“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.

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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

“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 LadysmithEmnambithi 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

“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

IEP 2003: “Infrastructure and Partnerships for Local Economic Development” in Pretoria and Bloemfontein, South Africa, International Education Programs, 2003

Abstract

Curriculum components from the 2003 IEP (International Education Program) “Infrastructure and Partnerships for Local Economic Development,” which was held in Pretoria and Bloemfontein, South Africa in August and September 2003.

Documents include agendas, case studies, project summaries, and reference materials. Noted work by Mona Serageldin includes “Decentralization and Urban Infrastructure Management Capacity,” a background paper for the 2001 Third Global Report on Human Settlements.

Additional contextual documents include: The “Best Practices 2001” submission for Middledrift, Eastern Cape, South Africa; an executive summary from May 2000 for the “Housing Microfinance Initiative”; a presentation of indicator reports by CUDS “Neighborhood Improvement Program, Neiva, Colombia”; and “Participant Evaluation and Comments” forms for the 2003 seminar participants.

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2003
Project Type:IEP; Education
Geographic Regions:Pretoria and Bloemfontein, South Africa (Program Locations) / Brazil / Boston, Massachusetts, US / South Africa / Bogotá, Colombia / Southwark, London, UK / Saint-Denis and Aubervilliers, France / Ahmedabad, India / Adjamé, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire / Szczecin, Poland
Reports:
Authors:CUDS Team
Sponsors:Center for Urban Development Studies, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:International Education Program; Education
  
ID:2003_08_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 19881991199419951997, 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.

“Strategic Frameworks for Local Development: The Expanding Scope for Public Private Partnerships,” United Kingdom, 2001

Abstract

The report by Barry Shaw, “Strategic Frameworks for Local Development: The Expanding Scope for Public Private Partnerships,” from 2001, examined the changing use of public-private partnerships in urban regeneration projects in the United Kingdom between 1980-1990s. The report outlines important facets of comprehensive urban space regeneration. Documents include the report and accompanying presentation slides.

[Excerpt: Introduction, Final Report, page 1, by Barry Shaw]

“The last two decades in the UK have seen the approach to regeneration evolve from a few mainly large-scale initiatives in big cities to a multiplicity of smaller interventions capable of being targeted at small towns and settlements. Many of the initiatives involve the use of public-private partnerships in the form of autonomous agencies to manage their delivery. The framework within which these partnerships operate has evolved from one of close control directly exercised by central government departments to a more devolved structure of regional management and policy formation.”

“Regeneration is characterised by the need to be holistic in approach and even those interventions with clearly defined outputs such as the provision of mass housing have had to achieve a broader range of outcomes including job creation and social support. Twenty years ago partnership with the private sector was greeted with hostility and concern, particularly with regard to public and financial accountability. The early schemes, while still controversial, were seen to be successful and public-private partnerships are now the accepted norm across the political spectrum.”

Project Year:2001
Project Type:Research Paper
Geographic Regions:United Kingdom
Reports:
Authors:Barry Shaw
Sponsors:Center for Urban Development Studies, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:Informal Settlements and Urban Upgrading
  
ID:2001_08_002

IEP August 2000: “Boston, Massachusetts: Strategic Plans and Community Participation,” International Education Programs, 2000

Abstract

The Center for Urban Development Studies (CUDS) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design conducted an International Education Program (IEP) on “Boston, Massachusetts: Strategic Plans and Community Participation” in August 2000. The curriculum for the program included case studies and project summaries from influential offices and agencies from Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Many case studies were replicated for later years of the IEP program.

Multiple curriculum components are contained in each document. See individual cover pages for full section indexes, or the Program Reference Materials List (Volume 1 Index). For example, the document “Boston Strategic Plans and Community Participation (Case Studies)” contains multiple works:

  • A Civic Vision for Turnpike Air Rights (Strategic Development Study Committee, Boston Redevelopment Authority Boston, MA, 2000)
  • Private/Public Development of South Station (Center for Urban Development Studies, Cambridge, MA, 1995)
  • Boston 400 Guide to Community Participation (Boston Redevelopment Authority, Boston, MA, Summer 1999)
  • Choosing to Compete: A Statewide Strategy for Job Creation and Economic Growth: Executive Summary (Executive Office of Economic Affairs, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, May 1993)

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:2000
Project Type:IEP; Education
Geographic Regions:Boston, Massachusetts, US / Providence, Rhode Island, USA / New York Metropolitan Area, USA / Paris, France / Szczecin, Poland / Tirana, Albania / St. Petersburg, Russia
Reports:
Authors:François Vigier; Mona Serageldin; John Driscoll; David Jones; Christopher Rogers; Kath Phelan; Linda Haar; Thomas Nally; Carol R. Johnson; Deborah Goddard; Richard Henderson; Martin Nee; Jorge Martinez; David Knowles; Margaret Thalwitz; Robert Yaro; Kimberley Wilson
Sponsors:Center for Urban Development Studies, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:International Education Program; Education
  
ID:2000_08_002

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 19881991199419951997, 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.

“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

Related I2UD Projects

ITP 1997: “South Boston Metropolitan Area Community Housing,” Case Studies from Boston, Massachusetts, International Training Programs, 1997

Abstract

Documents represent curriculum components from the 1997 International Training Program (ITP), primarily case studies on community housing projects around the South Boston area including:

  • The Engleston Jackson Strategy
  • Wharf Three
  • Tower Hamlets Housing Action Trust
  • The Massachusetts Third Harbor Tunnel Project
  • The South Station Joint Development Project
  • The Massachusetts Port Authority Project
  • The Urban Development Policy in Contrats de Ville, France

Additional documents are resource materials for job creation and economic growth, micro-business models, an overview of Boston, and an outline of faculty, guest lecturers and speakers.

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:1997
Project Type:ITP; Education
Geographic Regions:Boston, Massachusetts, US / Tower Hamlets, London, UK / France
Reports:
Authors:François Vigier; Mona Serageldin; Jerold Kayden; John Driscoll; David Jones; Judith Grant; Pat Cusick; Richard Dimino; Linda Mogelli Haar; Richard Henderson; James Kostaras
Sponsors:Unit for Housing and Urbanization, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:International Training Program; Education;
  
ID:1997_00_002

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 19881991199419951997, 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.

Design Studio 1997: “Strategic Planning and Local Development,” Seminar Curriculum

Abstract

The Unit for Housing and Urbanization at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design hosted a Design Studio in Spring 1997, “Strategic Planning and Local Development,” led by Mona Serageldin and John Driscoll. The studio focused on strategies for urban and regional development for less developed nations, within the context of a globalized economy with cities being the engines of growth.

Documents include a workshop overview with objectives and schedule, a reserved materials list, and a bibliography.


[Excerpt: Syllabus Introduction, ‘Strategic Planning and Local Development,’ Spring 1997]

“The seminar will examine strategies for urban and regional development within the context of a globalized economy where cities are the engines of growth. Fierce competition, unavoidable interdependence, fast paced technological change, widening income disparities and environmental degradation are creating new challenges that urban development strategies must address.”

“Concepts and methods of strategic planning as a framework for participation, decision making and resource allocation will be examined focusing on the complementary roles of public and private actors in planning, financing and managing urban development activities in different economic, institutional and cultural settings. Case studies will illustrate proactive strategies to promote urban development, regenerate functionally obsolete areas and revitalized marginalized neighborhoods.

The seminar will examine the expanding scope of public/private partnerships and discuss the changing role of public agencies, private investors, NGOs and community based organizations in the rehabilitation of the built environment and the provision of housing and urban services. Case studies will illustrate sustainable initiatives focusing on the structure of the interface between city, community and the local business sector. The case studies will also highlight critical roles for urban planners and designers in leading and nurturing initiatives relying on empowerment.”

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:1997
Project Type:Urban Design Studio
Geographic Regions:Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States (Seminar Location) / Cairo Metropolitan Area, Egypt
Reports:
Authors:Mona Serageldin; John Driscoll
Sponsors:Unit for Housing and Urbanization, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:Design Studios; Education
  
ID:1997_01_001

Related I2UD Projects

“City of Szczecin Capital Improvement Program,” Case Studies for Technical Assistance Program, Szczecin, Poland, 1996

Abstract

In 1996, the Unit for Housing and Urbanization at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design collaborated with the Local Economic Professionals Association (Szczecin, Poland) to prepare capital improvement program for the city of Szczecin, Poland.

The program emphasized linking land management strategies to the provision and financing of infrastructure. The development of public/private partnership identified in the strategy documents included methods of packaging projects in order to build rehabilitation and neighborhood improvements.

This technical assistance project was later used to prepare a teaching case for an Executive Seminar on Urban Planning and Local Economic Development taught in Iasi, Romania on March 20-23, 2001, organized by the Unit in association with the Research Triangle Institute, and as part of the USAID Local Government Assistance Program. Documents include case studies and 5 tables containing detailed outlines of strategic goals.


[Excerpt: The Capital Improvement Program, City of Szczecin: (Case Study), page 7]

Supportive Policies and Strategies: A series of strategy documents within key development sectors were produced and used as a guide for the development of the capital investment plan. These include:

  • A renovation strategy for commercial and residential buildings in city center;
  • A housing policy for the entire city.
  • Master Plan for central heating;
  • Master Plan for waste management;
  • Master Plan for water supply and sewage management.

“Other reports and studies pertaining to the Capital Investment Program (CIP) included transport studies for Szczecin and an analysis of the city’s regional and macro-regional functions and responsibilities. The reports have generated a valuable database outlining the range of investment requirements in individual sectors. These reports also formed the basis for a more extensive review of the Conditions and Directions Of Urban Planning for The City of Szczecin and a City Development Strategy.

“These reports identified investment priorities that would promote balanced development for the city. The most important of them will be the specifications of investment projects graded according to their priority. Together, these Strategies and Master Plans provide analysis of effective sectoral management methods for the city.”

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:1996
Project Type:Technical Assistance
Geographic Regions:Szczecin, Poland
Reports:
Authors:John Driscoll; Mona Serageldin
Sponsors:Local Economic Professionals Association (Szczecin, Poland); Center for Urban Development Studies, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:Informal Settlements and Urban Upgrading
  
ID:1996_06_002

Related I2UD Projects

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

Abstract

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

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

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:1995
Project Type:Research Paper; Management Strategy
Geographic Regions:Vilnius Old Town (Senamiestis), Lithuania
Reports:
Authors:John Driscoll; Jerold S. Kayden; Barry Shaw; Mona Serageldin; François Vigier
Sponsors:World Bank
Categories:Urban Planning
  
ID:1995_09_001

Related I2UD Projects

ITP 1995: “Linking Economic and Physical Development Strategies Intergovernmental Responsibilities in the Context of Decentralization,” International Training Programs, 1994″

Abstract

The Unit for Housing and Urbanization at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design continued their International Training Program (ITP) seminar series in 1995 to aid senior planning officials in improving their decision-making skills. Curriculum components from the 1995 program included a presentation outline, titled “Linking Economic and Physical Development Strategies Intergovernmental Responsibilities in the Context of Decentralization.” Topics covered included:

  1. Evolution of the concept of urban planning in Europe and the United States;
  2. French regional planning: Evolution of a centralized approach linking economic and spatial planning;
  3. The Boston Region: Planning in a Free Enterprise Context;
  4. Project Evaluation Techniques (June 27, 1995)

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:1995
Project Type:ITP; Education
Geographic Regions:Boston, Massachusetts, US / Paris, France
Reports:ITP 1995: Linking Economic and Physical Development Strategies (Presentation Outlines)
Authors:Unit Team
Sponsors:Unit for Housing and Urbanization, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:International Training Program; Education
  
ID:1995_06_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 19881991199419951997, 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.

Design Studio 1994: “A New Urban Center for Adjamé, Abidjan, Ivory Coast,” Seminar Curriculum

Abstract

Professors François Vigier and Mona Serageldin led the Spring 1994 Design Studio, an annual seminar hosted by the Unit for Housing and Urbanization at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. The topic that year focused on urban development in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast).

The document, “Designing for Urban Growth: Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire” (January 1994), discussed the housing compound profiles, land allocation, household demographics, and design conditions of Abidjan’s housing regions. The report details designs for dealing with environmental impacts such as organic and industrial effluents, solutions for reducing public subsidies for housing, reforms the housing production, and, in particular, suggestions for readdressing the respective responsibilities of the public and private sectors.

See related I2UD projects below

Project Year:1994
Project Type:Urban Design Studio
Geographic Regions:Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
Reports:1994 Design Studio: Abidjan Designing for Urban Growth (Report, Vigier and Serageldin)
Authors:Mona Serageldin; François Vigier; Samir Abdulac; Howard Trett; Randa Tukan; David Neilson
Sponsors:Unit for Housing and Urbanization, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Categories:Design Studios; Education
  
ID:1994_01_001

Related I2UD Projects

“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

Related I2UD Projects

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

Related I2UD Projects

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

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 19881991199419951997, 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.

“Urban Strategies for Economic Development: Towards an Agenda for the 90s,” Regional Report and Workshop for Amman, Jordan, 1987

Abstract

A 1987 report, authored by the Unit for Housing and Urbanization and funded by the World Bank, “Urban Strategies for Economic Development: Towards an Agenda for the 90s,” addressed the growth of informal settlements and the lack of adequate housing opportunities for low-income families in Amman, Jordan.

Documents include a Background Report on Amman, Jordan by John Driscoll, a report by Mona Serageldin from September 1989 titled “Infrastructure Financing and Land Development,” and a workshop summary from October 1989.

Excerpt



[Excerpt: “Infrastructure Financing and Land Development,” Context, Mona Serageldin, pp. 1]

“Within a given economic context, the ability of urban areas to stimulate and drive development is determined by the range and quality of their infrastructure. Throughout the 80’s, intractable budget deficits and increasing debt burdens have led to the curtailment of funding for urban infrastructure in all but one of the OECD countries. In developing nations weak urban institutions inherited from colonial times almost collapsed in the face of mounting needs and dwindling resources. The dynamic private sector could neither muster the capital nor the organizational capabilities needed to operate on the scale required for infrastructure development. Throughout the 70’s and BO’S informal developers maximized profits by externalizing the environmental cost of unplanned urbanization; a cost that the public sector is now forced to absorb. Municipalities struggling to simultaneously service building plots and retrofit uncontrolled settlements have been stretching distribution networks without improved trunk capacity. In many cities, overload well in excess of design capacity risks to collapse whole sectors of the system.”

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[Excerpt: “Introduction, Background Report on The Urban Development Department” of Amman, John Driscoll, pp. 3, 5.]

“According to World Bank studies, 34% of the urban population lives (ca. 1987) in cramped conditions with four or more persons per room in contrast to the national average of 2.6 persons per room. Development standards prescribing a minimum plot size of 250 to 300 sq. meters with high land prices have made it difficult for the moderate income households to obtain serviced land. Rent control has also distorted the housing market and led to the typical situation of substantial key money requirements, a condition which severely affects new families altering the housing market. Urban population growth, estimated at 5%, coupled with the lack of affordable legal alternatives resulted in the growth of informal settlements on the urban periphery. Ninety percent of housing construction is done by the private sector. Public sector construction is distributed between the UDD, the government owned Jordan Housing Cooperation and smaller housing programs.
….
“In 1980, UDPl represented a major change in government policies regarding the provision of low-income housing and basic services for the urban poor. New development standards made housing more affordable for lower-income groups. The process of comprehensive community upgrading of selected informal settlements and the development of new sites-and-services projects employing cost-recovery principles were a departure from past government practices and policies.”

Project Year:1987
Project Type:Regional Report
Geographic Regions:Amman, Jordan
Reports:
Authors:John Driscoll; Mona Serageldin
Sponsors:World Bank
Categories:Reconciliation and Development
  
ID:1987_09_001

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