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MISSION STATEMENT
The Center for Urban Development Studies, established in 1987 as the Unit for Housing and Urbanization
at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, is internationally recognized
for its training programs, action research, and capacity-building achievements
and has worked in partnership with municipalities and CBOs on award-winning
initiatives in Poland, Côte d'Ivoire, Jordan, and Morocco. The Center
is committed to promoting sustainable urban development and helping municipalities
and CBOs structure public/private partnerships for urban development projects,
neighborhood revitalization programs, rehabilitation of historic centers and
community-based development initiatives.
The Center's professional team is composed of senior faculty,
research associates, fellows, and assistants, supplemented by outside experts.
Practitioners and decision-makers are actively engaged in the teaching and
training activities which include the International Education Programs, seminars
and workshops bringing together senior professionals from the public and private
sector. The Center's education programs are self-financed; research, technical
assistance, and capacity building activities have been funded by sponsors which include the World
Bank, USAID, USEDA, UNICEF, the Ford Foundation, the Aga Khan Trust for
Culture and the Peder Sager Wallenberg Charitable Trust.
The Center is a leader in developing and applying capacity-building
methods as a cornerstone of technical assistance through close interaction
and collaborative work. In each of the Center's research and technical assistance
activities, a direct link to an implementation agency, university, or NGO
is a pivotal element in an approach that seeks to build institutional capabilities
and operationalize the findings of field research. The Center has adopted performance-oriented
approaches relying on "learning by doing" processes. Capacity-building is
achieved through the implementation of pilot projects supported by working
sessions and workshops at strategic decision points in the implementation
schedule. Our success lies in our ability to build the capacity of municipalities
to think strategically; to work proactively with CBOs ranging from informal
groups to fully structured NGOs; to organize and coordinate the inputs of
partners and participants in each program activity; and to access the resources
needed internally and outside the organization to drive the development process.
The Center provides technical assistance as a part of a multidisciplinary
team. Our approach is proactive, emphasizing policy, process, strategy and
output in terms of tangible benefits to citizens. Hence our insistence in
working directly with the local decision makers and professionals who have
primary responsibility for implementing specific activities under the proposed
program. Building their capacity to face new challenges constitutes an integral
component of the technical assistance we extend.
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