The Center's preferred mode of technical assistance is through collaborative work, building the capacity of counterparts responsible for decision-making and program implementation. The Center promotes participatory processes and institutionalization of creative initiatives relying on field testing of innovative strategies and learning-by-doing techniques to actively involve concerned parties and interested civic groups, and to engage citizens in shaping the future of their communities and their cities. Selected ongoing and recently completed projects illustrate the Center's multidisciplinary approach. 
 

Initiatives in Romania (January 2003 - September 2004)

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. In support of the Study, John Driscoll, together with the Center’s Research Affiliates Liviu Ianasi and Andrei Luncan, organized a local area development workshop in Zalu, Romania in January 2003.  The workshop provided important qualitative information from a local and regional perspective to complement the other components of the World Bank study that focus on a national level. The findings and recommendations from the workshop and the study will be used to develop local-area development strategies that incorporate economic and spatial development patterns. The results of the Study will be used to provide guidance on how to improve cross-sectoral collaboration among local administrations and civil society in the development and implementation of local area development strategies.

Report on cooperation and capacity building for promoting cultural, natural and built heritage in Transylvania for Gaia-Heritage (SAL) (September 2004)

Irish Initiative, Ireland (September 2002 - Present)

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.

Critics have rightly pointed out that many of the urban social tensions, in industrialized and developing countries, have been exacerbated by urban policies and interventions that address the symptoms rather than the causes of the growing disparity between the rich and the poor.  The Center will specialize on the use of improvements to the living conditions of a population as part of coherent policy to alleviate and prevent social conflict.  It will also investigate the reconstruction of damaged areas as an integral part of the reconciliation process.

In both cases, the Center will study how local economic development and improvements to the built environment can play a constructive role in lessening tension and facilitating a return to normal life. 

Municipal Finance Policy Reform and Citizen Participation Initiatives  Bulgaria (March 2002 - Present)

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. In the Municipality of Svishtov, John Driscoll has been working with municipal officials to design and implement a demand-led, community investment strategy that encourages management and financial partnerships among civic groups, the private sector and the municipality to address city-wide and neighborhood improvement priorities on an annual basis. The Center plans to continue working with the Research Triangle Institute and Bulgarian associations to “scale-up” the approach to other municipalities.

Svishtov: A community-based investment program for municipal development

Christiansfeld Initiative Denmark (September 2001- Present)

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. 

The Center's involvement includes coordination with UNESCO World Heritage Center to create a linkage between Christiansfeld and other preserved Moravian heritage sites for potential serial listing.  Following a Christiansfeld delegation’s visit Moravian settlements in the US, work continued on establishing linkages with the South African settlements. In January 2003, the head of the Christiansfeld Moravian church, Reverend Boytlers, spent two weeks at the Center doing research in the Harvard libraries. 

Elim, South Africa	Wupperthal, South Africa

Evaluation of Co-Plan, Tirana, Albania (February 2002 - April 2003)

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. John Driscoll worked with two other members of the evaluation team to review Co-Plan's current activities and provide recommendations on future directions. Co-Plan's team and organization has developed from a small team of four young in 1997, to a team with more than 20 professionals from different disciplines.

The Center, working in cooperation with the Research Triangle Institute, completed its activities under the USAID Romania Local Government Assistance Program in September 2002.

During the last year of the Program, John Driscoll, together with Liviu Ianasi, assisted local Regional and Romanian consultants to scale-up the UPLED Program to eight other Romanian cities. 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.  Based on the approach developed under the UPLED Program, there was a strong interest on the part of the Romanian Ministry of Public Works to expand the program to other cities.

The Center’s staff also worked with the cities of Oradea, Focsani and Iasi to provide targeted assistance of follow-up projects based on earlier participation in the UPLED Program. In Oradea, John Driscoll and Liviu Ianasi worked with local and regional consultants to assist city officials establish the first formal metropolitan-level cooperation in Romania among eight local governments (http://api.oradea.ro/). In Focsani, assistance was provided in formalizing in developing a housing rehabilitation strategy and framework for a neighborhood based civic advisory groups. In Iasi, the city officials focused on developing a rehabilitation strategy for a section of the central business district. 

Iasi	Focsani	Oradea

Materials developed under the program are available (Adobe PDF format) including:

1. Summary of UPLED Program
2. Oradea Seminar Proceedings-September 2000
3. Iasi Seminar Proceedings-January 2001
4. Assessment of the Oradea City Development Strategy

Urbanization and Housing in Bangui  Central African Republic (2002)

François Vigier and Nicolas Retsinas, Director of the Joint Center for
Housing Studies, traveled to the Central African Republic in late
March.  They were invited by the Prime Minister to advise him on the
progress of the current studies of urbanization and housing in the
Bangui.  They were granted an audience by H.E. Ange-Felix Patasse,
President of the Republic prior to their departure.

Trinidad and Tobago Planning and Development Land Act: Trinidad and Tobago (2000-2001 )

The Center participated in the implementation of new legislation to regulate planning and land development in Trinidad and Tobago, as part of a consortium led by the University of Wisconsin Land Tenure. The Center was responsible for assessing existing national and municipal land management structures and providing recommendations to support the implementation of new legislation.  Frank Vigier, John Driscoll and David Jones have conducted several missions to the islands and completed in-depth interviews with local units of government to assess their capacities to assume new planning responsibilities. The team prepared a series of regulatory proposals to implement the Planning and Development of Land Bill and relate it better to existing legislation. 
During the summer and fall of 2001, Francois Vigier and David Jones conducted two training programs in Trinidad and one in Tobago intended for local public officials.  They presented the new role assigned to the municipalities under the Planning and Development of Land Bil.  The programs were part of the technical assistance that the Center provided to the government to implement reformed planning procedures and transfer development control to the municipalities. 

Urban Development Strategy Mauritania (2000-2001)

The Center has completed three studies in Mauritania on the following topics:

• National urban development strategy and an action plan to operationalize the major policy recommendations;
• Economic development strategies and action plans for the three largest cities (Nouakchott, Nouadhibou and Kaédi);
• Updating of the legislative framework for land tenure and real estate development.

The studies were commissioned by AMEXTIPE (the National Agency for Public Works and Employment Generation in Mauritania) and were funded by the World Bank. François Vigier and Mona Serageldin led the Center's team and Sameh Wahba represented the Center in Mauritania where he stayed from April to June 2000 to coordinate the studies. The team included four consultants: Dr. Alain Durand-Lasserve, a specialist in land management; Dr. Jacques Carol, an expert in urban economics; Dr. Ahmed Salem Ould Bouboutt, jurist and Professor of Law at the University of Nouakchott; and Dr. Issakha Diagana, Professor of Geography at the University of Nouakchott.

 Mona Serageldin traveled to Nouakchott in May 2000 to discuss issues of urban policy and strategy in the context of decentralization with ministers and senior officials in central and local agencies concerned with economic and urban development. She met with the Minister of Interior, Telecommunications and Posts, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Development, the Minister of Equipment and Transportation, the Commissaire for Human Rights, Poverty Alleviation and Economic Inclusion, the Governors of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou, and the Mayor of Nouakchott. Alain Durand-Lasserve visited the cities of Nouakchott, Nouadhibou and Rosso to discuss with local authorities issues of urban development and land management. Jacques Carol traveled to Mauritania in May and July 2000 and visited the three largest cities: Nouakchott, Nouadhibou and Kaédi to formulate an economic development strategy and action plan for the three cities. 

The findings and recommendations of the studies were discussed and approved in November 2000 during a two-day seminar held in Nouakchott and attended by 110 participants from central and local agencies, elected councils, non-governmental organizations, professional associations and interested citizen groups. 

The Center prepared a detailed master plan for the revitalization of the Older Urban Fabric of Al Qusair on the Red Sea. The study focused on  identifing public improvements and defining appropriate development regulations to encourage private investment and foster the preservation and rehabilitation of the built environment.

The Peder Sager Wallenberg Charitable Trust funded the Center to assist the Red Sea Governorate and the City of Qusair in preparing the plans and proposals, and defining a strategy and an action plan for the preservation and revitalization of the historic urban fabric of Qusair. The study focused primarily on:

Developing an operational strategy for revitalization and preservation

Developing a master plan for the historic urban fabric and surrounding impact area

Devising an appropriate regulatory framework

Developing strategies that would concentrate on  infrastructure and public space as the catalysts for upgrading and revitalizing the built environment

Capitalizing on the development opportunities of strategically located parcels to launch the revitalization process and encourage private investment for the preservation and rehabilitation of the built environment.

The study team led by François Vigier and Mona Serageldin included practitioners Dr. Tarek Waly and Afaf Makarem and Mohamed Shawqy Arafa. The team is working closely with Dr. Samir Sombati, the Governor's advisor on Planning and Development. Liz Melendez and Sameh Wahba  worked  in the preparation of the plans and the final documents.

Selected documents are available for download:

Final Report presented to the Red Sea Governorate (in PDF format)

Context Plan

Study Area Plan

Proposed Action Areas

Action Plan

The Center is a member of the consortium led by The Communities Group that was awarded a USAID Indefinite Quantity Contract to provide technical assistance to USAID Missions and their programs. Within the consortium, the Center will focus in the areas of shelter credit and micro-finance, municipal finance and infrastructure, and land management.

• Review of South Africa's Municipal Infrastructure Program
• South Africa Municipal Infrastructure Program

The Center completed a review of South Africa's Municipal Infrastructure Program. The assessment was commissioned by South Africa's Department of Constitutional Development and the Development Bank of Southern Africa and funded by the World Bank. Mona Serageldin, Associate Director of the Center, and team leader for the assessment was requested to present the findings to: 

• The Minister of Provincial Affairs and Constitutional Development, January 1999.
• The Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Provincial Affairs and Constitutional Development, February 23, 1999 in Capetown.
• A joint meeting of the Cabinet committees on Social and Administrative Affairs and Economic Affairs on February 24, 1999 in Capetown.
• A conference organized by the Department of Constitutional Development and sponsored by USAID in May 1999, and attended by close to 450 participants.

 

Following the June elections, the new cabinet issued a decree on November 25, 1999 regarding the redirection of the Consolidated Municipal Infrastructure Program based on the study's recommendations. The Center's work was referred to in the preamble of the decree and the study attached as an annexure to the memorandum. 

The Center also prepared a video on the Municipal Infrastructure Program as an information and education tool for localities and users. The video was designed to empower municipalities and communities through the documentation of nine outstanding projects in the different provinces of South Africa. One project featured in the video that the Center worked closely with, Klapmuts, Western Cape was recognized as a Best Practice in the UNCHS/Habitat 2000 award cycle. David Jones, John Driscoll and David Cook, a specialist in infrastructure planning, participated in the study.

Local Initiatives Program: Szczecin, Poland (1998-1999)

• Szczecin Local Initiative Program Final Report (HTML Format)
• Szczecin Local Initiative Program Final Report (Downloadable Acrobat Format)

Working with a Study Team in Szczecin, Poland, the Center  completed the Szczecin Local Initiative Report. The Report lays out options to expand the city's Local Initiative Program in a spatially focused manner and use partnership instruments and a package of programs to build the capacity of NGOs and community based organizations to become more effective partners with city agencies. John Driscoll and Mona Serageldin coordinated this project.

Good transportation links and job skills training programs can enhance economic opportunities for residents in lower-income neighborhoods. Encouraging resident investment in infrastructure and housing can activate local interest in neighborhood projects.

The Szczecin Local Partnership Program in Szczecin, Poland passed a major milestone with the approval of a pilot initiative by the Executive Board of the Szczecin City Council on December 22, 1999. In the months leading up-to the approval, a newly formed interdepartmental team completed the activities outlined the work plan developed by the team and the Center for Urban Development. Key activities included: 

• Appointing a Working Group of city representatives and NGOs in sectors relevant to potential pilot areas;
• Developing the basic protocols for program and obtaining the approval of the program and the core team by the full City Council and the Executive Board;
• Identifying neighborhoods for the pilot. 

 John Driscoll traveled to Szczecin in March 2000 to participate in roundtables with local ward councilors and a workshop to discuss the program with city officials and communities leaders. The first projects focused on the improvement of public open space.

Between 1994 and 1996, the Center provided technical assistance to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport and local governments in the Tirana Region to establish an inter-jurisdictional Land Management Task Force and create the framework and process to undertake a preliminary structure plan for the Tirana Region. Major activities included:

• Coordinating a team of experts providing technical assistance in the areas of structure planning, land regularization, servicing of informal settlements, institutional development and community based approaches to management; and
• Providing training on strategic approaches to planning and financial assessment methodologies.

At the request of the World Bank and the Ministry of Public Works in 1996, the Center assisted in the preparation of a US$15 million Land Management Project funded by the Albanian Government and the World Bank.  The Land Management Program provides essential urban infrastructure to under-serviced or neglected areas in Greater Tirana and strengthens the institutions responsible for the delivery of urban services at the national and local levels.  The components include:

• Extension of infrastructure networks, including access roads, water supply, sewers, and electricity to informal and under-serviced settlements; 
• Institutional development - the strengthening of urban planning capacity of central and municipal government; and 
• Project administration support - support for the Program Coordination Unit (PCU) at the Ministry of Public Works and Transport and Project Management Teams (PMTs) at participating local governments.

The Center helped introduce and institutionalize inclusionary approaches to involve residents, CBOs, and NGOs in the development of area-wide and neighborhood improvement programs and to participate in the financing of infrastructure improvements. In the Bathore area north of Tirana, a rapidly growing informal settlement of 400 hectares with 25,000 residents, nine NGOs are working with the resident groups and a local government team to introduce infrastructure and community services.
 

Laprake squatter settlement -- young girls carrying water to their unserviced homes. Illegal settlement on state-owned agricultural land. Legislation enacted in 1996 authorized regularization and servicing of informal and squatter settlements. Extending infrastructure to underserviced legal subdivisions is a component of an overall urban environmental upgrading strategy.

The historic Medina of Fez is listed as a World Heritage site. It is one of 6 historic centers selected for pilot initiative by UNESCO and The World Bank for collaboration and coordination of efforts among organizations involved in conservation and development.

The historic Medina of Fez is listed as a World Heritage site. It is one of 6 historic centers selected for a pilot initiative by UNESCO and The World Bank for collaboration and coordination of efforts among organizations involved in conservation and development. The Center worked with the conservation agency (ADER-FES) and central and local authorities to develop a strategy for revitalizing the historic Medina and rehabilitating its historic fabric, conduct an environmental assessment study, and evaluate the strategy's impact on municipal finance and the affordability of current residents. Key components of the strategy were included in a project, to be funded by The World Bank, in order to activate the rehabilitation process. Project implementation started in 2000. Francois Vigier, Mona Serageldin, Samir Abdulac, Keith Garner and David Jones made up the Center's team on this project. 

The strategy is built on existing urban dynamics solidly documented by field surveys which are particularly complicated because of the intricate fabric, the small size of properties and the complex structure of tenure and occupancy patterns. The strategy proposes to engage the energies and resources of residents through physical improvements in accessibility and services that enhance development potential; alleviation of legislative and regulatory constraints that impede private investment, offering incentives and technical support to property owners and investors, and exploring modalities for the participation of the Awqaf authorities. Special attention is given to integrating tenants and disadvantaged households in the improvement process. Within a limited budget envelope the 5 year project funded by The World Bank focuses on priority actions as catalysts for sustained improvement and pilots to demonstrate the feasibility and impacts of innovative approaches to rehabilitation in a historical center.

Impact on Municipal Finance and Affordability

A parallel study examined the impacts of the proposed revitalization strategy on municipal finance and the affordability of lower-income residents in the Medina. The synthesis document integrated the findings pf yjese studies in the overall project assessment. Mona Serageldin, Keith Garner and David Jones conducted this study.

Project Summary Document / Environmental Assessment (1996-1997)

Ongoing rehabiliation activities by ADER-FES include the renovation of historically significant houses without displacing their inhabitants and the restoration of Bou Khareb banks and the alleviation of water and ground pollution by noxious industries.

Narrow streets will be widened along the emergency road network to provide access to emergency services wtihin 100 meters of every building. Center: The Emergency Action Program includes the removal and clearance of ruins and debris. Another component of the Emergency Action Program is the consolidation and repair of structurally unsound buildings.

The Center provided assistance to the city in formalizing a housing policy and strategy and with the renovation team to develop new approaches to renovation of property and provision of public services. This work was accomplished within a framework of strategic planning. Going beyond the more familiar concerns relating to standards and layout of physical property, the strategic approach addressed organizational, financial and economic management as well as prioritizing, programming and targeting of developmental activities. John Driscoll and Mona Serageldin coordinated the effort.

In the central downtown area, the focus was on protection from degradation, property renovation and transformation for housing and commerce, and environmental and heritage preservation. All aspects of the work sought to use a flexible combination of private and public sector involvement, maximizing commercial returns and minimizing subsidies.
 

The centrum consists of 60 blocks of 19th century buildings encompassing 5700 buildings with 55,000 apartments. Central location enhances renovation potential hinging on ground floor commercial development.

Back buildings on the inner courtyards encompass small units with shared sanitary facilities. Physical deterioration and tenant relocation requirements are deterrents to renovation. Dedensification of shared apartments and new development on infill sites contributes to upgrading the housing stock and increase the desirability of the centrum as a place to live.

The Center assisted the City of Lublin in creating and institutionalizing a local initiative program for the rehabilitation and revitalization of neighborhoods through participatory processes, empowerment strategies, and the mobilization of local resources. The program was structured as a partnership between the City and the community. The pilot project launched in two underserviced neighborhoods suffering from marginalization for over 30 years, led to the rehabilitation of over 257 houses and fostered the development of 90 microenterprises in less than 3 years. Improvements are continuing and have expanded beyond the pilot areas. The demonstrated effectiveness of the Local Initiative Program has earned it international recognition. Lublin's Local Initiative Program received a Best Practice Award for excellence in improving the living environment at the Habitat II Conference in Istanbul in June 1996. The Center assisted the City in structuring the expansion of the Program to promote rehabilitation in the historic Stare Miasto neighborhood in the center of Lublin. Mona Serageldin led the Center's team which included John Driscoll, David Jones and David Neilson.
 

The joint infrastructure program provides for the sharing of costs between residents and the city. Laying utility lines and street paving in Kosminek is a shared-cost activity between residents and the city. Newly paved streets and sidewalks changes the image of the neighborhood.

Community Based Credit Program for Housing, Infrastructure, and Microenterprises: Quito, Ecuador (1992)

The Center worked jointly with the USAID Regional Office in Quito to assess the feasibility of expaning their housing credit program for lower income groups into new areas of productive housing loans integrating infrastructure improvements and microenterprise development. The program highlighted the critical role of community based credit organizations, other NGOs, and CBOs in this process. Mona Serageldin led the Center's team which included Kim Wilson, a specialist in micro-finance, Tom O'Malley, a specialist in housing finance, and Gustavo Riofrio, an expert on community-based housing initiatives in Latin America.

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