The Center is involved in a variety of outreach activities to provide professionals with current information on strategies and techniques being used around the world. The Center has established a network of regionally recognized experts and internationally experienced professionals who participate in action research and case study documentation activities as well as technical assistance teams.
 

ONGOING RESEARCH PROJECTS:

In April 2003, the Center was awarded three grants from the David Rockefeller Center for the development of the following research projects:·

• Urban Land Use: Opportunities for Local Development in Cuba (John Driscoll, Leland Cott)·
• The Revitalization of Traditional Urban Centers in Puerto Rico (François Vigier, Liz Meléndez)·
• Use of Indicators for Monitoring the impact of Migratory Flows on Poverty and Social Inclusion in Latin American Cities (Mona Serageldin, Yves Cabannes)

Work on these projects will begin in the Summer of 2003.

Local Authority driven interventions to improve the lives of slum dwellers (February 2004)

Associate Director Mona Serageldin is a member of the Millennium Development Goals Task Force 8 on improving the lives of 100 million Slum Dwellers by 2020. She prepared a background paper for the Task Force on “Local Authority driven interventions to improve the lives of slum dwellers”. Elda Solloso and Luis Valenzuela worked with her on the review and documentation of fifty best practices worldwide. The paper highlighted the key features underlying their success namely partnerships, strategic priorities, multi-sectoral action plans and focused programs targeting marginalized areas and vulnerable populations. A condensed version of the paper entitled “Building successful partnerships” is presented as Chapter 2 of the Task Force Interim Report submitted to the UN Secretary General in February 2004.

Participatory Budgeting  in Latin America (2001-2003)

The Center is participating in a collaborative project on the participatory budget processes and their impact on urban management in Latin America. The review and assessment of ongoing experiences has allowed the center to compile case studies on leading initiatives in Brazil for courses at the GSD and International Education Programs.

First initiated by the municipality of Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 1989 this innovative process fostering citizen involvement and social inclusion has now been adopted by about 180 municipalities, primarily in Brazil. Mona Serageldin traveled to Brazil in August 2001, to join Yves Cabannes, Regional Coordinator PGU/LAC. In visits to selected municipalities and cities including: Santo Andre, Fortaleza, Juiz de Fora, Barra Mansa, Belem, Belo Horizonte, and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil as well as Lima, Peru.

Belo Horizonte is the first city in Brazil having instituted a special participatory process for the housing component of the budget in 1996. The city of Sao Paulo has adopted a similar system in 2000.

Mona Serageldin undertook further field research on this topic in the State of Rio Grande do Sul and the cities of Porto Alegre, Gravatai, Caxias do Sul, Belo Horizonte and Sao Paulo in November 2001, June 2002 and April 2003.

Assessment of Participatory Budgeting in Brazil

The main objective of the study, prepared for the Inter-American Development Bank, is to assess the extent to which participatory budgeting is fostering the efficient and democratic allocation of resources and citizen involvement in planning and management of their localities. The study addresses the following topics:

• The participatory budget process, its organization and the activities occurring the different phases.
• The results of participatory budgeting in selected local governments of different level and size focusing on the impact of project prioritization and resource allocation criteria.
• The institutional effort involved in the organization and management of the OP.
• Factors contributing to the success of the OP with special emphasis on the participation of lower income groups and women.

  The report draws upon extensive field research undertaken by the Center for Urban Development Studies in several municipalities and the State of Rio Grande do Sul in 2001 and 2002. The field trips provided an opportunity to interact with mayors, local officials and civic leaders, as well as community groups and citizens at the OP meetings and in the different project areas we visited. Discussions with NGOs, social movements and community groups helped to assess the impact of participation on raising awareness of citywide issues, fostering civic involvement and empowering poorer populations, particularly women and youth.

Historic Center of Mexico City

The Center received a grant from the Historic Center Foundation in Mexico to complete a case study focusing on:

• Identifying the place and function of the historic center within Mexico City's multinuclear structure;
• Documenting particular social, economic and environmental conditions that challenge the integration and development of the Historic Center of Mexico City as part of the living city;
• Identifying physical deficiencies, such as infrastructure needs, that must be addressed in any future development plan for the Center;
• Identifying the interest and capabilities of key players in the Historic Center that can contribute to the revitalization of the area and;
• Identifying the key elements and structure that should be considered in developing a strategy.

  In November 2002, Liz Meléndez traveled to Mexico City to document existing initiatives and meet with key players working on the revitalization of the area. The center has developed a text documenting the objectives identified and presenting a comprehensive view of the issues at hand that has served as basis for students in the course on Strategies for Social Inclusion in Development offered by Professors François Vigier and Mona Serageldin.

The Impact of Tourism Policies on Spatial Development and Local Governments in Cuba

The Center has been working on the development of a case study documenting and describing the linkages between existing tourism development policies and the spatial development patterns that have occurred as a result throughout the Island, particularly looking at the impact that tourism has had on the physical environment of major cities. With funds from a grant awarded to the Center by the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, Liz Meléndez and Leland Cott traveled to Cuba in June and November 2002 to meet and interview government officials and visit various important tourism development sites around the Island including the provinces of La Habana, Matanzas, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spiritus, Santiago, Pinar del Río and Holguín.

The Center continues to collaborate with officials from local planning authorities in Cuba and has received additional funds from the Rockefeller Center to initiate additional research and expand its focus to include issues related to land management and development in the Island.

BOSTON/PARIS Partnership and Urban Development in Older neighborhood: a comparative approach (2002 - to present)

 

The Center is collaborating with Centre de Recherche sur l'Habitat in Paris on a research project to document community development strategies, neighborhood initiatives and urban planning practices in local neighborhoods in Paris and Boston. The project is a continuation of ongoing work by John Driscoll and Thomas Watkin of the Center, together with Marie-Helene Bacqué from the CRH. Previous activities include organizing a study tour to Boston for 21 French representatives of local governments and NGOs and participation in a seminar in Paris in June 2002.

The research will be supported in part by the PUCA (Plan Urbanisme Construction Architecture), a French institution of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing involved in housing issues and urban studies. The Center and CRH will also apply to the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the US and the National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS) in France for funds to expand the research and promote the exchange between practitioners and academics in France and the US.

More information about the institutions and partners involved into this action research with the Center for Urban Development Studies:
- The Centre de Recherche sur l'Habitat (Document PDF in French)
- The Plan Urbanisme Construction Architecture (web site in French)

Jerusalem Historic Database(1998-present)

Since late 1998, the Center has collaborated with the Jordanian Royal Scientific Society in the preparation of a computerized historical database on the Old City of Jerusalem documenting its evolution since 1800. The database is an open-ended structure composed of independent modules grouped along a time-line. Modules completed or under development include:

• A description of the monuments.
• The social, economic and topographical evolution of the Old City from the beginning of the 19th century to 1968.
• Transformations since the Israeli occupation.
• All United Nations and UNESCO resolutions pertaining to the Old City.

  Each module is formatted independently, in accordance with its topic, and is equipped with a search engine that allows the user to define the parameters of the information sought. Movement across modules is possible when information is cross-referenced. A Beta version of the site is expected to go on line later this year. The director of this project is Professor F. Vigier, assisted by Maria Luisa F. Mansfield and Daniel Tsai.

COMPLETED RESEARCH PROJECTS:

TWIZE, Nouakchott: Poverty Alleviation and Shelter Improvement (2001)

 

The Center prepared a case study on the Mauritanian government's policy to improve living conditions in marginalized settlements located at the fringe of Nouakchott, Mauritania's capital and contribute to the socio-economic inclusion of their population.  As a result of severe droughts in the 1970s and 1980s, settlements at the periphery of Nouakchott have accommodated a large influx of nomatic people settling chaotically and building makeshift structures on squatter land.  Sameh Wahba documented the TWIZÉ program, which operates in several communities at the periphery of the city and aims to improve shelter conditions and alleviate widespread poverty.  The TWIZÉ program is implemented by way of a partnership between the Mauritanian Commissariat aux Droits de l'Homme, à la Lutte Contre la Pauvreté, et à l'Insertion and GRET, a French NGO active in Nouakchott, with the participation of the municipality of Nouakchott and other local NGOs.  The TWIZÉ program focuses on the regularization of illegal land tenure, the delivery of microcredit for the development of microenterprises and the improvement of dwellings, the improvement of infrastructure services, and the provision of training and capacity building initiatives for community members.  Assessment of the pilot initiatives documented its significant impact on household income and living conditions, but also highlighted the large amount of subsidies disbursed.  The extent of subsidies is a critical issue that has to be addressed in order to secure financing to expand the program to a scale commensurate with the magnitude of the problem. 

Brazil: Study Tours in South America (2001)

 

The Center, in collaboration with the Urban Management Program Latin America (UMP/LAC) organized a tour of cities which have received Best Practices awards under the UNCHS/Habitat Best Practices and Local Leadership program for twelve South African senior officials from central, provincial, and local government. The Center's BLP coordinator Keith Garner accompanied the group on visits to innovative local development initiatives relying on partnership and participatory processes including community based housing and infrastructure projects in Fortaleza, participatory budgeting in Porto Alegre, integrated development and social inclusion in Sao Paolo and Santo Andre, and improvement of infrastructure and public space in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro

 

Parivartan, Ahmedabad: Microfinance and Infrastructure Development (2001)

The Center documented the Parivartan program in Ahmedabad, India. This innovative initiative provides a framework for partnership between the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, the SEWA Bank Mahila Trust, slum dwellers, civic associations, and private enterprises. The objective is to improve living conditions in the slums of Ahmedabad by regularizing land occupancy and introducing or upgrading infrastructure services. Microcredit for home improvement is provided seperately by SEWA bank Mahila Trust. Christopher Rogers documented the program which is now operational in 16 slums and in the process of expanding to almost 40. 

 

Following the earthquake in Gujarat in January 2001, Christopher Rogers returned to Ahmedabad and documented the impacts of the disaster and the actions taken by the different partners to cope with the situation.

Mona Serageldin prepared the background paper on "Decentralization and the Management of Infrastructure" for the UNCHS Global Report on Human Settlement to be issued in June 2001 for Habitat II+5. The paper gives an overview of decentralization and infrastructure policy since 1990, stressing the expanding scope for private sector involvement and the growing role of NGOs and civil society in the delivery of infrastructure services. The paper draws extensively on Best Practices to illustrate successful approaches to the challenge of decentralizing infrastructure services and covers three main themes: 

• Decentralized institutional frameworks and participatory process highlighting the potential of partnerships between municipalities and communities. 
• Financing infrastructure and expanding scope of public-private partnership including the role of intermediary institutions
• Equitable access to infrastructure and the empowerment of poor communities with a special focus on community-based approaches to planning, financing and management of infrastructure projects

Background research on the topic and the cases was undertaken by Keith Garner, Suzanne Kim, and Sameh Wahba. The research and paper were published following the UNHCS/Habitat Istanbul+5 Conference held during June 2001.

Study of Housing Microfinance Initiatives(1999)

 

The Center, working through Development Alternatives Inc., completed a study of the housing microfinance industry for the USAID Office of Microenterprise Development. A synthesis report highlights the achievements of housing microfinance initiatives, and the challenges facing the extension of microcredit to poor households for shelter construction and improvements, land acquisition and infrastructure provision. A Regional Summaries Report identifies the dynamics of urban and rural development in Asia, Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. The Center developed six detailed case studies of leading microfinance programs in the three regions: the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, SEWA Bank in India, the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development and Payatas Scavengers Association in the Phillipines, the South African Homeless People's Association, and Genesis in Guatemala. The Center's team included: John Driscoll, Mona Serageldin, Sameh Wahba, Christine Williams, Graciela Fortín-Magana, Chris Rogers and Kim Wilson, a micro-credit and finance specialist.

Download the complete CUDS 

Housing Microfinance Initiatives: Synthesis and Regional Summary

Adobe PDF Format 

In 1988, Adjamé's elected Mayor and Council established civic committees "Comites de Developpement de Quartiers (CDQ)" to engage the energies of residents for the promotion of sociocultural, economic and environmental development at the community level. The Center documented the development of these initiatives and changes in the organizational framework of the CDQs. In 1996, Adjamé's 19 neighborhoods had operational CDQs involved in many activities for which user fees are collected, including street cleaning and garbage collection, security services, sanitation, revenue generating operations, small infrastructure improvement and social services. Entrepreneurial leadership and accountability are instrumental to the performance of the CDQs. Abidjan's CDQs received a Best Practice Award for excellence in improving the living environment at the Habitat II Conference in Istanbul in June 1996. Mona Serageldin visited Abidjan regularly to review and document the progress of the CDQ initiative and meet with the municipal authorities of Adjame. 

 

The Center continues to monitor and document the evolution of the initiative which collapsed under a new municipal administration in 1997. Despite the civil unrest, the CDQs are being revived by the residents since 1999 and new NGOs have been established to foster community based development in Adjamé. 

CDQs value infrastructure as an important capital assest. They repair potholes on unpaved streets and construct open drainage ditches. The CDQs offer street cleaning services for both residential and market areas paid for by households and shopkeepers.

The first health CDQ started operations in 1995. It is managed by an independent administrative structure and is self-financing. The CDQ health center charges for the services of the doctor and paramedical staff approximately 1/10th of the rate currently charged by the government hospital.

Urbanization in China and the North-East Asian Region (1997)

 

The Center participated in a larger GSD collaborative study with Tsinghua University in Beijing and the Han-A Urban Research Institute on urbanization in China and the North-East Asian Region. John Driscoll traveled with Dean Peter Rowe to China as part of the collaboration.

Conversion of Decommissioned Military Facilities to Civilian Use: USA (1996)

 

The Center began a series of studies to document innovative approaches to the transformation of the vast areas of unused land found in most cities of the western world, leftover nineteenth-century industrial, transportation, and storage facilities often occupying strategic sites. Integration is complex with obsolete infrastructure and often high pollution output, requiring substantial public investments before private investors step in. As the Center's investigations proceeded, it became evident that the closure of military installations in the United States presented host communities with similar problems, a hypothesis that was substantiated by a documentation of the events that followed the closure of the Boston Naval Shipyard in 1974. Francois Vigier led the Center's team which included Edward Robbins and Jean Van Orman.

 

In order to assess the applicability of the Boston experience to other revitalization efforts involving the conversion of a military installation, the following aspects of the base conversion process were researched and documented: 

• An appraisal of the historical role of the base in the social and economic structure of the host community and its region. 
• The influence of regional economic trends on the transformation of the assets present on the base to productive use. 
• The ability of the authority responsible for the preparation of the reuse plan to formulate a strategy capable of attracting private investment and capitalizing on new opportunities for economic growth. 
• Community input processes and their success in developing acceptable levels of agreement through a realistic assessment of the costs and benefits associated with various reuse options that reconcile short-term objectives and long-term goals. 
• The local political context, an important element in developing a successful community input process and a transaction strategy that satisfies local, state, Federal and private interests. 
• An evaluation of the implication of the regulatory, institutional, and financial climate on the formulation of a reuse strategy.

This study presents summary case studies of the strategies used by state and local government in addressing the closure of the Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston, Massachusetts Ft. Devens, Massachusetts, Griffiss Air Force Base, Rome, New York and the Charleston Naval Complex, North Charleston, South Carolina. It also identified a number of procedures which will help communities respond to future base closures and realignments.

Community Based Development: Experience Across Cities (1995)

 

The Center, sponsored in part by the USAID's Office of Environmental and Urban Programs, developed a series of case studies on cross-cutting community based development issues. The case studies, published by USAID as part of their Working Paper series, were presented by Mona Serageldin at the 1994 Forum on Enabling Sustainable Community Development.

Sustainable Improvement Strategies for Lower-Income Communities: Amman and Aqaba, Jordan(1993)

The Center worked jointly with the Housing and Urban Development Corporation to assess the development of standards and field test a community planning process, sustainable development strategies, and more effective central/local government linkages. The study included an assessment of the impact of community upgrading projects on women, children, and youth as well as a report on the integration of NGOs into municipal development, housing, and service delivery. John Driscoll and Mona Serageldin worked with a study team, led by Hidaya Khairi, from Jordan's Urban Development Department, Housing and Urban Development Corporation.

Squatter settlements in Amman were regularized and serviced in the early '80s by the urban development department. Steep slopes and narrow alleyways affected engineering standards and increased infrastructure costs but gave each settlement a special sense of place and contributed to preserving social cohesion. Outreach and awareness building engaged the residents in the maintenance of public spaces. Sweeping the pathways is for the most part taken care of by women in the household. Community youth carry the waste to the municipal dumpsters along the main road.

Rehabilitation Strategies for Privatized Housing Estates: Cairo, Egypt (1993)

 

The Center conducted a study and field test of regeneration strategies for older neighborhoods and privatized housing estates through public/private partnerships between local government and community based organizations. John Driscoll and Mona Serageldin worked with Wafaa Abdulla, a landscape architect specializing in community-based initiatives for the improvement of public open space.

Housing and Health in Lower-Income Communities: Karachi, Pakistan (1992)

 

The Center collaborated with the Community Health Sciences Department of the Aga Khan University to produce an assessment of the health impacts of community upgrading projects on children and youth and linkages between health and housing in Katchi Adadi in Karachi. Francois Vigier and Renee de Souza, a specialist in community health services worked on this study.

The lack of designated functions for open spaces contributed lack of maintenance and illegal construction. Storage sheds, animal pens, and broken sewer and drainage pipes created environmental hazards. Initial rehabilitation efforts included removal of encroachment, landscaping, and planting. To support resident self-reliance efforts, the local district provided technical assistance and materials.

Rehabilitation Strategies for Historic Districts Tunis, Tunisia (1992)

 

The Center collaborated with the Association for the Rehabilitation of the Tunis Medina (ASM) and the Tunis Municipality in assessing the impacts of infrastructure improvements funded by the World Bank over the 1983 to 1993 decade. In fostering the rehabilitation of the historic center, a project assessment document based on the research was prepared for distribution by the World Bank at the conference on cultural heritage held in Florence in October 1999. The Center and the ADM  continued their collaboration documenting the effectiveness if the municipality's intiatives since the early 1990s and in particular its land management strategy and the renovation and adaptive reuse of historic buildings. The ASM provided the design guidelines for the rehabilitation of the Medina as well as the design and supervision of restoration projects. 

 

Review the Summary Project Assessment (in pdf format) : 

The Rehabilitation of the Hafsia Quarter of the Medina of Tunis

Prior to the revitalization program, obsolete buildings and inadequate infrastructure resulted in alarming deterioration of the built environment of the historic Medina. The Conservation Association A.S.M. (Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Medina de Tunis) worked closely with the municipality of Tunis on the development of simplified design guidelines for the historic area. The regeneration strategy initiated in the Hafsia district focused on upgrading infrastructure and relied on outreach and awareness building to engage residents in the rehabilitation effort. The program provides technical support to the renovation initiatives of property owners and small scale developers.