- Report on Activities: September 2004
- The Center's annual Report on Activies is available in pdf format for viewing.
- April 16-17, 2004 Francois Vigier and Mona Serageldin were invited to speak at the Conference on International Development (April 16 and 17) jointly organized by the Harvard Business School and the Kennedy School of Government. Francois Vigier chaired the panel on housing in developing countries which included panelist from the World Bank and the Cooperative Housing Foundation. Mona Serageldin was a panelist on a panel addressing the Millennium Development Goals with particular reference to target 11 on improving the lives of 100 million slum dwellers by 2020. She presented the findings of the Center’s background study on local government driven initiatives that improve the lives of slum dwellers.
CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS
April 9, 2004 Francois Vigier gave a paper at the MEDINA Conference held at the GSD on April 9, 2004 entitled Cairo: A Tale of Three Cities.
April 9, 2004 John Driscoll was invited to be a speaker at the High Level Segment of the Economic and Social Council at the 2004 National Model United Nations Conference held in New York, March 2004.
World Bank Urban Research Symposium, Washington, D.C.
- December 15-17, 2003
Mona Serageldin and John Driscoll represented the Center at the symposium and participated in the session on Urban Policies and Planning for Housing and Basic Services within the panel “Assessing and managing urban growth-economic and poverty implications”. They presented the study entitled “Migratory Flows, Poverty and Social Inclusion in Latin America” which Mona Serageldin is undertaking jointly with Yves Cabannes. Elda Solloso and Luis Valenzuela worked with them to document and analyze the impacts of migratory flows in Cuenca, Ecuador and Maracaibo, Venezuela. The final version has been selected for publication in a book on the Symposium entitled “Urban Futures: Economic Growth and Poverty reduction” to be launched at the World Urban Forum of Barcelona, September 13-17, 2004.
International Conference on Sustainable Urbanization Strategies Weihai, China November 2-5, 2003
- Seminar on Protecting Cultural and Natural Heritage in the Western Hemisphere: Lessons from the Past; Looking to the Future
- Cambridge, MA: December 5-7, 2002
- UNESCO/WHC Conference - World Heritage: Shared Legacy, Common Responsibility
- Italy: November, 2002
- Earth Summit Rio+10 Conference
- Johannesburg, South Africa: August, 2002
- Conferences and Workshops
- Western Cape Provincial Housing Conference
- Capetown, South Africa: March 24-27, 2002
- Conferences and Workshops
Mona Serageldin represented the Center at the conference and presented the Center’s research on “Partnerships and Targeted Programs to Improve the Lives of Slum Dwellers”. The presentation included case studies emphasizing the importance of partnerships among different levels of government, NGOs and CBOs and the institution of participatory processes for social inclusion.
Conferences and Workshops
Cultural Heritage in DevelopmentAn international seminar, entitled Protecting the Cultural and Natural Heritage the Western Hemisphere: Lessons from the Past; Looking to the Future, was organized in with the UNESCO World Heritage Center and US-ICOMOS as part of the celebration of the thirtieth anniversary of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage Convention. It was held at Gund Hall on December 5th to 7th and was the last of a series of worldwide events held under the aegis of the World Heritage Center and the only event in this series to take place in the Americas.
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The Seminar was cosponsored by the United Nations Foundation,
the Getty Conservation Institute, the David Rockefeller Center for Latin
American Studies at Harvard University, the Peabody Museum at Harvard
University, Cultural Survival, the World Monument Fund, and the Mundo
Maya Organization.
Mona Serageldin participated in a thematic workshop on Monitoring World Heritage, coordinated ICCROM. She presented the Center's work on the rehabilitation of the historic medina of Fez focusing on issues of assessment and monitoring of the urban dynamics set in motion by the revitalization process. Additional information on this conference is included in the Conferences & Workshops section of this report.
The Center, represented by Mona
Serageldin and Keith Garner, participated in this major
event . Mona Serageldin gave a brief
presentation in the session on Learning for Best Practices as part
of the program of the Coalition for Sustainable Urbanisation held
on August 27,2002.
The Center was invited by the Western Cape Provincial Government to participate in a conference specially organized to address the challenges of housing development in the province. Mona Serageldin was asked to give a presentation on partnerships and participatory housing development in Latin America, based on the Center's research activities.
- Rural-Urban Linkages in Romania (January 2003 - May 2003)
The Center is participating in a World Bank study of rural urban linkages in Romania to identify the nature and extent of spatial and economic linkages as well as the impact of distance and location on a variety of economic activities.
- Irish Initiative (September 2003 - ongoing)
- Technical Assistance and Capacity Building
The Center has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Clonmacnoise Foundation of Ireland to create an All-Ireland International Urban Development Center to conduct research on urban management and spatial strategy issues in Ireland and other member States of the European Union, and the poorer developing countries. This transatlantic collaborative effort will be developed to include a number of universities on the island of Ireland, the United States and other countries.
January 2004 Francois Vigier met with the Irish partners in Dublin in January 2004. Subsequently the National Institute of Regional and Spatial Analysis (NIRSA) at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, and the Centre for Research on Property and Planning (RPP) at the School of the Built Environment, University of Ulster signed MOUs with the Clonmacnoise Foundation to form the International Centre for Local and Regional Development (ICLRD). The first major activity will be a workshop on Regional and Local Development Strategies on the Island of Ireland on May 27, 2004. The partners are currently developing a business and financial plan and will apply for funding to launch the center from various sources including the Irish Government and the European Union. John Driscoll met with the working group on the business plan in Dublin on April 30. During the Spring semester, Cody Thornton a research assistant at the Center has been collecting information for a background report on community driven projects with a particular focus on the spatial aspects of conflict resolution initiatives.
- Bulgaria, Municipal Finance Policy Reform & Citizen Participation Initiatives(March 2002 - Present)
- Technical Assistance and Capacity Building
The Center is working with the Research Triangle Institute and the USAID Local Government Initiative in Bulgaria to develop effective methods of involving residents, community-based organizations and NGOs in defining and financing local development priorities.
The Center has been working closely with Byfornyelse Danmark s.m.b.a. to assist the Municipality of Christiansfeld to prepare an integrated development strategy for the preservation of its cultural heritage. Christiansfeld was established in the 18th century as the first Moravian settlement in Denmark. This historic core is a national heritage site.
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| Elim, South Africa | Wupperthal, South Africa |
- Evaluation of Co-Plan, Tirana, Albania (February 2003- April 2003)
- Technical Assistance and Capacity Building
The Center was invited to participate in an evaluation of Co-Plan, an NGO support organization for community based neighborhood development (housing and infrastructure) based in Tirana, Albania.
- Urban Planning and Local Economic Development, Romania (1998 - September 2002)
- Technical Assistance and Capacity Building
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The Center, working in cooperation with
the Research Triangle Institute, completed its activities under
the USAID Romania Local Government Assistance Program in September
2002. The program worked with cities to structure a city development strategy with a particular focus on economic development and to also undertake the improvements to increase the effectiveness of local governments to manage and finance the strategy in partnership with the private sector and civic society. |
ACTION RESEARCH
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 Social Inclusion in Cities with Large Migrant and Floating Populations (Mona Serageldin, Yves Cabannes)
- Participatory Budgeting in Latin America
- Action Research
- Assessment of Participatory Budgeting in Brazil
- Action Research
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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.
- Historic Center of Mexico City
- Action Research
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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 Impact of Tourism Policies on Spatial Development and Local Governments in Cuba
- Action Research
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The Center received a grant from the Historic Center Foundation
in Mexico to complete a case study. 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.
- BOSTON/PARIS Partnership and Urban Development in Older neighborhood: a comparative approach
- Action Research
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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.
- The French team from the Paris Val de Seine School of Architecture came to Boston the week of April 12 to work with CUDS on a joint research project documenting community development strategies, neighborhood initiatives and urban planning practices in the South End in Boston and Goutte d’Or in Paris. Hannah Fischer-Baum a research assistant at the Center has been collecting demographic information for an initial report that will be presented to the French Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing in June 2004.
- Jerusalem Historic Database
- Action Research
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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.
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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.
At the request of the South African government the Center is conducting a series of executive education programs for South African central, provincial and municipal officials. To date, more than 300 participants from all provinces in South Africa have participated in the courses.Mona Serageldin, John Driscoll, Christopher Rogers, and Liz Meléndez have conducted the seminars.
- François Vigier and Mona Serageldin collaborated in this special executive education program conducted by Dean Rowe, faculty and staff of the GSD, by teaching planning modules. The program organized by the Office of Executive Education at the GSD, acquainted mainland China participants with planning and urban design concepts, approaches and techniques not commonly used today in China.
- Community Based Development in Boston: Study Tour
- International Education Programs
- A group of 21 community development professionals, local politicians and residents from four municipalities of the Parisian suburbs (Saint-Denis, Aubervillliers, Drancy and Clichy) visited Boston during March 18 - 23, 2002 to study community based development in the City.