Designing Sustainable Cities in the Developing World

Roger Zetter and Georgia Butina Watson

Can conservation of the built heritage be reconciled with the speed of urban change in cities of the developing world? What are the tools of sustainable design and how can communities participate in the design of the environments in which they live and work?

These are some of the questions explored within this innovative and richly illustrated book. A wealth of examples drawn from Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, India and Myanmar demonstrate how rapid physical and social change has swept away historic urban quarters and the cultural heritage they represent.

Written in an accessible style the rich mix of concepts, research methods, analysis and practice-based tools is designed for academics and professionals alike. Leading academics Zetter and Watson have produced a fascinating book that is amongst the first to explore the concept of urban sustainability within the context of urban design in the developing world.

8 Case Studies on the Connections Between Smart Growth Development and Jobs, Wealth, and Quality of Life in Communities

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Economic development success and smart growth can go hand-in-hand. IEDC’s Economic Development and Smart Growth presents eight case studies on communities that incorporated smart growth principles in their development projects and have experienced economic development improvements in the form of increased tax revenue, more jobs, higher income levels, downtown revitalization, business growth, and other indicators of economic success.

The case studies range from the use of transit-oriented development in Portland, Oregon, where light rail has sparked $3 billion in new development, to commercial corridor revitalization in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where it has nearly doubled the per capita income in the south side of the city. IEDC’s case-based research provides direction for local government officials, economic development professionals, and all those concerned with the future of their communities.

This publication was funded by a grant from the U.S. EPA.

A research paper funded by the Department for Victorian Communities and prepared by Dr John Montgomery.

Clone Town Britain Survey:   New Economics Foundation

Clone Town Britain: The survey results on the bland state of the nation, reveals for the first time, the balance between clone towns, border towns and home towns in the UK. Clone Town Britain shows how retail spaces once filled with a thriving mix of independent butchers, newsagents, tobacconists, pubs, bookshops, greengrocers and family owned general stores are fast being filled with faceless supermarket retailers, fast-food chains, mobile phone shops and global fashion outlets. But as nef's report shows, Britain doesn’t have to become a nation of clone towns. The homogenisation of high streets is not benign or inevitable. Just as regulatory changes have allowed it, the right changes can begin to turn back the tide. As the survey results show; there is still time for action to protect the identity of our towns, and to prevent our border towns becoming clone towns. By promoting local shops we can enhance diversity, and increase the vitality and stability of local economies. That way we can begin to reverse the trend in the towns that have already been overtaken by clones. nef's report proposes a manifesto for the return of diversity to our high streets.

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A new two-volume report by the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Policy Development and Research, Voucher Homeownership Study, provides a national snapshot of the Housing Choice Voucher Homeownership program and its many successes. This is one of HUD’s most important initiatives, in that the program’s homeownership option allows public housing authorities (PHAs) to provide voucher assistance to low-income, first-time homebuyers.

The report is available as a free download online at http://www.huduser.org/publications/homeown/voucherhomeown.html.

The Canadian Human Rights Commission made public today a report on international best practices in universal design at the World Urban Forum in Vancouver.

Entitled International Best Practices in Universal Design: A Global Review, this report gives an insight into the latest trends in universal design. On a very practical level, it provides architects and designers with the tools and options to design buildings that are accessible to all users. It documents accessibility criteria in building codes and standards in Canada and around the world. It outlines the space requirements to accommodate power wheelchairs and scooters, as well as the requirement for warning systems to alert people who are blind or visual impaired to their environment. It also provides insight into how to design a building utilizing colour contrasts and changes in textures to make a building function better for everyone.

According to the United Nations, over 600 million people, or 10% of the world’s population have a disability of one form or another. Almost all these people would benefit greatly from improvements in the accessibility of the built environment.

The Review was commissioned by the Canadian Human Rights Commission’s Strategic Initiatives Program and received funding support from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Human Resources ans Social Development Canada (Office for Disability Issues) and the Treasury Board of Canada. Research and writing of the report was undertaken by Betty Dion Enterprises Limited, an Ottawa firm recognized as world class experts in universal design issues.

Created in 2004, the Commission’s Strategic Initiatives Program looks into systemic issues that have an impact on a group of people or on the overall Canadian human rights system and proposes action and solutions to address these issues.

The report is primarily intended for technical experts. Copies are available on CD or in print, on request. To obtain a copy, please fill in the request form.

State of the World's Cities 2006/7: The Millennium Goals and Urban Sustainability

It is generally assumed that urban populations are healthier, more literate and more prosperous than rural populations. However, UN-HABITAT's State of the World's Cities Report 2006/7 has broken new ground by showing that the urban poor suffer from an urban penalty: Slum dwellers in developing countries are as badly off if not worse off than their rural relatives.

Details
Author: UN-HABITAT  -   ISBN No.: 92-1-131811-4HS Number: HS/814/06E
Category: GENERAL  -  Production Year: 2006Language(s): English     Price: US$ 35

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Globalization and the Transformation of Foreign Economic Policy by Pavel Bozyk

The onslaught of globalization has brought with it sweeping changes to the foreign economic policy of the last 50 years. As the international political economy of nations and regions continues to be drawn and redrawn, this book traces the goals and instruments of foreign economic policy during this period, providing insight into the long-run trends and developing new theoretical generalizations. The book charts the journey from the point when foreign economic policy was solely concerned with foreign trade - pursued to promote the interests of individual countries - to the current globalization of the world economy that creates a uniform market in goods, services and factors of production that embrace all countries and regions.

Dr Pawel Bozyk is Professor of Economics in the University of Economics and Computer Science in Warsaw, Poland. Pawel is also a Lecturer in the Warsaw School of Economics, Poland and Lecturer in the University of Commerce and Law in Warsaw, Poland.

Return to the Center: Culture, Public Space, and City-Building in a Global Era     By Lawrence A. Herzog

The redesign and revitalization of traditional urban centers is the cutting edge of contemporary urban planning, as evidenced by the intense public and professional attention to the rebuilding of city cores from Berlin to New York City's "Ground Zero." Spanish and Latin American cities have never received the recognition they deserve in the urban revitalization debate, yet they offer a very relevant model for this "return to the center." These cultures have consistently embraced the notion of a city whose identity is grounded in its organic public spaces: plazas, promenades, commercial streets, and parks that invite pedestrian traffic and support a rich civic life. This groundbreaking book explores Spanish, Mexican, and Mexican-American border cities to learn what these urban areas can teach us about effectively using central public spaces to foster civic interaction, neighborhood identity, and a sense of place.

Herzog weaves the book around case studies of Madrid and Barcelona, Spain; Mexico City and Querétaro, Mexico; and the Tijuana-San Diego border metropolis. He examines how each of these urban areas was formed and grew through time, with attention to the design lessons of key public spaces. The book offers original and incisive discussions that challenge current urban thinking about politics and public space, globalization, and the future of privatized communities, from gated suburbs to cyberspace. Herzog argues that well-designed, human-scaled city centers are still vitally necessary for maintaining community and civic life. Applicable to urban renewal projects around the globe, Herzog's book will be important reading for planners, architects, designers, and all citizens interested in creating more livable cities.

Lawrence A. Herzog is Professor in the Graduate Program in City Planning of the School of Public Administration and Urban Studies at San Diego State University in California.