WUF9
THE AIA AT WORLD URBAN FORUM KUALA LUMPUR | FEBRUARY 7-13, 2018
WUF9 The AIA at World Urban Forum Copyright Š 2018 by The American Institute of Architects All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form without written permission of the copyright owners. Published in 2018 by: Housing and Community Development An AIA Knowledge Community network.aia.org/hkc Book design by Anna Mkhikian annaartemism.com
Table of Contents Introduction The Rate of Urbanization Overview of the World Urban Forum Overview of the New Urban Agenda AIA HCD Engagement 2018 New Urban Agenda Local Chapter Grant HCD Commitment to the New Urban Agenda Major Topics Informal Settlements Land Tenure Security Social Enterprise and Skill Building Housing Needs Food Security Urban Farming Public Space and Social and Gender Equity Continuing My Education for the New Urban Agenda AIA Housing and Community Development AIA World Urban Forum Attendees
Introduction
rchitects are uniquely positioned to develop A innovative approaches to urbanization as they are systems thinkers, facilitators, public servants concerned with welfare, and visionaries who communicate possibilities for a better future.
-A merican Institute of Architects President Carl Elefante, FAIA at the World Urban Forum 9
The Rate of Urbanization Rapid urbanization is one of the greatest challenges we face world-wide as the population expands exponentially, and more and more people settle in established and growing urban areas. Architects, landscape architects, planners, engineers and other design professionals have the opportunity and responsibility for shaping thought and participating in the process.
The urban population of the world has grown from 746 million in 1950...
to 3.9 billion in 2014...
and is expected to surpass 6 billion by 2045.1
Today, 54% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, a proportion that is expected to increase to 66% by 2050. Many of the fastest growing cities in the world are relatively small urban settlements. Nearly half of the world’s 3.9 billion urban dwellers reside in relatively small settlements with fewer than 500,000 inhabitants, while only one in eight live in the 28 mega-cities with 10 million inhabitants or more.
1. UN, “World’s population increasingly urban with more than half living in urban areas” The AIA at World Urban Forum | 5
Overview of the World Urban Forum The United Nations World Urban Forum 9 (WUF9) convened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in February 2018. Established in 2001 and convened by United NationsHabitat, the Forum is an important global gathering for exchanging views and experiences. WUF9 is the first session to focus on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda (NUA) adopted at the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, Habitat III in Quito, Ecuador in 2016.
The World Urban Forum intends to: Managing urban areas has become one of the most important development challenges of the 21st century. Our success or failure in building sustainable cities will be a major factor in the success of the post2015 UN development agenda.
- J ohn Wilmoth, Director of UN DESA’s Population Division
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Raise awareness of sustainable urbanization among stakeholders
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I mprove the collective knowledge of sustainable urban development through inclusive open debates, sharing of lessons learned and the exchange of best practices and good policies; and
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I ncrease coordination and cooperation between different stakeholders and constituencies for the advancement and implementation of sustainable urbanization.
and constituencies, including the general public;
The official closing statement from WUF9 reported that, "The New Urban Agenda is a truly universal agenda, concerning people from very different walks of life. 22,000 participants from 165 countries, among them more than 100 Ministers and Deputy Ministers, debated concrete implementation steps and how to work together building the Cities 2030, the Cities for All." WUF9 reflected a pervasive attitude of optimism in the adoption of bold goals and the expectation that they can and must be implemented. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Number #1 calls for the eradication of poverty in our lifetime. Zero hunger, gender equity, and reduced inequities are highlighted as major components. The intent of the WUF9 is to share and disseminate information on successes, experiments, and lessons learned about the implementation of SDGs.
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Overview of the New Urban Agenda The New Urban Agenda sets a new global standard for sustainable urban development, and will help us rethink how we plan, manage and live in cities. The New Urban Agenda is a roadmap for building cities that can serve as engines of prosperity and centres of cultural and social well-being while protecting the environment. The Agenda also provides guidance for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and provides the underpinning for actions to address climate change. Now it is up to national governments and local authorities to implement the Agenda, with technical and financial partnerships and assistance from the international community. In the New Urban Agenda, leaders have committed to2: »»
rovide basic services for all citizens. These services include: access to housing, safe drinking water and sanitation, P nutritious food, healthcare and family planning, education, culture and access to communication technologies.
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nsure that all citizens have access to equal opportunities and face no discrimination. Everyone has the right E to benefit from what their cities offer. The New Urban Agenda calls on city authorities to take into account the needs of women, youth and children, people with disabilities, marginalized groups, older persons, indigenous people, among other groups.
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romote measures that support cleaner cities. Tackling air pollution in cities is good both for people’s health and P for the planet. In the Agenda, leaders have committed to increase their use of renewable energy, provide better and greener public transport, and sustainably manage their natural resources.
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trengthen resilience in cities to reduce the risk and the impact of disasters. Many cities have felt the impact of S natural disasters and leaders have now committed to implement mitigation and adaptation measures to minimize these impacts. Some of these measures include: better urban planning, quality infrastructure and improving local responses.
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ake action to address climate change by reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. Leaders have committed T to involve not just the local government but all actors of society to take climate action taking into account the Paris Agreement on climate change which seeks to limit the increase in global temperature to well below 2 degrees Celsius. Sustainable cities that reduce emissions from energy and build resilience can play a lead role.
2. Habitat III, “The New Urban Agenda” 8 | The AIA at World Urban Forum
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ully respect the rights of refugees, migrants and internally displaced persons regardless of their migration F status. Leaders have recognized that migration poses challenges but it also brings significant contributions to urban life. Because of this, they have committed to establish measures that help migrants, refugees and IDPs make positive contributions to societies.
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I mprove connectivity and support innovative and green initiatives. This includes establishing partnerships with businesses and civil society to find sustainable solutions to urban challenges
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romote safe, accessible and green public spaces. Human interaction should be facilitated by urban planning, which P is why the Agenda calls for an increase in public spaces such as sidewalks, cycling lanes, gardens, squares and parks. Sustainable urban design plays a key role in ensuring the liveability and prosperity of a city.
How will this be achieved? The New Urban Agenda will require new urban rules and regulations, improved urban planning and design, and municipal finance, among other things. To find out more about the implementation of the Agenda visit the Habitat III website.
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AIA HCD Engagement
2018 New Urban Agenda Local Chapter Grant Offered by the AIA Housing and Community Development Network, an AIA Knowledge Community
Calling on all AIA Local Chapters to share your success! The New Urban Agenda (NUA) was adopted at the United Nations (UN) Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) in Quito, Ecuador, on October 20, 2016, and endorsed by the UN General Assembly on December 23, 2016. The NUA provides a path for international efforts for the next 20 years, to provide a right to safe and decent housing and communities for everyone. “The New Urban Agenda represents a shared vision for a better and more sustainable future – one in which all people have equal rights and access to the benefits and opportunities that cities can offer, and in which the international community reconsiders the urban systems and physical form of our urban spaces to achieve this.”3 Many of the principles of the New Urban Agenda have long been espoused by the architectural profession. We want to learn about the best projects and programs offered by AIA chapters that support the New Urban Agenda vision. Through the 2018 NUA Local Chapter Grant, the AIA Housing and Community Development Network will not only reward these efforts, but will share your great work with our over 10,000 members. Use your discretion to determine how your past or completed work may align with the ambitious goals of the New Urban Agenda vision. Funds awarded may be used at the discretion of the applicant.
Grant Requirements Eligibility The program is open to any AIA Local Component/Chapter.
Proposal Requirements Please submit application as a PDF document no later than 9:00 p.m. EST on August 3rd, 2018 to housing@aia.org. The PDF should contain the following information while not exceeding 8 MB in size: »» Applicant Name; »» Applicant Contact: First and Last Name, E-mail, Phone; »» Project or program: name, location, date(s); »» D escription of Project (1page max), including relationship of the program/project to the goals of the New Urban Agenda; » » Photographs (300 dpi) or other visual documentation as available; »» Summary of Evaluations, if applicable; »» Signed consent form (include language below). Consent Language to Include in Your Application, with a Signature from a Local Chapter/ Component representative: I certify that the material submitted is accurate to the best of my knowledge. I have full rights to all materials submitted. The AIA is authorized to use the material submitted to further its educational mission.
Selection Criteria & Process Applications will be evaluated by a committee composed of members of the AIA Housing and Community Development Network Advisory Group. The committee will consider the effectiveness of the project/ program in meeting the objectives of the New Urban Agenda and potential for replication by other components. Grant recipients will be notified individually and announced on the AIA KnowledgeNet website the week of August 13th, 2018.
Funding Up to three awards will be provided: First place Second place Third place
$4000 $2500 $1500
Questions? Contact housing@aia.org
3. Habitat III, “The New Urban Agenda,” English The AIA at World Urban Forum | 11
HCD Commitment to the New Urban Agenda The Housing and Community Development Network continues its five year engagement with UN Habitat’s initiatives to provide quality housing and communities for all of the globe's residents including the almost one billion people living in slums. Representatives of the Knowledge Community participated in this year’s forum in Kuala Lumpur, engaging in discussions about architects’ role in public policy, resilience, community building, professional continuing education and more. A particular focus was meeting the needs of women and children in all development. Members participated in technical visits where they shared expertise with community members and international peers. Lessons from the engagement are incorporated in this report, the presentation at convention and an upcoming webinar. Partnerships with NGOs will continue this engagement. A new program will help share the work of local components in implementing the New Urban Agenda. Through this and other efforts the KC will continue its work in advancing the right to housing and other NUA objectives. The presentations at this year’s forum often focused on work that was in progress before Habitat III in Quito, and served as an important overview on progress around the world. Many sessions were given or sponsored by the governments of developing nations and NGOs from Africa and Asia. In their session, Blueprint for Better, the American Institute of Architects focused on how architects are organizing to support the New Urban Agenda, advocate for its goals, and implement it through design that fosters thriving, resilient communities. They also talked about the pressing challenges of homelessness, resiliency and environmental degradation that are not often associated with the United States.
Major topics included: »»
Informal Settlements
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Land Tenure Security
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Social Enterprise and Skill Building
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Housing Needs
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Food Security
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Urban Farming
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Public Space and Social and Gender Equity
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Major Topics
Informal Settlements By Elizabeth Debs, AIA
“Land is central to the realization of the new urban agenda. Transparent, inclusive, participatory spatial planning and creating tenure security for all segments of society are pre-requisites for almost all if not all issues of the New Urban Agenda.” 4 Addressing the accelerated growth of substandard informal settlements and slums has been the top priority for many of the WUF9 participants. Successful examples such as the Moroccan “Cities without Slums” were highlighted, complicated land tenure security strategies, like the very controversial and emotional land expropriation discussions in South Africa, and innovative tools such as land value capture were explored. The Cities Without Slums Program (Villes Sans BidonvillesVSBP) in Morocco has been a work in progress since the 1990s. It is reported by the UN-Habitat to be “the reference at national level for slum upgrading policies, reduction of poverty and improvement of conditions of living for vulnerable and marginalized groups. This process, supported by UN-Habitat since the launching of the programme in 2004, has reached one of the highest rates of reduction of slums at a global level (around 60%), according to the MDGs – Goal 7, target 11: “By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers” and to the SDGs – Goal 11: “Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.”5 Project History: A summary from the World Bank on the program’s development reported that, “Morocco’s rapid urbanization since independence in 1956 has met with insufficient employment and housing opportunities resulting in the growth of informal settlements. The population growth has exacerbated the urbanization over the past five decades. The total population has tripled since 1960 reaching to 32.4 million in 2011. The population living in cities rose from 29.2% in 1960 to 58.3% in 2011.
The confluence of rapid in-migration and unresponsive government policies produced massive growth of slums, collectively referred to as “habitat insalubre” (unhealthy or substandard housing). About 400,000 new informal housing units were built every year during the 1990s. The slum population grew 5.6% per year between 1992 and 2004. By 2004, 8.2% of all urban households or 1.7 million people were living in 1,000 slums. For much of Morocco’s history, the government has opted with slum clearance and resettlement as the primary method of addressing challenges in slums, with some efforts at in-situ upgrading in the 1970s and market led affordable housing programs in the 1980s. With gradual democratization in 1998-99 social issues found their way into national policy discourse. The declaration of “decent housing” became a national priority in 2001. PRAHI (Program National d’Action pour la Resorption de l’Habitat Insalubre / National Action Plan for Reabsorption of Slums) was launched to integrate slum districts into the urban fabric. PRAHI benefited 131,620 slum dwellers in 3 years. In 2004, building on the achievements of PRAHI and the commitment to the MDGs, the government launched the Villes Sans Bidonvilles-VSBP (Cities Without Slums Program) as part of a larger government strategy to enhance affordable housing supply.”6
4. GLTN, “Strategic issues...around land in the NUA” | 5. UN Habitat, “Morocco-Housing and Slum Upgrading” 6. World Bank Group, “Lessons from the “Cities Without Slums” Program in Morocco”
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Land Tenure Security By Elizabeth Debs, AIA
Migrants, refugees and individuals and households who do not have formal or informal rights to the land they live on or cultivate are constantly at risk of eviction or dislocation and cannot reliably plan for their future. It was suggested that citizenship, in addition to access to property, is one way of recognizing people’s long-term rights. Housing advocates have long believed that a stable housing situation, regardless of ownership status, can be the basis for household prosperity. For instance, after many generations of land titles being held primarily by men, legislation in India grants marginalized widowed, abandoned and divorced women heads of household small plots of land through letters of requirement. With title to even the smallest parcel, women suddenly have access to credit, subsidies and government agricultural programs. UN - Food and Agriculture Organization Definitions: 3.31 | Security of tenure is the certainty that a person’s rights to land will be recognized by others and protected in cases of specific challenges. People with insecure tenure face the risk that their rights to land will be threatened by competing claims, and even lost as a result of eviction. 3.32 | Security of tenure cannot be measured directly and, to a large extent, it is what people perceive it to be. The attributes of security of tenure may change from context to context. For example, a person may have a right to use a parcel of land for a 6 month growing season, and if that person is safe from eviction during the season, the tenure is secure. By extension, tenure security can relate to the length of tenure, in the context of the time needed to recover the cost of investment. Thus the person with use rights for 6 months will not plant trees, or invest in irrigation
works or take measures to prevent soil erosion as the time is too short for that person to benefit from the investment. The tenure is insecure for long-term investments even if it is secure for short-term ones.7 According to the Lincoln Land Institute “Land Value Capture is a policy approach that enables communities to recover and reinvest land value increase that result from public investment and other government actions. Also known as “value sharing” it’s rooted in the notion that public action should generate public benefit. Common land value capture tools include: transferable development rights, betterment contributions, public land leasing, inclusionary housing and zoning, linkage or impact fees, business improvement districts, and certain applications of the property tax.”8 The City of Sao Paolo, Brazil has been a leader in using land value capture to fund public infrastructure improvement. According to Paolo Sandroni, the City adopted Land Use Law 13,885 in 2004 which created the mechanism called Charges for Additional Building Rights (Outoga Onerosa do Direito de Construir–OODC) and established minimum, basic, and maximum coefficients of land use (or floor area ratios), and limited the supply of buildable area. For example, when the floor area ratio increases from the basic to the maximum, the development rights on the deferential are available for sale to developers. Revenues generated from the sales were used to support parks, street improvements, drainage and sanitation, slum betterment, community facilities and historic preservation projects that were outlined in the City’s 2002 Strategic Plan.9
7. FAO, “What is Land Tenure” | 8. Lincoln Institute, “Value Capture and the Property Tax” 9. Lincoln Institute, “Recent Experience with Land Value Capture in São Paulo, Brazil” 16 | The AIA at World Urban Forum
Social Enterprise & Skill Building By Elizabeth Debs, AIA
The Dignity for Children Foundation, an NGO in Kuala Lumpur, was visited by President Obama in 2015. It combines primary and secondary education for at risk and refugee children with employability and business skills training. In twenty years, 6,000 students have received free community based Montessori education. Additionally, those children without homes have been provided with foster care. The UN High Commissioner on Refugees reports that there are 33,640 refugee children under age 18 in Malaysia. Refugee children in Malaysia are denied access to public schooling and their parents seldom have the income needed for private school fees. It is estimated that 70% of the refugee children are not in school. Between 2015-2017, Dignity developed three social venture enterprises in which students learn a trade skill by working side by side with adult professionals. The “schoolshops” include the hair salon, cut x dignity; the café, eat x dignity; and the sewing shop, sew x dignity. In addition to the direct skills of hair dressing, food service and sewing,
students learn to plan ahead, work with the public, make transactions, create budgets, develop marketing strategies and other activities that will ultimately help them to be competitive in the job market. Both the school and the café have urban gardens. The roof of the school building is an oasis of vegetables, herbs and fruit trees. Each plant is carefully labeled in English and Latin, and the garden is an important part of the natural science curriculum. The café farm plot is a guerilla taking of an underused street margin adjacent to the café. Produce from both the farm and the roof garden are used in student meals and in the café. Seedlings are also available for sale. The school-shops rely heavily on professional volunteers, donated or low rent space, and donated or low cost materials- such as recycled fabrics or retired commercial sewing equipment. Revenue generated by the shops in turn supports the educational activities. The AIA at World Urban Forum | 17
Housing Needs By Simon Ha, AIA
Did you know that there are over 40 million people living in poverty in the US? Out of the 40+ million, 553,742 people are homeless on a given night. About 25% (134,278) live in California and 10% (57,794) live in Los Angeles County.
At the UN World Urban Forum 9 in Kuala Lumpur, I gave a presentation sharing the homeless crisis we are having in the US. As I showed pictures of the encampments in Los Angeles and Orange County, people gasped in disbelief that these were images of the United States.
“The United States is one of the world’s richest, most powerful and technologically innovative countries; but neither its wealth nor its power nor its technology is being harnessed to address the situation in which 40 million people continue to live in poverty.”
For the last week, the discussions at WUF9 have focused on refugee migrations, informal settlements, extreme poverty, and other socio-economic justice and equity issues but no one in the US or in the world are talking about the humanitarian crisis that is happening in our own backyard.
“I have seen and heard a lot over the past two weeks. I met with many people barely surviving on Skid Row in Los Angeles, I witnessed a San Francisco police officer telling a group of homeless people to move on but having no answer when asked where they could move to, I heard how thousands of poor people get minor infraction notices which seem to be intentionally designed to quickly explode into unpayable debt, incarceration, and the replenishment of municipal coffers, I saw sewage filled yards in states where governments don’t consider sanitation facilities to be their responsibility, I saw people who had lost all of their teeth because adult dental care is not covered
Professor Philip Alston, United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, wrote a report after his two week visit to the US. With the UN report shining light on the surprising level of poverty in the US, I hope this can be a wake up call for the US Government to prioritize the eradication of extreme poverty. Here’s an excerpt:
10. UN Human Rights, “Statement on Visit to the USA, by Professor Philip Alston” 18 | The AIA at World Urban Forum
Global Colleague Profile
Name: Dr. Hoda El Masry by the vast majority of programs available to the very poor, I heard about soaring death rates and family and community destruction wrought by prescription and other drug addiction, and I met with people in the South of Puerto Rico living next to a mountain of completely unprotected coal ash which rains down upon them bringing illness, disability and death.” “Successive administrations, including the present one, have determinedly rejected the idea that economic and social rights are full-fledged human rights, despite their clear recognition not only in key treaties that the US has ratified (such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination), and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which the US has long insisted other countries must respect. But denial does not eliminate responsibility, nor does it negate obligations. International human rights law recognizes a right to education, a right to healthcare, a right to social protection for those in need, and a right to an adequate standard of living. In practice, the United States is alone among developed countries in insisting that while human rights are of fundamental importance, they do not include rights that guard against dying of hunger, dying from a lack of access to affordable healthcare, or growing up in a context of total deprivation.”10
Title: Architecte D.P.L.G. & Urban Planner, Dr Hoda EL MASRY Consultant Office for Architecture & Urban Planning. Affiliation: AUA (African Union of Architects) Board Member; BERT Chairperson (Bureau of Education & Research & Technology) Member of SEA Board (Egyptian Society of Architects; Member of UIA / UNESCO EDUCOM Commission; Former Professor at Banha University, Architecture Department Cairo, Egypt What I brought to the WUF9: I assisted at the WUF9 with two roles: One as AUA, and also as an Egyptian Architect & Urban Planner. AUA presented exhibitions showcasing some important projects in the Sudan, Angola, Morocco & Senegal. Egypt presented three Sessions on development projects in Housing and New Settlements using the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals. What I took home from WUF9: Africa & Egypt are part of the larger world. Urban and socioeconomics, vision and strategy, and international politics: All the decisions are so related its important to to have the New Urban Sustainable Development Goals.
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Global Colleague Profile
Name: Aparna Das Title: Senior Advisor, Sustainable Urban Development- Smart Cities, GIZ India What I brought to the WUF9: On behalf of GIZ, India supported the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India (GOI), in setting up the India Pavilion. Support was extended to the GOI in designing the exhibition space and content generation for the same. The exhibition depicted the development narrative of the country to promote sustainable and inclusive development, in alignment with the New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals. A panel discussion on “Public Land for Affordable Housing� was moderated by GIZ that had the participation of Honourable Minister, Mr. Puri, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, senior officials from State Government, representatives from the World Bank, think-tank organisations and academia. What I took home from WUF9: The world is united by common concerns of sustainability and resource distribution based on principals of equity. However, inequity exists not only between Global North or South but also within countries. These inequities are more real and challenging to local populations. I hope the New Urban Agenda addresses local concerns in addition to bringing the world together around opportunities and concerns raised by the urbanization. 20 | The AIA at World Urban Forum
Food Security By Elizabeth Debs, AIA
“We will promote the integration of food security and nutrition needs of urban residents.” - NUA Article 123 Academic presentations on food systems and new research resources were complemented by field visits to local Kuala Lumpur organizations and reinforced the urgency and benefits of addressing these issues globally and locally. “World Hunger on the Rise: After steadily declining for over a decade, global hunger appears to be on the rise, affecting 11 percent of the global population. World hunger is on the rise: the estimated number of undernourished people increased from 777 million in 2015 to 815 million in 2016.”11 Food Security is a critical global issue as a result of urbanization. The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) suggests that the number of the global population that is food insecure is increasing, while obesity rates are also rising. On an environmental level, they posit that arable land is shrinking and that food systems account for 19-29% of green house emissions. Several assessment tools that can be used in any region were introduced:
FAO reviewed successful regional and municipal food system plans globally and noted that a primary tension is between urban center desires for inexpensive food and small farmers in poverty. FAO’s Food for the Cities Programme focuses on:12
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trengthening capacity of local actors within a local food S system to improve food and nutrition security.
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trengthening urban-rural linkages for more inclusive, S efficient and resilient activities of small-scale agriculture within a local food system while ensuring sustainable use of natural resources.
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ostering participatory multi-stakeholder dialogue F processes is essential to build ownership by all actors.
The Global Food System Map Rapid Urban Food System Appraisal Tool (RUFSAT) | Can be used to assess the strengths and weaknesses of a region’s system. The Voices of the Hungry Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) | Can be used to gather information about the adequacy of people’s access to food by asking them directly about their experiences. 11. FAO, “How Close are we to Zero Hunger?” 12. FAO, “Food for the Cities Programme” 13. City of Toronto, “Toronto Food Strategy” 14. Growing Food Connections, “FoodWorks: A Vision to Improve NYC” 15. ICLEI, “A CITYFOOD Network initiative”
It provides examples of successful strategies and is active in such diverse locales as: Toronto, Canada;13 Utrecht, the Netherlands; Medellin, Colombia; Quito, Ecuador; Dakar, Senegal; Lusaka and Kitwe, Zambia; and Colombo, Sri Lanka. New York City was also cited as an example.14 Additionally, the CityFood Network of ICLEI has many resources available.15
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Urban Farming By Elizabeth Debs, AIA
Urban Farming takes numerous forms in Kuala Lumpur, from pop-up and rooftop gardens, to 3 acres of dedicated farmland in a park. The Local Agenda 21 Herbal Garden was started in 2012 in response to resident concerns about safety, vandalism, poor maintenance, and waste dumping in the river in Sg. Midah recreational park. The adjacent People’s Housing Project, PPR Raya Permai, houses 3,800 low-income residents as part of a squatter resettlement program. Through a series of public engagement meetings, a small herbal “reconciliation garden” grew into a sizable farm in a municipal park. The initial garden was expanded to include nursery greenhouses, fruit trees, composting and catfish farming. There are educational programs in agriculture, traditional herbal medicines, healthy lifestyle, 22 | The AIA at World Urban Forum
and monthly community activities. The river has seen steady improvement in water quality and is tested regularly by citizen volunteers. Participants use their produce for home consumption, which boosts their nutritional intake and lessens the burden of food costs on the family budget. Gardening also promotes physical activity, increased fitness, and stronger social ties. Using traditional herbal remedies can support greater health awareness and lessen the expenses of illness for medication, doctors’ visits and decreased income due to absences. The traditional herbal practice also preserves cultural knowledge and folkways and fosters ethnic pride.
Global Colleague Profile
Name: Armando Hashimoto Title: Inter institutional Relations Manager at the Research Center for Sustainable Development Affiliation: INFONAVIT, Institute of the National Housing Fund for Workers.
Some urban farmers have developed commercial enterprises, which add to the household’s income, as well as increase the supply of fresh foods in the community. Rather than a detriment and blight, the park has become a community asset and active green space which residents value. The program is governed by a partnership between the residents and the municipality and has become a platform for civic engagement and empowerment.
What I brought to the WUF9: We presented an exhibition showcasing Mexico´s housing challenges, the role of INFONAVIT in the implementation o the new urban agenda, the execution of the CPI in 305 municipalities across the country, our alignment to the 2030 Agenda and several initiatives related to quality of housing improvement and reconstruction. We also participated in several panels with topics ranging from placing housing at the heart of accomplishing the SDG, to the role of Big Data to affordable housing. What I took home from WUF9: An international perspective on the challenges and solutions around the world for the implementation of the New Urban Agenda.
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Public Space and Social and Gender Equity By Jamie Blosser, AIA
Access to public space and social and gender equity are deeply connected. Many people, especially women, children, and marginalized peoples are not allowed equal access to open space that many of us take for granted, and in fact suffer violence, harassment, and at the very least, discomfort. Around the world, there are many inequities related to types of amenities, types of public space, and the lack of participation by community members to define their own needs and uses for public space. Below are three examples out of many presentations at the WUF9 that related to these issues. Lima, Peru Ocupa Tu Calle16, or “Occupy Your Street,” is a strategy developed by a group called Lima Como Vamos, and the Avina Foundation17 to help create more public spaces for all citizens. “Through localized urban interventions, Occupy Your Street promotes the recovery of disused city spaces, improves the conditions of existing spaces and generates new public places. Thus, through the implementation of parklets, pilot cycleways, temporary closures of streets and avenues - or other interventions - not only a better city is achieved, but the relations between citizens and the welfare of the community are fostered.” Ocupa tu Calle works to make sure that everyone has the right to occupy public space. They utilize concrete interactions and create knowledge exchange processes to help build the influence of those who are not typically at the table to decide the use of public spaces in their neighborhoods. For instance, through their participatory processes, they identified that a park planned for a low income community in Lima did not actually meet the more specific needs residents had for a supermarket in that neighborhood. Through their engagement processes, acting as a liaison between the governmental agencies and the community, Ocupa tu Calle created added value - not only 16. Ocupa Tu Calle | ocupatucalle.org 17. Avina Foundation | avina.net/avina/en 24 | The AIA at World Urban Forum
helping to build the supermarket, but ensuring that the taxes and revenue of that market were able help fund the planned open space.
Mumbai, India In Mumbai, PK Das of Pedaska Associates has worked with the local community to reclaim 12 kilometers of seafront into public open space, by integrating over 300 kilometers of “nullahs,” or creeks and waterways that lead to the river. Das calls the nullahs the “drains of the city,” and through integrating them into public open space, they remove barriers that are not only physical - the linearity of these parks along the seafront and along the nullahs allow pedestrian connections between neighborhoods that don’t otherwise exist. Das is very concerned that the term “citizen” is replacing the term “public.” He explained that this is a critical distinction to make as we design our public spaces to be inclusive to everyone, and calls the project funding “Public Public Public,” termed as a successful alternative to Public Private Partnership (PPP) models, and through which he challenges the free market economy which has been so devastating to social equity in Mumbai. Through this process, money was raised by citizens through their parliamentarians, and a process of transparency was developed which requires that all project expenditures are accountable to these citizens.
They have currently completed 4 kilometers of the total 12 kilometers, and are using this as a pilot project for other adjacent neighborhoods.
Women’s Roundtable The Women’s Roundtable was led by Ana Falu, of the National University of Cordoba, Argentina. Under her facilitation, public space was identified as the highest priority of the NUA that would make the most difference in a woman’s life. Khairiah Mohd Talha, an urban planner from EAROPH Malaysia, honed in on critical urban planning elements to consider in developing spaces that are safer, more comfortable, and more accessible to women and children. She recommended that all city planners and designers should:
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onsider where woman feel safe and unsafe C related to transit. For instance, underground versus above ground transit creates safety concerns. Provide adequate call areas and monitoring. Keep transit “in the thick of things” and not separate, requiring walking in dark streets/ alleys or away from street activity. onsider the activities of pickpockets in relation C to the proximity of streets and sidewalks. In some cities, pickpocketers on motorbikes have ample
opportunities to be on or near the sidewalk, allowing them to molest pedestrians and safely get away.
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onsider that back lanes and alleyways are also C public space and need improvements like lighting, plants, adequate trash storage, and accessibility so that they are not seen as places for crime/ molestation.
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hange the timing on crosswalks so that women C with strollers and the elderly can cross without having to sprint.
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onsider accessibility not just for people in C wheelchairs but people with strollers and shopping carts - minimize steps and the need for carrying strollers and carts wherever possible.
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ake sure there is access to free public bathrooms M so that women and their children can safely participate in street and economic activity.
More than one woman spoke up to address the gaps in the New Urban Agenda, specifically that there is no accommodation in the NUA for LGBTQ+ or specific mention of the increased dangers that women of color and specifically indigenous women, may encounter while in the public realm in some countries. The AIA at World Urban Forum | 25
Continuing My Education for the New Urban Agenda By Kathleen Dorgan, FAIA, LEED-AP
It’s hard to imagine that you could come away from a meeting where a primary purpose was to discuss the billion people who live in slum conditions filled with optimism. However, I did. One of the most interesting aspects of many conversations and presentations at the World Urban Forum was the many ways the international community is buildings it’s capacity to solve environmental, housing, and community development problems. The Netherlands is a trailblazer in this area. Professional services are a leading export, exceeding that of the US by about 15% on a per capita basis. One of the Dutch Government’s strategies to boost exports is to fund innovative projects at home that will lead to exports of services for “innovative solutions for all sorts of societal, environmental and urban challenges.” Learning from the Dutch and others, I’m going to focus some of my continuing education time on building the skills necessary to combat climate change, build resiliently, be inclusive, foster equity, increase housing affordable, and make places that are safe for women. Here are some of the resources I plan to explore: Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) - Three free courses are currently available, and more are being developed to build capacity to implement the New Urban Agenda by IHS and Erasmus University in Rotterdam with many partners. The first 5-week course is Planning for Climate Change in African Cities. Smart Mobility - The Academy of Sustainable Urban Mobility (AoSUM) brings decision makers together to be inspired by the best transportation practices in European cities. Established by a partnership between Doppelmayr, UN-Habitat and others, it offers a free on the ground program to successful applicants.
The City We Need - The Urban Thinkers Campus is a series of international conferences that bring public and private entities together for critical exchange about sustainable urbanization. An initiative of UN-Habitat’s World Urban Campaign, it is also a platform to advocate for enlightened planning and design, community engagement, good urban governance and management of cities. Best Practices – UN World Habitat Awards recognize and highlight innovative, outstanding and sometimes revolutionary housing ideas, projects and programs from across the world. Check out the opportunity to visit these projects through a Peer Exchange. Sustainable Development Goals - Future Earth KnowledgeAction Network connects researchers policy makers and practitioners to achieve the New Urban Agenda’s seventeen Sustainable Development Goals such as 1) No poverty, 8) Decent Work and Economic Growth and 11) Sustainable Cities and Communities. Also take a look at Future Earth’s Early Career Resources. Sustainable Housing for Nations with Emerging Markets - Over the next 20 years, more than half of the new buildings expected to remain in 2060 will be constructed, most of them in rapidly growing cities. The Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction has many resources that address the need for sustainable affordable housing. Women Friendly Cities – Learn about wise practices in an online guide and publications from Women Transforming Cities. Also check out the AIA Housing and Community Development free webinar series.
26 | The AIA at World Urban Forum
The AIA at World Urban Forum | 27
AIA Housing & Community Development
AIA World Urban Forum Attendees Kathleen A. Dorgan, FAIA Dorgan Architecture & Planning Storrs, CT
Ted Liebman, FAIA Perkins Eastman Architects New York, NY
Simon Ha, AIA Steinberg Hart Los Angeles, CA
Z Smith, FAIA Eskew+Dumez+Ripple New Orleans, LA
Elizabeth Debs, AIA Rhode Island School of Design Providence, RI
Thomas Vonier, FAIA 2018 International Union of Architects President Paris, France
Jamie Blosser, AIA Santa Fe Art Institute Santa Fe, NM
Cassie Blair Professional Programs Manager, AIA Seattle Seattle, WA
Carl Elefante, FAIA 2018 AIA President Washington DC
Derek Washam Manager, International Relations, AIA Washington DC
Lance Jay Brown, FAIA Architecture+Urban Design, CCNY New York, NY
The AIA at World Urban Forum | 29
Housing & Community Development an AIA Knowledge Community The AIA Housing & Community Development Knowledge Community tracks housing issues and develops relationships with industry stakeholders to encourage and promote safe, attractive, accessible, and affordable housing for all Americans. The AIA’s Knowledge Communities offer members a personalized design- and practice-based experience that provides knowledge-sharing, networking, and leadership opportunities. Visit us at network.aia.org/hkc or follow us below: facebook.com/AIAHousingKC twitter.com/aiahousingkc
LEARN MORE - JOIN US IN THIS FASCINATING PROCESS. The Housing and Community Development Knowledge Community plans to continue travel and work/study programs for professional development and service learning, and to broaden the base of the AIA membership and other practitioners engaged in Housing, Historic Preservation and Sustainability. Visit us at: http://network.aia.org/hkc/