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20 March 2022

Learning from urban projects: why and how we should unlock the learning potential of urban development projects and programmes

In an earlier post I mentioned that I had been asked to put down some thoughts on learning from urban projects. The thoughts have now been published open source. Link to full text

Forbes Davidson (2022) Learning from urban projects: why and how we should unlock the learning potential of urban development projects and programmes, International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development, DOI: 10.1080/19463138.2022.2042305

The images below show how a project changes over time, but long term monitoring and evaluation and needed to learn the lessons.

Ismailia Hai el Salam 1982
Ismailia Hai el Salam same location 2007

For more information on the Ismailia projects see here for downloads and links , and here for a list of references. Photographs can be accessed here for early stages in the project and here for more recent images.

Here is the abstract:

Urban projects are developed partly to solve local problems but often have wider aims to influence policy and practise. However, there is very little long-term evaluation carried out, and few systematic efforts to link the experience gained in project development and implementation to wider learning and capacity building. I have written this opinion piece based on my experience both in practise in the public and private sectors and in teaching and research. The paper is divided into three parts. First, why urban projects and programmes are important for learning and capacity building. Second, how we learn from projects and the opportunities and barriers to learning. Third, how we could increase learning by explicitly including learning objectives in project planning and evaluation, strengthening links between practice and learning, and improving long-term access to project materials with learning potential.

I would appreciate any feedback and thoughts that you might have.

A small scale “capital investment project” supported by UN-Habitat in Kosovo to improve local conditions and build capacity in local communities and government. 2014

Filed Under: Approaches, Capacity development, Flexibility in planning, Ismailia, Ismailia projects, Papers, Participation in planning, Planning, Uncategorized, Upgrading, urban transformation Tagged With: , , , Leave a Comment
5 October 2021

Learning from experience: Daring Cities 2021

Following my post on learning from experience, I recommend accessing the ongoing Daring Cities 2021 conference organized by ICLEI and the City of Bonn. I am not connected to the organizers, but am finding the event highly relevant.

In the context of the build-up to COP 26 in Glasgow this online event provides both inspiring and practical insights into the efforts of cities to mainstream activities related to climate change. Inputs are from mayors, local officials, international organizations, academics and activists. Actions range from declarations of climate emergency through practical ways to mainstream climate change activities and to raise funding for the necessary investments.

The conference runs from 4 to 8 October. Registration is free and video will be available for missed sessions. https://daringcities.org/

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14 September 2021

How do we learn from experience?

Hai el Salam, Ismailia, early development semi private area 1984

I was asked to write a think-piece on how we learn from experience. So I have started thinking! The process is ongoing, and I will share it when I have a draft ready. In the meantime, David Allen, former colleague and the founding director of Culpin Planning, is undertaking a major search for materials related to the Ismailia Demonstration Projects in Egypt and other Culpin projects. He asked me to make the additional materials available on the website for anyone who would like learn more from the experience. I am very happy to help with this – it complements the material that is already available here.

Why go back to old materials? Isn’t it better to look at the latest developments? My view is that we can only learn from urban developments by examining what has happened over time – sometimes a considerable time. When projects are new they are being actively promoted. Time allows for a more balanced view. For example, projects aimed at the poor often are taken over by higher income groups – but that process could be from the start or may take five or even twenty-five years. It is important to know not only the original aims but also how those ideas have worked out in practise.

Learning requires not only an understanding of what exists now, but also understanding of what the original designers were trying to do, and the context of politics and market that influences strongly what actually happens. The images show the Hai el Salam project at different stages of development.

Link to the Ismailia materials here.

Hai el Salam Semi private area 2007
Hai el Salam 2010 – the area has densified with small businesses on the ground floor of main streets

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14 September 2014

Istanbul and the case of the elusive Urban Development Guidelines

2010-05-09 08-39-00 Turkey Istanbul 7342 FD

Guidelines on why and how to develop integrated plans and projects were a key output from European countries participating in Habitat II in Istanbul in 1996.  Now, in the build up to Habitat III in 2016 it is useful to ask “What happened?”

The story begins in Istanbul.  At the Habitat conference in Istanbul in 1996 many member states had urban departments in their develop co-operation organizations.  During the conference they came together and decided that they should promote an integrated urban approach for development cooperation from the EC.  The result of this was an initiative to develop a policy together with guidelines on how it could be implemented.

Which should come first?   The urban development policy or the guidelines?  The practicalities dictated that it was better to first develop draft guidelines.  A team of development institutions were commissioned to develop the outline.  These included Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies, in Netherlands, the Development Planning Unit in United Kingdom and  HDM at Lund University in Sweden.  I was  the  team leader,  which is why I have kept an interest in their progress.

Integrated urban development is very important.  Everyone recognises this, but it is difficult to implement.   European development aid has tended to be sectoral.  It is easier to manage large infrastructure projects than complicated integrated programmes.   The challenge was to try to develop a framework to encourage integrated “urban” approaches where synergies could be developed and conflicts minimised.  The approach had to be simple enough to be understandable, had to make sense and also had to fit with the procedures of European development aid.  Not an easy assignment!   Interestingly, during development of the guidelines it turned out that an overlapping work was being written on  urban environment.  It was agreed to integrate the two  – a rare case of  synergistic thinking and flexibility!

The draft guidelines went through a number of formats, were tested in regional workshops and in  EC projects.  They were finally made available in 2001 on  World Habitat Day.

cover of EC guidelines 2001Cover of 2001 version of the guidelines

Reorganization within EC meant that the guidelines disappeared from view.   They were re-discovered and  updated as Consultative Guidelines for Sustainable Urban Development Cooperation.  These were introduced for discussion early 2012.    The current status is no clear.   They are updated but are largely the same as the original work.  If you want to look at them they  are available for download via the above link.

I think that the guidelines still provide a very useful guide to thinking through integrated approaches, especially linking planning, infrastructure development  and governance.  They also show how to connect  these to the project cycle management used by EC and other agencies for development projects.

If you find this publication useful, or have any comments, please let me know – but  also it is very important to give feedback to EC on their Capacity 4 Dev page.  A direct link is  here.

7S diagramKey diagram of the guidelines

Filed Under: Approaches, Books, Capacity development, Integrated planning, Papers, Participation in planning, Planning, Strategic Urban Planning Tagged With: , , , , , Leave a Comment
1 August 2014

World Urban Forum 2014, Medellin – some reflections

 

Medellin 2014 informal barrio upgraded with improved transportation and art

Medellin 2014 informal barrio upgraded with improved transportation and art

I was asked to add some links to a posting I made at the end of the World Urban Forum (WUF)  in 2012 in Naples.  This was about an inspiring acceptance speech from the former mayor of Medellin, and my hope that the video would be available on YouTube.   Well it is (see the end of this post), and it also reminded me that neither had I updated the site nor commented on impressions from Medellin where the 2014 Urban Forum was held.

After some months the contents of individual presentations and sessions loose the paradigm changing impression that they leave you with at the time.  The impact of the snatched conversations, the bombardment of stalls, posters, videos, leaflets, books, DVDs and dongles fades.  The sessions of the development glitterati were interesting, but?  Apart from a refreshed network – what are you left with?

For me, the biggest impact was from the city itself and the transformations that had been achieved. To be left with inspiration rather than cynicism is a major plus.  The use of a high quality metro and bus rapid transit system linked by cable cars to informal areas on the surrounding hill sides is impressive.  The cleanliness of the system – platforms are dusted and polished – and the existence of a “metro culture” where users seem to use the facilities with respect gives food for thought.

 

The video that first impressed me?

 

The recent presentation in Medellin as part of  IHS alumni award ceremony:

 

More images of the transportation innovations linked to upgrading the informal areas of the city.   For further information, click the images:

 

For research on the impact of the Metrocables, see Dávila, Julio D. and Daste, D., 2011. Poverty, participation and aerial cable-cars: A case study of Medellín. In 12th Naerus Annual Conference, Madrid 2011. N-Aerus. Available at: https://www.bartlett.ucl.ac.uk/dpu/metrocables/dissemination/Davila-Daste-Naerus-2011.pdf

 

Filed Under: Approaches, Events, Medellin, Places, Planning, transportation, Upgrading, urban transformation, WUF 6, WUF7 Medellin, Youtube Tagged With: , , , Leave a Comment
4 November 2012

City planning integration – relevance of a good husband?

Poster at city participation meeting, Tenali, Andhra Pradesh Poster at city participation meeting, Tenali, Andhra Pradesh with former Chief Minister

Integrated planning needs  leaders who are able  to think across sectors. What Tony Blair used to call “joined up thinking.”

This simple “common sense” skill is often trained/ educated out of professionals.  In the workplace  this process  is completed by the  silo culture of  sectoral organizations.

For me, an inspiration for how to think in an integrated way came when I was not expecting it, while  running a workshop on strategic planning for local government in Uttar Pradesh in India some years ago. The group included both officials and elected representatives from local governments, including new  female  mayors (a quota system was in place).

We got to the point in the workshop where we discussed how to think through a city vision. Most teams followed the advice of imagining they were in their city in five years time and imagining what they would like to see different – would the streets be clean? Would the town hall be efficient?
“.. a good husband”
One lady mayor came up with her own vision. She said that for her, the city should be like a good husband. What did she mean?
Working
She explained that the husband should work and be able to support his family – so the city should also work. Citizens should be able to efficiently produce goods and services and be able to trade and bring an income to the city.
Healthy
Then the husband should be healthy, otherwise he could not work. So the city should be healthy so people can work well and be happy. There should be good safe water supply, effective waste management, health education and good health services.
Well presented
Finally, the husband did not need to be handsome like a Bollywood film star, but should be presentable. The city should be neat, tidy and clean and welcoming to visitors.

An integrated vision.

Sometimes as professionals we lose the integrated view that comes with common sense.
For example, it is seldom seen as the job of the roads department to think that their work may increase land values. But it does, so it is very important that both leaders and  professionals, including city managers and planners, are able to see the big picture.  They then need to be able to integrate or connect the decisions that can give real benefits.  Strategic planning is a useful tool for this, but it does need an integrated vision in those using it, and it does need to produce results.

Do you have any examples to share of  an integrated vision that really helped lead to real benefits?

Filed Under: Approaches, Integrated planning, Strategic Urban Planning Tagged With: , , , , 2 Comments
21 October 2012

Integration of urban development in India: any answers?

Delhi metro

Delhi: rapid transport helps integrate some parts of the city

 

The workshop on integrated development in India was valuable, but it would be naïve to expect that one an a half days would give all the answers. It was good to get a range of experiences from India as well as International inputs from Cities Alliance, World Bank, (Capacity Development for Infrastructure in Asia (CDIA) and Metropolis.
For me, the significant points were:

  • 1) First that the conference took place and the Ministry took an active and leading role;
  • 2) the recognition of the  issue of limited capacity at the local level and the need for strong leadership from the local level, both political and technical;
  • 3) the openness to listen to experiences from South Africa, Nigeria, Philippines Korea, and to open up the thinking on the Indian situation;
  • 4) the highlighting of the  need for both statutory and strategic planning and for the relationship to be made more operational.

I talked about the need for real benefits from integration and  the concept of “smart connections” between plans. This is not very complicated.  It means that in the rules and during the process questions have to be addressed as to how the plan being worked on relates to other plans. How  conflicts are recognized and avoided, and perhaps more important, that synergies should be identified and  actively pursued.  This “common sense” approach does, however mean that some people, leaders, managers, planners need to actively pursue the goal of achieving better results.   The difficult task is to introduce this   approach in situations where local government is weak.

Lessons

  • The potential benefits of an integrated approach need to be clear to drive the process. This realization should be widely held, especially by leadership and not only by the technical staff involved.
  • As far as is possible, it is good to keep the initial sophistication at a basic level for smaller, weaker municipalities . A progressive development through incentives can be used to simulate stronger municipalities.
  • Examples from other countries showed that with will, initiative and creativity it is possible to make changes. However, this does not come easily, a strong integration of capacity development is vital.
  • The main focus was lessons to feed into the second phase of the the national programme JNNURM to support local integrated infrastructure development, but it was recognised that the City Development Plans (CDP) are a tool with much wider potential use.

Questions

Do you have comments or further examples?  You can post here.

I also posted a link to groups on LinkedIn (urban planning and IHS Alumni) and you can also follow some of the discussion there if you belong to those groups.

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5 October 2012

Integration in planning: Is it worth the effort?

Integrated development is still the “holy grail” of planners, but does it work? How do you make it work?

I have just been invited to India to talk about integration in planning at what should be a very interesting workshop. The aim is to set the framework of the second generation of City Development Plans. These are a form of strategic urban planning. They aim to provide a participative process to ensure ownership and an integrated framework for cross-sectoral  infrastructure investment.

Topics

Issues that will be addressed include:

  • how to improve multi-stakeholder working and local ownership of the development plans;
  • how to better link the development plan to the land use plan;
  • how to better mobilise financial resources.

I hope I can later share some highlights from the workshop, and links to useful materials.  I will also post more material on integration on the website.
In the meantime, if you would like to share your experiences of integration, or “smart connection” between different forms of plans, it would be good to hear from you.

Filed Under: Approaches, Planning Tagged With: , , , , 6 Comments
4 October 2012

Capacity to plan and planning for capacity

Capacity Development

Capacity Development is about more than training. It looks at the context needed to support people in their working situation so that they become effective. It also depends on what capacity is needed. The role and nature of urban planning is constantly changing – the normal situation – so developing capacity for this new situation is difficult.

Continue Reading

Filed Under: Capacity development, Ismailia, Planning Tagged With: , , , , 1 Comment
2 October 2012

Elasticity: resilient cities and Black Swans

How to make planning decisions that are clear now and robust in the future?

Black swans have been made famous recently through the pertinent book of the same name by
Nassim Nicholas Taleb . The main concept is that many of the critical events affecting development are unpredictable.  This doesn’t mean that there is no point in predicting, but rather that we should be more modest in terms of our abilities and thus need to plan for robust or resilient frameworks which can more easily adapt to changing and unknowable  situations.  The change factors are many, but recent examples include 9/11, Tsunami, Financial crisis, Iraq, impacts of climate change.   For example, in many countries urban development may be significantly funded by remittances from migrant workers.  Much building in Egypt was funded by those working in the Gulf as professionals or in Iraq as labourers.  A political change can send migrant workers home and at a stroke stop major sources of funding.  Interest in climate change adaptation and mitigation have given further impetus to the need for resilience in planning and design decisions.

However, it is easy to talk about flexibility. In development planning we need to propose locations, layouts, infrastructure levels, rules and regulations and institutional relations.  Hard decisions need to be made.  A road reservation needs defined lines.  We need to put more weight on making those decisions resilient and relevant for  situations that are likely to be much less predictable than we as planners and engineers  have been used to assume.

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