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“Planning for Climate Adaptation Program” for Four Dominican Republic Municipalities: Santo Domingo National District, Santiago de los Caballeros, San Pedro de Macoris, and Las Terrenas, 2015

Abstract

In 2015, a team from I2UD contributed to the Planning for Climate Adaptation Program of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and USAID, working with four municipalities in the Dominican Republic: Santo Domingo National District, Santiago de los Caballeros, San Pedro de Macorís, and Las Terrenas.

The projects focused on three main objectives:

  1. Improving the technical and management capacity of municipal planners;
  2. Incorporating climate change adaptation considerations into the municipal planning process; and
  3. Supporting the scale-up of climate resilient land use planning best practices to other municipalities in the Dominican Republic.

Documents include two official reports, an overview of I2UD’s involvement including curriculum, case studies, and scope of work, and NOAH case study and timeline.

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2015-2016
Project Type:Risk Assessment and Local Development Strategy
Geographic Regions:Dominican Republic
Reports:
Authors:François Vigier; John Driscoll; Oriol Monfort; Jim Kostaras; Alejandra Mortarini; Barbara Summers
Sponsors:USAID; International City/County Management Association (ICMA)
Categories:Climate Change and Resilience Building
  
ID:2015_10_002

Related I2UD Projects

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

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“Social Sustainability and Citizen Engagement (SSCE),” Local Project Management for Phase 2 of the World Bank-Austria Urban Partnership Program (UPP) in Southeastern Europe, 2015

Abstract

In 2015, I2UD contributed to Phase 2 of the “Social Sustainability and Citizen Engagement” (SSCE) project. The project built off of the successful approach of the Social Sustainability Audit (SSA) implemented in Phase 1 of the World Bank-Austria Urban Partnership Program (UPP).

Local City Teams worked in Elbasan, Albania; Gjilan, Kosovo; Kumanovo, North Macedonia; Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Karlovac, Croatia; Kolašin and Ulcinj, Montenegro; and Pančevo and Šabac, Serbia, along with researchers from I2UD and the Co-PLAN Institute for Habitat Development, based in Tirana, Albania.

I2UD staff worked closely with Co-PLAN to manage the project and Local City Team partners to undertake the municipal assessments, including developing project methodologies in a participatory way, supporting Local City Teams in undertaking the local research and discussions, analyzing project outputs, and documenting best practices in increasing social accountability. Teams undertook research on the current status of participation, transparency, and feedback in municipal services and governance in each region. Teams held focus group discussions, interviews, participatory scenario development workshops and drafted City Action Plans to implement a catalyst project to enhance social sustainability and increase citizen engagement.

The project sought to increase knowledge and awareness of social accountability among local stakeholders including civil society, government officials, and marginalized urban residents; and to strengthen integrity in public service delivery by increasing the demand for good governance, social accountability, and civic participation in a regional perspective in each city.


[Excerpt: Technical Proposal]

“Phase 1 of this project resulted in detailed, analytical reports of each of the nine cities covering demographic, social, physical, economic, cultural, institutional and political issues….the city teams also identified vulnerable groups to be the focus of the second phase of the assessment. This selection was made on the basis of official information obtained from institutions responsible for the provision of various public services at a local level, findings from research studies made by international and national organizations, as well as other relevant documents (laws, provisions, local development strategies, etc.) and representatives from marginalized and vulnerable communities and NGOS consulted during the inception phase.”

Project Year:2015-2017
Project Type:Technical Assistance
Geographic Regions:Southeast Europe
Reports:
Authors:I2UD: Maren Larsen; Bruce Purdy; Carolina Morgan; John Driscoll; Hans Freidl; François Vigier;
Co-PLAN: Dritan Shutina; Aida Ciro; Elvan Dajko; Ingrid Xhafa;
AIP (Gjilan): Florina Jerliu; Mrinë Godanca;
GONG (Croatia): Maja Horvat; Nives Miošić;
CSD (Kumanovo): Sonja Damchevska;
NALED (Pančevo and Šabac): Ivana Cikik; Maja Todorovic;
ATD (Tuzla): Elma Demir;
MANS (Montenegro): Alexander Maskovic; Vuk Maras
Sponsors:World Bank
Categories:Urban Planning
  
ID:2015_09_001

Related I2UD Projects

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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

Related I2UD Projects

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

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“Basic Services for an Urbanizing World,” Third Global Report on Local Democracy and Decentralization (GOLD III, UCLG). Chapter on “Middle East and West Asia” by Mona Serageldin, I2UD, 2013

Abstract

In 2013, I2UD prepared a chapter on the Middle East and West Asia (MEWA) region, for the Third Global Report on Democracy and Decentralization (Gold III): “Basic Services for an Urbanizing World.”

I2UD’s Chapter on “Middle East and West Asia,” (p. 59-64) (see below) addressed four components:

  1. Assessing the role of local and regional authorities in the provision of basic local public services;
  2. Determining obstacles to local authority and services;
  3. Exploring best practices underway or in development in the region; and
  4. Proposing recommendations to improve service delivery through the greater involvement of local and regional authorities.

Documents include a complete Gold III Report “Executive Summary,” with the I2UD Chapter on “Middle East and West Asia.” Presentations relate to case studies presented by I2UD on Barcelona and Marseille. The I2UD research team was led by Mona Serageldin, with Sheelah Gobar, Warren Hagist, Carolina Morgan, and François Vigier, also from I2UD, and Ozdemir Somnez from the Istanbul Metropolitan Planning and Urban Design Centre of Turkey.

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2013
Project Type:Research Presentations
Geographic Regions:Middle East / Western Asia
Reports:

Supporting Documents and Presentations:
Authors:Mona Serageldin; François Vigier; Sheelah Gobar; Warren Hagist; Carolina Morgan; Ozdemir Somnez
Sponsors:United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)
Categories:Urban Planning
  
ID:2013_02_001

Related I2UD Projects

Gallery 3: Bahrain: Manama and Muharraq (1980s)

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

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“The Unplanned Areas Upgrading and Employment Enhancing Programme in Egypt,” Needs Assessment and Activity Design Study for Informal Settlements in the Cairo and Giza Governorates, Egypt, 2011-2016

Abstract

Between 2011 and 2016, I2UD worked with the Egyptian Government, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), and Social Fund for Development (SFD) to create a risk assessment study for four informal settlement areas in Egypt: ‘Izbit Khayrallah and Al Zawya al-Hamra in the Cairo Governorate and Mīt ‘Uqba and Ard el-Lewa in the Giza Governorate.

In October 2012, I2UD submitted an Expression of Interest for consultancy on a project in Egypt, titled “Redevelopment and Upgrading of Selected Unsafe and Unplanned Areas in Cairo and Giza Governorates.” I2UD posited that Egyptian authorities could evaluate current informal settlements as key components in the Greater Cairo Plan to forestall future development of unregulated settlements.

From 2015-2016, I2UD partnered with the Tarek Waly Center (TWC) and Environmental Quality International (EQI) on the “Needs Assessment and Activity Design Study.” The study reviewed policies and institutions that impact the delivery of services in four informal settlements. I2UD and TWC identified the types of micro-finance services, emphasized community participation via assessment, and conducted outreach training for community members.

Documents include a 2012 Expression of Interest, I2UD’s Deliverables No. 1 through No. 4 in multiple volumes, and a January 2016 presentation for the Cairo Governor, titled “Investment Programme for Izbit Khayrallah and Al Zawya Al-Hamraa, Cairo: The Unplanned Areas Upgrading and Employment Generation Programme in Egypt.”

Project Year:2012-2016
Project Type:Risk Assessment and Local Development Strategy
Geographic Regions:Cairo, Egypt / Giza, Egypt
Reports:

—
Full Document List:
Deliverable 1:
Deliverable 2:
Deliverable 3, Volumes 1-5:
Deliverable 4:
Authors:Tareq Abdalla; Wafik Arif; Mohamad Ashraf Al-Sayed Afifi; Abd el-Aziz el-Sayed Abd el-Aziz Mosa; Emad El-Din Nabil Al Bayoumi; John Driscoll; Emad Farid; Tarek Hamed; Maren Larsen; Enas El Mudaris; Mounir Neamatalla; Bruce Purdy; Shimaa Shaheen; Elda Solloso; Barbara Summers; Tarek Waly; Tariq Zulficar
Sponsors:French Development Agency (AFD); Social Fund for Development (SFD); European Union
Categories:Urban Finance
  
ID:2012_10_004

Related I2UD Projects

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

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

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

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“Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Sustainable Cities Initiative,” Local Development Strategy for Durrës, Banja Luka, Sarajevo, Pristina and Skopje, with Co-PLAN Albania, 2012-2013

Abstract

This project was undertaken in 2012 as a joint venture between I2UD and the Albanian firm Co-PLAN, as part of the World Bank-Austria Partnership Program for Strengthening Local Governments in southeastern European countries.

The program featured an assessment of Social Sustainability frameworks of five Balkan cities: Durrës, Albania; Banja Luka and Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Pristina, Kosovo; and Skopje, Macedonia, as part of an effort to increase the knowledge and awareness of social accountability among city stakeholders and to strengthen the integrity of public services. Local teams in each of the five cities worked in close collaboration with the I2UD and Co-PLAN team.

Documents include a Short Proposal, with a Full City Profile report and Inception Report. Following, there are a Focus Group Summary, Social Accountability Note Framework and Index Concept Note. From March 2013, there are City Synthesis Profiles for Sarajevo, Prishtina, Skopje, Durrës, and Banja Luka. Finally, see a Final Reflections Report, a Regional Workshop “ICTs and Social Inclusion” Presentation, and a Regional Workshop Summary from April 2013.

Project Year:2012
Project Type:Local Development Strategy
Geographic Regions:Albania / Bosnia and Herzegovina / Kosovo / North Macedonia
Reports:
—

—

—

—
Authors:John Driscoll; Carolina Morgan
Sponsors:World Bank
Categories:Climate Change and Resilience Building; Urban Planning
  
ID:2012_09_001

Related I2UD Projects

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“Technical Assistance to Lesedi Local Municipality,” Design Framework for South Africa’s Neighborhood Development Partnership Grant (NDPG), Gauteng Province, South Africa, 2011

Abstract

In 2011, South Africa’s Lesedi Local Municipality contracted I2UD and engineering firm Worley Parsons RSA to provide technical assistance to the municipality, sponsored by South Africa’s Neighborhood Development Partnership Grant (NDPG).

The technical assistance proposal also developed strategic, sustainable plans and an urban design framework for four economically distressed townships within Lesedi Municipality. I2UD formulated development and urban design strategies to revitalize, upgrade, and take advantage of the strategic locations of communities in South Africa’s Gauteng Province.

Documents include an overview presentation, inception report, field report, and stakeholder meeting notes, and a Turn-Around template for Pre-2011 Priority Areas.

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2011
Project Type:Comprehensive Plan
Geographic Regions:Lesedi Local Municipality, Gauteng, South Africa (Ratanda, Impumelelo, Kwazenzele, and Jameson Park)
Reports:
Authors:Mona Serageldin; Carolina Morgan; Alejandra Mortarini
Sponsors:Neighbourhood Development Partnership Programme (Republic of South Africa)
Categories:Climate Change and Resilience Building
ID:2011_08_001

Related I2UD Projects

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

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State of Arab Cities, UN-Habitat Report & Conference, “Challenges of Urban Transition: Municipal Management and Urban Development Conference for Sustainability in Arab States,” 2012

Abstract

In 2012, UN-Habitat launched the first State of Arab Cities report and conference to address urbanization trends and challenges in the four major Arab and Middle Eastern regions: Mashreq, Maghreb, Gulf Cooperation Council, and the Southern Tier Countries (defined below). With Mona Serageldin as team leader, I2UD contributed a significant body of research for the conference, “Challenges of Urban Transition: Municipal Management and Urban Development Conference for Sustainability in Arab States.” The conference was hosted by the UN-Habitat Regional Office for Arab States (ROAS) and the Kuwait Knowledge Development Regional Centre.

The I2UD team compiled urban housing and demographic data for nations in Maghreb and Mashreq. The I2UD team reviewed 180 documents for each region, covering topics such as the following:

  • “Population and Urbanization;”
  • “Growing Role of Economic Cities;”
  • “Urban Development and Housing Conditions;”
  • “Transportation and Mobility;”
  • “Urban Environmental Challenges;”
  • “Urban Governance Systems;”
  • “Transnational Migration;” and
  • “Emerging Urban Issues and Innovations.”

Documents include I2UD’s inception report, progress report, a I2UD board meeting presentation on the project, and a conference presentation (from the “Municipal Management and Urban Development Conference for Sustainability in Arab States,” from Kuwait, May 2012). The final report for the 2012 UN-Habitat State of Arab Cities lays out urban development and migration issues in the Middle East and North Africa, including I2UD’s contributions. Additional materials include data on regional food and water security, energy security, and air pollution.

Maghreb includes Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia; Mashreq includes Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria; the Gulf Cooperation Council includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates; the Southern Tier includes Comoros, Djibouti, Mauritania, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

Excerpts, Final Report, “State of Arab Cities,” December 2012
Project Year:2010-2012
Project Type:Regional Report
Geographic Regions:Middle East / North Africa
Reports:
Authors:François Vigier; Mona Serageldin; María-Luisa Fernández; Kendra Leith; Linda Shi
Sponsors:UN-Habitat Regional Office for Arab States (ROAS)
Categories:Urban Planning
  
ID:2010_07_001

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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

Related I2UD Projects

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

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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.

See related I2UD projects below

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

Related I2UD Projects

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

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“Shaping and Managing Cross-Border Development,” ICLRD Executive Training Program Materials, for Irish Border Cities: Newry-Dundalk Twin City Region & Northwest Region, Ireland, 2010-2014

Abstract

Between 2010 and 2014, ICLRD led executive training programs, funded by the European Union, that were seen as contributing to the long-term peace and reconciliation process in the Irish border region. The Newry–Dundalk Twin-City training program led to a Council Memorandum of Understanding, based on a model designed by John Driscoll and ICLRD colleagues. This has been acknowledged by the EU as a best practice outcome, leading to further mutual support on tourism, green energy, and economic development projects in Newry-Dundalk.

The second training program, Northwest Training Program (October 2010 to June 2011), achieved similar outcomes. From the Executive Training and Animation Program (September 2013 to July 2014), successful training of Council Executives, Councilors, and senior local government staff led to new agreements to deliver cross-border services and provided a framework for long-term cooperation in spatial planning. Programs were delivered to geographical groupings of border counties that shared functional relationships. The training programs were reinforced with technical assistance to help progress a particular priority identified by participants in the training program.

John Driscoll and Caroline Creamer (Maynooth University) were responsible for overseeing the development, design, and delivery of these professional education programs. ICLRD was an early adapter of web-based learning, and each a program had a corresponding website, developed by Daniel Tsai and maintained by I2UD staff, including Carolina Morgan and Christa Lee-Chuvala.


– Newry/Dundalk Twin City Region Training Programme (November 2009 to May 2010)
– Northwest Training Program (October 2010 to June 2011)
– ICBAN Region Training Program (October 2011 to December 2012)
– Executive Training and Animation Program (September 2013 to July 2014)


[Excerpt: “BACKGROUND TO MODULE 1,” Executive Training Programme, September 2013. CroSPlaN II – An INTERREG IVA Funded Programme. Module One. Visioning Local Government: Reform, Realisation, Responsibility. Post Module Report, p. 2.]

“The Executive Training and Animation Programme for cross-border region councils, using the successful ICLRD model linking training and animation developed under CroSPlaN I, targets the 22 Councils involved in the three local authority-led cross-border networks, namely:

– Irish Central Border Area Network (ICBAN);
– North West Region Cross Border Group; and
– East Border Region Ltd.

“The programme will be delivered through a programme of plenary sessions, seminars, discussion forums and working groups…this programme will improve the quality of cross-border cooperation and provide a critical forum to bring together cross-border councils, selected cross-border bodies and central government departments to support joint solutions supported by collaborative agreements. The programme will consist of 10 modules; with post module reports to be prepared for the initial five plenary sessions.”
See more at: https://iclrd.org/activities-2/training-and-capacity-building-2/

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2009-2010
Project Type:Executive Training Programs
Geographic Regions: Newry, Northern Ireland / Dundalk, Ireland
Reports:

Executive Training and Animation Program:
Authors:Kevin Murray; Ruth Taillon; Eimear Donnelly; Caroline Creamer; Peter Roberts; Jenny Pyper; Gaven Rafferty; Seán O’Riordáin; Sharon McNicholl; Louise McNeill; David Walsh; Linda McHugh; Juston Gleeson; Robin Hambleton; Tom Reid; Niall Cussen; John Fitzgerald; Connie Hanniffy; Kat Healy; Simin Davoudi; Neale Blair; Lorraine McCourt; Carrie Small; Andy Pollak; Joan Martin; Michael Curran; Jim Hetherington
Sponsors:CroSPlaN, European Union INTERREG IVA
Categories:Education
  
ID:2009_00_004

Related I2UD Projects

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

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“State of African Cities,” Research for Regional Chapter on North African Cities for UN-Habitat Reports, 2008 and 2010

Abstract

In 2008, a team from I2UD prepared research for regional chapters on Northern Africa for the first UN-Habitat “State of African Cities” report. Topics covered demographics and urban growth, cities as engines of economic growth, urban poverty and housing conditions, environmental challenges in urban areas, and urban governance. Countries addressed in the North Africa regional chapter included Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, and Sudan.

Documents include I2UD’s North Africa regional report for the 2008 State of African Cities report, as well as two full State of African Cities documents from 2008 and 2010.

Project Year:2008-2010
Project Type:Research Paper
Geographic Regions:North Africa
Reports:
—
Authors:Mona Serageldin; François Vigier; Christa Lee-Chuvala; Erick Guerra
Sponsors:United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UN-Habitat)
Categories:Urban Planning
  
ID:2008_03_001

Related I2UD Projects

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Executive Education Program 2007: “Strategic Planning for Sustainable Human Settlements,” Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

In 2007, the Institute for International Urban Development (I2UD) organized a 4-day Executive Training Program workshop, “Strategic Planning for Sustainable Human Settlements,” held in Pretoria, South Africa.

Topics included:

  1. Globalization and local development;
  2. Meeting the challenge of development in Africa;
  3. Promoting sustainability in human settlements;
  4. Building sustainability in housing projects;
  5. Local revenue generation;
  6. Financing local capital improvements;
  7. Partnerships for local development; and
  8. Indicators of local development.

Documents feature a workshop schedule, followed by detailed case studies on development projects around the globe.

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2007
Project Type:ITP; Education
Geographic Regions:Pretoria, South Africa
Reports:
Authors:Mona Serageldin
Sponsors:Institute for International Urban Development (I2UD)
Categories:International Education Program; Executive Training Program; Education
  
ID:2007_11_001

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Executive Training Course 2006: “Strategic Planning for Sustainable Infrastructure Development,” Workshop Curriculum with Case Studies, Pretoria, South Africa, 2006

Abstract

In November 2006, the Institute for International Urban Development (I2UD) organized a week-long Executive Training Program on “Strategic Planning for Sustainable Infrastructure Development” for local leaders and municipal officials in Pretoria, South Africa. The workshop covered four main topics:

  1. Sustainability of infrastructure projects;
  2. Impact of migration on housing and service delivery;
  3. Infrastructure and municipal finance; and
  4. Infrastructure and the millennium development goals (MDGs).

Case studies from past I2UD projects used as background reference in the workshop profile the cities of Southwark, London, UK; Szczecin, Poland; Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil; Saint-Denis, France; Ahmedabad, India; Middledrift, South Africa; Cuenca, Ecuador; Cotonou, Benin; Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Bogotá, Colombia; and Barcelona, Spain. Documents include presentation slides, with a workshop overview, schedule, and bibliography – followed by case studies.

[Excerpt: Sustainability Presentation:
Discussion Topics]

INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT PLAN

REVITALIZATION OF SMALL TOWN CENTERS

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

HOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE

SUSTAINING MUNICIPAL FINANCE




Workshops defined inter-linkages between topics:

– Finance

– Local economic development

– Social inclusion

– Partnerships

– Sustainability

– Institutional framework

– Management for performance indicators

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2006
Project Type:IEP; Education
Geographic Regions:Pretoria, South Africa (Workshop Location)
Reports:

Case Studies:
Authors:Barry Shaw; Clare Wright; Mona Serageldin; Raj Rewal; Suzanne Kim; Sameh Wahba
Sponsors:Institute for International Urban Development (I2UD)
Categories:International Education Program; Executive Training Program; Education
  
ID:2006_11_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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ICLRD: Spatial Strategies for Peace and Reconciliation on the Island of Ireland – Collected Research Reports by the International Centre for Local & Regional Development, 2006-2013

Abstract

From 2006-2013, the International Centre for Local & Regional Development (ICLRD) published applied research on urban reconciliation, community regeneration, and inter-regional and cross-border co-operation for the Island of Ireland, specifically the border regions between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland communities.

ICLRD’s research brought together universities, governments, and community groups to address the spatial aspects of peace and reconciliation on the Island of Ireland. ICLRD’s work details the challenges of building regenerative urban development across multiple contexts–political and economic dynamics within the Island of Ireland, between European Union councils in cross-border regions, and within local Irish communities. The project made a particular focus on encouraging communities to take a proactive role in creating a stable society in their regions.

Partners included CroSPlaN (European Union INTERREG IVA), the International Fund for Ireland, and the Higher Education Authority of the Irish Government. François Vigier contributed to this research for I2UD.

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2006-2013
Project Type:ICLRD Project
Geographic Regions:Ireland / Northern Ireland
Reports:
Authors:François Vigier; John Driscoll; Erick Guerra; Carolina Creamer; Karen Keaveny; Neale Blair; Cormac Walsh; Jim Hetherington; Lina Shi; Justin Gleeson; Andrew McClelland; Chris van Egeraat; Brendan O’Keeffe; Alastair Adair; Jim Berry; Stanley McGreal; Christopher Ryan; Karen Keaveney
Sponsors:CroSPlaN, European Union ITERREG IVA; International Fund for Ireland; Higher Education Authority (Government of Ireland)
Categories:Reconciliation and Development
  
ID:2006_06_001

Related I2UD Projects

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

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

Abstract

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


[Excerpt]: Introduction and Preface

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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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ICLRD: Annual Conference Reports on Urban Planning for the Island of Ireland, with CroSPlaN, INTERREG IVA and InterTradeIreland, 2004-2017

Abstract

The International Centre for Local and Regional Development (ICLRD) hosted over a dozen annual conferences on urban planning for the Island of Ireland, starting in May 2004. Conferences were organized around timely themes, to promote practical cross-border cooperation and networking between policy makers, government leadership, academics, and practitioners from Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, the European Union, and the United States.

Between 2004 and 2017, ICLRD’s conferences provided a venue to feature ongoing research projects and host international speakers and panelists on best practices in cross-border cooperation. Through these conferences, attended by over a hundred delegates each year, all participants gained an opportunity for networking among delegates. The conferences provided a safe and non-political place for senior government officials to consider cross-border cooperation.

A summary report published after each conference captured key messages, including links to the presentations and audio recordings of the proceedings. Sponsors included CroSPlaN, the European Union (INTERREG IVA), and InterTradeIreland. I2UD team members, including John Driscoll and Caroline Creamer (Maynooth University), had a major role in conference organizing.


[Excerpt: ICLRD Third Annual Conference, page 2]:

“A number of key issues were addressed during this 1-day event, and these included:

– The development of the collaborative framework to promote joined-up spatial planning on the island of Ireland;
– Financing collaboration: The role of the Irish National Development Plan (2007- 2013) and the Northern Ireland Executive’s Investment Strategy (2008- 2018);
– Implementing cross-border sub-regional strategies;
– Enhancing connectivity in small cross border towns;
– The role of housing in building sustainable communities; and
– Supporting evidenced-based spatial planning.”


“Implementing a Framework for Collaborative Action: Spatial Strategies on the Island of Ireland” (November 2006)

“Fostering Cooperation for Local and Regional Development through Cross-Border Spatial Planning” (January 2008)

“Achieving Balanced Regional Development: Dynamic Regions, Spatial Strategies and Collaboration” (January 2009)

“Preparing for Economic Recovery: Planning Ireland, North and South, Out of Recession” (May 2010)

“The Changing Business, Community and Spatial Planning Landscape: Doing More with Less” (August 2011)

“Planning for a New Future: “Can Planning and Cross-Border Cooperation Deliver Change in Ireland and Europe?” (April 2012)

“Cooperating Across Boundaries: Resilience, Imagination, Vision and Information” (February 2013)

“Celebrating Ten Years, Annual Conference on Place Making” (February 2017)

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2004-2017
Project Type:Conference Reports
Geographic Regions:Ireland / Northern Ireland / European Union
Reports:
Authors:John Driscoll; Tim O’Connor; John Fitzgerald; Jenny Pyper; Deborah Peel; Niall Cussen; Frank Gaffiken; Siobhan Coughlan; Seamus Neely; John Briggs; Brendan O’Keefe; Ciarán Cuffe; Rob Kitchin; Aiden Gough; Mary Bunting; Liam Nellis; Jim Berry; Brendan Bartley; Mike Thompson; Henry Elvin; Gerard O’Hare; Seán O Laoire; William Poole; Michael D’Arcy; Caroline Creamer; Tim O’Connor; Justin Cleeson; Feargal McCormack; Shaun Henry; Linda McElduff; Claire Davis; Diamaid Lawlor; Mary Corcoran; Peter Roberts
Sponsors:CroSPlaN, European Union INTERREG IVA; InterTradeIreland
Categories:Reconciliation and Development
  
ID:2004_05_001

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

Abstract

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

Abstract

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

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

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

See related I2UD projects below

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

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

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

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

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

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

Abstract

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

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

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

Project Year:2001
Project Type:IEP; Education
Geographic Regions:Brazil (Porto Alegre, Fortaleza, Sao Paolo, and Rio de Janeiro)
Reports:Executive Education Program for Brazilian Municipal Officials (Proposal, October 2001)
Authors:CUDS Team
Sponsors:Center for Urban Development Studies, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:Executive Training Program; Education
  
ID:2001_10_001
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“Assessment of Participatory Budgeting in Brazil,” Research Assessment, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 2001-2003

Abstract

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

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

Excerpt: 1.0 Executive Summary, p. 8

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

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

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

Abstract

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

Excerpt:

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

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

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

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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]:

See related I2UD projects below

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

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

Abstract

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

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

See related I2UD projects below

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

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

Abstract

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

See related I2UD projects below

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

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

Abstract

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

[Excerpt: Background Paper, August 2000]

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

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

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

Abstract

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

Excerpt

Table of Contents:

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

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

Abstract

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

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

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

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

Related I2UD Projects

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

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

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

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

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Workshops on “Strategic Planning and Management of Municipal Infrastructure Programs,” from Review of Grant-Funded MIPs in South Africa, May-June 1999

Abstract

The Unit for Housing and Urbanization at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design developed two workshops in 1999 on “Strategic Planning and Management of Municipal Infrastructure Programs.” Workshop materials built off original in-depth research and a previous report by the Unit, “Review of South African Governments Grant Funded Municipal Infrastructure Programs” (Project ID: 1998_08_001) from 1998-1999. Workshop One was held on May 19-21, 1999, and Workshop Two was held on July 28-30, 1999.

Documents include a copy of the full report on Municipal Infrastructure Programs (MIPs) in South Africa, an outline on Performance Indicators, a presentation on MIPs, program overviews, and detailed schedules for the two workshops.

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:1999
Project Type:ITP; Education
Geographic Regions:South Africa
Reports:
Authors:Mona Serageldin (Team Leader); David Cook; David C. Jones; John Driscoll; Christine Williams; Sameh Wahba; Suzanne Kim; Christopher Rogers; Wesley Wirth; Vicky Milne; Alejandra Mortarini
Sponsors:World Bank; Development Bank of Southern Africa
Categories:International Education Program; Executive Training Program; Education
  
ID:1999_05_002

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

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

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

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

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“Review of the South African Government’s Grant-Funded Municipal Infrastructure Programs,” Technical Reports on Nine South African Provinces, 1998-1999

Abstract

In 1998, the Unit for Housing and Urbanization reviewed the effectiveness of the South African Government’s grant-funded Municipal Infrastructure Program. The project involved field visits and detailed reports on economic conditions and progress on “Nine Noteworthy Projects” in South Africa’s provinces:

  • Klapmuts, Western Cape
  • Middledrift, Eastern Cape
  • Atteridgeville, Gauteng
  • Mhluzi, Mpumalanga
  • Itsoseng, North West
  • Ndaleni, KwaZulu-Natal
  • Cornelia, Free State
  • Naboomspruit/Mookgophong, Limpopo
  • Ritchie, Northern Cape

Documents include a letter of interest, draft contract, an inception report, multiple intermediate reports, and various supporting reports, data and maps, and presentation notes. The Unit also developed a workshop in 1999 based on this study.

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:1998-1999
Project Type:Technical Assistance
Geographic Regions:South Africa
Reports:
Authors:Mona Serageldin; David Cook; John Driscoll; David C. Jones
Sponsors:World Bank; Development Bank of Southern Africa
Categories:Evaluations and Assessments
  
ID:1998_08_001

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ITP 1998: “The Role of Public/Private Partnerships in Urban Improvements,” with Case Studies on Kreuzberg, Berlin (Germany), GIS Mapping on Cape Cod (US) and the Maarouf Quarter of Cairo (Egypt), 1998

Abstract

The curriculum components from the 1998 International Training Program (ITP), “The Role of Public/Private Partnerships in Urban Improvements,” include outlines of public and private partnerships for urban improvement initiatives. Case studies include city project overviews of the Kreuzberg District of Berlin; GIS Mapping of Eastham and Wellfleet in Cape Cod, Massachusetts; and the Maarouf Quarter in Cairo, Egypt.

Guest lecturers included: Pat Cusick, Executive Director of South End Neighborhood Action Plan (SNAP); Richard Dimino, Chief Executive Director of Artery Business Committee; Linda Mogelli Haar, Director of Planning and Zoning of Boston Redevelopment Authority; Richard Henderson, Associate Director of Port Planning and Development of Massachusetts Port Authority; James Kostaras, Senior Architect/Planner for Boston Redevelopment Authority.

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:1998
Project Type:ITP; Education
Geographic Regions:United Kingdom / Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA / Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany / Maarouf, Cairo, Egypt
Reports:
Authors:Unit Team
Sponsors:Unit for Housing and Urbanization, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:International Training Program; Education
  
ID:1998_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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“Community-Based Urbanization and Favelas Rehabilitation Processes,” Case Study in Academy Editions, Architecture of Empowerment: People, Shelter and Livable Cities, for Fortaleza, Brazil, 1997

Abstract

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

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


[Excerpt: Final Report, 1997]

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

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

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

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

See related I2UD projects below

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

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“Framework for Land Management and Urban Development in a Market Economy,” Mission Report with Case Studies Annexes, for Tirana, Albania, 1994

Abstract

Mona Serageldin and the Unit for Housing and Urbanization at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design prepared a mission report for Albania in 1994 on building a “Framework for Land Management and Urban Development in a Market Economy,” in collaboration with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). The report addressed the development of strategies for technical assistance and capacity building in Albania, within the framework of USAID’s Municipal Management/Local Government Program in Eastern Europe. The report focused on land management issues, structure processes for urban planning, and developing the municipal capacity to meet opportunities in a market economy. Serageldin presented these findings and recommendations to the USAID Regional Housing and Urban Development Office (RHUDO).

From 1994 to 1996, the Unit team established an inter-jurisdictional Land Management Task Force and creating the framework and process to undertake a preliminary structure plan for Tirana, Albania. It also coordinated a team of experts providing technical assistance in the areas of infrastructure planning, land regularization, servicing of informal settlements, institutional development and community-based approaches to urban management, and the provision of infrastructure. Training was provided on strategic approaches for the planning and redevelopment of older neighborhoods.

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:1994
Project Type:Mission Report
Geographic Regions:Tirana and Durrës, Albania
Reports:
“Framework for Land Management and Urban Development in a Market Economy,” Mission Report (May 1994)
Authors:Mona Serageldin
Sponsors:USAID Regional Housing and Urban Development Office
Categories:Urban Planning; Informal Settlements and Urban Upgrading
  
ID:1994_00_001

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“The Use of Land and Infrastructure in the Self-Improvement Strategies of Urban Lower Income Families,” Paper by Mona Serageldin, UN-Habitat Fourteenth Commission Report, May 1993

Abstract

A landmark paper by Mona Serageldin, “The Use of Land and Infrastructure in the Self-Improvement Strategies of Urban Lower Income Families,” was included in the the Fourteenth Commission UNCHS/Habitat Report and presented to the Commission in Nairobi, Kenya in May 1993.

This work presented the self-improvement strategies of families dealing with challenging living conditions as an “intricate and dynamic” part of urban development, conditions which planners should respect. Serageldin’s report drew on her long history of research on urban development in cities globally, using short narrative examples and photos to illustrate specific households in: Abidjan, Amman, Cairo, Jakarta, Karachi, Kinshasa, Quito, Mexico City, Rabat, Surabaya, Tunis, and Boston. The report was sponsored by USAID’s Family and Development Program and Office of Housing and Urban Programs.

Another essay on the same topic was published as USAID Seminar Brief No. 4, “How Urban Families use Infrastructure and Housing in their own Development,” in June 1992. This document summarized Serageldin’s seminar presentation for the USAID Family and Development Initiative Series in April 1992, relaying her indication of trends toward informal housing developments emerging in reaction to rapid urbanization in city populations and housing shortages increasingly becoming a critical issue for low-income families.


[Excerpt: USAID Seminar No. 4. “How Urban Families use Infrastructure and Housing in their own Development,” June 1992.]

“Keeping Families Together: Dr. Serageldin’s longitudinal research in Cairo illustrated the importance of a house as an asset that keeps families together. Vertical expansion of buildings provides space which can be used to house less fortunate family members, such as the elderly, at advantageous terms to all parties. In one case, the rental income saved by a widowed mother living on a relative’s top floor was spent on her children’s school fees while the income generated by this family member from a ground floor shop covered the family’s living expenses.”

Project Year:1993, 1992
Project Type:Research Paper
Geographic Regions:Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire / Amman, Jordan / Cairo, Egypt / Jakarta and Surabaya, Indonesia / Karachi, Pakistan / Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo / Quito, Ecuador / Mexico City, Mexico / Rabat, Morocco / Tunis, Tunisia / Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Reports:
Authors:Mona Serageldin; John Driscoll; María-Luisa Fernández
Sponsors:UN-Habitat; USAID
Categories:Informal Settlements and Urban Upgrading
  
ID:1993_05_001

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Related I2UD Photograph Galleries

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

Gallery 5: Congo: Kinshasa (1989)

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

Gallery 13: Tunisia: Tunis (1978-1990)

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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.”

See related I2UD projects below

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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“Review of Ongoing USAID Shelter Sector Activities in Morocco,” Report for USAID/Morocco Office of Housing and Urban Programs, 1992-1998

Abstract

In 1992, the Unit for Housing and Urbanization (the Unit) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design contributed to a USAID/Morocco urban planning report, “Review of Ongoing USAID Shelter Sector Activities in Morocco,” to address challenges of rapid urbanization. These materials present a rich regional profile of public housing and land use in Morocco circa 1991-1992.

The Unit’s contributions from June 1992 presented an economic analysis with financial metrics on urban shelter programs, measuring the impact of two Moroccan agencies: the ANHI Low Income Housing Program and the Tetouan Urban Development Program. Research noted the increased demand for basic services in Morocco’s cities, like water supply and shelter, in connection to widespread unemployment and underemployment for the urban poor. Workshop elements outlined problems and objectives for future urban infrastructure programs, noting where public officials must make decisions to compromise the needs of urban communities with government economic priorities.

Documents include the final report (June 1992), with a summary by Mona Serageldin. Also included is a Phase I Report (January 1998) outlining a strategic planning workshop on supporting the long-term operation of ANHI’s programs, as well as an accompanying document containing documentation, references, and appendices.


[Excerpt: 1.1 Background – “Review of Ongoing USAID Shelter Sector Activities in Morocco” (June 1992)]

“The ongoing USAID shelter sector activities in Morocco were conceptualized in 1985 within a context of accelerating urbanization and massive rural urban migration. The urban programs initiated by USAID focused on priority areas:

— Rationalizing the land delivery process and regularizing informal land development.
— Institutionalizing sound administrative and fiscal practices in infrastructure management and finance and the delivery of urban services.
— Widening the scope of private participation in the shelter sector by increasing the production of affordable building plots and expanding the role of private developers of low cost housing.
— Reinforcing decentralization by strengthening local managerial capabilities and enhancing local revenues.”


[Excerpt: 1.0 Background – Phase I Report: “Strategic Planning Workshop” (January 1998)]

“ANHI is a state enterprise in charge of providing access to safe and sanitary housing for lower income families in Morocco. Its activities include the purchase of land, its subdivision and servicing to resettle squatters and to market affordable housing plots, as well as the upgrading of infrastructure in under-serviced and unserviced informal settlements. ANHI operates under the Ministry of Housing umbrella. It is headquartered in Rabat, Morocco and has nine regional offices throughout the country. Since its creation in 1984, ANHI has produced an average of 10,000 plots per year. ANHI’s land purchases and other investment cost are financed with beneficiary advances, foreign and local borrowing, and auto financing. It has benefited from US AID support through HG loans and grants, including the currently active HG loan of $100 million which allowed ANHI to increase production to 15,000 serviced plots in 1994 and 1995.”

Dersa, Vertical Expansion of Buildings with Ground Floor Micro-Enterprises. See more photo Excerpts, below.

Taza, Low Cost Housing with Commercial Ground Floor

Figure 6-4 City of Taza, Al-Qods 1 Project “Residential Plots, Commercial Lots, Community Facilities, Green Areas”

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:1992
Project Type:Report
Geographic Regions:Morocco
Reports:
Authors:Samir Kanoun (TSS, Inc.); Mona Serageldin
Sponsors:USAID Office of Housing and Urban Programs; International City/County Management Association (ICMA)
Categories:Informal Settlements and Urban Upgrading
  
ID:1992_00_004

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“Strategy for Technical Assistance and Training: Housing and Land Management in Poland,” Technical Assistance Report by Dr. Mona Serageldin, for Gdańsk, Gdynia, Kraków, Lublin, Poznań and Szczecin, Poland, 1992

Abstract

The paper “Strategy for Technical Assistance and Training: Housing and Land Management, Poland” was prepared in 1993 by Mona Serageldin, in her capacity as consultant to the International City Management Association (ICMA). Serageldin’s report was based on interviews and meetings with urban infrastructure officials in 6 Polish cities from 1992 (Gdańsk, Gdynia, Kraków, Lublin, Poznań, and Szczecin). The report covers issues relating to housing and land management, strategic planning, infrastructure finance, real estate development, privatization, and the promotion of private sector participation in urban development in Poland. The analysis concluded with a framework for structuring effective local relations to address major municipal finance concerns.

[Excerpt: Preface, page 6; List of Photographs and Illustrations]

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:1992
Project Type:Technical Assistance Report
Geographic Regions:Poland (Gdańsk, Gdynia, Kraków, Lublin, Poznań, and Szczecin)
Reports:
Strategy for Technical Assistance and Training: Housing and Land Management, Poland (Mona Serageldin, January 1993)
Authors:Mona Serageldin
Sponsors:USAID Regional Housing and Urban Development Office; International City/County Management Association (ICMA)
Categories:Urban Planning
  
ID:1992_00_001

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“Regularizing the Informal Land Development Process,” International Case Studies for the USAID Office of Housing and Urban Programs, Mona Serageldin, 1990

Abstract

In 1990, team members at the Unit for Housing and Urbanization (the Unit) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design authored a report on urban development case studies, “Regularizing the Informal Land Development Process,” for the USAID Office of Housing and Urban Programs.

The report focused on organizational disconnects between informal housing and formal planning development for urban communities, considering case studies on land development and legal considerations for nine urban municipalities across Asia, Africa, and the Americas: Navi Mumbai, India; Jakarta, Indonesia; Bangkok, Thailand; Mexico City, Mexico; Caracas, Venezuela; Cairo, Egypt; Amman, Jordan; Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire; Conakry, Guinea; Kinshasa, Congo; and Lusaka, Zambia.

Case studies discuss three points for each city region:

  1. Informal land development processes;
  2. Regularization of informal land development; and
  3. Legal and institutional frameworks for land regularization.

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:1990
Project Type:Land Development Case Studies
Geographic Regions:Navi Mumbai, India / Jakarta, Indonesia / Bangkok, Thailand / Mexico City, Mexico / Caracas, Venezuela / Cairo, Egypt / Amman, Jordan / Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire / Conakry, Guinea / Kinshasa, Congo / Lusaka, Zambia
Reports:Regularizing the Informal Land Development Process: (Mona Serageldin, October 1990)
Authors:Mona Serageldin; John Driscoll; María-Luisa Fernández; Laurent Perrin; Randa Tukan; Phoebe Manzi
Sponsors:USAID Office of Housing and Urban Programs
Categories:Urban Planning
  
ID:1990_10_001

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“The Abidjan Experience”- Four Research Reports on Community-Based Urban Development in Adjamé, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, 1990-1995

Abstract

Between 1990 and 1995, the Unit for Housing and Urbanization (later the Center for Urban Development Studies, or CUDS) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design prepared four research reports on the commune district of Adjamé in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast). As a collection, these materials present a detailed analysis of urban housing trends in Côte d’Ivoire from the 1990s, covering economic, historical, architectural, financial and socio-geographical elements.

First, in September 1990, the Unit produced a major research endeavor, “Urban Infrastructure on Municipal Revenues and the Integration of Informal Sector Activities: The Abidjan Experience.” The report was produced for the USAID Office of Housing and Urban Programs in Washington D.C.

Second, in January 1994, Mona Serageldin and François Vigier wrote “Designing for Urban Growth, Abidjan Ivory Coast,” covering the socio-geography of Abidjan/Côte d’Ivoire in 5 detailed sections on National Context, Landscape, The Urban Landscape, Housing Typologies, and a detailed condition analysis of the Commune of Adjamé.

Third, in September 1994, the Unit presented “Community Based Development Lessons from Experience Across Cities” for a forum on “Enabling Sustainable Community Development” at the 2nd World Bank Conference. The presentation built on the Unit’s previous research on Adjamé among other cities, sponsored by the USAID’s Office of Environment and Urban Programs.

Fourth, in October 1995, Mona Serageldin and CUDS wrote a Working Paper, “Successful Institutionalization of Community Based Development of Adjamé, Abidjan.” The paper built off all previous research on Abidjan, covering six international case studies from Abidjan, Boston, Cairo, Lima, Lublin, and Tunis, selected because of their innovative character.


[Excerpt: “Community Based Development: Lessons from Experience Across Cities,” for the 2nd World Bank Conference, September 1994, Introduction, by Mona Serageldin for the Unit, 09/1994]/

“The ESD Conference, just completed yesterday, saw a remarkable unnamity on two points of relevance, to a discussion of cross-cutting lessons.

First, that community involvement is paramount for any meaningful action to reduce poverty and improve the urban environment; and Second, that there is no single formula to do it. The diversity of cities and their local context entail that concepts be adapted to the particularities of the local context.

Yet, there is a lot to be learned from the sharing of experiences. In spite of the diversity, there are common threads. The issue of empowerment was eloquently discussed this morning. Other issues have been discussed by the previous speakers. My presentation will highlight principles which structure interfaces between communities and municipalities in order to foster community based development approaches.”

Project Year:1990-1995
Project Type:Urban Development Research
Geographic Regions:Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire (also Boston, United States; Cairo, Egypt; Lima, Perú; Lublin, Poland; and Tunis, Tunisia)
Reports:
Authors:Mona Serageldin; François Vigier; Samir Abdulac; Howard Trett; Wafaa Abdalla; Jeanine Anderson; Nader El Bizri; Janne Corniel; John Driscoll; Denis Lesage; Sherif Lotfi; David Neilson; Tarek Sweilim
Sponsors:Unit for Housing and Urbanization, Harvard University Graduate School of Design; World Bank; USAID
Categories:Urban Planning
  
ID:1990_09_001

Related I2UD Projects

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

Related I2UD Photograph Galleries

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

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

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

Gallery 13: Tunisia: Tunis (1978-1990)

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“Sustainable Improvement Strategies for Lower Income Urban Communities,” Upgrading Policy Plans for Amman and Aqaba (Jordan), Cairo (Egypt), and Karachi (Pakistan), 1990

Abstract

In 1990, the Unit for Housing and Urbanization undertook a project, “Sustainable Improvement Strategies for Lower Income Urban Communities,” focusing on upgrading strategies for low-income neighborhoods in Amman and Aqaba (Jordan), Cairo (Egypt), and Karachi (Pakistan).

The project was in collaboration with the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDC) in Jordan and the Department of Community Health at the Aga Khan University in Karachi. Co-funded by the Ford Foundation and UNICEF, the study assessed projects in Jordan and Egypt that demonstrated successful approaches to improving environmental quality in urban neighborhoods.

The assessments focused on determining the potential for empowering lower income households to improve their economic conditions and living environments through the provision of appropriate infrastructure services. In Karachi, the Unit funded a survey of low-income communities (see “Issues Checklist”).

Documents include an overall summary of the study components and a working paper on “Sustainability of Public Spaces,” prepared by Howard Trett for the Unit in December 1990, as well as component reports by region. Supporting documents are an outline of the research agenda, a quality of life “Issues Checklist for the Reassessment of Common Spaces,” and a background report on HUDC Municipal and NGO Support Options for urban development assistance to the studied regions.


[Excerpt: “Summary of Overall Study Components,” p. 1-2]

PROBLEM DEFINITION
“The World Health Organization estimates that 5 million deaths and 2 to 3 million cases of permanent disability are caused yearly by contaminated water, poor sanitation, air pollution and overcrowding. The cumulative impact of these conditions is the most severe for children in low income urban neighborhoods. It is estimated that a child born in a squatter settlement is 40—to-50 times more likely to die before the age of five than a child in an industrialized country. According to the UN, efforts to alleviate these conditions through conventional upgrading and sites-and-services projects, has reached only ten percent of the urban poor. This investment has been concentrated in 150 projects which sought to achieve replicability through lower standards and higher levels of cost recovery.”

“These projects, which necessitate central government subsidies in one form or another, are increasingly becoming unaffordable to nations burdened by heavy foreign debts at a time when decentralization policies are shifting the responsibility of providing services to local governments.”

“Municipalities in developing countries are attempting to cope with their new obligations by redefining their land development strategies, reorganizing their institutional structures and finding new methods of generating the financial resources necessary to provide and maintain urban services.”
…
“The ability of local government to respond to needs, and the effectiveness of the responses are linked to the capability to formulate and implement affordable improvement strategies which are also sustainable without a continuous infusion of public resources.”


PROJECT GOAL
“The research project seeks to identify, define and test strategies and methods to enable government authorities with private sector participation, to develop sustainable approaches to upgrading and maintaining urban environments in limited income communities. Special emphasis will be placed on defining strategies which have beneficial impacts on the quality of life for children and youths.”

PROJECT OBJECTIVES
– “Identify and select pragmatic approaches to sustaining environmental quality in low-income urban neighborhoods with particular emphasis on the needs of children and youths.

– Identify, select and define appropriate monitoring and evaluation criteria to appraise prevailing levels of urban environmental quality including health and sanitary conditions.

– Develop guidelines for sustainable improvement programs to be implemented by public authorities and non-government organizations.

– Train public officials and members of community organizations in assessment techniques and implementation of action programs for improving and maintaining environmental quality.”

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:1990-1992
Project Type:Policy Plan
Geographic Regions:Amman and Aqaba, Jordan / Cairo, Egypt / Karachi, Pakistan
Reports:—
Authors:John Driscoll; Mona Serageldin; Howard Trett; François Vigier
Sponsors:Ford Foundation; UNICEF; Unit for Housing and Urbanization, Harvard University Graduate School of Design; Aga Khan Trust for Culture; Housing and Urban Development Corporation (Jordan)
Categories:Informal Settlements and Urban Upgrading
  
ID:1990_01_001

Related I2UD Projects

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

I2UD Photograph Collection, Galleries 6-7: Egypt: Cairo and Helwan (1986, 1990)

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“Second Urban Project,” Urban Development Study Proposals for Conakry, Guinea, 1990

Abstract

In May 1990, the Unit for Housing and Urbanization (the Unit) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design proposed an urban development study, “Strategies for Sustainable Improvements Through Community Participation,” as part of the “Second Urban Project” for Conakry, Guinea. The Unit’s proposal reflected the need in Guinea for an action program designed to better local neighborhood conditions in 1990. Suggested plans aimed to boost community participation and improve urban health through local planning guidelines, developing strategies for progressive improvements at the neighborhood level and providing analytical tools to support long-term development.

Documents include an annotated final report for “Guinea’s Second Urban Project,” study proposals by the Unit, notes by John Driscoll, and population distribution map.


[Excerpt: Report, February 1990, page 16]

“The Housing and Land Development Component will include the implementation of a first 200-ha land development operation, in Conakry, following the financing and institutional proposals of the recently completed housing policy study (see para. 1.32). That study identified procedures and mechanisms to implement the Government’s strategy to increase formally recognized housing production through subdivision and development of urban land, to rationalize unregulated urban growth through the creation of a regulatory framework for urban planning and land market operations, and to maximize the number of households with access to security of tenure, housing and urban services.

The implementation of this policy is based on replicable land development operations relying on procedures which will limit public sector involvement to construction of secondary infrastructure, whose costs will be fully recovered, and will encourage a variety of public, semipublic and private developers to undertake subdivision and tertiary works within the blocks delimited by the secondary infrastructure network.”

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:1990
Project Type:Urban Development Study
Geographic Regions:Conakry, Guinea
Reports:
Authors:John Driscoll
Sponsors:Unit for Housing and Urbanization, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:Informal Settlements and Urban Upgrading
  
ID:1990_01_002

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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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“The Development and Morphology of Informal Housing,” Research Paper, Aga Khan Award for Architecture Seminar Proceedings, Mona Serageldin, 1988

Abstract

Mona Serageldin authored the research paper “The Development and Morphology of Informal Housing” in 1988 under the Unit for Housing and Urbanization at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, published as part of the proceedings for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture seminar, Architecture of Housing, held in Zanzibar, Tanzania in October 1988.

The paper relates the history of housing development processes from the 1950s through the 1980s in the Middle East, North Africa, and East Africa regions, in cities including Tunis, Tunisia; Damascus, Syria; Cairo, Egypt; Zanzibar, Tanzania; and Sana’a, Yemen. It compares the makeup of circumstances and populations, and describes housing units in each location, covering design and construction, with requirements for designing suitable housing units.


[Excerpt: I. Background: Mona Serageldin]

“The involvement of architects and planners with housing for lower income groups began in the 50’s and 60’s when national governments in the post colonial era embarked on slum eradication programs. Slum dwellers were to be rehoused in public housing estates. To the designers of these first projects, the overriding concern was decent shelter and sanitary conditions and not affordability. That their vision was influenced by prevailing international norms was the natural outcome of their professional training. Their failure to foresee the implications of demographic and economic trends over the next 2 decades invalidated their approach. Their efforts were overwhelmed by population growth, surplus labor, and an influx of rural migrants which could not be checked.

“Throughout the 60’s housing shortages increased and slums proliferated. Frustrated authorities turned to legislative controls, a politically expedient short-term remedy. The longer term impacts were devastating. Stringent controls accelerated the deterioration of the regulated stock, distorted private production, undermined the tax base, hampered residential mobility and warped occupancy patterns.

“The low cost shelter solutions advocated in the 60’s and 70’s produced a variety of expandable core housing prototypes to meet the needs of the urban poor. They were valid models in parts of Africa and Asia where the process happened to coincide with local practices as in Khartoum and Dakar. Elsewhere, the lack of enthusiasm among housing authorities for these approaches stemmed from an accurate perception of their unsuitability as a housing solution for the middle classes, the only client group of political consequence. Leverage and funding from international agencies launched projects in many countries which otherwise might have never experimented with minimal shelter programs. The improvements provided were on a scale too small to be meaningful in relation to the magnitude of the problem or noticeable in the midst of sprawling chaotic cities. By the mid 70’s their demonstration effect had lost its significance.”

“The shock waves in world economics and the resultant movements of labor and capital transformed the character of urban growth throughout the third world. By 1981, 15 million expatriate workers funneled between 25 and 35 billion dollars of foreign exchange back to their home countries. As the bulk of these remittances found their way into real estate, the urbanized area of cities doubled or tripled in extent shaped by uncontrolled housing construction on an unprecedented scale. Functionally defective and aesthetically chaotic environments became the dominant feature of cities, those annual rate of expansion of 4% to 7% outstripped the capacities of municipalities to provide urban services. As a result, their efficiency was impaired and there has been a sharp deterioration in the quality of life.”

Project Year:1988
Project Type:Research Paper
Geographic Regions:Cairo, Egypt / Damascus, Syria / Tunis, Tunisia / Sana’a, Yemen / Zanzibar, Tanzania
Reports:The Development and Morphology of Informal Housing (Mona Serageldin, September 1988)
Authors:Mona Serageldin; Samir Abdulac; Oussama Kabbani; Richard Khan
Sponsors:Aga Khan Award for Architecture
Categories:Urban Planning
  
ID:1988_09_001

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

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ITP 1988: “Housing Affordability: Project Appraisal and Program Structure,” with Boston Redevelopment Authority Site Visit, International Training Programs, 1988

Abstract

Documents include case studies for the 1988 International Training Program, addressing the Boston housing economy and detailing site visits with the Boston Redevelopment Authority. Particularly informative is a paper by Mona Serageldin, “Housing Affordability: Project Appraisal and Program Structure.” This paper details a housing affordability model for urban housing development and provides various data sets, including tables of urban indicators and global household graphical statistics used for ITP sessions.

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:1988
Project Type:ITP; Education
Geographic Regions:Boston, Massachusetts, US
Reports:
Authors:Mona Serageldin
Sponsors:Unit for Housing and Urbanization, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:International Training Program; Education
  
ID:1988_00_002

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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Design Studio 1988: “Urban Infrastructure Planning and Programing in Developing Countries,” Chapters 1-7, Seminar Curriculum

Abstract

The Design Studio from Spring 1988, “Urban Infrastructure: Planning and Programming in Developing Countries” was developed by Mona Serageldin, with students and scholars from the Aga Khan Unit for Housing and Urbanization at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.

The 1988 Design Studio outlined problems and urban infrastructure programs, illustrated by maps, demographics, and case study reports. Curriculum materials give particular attention to support for the urban poor, with case studies on Indonesia, Bahrain, and Zhejiang Province in China. Seven chapters address infrastructure issues in light of rapid urbanization, including unemployment and underemployment in urbanizing countries, and an increased demand for basic needs like water supply and shelter.

A final Design Studio student report on Bahrain, features 99 pages of rich spatial, social, commercial, and architectural overview of historic Muharraq, Bahrain’s third largest city. Section 5.0 features a paper condensed from Arabic, by Tareq Wali, “Traditional Urban Fabric and Architecture,” including a substantial list of tables, maps, and references. Additional sections cover the historical evolution of the district:

  • 5.1: The Development of Muharraq;
  • 5.2: Morphology of the Traditional Urban Fabric & The Organization of Space;
  • 5.3: Commercial Element;
  • 5.4: Residential Elements; and
  • Annex: Notes on Building Materials and Architecture.



[Excerpt, Chapter 6, Paper B, The Urban Operational Perspective. “Introduction to the Course Background,” for “Urban Infrastructure, Planning and Programming in Developing Countries, p. 1.1]

“Virtually without exception in the cities and towns of the developing world, the ability to plan, finance and implement urban development programs and infrastructure programs in particular, is in a state of crisis. Severe deficiencies exist and are growing in nearly all sub-sectors. Explosive population growth, partly through immigration from rural areas and in the cases of the largest cities, natural growth, have placed pressures on city authorities for increased services. For instance, the population of the urban areas in developing countries is likely to grow by 1 billion over the next two decades. Simultaneously with growth to date, the state of existing services has universally deteriorated.”

“At the same time the governments in these countries are trying valiantly to cope with what are prime concerns; large and growing unemployment and under employment, and raised expectations by their peoples of access to minimum basic needs in water supply, shelter, etc. These pressures though countrywide, are visibly focused in the urban areas, and thus influence political, administrative, financial, and economic decisions, not always in a coherent or rational manner.”

“Urbanization involves costs to the public sector which amount to large shares of total public spending. Dense human settlement requires levels of servicing – for health reasons, if no other – which are not as essential elsewhere. Rising incomes increase demands for water, electricity, road space, telephones are similar public services. Expectations for urban amenities and appearances are high, and the costs of providing them are also high. Growth of the larger cities often involves diseconomies of scale – longer pumping distances for water and traveling distances for commuters, for example. In some of the largest metropolitan areas, geographical shape and terrain accentuate the costs of growth: Bangkok, Bombay and Mexico City come to mind. Soaring land prices add to the costs of private and public sector development.”

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:1988
Project Type:Urban Design Studio
Geographic Regions:Indonesia / Muharraq, Bahrain / Zhejiang Province, China
Reports:
Authors:David B. Cook; Mona Serageldin; Geeta Pradhan; Tarek Waly; Jens Lorentzen; John Kirke; David Gilmore
Sponsors:Unit for Housing and Urbanization, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:Design Studios; Education
  
ID:1988_00_004

Related I2UD Projects

Gallery 3 – BAHRAIN: Manama and Muharraq, 1980s

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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.