UTC: Megacities: Bridging Reality & Aspiration

UTC

10

Megacities: Bridging Reality & Aspiration 6 – 8 November 2016 Dhaka, Bangladesh

2 Urban Thinkers Campus: 10 – Megacities: Bridging Reality & Aspiration

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3 Urban Thinkers Campus: 10 – Megacities: Bridging Reality & Aspiration

Table of Contents: Urban Thinkers Campus in figures ............................................................................................................................................. 4 Introduction................................................................................................................................................................................. 5 The City We Need Principle(s) addressed.................................................................................................................................. 6 Matrix of linkages - TCWN 1.0 vs. new recommendations....................................................................................................... 7 Key outcomes of the UTC........................................................................................................................................................... 8 Key recommendations................................................................................................................................................................ 8 Key actors................................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Outstanding issues................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Urban solutions......................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Speakers................................................................................................................................................................................... 11

4 Urban Thinkers Campus: 10 – Megacities: Bridging Reality & Aspiration

Urban Thinkers Campus in figures

3

252

COUNTRIES REPRESENTED

PARTICIPANTS

9

CONSTITUENT GROUPS REPRESENTED

88

ORGANIZATIONS

5 Urban Thinkers Campus: 10 – Megacities: Bridging Reality & Aspiration

Introduction

©UN-Habitat

The Urban Thinkers Campus (UTC) titled “Megacities: Bridging Reality &

The Urban Thinkers Campus was organized in Bangladesh University of

Aspiration” was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh from 6 - 8 November 2015. The

Engineering & Technology (BUET), the top ranking Technical University

Department of Architecture and Department of Urban & Regional Planning,

of the country, with a hope to decipher and share the knowledge and

BUET jointly hosted the first UTC of Bangladesh.

experiences with the national and international stakeholders. The outcome

The growing Megacities of Asia deserve special attention. The sociopolitical dynamics of the megacities and their interaction with surrounding regions and global systems need to be addressed. Urban thinkers need to recognize the aspiration through evaluating the reality of developing

of the campus will be communicated to Habitat III to include the relevant issues in their New Urban Agenda. In response, the declaration of Habitat III will direct the policy makers towards a sustainable future for megacities like Dhaka.

world. Bangladesh, a rapidly urbanizing country, shows some phenomena

Thus the UTC was held here with the following objectives-

of uncontrolled and unplanned urban growth since last few decades.

§ Identification of prime concerns on Housing, Mobility, Resilience,

Due to economic as well as administrative centralization the capital city, Dhaka, is facing some serious urban problems. The major problem lies here in sectors like housing, transportation, disasters and spatial quality.

Experts and stakeholders are engaged from different platforms which needs coordination and control.

Identity and Public Spaces of Megacity Dhaka city. § Sharing of knowledge and ideas from similar situations on other parts of the world. § Formulation of a Framework for future development.

6 Urban Thinkers Campus: 10 – Megacities: Bridging Reality & Aspiration

The City We Need Principle(s) addressed

Note: Participants of eight constituent group sessions and four urban thinker sessions concluded their sessions with a set of recommendations.

Later in drafting sessions, recommendations from total 12 sessions are compiled together to prepare the final 10 recommendations (Dhaka

1. The City we need is socially inclusive

Declaration1). All the nine principles of city we need are discussed in the

2. The city we need is well planned, walkable, and transit-friendly

eight constituent group sessions and Urban Thinker Sessions had special

3. The city we need is a regenerative city

focus on housing, mobility, identity and resilience. In the following matrix,

4. The city we need is economically vibrant and inclusive

the “City We Need Principles” are linked with these ten recommendations.

5. The city we need has a singular identity and sense of place

The “City We Need Principles” are not merged together because each of

6. The city we need is a safe city

these nine principles has its own definition and dimension. But in some

7. The city we need is a healthy city

cases, one principle is addressed in more than one recommendation.

8. The city we need is affordable and equitable.

Again two/three principles can be linked with two/three recommendations

9. The city we need is managed at the metropolitan level

as a group. This matrix shows that urban issues, problems and potential interventions are often interlinked with each other.

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espectrolivre.org

©UN-Habitat

7 Urban Thinkers Campus: 10 – Megacities: Bridging Reality & Aspiration

Matrix of linkages - TCWN 1.0 vs. new recommendations The Matrix explains the linkages between new recommendations and existing principles. It clearly identifies the proposals and impact on specific principles:

The City We Need

Mega Cities: Bridging Reality & Aspirations

• The city we need is socially inclusive

Inclusiveness planning to address need of people from different economic class, occupation (formal &

• The city we need is economically vibrant and inclusive

informal), gender, age (children, youth & elderly), physical and mental ability

The city we need is well planned

• Promote capacity building of authorities and ensure efficient governance through accountability, transparency, and empowerment of stakeholders.

• Engage appropriate professionals and ethical practices in development agencies to ensure the implementation of policies and plans. Address the nexus of vested interest groups which is the major barrier towards development.

• Increase resource support for home grown research agenda and ensure integration among research, policy making and implementation.

• The city we need has a singular identity and sense of place

Promote intermediate town /city development with linkage to maintain identity of mega city and reduce

• The city we need is managed at the metropolitan level

concentration of pulling factors in Megacity beyond its capacity

• The city we need is a safe city • The city we need is a healthy city • The city we need is a regenerative city

• Risk sensitive land use planning should be ensured based on contextual experience and knowledge of local community. Socially inclusive plan to create awareness and understanding to cope with a post disaster management plan at local level.

• Integration of land use and transportation and planning for an integrated multi-modal transport system with special emphasis on walking, bicycling and public transport.

• Immediate action is required to stop air, water, soil pollution and ruthless destruction of natural resources like water bodies, open spaces and heritage sites. All natural and physical urban features which contribute to the city’s Identity should be identified and enlisted for preservation and public use.

The city we need is affordable and equitable

• Ensure access to affordable housing, transport, utility services, facilities (education, health etc.) and safe food.

• Elements of housing e.g. land, finance, supply and management must be planned at the macro level and strategic planning must be done for implementation. Cross subsidy must be considered for housing provision to the low income group.

8 Urban Thinkers Campus: 10 – Megacities: Bridging Reality & Aspiration

Key outcomes of the UTC

Key recommendations

The main outcome of the UTC Dhaka 2015 titled, “Megacities: Bridging

The following recommendations, in no particular order reflect the

reality & Aspiration” was the Dhaka Declaration . Highlights of Dhaka

challenges identified and addressed by the UTC Dhaka 2015.

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Declaration as mentioned below summarize all sessions, lab and debate stating future actions in dealing the challenges faced by the Megacity, Dhaka.

1. Capacity building for efficient governance: Promote capacity building of authorities and ensure efficient

1. Capacity building for efficient governance

governance through accountability, transparency, and empowerment

2. Social inclusiveness in city planning

of stakeholders.

3. Decentralization with improved linkages

2. Inclusive city planning:

4. Affordable housing & services 5. Policy implementation through appropriate professional & their ethical

Inclusive planning to address need of people from different economic classes, occupations (formal and informal), gender, age (children,

practices

youth and elderly), physical and mental ability.

6. Management of housing elements (at macro level) 7. Integrated multi-modal transport system 8. Preservation & public use of natural resources and heritage sites

3. Decentralization with improved linkages:

9. Risk sensitive land use planning

Promote intermediate town /city development with linkage to

10. Integration among research, policy making and implementation

maintain identity of mega city and reduce concentration of pulling factors in Megacity beyond its capacity.

4. Affordable housing & urban services: 2

E.g., free web platforms known in Brazil for cultural production: www.iteia.org.br

Ensure access to affordable housing, transport, utility services, facilities (education, health etc) and safe food.

5. Policy implementation through appropriate professional & their ethical practices: Engage appropriate professionals and ethical practice in development agencies to ensure the implementation of policies and plans. Address the nexus of vested interest groups which is the major barrier towards development.

6. Management of housing elements (at macro level): Elements of housing e.g. land, finance, supply and management must be planned at the macro level and strategic planning must be done for implementation. Cross subsidy must be considered for housing provision to the low income group.

7. Integrated multi-modal transport system: Integration of land use and transportation and planning for an integrated multi-modal, a just urban transport system with special emphasis on walking, non-motorized vehicles and public transport. ©UN-Habitat

Transport decisions should be knowledge based, bottom-up and be supported by legal & financial instruments.

9 Urban Thinkers Campus: 10 – Megacities: Bridging Reality & Aspiration

8. Preservation & public use of natural resources and heritage sites Immediate action is required to stop air, water, soil pollution and ruthless destruction of natural resources like water bodies, open spaces and heritage sites. All natural and physical urban features which contribute to the city’s Identity should be identified and enlisted for preservation and public use.

9. Risk sensitive land use planning Risk sensitive land use planning should be ensured based on contextual experience and knowledge of local community. Socially inclusive plan to create awareness and understanding to cope with a

Key actors From the presentations, debates and discussions during three day campus different actions were identifies as necessary to obtain the city as we need it. Proposed actions as recognized in the recommendations are capacity building for efficient governance; social inclusiveness in city planning; decentralization with improved linkages; affordable housing & services; policy implementation through appropriate professional & their ethical practices; management of housing elements (at macro level; integrated multi-modal transport system; preservation & public use of natural resources and heritage sites; risk sensitive land use planning; integration among research, policy making and implementation.

post disaster management plan at local level.

The key actors, which are identified to obtain the city we need, are as below:

10. Integration among research, policy making and implementation:

1. Departments of Government 2. Different Agencies of Local Government

Increase resource support for home grown research agenda

3. Development Authorities

and ensure integration among research, policy making and

4. Non-government Organizations

implementation.

5. Civil Society Organizations 6. Trade Associations 7. Professional Institutions 8. Universities and Research Organizations 9. Media Personnel 10. Foundations & Philanthropies

ŠUN-Habitat

10 Urban Thinkers Campus: 10 – Megacities: Bridging Reality & Aspiration

Outstanding issues The most important issue that appeared essential to bridge the realities

and governance of planning Dhaka and other cities seems essential. In

and aspirations of a megacity like Dhaka is “a sustainable and indicative

addition, potential complementary interests and conflict of interests of

urban policy”. The policy should be responsive to the local needs, context

multiple stakeholders should be addressed carefully while formulating

and capacities but compatible to global goals and agenda. While non-

objectives and undertaking actual projects. Both the city leaders and users/

local support in terms of knowledge, finance, technology transfer etc. is

citizens need to be sensitized about the risks, problems and potentials

vital, the agenda should be bottom up rather than being donor driven,

and whole task of development management should be implemented

socially just rather than being economically feasible alone, as well as be

through participatory governance, led by an empowered metropolitan

both environment and poverty sensitive. Therefore, a strong local political

government and coordinated vertically and horizontally involving public and

(and governmental) commitment, global (government to government and

private actors and agencies. Planning housing, mobility and land use and

people to people) support, should merge with local knowledge, capacity of

management of disasters should be inclusive, just and democratic; citizens

implementing and operating bodies including the community based and non-

particularly those having little or no voice, affordability and capability

government organizations. Finally, the policy must not focus physical issues

should be prioritized. Achieving these purposes also requires a redefinition

alone but also concentrate on social aspects of urban living. This should not

of concepts of identity, housing and mobility and recognition of inevitable

imply to a specific city like Dhaka, but also need to address the livability and

risks due to different human and natural hazards, at least in the context

economic attractiveness of other small and intermediate cities.

of Dhaka. Therefore, sustainability, history, users’ needs, perceptions and ability, distribution of benefits and burdens etc. should be considered along

Urban solutions

with technical factors and economic forces.

Immediate decentralization and proper adaptation are needed to put capital Dhaka back on track as numerous problems have made it one of the most unlivable cities in the world. Understanding cities should go beyond cityscale, i.e. at regional or higher level, but addressing its problems should be done at both local and regional levels. To reduce local problems of shortage of befitting housing, jobs and other facilities in megacities like Dhaka, and check compromising social and local priorities in land use and transport planning, disaster management etc., there should be a hierarchy of small and medium towns and cities in urban-regions. At local scale, each of the town or city authority should be empowered to identify its own identity and development agenda – which will not be top-down or donor driven.

Authorities should be made capable with respect to human, technical and financial and other resources to implement them. Plus at global and regional levels, development agenda and implementation mechanism should be coordinated and complementary to each other.

Unequal development and unjust distribution of resources due to ineffective planning and imperfect maintenance and monitoring seem to be a common phenomenon here in Dhaka. Therefore, rethinking the process ©UN-Habitat

11 Urban Thinkers Campus: 10 – Megacities: Bridging Reality & Aspiration

Speakers Professor Nazrul Islam -Chairman, Center of Urban Studies (CUS), Dhaka

Prof. Dr. Akter Mahmud - Professor, Department of URP, Jahangirnagar

Prof. Dr. Sayed Manzoorul Islam – Professor, Dept. of English, University

University

of Dhaka

Ar. Taimur Islam - Urban Study Group [USG], Dhaka

Prof. Dr. Roxana Hafiz -Professor, Department of Urban and Regional

Ar. Nurur Rahman Khan - TKNRK Architects Ltd

Planning, BUET

Mr. Anisur Rahman - Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority

Prof. Dr. Mujibor Rahman - Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, BUET.

Mr. Maruf Ahmed - WBB Trust

Dhaka

Ar Mustapha Kamal Zulkarnain - PAM Council member 2015-2016,

Prof. Dr. Moazzem Hoaasain - Professor, Dept of Civil Engg., BUET

Chairman of Urban Wellbeing, Sustainable Housing and Environmental

Planner Ahmed Akhtaruzzaman - Urban Development Directorate,

Resilience Committee (USHER)

Dhaka

Ar. Towfiq Utpal - Deputy Director [R & D], Urban Development Directorate,

Engineer Dr. Toufiq M. Seraj - Managing Director, Sheltech (Pvt.) Ltd.

Dhaka

©UN-Habitat

12 Urban Thinkers Campus: 10 – Megacities: Bridging Reality & Aspiration

List of all countries present 1. Bangladesh 2. India 3. Malaysia

List of organizations present 1. Action for Social Development (ASD)

24. Development Design Consultants Ltd. (DDC)

2. Action AID BD

25. Delta Brac Housing Finance Corp. Ltd.

3. Asian Development Bank (ADB)

26. Dept. of Architecture, Government of Bangladesh.

4. Archetype Ltd.

27. Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), Government of Bangladesh

5. Tanya Karim N.R Khan & Associate (TKNRK)

28. Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA)

6. Asian Paints, BD

29. Dhaka University

7. Ahsanullah University of Science &Technology (AUST)

30. Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Traffic west division

8. Bangladesh television

31. Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), Government of Bangladesh

9. Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA)

32. East West University

10. BD Passenger Welfare Association

33. Ekattor T.V.

11. BD Scouts

34. Eminence

12. BD Urban Forum

35. Engineering University School & College, BUET

13. Bangladesh Disaster Preparedness Center (BDPC)

36. National Garments Workers’ Federation

14. Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP)

37. Gulshan Youth Club

15. BRAC

38. Green Savers

16. BRAC University

39. Habitat for humanity, BD

17. Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, BUET

40. Huairou Commission

18. Bangladesh University (BU)

41. Institute of Architect, Bangladesh (IAB)

19. CARE Bangladesh

42. ICOMOS, BD

20. Caritas-BD

43. Jahangir Nagar University (JU)

21. Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP)-2

44. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

22. Centre for Urban Studies (CUS)

45. KfW, the Development Bank of Germany

23. Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI)

46. Khulna University

13 Urban Thinkers Campus: 10 – Megacities: Bridging Reality & Aspiration

List of organizations present 47. KS Consultants Ltd.

68. Stamford University

48. Labor at Informal Economy (LIE)

69. The Amader Shomoy

49. Local Government Engineering Development (LGED), Government of

70. The Daily Amader Orthoneeti

Bangladesh

71. The Daily Banik Barta

50. Medhakunja Model School

72. The Daily Jugantor

51. Narayaganj City Corporation (NCC), Government of Bangladesh

73. The Daily Prothom Alo

52. National Grass Root Disabilities Organization (NGDO)

74. The Daily Samakal

53. Nirapad Development Foundation

75. The Daily Star

54. North South University (NSU)

76. The Financial Express

55. Urban wellbeing, Sustainable Housing and Environmental Resilience

77. Urban Design Development (UDD), Government of Bangladesh

Committee (USHER)

78. UN-Habitat

56. Participatory Development Action Programme (PDAP)

79. UNICEF

57. Pratyasha

80. United People Trust

58. Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), Government of Bangladesh

81. UN-Major group of Children & Youth

59. Readymade Garments Workers Federation (RGWF)

82. Urban Study Group (USG)

60. Roads & Highways Department, Government of Bangladesh

83. VITTI Sthapati Brindo Ltd.

61. Save the Children Bangladesh

84. Women Architects, Engineers and Planners Association (WAEPA)

62. Save the Coastal People- SCOPE

85. Waste Concern

63. Shahjalal University of Engineering & Technology

86. World Urban Campaign/ GAP

64. Sheltech Consultants (pvt.) Ltd.

87. Work For Better BD (WBB) Trust

65. South East University

88. Zahir Uddin & Associates

66. Shahjibazar Power Co. Ltd. (SPCL) 67. Spectrum

www.buet.ac.bd

United Nations Human Settlements Programme P.O. Box 30030 Nairobi 00100, Kenya World Urban Campaign Secretariat www.worldurbancampaign.org Email: wuc@unhabitat.org Tel.: +254 20 762 1234

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