- pL a al A' _ -% T E r>. ~ In I i ,.|4.S5; F *, 7. L* Ler' '$7 41' '4R '* - _ 'j Au { *->* t6¢ -. A~ (Krn g,eS ', k-tQ t->; Sr in Asian Cties- @''t - '-' - Pbsf~~~~~~ A , ., - 7f04ZY, rl.CrE Cred WI(illg ~- Rsx tt8tl*ie FF - --"s * V ¼3½ 0C,*, a *..2.~ * 'T*j-'t' *_ ;t4\ttWS*tttl$j''%t't*' "r - 8' tSO, About Ur_a_ RBAN AGE-THE GLOBAL CITY MAGAZINE-provides you with a focus on urban affairs that is not available anywhere else in the world. By looking at cities through on-the-scene reporting and provocative opinion articles, this magazine opens | |rha a door to worid-class thinking about the latest policies, trends and initiatives in Managemenf , 1 treets unemployment and BY PATRALEKHA CHATTERJEE unrest-these are now daily concerns across much of CROSS SOUTHEAST ASIA, CITIES ARE REELING SoutheastAsia. from the impact of the financial collapse that struck much of the region last year Half-finished buildings dot the landscapes, and closed busi- In Jakarta, Bangkok, nesses line many streets. Residents who had enjoyed prosperous times Kuala Lumpur and only a few months ago now face a much darker future. Many have seen their savings disappear and their carefully built financial portfolios Seoul, the financial turn to dust. Some have lost their jobs -even their homes- and are scrambling to build new lives. Although local governments and f of t Ai international organizations are trying to control the situation debt crisis has and some of the economic free-fall appears to be under - p u affec control, city dwellers across the region say that their 0 o f peope lives have changed forever. ofpopl The impact is so pervasive that the very 0- fpol eand work character of some cvisiorittthiscityoncenfamosefo. - T;here are fewer Mercedes sedandsor not pay theiaipor oth cnra dsrit n butanhuran. Cranes still dominatethe Bangkok skyline, butithey are idle.The construction boom is over- one of many unavoidable reminders that Thai and's economy and its people are suffering. SPRINc 99 Ura Althou;gh some of the economic free-fall appears to be under control, city dwellers across the region say a,rthat t Walking the streets of Bangkok and talking to or- pool and a fitness center. From a pool-side chair, one d nary people-cabdrivers, hotel owners, sales assis- can see the Bangkok skyline. But only half the apart- tants, property developers-one senses an attitudi- ments are occupied now. nal change. Gone is the spirit of the go-go years of Vajrabhaya, a real estate deve oper, bui t the apart- the I 980s, when "spend, spend, spend" was the cre- ment complex in the late I 980s. He had just returned do of the middle classes.Today, the tone is more philo- from the United States armed with a graduate degree sophical.The economic crisis has been a great level- from a top business school, "Real estate seemed Just er-both the blue-collar worker and the finance whiz the area to get into,' he said."My family had this 1 2,000- kid with a management degree from an American uni- square-meter plot.The economy was surging. Expa- NN, t versity are equally in danger of losing their jobs. triates had started streaming into Bangkok.There was a growing demand for residential apartments that met 2 a | P Go-GoYears Gone international standards, I thought, this is it." For erstwhile "haves," it has been a bitter pill to swal- Most of the tenants are stil expatriates. But the low. Watching the value of the Thai baht plummet is rent has dropped.And, as JamesYoung of Colliers Jar- painful, admits C. Pairat, a stocky middle-aged man who dine points out,"Middle-level expatriate managers are owns the China Hote in downtown Bangkok.The ho- leaving. Everybody is cutting costs." tel caters to budget-minded tourists.A Chinese orThai Today, the going monthly rate for the three-bed- dinner for one in the hotel's restaurant costs less than room luxury apartments is $2,000, down from $3,000. U.S. $4. Pairat cannot hike room rents because, as he Vajrabhaya is losing money.The flow of expatriates has explains, "there are just too many hotels." dried up. Banks have closed and money is scarce."Right Expatriates like James Young, Bangkok-based gen- now, it is impossible to get a loan," he says. t - , ,, eral manager of Colliers Jardine a property consult- The Robinson department store in downtown Suk- ing and real estate agency-sees the situation more humvit Road is advertising huge discounts on every Cranes still dominate clinically."In the boom economy, businesses expanded. floorThe aisles are bustling with shoppers. But almost the Bangkok sktyline, A lot of construction work went on. Now that nas vir- all of these shoppers are from America, Europe, Tai- iut they are idle.The tually stopped. Many property developers have gone wan, or Hong Kong. construction boomr is osver-one of m any bust.They don't have money to complete the build- Despite the bustle, Robinson has been forced to unavoidable reminders ings. Many house purchasers have lost money, but be- lay off staff.Vitayi Puyati, a store employee, says he is thatThaiiland's economy cause of the antiquated bankruptcy laws, banks can't lucky he has not been let go, unlike many of his friends. and its people are touch them. Look around Bangkok and you will see Before December 1997, the store employed six peo- suffering. empty condominiums galore." Nor doesYoung predict ple in the customer service section. Now there are any cheer "Thailand will not leap into recovery.At the three. Puyati has taken a 10 percent pay cut this Janu- moment, the market is a bit static. But in the near fu- ary. "You don't have a choice," he said. "It is tough to ture, rents will come down furtherThe capital value find new jobs in the city.Who knows what lies ahead?" of the real estate will come down," he says sadly. Appearances can deceive in Bangkok.The streets ano shops are as bright as ever. One has to actually step into one of the many apartment blocks to real- ize that half the units are empty Next to the "Wel- ________________________ come to Bangkok" sign outside the office of the No- tion newspaper, there are rows upon rows of"Offices URIN STORS, for Rent" signs.Takers are few and far between, m cni ie a PATRALEKHA Paribhan Vajrabhaya is a dapper 36-year-o d. No b fre i sts CHATTERJEE is one would think his dreams have gone up in smoke, eoiin b los u l Asia correspondentfor or that his future holds no promise.Vajrabhaya, one r hv Urban Age and a New of the many victims of the property market crash in crps rir otykt Delhi-basedjournalist Thailand, lives in a nine-story downtown apartment lis thun te who specializes in complex. Just off a main road, it is located in a quiet, development issues. tree-lined lane. Up one flight of stairs is a swimming 6 UrbanAge SPRING I 998 2s have changed forever. The sharp dip in purchasing power has meant rad- ical lifestyle changes for many Bangkok residents.Thai- land witnessed phenomenal growth in the I 980s and early I1990s. In I 988, the country's gross domestic product growth hit a record I13.2 percent.The boom years also saw a growing separation between rich and poor with the rich clustered around thriving Bangkok, .. - Foreign money poured in. Hotels, luxury condos and gleaming office complexes shot up bythe dozens in- ,, - to the city's polluted skies.The streets were choked [ j with new automobiles, and the new middle class de- < .. veloped a taste for imported goods. : If the great Asian meltdown was only about giving < ; up gold watches, designer clothes and imported - chocolates, the region's politicians and business mag- , Wx nates would sleep more soundly. But, as firms go bust ' or downsize, labor unrest is rearing its head. Demon- - strators are a familiar sight in front ofThai prime min- z 4 ister Chuan Leekpai's office. A posse of policemen stand guard. One afternoon, there is a mammoth gath- rest at levels not seen for 30 years.This year alone, vi- ParibhanVajrabhaya ering of women. Many wear straw hats typical of mi- o ence broke out in at least 1 2 Indonesian towns be- is a dapper 36-year-old. grants from Thailand's poorer northeastern regions. cause of increases in prices of essential goods. In mid- No one would think his They are workers from a toy factory. They chant February,there were reports of at least three people smke or thagt his protest songs to the beat of a drum, calling for restora- killed and 154 detained for looting in provincial towns. future holds no tion of overtime and annual bonuses. The worst damage was in the coastal town of Pa- promise. So far, these demonstrations have been peaceful, manukan, in Java. where shops, religious places and in contrast to the food riots of Indonesia. But as lay- doctors' surgeries were set on fire or damaged, ac- offs mount and pay packets shrink, it is hard to tell cording to Suaro Pembaruon, a local newspaper. Re- what lies ahead. Last year, the Japanese company Sanyo cently, groups of young men reportedly attacked stores decided to give one month's bonus instead of the usu- owned by ethnic Chinese shopkeepers in Eastern and al three. Shortly thereafter, one of its factories was Central Java along a highway that leads to Surabaya, burned down. the naton's second largest city. In Indonesia, a rise of almost 24 percent in food Early in February, hundreds were reported to be prices over the past I0 months has sparked social un- chanting "hungry, hungry" at a rally in Jakarta. Protesters The International Confederation of Free foreign workforce. Most ofthe 2 million migrants return to their countries. But repatriation of for- Trade Unions (ICFTU) estimates that 3 million in Malaysia come from Indonesia, Bangladesh, eign workers is unlikely to be a smooth process. foreign workers suddenly find themselves per- Thailand, Sri Lanka and India. -Their return home will further weaken the alt- sona non grata in Thailand, Malaysia and South In South Korea, as hundreds of companies ready critical state of the economies in their Korea. Burmese workers, who account for 75 collapse, the countrys unemployment rate is ex- -countries of origin," an ICFTU statement noted percent of the I million foreign workers inThai- pected to rise to 6 percent this year. In the- con-'- early this year Nor wil staying put be an easy so- land, have been going home for the past two text of mass layoffs, the government's decision lution. Lee Lam Thye, president 'of Malaysia's months, Most of the laid-off workers were in the to repatriate some 270,000 emigrants has met Crime Prevention Foundation, warns that a construction industry with public approval. InThailand, immigration po- "huge wave of unemployed foreign workers on Kuala Lumpur wants to expel one million im- lice are offering travel expenses and free meals' the streets could lead to social problens and migrant workers-half the country's registered to migrant workers who express wiilingness to pose a securit threat to-the publc." .' SPRING 1998 UrbanAge 7 have marched to the office of the state agency that d stributes rice and other oasic commodities But displays of force by truncheon-w[elding riot police have protected the Indonesian capital from violence- so far. "We are still in the early stages. Fooo price rises hur-t because, beyond a point, you cannot cut oown on food consumptioninhe fooo inflation has been the worst in _ Indonesia," said Singapore-based Rajiv Malik, regiona Womnen emnployees of a toy factory ir Bangkok sit economist for the investment firm of Jardine Fleming. ir front of the Thai Prime Minister's o5fice in Bangkok. Despite the bail-out plan backed by the Inter- Their demands incude restoration of bonuses and national Monetary Fund (IMF), Jakarta faces a triple- overtime, d:git percentage price explosion for imported food held monopolies will be e iminated, wnicn wi I erase subsidies that have kept tne prices of key imported T en yn e c f,l a -w situcommodities ow. Rupiah prices may jump 250 to 500 percent for items such as sugar, soyeans ano wheat a m e -.in- cflour, unless the Indonesan government steps in to cushion the blow. Currently, Inoonesia imports I 00 percent of its wheat, one-thiro of ts sugar and soy- tryside,_ heavily subsidizing rice andofferingbeans, and as mucb as I 0 percent of its rice. Rice pro- duction in Inoonesia has been steadily declining as thousanos of hectares of agricultur lane are con- verted to industrial and residential ugses every year Many workers in Indonesian cities founlyocked gates and no jobs upon returnng from their annual h oliday in February. In Jakarta, a spokesmran of the In- - - ~~~~~~~donesian Manpower Ministry said manufacturers could - ~~~~~~not afforo a much-needed minimum wage increase - ~~~~~this year, leaving the minimnumn monthly salary at - - - I~~~~~~ 72,000 rupiah, or $ 6.70 at current excnhange rates. 17 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Many infrastructure projects are also being kept A worried Bangkok staples in tne near future.This could further fuel anger on holo. In Bangkok, one of the oiggest casualties may resident scans the from Indonesians who are already struggling with a be tne elevated railway that was supposed to ease newspapers for signs 73 percent decline in the va.ue of their currency- traffic congestion. Another may be the constructior of recovery in the the rupiah-against the U.S, dollar since July, of a second airport. Thai economy. On the face of it, it .ooks i~ke a no-w'n situation. Private hoslpitais, once a thrving business in Bang- When there's a drought and crops fail, people tradi- kok, are aiso in dire straits, as patients seek cheaper tionally move to the cities in search of jobs.When in- care. "People are more careful about spending tneir fiation and layoffs hit cities, people return to the coun- money, even in matters of health. Instead of visiting trysbde. Now, tnou.sanos of Indones ans are victims of nospitals for mninor illnesses, they wou d purchase both a drought and the debt crisis. "To stem urban medicines from drugstores," says DrViroj Tangcharoen- tension, the governmenit as creating joos in the coun- sathien of the Healtn Systems Researcn Institute. tryside, heavily suosidizing rice and offering one-way Medical benefits of many midole-class, write-collar tickets out of Jakarta," one recent news report noted. workers are likely to be reduced, forcing tnem to shift The Indonesian cityscape may ceteniorate sharply to government hospitals. Many private nospitals face afterApri . Increases in fuel and electricity tariffs, stip- closure.The loss is evident among nospitals registered u ated by IMF, will beg n.At about the same tine, state- under the Stock Exchange ofTFhailand (SET). Only two 8 UrbanAge SPRINC 1998 The cities now bear the brunt of the downturn. hospitals registered on the SET made any profit last group dedicated to women's welfare in South Korea- yearThe other nine have all registered losses of more says that since last November she has received up to than 5 million baht.They had sought foreign loans to 20 calls a day from depressed or angry women who open new branches. Now they cannot repay their debts. lost their jobs only because they were women. Until The economic downturn is spawning novel ideas the crisis struck, South Korea had a labor shortage. in urban lifestyles across Southeast Asia. "With living At the end of 1997, its unemployment rate had risen costs rising, cultivating your own veggies is a great way to 3 percent. to save cash," says a report in the Bangkok-based The cities, more than the countryside, reflected the Notion newspaper In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian deputy Asian economic miracle.The cities now bearthe brunt prime ministerAnwar Ibrahim feels the same. Ibrahim of the downturn. Bangkok residents "are more affect- has asked people to start vegetable patches at home. ed than others because the credit system collapsed, This would, in part, help reduce Malaysia's food im- the banks and financial systems collapsed. But the mid- port bill, estimated at I0 billion ringgit, or $3.85 bil- dle class still has to pay back car loans and housing lion. Malaysia currently imports 40 percent of its veg- installments. Many .: etables. according to tne New Straits Times. among the salaried Despite the gloomy stories one hears in the streets class have lost their l ' of Bangkok, in South Korea-the cradle of the eco- jobs; they have to nomic firestorm ravaging Southeast Asia since last lyve on their savings," July-the economy is off to a good start in 1998. Mor- says Thanong Khan- gan Stanley Capital International Indices noted that tong, assistant editor South Korea ranked first in terms of performance in of the Notion. the emerging markets, with its stock indices in Janu- The recession is ary rising by 70.6 percent.Thai and came second with I kely to stem the tide a growth of 34.2 percent in the month. of people moving from villages to cities. Political Change Durng Thailand's ' In both countres, economic troubles have ushered in boom years, thousands from the country's impover- Office space, once political changes. Economic turmoil brought down one ished northeast regions flocked to Bangkok in search hard to find, now government in Bangkok, and a reform-minded presi- of work. Now many find themselves jobless and are goes begging. dent has taken office in South Korea. Popular acclaim packing their bags to go home. But the question is has greeted the new Chuan Leekpai government in whether the agricultural sector can absorb them. A Thailand and the Kim Dae Jung administration in South lot of people who left their farms to work in cities Korea.Thailand has adopted a new constitution, and have forgotten how to grow rice.Will they be forced analysts say financial and egislative reforms in both to return to the cities, thus fueling more urban ten- countries will augur well for future stability. But even s on?Time alone will tell. the most dogged optimists concede that it is still a As residents in Bangkok and cities across the re- long haul before shiny indices translate into good times gion get used to new realities and less affluent lifestyles, for ordinary people. one can sense a mixture of unrest and optimism on In many ways, South Korea seems to have turned the streets. Offices and apartments blocks may be half- the cornerThe value ofthe national currency,the won, empty, but traffic is flowing more smoothly in theThai has rebounded with the political reforms. An agree- capital.The urge to splurge may, like bank balances, ment has been reached with a group of internation- be low, but middle-class families are discovering the al banks to roll over $24 billion in short-term debt. virtues of staying home with the family In countries But Seoul's decision to facilitate retrenchment as where there has been a change of guard politically, the part of an economic restructuring package is likely to mood is upbeat. As new leaders, backed by popular face stiff opposition.As businesses step up the pace of mandate, try to push through long-needed reforms, layoffs, feminist groups in the South Korean capital say one gets the feeiing that it is too soon to write off the women are often the first in the firing line. Choi East Asian miracle.The next phase may not be as Myong-Sook, senior executive at Women Link-a dazzling as the first, but it will be more sustainable. U SPRJNG 1998 UrbanAge 9 cD U LII LIIIZII  j  BY SULTAN BARAKAT Where and hiow war is waged hias changed. and *with it our understanding of howv to heal societv after conflict. !-oday, wars are fought iot hi trenehes anid fields, but in living rooms. schools and supermarkets. Hlow can the international -.J t.>l- ;; -.- 0 conununity improve its responses to this new theater of urban conflict? _____ NE OF THE FRINGE BENETS OFTHE COLDWAR ___ was that it held in check the ethnic and religious ambitions of much of the Eastern Bloc countries and the Balkans whose boundaries were drawn haphazardly by the victors of the Second World War In the days when national sovereignty was a widely respected principle, ethnic and religious differences were a matter of internal policy-something in which the international community rarely intervened.This internal economic and political repression continued to be a way of life in various parts of the world for - decades,That all ended when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 and tne Cold War ended, A huge vacuum was created by the dismantling of the grand ideological detente of the American and Soviet superpowers-a detente that had success- fully inhibited much internecine conflict, particularly in the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc,With the demise of the simplistic dualism of U.S.-USSR, East-West, us-them, communist-capitalist, a host of nuanced differences between and among _ _ countrymen emerged. Strife, dissension, conflict and-ultimately-war broke out. Unlike the conflicts of the recent past, which had been between countries, these were internal, domestic or intra-state conflicts, often following ethnic and reli- _ gious divisions. _______________ . -SPRING 1 998 UrbanAge I I RECO ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Wheni corisicieiig t'he rec ECONSTRUCTION SHUDB ENA H iST STEP in a longe trreoeypoesAlhuhgnalyper- New types of predom-inantly urban conflicts have ceived as th hsclrbidn fdsrydstlmns hteru pted in Croatia, Bosnia, Armenia, Azeroaijan, Tad- reallyis ony one spectof a uch brader roces of deling ith azhikistan, Georgia, Liberia, Somalia, Burundi and Rwanda, among others.These recent outbreaks of hostility j'o n war an its atermat. Recostrucion inolves conomi, socil andother intensely antagonistic situations in Sri Lankca, Af- psychooia edutet ti h ul ag fitgae ciiisghanistan, Kashmir, Burma, EastTimor and Sudan. and processes that have tob ntae norder to"iksat the All these conflicts can be characterized in one of three ways: development process interrupted by a war. ~~oConflicts of a religious or ethnic nature.The concept Post-war reconstructo hudteeoeb guddby a "conflict of "cleansed" cities, brought about by ethnically moti- trainsformhation" view. Suhave hne h ou n i fps-vated politicians, has resulteo in separatism and the cre- war reconstrucIo inanme fesnil as h otbsco ation of mini-apartheio states within communities. Seg- war reconstruction m sential ways, ~~~~regated neighborhoods have oeen fostered wher-e once which is directing the woktwr eace-buildinig. there was a rich multi-etnnic interactionThis has been At the heart of evr ntaiet otrand sustain economnic re- clearly illu~strated in the conflicts in Bosnia-Hferzegov- cove,ofry, at the root oevrpac-ilngeffort, are the people who andCoa,otnyInhebskowciesf very ~~~~~~~~~~~~Mostar, Sarajevo andVuKovar but also in many smaller have ivedin reatioship witheachotherprio to he coflic andtowns where ethnic groups had lived togetner in rela- who must live in relationships wvith eac ohratrwr has stopped. tiye peace for decades or even centuries. This applies even when the goal is tolantliewh differences, m Conflicts of a civilian character. Many cities havebe come increasingly targeted in today's conflicts, with and toundertand nd accmmodae divrsity.Becaue hmnn re once-cosmopolitan centers tJrning into battlefields, lationships are so itisclycnr,pee-udng efforts must e.g. Beirut, Mostar, Sarajevo, Banja Luka, K gall, Kabul, be gfuideda bDy thne threefl gol fhp,haigadreconciliation. etc.They nave been fed by a widespreac pro[iferation Hope inds ts epresson i the elief rehbilittionand rcon-of small arms, anti-personnel land mines ano "second- Hope finds its expre n and recon- ~hand" weaponry struction projects that the UntdNtin In other agencies con- *CnlcsbtenTehvs n nv-os T duct with the victims of wars. Coceentaies-Leven durinagpro- "urbanization" of war isnot just aoout ethnic division, tracted conflicts when peace appastob nillusive goal-miust be tsas a ewe h~hvs n nv-es establshed nd mut be xecutd in mannr tha accods thm theand, in a number of cases sucn as Kabul anc Sarajevo, it is about tne long-ignored rural communities mak- respect anid particiaino epei heafce omnte.ing a statement against the uroan centers that have Healing is realie thog ogtr,cmrhnie lia-always received greater attention and better treat- ienet; and by an increasing numoer of refugees-from eted strategies to end violeneadrhblte communities; these 2.5 million in 1 970 to 17.5 million in 1 992-with an- must address and include ths niiul n rusWith a vest- other 24 million internal y d splaced poop e, repre- ed interest in waging war, sent ng a significant snift in popu ation between rural Reconciliation is nurture bcofitrsliniiiatives that adubnaes Cites ar-e especialy vulnerable to the stresses of ensurethat te pastis adeuatelyaddresed whie the uture s keptconflict, since city-dwellers are particularly at risk when firnily and fully'i focus Mehnsst drs rua, coupled with their complex and sophisticated infrastrucxture sys- pracicalconfict esoltionskils, ae neded o wok toard utu-tems are oestroyec or rendered inoperable, or when they become isolated from external contacts. Furtner- alily aceptable uture ote t accmpany stucturalmore, much of the economic oase in cities depends measures and reconstructio intaie.on a more sophisticated whcte-colla employment sec- Healing wounds and builigpaei otteecuieresponsi- ton tnat can only function with good communication and commerce witn other cities and countries.These bilityof poiticias. We as achitecs andurbanand reionalplan-jobs, highly reliant on the survival of institutions, are ners, have amjrrltopa-n amacngrsosbiy. Uoften the first to disappear in an urban conflict. 1 2 VrbaAe SRN 9 -uction of war-torn cities, we must take into accourit the protracted deep-rooted nature of today's urban conflicts. As a result of conflict, skilled labor often migrates dilemmathat faces relief and development agencies, as out of the city (and usual y out of the country), while well as urban and social planners,when working in post- there is migration by rural populations into the city. conflict reconstructionThe relatively easy, but highly im- Displacement due to fighting, concentration of relief practical, solution of providing former adversaries with goods in cities and markets for rural produce, are fac- parallel hosp tals, schools, public services and even elec- tors that draw rural populations into cities in t mes of tricity and gas networks is often the option that relief war Cities are thus often left with a core population and aid organizatons choose. Unfortunately, in the push that is less educated than the pre-war popu ation, but to supply relief and implement rehabilitation projects Cities are more suited-and more eager-to participate in the to alleviate people's suffering, we often overlook the relatively simple economies that represent the first potental that physical reconstruction has as a catalyst especially stages of reconstruction. On the other hand, this is of- for peace-building.Thus, we not only miss the oppor- vulnerable to ten a population that is more conservative, and has tunityto bridge the gaps between communities, but al- tended to live in polarized ethnic or religious areas. so often re-enforce divisions that are reflected in the the stresses of This phenomenon has appeared, for example, in Beirut physical form that is taken by reconstruction. conflict, since with rural Shiite and Christian communities moving in In this context, there is an increased demand on citydwellers from the south and southeast regions of Lebanon. It the international community to intensify, coordinate is the phenomenon that is also often blamed for con- and improve polit ca and humanitarian responses as are particularly tinuing tension in Sarajevo and Mostar in Bosnia. well as to provide greater support for reconstruction at risk when their When consider ng the reconstruction of war-torn and post-conflict development. complex and cities, we must take into account the protracted deep- Parnerhi and rooted nature of today's urban conflicts.These con- Partnership in Kabul sophisticated flicts generally involve former neighbors, and fighting is The United Nations integrated reconstruction frame- infrastructure based on grievances and perceived injustices that have work forAfghanistan presents a promising initiative in been kept in the background, but never resolved.These this direction. On a recent visit to Kabul with my post- systems are types of conflicts are not easily settled through bar- graduate students, I had the opportunity to examine destroyed or gaining and negotiated agreements at the state level. the work of the United Nations Center for Human rendered Dealing with the demands and consequences of eth- Settlements (UNCHS). It was refreshing to observe nic polarization is probably the most difficult moral the way UNCHS architects and engineers have ap- inoperable, or when they - become isolated from external contacts. SPRING 1998 UrbanAge 1 Women Working for Peace o~~~~~~~~~~~~Ivesting in urb BY RASN AA ~THEN GLORIA CUARTAS WSEETDMYRo h ooba town of Apartado in 19,nonwaqutsreith33 proached the combined chal enge of rehabi itation and year-old former theolg stdn n iatrrle okr peace-bui ding. Although this was not my first visit so woul survive her term. Almost altemyrinheegohdeter Kabul, it was my first opportun sy so see the results of been attacked or assassinated byubngerlafcsorpamity this philosophy made manifest in physica projects. troops, and the town was virtuall une igUsing its experience from a number of similar p - 'As mayor, I felt helpless beaue I ol o rtc h ihso y lot project sites in Afghanistan, UNCHS set out in I 995 people," said Cuartas. Th insugenswr iln epe ayo hm to develop ideas for an institut onal structure and tech- were sny friends. The killings wer ntoludemigthlgtmay nical approach that would address the renabilitation of the state, but were also creatin msrtwihnhec muty"Se needs of severa urban communities in Kaoul. An in- decided to take on the guerrillas n h aaitr ocssnl-ad portant part of the UNCHS program was to strength- edly by waging a personal w~arz ofpaeadsldrtegis hm h n those nrstitut ors responsiole for urban manage- started a civic education campign whc noraeQh omuiyt ment by wo rki ng with them ratner than for them.Th is discuss the violence in their tw.The campaigni. whose slogan was "Let approach-and perhaps no otner-addresses tne key us discuss our differences wit ortongues and not our guns"waaie issues of land devolopmens and service provis on in at breaking the culture of siec ththad permeatedtecmuiy the context of rapid urban growth caused oy internal "Fe17ar [of the insurgents] ha aepeople afraid to ak hyfae d sp acement am d a decade of conf]ics. retribution.' Cuartas explains AItokte risk of cretn e etl Despite she problems faced by success ye nasion- itv among the people of Apartado,epcalamnthwo n.Iodte al authort es in Afgnanissan since 1 995, many struc- women that instead of keeping qetoflinthrgo,teymst re- tunes of governance are in place ano funcsioning at mmtionad therland anld sandur ote nugnstbog oviln`c the loca level,The cha lengo was thus to fino a means ions and through solidarity." ~~~~~~of strengthening tne existing municipal structure so Corridors of Peace ~~~~~~~~~~~~~thastnte system of dispersed districs offices and elect- ed representatives nolpod dove op and refine appro- Thanks to Cuartas' effrs, the wmno praoaesrgln oce priate national po cies on ssues common to a of ate what she callsi "corridors of peae intetw ysekn paant Afghanistan's urban centers. the violence and irefusing to be iniiae.Catshrefrfsst ieIn tandem wish other urban renabil sat on activi- bodygu-ards or escorts, despite repae het o e ie nesomene ties, a neighborhood acsion program was launched as called her at her office and declared tha hewsgigtosotheht3 se platform for making repairs to small-sca e infra- that afternoon. Cuartas' respons?"e tsol 0i h nmorinig. structure. An imporsant secondary aim of tnis pro- Goodbye." I ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~gramn was so nelp restore a degree of socia crgani- Today Cuartas, whose term amaoeneinDc br197isa zat on in the involved commun soes. member and leading advocate ofteWmnfrPaeNtok hsUNCHS field staff began to deveiop a mechanism Netokws Coformed in Isabli ue 96drn hescn ntd by wn ch urban fami ios can come togesher to identi- Ni artions confferene on HuanStlmns(aitIbyw enfo fy their own needs and implement sma I-scale activi- sixomwar-or counstrines-Afgaitn osi zgvia uud, ties in a manner shas will be compatible wsn the Colomia, alesine nd Randa The etwok's ottois "eacefor brocader process of urban management. Pars of this Home, Hoes fr Pece, andits ain bjeciveis t strngthn pece- invo ved the definition of a suitable package of po- builingactiitis t proectandensue te srvivl o hoes ad cm- tent a improvements.These improvements wore iden- munities during and after conlcsNewrmebrbeivthtpae tedhrunicusosihcmuiyrpeo- initiatives shouild not only com aboutd hasuahdresponses toh disasters,prebut shoul alsoserveas prventaive easurs aganst fture onflits.tasives that coverec not only local priorities out, more "We need to gbeodbodaddahancraewmnnden importantly, local responsibilst es-that is, whas they of cosciece wo ar not roudwiththe eak ad no wea wit the can preyido for themselves. stron," sys Carta. Th forer myor blievs tht beausetheysuf-Having this program accepted in the community as a partnersnip package s crucial if it is not to be seen fer the burden of taigcare of famhsafce ywro ofit oe have a ke role toplay in reating aculture f peace.as an ent t emens. In Kabul, UNCHS field staff memobers addressed this issue by encouraging community repro- RASNA WARAR i s acinedtroHaiaDeaeaqutrl orl sentatives to see the upgrading process as a commer- published by UNICHS (aia)Thsianardevesoofnarcltatcial venture-thus bringing nome she notion of a con- will appear in that lorn. tracs between donor ano beneficiaries.The conor is 1 4 UrbanAgze~ SpRiG 98 -habilitation can be seen as a means of investing in peace, no matter how remote the prospect of peace might seem. risking its investment in the community while the com- ture across the bridge and the traffic between the two munity risks its efforts at mobilization and organization, sides ncreased, br nging with it trade and coopera- The potential to "profit" hangs on the commitment of tion and the reduction if not the removal of tension. both parties, as in any commercial joint venture. Investing in Peace Further Readings What started as a city-c earing operation with the community gathering garbage into collection points The main conclusion to be drawn from the above is * H 11. R.,"'Post-War specially constructed by UNCHS and with the mu- that when considering the reconstruction of today's Reconstruction n the nicipal government providing collection cars, has war-torn cities-Dubrovnik Mostar, Beirut, Kabul, Kigali, Post Cold-War Era evolved into a water provision program, based on the etc.-it is critical that any rehabilitation effort, either Observac ons of a same partnership triangle. Water was demanded by during or following conflict, should reflect the com- Practitiorer" in Uroon the community as a result of raised expectations from p exity of the actual rather than the perceived situation Triumph Dr Urban a cleaner cityThe community's expectations contin- in the city. It is also vitally important to address the sur- Costen:Doramy of ued to rise in correlation with the improvement in rounding non-urban areas as an integral part of the Reccnstrurcony MIT arc the overall urban environment; with these, in turn, rose long-term recovery process because a major part of Univers ty of Yokr 1996 the level of community commitment. And communi- the reconstruction challenge is to resolve the problems ty commitment led to development of mproved ac- ofthe displaced rural population within those cities. Re- * Lesl e, J., 'Towards construction also should take into consideration all rel- Rehab itation Bu Idirg evant social ard polit cal divisions and should explore rust r AfgPrr star, in Gradually people began to venture the ideal institutional setting and community structures Manogement,Volume 4 with which to work. Rehabilitation programs must be Number I, B-adrorcd UK, across the bridge and the traffic between based on an analysis of what is needed and should pre- 1995. pare external actors to become involved-or, f nec- thle two sides increased, bringing with it essary, tow thdraw And, aid and deve opment entities * Bartksr, in o a b trade and cooperation and the reduction must know when an intervention is no longer required Bridging betvveen or when a project is causing more harm than good. Comnnunes od if not the removal of tension. Investing in urban rehabilitation can be seen as a !,lsiituncns, Pos-war means of investing in peace, no matter how remote Reconstruction and the prospect of peace might seem. One of the most Develomennent Unit, viable ways to encourage more suitable urban recov- University ofYok 1995. cess and flood mitigat on programs. As the benefits ery is by st mulating livelihoods and economic activ - m Barakat, S. arc Hoffnan became manifest and the news spread, the program ties, thus encouraging local markets and commerce. B., Pos-Con-iict was in a position to attempt to bridge the ethnic and For example, investing in workshops to produce re ief Reconstruction: Key political gap between communities-banking on its items locallywould help economic recovery, even while Concepts, Prncipa impartial reputation and the trust that it had estab- a conflict is raging. Making maximum use of local re- Componenos and lished with the community. sources, both human and material, and giving priority Capabi ties:' in Post- West of Kabul city, a small river separates Qualai- to employing local experts and workers subsidizes the ccntnct Reconstructcio e-Wahid, an area occupied by Pushtuns andTajiks and rebuilding of the job market and stimu ates the oca Strrtegies, Internat onal Qualai-e-Nazir occupied and contolled by the H sb- economyThe design of recovery programs should take Colloquim, e-Wahdat faction. A pedestrian bridge which once into account the need for flexibility in responding to Stadtsch a n og June 23- spanned the river and provided access for the Haz- circumstances that may change rapidly. By designing 24 995. UNIDO and aras to reach medica clinics and theTajiks and Push- programs to act as platforms for a range of activities, DDSMS. tuns to reach the market, was destroyed. Acting as there can be sufficient flexibility to take into account mediators, UNCHS staff identified elders in both com- the institutional setting and local community structures. munities to convince the Mujahideen commanders to Implementers should be able to anticipate the nega- lay down their arms and to participate in rebuilding tive, as well as the positive, potential of their actions. the bridge. There is no such thing as an mpartial intervention This intervention needed little technical or finan- program. By our actions, we either support the future cial input but a great deal of cultural understanding development of the affected population or we prej- and mediation skills. Gradually people began to ven- udice it. O SPRING 1998 UrbanAge 15 BEIR UT: _ __ BY MAY FARAH torn down and their remains bulldozed into the sea to prov de a base for the Normandy andfill project, Coniinerce and cu]iture are returning to Beirut. Approximately 290 buildings, including mosques and The chiallenge for residents. haunted bv the churches, have been saved and are being renovated. t ' ; An extensive road system, ncluding several under- spectre of recent conflict, is to resurrect a sense passes and bridges, has been bu It, part of which was of co mnmtiritv in order to create a vibrant anid opened to the public ast DecemberThe remaining underpasses and br dges wi I be open later th s year viable city. The scope and breadth of the BCD's reconstruct on is unparalle ed. However, because of the compl cated and controversial manner in which Solidere was estab- INCETHE END OF LEBANON'S CIVILWAR N 1990, I shed, it continues to be the target of much critcism. the country's capita cty has undergone a vast meta- A major share of that reproach has been d rected morphosis. Beirut's bullet-ridden and mortar- nfested at the handling of what was once private and. Ac- buildings, its crippled road system, and its severely dam- cord ng to economist Dr Elias Saba. a formner m nis- aged electricity and water systems are being demol- ter of economy and defense, and former member of ished. renovated and restored. In addition, people are Parliament, Lebanon's constitut on protects private rebuild ng their lives. Despite the protracted debate be- property owners by forbidding the government to ac- tween the proponents of modernization and those who fee a strong need to preserve Lebanon's past there is a feeling among Beiruitis to bury the past and start aga n, The area where this debate is perhaps best illus- trated is downtown Beirut, or what has come to be known as the Beirut Central District (BCD).The area, whicn was severely damaged during the war, was for- merly Beirut's commercial district, wnere many for- eign businesses, the stouk exchange, banks and small shops, or souks, were found. In May 1994, a real estate company cal ed Solidere was establ shec to oversee and execute a radical plan to demolish ano rebuild the BCD, wh ch ex-tends over 1.2 square miles and encompasses famous landmarks such as Martyr's Square,the Serail,the Parliament bu [ding and tne for- mer souk marketp ace.The company was also made responsible for a further 608,000 square miles that woulo oe reclaimed from the sea to proy de open spaces and office stes, and the construction of two marinas capable of berthing 1,000 boats. In 1992, two years after the end of the war, the BCD was a ghost town.There was virtually no activ- ity, and the majority of streets were closed off and guarded by the armed forces because mines were stl MAY FAR A H is a spread throughout the area that the government was reporter for the in tne process of digging up and destroying. Since 1 994, Dailv Star newspaper the area has undergone a rapid and massive trans- in Beirut. formation. Many of the original buildings have been 6 UrbanAge SPRING I 998 quire their property except under two circumstances: in the central district-amid bulldozers, cranes and that the land will be used for the public's benefit, and the noise of reconstruction-the area can already be that the owner receives fair remuneration. designated the heart of Beirut. "The government must satisfy both conditions, and Although official talk and public debate have fo- in the case of downtown Beirut, it didn't satisfy either," cused on physical and economic reconstruction, the criticizes Saba. "The land was taken from private own- renewal of Lebanon has occurred on many other cru- ers and given to a private company-Solidere-where cial levels-cultural, intellectual and social-as well shareholders own the majority of shares, and com- and to a great degree, from initiatives undertaken by pensation was assessed at a time when the economy the people themselves. It is so open-ended that artist- In 1992, was very weak." writer Helen Khal remarks, "the country is in the "The heart of Beirut is marketable," Saba points process *of reinventing itself." Khal believes that, unlike two years out. "Do you know any capital of any country in the the government's plan for the city center, other as- world that can be bought and sold on the stock ex- pects of Lebanese life in general-and the cultural after the end change?" sphere specifically-are reshaping spontaneously "Like Despite the debate and criticism, construction and always in Lebanon, it just happens.There is no master of the war, development in the BCD continues expeditiouslyJudg- plan for cultural renaissance or redevelopment like ing by the energy, the traffic and the number of banks, there is for the city center," she says. Rather, Lebanon the Beirut shops and businesses that have established themselves is being redeveloped by groups and individuals who Central are motivated by their own interests."Lebanon is, and has always been, a country of individuals who work District was independently," Khal notes. But she believes that the amount of activity going a ghost town. on in Lebanon is already quickly approaching pre-war levels.With 25 galleries in and around Beirut, the re- opening of the Casino du Liban last year, regular con- .v; .-*.ferences, exhibitions and festivals, it appears that the t = Av , -, impact of the war on Lebanon's cultural life is slowly becoming part of the distant past. All is not yet perfect, however. For instance, while there are many good artists working very seriously in Lebanon, what is still lacking, says Khal, are museums where artists can exhibit their work, such as a muse- um of contemporary art. At present, most artists ex- hibit at galleries, hotels and restaurants.The City Cafe, which opened two years ago in the once fashionable Hamra area, is a popular "in" spot among Beirutis ..f ,-i.-,- -.;.....where many local artists exhibit their work. In and around Beirut, there are many such public establish- ments whose walls adorn the works of up-and-com- ing or known artists. Khal maintains that that is not enough. "The government must have museums be- , *_c ia t _I m cause they are an important way of bringing art to A statue in Beirut symbolizes the city's . rise from the rubble of war. SPRING 1998 UrbanAge I 7 he Beiruitis are survivors, and to visit the city today is to witness that perseverance, riot just on a cultural, inteliectL the public. But this was the way it was before the war; To visit AUB today is to experience the stimulation it has redeveloped the same." that comes with revival. Over the past two years, Kha- Just four years ago, cultural activities in Beirut were laf has invited academics, authors and intellectuals to completely lacking.Apart from a handful of movie the- lecture on various local, regional and international is- atres, activity in the capital was at a standstill.With the sues.The Center has also begun to sponsor pre- and return of those who had left the country or just the postdoctoral international students whose area of in- city, came renewed energy and undertakings.A num- terest involves Lebanon and the Middle East. ber of festivals were organized in and around Beirut; "The objective is to encourage and cultivate young these have proven to be quite successful and have people.The pre- and postdoctoral fellows who are subsequently become annual events. One such event working on areas related to Lebanon and the region In the rush is the Gemayze festival, where artists display their work are interested in coming here to do research. But their along old Spanish-style steps in a residential quarter work habits and their research have become infectious, to build roads, in Beirut. Over the past couple of years, the increas- and the result is a transformation of our students." homes and ing number of art enthusiasts and curious passersby Khalaf also wants to involve high school and ele- who gather to admire the paintings, sculptures and mentary school teachers so they can incorporate in- offices, sketches have transformed the Gemayze area into a to their curricula practical steps that will help people hub of activity, which continues to bustle even after adjust to the changing world and modernization. Beirut's the festival's end. "What is happening to Lebanon is two things: first, Another example is the Hamra festival, named af- there are the post-war residues which have tribalized environment terthe street where it takes place.This has also, over Lebanon.When communities are threatened, they go the past two years, become very popular. For one back to their bubbles. Plus, because the whole social has paid weekend a year the merchants of Hamra Street col- geography of Lebanon, caused by exodus and migra- lectively organize concerts and contests, and artists tion, has been affected, there is a lot of reassertion of a potentially exhibit their work.The street is closed to traffic for communal identities," he explains. the duration of the event.The festival has been in- "But, at the same time, Lebanon is in a postmodern heavy price. strumental in helping Hamra, once the fashionable situation.The country has not yet been able to cope center of Beirut, regain some of its popularity just four with the residues of the war, an ugly war and these fac- years ago, walking along Hamra Street at night was tors have been compounded with globalism and con- unthinkable.Today, although it has yet to regain its pre- sumerism," he adds. According to Khalaf, new spaces war allure, the street once again lights up at night with are now emerging as Beirut negotiates how to re in- couples strolling along window-shopping, cafes spill quish parts of the past to make room for the future. onto the street, and a number of theaters-mostly Part of that negotiation can be seen through the offering Arabic plays-attract large crowds. swift replacement of some of Lebanon's more tradi- But Beirut was not just a hub of cultural activity; in tional eating landmarks with fast-food American out- the pre-war days, Lebanon was also the meeting point lets. Names like Pizza Hut, the Lone Star Cafe, Hard for academics and Arab intellectuals. And that intellec- Rock Cafe, and Henry J. Beans have to the despair tual community, which all but disappeared during the of many-replaced favorites such as Nasr and Faisals, war is being revived again,thanks to the many institutes the popular spots of the I 960s and I 970s.The de- which have been established and have taken an active facing of Lebanon's past can also be witnessed by the role in reconnecting the country to the global intellec- mushrooming of residential and office buildings, trans- tual scene. forming the once picturesque coastline and mountain One such organization is the Center for Behavioral areas into what many have called a concrete-saturat- Sciences at the American University of Beirut (AUB). ed monstrosity. In the rush to build roads, homes and Its chairman and an AUB professor of sociology, Samir offices, Beirut's environment has paid a potentially Khalaf, hopes that, through the Center, the country's heavy price. youth will be sufficiently inspired to help reclaim the Many small nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) once prominent position Lebanon and AUB held in have consequently been actively trying to fill in where the region. government efforts have been lacking. One of the That objective has already been partially attained. world's most outspoken defenders of the environ- 1 8 UrbanAge SPR NG 998 r social level, but spiritually and economically as well. ment, Greenpeace, has a small office staffed by two Hamdan continues,The people in Beirut.There are also about 50 volunteers, NGOs are already doing a mostly university and high school students, who sup- lot, but they can't replace port Greenpeace work by researching and taking part the state or the ministry of in campaigns and demonstrations. education; they can't afford Although, demonstrations have been banned by to launch major awareness the Interior Ministry since 1993, Greenpeace and oth- campaigns." er NGOs take the risk and demonstrate anyway. For There is no doubt that, example, at the end of January, some 100 environ- despite the physical re- mental activists from NGOs all across Lebanon construction, the devasta- demonstrated in front of Parliament and were in- tion of the war years con- strumental in having the government cancel one of tinues to have an impact the articles in the proposed 1998 budget bill: the plan on the citizens of Lebanon. to lease coastal properties for 50 years. But the Lebanese are sur- Despite these-admittedly modest-turnouts, ac- vivors, and to visit Beirut cording to Greenpeace campaigner in Lebanon Fouad today is to witness that Hamdan, most people are afraid of the potential reper- perseverance, not just on cussions of being linked to any group, given the polit- a cultural, intellectual, or ical uncertainty of Lebanon's future. "If we were cer- social level, but spiritually tain that there would be peace in the region tomorrow and economically as well. and real democracy in the country, then people would Through experence and be much more active. But the situation of half-democ- know-how, characterized racy means we don't know where things are, so peo- by the Lebanese's strong C- ple are afraid to get involved.That is the biggest prob- tradition in commerce and - lem facing all NGOs in Lebanon,' says Hamdan. trade, Beirut has witnessed Despite scarce resources, NGOs have created sig- an entrepreneurial explo- nificant public awareness through information cam- sion. International compa- r paigns. "The media in the past few years have been nies have returned, the °l full of stories on the environment, so I think public banking industry is boom- 3 l .- awareness has developed very positively in many ways. ing again, and practically - But there is still a lot to do, especially since the gov- every well-known West- U t j ,.-. ernment is doing almost nothing to propagate envi- ern outlet-food, fashion E _ ronmental issues in a systematic way." and so on-has secured 8 - -. - And the NGOs, with the support of the people, its piece of the local market. An extensive road are doing their best. Last month, for the second year In the midst of this commercial explosion, a small system and major running, hundreds of volunteers helped organize Op- cafe in the Hamra area opened its doors in June 1996. building projects eration Big Blue by gathering along Lebanon's coast Its manager and part-owner, Peter Samaha, had lived are bringing new to clean up the sea. Divers, swimmers and others spent abroad for much of the war and returned with one economic life to the day collecting garbage and depositing it in con- business concept in mind: to offer something that was the city. tainers for recycling. lacking: a meeting place for the communityThe re- Additionally, Greenpeace has held lectures in laxed atmosphere, sparked by the animated charac- schools and universities and environmental clubs ter of its manager, has made it a favorite among young across the country at the average of one or two lec- and old alike. "At no time do people feel that they tures per week. It shows videos and slides, and dis- don't belong here," remarked Samaha. "People come cusses the most important environmental problems and meet others irrespective of religion, race, or po- in Lebanon and the solutions. "We have reached di- litical affiliation." rectly, since 1 996, some I 0,000 people and we're To secure a future of peace, tolerance and equal- talking about two people doing that, with a slide ity, the people of Beirut would do well to aspire to projector and a video. It's crazy." the philosophy of Cafe Ristretto. U SPR NC 1998 UrbanAge I 9 l~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Preparng Afri can Cities For the Bond Market BY AKIN L. MABOGUNJE IHow do cities create the corndlt Wons io ss,.e unulTciDal boDcds?ThrIouagl t^e development of new sources o- revenue, -Le eff cren- col o ctClCin CT taxs a]C a management infomation system -hat wor:s. r Arca pxLrng t r~eiabeciofbiligrelateinomtio.hedatafrthe baosiofo tries, such a system just doesn't exist. ttThe first task for any municipality to float a bond on the capital market is to solidty ofitsreenue ase a'ein ood oder,improve its management information system. For any city, the primary unit of information is the individual building, including the household it shelters.These soas toconvinennderriters,trustes aridbuildings represent a basic economic asset from which a city can expect to gen- ratin agenies tatth bond of apartiularerate much of the revenue needed to pay for its services and amenities. Know- municialityare a ood ivestmet ris. Foring the number, size, location, ownership, value, use and occupancy characte- many Afican ciies, tis is amajor hrdle-ristics of these buildings is essential-not only for effective governance but also to a city's ability to access capital markets. and the eason wh it is ncessary o createSuch detailed information is usually cover-ed by a cadastre. A cadastre is gen- a modestly priced mnicipal geographicerally described as "a register, survey,or mnap of the extent, ownership, value, etc., inforniation system. ~~~~~~~of the lands of a country as a basis for taxation," Its purpose is to indicate the num- ber of taxable buildings in each neighborhood on ward. A cadastre usually com- becomes anisue as soonprises both the surveyed map showing the location and actual addresses of each property in a town or city and a register indicating the details of the property, the as a municipl authority pproaches andate it was built, its market value and-especially--the name of itsowe investment hank tonegotiate issuing,Once a cadastre is in place, the issue shifts to ensuring more effective and underwritng and maketing bods on thereliable collection of building-related information.These data form the basis for determining user charges or general tax revenues and enable a municipal or capitl maret. A soonas th capial beomeslocal government to plan more easily for a budget surplus. availale, th muniipalit mustaggresivelyObviously, much more needs to be done befor-e African towns and cities can strivetocompletetheproject ~enter the bond market. Following are some recommended actions tnat will en- able cities to successfully float municipal bonds to improve their infrastructure for whch thebond isue wa underaken.and to enhance their general economic development: u The central government can pass decentralization legislation that allows the generate budgetary surpluses of sufficient, reliable and sustainable proportion to make them attractive bond issuers. municipal or local government to raise revenue transparency and accountability in discharging its pub- through various instruments to promote, maintain and lic obligations. sustain its infrastructure.This devolution of power by The bottom line in a city's ability to exploit mu- the central government does not mean an end to nicipal bonds as a reliable funding source is improving Further Readings statutory transfers.The central government will still the municipal authority's creditworthiness-and, even- need to support, for example, tax exemption for in- tually,the credit rating of its bonds.This in turn means e Becl D DY. Receiving a rating allows an entity to access the cap and regonal government structures, competencies ital markets to raise revenue to fund capital projects. and legal latitude.They are: Investors require ratings as part of the investment * Economic-demographics, economic structure, package. It is used as a guide to the creditworthiness growth prospects of the entity and as a planningtool forthe long-term * System structure--intergovernmental structure, rev possibility of return on investment. enue and expenditure balance, management sys- JA: Some entities obtain ratings for non-debt specific tems, and policy purposes. Why is this? * Fiscal flexibility and performance-revenue sources and flexibility E: Eitherto promote general investor confidence,to enhance name recognition to attract foreign invest- U Financial position and policies-iquidity, debt burden inent, or to increase the debt capacity of municipally and off-balance-sheets iabilties owned banks or utilities. We use the same criteria used to assess U.S. local governments, but they are somewhat crafted to adapt UlAA. What are the criteria Stondard and Poors uses to to local issues and circumstances. For example, trends rate an entity? How do you adjust your criteria for enti- in intergovermental relationships differ hugely among ties at different stages of development? countries. With the advent of both political and fiscal jEE:We focus on a range of credit features as an entire decentralization, these relationships-and the new in- package.We assess the economic environment, the sys- stitutions that have emerged dramatically alter the tem structure and administrative factors,the budgetary economic and financial environment. performance and flexibility and the entity's financial po- We have to make adjustments in these newly emerg- sition.The economic base, growth and diversity of a lo- ing markets for newly created and evolving legal frame- cality are critical determinants of a rating. works, assess different kinds of tax and revenue-sharing 24 UrbanAge SPR'NG 1998 *ts Look For relationships, look at what kinds of new responsibilities re atively well positioned economically and fiscally. are being handed down to local governments, and de- Uai!: Hove you worked with local credit roting agencies? termine the stability of intergovernmental relationships and how those relationships are codified. WeW cosieoneseeideerfdoeti rei markets to be of critical importance, particularly for the We consider UA: How big is this emerging market now, and what will placement of local funds from insurance companies and the development it be in the future? pension funds.To that end, we have partnered with a of domestic credit JE: That is impossible to answer.The size of the cur- number of local credit rating agencies in Indonesia, In- rent municipal finance market in the United States is dia, Chile, Brazil and South Africa to provide technical markets to be of U.S. $ 1 70 bil ion, Right now, we are working in 28 assistance to strengthen those institutions. critical importance, countries worldwide. Fifteen years ago, we worked UA: What do you look for when first working with an particularly for only in U.S. cities.Then we started working in West- entity that requests a rating? ern Europe,Australia and Canada.Two to three years the placement of ago.we sarte ratng i theemering arkes insuc JE. First, the preparation of crediole financial reports. ago, we started ratinga,nBrazil,eCina m bia th In orderto rate, we need to see reports that are trans- local funds from Czech Republ c, Creece, Korea, Latvia, Poland, Russia parent and credible, and that-ideally-have been au- insurance and Turkey Obviously, this is a growing market. dited by third parties.We need to see a solid history companies and of financial reports. Second, we need to see that an UA: What are the rating trends? entity has a well-founded vision of its future economic pension funds. JE: Much of our rating activity has taken place in Latin development; that is, we want to have a look at a fi- America and Eastern Europe. Many ofthe stronger lo- nancial and debt profile, understand the entity's cap- cal governments in the emerging economies were first ital needs and see what assumptions they are making to enter the capital markets. Most have been rated at for the future and what is their vision of reality. u or near their sovereign's foreign currency rating. Sev- eral of these entities are national capitals, and most are MARGARET BERGEN is editorof Urban Age. Reach a Unique International Audience DEVELOPMENT PLANNING UNIT in Urban Planning, Infrabucture A UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON Developrnent, Finance and City Government UCL The Development Planning Unit specializes in academic teaching, X i: A v f Eg Your advertisement practical training and research in the field of urban and regional can now be a part ofD PU development in developing countries. the world's premier MASTERS DEGREES in Development Planning publication dedicated nUrban Development Planning to urban affairs in the * Building and Urban Design in Development Contact: developing woridWith mEnvironmentally Sustainable Development UAI Courses Administrator, a combined circulation * Cosmopolitan Development Development Planning of over 38,000 and n International Housing Studies Unit 9 Endsleigh Gardens London WC IH OED editions in five languages, POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA United Kingdom UrbanAge is ideally .Development and Planning Studies Tel: 00 44 171 388 7581 situated to reach the expanding urban development Fax: 00 44 171 387 4541 marketplace in finance, management, infrastructure RESEARCH-MPh;l and PhD Programmes Email: dpu@ucl.ac.uk development and planning. * Urban and Regional Development Website: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/dpu/ For more information, contact: SHORT & SPECIAL PROGRAMMES Nick Harrison, Managing Editor, Urban Age 1818 H Street NW. Room F4K-268 A* Urban and Regional Environmental Management: Implementing Local Agenda 21 Washington, DC 20433 K Management for Metropolitan and Municipal Development Telephone: 202-458-8002 Urban Development Planning Practice, Action Planning Approaches and Techniques Fax 202-2-458-3223 * Urban Land Policy and Management E-mail: 202rriso522 world3223.org a . Housing, the Design and Implementation of Enabling Strategies E-mail: nharrison*worldbankorg a Social Development Policy, Planning and Practice SPRING 998 UrbanAge 25 Researchers Needed for Global Urban Database By CHRISTINE AuCLAIR Most cities in the world suffer from a lack of information, a situation that seri'ously und'ermines their eapacity to develop effective urban and shelter policies. Com-piling urban indicators-measuremrents of key city activities and programs-is one solution to this managemenit pr-oblem. INCE 1995,THE URBAN INDICATORS PROGRAMME a Local government-information on governance, finance of UNCH~S (Habitat) nas been constructing a global ur- arc local participation ban indicators database. Using a large network of na- U Housing-data on housing demand, prices and quai- tional focal points and experts, it has collected data and ty; land; finance; and construction indicators on 237 cities in I I0 participating countries, Most existing databases provide data at the national The database contains more than 20,000 pieces of in- level; only a few contain information on cities.This data- flormation, nc uding: base has tne potentia to contrioute significantly to tne * Background date-basic demographic, nouseho d and world's know edge of city development--out first, the income oata data must be analyzed globally, regierally and sectorally. * Socioeconomic development-data on poverty, em- To tnis end, UNCHS (Habitat) is making the eatabase ployment, health, education and chine available to all researcn institut ens and qual f ee indivie- * Infrastructure-data on networked services uals around the wonld and inviting themn, in exchange, to provide Habitat with their analytical resu.lts. A synthesis of tne results will be included in The 5tate of the Wanfals Cities Report at tne end of tne year UNCHS (Habtat) a~so invites research institutions and qualified individuals to present proposais for new aggre- gated ndeces, such as the prototype City Development In- aex, and for proposals about how to improve the exist- ing list of urban indicators, Participating research institu~tions tne UN CHS (Habitat) Global Urban QObservatory wnere the Urban Indicato-s Programme is located. Drat aalyesare to be submitted before May 3 1, andfinl aalyesbefore June 30. Researchers may theeafer se he ataaseas an ana~ytica~ resource. ~~~ '5~~~~~~~-~~~ ~For detailed information, contact Jay Moon, e-mnail: jay.moor~unchs.org Local Urban Observatories Ind cators summarize ,nformation relevant to par- t cu an areas and point to particular problems.Tney * Transport-quality and quantty of transport, modes are designed to give a reasonable proxy in response and investment to specific needs and questions asked by decision- * Environmental manogement-cata on waterntreatment, makers and policy planners. Indicators are powerful solid wastes and disasters tools for clarifying values and nfor-ming decision- makers with regard to development planning; they CHRISTINE AuCLAIR is an advisor to the Urban are most useful wnen they ane t,ed to ex~sting poli- Indicators Programme of the UA/ Cent refor Human cies and address the needs of peeple and groups Settlement (Habitat) in Nairobi, Kenya. who have a stake in a city's welfare. Any indicator 2 6 UrbanAge SPRING 1 998 used for a city must therefore be identified through a broad-based partnership approach that involves alli decisionmaking levels and all stakeholders ir urban development issues. UNCHS (Habitat) is establishing a network of Local Urban Observatories (LUOs) to develop locally based frameworks of indicators to monitor policies.This net- work will be given tools for collecting and using appro- priate policy-or ented indicators, and should ultimately > ' be involved in numerous activities at the national and re- gional levels. A LUO can be a government agency, research cen- ter or educational institution designated as a "workshop'' where urban indicators are developed and tested.The LUOs in each city or town will be focal points for urban policy development and planning, n which collaboration Need se uur is fostered among policymakers, technical experts and D ***J representatives of partnership groups. As a subscriber to Urban Age, you are part of a LUOs will perform any or all ofthe following functions: . . . y * Learning structures-identify conditions, trends and pri- very special International community. ority issues through research and a consultative process You are one of the professionals who is working to involving policymakers and representatives of non- solve urban problems and to make cities better places governmental groups and civil organizations to live.You are in government, academia, commerce, a Service providers-develop appropriate indicators. in- community organizations, architecture, and art-all dices and evaluation frameworks forthe city and its com- the areas that make city life exciting and rewarding. munities; maintain information management systems; and undertake evaluations at the request of local authorities Urban Age needs to know you very well so that we and various partner groups can write about what you want to read.We want every * Training agents-help communit es and neighboring issue to stimulate and challenge you, to help you do cities and towns to use appropriate tools and methods your job better, and to help you face a future that is for the generation, management and analysis of urban in- full of promise and peril. formation and to build local capacity for applying these Tell us a little about yourjob, your interests, your tools and methods on a regular and consistent basis in . w w c formulating urban policy opinions.That way we can serve you betfter. formulating urban policy * Networking nodes-participate with other LUOs and The card on page 21 contains a few simple questions. with National Urban Observatories (which will comple- Please answer them and mail the card to our Wash- ment the LUOs) in sharing resources, exchanging sub- ington publishing office.We need to hear from all of stantive and methodological knowledge, and disseminat- our 38,000 readers in 180 countries around the world. ing indicator analyses at all levels Urban Age is the o in the world that writes The goal ofthis integrated system is to better inform excusive isot only magazin the world , urban policymakers and the public on urban conditions exclusively about urban issues in the developing world. and trends, and to expand global understanding of the Help us to make this the best magazine possible by impacts and processes of urbanization.The LUO system completing the card and sending it to us. will also track worldwide progress in imp ementing the Habitat Agenda. Without youour readers- Institutions interested in becoming a Local or National o.Ih a e Urban Observatory and in joining the Global Urban Ob- we vI m ni o eAsL servatory network should contact the coordinator at: guo@unchs.org SPRING 1998 UrbanAge 27 K Smart Growth: Thinking about Limits ~.1 (S BY NEAL PEIRCE UITE SUDDENLY-even unexpect- The phenomenon was not just suburban growth: it After 50 years, edly-Amer cans are mmersed in a was urban dec ine,too.AcrossAmerica's Northeast, M d- the vested debate about physical growth in and west and many parts of its South and West, central cities 72 ]interests that around theirgreat metropo tan region, actually deci ned sharply in population-thinning out, suf- It s not just environmentalists, or fer ng deep disinvestment-while their suburban rings brought you defenders of the nation's nistoric buildings, or downtown expanded.Vast sectiors of many major cities were left to sprawl nterests who are raising the issue. In a nat on built on rot and festerWithin the city limits of St. Louis, the pop- W:0f: ~sprawl the the land speculation and development, many real estate own- ulation dec ined from 857,000 in 1950 to 356,000 n American way ers, developers and builders have also begun to quest on 1996 a staggering oss of a half-million inhabitants. arey now practices that have been part of the American urbar Part of the reason for this abandonment was eco- @ are now scene for decades. So are many bankers, title lawyers, ar- nomic -many peop e were seek ng more open space X ~' reassessing their chitects, town planners and citizen activists. and greater economic opportunity n "green" suburbs, position in the h Why? John Chaffin, a developer widely respected for g position In the h s housing projects built on rural tracts n South Car- light of grave ofina and Colorado, offers a clue:"We've grown outward for 50 years; now it' time for a turnaround. Z environmental, *Growth is inevitable and necessary. But left unat- ( ~~~~social and tended, it wi I wreak havoc on our onvironment and civ- lizationWe must seek to bring fair reason to the process." economic A fragment of history is usefu here. Fromn the I 6tn V ~ ~ coseuece. contury onwaro, immigrants from all over the wor.d have come to North America.Th is cont nent was viewed by the newcomers as possessing unlimited size and infinite natural resources.Americans built a nation on the premise of"conquering" a wilderness. After mass production of autos began n the I 920s Federal inducements to move to the suburbs played a and I 930s, the idea of personal mobolity for everyone large part. Middle-class people of alI races fled the cities became pervasive. And, following World War 11, came to get away from growing levels of crime and poor qual- generous federal government assistance for great high- ity schools.The and-use consequences were serious. At ways-resulting in an ambitious nationa system.Th s was the same time that suburban development was devour- combined with federal subsidies for suburban housing ing "greenfields," more and more industrial "brownfelds" tracts that were increasingly located farther away from were being abandoned first in center cities, then in the industrial and urban centers. older inner ring suburbs. So why would there De a ques- Americans as a result spread out in a pattern with rare tioning of development trends, indeed a "Smart Growth" historic precedent. Consider the older city of St. Louis, one movement to reverse these trends, in the late I 990s? ofthe nation's great industrial centers. Between 1950 and Reasons for Change 1990, the population of St. Louis and the surround ng 12 K3 counties n the states of Missouri and 11 inois rose by 35 Perhaps globalization belongs at the top ofthe list of rea- percent. But the amount of land consumed by develop- sons.The assault on U.S. dominance of the automobile ment for housing subdivisions, new commercial centers, industry by Japanese and European competitors forced N E AL R. EI RC E factories and industrial parks-soared by 355 percent. Americans to recognize that the effortless economic su- is an urban affairs Ortake just the years 1970 to 1990.The Chicago re- periority of the postwar generation would not last for- columnist with the gion's population inched up 4 percent, but its land use ever And, in American society, no waste has been more - . Washington Post Writers increased by 46 percent. Los Angeles, a fast-growth area, obvious than redundant suburban growth, duplicati ng the Group and coauthor of added 45 percent more people-but consumed 300 per- roads and schools and public facilities of the inner cities the book Citistates. cent more land. and older suburbs. 28 UrbanAge SPRING 1998 The U.S. environmental movement, born in the 1 970s, transit-oriented development and encouraging metro- has also been maturing. Members of the movement now politan-wide cooperation to reduce disparities between consider land as important as-and intimately related rich and poor areas. to-the issues they first organized around, such as air William McDonough, dean of the University of Vir- and water pollution, and cleanup of toxic waste sites. ginia School of Architecture, told the conference that Among architects and planners, a movement called Smart Growth is desperately needed, he said, to offset New Urbanism-which celebrates traditional-style de- today's "strategy of tragedy," the random scattering of re- velopment and the more compact, variegated forms of al estate developments with no thought to what they towns and suburbs that Americans built before World mean for the environment or human community. War Il-has gained popularity in recent years. New Ur- The Baltimore gathering attracted 750 people from banism appears to be a reflection of a growing popular across the United States-roughly a third from govern- revulsion with standardized mega-roads, big-box retail ment, a third from environmental groups and nonprofits, stores and characterless subdivisions. and a third from among developers and homebuilders Finally, some portions of American business have been who are looking for alternatives to current patterns of adapting their operations to accommodate the trend. A far-flung, land-consumptive development. The phenomenon critical leader is the California-based Bank of America, a The full list of cosponsors suggests a growing political was not just f[nancial and real estate lending giant that has made vast emphasis. It included such organizations as the National profits on sprawling development. But now, the bank and Association of Realtors, the International City/County suburban growth; its partners warn,"unchecked sprawl has shifted from an Managers Association, the National Trust for Historic it was urban engine of California's growth to a force that threatens to Preservation, the National Association of Counties, the decline too inhibit growth and degrade our quality of life."The bank Congress for the New Urbanism and two heavyweights identified many costs associated with continuing a pattern of the great American construction machine-the Amer- of scattershot development. Among them: much higher ican Public Works Association and the American Associ- commuting costs for businesses and workers, America's ation of State HighwayTransportation Officials. worst air quality, severe farm and loss and "abandonment To be sure, some of these organizations remain am- of people and investments in older communities." bivalent about how to handle growth. Some are still tied economically to land-consumptive expansion. Even so, their willingness to even enter into a discussion of the The Bank of America's new position by no means sig- problems marks a historic turning point. na ed a 100 percent turnaround. Indeed, the recent U.S. There is a compelling lesson in this for all nations: To- economic boom has sparked continued waves of new day's technologies allow for rapid and easy consumption suburban housing and offces. From homebuilders to high- of land in concentric ring after concentric ring beyond way engineers, there are powerful groups that vehemently historic city cores. It is possible to adopt standardized, defend the form of development the country has prac- mass-produced forms of shopping centers, strip malls ticed for a half-century. and residential blocks.And, like America, it is easy to sub- Still, a meeting in Baltimore last December seemed sidize and support private automobiles while leaving pub- to signal the emergence of a remarkably broad Smart lic transit underfunded and underdeveloped. In the short Growth movement in America. One of the two top run, even for a number of years, the economic results cosponsors was the federal Environmental Policy Ad- from such a course may seem acceptable, even desir- ministration, which has been forging a Smart Growth able. It all looks like "progress." Network to unite and inform advocates of the move- But consider the cost many American communities ment nationwide. are now paying for this pattern-a dull sameness to de- Even more fascinating, the Urban Land Institute (ULI), velopment, loss of community identity, separation of class- the premier organization of the U.S. development in- es and races and increasing costs for duplicated public dustry. was a cosponsorThe ULI is focusing on issues facilities. most developers and homebuilders historically ignored Any society oughtto debate the question thatAmer- or left to politicians-restoring a sense of community cans never fully addressed but which they now face with and economic vitality to inner cities and their neighbor- great urgency: what form of development do we really hoods, recovering industrial brownfields, fostering want? N SPRING 1998 UrbanAge 29 Spotlighting innovative city projects and programs around the globe. U : 0 0 - Open Cities, China community teachers to work with books U Informing and reading activities in a context of the Community, - he International Office of the poverty and deprivation. Each library South Africa I Federation of Canadian Municipalities takes into account the specific needs and has established a bilateral relationship culture of the community in which it is The Legae la Kitso (Home of with China in the China Open Cities located. T Information) project has created a Project.The goal is to promote urban community information resource center management and economic development in the South African town of in China's 354 municipalities designated as Profiting From Waste, Atteridgeville.The : open cities" by adopting approaches that Sri Lanka project- protect the environment. China's open cities are at the forefront of the nation's Depiliyana, a semi-urban town 20 plans for economic reform and Ikilometers south of Colombo. had rr modernization, and feature preferential no local resources to collect and tax policies for foreign investors.The dispose of solid waste in a project has provided specialized training socially and environmentaily for hundreds of Chinese municipal viable manner. In 1995. the authorities through seminars, training National Forum of prqgrams, and academic courses in People's Organizations Canada and China, as well as field study (NFPO) began an tours in Canada. Building on project experimental solid achievements and lessons learned, a new waste program ina emphasis is being placed on specific cooperation with WNewYork project development in the municipalities local fruit and ofTianjin, Xi'an, and Haikou. For more vegetable traders and information, contact the Federation of the local authority Canadian Municipalities International Today, traders separate Office, 24 Clarence Street, Ottawa, compostable waste for Ontario, Canada KN 5P3; tel: 613-24 1 - removal and processing by 8484; fax: 613-241-71 17; e-mail: NFPO. while finished compost Brazil interntional@fcm.ca is marketed by a local church.The benefits of this partnership include employment for the urban poor, increases Living Libraries, Brazil in waste collectors' income through the sale of organic waste, improved L iving Library is a two-year project cleanliness, increased business activity in established Lsupported by a grant from Citibank in the marketplace, and an opportunity for by the Human Sciences Research partnership with the Abrinq Foundation the local church to use its new profits for Centre in partnership with ASRO, a civic for Children's Rights. Its goal is to make social development programs. For more organization representing the township N nreading and writing an everyday activity information, contact NFPO, Shaun of Atteridgeville-Saulsville in Gauteng for poor children and their teachers Vincent, 141/ I Colombo Road, Pepiliyana, Province-is owned by the community, across metropolitan Brazil. Living libraries Boralesgamuwa, Sri Lanka; fax: 94- 1-827- and attempts to redress the systemic are being implemented in community 200; e-mail: nfpo@srianka.net inequalities that are the lasting legacy of centers where children and adolescents the apartheid regime. Specifically, the from poor districts outside big cities live, center provides free access to and where slums and social problems are information on survival and community- conlcentrated.The project helps prepare building. 30 UrbanAge SPRING 1998 U Building Businesses, U Solving Sanitation, India music by the bay, "Feast on Film," and the Egypt 'Ultimate Food and Wine Competition." culabh International has developed The Hawkers' Market at the Queen n 1988, the U.S. Agency for International Jthree technologies for safe and Victoria Market is one of the most vibrant I Development endowed the Alexandria hygienic human waste disposal in India. attractions of the festival, offering food Business Association (ABA) with a The first is two-pit, pour-flush. on-site and wine from 25 vendors.The festival collateral fund of U.S. $8 million, against disposal technology.The second is the also fosters links between town and which the nonprofit foundation construction and maintenance of pay country, as Victoria's regional centers could borrow community toilets used by 10 milliorn prepare their own dinners for 5,000. Egyptian people a dayThe third involves using Some capitalize on an open-air theme, the waste generated for bioenergy with groups eating on major streets, on and biofertilizer.Taken together, the tops of hills, on the banks of rivers, and- technologies eliminate open-air in one center-down the straightaway defecation and make the of a racetrack, demeaning practice of cleaning human excreta unnecessary. Now, public latrines, which Preserving the used to be the dirtiest Performing Arts, places in city centers, NewYork are among the cleanest, according \A/here just a year ago there was to environmental VV only a muddy pit, there is today organizations.The a lavish theater incorporating new sEgypt . WChina technologies have i architecture with an old facade.The old yindia been installed in Lyric and Apollo theaters have been Delhi, Bombay, combined and reborn as the Ford Center _ Calcutta, and Madras. for the Performing Arts. Key features of W Sri Lanka For more information, the two classic theaters were preserved contact Dr. Bindeshwar and reincorporated in the new building- Pathak, Sulabh International notably, the Lyric's facades, domes, boxes, Australia@ Social Service. Sulabh Bhawan. and proscenium arch, and the 42nd street a Mahavir Enclave. Palam Dabri Road, lobby from the Apollo.The colorful WSouth Africa New Delhi 1 10045, India; tel.: 091- I I- mosaics of tragedy and comedy that line 555-3370, 555-3823, 555-4844; fax: 09 1 - the Center's floor were designed by pounds I 1-444-6445, 462-9275. artisans in a Brooklyn studio. Funding for to lend to clients, the project was provided in large part and a $2 million grant for oper- (an estimated U.S.$8 to $10 million) by ating expenses until ABA could cover its Food and Wine Festival, the Ford Motor company.The Center is own costs.With these resources, ABA Australia part of New York City's commitment to has taiiored an innovative methodology revitalize Times Square. In addition to the to supply credit to small and micro- D unning from March through April and Ford Theater, the new Times Square is enterprises and support their growth. I Rcomprising more than 35 events, this home to the Disney Store, the New The foundation offers its clients small annual festival aims to stimulate activity in Amsterdam and NewVictoryTheatres, loans with few prerequisites, flexible loan urban and regional areas, highlight local television studios, and retail stores. It will repayment conditions with short-loan produce, and create a lively, cultural ultimately boast a 25-screen movie terms, and hands-on technical assistance. environment. It showcases some of theater, Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, Melbourne's best epicurean products and a $300 million hotel and entertainment talents and includes breakfasts, wine and complex, and Reuters North American headquarters. V SPRING 1998 UrbanAge 3 1 Building a Cultural Heritage Network BY Jy DANIEL TAILLANT EPRFESNTAT]VES FROM international groups, non- governmental organizations, examine cultural heritage in development.The l7 two-day working group at the Wolrl Bank's headquarters in Wash'ington stressed support for tne development of a planning and coordi- nation network to focus on culturai heritage qest ions. SpeaKerstinvitedtneattendees to de- velop guielines forthts network, raise crit cal issues with their governments, and foster broad discussion abou.t cultural hertage issues as an integral part ofethe development agenda. The meeting's goa was to lay the ground- work for a Cultura. Heritage Network (CHN) the local evel including ne gnborhoods ano which would use existing international and lo how to foster the necessary public-prvate re- \ee are custod das of cal resources to promote cultural heritage is- lationships to sustain those efforts. Several del sues througnoutlthe developed and develop- egaes commented that whine the effort needs thre past ard creators ing world.The experts worked out definnitions, ootn international and national support, much of t.se futire. objectives and necessary steps to take. Dole- of tne interest ano activity shou d oe gener- gates represented alI areas of the world, and ated locally. interests ranged fromn the mor-e traditional fo- Paallwt niomna oeet ment, now solid y set in the oevelopment cus of preserving monuments and protecting agenda, was once confined to a sma I number indigenous cultures to finding funds for pro- A strong parallel was orawn oetween rising of groups which expressed legitimate concerns moting a broad understanding of the signifi- cutural awareness of today and the environ- but whicr were often ignored by governments cance of culture and identity. Discussions ex- mental movement of not long ago. Several del- and private businesses. In recent years, how- plored how the issues could be promoted at egates noted that the environmental move- ever, the movement has gathered wide sup port in many countries by draw ng attention tosecific problems and using education pro- grams to encourage involvement by the pub- lic and government agencies. Several speakers noted that cu tural heritage issues, wnile con- sidered important n some areas of the word, do not enjoy tne level of attention they de- serve. CHN, tney said. snould view tne expe- riences and successes of tne environmental movement as valuable lessons. Delegates also noted that cun tra heritage projects should be viewed as funoamental el- ements of lager economic development ob- Among the attendees at the two-day workshop on cultural heritage at theWorld Bank headquarters jectives, and as a key factor when drawing up in Washington were, from left, Dr. Mounir Bouchenaki, director of UNESCO's Division of Cultural deveiopment programs. Increased potential for Heritage; Lorena San Roman, of the Costa Rican government's Ministry of Culture,Youth and Sports; tu mretaiinlbnftascae t and Pisit Charoenwongsa, senior archeology specialist at the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization's Regional Center for Archeology and Fine Arts, cultural preservation-is but one approacn. 3 2 UrbanAge SPRING 1 998 U t | I First PanAfrican Summit of Local Governments -11 11 I u h I I; L X 1 BY CHANTAL RELIQUET FRICITIES took place in infrastructure and facilities;The Forum Abidjan, C6te d'lvoire, on Decentralized Cooperation highlighted January 26-31. VDesigned collaboration among cities and subnation- to bring local governments al entities (twinning agreements); and Aj> > _ _ B \ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~to the forefront of the po- Challenges of Communication discussed \ w t g -' _ ~~~~~~~~~~litical scene, the summit was attended by the need for improved communication on -more than 1,000 participants from 40 urban!municipal matters and promoted countries (30 African), including 25 minis- the development of modern communica- ters, 500 mayors, and numerous municipal tion tools.The workshops were followed and urban professionals and representa- by two political meetings among mayors tives from the private sector, nongovern- and ministers in charge of decentraliza- (Tourism may in fact be harmful to cultural mental organizations, the media and in- tion. In addition, an exhibition-fair preservation efforts.) Just as important, sever- ternational institutions. "Villexpo-98,' featured 150 private al delegates pointed out, are the benefits of pre- The summit was in response to a de- providers of services to cities and local serving common values, languages and shared mand by African mayors and was orga- communities in the fields of environment, histories through cultural artifacts and tradi- nized by the Municipal Development Pro- infrastructure, municipal development and tions.While cultural heritage, especially in the gram in collaboration with the government new technologies. Africities emphasized form of locations and artifacts, often includes of the Republic of C6te d'ivoire and the the importance of the urban sector and an intrinsic economic value, the development Ivoirian National Association of Cities. the reality of decentralization in Africa, process may overlook that value because it In a keynote address, Callisto Mada- where it is creating a profound change in does not appear to be financially attract ve. vo,World Bank vice president for Africa, the institutional and political arena: Governments and lending organizations need noted that "the next millennium will be mayors, who increasingly are directly urban.' Africa-and the rest of the elected, are becoming more responsible to factor In the ntr nsic value of cultural den- tity when making development loans, world-will be predominantly urban by towards their constituents and consider the year 2020; already, cities have dou- themselves as the leaders of the future. More than the Past bled in size over the iast three decades. :Lastly, Africities was testimony to the But as they have become centers of hu- identity of Africa, with a wide representa- At the same time, several delegates warned man development and engines of tion from all over Sub-Saharan Africa, a against a general move merely to protect old growth, they have also become pockets mix of Anglophone, Francophone, and buidirgs, noti ng that cu tural h eritage nvolves of poverty and environmental degrada- Lusophone countries, the will to more than just the past. In many cases, it in- tion.This underlines the urgency of tack- collaborate and speak with a common volves building on the present and looking to- ling the problems of the urban sector, voice on urban development issues and ward the future which is now in the making. Four summit workshops attempted to harmonize decentralization policies. Meeting Chair Ismail Serageldin,World Bank to address some of these problems: The summit generated great enthusiasm. vice president for Environmentally and Socially The African City, a Business Opportunity, Major cities are maintaining the momen- Sustainable Development, echoed this senti- aimed at fostering partnerships between tum and are already competing to host ment and summarized the meeting's purpose municipalities and the private sector for Africities 2000. . U when he said, "we are custodians of the past the financing and delivery of urban infra- and creators of the future." structure; Priority for Maintenance ad- CHANTAL RELIQUET is an : dressed the important challenge of pro- urban specialist with the Economic J.w D A N I E L TA I L L A N T is an urban . . . Development Institute of the World specialist with the Urban Partnership of the viding adequate maintenance for Bank. World Bank. SPR NC; 1998 UrbanAge 33 Bevond the New Urbanism The Ecology of Place. Planning for lief in traditiona design principles houses Environment, Economy, and Commu- are branded with old-fashioned front porch- nity. Timothy Beatley and es, streets are styled on a grid pattern, and Kristy Manning, Island Press,Washington, green spaces and trees line the ma n boule- DC, 1997. vards.These visual design features belie the BY ANNABEL B LES fact that affordable housing, community di- vers ty and contro led land consumption are REVAILING WISDOM dictates absent from such projects. activity. In a decentralized city like Los Ange- that the last 40 years of Amer- The Ecology of Place marshals a solid archive les, t makes no sense to focus on such a low- ican urban development has re- of case studies which extend beyond the cus- density area. sulted in ugly, sterile and alienat- tomary themes of traditional architecture, What emerges from The Ecology of Place ing andscapes. In response to pedestrian zation and green spacing. From var- is not a radical departure from the New Ur- this, a number of architects, urban planners, ious standpoints, the authors offer detailed banist movement, but a refinement of its nos- writers and academics have formulated prin- assessments of local government and urban talgic vision for an agrarian past. Echoing the cip es for what has come to be known as New panning nitiatives.They cite the program of ur- ideas of other authors who have written in Urbanism.The New Urbanist movement pro- ban growth boundaries in Portland, Oregon, as this area-James Kunst er Peter Katz and Mar- mu gates the ntellectually fashionable vocab- having successfu ly encouraged compact den- shall Berman for example-Beat ey and Man- ulary of sustainabi ity, community-based think- sity, retarded sprawl and revitalized the inner n ng develop the utopian "idea city concept" > ing, government initiatves and future cityThe authors concede, however, that the into a modern context:"the alternative vs on g model ng."Yet, when adjusted to account for Portland model has been less successful when for our urban communit es is one in which the env ronmenta slant acking in previous applied in other regions. Although ostensib y land s consumed sparingly, landscapes are town planning paradigms, these concepts do committed to the problem of equity in the city, cherished and cities and towns are compact, not constitute a radical departure from the the discussion about Portland fa Is to document vibrant and green." Contrary to what Beatley ph losophy behind the urban renewal programs ncreases in housing prices with n the city's and Manning argue, sustainable urban forms of the 950s and I 960s-some of which are growth boundary. In terms of affordability, Port- do not always have to mean reducing depen- responsib e for our current urban di emmas. land's housing was ranked 55th among Amer- dency on automobiles, increasing compact In The Ecology ofPlace,Timothy Beatley and ica's largest cities in 99 1. By 1995, it had density and mandating greenspaces. Kristy Manning attempt to distance themselves dropped to 1 65th, indicat ng that housing ac- Formula-based responses to city problems from the neo-tradit onalist approach of the cessibility and affordab lity had deteriorated. are seldom successful, and no amount of aca- New Urban sts.The divergence s most notable demic theorizing can rep ace ana ysis of the . . ~~~~~~~~Favor Public Transit in their holist c emphasis on the c ty, the env - issues at hand, clear identificat on of problems ronment and equity Instead of identifying tra- Beatley and Mann ng also favor public trans- and application of accepted urban princip es ditional urban indicators such as housing, en- port proposa s, such as light ra and other to their solution. As cities grapple with new vironment, transport and employment, they mass transt, as the means to miitigate urban management concepts and seek to define a ilook genenica ly at community, livel hood and sprawl and improve traffic congestion. Ex- role for themse ves that s beneficial for their partnership, suggesting that these are more perience has shown a considerable tension citizens, a discussion of the elements of sus- effective ways to address and analyze the com- between theory and practice in such ventures. tainability is a useful bas s for establishing plex ecosystem of our cities. By not adopting Although rail transit can provide many ad- benchmarks toward which the city can strive. a holistic approach, the authors argue, the New vantages particularly n cites ike Tokyo, Lon- This book is not a panacea to urban prob- Urbanists limit their ability to pursue a more don, Paris and NewYork, these strategies are lems. Rather it offers solid insight on how to sustainable agenda. often impractica and expensive in other set- take certa n initiatives in urban management For example, the majority of New Ur- tings.The authors a so do not prov de any ex- that will make c ties rewarding environments banist projects are limited to suburban and amples of how mass transit can be costly and in which citizens may live. U rural areas phys cally disconnected from the nefficient. For instance, the Los Angeles City public realm.This puts more environmental Council used tax revenues to fund the con- ANNABEL BILES recently completed stress on greenfeld sites and does nothing struction of a I ght rail system in the down- her master's degree in U7rban Geography at to help revitalize and reinvent the urban town area despite the fact that this zone pro- Deakin University in llelbourne, Australia, core.The thrust of New Urbanism is a be- duces less than 5 percent of all economic and is assistant editor of Urban Age. 34 UrbanAge SPR NG 1998 a Events Los Angeles, California-June 22-july 3. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-May 1998. World Habitat Day-October 5. Growing Innovations in Capacity Building for TheWharton School's International concern about escalating urban Strengthening Local Government. Housing Finance Program is running violence and insecurity among city Subjects to be covered include a one- or two-week program on dwellers around the globe is central-local government relations, Improving Housing Finance in reflected in this year's theme, Safer financing local government, local Emerging and Advanced Economies. Cities.This year's World Habitat Day government and civil society, and Contact: Marja Hoek-Smit, offers an opportunity for people local service provision. Contact: Director.Tel: 215-898-3313; everywhere to consider the current Anna Sai, School of Urban Planning fax: 215-573-5608; e-mail: state of their city and take action, and Development, University of mhoek@finance.wharton.upenn.edu through various national and Southern California.Tel: 213-743- Washington, D.C.-May 4-22. Public- community events, to make their 270 1; fax: 213-743-2476; e-mail: Private Partnerships in communities safer and more livable. pracinst@rcf.usc.edu;Web site: Transportation Infrastructure http://www-rcf.usc.edu/-pracinst Project Appraisal,Analysis, and Co n fe re n ce s Antwerp, Belgium-July 12-17. The 8th FinancingTechniques for World Conference on Transport Highways/Bridges, Railways, __ Miami, Florida-May 6-8. Fourth Inter- Research (WCTR). Contact:Viviene Ports and Airports. Includes a five- American Conference of Mayors- De Wacker, 8th WCTR Local day study tour to California. Local Governance in the Americas: Programme Committee, University Contact:The Institute for Public- Linking Democratic Development of Antwerp-UFSIA, Prinstraat 13 B- Private Partnerships, I I I I 19th and Effective Service Delivery. 2000 Antwerp, Belgium.Tel: 32-3- Street, NW, Suite 680,Washington, _ Contact: Christina A. Rodriguez- 220-4174; fax: 32-3-220-4026; e-mail: DC, 20036, USA.Tel: 202-466-8930; Acosta.Tel: 305-348-127 1; dse.dewacker@alpha.ufsia.ac.be fax: 202-466-8934;VWeb site: fax: 305-348-1273; e-mail: lagierc- Melbourne,Australia-October 4-9. http://www.ip3.org\pub\ip3 @servms.fiu.edu UNESCO 3rd International Forum: New Orleans, Louisiana-May 18-29. Lelystad,The Netherlands-May 10- 13. University and Heritage. Hosted by Port Planning and Management Water and Urban and Rural Deakin University and focusing on International Training Program is an Planning, Problems and Solutions in the Asia Pacific Region, the forum's intensive two-week training program SustainableWater Management. main theme is the development of for foreign and domestic maritime Contact: International Federation international cooperative projects in industry officials in all facets of port for Housing and Planning, the the heritage field.The forum is a planning and management. Contact: Netherlands.Tel: 31-70-324-4557; worldwide network of universities Director, IPPPM, University of New fax: 31-70-328-2085; involved in urban heritage studies, Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70148, e-mail: ifhp.nl@inter.nl.net research and consulting. Contact: USA.Tel: 504-280-6519; fax: 504- Stockholm, Sweden-May 13-17. City and Prof.WS. Logan,Vice-President, 280-6272; e-mail: ppsur@uno.edu Culture: Urban Sustainability and Forum UNESCO.Tel: 61-3-9244- Curitiba, Brazil-June 22-26. The Building Cultural Processes. Contact: 3904; fax: 61-3-9244-3905; e-mail: and Social Housing Foundation 5 Secretariat, David Sim, Stockholm, wl@deakin.edu.au (United Kingdom) is organizing a Cultural Capital of Europe '98, five-day study visit to Curitiba City, Box 16398,S-10327 Stockholm, EdUCational Programs winner of theWorld Habitat urban e Sweden.Tel: 46-8-698-1998; management project award and a fax: 468-698-1999. London, England-April 27-May 27. The shining example of how an Taipei and Kaohsuing,Taiwan-May 24-29. RIlPAAnti-Corruption Seminar aims imaginative and innovative city International Urban Development to make participants aware of the planning approach can create a incidence of fraud and corruption sustainable urban environment and a AongressociaTion 22nd annualystforand enable them to identify policies strong sense of citizenship. Contact: Growth: Balancing Developmentf and methods of management and Diane Diacon, Deputy Director. Sustainable Environment, and Social investigation to prevent or reduce Tel: 44-1530-510-444; Integration. Contact: INTA fraud and corruption. Contact: RIPA fax: 44-1530-510-332; e-mail: Integration.l Secontaciat: the Hague, International, Dean Bradley House, 100567.3433@compuserve.com r International Secretarat, the Hague, 52 Horseferry Road, London SWI P the Netherlands. Tel: 31a-70-324- 2AS, UK.Tel: 44-171-222-5122; 4526; e-mail: intainfo@inta-aivn.org fax: 44-171-222-4950; e-mail: training@ripa.org.uk SPRING I998 UrbanAge 35 a ~ ~ ,, /- .- AWARDS & COMPETITIONS PRINT RESOURCES City. London.Three issues peryear pub ished in book form New journal ook£ngat cites and their fu- tures.Annua. in vidual subscription: £30 and £5 1998 Dubai lntemationalAward for Best Practices in J 00 K S H E L F postage, Contact: COy 127 Botley Road, Oxford Improving the Living Environment. Ten awards will be presented, each consisting of a U.S. $30,000 "Cities ThroughWar," inV lies en developpment, Sept. 793-294. cash prze, trophy, and commemoratve certfi- 1995, No.29 (Paris: ISTEAD).Te: 33-1-408 - Environment and Urbanization. London,Twice year- cate.The Mun c pal ty of Duba wil also host a 1574, fax: 33- 1 -4081 -1599. Iy. Contributions from eading developing world spec al sem nar/panel discussion, featuring award Aleksandar Knezev c, Sustainable Development in Re- specialists; 7 to I papers on different nations recipient representatives, analyzing lessons construction and Development of Bosnia and or cities around that issue's theme.Annual indi learned from best practices. Submission dead- Herzegovina's Economy (Sarajevo: CETEOR, vidual subscription:US$37.Tel:44-1 7 1-388-21 7; line s Apr I 30,1998. Contact: Best Pract ces and 1995). This book is a med at the cit zens of Web site: http://www. ied.org/human/envturb.html Local Leadership, UNCHS (Habitat), Nairobi, Bosnia Herzegovina and other nternationa or- Journal of Urban Technology (UT). Brooklyn, New Kenya.Tel: 254-2-623 029; fax: 254-2-623 080; ganizations and individuals who are concerned York.Three issues per year Looks at the effects e-mai bestpractceslaunchs.org about the postwar reconstruction and devel- of new technologies on urban environments. World Habitat Awards. Projects are being sought in opment of this country. Annual ndividual subscription: US$50.Web site: both developed and deve oping countries that Krshna Kumar ed., Rebuilding Societies after Civil War. http://www.carfax.co.uk .ut-ad.htm offer sustainab e futures to residents and pro- Critical Roles for International Assistance (Bou - Metropolis Magazine. New York. 0 ssues per year vide practical and imaginative solutions to cur- der CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 1997).This Exam nes contemporary urban fe through var- rent housing problems. Prizes of £ 10,000 plus timely pubi cation addresses the issues ann chal icus design disciplines (architecture, nterior de individual y designed silver troph es are award- lenges faced by the international community n sign, product design, graphics, crafts, planning, ed to the two w nners. Preliminary submissions the post-Cold War era.The global management and preservation). Contact: 177 East 87th Street, are due on July , 1998. For further informat on, challenges we face today are very different from NewYork, NY 10 I 28, USA.Te: 212-722-5050; contact: Diane D acon, Building and Social Hous- those of the Cold War era; these new cha enges fax: 212 427- 1938; e-ma : edit@metropolhis ing Foundation, Memorial Square, Coavi le, requ ire that we rethink our tradtona under- magorg;Webste.http://ww.metronolsmag.com Le cestersh re, LE67 3TU, UK.-el: 44 .530-51 0- standing of nat onal security. SOUTH, The Global Business Magazine. London. 444; fax: 44 1530-510-332. Submission guide- Brian Ladd, The Ghosts of Berlin: Confronting German Monthly Provides the industnializing states (non lines and nominat on d skettes (Windows or History in the Urban Landscape (Chicago: Uni- G- 10 nations) perspective on globat trade and DOS) can be ordered directly from UNCHS versity of Ch cago Press, 1997). Ladd analyzes finance, environment, technology, and current (Habitat) or downloaded from http://www.best- architecture and urban sm in the once and fu- affa rs. Monthly ndiv dual subscrntion: US$3,50. pract ces.org/bp98/ ture cap tal of Germany n terms of its horrific Tel: 44 7 255- 040; e-ma I southngnn.co.uk po tical past. He conv ncingly argues that archi- Urban India. New Delhi. Semiannual Covers ur- EDUCATION PROGRAMS tecture embodies ideo ogical meaning more banization, urban development, urban nfra- powerfu ly than other artifacts of a society structure management, fnanc ng, and related is Lebbeus Woods, War and Architecture (Princeton, sues in India. Annua ndividua subscription: The Geoinformation for Urbon Planning course is a NJ: Princeton Architectural Press, 1996). In th s US$ 15. Contact: Nationa Institute of Urban Af- one-year program focusing on the application moving book, architect Lebbeus Woods re- fairs, te:9 1 -3014-580. of remote sens ng techn ques, geographical in- sponds to the bombing of Sarajevo and exam- Urbanisme, le magazine International de la ville. Paris. format on systems, land evaluation, and spatia ines the nt mate ties between architecture and Quarterly Annua ind v dual subscription: f600 model ng techniques. It s intended primar Iy for violence. He identifies the two predom nant pat- (f 120 per ssue). ContactThe EditorThierry urban planners and managers who demand up- terns for rebui d ng c ties following catastroph- Paquot, tel: 45-45-40-00. to-date information concerning urban land use, ic destruction: restor ng the city to its previous, popu ation estimates, processes of change such "histor ca " state; or"erasing" the remains of the .9 E W S E -r T- Es as urban expansion, nfrastructune, env ronmental c ty to construct a new "utop a" Both, he argues, management, and site evalution. Contact: Inter- are forms of den al:"Only by fac ng the insanity CENDEP Newsletter. Centre for Development and nat onal nst tute of Aerospace Survey and Earth of wil lful destruction can reason begin to be- Emergency Pract ce, School of Arch tectu re, Ox Sc ences Student Registrat on Office, Box 6, lieve in itself again.' ford Broo\/ / Water, Engineering and Development Centre Bulletin gether atTele-Quebecm which is Quebec's ed- (WEDC). Contact Institute of Development En- ucational TV channel. For over ten years, they gineering Loughborough University Lei- worked on a series called "North-South" which cestershire LE I 3TU, UK,Tel: 44-1509-222-885; spoke of life in the developing wor d.When Tee- fax: 44-1509-2 1-079: e-mai :WEDCilboro.ac.uk; Quebec decided to privat ze production, and Web ste: http://info.lboro.ac.uk/departments/cv/- put an end to the North-South series, the trio International News. International Off ce for Water wedc/index.html decided to start up their own production com- Focus: Water and Fnv ronment. Promoted in pany.They founded Macumba International, Inc, France and abroad to assist in develop ng skills N E W SPA ER CO LU M N S whose main interest is to produce internation- and human resources to better manage water al documentaries.As Raymonde puts it."our lo- resources. Contact: IOW, 21 rue de Madrid- "Cities." The Guordion, London. cal media talk a lot about what is going on here, 75008 Paris.Tel: 33-1 44-90-88-60; fax: 33-1-40- "Cityscape." Woshington Post, Washington. next dooro Macumba Intemationa wants to trav- 08-01-45; e-mail: oieau-dg@worldnet.net el the word to bring it back home to us." PADCO Perspectives. Planning and Development Col- P U B L I S H 1 R S Macumba is still a young company a little over laborative International, Contact: PADCO nc. three years old.Their main series up till now has 1025 Thomas Jefferson Street, NW, Suite 170. Earthscan Publications pubi shes in association with been "Living in the city" a feature of hour-long Washington, DC 20007-5209.Tel: 202-337-2326: the Internationa Institute for Env ronment and documentaries each portraying life in a differ- fax: 202-944-2351: e-ma 1: padcoinc@interramp.com Development and World Wildlife Fund-UK.They ent c ty. So far these include: Lima, Port au Prince, have a backlist of over 200 titles on environ- Johannesburg Sao Paolo and Beirut Editing ano Planning is the montnly magaz n of the Ame< can ment and sustainable development: some 50 filming are currently underway for productions ilann ng Association. t offers news and analysis new books are published each year Earthscan's in Mumbai, Abidjan, Bangkok and Istanbul. of events in planning-including city suburban, aim is to increase understanding of environ- Macumba have also produced portraits of"peo- rural, and small town plann ng, environmental mental issues and their implications at all levels, ple mak ng a difference" in the world and are p anning. neighborhood revitalization, econom- from the loca to the global, and to influence currently producing an hour-long documentary ic development, social planning, ano uroan be- opinion and policy in ways that promote sus- on SalvatorAllende. For more information, con- sign. Membersnip/Subscriptions American Plan- ta[nab a forms of development. Contact: Earth- tact: Jacqueline Ascah, Product on Coorindator, ing Assoc at on 122S. Michigan Ave., Suite 1600 scan Pub cations Ltd.. 120 Pentonville Road. Lon- Macumba Internat ona Inc. 964 rue Cherrier Chicago .L 60603. Fax: 312-431-9985. don N I 9JN, UK. Tel: 44-71-278-0433: fax: Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H2L IH7.Tel: 514- Urban Directions. Newsletter of the Africa Research 44-71-278-1 42; Web site: http://www.earth- 521-8303: fax: 514-0260: e-mail: macumna@- Network for Urban Management (ARNUM). scan.co.uk mlink.net Contact:The Editor Davnder Lamba, Box 14550 Island Press. In 1984 Island Press, a small publisher Nairobi. Kenya.Tel: 254-2-443-219; fax: 254-2- with a diverse ist of books,was reorganized in- NETWORKING 444-643; e-mai: mazingira@elci.sasa.unep.no to an organization focusing exclusively on envi- Urbanisation Newsletter produced by the Engineer- ronmenta issues. t publishes practica and so- ing Division of the Department for International lution-oriented books on problems wvhich Development (DFID)-the officia UK Govern- threaten heath, well-being and the sustainabili- Citynet-The Regional Network of Local Authorities ment aid agency, Published twice annualy ty of the environment. It has produced more for the Management of Human Settlements was Urbanization is available to researchers and pro- than 50 books. Each year it produces and dis- estab ished to promote the exchange of ex- fessionals concerned with development prob- tributes a cata ogue of new and recent envi pert se and exper ences among local author[- lems in the urban sector Subscript on: free to ronmental ttles featur ng both Island Press ties and nongovernmental organizatons in the developing countries. Contact:Tel: 44-1509-222- books and books from other pub ishers and or- cibes of Asia and the Pacific. Contact: Office of 885. ganizations. Contact information: Island Press the Secretariat, 5F Irterrat ona Organizat on URISA News. Urban and Regional Information Sys- Box 7 Covelo, CA 95428, USAVoice: 1-800- Center, Pacifico-Yokonama, i - I Mn nato M r tems Associationi. Contact: tne Ed tort Rosanne 828-1302; fax: 707-983-641 4:Web site: http://- fax:h4-2232oham 62. 0jpnTl 523261 Kruzich, RKX Consulting, Box 17109, Louisv lie, wvw.islandpress.com Aa and2West P N on KY 4021 7.Tel: 502-540-6437, fax: 502-540-6365; Zed Books. Zed Books s a nonprofit, socially com- Asia and West Paci)c Network for Urban Conserva- e-mael: kruz chnmsdloukyorg mitted publ sher of books on a variety of issues onthe Urban Conservte Ho MobvetA Sonrce Book UWEP News. Urban Waste Expertise Programme. related to global change, including environmen- the Pacn compion Movema Nasiond The UWEP aims to collect and disseminate in- tal deterioration, poverty and development. in- Tho Pcific, compiled by Khoo Saline Nasution. formation about innovative waste management ternational trade, primary health care, and dis- organizations and inoividuals whove a ctively practices In cities of the South.To receive regu- advantaged social groups such as women, workng in, or studying about, the uroan con- lar e-mail bulletins or printouts by post, contact: refugees and ndigenous peoples. Contact in- servation movement in the region. ContactAW- WASTEAtt:Anne-Lies Risseeuw.Crabethstraat formation:Zed Books Ltd.7 Cynthia Street Lon- PNUC Secretariat h 9 Kelawag Roact 10250 38F, 2801 AN Gouda,The Nether ands.Tel: 31- don N I 9JF United Kingdom.Voice: 44-71-837- PnUC Secetaiat, a 9 1358; e-mail: 182-522-625; fax: 31-182-584-885: e-mail: 40 4/8466; fax: 44-71-833-3960 Penang, Malaysia.Tel/fax: 60-4-226-1358; e-mail: waste®nld.toolnet.org or alrisseeuw@waste.nl.- tooinet.org SPRING 1998 UrbanAge 37 The Urban Management Programme for Asia and the a user through each step in the process of de- Pacific (UMPAP), Networks for Urban Action. Th s signing a project or program to strengthen an guidebook aims to facil tate networking among organization's nst tut onal capacity Each aspect organ zations working on urban ssues, It I sts of the design process s addressed-identifying major global and regiona initiatives affecting the the feasib ity of a project request, assessing the Asia/Pacific region and provides information as existing capacity of an organization, and deter- to which organizations are active, in what fie ds, m ning the project e ements. CAPBUILD results and where: brief descript ons of the programs; in a completed project document ready for for- and contact information. Contact: UMPAP Sec- matt ng in MS Word (or other word processing retariat, c/o United Nations Development Pro- program),Web site: http://magnet.undp.org gramme, Box 12544, Kuala Lumpur, 50782 Ma aysia. WEB SITES ONLINE RESOURCES Cyburbia contains a comprehensive directory of In- The Best Practices (Database) contains proven solu- ternet resources relevant to plann ng, architec- tions to common urban problems facing the ture, urbanism and other topics re ated to the world's cities today It provides an important Li ST SE RV IC ES built environment. Cyburbia a so contains in- "knowledge base" for dentifying ways in which formation about architecture and planning re- shared solutions can address urban issues such DEVEL-L Technalogy Transfer in International Devel- lated mailing I sts and Usenet newsgroups, and as poverty, access to land, clean water popula- opment. To suoscribe, send a-mel to list hosts severa. nteractive message areas.sWn t on, shelter and transportat on. http://www- serv@american.edu. n the message body, type: site:http://www.arcn.cuffao.edu/pairc/index.ntml 00 togethercom/htm /index2.html subscribe DEVEL-your name Dev-Habit at. A discussion list anout housing. arch - DFN.The Development Finance Network is designed Forum: Habitat in Developing Countries s an im- to enhance communications amongst re- pressive virtual library wth over5OO Inks about tecture, planning and habitat in develop ng coun- searchers. donors, emp oyees. and pol cy mak- the habitat in developing countr es. t is man- tres.To subscribe send an e-mnal message to: ers interested in develop ng fnancial markets. ta ned by the "Forum: Habitat n Developing dev-habitat-request@ihnet.it. In the message especia ly in ow ncome or former y centra ly Countries", an init ative of the "Territorio Am- body, type:join nev-hanitat planned countries.To subscribe, send an e-mail biente" library of the Faculty of Architecture of ECOCT-P A mailing list focusing on solid waste man- to: listserv© ists.acs.ohio-state.edu with the fol- the Polytechnic ofTorno. http://obelix polito. tVfo- agement in ow income communities of both lowing message: sub devfinance your name rum/I nks/default.htm deveioped and neveloping citiesT7o subscribe, WinterNet is a international network designed to Informatian Systems in Developing Countries is a i1st send an eoma I to istservnlistservanetd In the meet the needs of cold c imate communit es. of resources related to the planning and de- message body, type: subscr be ecoct-p your first- WinterNet currently links 27 cold weather c ties ployment of informat on systems and techno - name your lastname. in 9 countries.WinterNet offers a forum where ogy in developing countr es. http://members.- ENTER-L. The Enterprise Development Discussion governments, businesses and people who pro- aol.com/kabjian/it ndevhtm st focuses on enterpr se development in de- vide products and serv ces to winter c ties can veopng countrieswth specia attention to mi- explore new ideas, initatves and innovations. URBAN ORGANIZATIONS cro and small enterprises.To subscribe send an The Winter Events calendar ists conferences, e-mail to listserv@gdevcan.ca. n the message forums, snow festvals and more.To find out body. type: subscribe ENTER-L your frstname more contact: nfo@gwnet.gov.edmonton.ab.ca your lastname. orTel: 403-496-6058.Web site: http://www.wnet.- A C A D E M I C Geographic Information Systems-UK Discussion list govedmonton.ab.calindex.html for GIS topics.To subscribe, send e-mail to mail- What actually is an indicator? How do ind cators Asian Institute fTechnalagy (AlT). G.PO Box 2754, base@mailbase.ac.uk. In the message body type: re ate to susta nability? How do we identify good Bangkok, Tnaland. Fax: 66-2 5 62st26: a-mlai join gis-uk firstname astname indicators of sustainability? And how can indi- LOGOV-Local Government and International Develop- cators be used to measure progress toward Centre for Developing Cities, Faculty of Environmen- ment Resource Centre. Web site: http://web.- bu Iding a sustainable community? If you want tal Design. Un versity of Canberra, Box . Bel- nham.ac.uk/l.montiel/logov.To subscribe: send a to find the answers to these quest ons and more connen, ACT Australia. Fax: 61-2-620. -5034; e- message to: majordomo@bham.ac.un In the body pay a v s t to the Indicators of SustoinabilityWeb mail: I rn@design.canberra.edu.au; Web s te: of the message write: subscribe ogov your e-mail site: http://wvww.subjectmatters.com/indicators/- http://cities.canberra.edu.au index.html Department of Development Administration (DAG)- SOFTWARE The UN designated 1998 as the InternationalYear of The University of Birmingham, England. DAG pro- the Ocean. Urban environments and oceans vides degree courses, training. consultancy and - wou d seeem as different as oi and water how- research services to a wor d-wide range of gov- CAPBUILD Software Program is the United Nat ons ever more than ha f of all human habitation on ernment and non-government clients at national Development Programme's design assistant for this earth takes place within 80 kilometres of and sub-national evels. Contact. Enquiries Of- insttution-buiiding projects. It is a know edge- an ocean front.These and other issues are dis- fice, DAG, School of Pub ic Policy, University of based free computer software program which cussed n a new feature of the Virtual L brary Birmingham, Birmingham r15 I2T' UK.Tel: 44- comb nes templates and instructions for prepar- on Urban Environmental Management ca led I 2 -4 4-4987; fax: 44-1 2 -4 4-4989 or 5032; ing an institution-building project with expert UEM and the Deep B ue Sea http://wwsw.soc.- e-mail DAG@bham.ac.uk guidance and commentary.The software takes titech.ac.jp/uem/ocean/ocean.html 38 UrbanAge SPRING 1 998 SIGUS. Special Interest Group in Urban Settlements. WoodrowWilson Center for Scholars. Comparative Ur- The Institute for Urban Economics is a nongovern- Offers research support, workshops and cours- ban Studies. The Center's urban theme corn- mental nonprofit organization created to iden- es focused on low income communities stress- bines a concern for contemporary domestic is- tify, analyze, and promote solutions to social and ing participatory methods in promoting afford- sues with a broader concern for the evolution economic proolems of urban areas, Contact:The able and equitable housing. Contact: SIGUS, of cities throughout the world in the face of Institute for Urban Economics, 36 Prospect Mi- School of Architecture and Planning, MIT, 77 technological and economic changes.The Cen- ra, Moscow 129010, Russia.Tel: 095-280-42-66 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge. Massa- ter conducts seminars and colloquia in which or 095-280-59-85; fax: 095-280-22-12; e-mail: chusetts 02139, USA. leading scholars and practitioners are invited to urbaninstgglas.apc.org; Web site: http://lvww.- United Nations University Institute ofAdvanced Stud- address a wide variety of uroan topics. Contact: furbin.ru ies(UNU/IAS).A ResearchTraining Centerof the The Comparative Urban Studies Project, UNU. One of the focuses of the Institute is WoodrowWilson Center for Scholars, 370 L'En- M U LT ILAT ERAL ORGAN I ZAT IONS "Mega-cities and Urban Development". Con- fant Promenade, SW Suite 704Washington, DC tact: UNU/IAS, 53-67 Jingumae 5-chome, 20024.Tei: 202-287-3000, ext.319; fax: 202-287- The Urban Affairs Division. Organisation for Econom- Shibuya-ku,Tokyo 150,japan.Tel: 81-03-546-723-23; 3772; e-mail: wwcem I 06@sivm.si.edu ic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This Fax: 81-03-546-723-24. e-mail: pjmarncoNas.unu.edu division analyses and develops policy recom- C O N S U LTA N C I E S mendations concerning urban economic, envi- As so C IAT I O N S ronmental and social problems, Recent publica- Comedia. Cultural Planning Consultancy. Founded in tions include: Women in the City: Housing, Services International Society of City and Regional Planners 1978 Comedia's portfolio offers market re- end the Urbon Environment, Conference Pro- /SoCaRP. Contact: Mauritskade 23 25 14 HDThe search, feasability studies and impact appraisal ceedings (1995); Stretegies for Housing and So- Hague,The Netherlands.Tei: 31-703-462-654: in economic, scocial and cultural terms, action cial Integration in Cities (1996); Innovative Policies fax: 31-703-617-909; e-mail: isocarp©bart.nl. planning, in depth investigations as well as ad- forSustoineble Urban Development (1996): Cities Web site: http://titsoc.soc.titech.acjp:80/isocarp/ vocacy: Contact: Charles Landry, The Round, ond the New Clobal Economy, Conference Pro- Bournes Green, near Stroud, Gloucestershire ceedings and The New Globcl Economy. Confer- The International SolidWasteAssociation. ISWA is an GL6 7NL.Tel: 44-0452-770-624; fax: 44-0452- ence Proceedings (I994). Contact: OECD, 2 rue ridependlent, non-governmental, non-profit as- 770-596. Andre-Pascal, 75775 Paris CEDEX 1 6, France. sociation dedicated to solid waste management Tel: 33-1-45-24-82-00; fax: 33-1-45-24- 16-68. world-wide. Responsible for exchanging infor- F O U N DAT i O N S mation and experience on all aspects of solid United Natons Centre for Human Settements (UNCHS) waste management issues, ISWA provides a list The Enterprise Foundation is a national, nonprofit (Habitat). Web site: http://wwwcunhabitat.org/ of events and conferences in addition to other housing and community development organi- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). services. Contact: SWA General Secretariat, zation aimed to help low-income people in Web site: http://wwrw.undp.org/ Laederstraede 9,2nd floor DK- 1201 Copenhagen America have the opportunity for fit and af- United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Web K, Denmark.Tel: 45-33-9 14-49 1: fax: 45-33-919- fordable housing, and to move out of poverty site: http://wvww.unep.org/ 188; e-mail: iswa@inet,uni2,dk into the mainstream of American life. Contact: Federation of Canadian Municipalities International N-AREUS. Network-Association of European Research- The Enterprise Foundation,The American City Office (FCM). 24 Clarence Street, Ottawa, On- ers on Urbanization in the South. Established in Building 10227Wincopin Circle, Suite 500 Co- tario, Canada. KI N 5P3.Tel: 61-3-241-8484; Fax: 1996 to improve collaboration on urban re- lumbia, MD 21044-3400.Tel: 410-964-1230 fax: 6- 13-241-7117: e-mail: internationalgfcm.ca; search and increase the contribution of research 410- 964-19 1 8 Web site: http://www.fcm.ca to development programs. Contact:Alan Gilbert, Fannie Mae Foundation. Committed to advancing N-AREUS Facilitator for 1998. E-mail: naerus- nome ownership and affordable nousing in com- POL I CY T H I N K TA N KS garaxp.polito.it; Web site: http://obelix.polito.- munities across the United States. Contact: Fan- it/forum/n-aerus nie Mae Foundation, 4000 Wisconsin Avenue, In partnership with academics, private and public NW Washington, DC 20016-2800; Web site: sector leaders, and locally elected officials, the C E N T E RnS http://wvvw.fanniemae.com/Foundation Brookings Institute's Brookings Center on Urban Centre for Built Environment. 2/5 Sarat Bose Road, Megocities 2000 Foundation. Contact: Marc A.Viss- and Metropolitan Policy helps infor-m the nationa. Calcutta 700 020, IndiaTel: 91-33- 474-5424; er, Haarlemmer Houttuinen 23 10i3 GL debate on the impact of government policies, fax: 91-33-94333. Contact: Director Prof San- Amsterdam,The Netherlands.Tel: 31-20-428- private sector actions. and national trends on tosh Gosh.This a non-profit professional soci- 8888; fax: 3 1-20-638-6344; e-mail: maviss- cities and their metropolitan areas. Contact:The ety which focuses on architecture, human set- er©megacities.nl;Web site: http://vvvw.megac- NoWashingtontDC, 2001 36ssachusetts Avenue tlement and env[ronment.The centre conducts ities.ni/ 6139; fax: 202-797-2965; e-mail: m2ambert2 - research studies, documentation and training I N SfT IT U E S brookedu;Web site: http://2www.brook.edu programs in conservation. Organizes several in- ternational workshops annually and publishes a The Urban Institute is aWashington, D.C., nonprof- regular newsletter callednBuilt Environment'. The Global Urban Research Initiative (GURI) is a col- it policy research organization whose staff in- laborative project for urban research in the de- vestigates the social and economic problems Urban Resource Centre, Karachi, Pakistan. Objectives velop ng world. Contact: Prof Richard Stren, Di- confronting the nation, and government policies of the Centre are to identify and promote re- rector, Centre for Urban and Community and public and private programs designed to al- search and documentation on major urban is- Studies, University of Toronto, 455 Spadina Av- leviate them. Contact: Public Affairs.The Urban sues: to increase awareness and make planning enue,Toronto, Ontario MSS 2G8, Canada.Tel: Institute, 2100 M Street, NW,Washington, DC more responsive to local social and environ- 416-978-2072, fax: 4i6-978-7162, e-mail: 20037, USA. Tel: 202-857-8709; e-mail paf- mental issues. Contact: Urban Research Centre, cucs©epas.utoronto.ca fairsgtui.urban.org; Web site: http://www.ur- 3/48, Street No.6, Khalid bin Waleed Road, off ban.erg Shaheed-e-Miilat Road, Karachi 78800.Tel: 92- 21-455-9275. SPRING I998 UrbanAge 39 ...More than a Picture The high resolution aerial photographic solution For further information and a free guide to aerial photography contact: =_re= Cities Revealed, The Geolnformation Group, 307 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road Cambridge CB4 4ZD . E2M1EITel: 01223 423 020; Fax: 01223 425 787 Itnter'nal Documents Unit, N 13i-i5i