identifying existing and future nodes where new infrastructure will attract and support private investment; and
  • Providing appropriate setting for the generation of local job opportunities.

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2010
Project Type:Technical Assistance
Geographic Regions:Ezakheni, Ladysmith/Emnambithi Municipality (now Alfred Duma Local Municipality), KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Reports:
Authors:KV3 Engineers; Mona Serageldin; Alejandra Mortarini; Natalie Pohlman; Kendra Leith
Sponsors:Neighbourhood Development Partnership Programme (Republic of South Africa)
Categories:Urban Planning
  
ID:2010_02_001

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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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“Township Development Strategy for Emfuleni Municipality,” Technical Assistance to Sedibeng, Gauteng, South Africa, 2009

Abstract

In 2009, I2UD prepared a township development strategy for the Emfuleni Local Municipality in Sedibeng, South Africa, in partnership with Kwezi V3 Engineers, sponsored by South Africa’s Neighborhood Development Partnership Grant (NDPG).

The development strategy focused on reconnecting the four townships, originally isolated by apartheid spatial planning. The proposed plan linked them to the primary economic centers of Vanderbijlpark and Vereeniging. The strategy emphasized three local development corridors linking townships to larger regional routes, and identified five key economic nodes for concentrated investment. It also delineated a tourism route featuring points of interest and historic sites within the four townships.

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Project Year:2009
Project Type:Local Development Strategy
Geographic Regions:Emfuleni Local Municipality, Gauteng, South Africa
Reports:Township Development Strategy for Emfuleni Local Municipality, South Africa: (August 2009)
Authors:Alejandra Mortarini; Mona Serageldin; Kwezi V3 Engineers
Sponsors:Neighbourhood Development Partnership Programme (Republic of South Africa)
Categories:Urban Planning
  
ID:2009_03_001

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“Improvement Strategies for Affordable Housing in Yerevan, Armenia,” Development Strategy, 2008

Abstract

The Institute for International Urban Development (I2UD) proposed a field-study based Development Strategy “Improvement Strategies for Affordable Housing in Yerevan, Armenia” in 2008 to identify affordable housing solutions for the improvement of living conditions in older neighborhoods of Yerevan. The report specifically addressed upgrading strategies for Soviet-era housing estates in Yerevan, Armenia.

The proposal shows an 8-month schedule for the study, as well as overviews of relevant projects undertaken by I2UD.


[Excerpt, Page 1]

“We are proposing to assist the Municipality of Yerevan in addressing the social housing crisis and developing an appropriate response to the challenge of providing housing that is affordable to the majority of its inhabitants. Yerevan’s situation is unique in being the locus of activity of many successful diaspora developers and emerging local contractors and entrepreneurs. The programs developed must reflect the urban dynamics prevailing in the city, its growth patterns and the vision of its future presented in its plan.”

Project Year:2008
Project Type:Development Strategy
Geographic Regions:Yerevan, Armenia
Reports:Improvement Strategies for Affordable Housing in Yerevan, Armenia: (Draft Proposal, January 2008)
Authors:Mona Serageldin; John Driscoll; Elick Guerra
Sponsors:Municipality of Yerevan
Categories:Informal Settlements and Urban Upgrading
  
ID:2008_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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“Qassioun Urban Development Strategy and Improvement Plan,” Technical Framework for Damascus, Syria, 2006-2008

Abstract

A 2006 project consisted of an urban development strategy and improvement plan for the informal settlement of Qassioun in the City of Damascus, Syria. I2UD’s development strategy provided a coherent framework for the development of an integrated plan for the whole site and more detailed plans for each of its constituent parts.

An informal urbanized area housing a population of 200,000 in 2006, Qassioun extended over 6 kilometers in the mountain range overlooking Damascus’ civic and business center. The settlement was characterized by steep slopes, dense settlement patterns and geotechnical and seismic risks. The development plan included the protection of a historic area, two regularized sub-districts, the informal settlement, facilities on the undeveloped high plateau, and a relocation site for families living in zones with high seismic risks.

Project Year:2006-2008
Project Type:Technical Development Strategy
Geographic Regions:Damascus, Syria
Reports:
Authors:Mona Serageldin; Christa Lee-Chuvala; Carolina Morgan; Alejandra Mortarini; Daniel Tsai
Sponsors:European Union Municipal Administration Modernization Project (MAM)
Categories:Reconciliation and Development
  
ID:2006_00_007

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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.”

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

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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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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.”

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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

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

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

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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.”
___

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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

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

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“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

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“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

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

Gallery 16: Venezuela: Caracas (1989)

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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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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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“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]:

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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

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

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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.”

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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

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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.

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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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“Szczecin Local Initiative Program,” Urban Improvement Intervention Strategy, for the USAID Regional Housing and Urban Development Office, Szczecin, Poland, 1999

Abstract

The USAID Regional Housing and Urban Development Office (RHUDO) sponsored a 1999 project addressing the Szczecin Local Initiatives Program for Szczecin, Poland. The program sought to develop a supportive framework linking neighborhood revitalization and economic development. The contract involved funding partnerships between residents, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Team members, led by John Driscoll and Mona Serageldin, worked towards the development of local initiative programs with community-based organizations in Szczecin, Poland. The project also tapped a network of local universities, foundations, civic institutions and other non-profit organizations to improve the physical and social conditions in lower-income neighborhoods in Poland.

Project Year:1999
Project Type:Urban Improvement Intervention Strategy
Geographic Regions:Szczecin, Poland
Reports:
Authors:John Driscoll; Mona Serageldin; Dominik Górski; Anna Stepień; Pawel Szczyrski; Janusz Szewczuk
Sponsors:USAID Regional Housing and Urban Development Office
Categories:Informal Settlements and Urban Upgrading
  
ID:1999_05_001

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

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

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“Revitalization of the Old Town of Vilnius,” Management Strategy for Vilnius Old Town, Lithuania, 1995

Abstract

In September 1995, the Unit for Housing and Urbanization at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design authored an urban development plan and management strategy for the “Revitalization of the Old Town of Vilnius,” encompassing a technical planning strategy designed for revitalization efforts in the Old Town of Vilnius, Lithuania.

The technical proposal included plans for identifying a strategic plan, analysis of the sustainable economic factors of the Old Town, solutions for attracting private investment and encouraging economic activities, and the development of legal frameworks for prospective revitalization strategies.

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Project Year:1995
Project Type:Research Paper; Management Strategy
Geographic Regions:Vilnius Old Town (Senamiestis), Lithuania
Reports:
Authors:John Driscoll; Jerold S. Kayden; Barry Shaw; Mona Serageldin; François Vigier
Sponsors:World Bank
Categories:Urban Planning
  
ID:1995_09_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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ITP 1994: “Revitalization in Older Urban Spaces,” Upham’s Corner, Dorchester, Boston, South Boston, and New Haven (US); Montpellier (France); and Cork (Ireland) with Case Studies, International Education Programs, 1994

Abstract

Curriculum components from the 1994 International Training Program (ITP), “Revitalization of Older Urban Spaces,” included case studies for developments in Science Park, in New Haven, Connecticut; Dorchester Bay Enterprise Park; Cork’s Historic Center; Montpellier’s Eurocite Technopolis; the Boston Megaplex; South Boston’s Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Facility; and the Upham’s Corner Commercial Revitalization Projects.

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Project Year:1994
Project Type:ITP; Education
Geographic Regions:Boston, Massachusetts, US / New Haven, Connecticut, US / Cork, Ireland / Montpellier, France
Reports:
Authors:Barry Shaw; David Knowles; Bob Haas
Sponsors:Unit for Housing and Urbanization, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:International Training Program; Education
  
ID:1994_07_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.

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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

Related I2UD Projects

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“Technical Assistance for Gdansk Technical University Faculty of Architecture,”Curriculum Development, Gdansk, Poland, 1992

Abstract

In January 1992, the Unit for Housing and Urbanization at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design developed short experimental courses to meet three main objectives in providing technical assistance to faculty at Gdansk Technical University in Poland. Strategy objectives covered included:

  1. Development economics and project feasibility analysis;
  2. Real estate economics and appraisals; and
  3. A development strategy for the Old City of Gdansk.

Short-term recommendations to the curriculum included fostering increased collaboration among teaching units by regrouping them into academic clusters sharing a common body of knowledge, developing new core courses, and strengthening studio projects to include realistic references to the new situation in Poland. Documents include professional training guidelines, proposal, and final report.

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Project Year:1993
Project Type:Technical Assistance
Geographic Regions:Gdańsk, Poland
Reports:
Authors:James Canestaro; Alex Kreiger; Rodolfo Machado; Jerzy Soltan; François Vigier
Sponsors:USAID Office of Housing and Urban Programs
Categories:Education
  
ID:1993_03_001
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Design Studio 1993: “Rabat’s Urban Fringe,” Rabat, Morocco, Seminar Curriculum

Abstract

The Design Studio from Spring 1993, “Rabat’s Urban Fringe,” was led by Professors François Vigier and Mona Serageldin. The seminar focused on informal housing and the fringe region around the old city sections of Rabat, Morocco.

The seminar report includes the following five chapters on urban development in Rabat, Morocco, circa 1992:

  1. National Background
  2. The Process of Urbanization
  3. The Housing Sector
  4. Rabat-Salé: The Capital City, and
  5. The Southern Fringe of Rabat

Section 5 on the Southern Fringe contains an expansive study of squatter settlements, historic regions, and upgrading in Rabat, with details on squatter regions and upgrading activity zones, including an analysis of the social and economic impact of housing projects underway. A final section (5.5) details case studies of Doum and informal housing in Takadoum and La Butte.


[Excerpt: Table of Contents fo Rabat’s Urban Fringe, October 1992]

This document presents an overview of the Design Studio, authored by Vigier and Serageldin in October 1992, for use in the Spring 1993 Design Studio curriculum. This topic was reused from the Design Studio from 1989, “Rabat’s Urban Fringe,”  Urbanization Analysis of Rabat, Morocco, Seminar Curriculum (Project ID: 1989_01_001).

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Project Year:1993
Project Type:Urban Design Studio
Geographic Regions:Rabat, Morocco
Reports:1993 Design Studio: Rabat’s Urban Fringe (Report)
Authors:Mona Serageldin; François Vigier
Sponsors:Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture
Categories:Design Studios; Education
  
ID:1993_00_001

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Design Studio 1992: “Cairo and the Medieval City” and “Urban Regeneration in Medieval Cairo,” in Cairo, Egypt, Seminar Curriculum

Abstract

The Design Studio from Spring 1992, led by François Vigier and Mona Serageldin, focused on urban regeneration in the Medieval sector of Cairo, Egypt.

Two reports used maps and photos to propose preservation solutions for buildings in the Darb Qirmiz area, the Darb al-Asfar area, and the northern Gamalia region of Medieval Cairo. Teaching scenarios included realistic issues as well as illustrative examples. Students modeled these detailed surveys of Cairo’s historic districts in a collaborative report based on their study. This topic was repeated for Design Studios from 1998, 1999, and 2000, hosted by the Unit for Housing and Urbanization at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.

Documents from 1992 include a full Report on “Cairo and the Medieval City” prepared by Vigier and Serageldin, followed by a student paper on “Medieval Cairo” by Eurico Francisco and Georg Schrom. Also included is a contextual overview titled “Urban Context: The Greater Cairo Region.”

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Project Year:1992
Project Type:Urban Design Studio
Geographic Regions:Medieval Cairo, Egypt (Darb Qirmiz, Darb Al-Asfar, and Gamalia Quarters)
Reports:
Authors:Mona Serageldin; François Vigier; Eurico Francisco; Georg Schrom; Jana Pereau; Katherine Dunham; Catherine Miller; Christophe Drumain; Siew-Leng Fun; Christopher Lane; Muhammad Abdus Sabur; Markus Leibenath; Yu-Hua Wang; Darlene van der Breggen; Stefanie Wagstaff; Samy Zaghloul
Sponsors:Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture
Categories:Design Studios; Education
  
ID:1992_00_002

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

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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.

See related I2UD projects below

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

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.

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

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Design Studio 1990: “The Medina of Tunis,” Urban Regeneration for the Historic Hafsia District, Tunis, Tunisia, Seminar Curriculum

Abstract

The Design Studio from Spring 1990, led by Professors François Vigier and Mona Serageldin, focused on urban regeneration in the Medina of Tunis, Tunisia. This studio addressed issues of revitalization of older urban districts of Tunis.

Documents include an overview of urban development, urban housing conditions, institutional frameworks, and government housing policies to outline the urban context of Tunisia. Reports detail the development site of the Hafsia District, and outline phases and plans for the revitalization project, including graphics and maps.


[Excerpt: “Urban and Housing Conditions,” Design Studio 1990]

Urban and Housing Conditions
“Rapid urbanization has generated a large demand for housing and add to intensive unregulated construction activity. As a result, housing stock has increased at an annual average rate of 4 percent, and conditions improved somewhat during the 80’s. However, throughout the decade, the demand for housing and urban services has outpaced the public sector’s ability to keep up with urban growth. Almost half of all dwellings built since 1975 have bypassed urban development regulations and were instead undertaken by the informal sector in areas lacking adequate utilities and relying on low-cost construction methods. To alleviate this problem, the supply of suitably located serviced land at prices affordable to the poorest segments of the population must be expanded.”
….

The Hafsia Revitalization Project
The objective of the project sponsored by the World Bank is to revitalize and renovate the area, and demonstrate the feasibility of upgrading medinas without dividing populations and by involving the private sector in the development process. The specific objectives are:

1. To revitalize the economic base with a look to the future while promoting employment opportunities for its present residents.

2. To upgrade the urban environment with minimum disruption of social cohesion and community life.

3. To structure a replicable self-financing, revitalization process given the lack of public resources. In other words, components of the proposal whose capital cost are not likely to be fully recovered (eg., housing for poorer households, infrastructure improvements, new community facilities) will have to be cross-subsidized by other revenue producing components.

4. To reverse development trends destructive to the character of the medina.”

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:1990
Project Type:Urban Design Studio
Geographic Regions:Medina of Tunis, Tunisia
Reports:1990 Design Studio: Tunisia Urban Development
Authors:François Vigier; Mona Serageldin
Sponsors:Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture
Categories:Design Studios; Education
  
ID:1990_00_002

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Gallery 13: Tunisia: Tunis (1978-1990)

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“Environmental Health Factors in Housing,” Design Study for the Rapid Urbanization of Low-Income Settlements in Urban-Fringe Districts, 1989

Abstract

“Environmental Health Factors in Housing” was a study from 1989 by the Unit for Housing and Urbanization (the Unit) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design that addressed the link between rapid urbanization and rapid densification of low-income housing settlements in economically struggling cities.

The report addressed the environmental hazards, poverty, disease, and housing conditions emerging in areas around housing developments that had been built recently but lacked adequate infrastructure for socio-economic longevity and community health. The Unit presented its aim to form a model for affordable, practical design criteria, attuned to both economic and social factors for urban-fringe districts.

Documents include working reports from April, July, and August 1989, a study summary, and a research strategy and methodological guidelines document by Rafique H. Keshavjee and Orville Solon from December 1989.



[Excerpt: Study Summary, I. Overview, July 1989, p. 2]

“Most urban settlements in lower-income countries, whether they are new settlements built by the government, established informal communities or new squatter areas, are subject to tremendous pressures of population growth and economic and physical change. The greater the pressure for development, the more rapid the transformations brought about by this maturation process. This continuous growth and change can rapidly transform their original physical forms beyond recognition and alter the community’s social and economic functions. The process is further intensified when governments introduce improvements such as water, sewerage, basic services and housing. For example, carefully planned housing projects designed according to standards which assume a segregation of commercial and residential activities will find that, overtime, these activities will occur simultaneously in the same area.

The need of low-income families to generate additional income and living space results in the construction of new rooms and apartments which were often not anticipated in the original design of the site or its infrastructure. In such cities as Karachi, Dhakka and Cairo, where housing shortages are high, additions to structures can reach over six stories in less than five years, raising densities from under 400 to over 1,000 persons per hectare. The most dynamic aspect of transformation within a community affects housing, small scale commercial establishments and the disappearance or overuse of communal open
spaces.”

…..

[Excerpt: Study Summary, III. STUDY DESIGN, July 1989, p. 7]

“The purpose of the Study is to develop practical, affordable design criteria which are responsive to the social and economic dynamics of low-income settlements. It will focus on aspects of housing and community design which have received little attention in the past. Most notably, the long-term impact of rapid growth in low-income urban settlements and the effect of the resulting transformation of housing and environmental conditions on the health of the residents. The definition of this linkage and the development of appropriate environmental design criteria, will allow decision makers to choose physical improvements that will maintain their positive impacts as a community matures.“

Project Year:1989
Project Type:Environmental Climate Research Paper
Geographic Regions:Global / None Specified
Reports:
Authors:Mona Serageldin; François Vigier; Rafique H. Keshavjee; Orville Solon
Sponsors:World Bank; Unit for Housing and Urbanization, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:Climate Change and Resilience Building
  
ID:1989_07_001

Related I2UD Projects

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

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

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Design Studio 1989: “Rabat’s Urban Fringe,” Urbanization Analysis of Rabat, Morocco – Seminar Curriculum

Abstract

The Design Studio from 1989, “Rabat’s Urban Fringe,” presented the urban evolution of Rabat, Morocco from 1987 through the early 1990s. Hosted by the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the seminar covered Rabat’s urban development experience as a case study for Seminar attendees. Professors Francois Vigier and Mona Serageldin led the sessions, research, and discussions.

Seminar materials focused on analyzing methods to accelerate the release of land for urban development in Rabat, and to discourage imbalanced city growth patterns. The studio covered the application of standards that balance climate requirements, socio-cultural needs, and affordability, the creation of cost-efficient designs to support the economic life of projects, and the use of politically-feasible mechanisms to improve cost recovery and affordability. This topic was repeated in Urban Design Studio curricula from 1989 to 1993.

Documents include a seminar syllabus and overview report; a full report, “Rabat’s Urban Fringe,” with text by Mona Serageldin, supported by the Seminar’s research team; and a final student report on urban planning in Rabat.



[Excerpt: Syllabus, Overview, Spring 1989, Mr. Vigier, Ms. Serageldin, pp. 1-2.]

“Urban Housing in Rabat, Morocco,” An Overview:

“Urban areas of Third World countries are growing rapidly as a result of a high rate of natural increase of the population and of migration from rural areas. In older areas, usually highly accessible to a broad range of job opportunities, continued population pressures is causing a densification of the housing stock which is deteriorating rapidly from lack of maintenance and subdivision into smaller units. Their infrastructure systems are utilized well beyond their design capacity, creating an increasingly unsanitary environment and threatening the structural soundness of buildings. More recently, governments have had to cope with a dynamic private sector whose activities have proved difficult to control.”

“At present [ca. 1989], the urban fringe is developing rapidly as squatter and informal settlements, ranging in quality from little more than shacks to sound housing for moderate income households striving to improve their standard of living, are built illegally. Currently accounting for sixty to eighty percent of housing starts, these fringe developments present an unprecedented challenge to planners and public officials concerned with preventing urban sprawl and maintaining control over the dynamics of growth in order to provide efficiently the necessary infrastructure and services.”

“Planning and Design Issues. High rates of urban growth necessitate forceful public interventions to direct the development of the urban fringe and improve the functional efficiency of older districts. Located in both older areas and on the urban fringe, large-scale projects are being undertaken to upgrade the infrastructure, extend the capacity of transportation systems, provide public amenities, and build mixed-use developments.”

“Yet, the prevalence of poverty has overtaxed the ability of governments to provide adequate public services or enforce even minimum sanitary standards of housing for the majority of urban households. Government housing policies have sought to reconcile three potentially conflicting objectives:

— “A commitment to improve the standard of life of a population largely unable to afford safe and sanitary housing on the open market.”

— “The desire to utilize planning and design standards reflecting international norms as the means to provide an acceptable level of amenities in both older areas and the developing urban fringe.”

— “The necessity to keep public subsidies at a manageable level in the face of the rising demand generated by the rapid growth of the urban population.”

Al Quds City Model House, for Casablanca, showing Front and Side Elevation, Sections, Ground, First and Second Floor, and Foundation building layouts. Original Source: Ministry of Housing and Land Development
Graphic Map showing the Distribution of Urban Settlements, Morocco, showing data for large settlements in Casablanca, Rabat, Fez, Marrakech, Meknes, Sale, Tangier, and Tetouan.

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:1989
Project Type:Urban Design Studio
Geographic Regions:Rabat, Morocco
Reports:
Authors:Mona Serageldin; Samir Abdulac; Fathahah Debbi; Agnes Deboulet; Isabelle Ouetta; Jennifer Wayne; Hung-Song Oh; Randa Tukan
Sponsors:Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture
Categories:Design Studios; Education
  
ID:1989_01_001

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

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Design Studio 1984: “The Revitalization of a Traditional Urban Quarter” for the Medieval Darb al Ahmar District, Cairo, Egypt, Seminar Curriculum

Abstract

The 1984 Design Studio, “The Revitalization of a Traditional Urban Quarter” for Darb al Ahmar, Cairo, addressed the unique dynamics of the historical district of Medieval Darb al Ahmar district in Cairo, Egypt. The Studio was held jointly by Unit for Housing and Urbanization at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and the MIT Laboratory of Architecture and Planning in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Documents include an overview, syllabus, and background paper by Francois Vigier, with Mona Sergeldin. This initial research on the significant urban environment in Cairo, Egypt continued to evolve throughout the Unit, CUDS, and I2UD’s ongoing study of historical urban spaces.


[Excerpt: 1984 Design Studio: Darb Al Ahmar District Medieval Cairo (Overview) 1.0 – Overview, page 80]

“The Darb al Ahmar district is located in the south-eastern portion of the medieval city, between al Azhar University (founded in 972) and Salah ed Din’s Citadel, the seat of government from the 12th century to 1865. It is bounded to the east by remnants of the medieval wall and to the west by Port Said Street, a wide avenue built over the antique canal connecting Cairo to the Red Sea. Its 4.8 km area is equal to roughly one quarter of the medieval city; its 1980 population was estimated at 148,000 or 23% of the medieval city’s population.

The district’s importance lies in its location; for nine hundred years it was the link between the institutions and commercial areas concentrated in the Fatimid City and the seat of government in the citadel. Since the 19th century, its western edge has been the dividing line between the modern, Europeanized city along the Nile and the indigenous urban pattern. Although the rapid expansion of Cairo after World War 1 led to its partial marginalization, this trend has been arrested and there is every indication that intensive development pressures are now at work, threatening the physical and social fabric of the area.”

“The diversity of Darb al Ahmar’s population reflects its long history. In the center, around what has been the main commercial artery since medieval times, a stable resident population working in trade and services is swelled daily by a growing number of students and rural migrants, particularly day laborers. Along the eastern edge, the historically less reputable quarters at the urban periphery are now outflanked by informal settlements spreading into the cemetaries and onto the top of the Makkatam hills. To the west, the boundary created by Port Said Street is no longer the sharp divider between foreign and indigenous population that it was in the colonial era. It is part of the transitional zone between the traditional and modern urban fabrics, leading to the key transport node of Ataba and the government district of Abdine. “
…

[Excerpt cont’ 1. 1 – Evolution of Darb al Ahmar, page 82]

“The northern half of the district, built as part of the Fatimid town, is bisected by the Qasabat, the main north-south street that runs from Bab al Fut’uh to Bab Zuweyla. Lined with shops serving the residential areas on either side of it, it is still today one of the major shopping streets in the medieval city. In the past, specialty shops were interspersed among the mosques, schools, baths, public fountains, and noble houses that lined the street. Bookstores and stationers were found near Al Azhar, inlaid copper articles were made and sold near the Ghuri mosque while, just off the main street, druggists were manufacturing herbal remedies. Just inside Bab Zuweyla, cooked-food vendors, a fruit market and sweetmeat sellers were to be found in the Suq es Sukkariya; musical instruments were also sold in a nearby market.”

The area outside Bah Zuweyla was first settled as a low density suburb, housing the spill-over population of the Fatimid city. It remained largely undeveloped until the beginning of the 12th century when a governmental edict mandated owners to develop their land or sell it to someone who would, under penalty of confiscation. The first public building built outside the wall, the al Saleh Tala’i mosque, opposite Bab Zuweyla, was completed in 1160. Development occurred along the wall, towards the Nile, and southward, along the two old roads to the old settlement of Fustat, which had continued to strive as a popular district after the official precinct had been moved north to al Qahira. By the end of the 12th century, development trends had been reinforced by the construction of a new fortified wall by Salah ed-Din, which increased the area of the city eight-fold, and by his moving the seat of government from the Fatimid city to a newly built citadel. Densities increased rapidly as commerces and craftsmen thrived along this strategic link between Cairo’s densest districts and the Citadel as two of Darb al Ahmar’s main streets the Tabbana and al Khyamiya provided the shortest route between Bab Zuweyla and Bab el Wazir, the city’s new southernmost gate at the foot of the Citadel. The areas behind these streets were progressively subdivided for residences, ranging in quality from palaces to tenements.”


Index: Darb al Ahmar District, Medieval Cairo, Egypt

1. Overview
– Table 5: Gross Residential Densities (c. 1976)
1.1 Evolution of Darb al Ahmar
1.2 Typology of Monuments
1.3 The Domestic Architecture

2. Transformations.
2.1 Evolution of the Physical Fabric
2.2 Social Change
– Household characteristics.
– Livelihood and income
– Housing conditions

3. Socio-Economic Indicators
3.1 Harah es Sokkariya


Cairo: Statistical Appendix.
Table of Contents:

1. Greater Cairo Housing Characteristics
2. Greater Cairo Employment Structures by Economic Activity
3. Medieval City – Demographic Characteristics
4. Medieval City – Education
5. Medieval City – Marital Status of the Adult Population
6. Medieval City – Household Size and Composition
7. Medieval City – Employment Status
8. Medieval City – Employment Structure by Economic Activity
9. Medieval City – Occupations
10. Medieval City – Commuting Patterns
11. Southern Sector Demographic Characteristics
12. Helwan District – Education
13. Helwan District – Marital Status
14. Helwan District – Household Size and Composition
15. Helwan District – Employment Status
16. Helwan District – Occupation
17. Helwan District – Characteristics of Housing Stock
18. Helwan District – Residential Densities
19. Helwan District – Commuting Patterns



[Excerpt: Darb al Ahmar, Overview: Bibliography, transcribed from hand-written text]

Nadim, Nawal (el Memiri). The Relationships between the sexes in a a Harah of Cairo, Indiana University, Doctoral Dissertation, 1975

Wikan, Unni, “Living conditions among Cairo’s poor – a View from Below, ” Middle East Journal, Vol. 39, No. 1, Winter, 1981(?), pp. 7-26.

Raymond, Andre, Artisans el Commercants au Caire au XVIIe siècle, Damascus; Institut Francais de Damascus, 1974. Tome I. Damas: Presses de l’Ifpo. doi:10.4000/books.ifpo.5950.

Revault, Jacques et Bernard Maury. Palais et maisons du Caire du XIVe au XVIIIe siècle, Le Caire : Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale du Caire, 1975-79.

Ibrahim, Laila ‘Ali, “Residential Architecture in Mamluk Cairo,” in Mukarnas, Vol. 2, 1984.

Williams, John Allen, “Urbanization and Monument Construction in Mamluk Cairo,” in Makarnas, Vol. 2, 1984


See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:1984
Project Type:Urban Design Studio
Geographic Regions:Darb Al Ahmar, Cairo, Egypt
Reports:
Authors:François Vigier; Mona Serageldin
Sponsors:Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture
Categories:Design Studios; Education
  
ID:1984_01_001

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International Training Programs (ITP) 1982-2000: Survey of Modules for International Training Program Seminars

Abstract

These documents represent a survey of International Training Program (ITP) materials between 1982-2000, including a list of modules, a history summary, ITP Archives Brochures from 1993-2000, and case studies on the Boston Charlestown Navy Yard, New Market in Roxbury, and London’s Docklands on the Isle of Dogs. See A History of ITP and IEP Seminars below for more information on ITP work.

Modules below represent a range of topics, some repeated for later years of International Training Programs:

  • Strategic Planning and the Financing of Urban Development;
  • Financing Infrastructure and Urban Services;
  • Urban Environmental Improvements Through Community Empowerment;
  • Accessing Resources for Community Development;
  • Economic and Financial Assessment of Urban Projects;
  • Financing Affordable Housing and Infrastructure Planning.

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:1982-2000
Project Type:ITP; Education
Geographic Regions:Boston, USA / London, UK / Santa Cruz Island, Ecuador
Reports:
—
Brochures, 1993-2000:
—
Case Studies:
Authors:François Vigier; Victor Karen; Barry Shaw
Sponsors:Unit for Housing and Urbanization, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:International Training Program; Education
  
ID:1982_00_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.