UN-Habitat seminars on urban innovations These sessions will allow UN-Habitat partners from around the world to showcase their innovative and unique responses to the challenges posed by rapid urbanisation. Rather than focusing on networking and strengthening of existing partnerships, "Habitat seminars" will bring into sharp focus the turning of ideas into action, in an effort to diffuse knowledge and gain an understanding of the ongoing process of urban innovation, as it is taking place in all parts of the world. Habitat seminars embody the WUF3 recommendation of shifting the sustainable development paradigm from ideas to targeted actions in a world increasingly dominated by "homo urbanus". The following Habitat seminars will take place during WUF4:
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Monday, November 3, 1400 - 1600 | Harmonious Development with Urban characteristics | The Institute of Nanjing Urban Science Golden Eagle International Group | Opening minds, closing Gaps: the humanitarian Dimension of Urbanization | UN-HABITAT | Water and sanitation For Developing clean and healthy cities | Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) | Cities promoting climate protection – research partnerships | Project Management Agency for the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (PT-DLR) | Harmonious cities: Women’s struggle for access | Economic and Social Women Empowerment Initiative Nigeria | Historic preservation and urban regeneration | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) | First state of Asian cities report | UN-HABITAT, United Cites and Local Government-Asia Pacific Regional Section (UCLG-ASPAC) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)-Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific | Discovering a hidden cooperative advantage in social housing | Swedish Cooperative Centre | Monday, November 3, 1630 - 1830 | Green jobs, urban sustainability and construction | French Agency for Environment and Energy Management and the International Labour Organization | Buenos Aires megacity, a defiant tango | Avina Foundation | Addressing Urban risk in Africa: local perspectives | African Urban Risk Analysis Network and Prevention Consortium | Global city indicators – measuring and monitoring performance | The World Bank (Urban Anchor) | Towards inclusive cities: enhancing the voice of pro-poor organizations | Development Innovations Group (DIG) | Housing For inclusive cities | All India Housing Development Association (AIHDA) | Public-Private Partnerships and social housing Finance | PriceWaterhouseCoopers | Tuesday, November 4, 0900 - 1100 | Harmony of urbanization and affordable housing | Newsroom of Modern Urban Research Suning Universal Group | Urban safety and the poor in Asia-Pacific | UN-HABITAT | Achieving Harmony in shrinking cities | Urban Research Centre, University of Western Sydney and UN-HABITAT | Linking Urban research and policy towards sustainability | Network-Association of European Researchers on Urbanisation in the South (N-AERUS) | Slum mapping with space imagery | International Institute for Geoinformation Science and Earth Observation (ITC) and the Ministry of Housing, Planning and Environment, The Netherlands | Unlocking Urban land values for infrastructure Finance | Public-Private Infrastructure Facility and the World Bank | Urbanization, health and labour | International Labour Office | Cosmocity: integrated development To eradicate informal settlements | Department of Housing, Gauteng Provincial Government, South Africa | Public private citizen participation in community development | Society for International Development Urban Development Working Group | Rural development: an approach To Nigeria’s Urban challenge | National Union of Tenants of Nigeria | Tuesday, November 4, 1130 - 13.30 | Sustainable housing scheme for Nigerian workers
| Ogun State and Institute for Environment, Research and Development | Social Work practice in developing cities | International Federation of Social Workers | Decentralized solid Waste management For Small towns | Waste Concern | Builders of cities, building networks | Building and Wood Workers International (BWI) and International Labour Organization (ILO) | Harmonious shelter and Urban development | Housing Development and Management, Lund University | Geographic Information Systems and sustainable urban development | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) | Alliances and partnerships for youth development | UN-HABITAT | Financing land and housing development For Women | Women Land Access Trust (Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana and Uganda) | Arts to the rescue of urban spaces | SEDESOL Mexico and UN-HABITAT | Tuesday, November 4, 1400 - 1600 | Building-living and property management For the future | The Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning | Strengthening Women’s leadership in local governance | Aagaz Foundation and the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities | Cities and climate change: From Bali To Copenhagen | United Nations Environment Programme | Achieving equity: tenure and services for all | International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) | Paying for growth | American Planning Association China Land Society | Making sustainability reality | City of Malmö, Sweden | Tuesday, november 4, 1630 - 1830 | Urban construction and mobility | Newsroom of Modern Urban Research Suning Universal Group | Managing Urban informal economics – 21st century innovations | Cardiff University UK, London South Bank University UK, WIEGO (Women in the Informal Sector: Globalizing and Organizing) | Affordable housing and sustainable cities development | UN-HABITAT and Ministry for Regional Development, Russian Federation Affordable Housing and Sustainable Cities Development | Promoting equity through collaboration in metropolitan governance | Centre for Human Settlements, University of British Columbia, Canada and City-Region Studies Centre, University of Alberta, Canada | Secure tenure efforts: lessons learned through advocacy initatives | Habitat for Humanity International | Improving infrastructure and planning for small towns | UN-HABITAT | strengthening grassroots Women’s knowledge and policy impact | Grassroots Organizations Operating Together in Sisterhood (GROOTS) International | Wednesday, November 5, 1130 - 1330 | First state of African cities report 2008/2009 | UN-HABITAT | Universal sanitation: new resources from Asia | The United Nations Institute for Training and Research | A culture of sustainability: multistakeholder process | Canadian Environmental Network Health Caucus | The cross-cultural peace building approach | YOUCAN and Rock.Paper.Scissors Inc | Donor assistance for housing and urban development | Westat and International Housing Coalition | Transforming urban markets for the poor through entrepreneurship | Ashoka Innovators for the Public and Global Urban Development | Global city indicators facility: information session | Global City Indicators Facility and the World Bank | Youth and shelter: what are the Win-Win strategies? | UN-HABITAT | Global planners network messages and outreach | The Global Planners Network (GPN) | Wednesday, November 5, 1400 - 1600 | Decentralized Finance For secondary cities: learning from experience | The World Bank | Functions of an enterprise in sustainable development | Nanjing Real Estate Development and Construction Association | Turning commitments to participation into reality | Practical Action | Financing water and sanitation in Asian cities | Asian Development Bank | Cities, climate change and spatial planning | The World Bank Urban Development Unit, Sustainable Development Department, East Asia and the Pacific Region) | People’s process of recovery and reconstruction | UN-HABITAT | Building leadership for sustainable community development | Harmony Foundation of Canada, Environmental Management College of China and National Training Center for Mayors of China | Climate prosperity: sustainable economic and community development | Global Urban Development, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund | Wednesday, November 5, 1630 - 1830 | Preventing and mitigating HIV in the urban development context | Asian Development Bank (ADB), Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and CityNet | Expanding services to the urban poor | The World Bank | Youth employment: a way out of urban poverty | International Youth Foundation and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) | Financing housing and sustainable urban development | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) | Engaging private citizens in urban sustainable development | Sister Cities International and AECOM International Development | Shelter coordination after disaster: challenges and opportunities | International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies |
Monday, November 3, 1400 - 1600
Harmonious Development with Urban characteristics -Room: ZhongshanBallroom The Institute of Nanjing Urban Science Golden Eagle International Group This session will discuss the basic principles of urban sustainable development, as we look to the future of China’s own urban development.
Opening minds, closing Gaps: the humanitarian Dimension of Urbanization -Room: MR 417A UN-HABITAT Today millions of slum dwellers are living on the edge of survival. The risks they face today are no less severe than some situations described internationally as ‘humanitarian emergencies’. This seminar will attempt to unpack some of the issues behind the humanitarian dimension of urbanisation. The seminar will try to answer the following questions: What are the critical aspects of the humanitarian dimensions of urbanisation? What makes cities fail? What are the key ingredients to develop urban resilience? How can humanitarian agencies and national and local authorities prepare themselves and what will be the nature of humanitarian engagement in cities?
Water and sanitation For Developing clean and healthy cities - Room: EH 101 Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) This session will present the findings of the multiple workshops and seminars at the 2008 World Water Week in Stockholm (August 2008). Presentations and discussion will focus on how planning growing cities – particularly those in developing countries – so that sanitation, stormwater, solid waste, water supply and other infrastructure systems can be energy efficient and guarantee quality environmental conditions. The seminar will evaluate strategic approaches to address the critical lack of access to sanitation in slums and integrated policy options to improve infrastructure and adapt to changes in hydrological variability and catastrophic weather incidents. Cities promoting climate protection – research partnerships -Room: EH 102 Project Management Agency for the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (PT-DLR) Fast growing urban centres, particularly those in newly industrialising and less developed countries stand at a crossroads: What obstacles do these cities face in combating climate change? Learn from the research cooperation between German teams and partners from Least Developed Countries working towards sustainable urban development and strategies to mitigate climate change. The German Federal Government promotes its climate protection policy in a global dialogue using an approach based on research and the development of appropriate technologies and innovative services to achieve synergy between climate protection, economic growth and sustainable development.
Harmonious cities: Women’s struggle for access -Room: EH 103 Economic and Social Women Empowerment Initiative Nigeria This session will tackle the theme of socially harmonious cities and the issue of inclusion, right and equity particularly as it affects women. The session will examine the struggle for access and challenges facing the African women living in the Cities today, share experiences, tools and practice for harmonious cities and derive lessons and new skills.
Historic preservation and urban regeneration -Room: EHB 101 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) A panel will discuss the important role of historic preservation in urban regeneration and proving affordable housing in inner cities. The cases and lessons in this panel will cover culture balance, financial feasibility, social harmony, and economic sustainability. The event focuses on three areas: 1) policy comparisons among cities in developed and developing countries; 2) effective public and private partnership cases; and 3) Strategic and sustainable urban redevelopment.
First state of Asian cities report - Room: EHB 102 UN-HABITAT, United Cites and Local Government-Asia Pacific Regional Section (UCLG-ASPAC) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)-Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific UN-HABITAT’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific and UNESCAP, in partnership with UCLG-ASPAC and UNEP-ROAP, are preparing the first State of Asian Cities Report. 2008/2009 on the theme of Harmonious Urbanization. The Report will complement the UN-HABITAT’s State of World Cities Report 2008/2009. To enrich and broaden inputs to the Report’s preparation, this session will present the salient features of Harmonious Urbanization in Asia-Pacific, share main findings and strengthen a network of key stakeholders the Asia-Pacific region. The session will also give a unique opportunity to policy makers at the local, national, regional and global levels to understand, learn from and contribute to the latest trends and processes of Harmonious Urbanization in Asia-Pacific.
Discovering a hidden cooperative advantage in social housing -Room: EHB 103 Swedish Cooperative Centre Housing improvement is important. Yet large groups do not have housing that can be improved, including tenants and people with insecure tenure. For these groups, new construction is required. This requires new financial solutions which can be achieved through a pro-poor mortgage solution where a housing cooperative stands as the legal owner of the entire housing stock so that cooperative members can enjoy safer tenure and lenders, safer payback. The session will discuss the cooperative option and present a pilot project in Nicaragua and El Salvador showing how poor people, when offered accessible financial conditions, can solve their housing needs and pay back 100% of the construction costs.
Monday, November 3, 1630 - 1830
Green jobs, urban sustainability and construction -Room: MR 417A French Agency for Environment and Energy Management and the International Labour Organization What are the possibilities of a win-win situation between ecological conservation and employment creation in the construction of cities and towns? The growing cost of energy and the threat of climate change are compelling governments to implement environmental policies and make more profitable investments in energy efficiency. The session will use current research as the basis for discussion on opportunities to create new jobs and skills training in the construction sector. It will assess whether these new opportunities help accelerate implementation of new environmental policies. Buenos Aires megacity, a defiant tango – Room: EH 101 Avina Foundation Avina, which has long presence and partnerships, projects and initiatives in Latin America, in a region where 80% of the population live in cities will discuss Buenos Aires, a city that become a mega city in 30 years time - where more than 50% of the inhabitants live 1% of the nation’s territory.
Addressing Urban risk in Africa: local perspectives -Room: EH 102 African Urban Risk Analysis Network and Prevention Consortium Africa is the most rapidly urbanizing continent and has extreme levels of risk from climate change and other natural hazards, yet little documented experience of disaster risk reduction. This session, will launch a new book from Earthscan Disaster Risk Reduction - Cases from Urban Africa produced by AURAN, a partnership of universities and NGOs in 6 cities in Africa. The session will also present highlights from AURAN activities and conclude with an open forum on urban risk reduction in Africa.
Global city indicators – measuring and monitoringperformance -Room: EH 103 The World Bank (Urban Anchor) The Global City Indicators Program (GCIP) is a decentralized, city-led initiative that enables cities to measure, report, and improve their performance, facilitate capacity building, and share best practices through an easy-to-use web portal. An ISO standard for city indicators will be the first of its kind to ensure comparability and verification. The GCIP provides a standardized and consistent framework to compare indicators over time and across cities. The session will outline how the program was developed, present pilot city experiences, and invite cities to join the program.
Towards inclusive cities: enhancing the voice of pro-poor organizations -Room: EHB 101 Development Innovations Group (DIG) Presenters will discuss the objectives and achievements Urbis: The Urban Capacity Laboratory, a three-year urban initiative funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Launched in September 2007, Urbis is managed by the Development Innovations Group and seeks to strengthen the capacity and strategic growth of carefully selected pro-poor urban organizations around the world. This panel will discuss ways in which DIG and its partners are building the capacity of nongovernmental and community-based organizations in eight cities, and the effect of these efforts on the voice of the urban poor in those cities.
Housing For inclusive cities - Room: EHB 102 All India Housing Development Association (AIHDA) This session will focus on experience and expertise of Indian innovations on inclusive urban housing with mutual cooperation with stakeholders from the International community. The session will discuss the demand, typology and innovations in affordable housing, examine the role of housing for poverty alleviation, slum improvement, productivity and climate change mitigation. It will seek to develop a roadmap for inclusive housing covering equitable, pro-poor, sustainable and environment-friendly delivery of shelter and services.
Public-Private Partnerships and social housing Finance -Room: EHB 103 PriceWaterhouseCoopers PriceWaterhouseCoopers has substantial experience and expertise in developing new approaches for the structuring and delivery of social and affordable housing. The session will focus on housing supply and finance: (1) Public-Private Partnerships to harness skills, competence and funding of private sector contractors; (2) equity home ownership as a means of improving wealth and opportunity; and (3) using housing associations and housing cooperatives. A recent PWC case study - Housing Finance in Kenya – will be used as an example.
Tuesday, November 4, 0900 - 1100 Harmony of urbanization and affordable housing Room: Zhongshan Ballroom Newsroom of Modern Urban Research Suning Universal Group A dialogue between State-owned real estate enterprises and private real estate enterprises, the session will focus on housing for low-income people, review the key role of affordable housing, for harmonious urbanization, examine current housing challenges and explore possible solutions.
Urban safety and the poor in Asia-Pacific Room: MR 413 UN-HABITAT For a long time the Asia-Pacific has been considered one of the world’s safest regions. However, urban insecurity is gradually emerging. The profiles of urban safety and security vary considerably between the different sub-regions, especially with regard to the urban poor. Researchers will present the findings of a 2008, UN-ESCAP and UN-HABITAT study on Urban Safety and Security and the Poor, in three Asia-Pacific three sub-regions.
Achieving Harmony in shrinking cities -Room: MR 416A Urban Research Centre, University of Western Sydney and UN-HABITAT This session will discuss and share experiences on the global phenomenon of shrinking cities, comparing impacts in the developing world with those in the industrialised world, including the social challenges needed to advance the sustainable urban development agenda on this topic. Presenters from the Shrinking Cities International Research Network will discuss urban and regional shrinkage in China, Chinese-Taipei, South-America, the UK, France, Germany and Australia.
Linking Urban research and policy towards sustainability -Room: MR 417A Network-Association of European Researchers on Urbanisation in the South (N-AERUS) This session focuses on Urbanisation in the South exploring relationships between reflection (science) and action (management and politics) towards urban sustainability. The session will discuss the perspectives and potentials of research networks, and draw essential links to the round table on ‘urban research’. N-AERUS is a not-for-profit, open and multi-disciplinary network.
Slum mapping with space imagery - Room: EH 101 International Institute for Geoinformation Science and Earth Observation (ITC) and the Ministry of Housing, Planning and Environment, The Netherlands This session brings together experts in slum mapping to share their experiences with the wider WUF community. It will explain how information on slums can be extracted from very high resolution remote sensing images, for basic slum mapping, planning and monitoring purposes. It also provides insight into participatory approaches to slum mapping involving NGOs and CBOs. Examples of slum mapping from cities around the world are given, demonstrating the diversity of contexts and implications for slum mapping processes.
Unlocking Urban land values for infrastructure Finance -Room: EH 102 Public-Private Infrastructure Facility and the World Bank This session discusses recent research in a new area of municipal finance that innovatively mobilizes private sector funds for infrastructure investments—by unlocking land asset values through long term leases, sales or special taxation or charges. Transactions using this new model have mobilized substantial sums for infrastructure finance in cities around the world. With rapidly rising land values in developing country cities, land may be the city’s most valuable asset, and can, if managed well, be used to mobilize substantial sums. The session will discuss the principles of land-asset based infrastructure finance and offer lessons learned in case studies.
Urbanization, health and laboUr - Room: EH 103 International Labour Office This seminar underlines the challenges of rapid urbanization for health in a context of globalization. It focuses on the need to contextualise and address the neglected occupational health and safety rights of urban workers, particularly those in the informal economy. National and international policies have not properly acknowledged the linkages between poverty, working conditions, living environment and health inequities. Information on the scale of the problem and the health impact of worsening working conditions is still limited. Cases of best practice will be presented highlighting the role local governments can play along with civil society.
Cosmocity: integrated development To eradicate informal settlements -Room: EHB 101 Department of Housing, Gauteng Provincial Government, South Africa South Africa is one of the signatory countries to the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals and has equally declared its commitment to eradicate identified slums and informal settlements by 2014. The session will present Gauteng Provincial Department of Housing’s Cosmo City case study -a Mixed Housing development approach to promote social integration and create opportunities for the poor to be integrated into the mainstream of the housing market in South Africa. It enables cross-subsidization of basic services and savings on infrastructure development and allows for various housing typologies and more optimum use of urban resources.
Public private citizen participation in community development -Room: EHB 102 Society for International Development Urban Development Working Group Strategic partnering may seem to be a fairly simple endeavour, particularly when partners are eager to work together. In practice, developing truly fruitful and effective partnerships require planning, due diligence, and consensus-building. Citizen participation is a key element to a successful outcome. This session explores effective partnerships that engage the public (national and local governments), the private sector, and families that live in the communities. Examples of these partnerships will be examined, such as local community efforts in Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, and Brazil.
Rural development: an approach To Nigeria’s Urban challenge -Room: EHB 103 National Union of Tenants of Nigeria The session will highlight Nigeria’s urban challenge as a catalyst for rural development and examine the challenge of addressing rural-urban linkages, with reference to Niger-Delta region. It will also examine the challenge of achieving harmonious cities in the region and assess the scale of attaining poverty reduction, environmental sustainability and good governance. It will showcase a policy of Deliberate Decentralization of Development by which the rural-urban gap could be bridged.
Tuesday, November 4, 1130 - 1330
Sustainable housing scheme for Nigerian workers - Room: MR 413 Ogun State and Institute for Environment, Research and Development
One of the greatest challenges facing housing delivery in the capitalist oriented economy of the developing world is the appropriation of the few available housing amongst the cadres of income groups. Ogun State of Nigeria’s housing policy is to ensure that all interested people in the State own or have access to decent and sustainable housing at affordable cost. Towards this end, the state government recently (2007/2008) successfully implemented workers and low income housing scheme that ensured that the workers directly own their houses thus breaking the age-long myth that most low income housing end up in the hands of the privileged class.
Social Work practice in developing cities -Room: MR 416A International Federation of Social Workers Social workers globally are at the forefront of the battle against poverty in cities, soaring crime, unemployment, food insecurity, lack of affordable housing, urban disasters and the scourge of climate change. Rapid urbanization, fewer employment opportunities, multiple levels of deprivation and exclusive policies especially in cities of the developing world often aggregate these problems. Social harmony is often disrupted where there is real or perceived unequal distribution of resources and opportunities. This session will showcase activities aimed at reducing income disparities, facilitating access to services and building capacity for vulnerable groups, with a view of building harmonious relationships among city dwellers.
Decentralized solid Waste management For Small towns -Room: MR 417awaste Concern Waste Concern and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) will present their project on decentralized solid waste management based on the Waste Concern approach which has been tested in Matale, Sri Lanka and Quy Nhon, Vietnam. Inorganic, recyclable waste is sold to junk dealers and organic waste composted at a neighbourhood compost treatment plant. By treating waste close to the source of its generation, cost is reduced considerably. The two pilot projects have been completed and are generating revenues. Waste Concern and ESCAP will also present and discuss financing of solid waste management services through Clean Development Mechanism and non-CDM carbon financing.
Builders of cities, building networks -Room: EH 101 Building and Wood Workers International (BWI) and International Labour Organization (ILO) To address their own challenges and ensure sustainable urbanization, construction workers – the builders of cities - are developing new approaches and initiatives by creating networks with enterprises, communities, environmentalists, NGOs, and international institutions. This session addresses such new relations. The theme is important because the construction industry produces the very fabric of human settlements, and a major employer, especially for the poor. The seminar will cover energy efficient buildings to address climate change, trade unions and communities at work, and homes for the builders of homes.
Harmonious shelter and Urban development -Room: EH 102 Housing Development and Management, Lund University What kind and level of competence are needed to achieve harmonious shelter and urban development? What is the need of international and regional capacity development for the professionals working with shelter and urban planning on local government level in cities of 1-5 million inhabitants in order to achieve sustainable spatially and environmentally harmonious development? A moderated expert panel debate with public interaction focuses on adequate shelter considering sustainable social, economic and environmental development of the cities. The panel includes mayors successful in harmonizing shelter and urban development in their cities in Africa and Asia as well as international experts.
Geographic Information Systems and sustainable urban development -Room: EH 103 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) The panel will discuss the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Sustainable Urban Development. International cases in the fields of urban development, environmental planning, and infrastructure management will be discussed. The goal is to share the experience of using GIS in decision support and project implementation.
Alliances and partnerships for youth development -Room: EHB 101 UN-HABITAT This session aims to promote interactive dialogue between the private sector, youth organizations, local and national governments, academic institutions, civil society representatives, to explore new forms of collaboration for youth development projects. The session will present successful experiences of partnerships in Latin America and encourage debate and sharing of ideas and best practices, and explore new approaches, innovative ideas and strategies to address urban youth needs. The session will focus on youth-led development.
Financing land and housing development For Women - Room: EHB 102 Women Land Access Trust (Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana and Uganda) The Trusts and interested partners will discuss the establishment of a Global Network of Women Land Access Trusts and outline future activities that can support initiatives by existing and prospective trusts. Topics will include setting up women housing cooperatives, a revolving fund, bank guarantees, capacity building, advocacy and resource mobilization.
Arts to the rescue of urban spaces -Room: EHB 103 SEDESOL Mexico and UN-HABITAT The Government of Mexico is integrating communities in the appropriation of public spaces through its National Programme on the Rescue of Public Spaces. The Government of Canada has engaged youth from disenfranchised neighbourhoods in a dialogue on the use of art to bring about change in their communities and enhance safe cities and public spaces. The event will discuss the role of governments in supporting community appropriation of public spaces and review the role of diverse urban arts forms— ranging from theatre, music, poetry, to dance and hip hop — that empower young people ignite public spaces as sites for social interaction.
Tuesday, November 4, 1400 - 1600 Building-living and property management For the future -Room: EH 101 The Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning The dialogue project Building-Living and Property Management for the future, called the Building-Living Dialogue, is a unique form of co-operation between companies, municipalities, national and local authorities, and the Government. Those involved want to reach beyond the limits laid out in laws and regulations to achieve sustainable building and property sector before 2025, in three prioritised areas: the indoor environment, the use of energy and the use of natural resources. This session explains how the Building-Living Dialogue works.
Strengthening Women’s leadership in local governance - Room: EH 102 Aagaz Foundation and the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities India has one third reserved provision for women in local government since 1993, there are nearly 1.2 million elected women representatives in India, approximately 40%. Norway has had a relatively high percentage of women in local and national government during the last 35 years. Nevertheless, women remain underrepresented in governance and politics in both India and Norway, when it comes to representation and participation as well as power. The two organisations AF and KS are partnering, and the presentations bring in Norwegian and Indian experience of increasing the impact of women leaders in politics trough various methods and processes.
Cities and climate change: From Bali To Copenhagen -Room: EH 103 United Nations Environment Programme This session will bring together city representatives from developed and developing countries, urban researchers and practitioners, and representatives from international organizations and the private sector to discuss a Local Government Climate Roadmap process, from Bali to Copenhagen. The role of local governments to become a recognized actor in the post2012 climate agreement will be debated with a view of collecting innovative ideas and proposals on how to formulate such a role in the implementation of the next climate agreement. Participants will also discuss practical measures to address climate change through urban environmental planning, innovative ways of mobilizing finance and technological solutions.
Achieving equity: tenure and services for all -Room: EHB 101 International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) Half the world’s population lives in urban areas and one third, almost 1 billion, are desperately poor and live in settlements without access to adequate water and sanitation. This session draws on research projects to highlight examples of effective interventions that have achieved greater equity in cities, particularly in terms of secure tenure, and access to water and sanitation. The presentations will draw on experiences in Central America, India and Kenya.
Paying for growth -Room: EHB 102 American Planning Association China Land Society The challenge of paying for growth affects the entire spectrum of countries. Who benefits and who pays? Paying means money, lives, inequality, environmental degradation, risk, etc. Paying for growth suggests that we must be more attentive to all costs of development and urbanization and ensure that these costs are thoughtfully discussed along with the benefits. This session will share examples and approaches from the perspective of US experience with managing growth and the experience of China, the world’s most rapidly urbanizing country. The discussion will identify how we might pay in the future and the role of planning.
Making sustainability reality - Room: EHB 103 City of Malmö, Sweden This session will communicate how to move cities of today into the future in a sustainable way, both in the developed world and in developing countries. The emphasis will be on how to implement leading edge technology using a holistic approach. The City of Malmö will highlight two crucial perspectives: dialogue with citizens and cooperation between different actors, all aiming for the sustainable city. The session will present examples from two different city areas: converting an old industrial site to a housing area powered by 100 % locally produced renewable energy, and transformation of a non-functional housing area from the ‘50s to a truly sustainable neighbourhood.
Tuesday, november 4, 1630 - 1830
Urban construction and mobility -Room: MR 203 Newsroom of Modern Urban Research Suning Universal Group This session will highlight the contribution of petrochemical industry to energy conservation and environmental protection in an increasingly urbanised world. Managing Urban informal economics – 21st century innovations -Room: MR 417A Cardiff University UK, London South Bank University UK, WIEGO (Women in the Informal Sector: Globalizing and Organizing) Burgeoning urban informal economies are an integral part of 21st century cities, and the street is the new place of work for the urban poor. This session takes forward recent debates to explore innovations in harnessing the informal economy in the fight against urban poverty. Four themes are explored - formalisation, accommodation, representation and rights - by leading researchers, and practitioners from WIEGO, other NGOs, and international agencies.
Affordable housing and sustainable cities development – Room: EH 101 UN-HABITAT and Ministry for Regional Development, Russian Federation Affordable Housing and Sustainable Cities Development Issues of affordable housing are among the most urgent for practically all cities in the countries that are making their historic transition towards market economy. Housing reforms that took place in the ‘90s as a rule concentrated on privatization and overlooked importance of a more flexible approach to meeting the needs of different population groups, particularly low income groups. Housing inseparably linked with construction and other sectors of urban economy and life is one of the sustainable urban development corner stones and has to be duly and properly addressed. Participants will discuss current challenges and exchange views and practices in tackling them.
Promoting equity through collaboration in metropolitan governance - Room: EH 102 Centre for Human Settlements, University of British Columbia, Canada and City-Region Studies Centre, University of Alberta, Canada This session will stimulate thinking about how collaborative arrangements can help municipal, state and federal partners to develop robust, sustainable mechanisms to support metropolitan governance, and to what extent these arrangements could foster social inclusion and equity. Lessons to be learned from ways that metropolitan governance is approached in several countries will be discussed and a network for continuing exchange of knowledge and ideas initiated. Sample cases will be from Canada and the ‘Regional Consortium: Mulheres das Gerais’ in Brazil, a public consortium to promote gender equity through regional programs and services to prevent violence against women.
Secure tenure efforts: lessons learned through advocacy initatives -Room: EHB 101 Habitat for Humanity International Habitat for Humanity has worked with communities in over 100 countries to eradicate poverty housing around the world. It has become clear that a safe and secure home depends not only on the access to resources for the building of a house, but on access to land and the securing of tenure and property rights for that land. This session explores best practices used by HFHI and other organizations working on secure tenure activities, as well as regulatory and operational constraints. HFHI will have available a new report that addresses the importance of tenure security and highlights work being done around the world.
Improving infrastructure and planning for small towns - Room: EHB 102 UN-HABITAT The rapidly growing urban centres in the Lake Victoria basin are playing an increasingly important role in the economic development of the region. But most of these towns are experiencing unplanned, spontaneous growth. The rundown and often non-existent basic infrastructure and poor urban planning in most of them poses a major threat to their sustainability. The objective of the seminar is to discuss key issues constraining infrastructure and urban planning in the Lake Victoria region and review lessons learned from implementing the Lake Victoria Region Water and Sanitation Initiative, a joint project involving UN-HABITAT and the Governments of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
Strengthening grassroots Women’s knowledge and policy impact - Room: EHB 103 Grassroots Organizations Operating Together in Sisterhood (GROOTS) International Introduced in 2000, Grassroots Women’s International Academies are intensive teaching/learning workshops which transfer and exchange grassroots development knowledge, document it, and stimulate policy changes. The sessions will present results of Grassroots Women’s Academy by GROOTS International and partners to demonstrate how grassroots women’s groups are building harmonious and resilient cities in the face of increasing natural disasters. Results of past Academies will be shared to show the positive impacts of grassroots women’s issues and strategies on human settlements, when transferred and brought to scale.
Wednesday, November 5, 1130 - 1330
First state of African cities report 2008/2009 -Room: MR 413UN-HABITAT This seminar will provide a unique opportunity for local, national, regional and global partners of UN-HABITAT to understand, learn from and contribute to the latest trends and processes to achieve harmonious urbanisation in Africa and the Arab State Region. The three main objectives of the event are: To create a platform for regional information gathering and exchanging and stimulating regional debate among policy makers, urban thinkers and practitioners; to discuss and outline the major constraints, opportunities and salient features to achieving Harmonious Urbanisation; and to share the main findings of this first Africa Report with key stakeholders and partners in the region. Universal sanitation: new resources from Asia -Room: MR 416A The United Nations Institute for Training and Research Achieving universal sanitation is possible: the right technologies and procedures have already been developed and tested. How can we ensure that the key decision makers in every city and town know the extent of the problem and the potential solutions? This session will introduce two new resources to disseminate knowledge on sanitation in Asian cities and towns: The Sanitation Databook for Asian Cities, by CityNet, Asian Development Bank, UN-HABITAT and veolia Environment; and the e-learning Course on Urban Sanitation by UNESCAP and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). Participants will be encouraged to provide feedback, make suggestions for further work and propose collaborations and partnerships.
A culture of sustainability: multistakeholder process -Room: MR 417A Canadian Environmental Network Health Caucus The Canadian Environmental Network process of multi-stakeholder consultation with government and diverse civil society groups is recognized internationally as unique. This session will gather a diverse audience of academia, policy-makers, non-governmental groups, and development institutions to create multi-stakeholder partnerships based on identifying resources and solutions to common obstacles. Small groups will discuss issues of harmonious urbanization and as a larger group strategize innovative communication and fundraising, with hands-on components. Partnership best practices on urban innovations, including lessons learned post-WUF3, will be highlighted through poster presentations.
The cross-cultural peace building approach -Room: EH 101 YOUCAN and Rock.Paper.Scissors Inc A participatory workshop where theory meets practice, this engaging session encourages participants to interact and add new tools to their conflict resolution approaches. The YOUCAN / Rock.Paper.Scissors Inc. Peacebuilding approach will be described with highlights from our pioneering youth Cross Cultural Conflict Resolution Module, for while conflict is universal, how we deal with it isn’t. This workshop takes a holistic view of culture (including ethnicity, socio-economic status, gender and more), to provide a framework for how to build a culturally sensitive, collaborative conflict resolution process that can be tailored to fit individual communities and cultures.
Donor assistance for housing and urban development -Room: EH 102 Westat and International Housing Coalition Panellists will discuss the decline of support for urban housing in developing countries by bilateral donors and the continued support for urban housing by the multilaterals. The session will explore the reasons for the bilateral donor decline and elicit suggestions on ways to increase donor funding for housing. The World Bank will present an Urban Strategy Update on its funding for housing while the International Housing Coalition (IHC) will present an update on its activities and its strategy for increasing housing funding for developing countries.
Transforming urban markets for the poor through entrepreneurship -Room: EH 103 Ashoka Innovators for the Public and Global Urban Development This session will present the main findings of a special issue of Global Urban Development Magazine to be published at end of October 2008. The issue, developed with Ashoka on market-based strategies for low-income urban markets, includes articles on pioneering approaches to grow business-social models based on a deep understanding of poor communities, fostering alliances among players along the value chain to create packages of services, and attracting new type of financing to scale emerging models. The panel will be interactive and will explore collective actions with the audience.
Global city indicators facility: information session - Room: EHB 101 Global City Indicators Facility and the World Bank The Global City Indicators Facility (GCIF), created by the World Bank, is a decentralized, city-led initiative that enables cities to measure, report, and improve their performance, facilitate capacity building, and share best practices through an easy-to-use web portal. An ISO standard for city indicators will be the first of its kind to ensure comparability and verification. Cities gather all or most of the data for this set of indicators, just not in a way that allows for global consistency and comparability. The GCIF provides a standardized and consistent framework to compare indicators over time and across cities. The session will announce the launch of the new Facility.
Youth and shelter: what are the Win-Win strategies? - Room: EHB 102 UN-HABITAT The presentation explores win-win strategies to enhance shelter and livelihoods for urban youth. It discusses the urgency of addressing urban youth as contributors to shelter and service provision and how governments can support this role through enabling policies for pro-poor housing and land tenure systems. UN-HABITAT’s catalytic role in policy and institutional reform from a youth-led development focus is outlined. Principles and good practice in the development and implementation of age-sensitive housing, land management and shelter policies are presented. The post-presentation discussion will seek to draw out current status in different regions.
Global planners network messages and outreach - Room: EHB 103 The Global Planners Network (GPN) The session will report on the outcomes of the Second Global Planners Congress (GPC) in Zhenjiang which precedes WUF4. The GPC examines responses to the urgent challenges for human settlements of rapid urbanisation, urban poverty and inequality, climate change and disaster mitigation. This session will demonstrate spatial planning approaches to address these challenges and deliver the Habitat agenda for change, characterised by being integrative, inclusive, sustainable and creative. Also, the session will convey messages from a wider planning community from over 100 countries who have participated in GPN’s innovative outreach capacity research programme.
Wednesday, November 5, 1400 - 1600 Decentralized Finance For secondary cities: learning from experience -Room: MR 208 The World Bank The early 21st century will see the bulk of its urban population growth in cities under 2 million in population, especially those under 500,000. The challenge for all governments and financiers is how to reach these cities and interact with them to meet these diverse investment needs. The World Bank recently reviewed its experience with specialized funds for this purpose, and finds the experience promising. This session will discuss how to expand support for decentralized finance in varied environments. Fund managers in Least Developed Countries will also present their experience.
Functions of an enterprise in sustainable development -Room: MR 302 Nanjing Real Estate Development and Construction Association This session will discuss the topic of urban sustainable development, and inquire into the functions of enterprises in urban sustainable development and the construction of a harmonious habitat.
Turning commitments to participation into reality - Room: MR 417A Practical Action There are many commitments to ensuring the participation of poor urban people in decision-making about planning and infrastructure services. These are at various levels, from neighbourhoods and wards to city-wide initiatives. Government decentralisation is thought to promote participation. But, beyond isolated projects and islands of success, it is still not a reality. This session will look at the barriers to widespread, effective participation of the poor from a range of perspectives. Practical Action and its partners will share their experiences and approaches. Views will be presented from civil society movements, local government, planners and international agencies
Financing water and sanitation in Asian cities -Room: EH 101 Asian Development Bank This session will discuss the latest trends in meeting the huge investment requirements for urban water and sanitation in Asian cities. The session focuses on the new frontiers of water financing in selected Asian countries. It is particularly interesting to note that recently, more efforts are being made by international development agencies to promote private investments and non-sovereign lending in financing of urban waster and sanitation. On the other hand, the public-public partnership is gaining new interest by the region’s utilities. Innovative ways of financing water and sanitation is therefore a continuous challenge to all involved in the sector.
Cities, climate change and spatial planning -Room: EH 102 The World Bank Urban Development Unit, Sustainable Development Department, East Asia and the Pacific Region) This session offers three inter-related presentations on the challenges posed by climate change for cities in East Asia and how they can respond by reducing their current vulnerabilities to climate impacts and natural disasters as well as their future vulnerabilities by applying more environmentally sustainable practices and spatial planning. The session introduces new approaches that the World Bank has developed to assist its clients: (i) Ecological Cities as Economic Cities (with a focus on Tianjin); (ii) Spatial Growth of Metropolitan Cities (focusing on Tianjin, Zhengzhou, and Shanghai); and (iii) Climate Resilient Cities (looking at the East Asia region broadly).
People’s process of recovery and reconstruction -Room: EH 103 UN-HABITAT In post disaster and post conflict situations, UN-HABITAT advocates seamless transition from the emergency relief phase to early recovery and reconstruction phases. This literally brings people back on their feet in the shortest possible time. To rebuild the lives of people, calls for a people centred approach. UN-HABITAT has successfully executed this approach in post disaster and post conflict programmes in Afghanistan, Indonesia, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. To unlock the huge potential of the people requires support. The session will describe the key means of support necessary for people to rebuild their lives and assets.
Building leadership for sustainable community development -Room: EHB 101 Harmony Foundation of Canada, Environmental Management College of China and National Training Center for Mayors of China The session begins with an examination of the benefits created when leaders from local government, business, urban development, and the community cooperate to achieve sustainable community development. A guided discussion follows: how to develop skilled leadership, public participation and multi-sector cooperation for sustainable community development. It closes with an exercise to identify opportunities for collaboration through sharing of best practices and innovative methods.
Climate prosperity: sustainable economic and community development -Room: EHB 102 Global Urban Development, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund Climate Prosperity generates substantial economic and employment growth and sustainable business and community development by demonstrating that innovation, efficiency, and conservation in the use and reuse of all resources is the best way to increase jobs, incomes, productivity, and competitiveness. Climate Prosperity is also the most cost-effective method of promoting renewable energy and clean technologies, protecting the environment, and preventing harmful impacts from global warming.
Wednesday, november 5, 1630 - 1830
Preventing and mitigating HIV in the urban development context -Room: EH 101 Asian Development Bank (ADB), Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and CityNet Preliminary findings indicate that knowledge and capacity-building interventions alone are necessary but not sufficient to effect behaviour change and create the conditions to build community assets and lasting reforms. Awareness, vision and knowledge among the leadership of urban local government are necessary to implementing effective networks that address a wide range of issues, including HIV/AIDS prevention. Without addressing the built and social environments, the determinants of poverty, including individual behaviours and LG stakeholder perceptions will continue to address only symptoms. Integrated urban planning requires input from all resident groups, especially self-help groups who play a large part in the response. Expanding services to the urban poor - Room: EH 102 The World Bank Environmentally harmonious cities require provision of water supply and sanitation services to all city dwellers. Poor sanitation services in particular can result in negative environmental health impacts for the entire urban population. The Water and Sanitation Program has completed a set of Guidance Notes on Services to the Urban Poor which distils experiences from Latin America, Africa, South Asia, and East Asia that that overcome barriers for expanding services to the urban poor. After presenting these Guidance Notes, through a participatory discussion this session will identify suggestions for improving national networks to promote and monitor innovative approaches for expanding services to the urban poor.
Youth employment: a way out of urban poverty -Room: EH 103 International Youth Foundation and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Youth unemployment and underemployment are major and growing problems in urban areas for unskilled poor youth. Several hundred million young people will be looking for work over the next ten years to escape poverty. A number of municipal governments have developed model programs, built on partnerships with the private sector and civil society organizations, to turn at-risk youth away from destructive activities such as crime, prostitution and drugs, and instead train them in job skills and place them in decent employment. Speakers will highlight the reasons for these successful programs and how they can be replicated and scaled up.
Financing housing and sustainable urban development -Room: EHB 101 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) The panel will discuss cases of innovative financing tools used in building housing and urban infrastructure. The current financial crisis will affect the capital markets - with limited resources, government and the private sector must work collectively to leverage resources and expertise. Examples in developing countries will be discussed.
Engaging private citizens in urban sustainable development -Room: EHB 102 Sister Cities International and AECOM International Development Sister Cities International has hosted a sustainable development network within its membership for several years. This session will highlight the lessons learned and success stories from the sister cities movement, including the dissemination of a Models Report which showcases successful environmental projects as models for replication. The sharing of experiences will evolve into a discussion forum of current challenges for implementation of environmentally sustainable projects at local levels, how to overcome these challenges and how to increase private citizen participation in urban sustainable development projects. It will also show the process of establishing a successful sister city program.
Shelter coordination after disaster: challenges and opportunities -Room: EHB 103 International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Disasters result in an increase in the caseload of households requiring adequate housing, either temporary or permanent. Such events also provide an opportunity to reduce housing risks and vulnerabilities, if the emergency relief and recovery activities can be effectively coordinated. What are the challenges in ensuring such coordination, particularly involving the built environment professions, and what opportunities does effective coordination present? The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is responsible for coordinating emergency shelter in international relief operations following natural disasters. This session will explore some of the issues arising from recent major emergencies, and initiatives between the humanitarian sector, professional institutes and the private sector to improve the effectiveness of the post-disaster housing response in support of host Governments.
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