Building
on Habitat’s inclusion of local authorities and
civil society partners at the Second United Nations
Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II),
the General Assembly decided to establish a thematic
committee that will meet at Istanbul + 5. The
purpose of this committee is to allow the presentation
of successful case studies by Habitat Agenda partners
such as local authorities and NGOs, as well as
Governments, and to tell the world ‘the real story
of urban hope and renewal’. Representatives will
assemble to share their experiences and lessons
learned in sustainable human settlements development
in the 5 years since Habitat II. The case studies
were chosen according to six main themes:
shelter; social development and eradication of
poverty; environmental management; economic development;
governance; and international cooperation. Journalists
are encouraged to get in touch with the contact
person listed after each project.
AFRICA
Nigeria:
Sustainable urban development and good governance
Greater participation of ordinary citizens in
the affairs of their city and town depends on
the degree of decentralization and delegation
of power to local authorities. After years of
centralized autocratic rule under military regimes,
the Nigerian Federal Government is seeking to
strengthen Nigeria's 36 state governments and
774 local authorities by giving them greater political
and fiscal autonomy. Benefiting from experience
gained from Habitat’s Sustainable Cities Programme
in Ibadan, Kano and Enugu, a national Urban Development
Policy has been designed. A Safer Cities Project
is being implemented in Abuja. These projects
support efforts to upgrade slums and squatter
settlements and to institute mechanisms for citizen
participation and local democracy.
Contact Person:
Mr. J.O. Okunfulure, Director
Lands, Urban & Regional Development
Federal Ministry of Works and Housing
Mabuchi - Abuja, Nigeria
Tel: 09-5211632
Fax: 09-5235746
Senegal:
Upgrading informal settlements
Over the last five years, more than one million
inhabitants of slums and informal settlements
in Dakar have acquired security of tenure and
no longer live in fear of arbitrary forced eviction.
The process that won their secure tenure centred
on establishing a dialogue between those living
in the informal settlements and local authorities.
The success of the project has led to improvements
in basic services, including water delivery and
sanitation. The up-grading of the settlements
provided training and employment opportunities
for members of the community.
Contact
Person:
Papa Cheikh Saadibou Fall
Ministere de l’Urbanisme et de l'Habitat
Dakar
Republic du Senegal
Tel: 221 8 23 32 78
Fax: 221 8 23 62 45
South Africa: The right to adequate housing
The constitution of the Republic of South Africa
recognizes the rights to adequate housing and
to protection against arbitrary forced eviction.
Several laws passed since 1996 enforce this constitutional
provision. The national housing policy promotes
a number of approaches and initiatives for realizing
these rights. One of these is the People's Housing
Process, organized by the Department of Housing.
This programme enables individuals and communities
to access land, services, and technical assistance.
In collaboration with the local authorities, non-governmental
organizations and the poor themselves, the People’s
Housing Process has been instrumental in building
over a million housing units since 1994.
Contact Person:
Mr. Diet von Broembsen, Chief Director
Policy Planning, Department of Housing
Pretoria 0001
South Africa
Tel: 27 (12) 421-1453
Fax: 27 (12) 341-8893
Email: diet@housepta.pwv.gov.za
Tanzania:
Environmentally sustainable urban development
Five years ago, the people of Dar es Salaam lived
in a city of chaos. The streets were full of potholes,
the garbage was rarely collected and half of the
population lived in unplanned settlements. A maze
of restrictive by-laws prohibited the local authority
from entering into any private sector partnerships.
Habitat collaborated with the City Council of
Dar es Salaam to initiate an Environmental Management
Planning (EPM) system. All participants
– slum dwellers, non-governmental organizations
and the private sector -- were consulted by the
local authority. Care was taken to ensure that
input from the grass roots was considered and
given due weight, and that all groups were allowed
to participate in an effective manner. As
a result, partnerships among public, private and
community sectors have improved the delivery of
services; and squatter settlements and slums have
been upgraded – a contribution to national goals
on poverty alleviation. Due to the success
of the sustainable Dar es Salaam Programme, it
has been replicated in 12 municipalities country-wide.
Contact
Person:
Mrs. S.T Sijaona
Ministry of Lands & Human Settlements Development
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Tel: 255 22 2124576
Fax: 255 22 2113165
Email: makazi@africaonline.co.tz
WESTERN
ASIA
Egypt:
Participatory urban development
Urban
development in Egypt is focused on a number of
priorities: more housing is urgently needed;
informal settlements require upgrading; and environmental
management must be improved. The Sustainable
Ismailia Govenorate Programme, using a participatory
approach, engineered a comprehensive city development
plan that included housing initiatives for the
poor. Because of its success, the Sustainable
Ismailia Programme is being replicated in many
cities and towns in Egypt. The "Mubarak
National Project for Youth" and the "Future Housing
Project" are two recent initiatives in which 140,000
housing units are being built. The houses are
being financed through a package that involves
one-half private sector financing, with the other
half being met by the residents themselves, through
“soft loans”, with reduced security requirements
or other concessions, such as reduced interest
rates.
Contact
Person:
Dr. Refaat El-Ansary, Permanent Representative
Permanent Mission of the Arab Republic of Egypt
to the U.N.
P.O. Box 30285
Nairobi, Kenya
Eng. Mohamed Magd El-Din Ibrahim,
Supervisor of Minister's Cabinet
Ministry of Housing, Public Utilities and Urban
Communities
1 Esmail Abaza - El kaser El Anny
Cairo, Egypt
Morocco:
Urban Poverty Reduction Programme
Reduction of urban poverty requires a concerted
effort by all the relevant actors in a city. Launched
in 1998, the Urban Poverty Reduction Programme
brings together all the stake-holders to develop,
implement and monitor neighbourhood action plans
to improve housing and services and to provide
new economic opportunities. The poor have
been trained in community management skills and
have consequently developed their abilities to
participate effectively in decisions that affect
their lives. NGO representatives have received
training in how to formulate and implement projects.
Local authorities have been taught how to work
with partners to achieve the goals of improved
housing conditions for the poor and overall poverty
reduction.
Contact
Person:
Mr. Monceyf FADILI
National Coordinator
Rabat Chellah
MAROC
Tel:
(212 37) 76 03 60
Fax: (212 37) 76 21 90
ASIA
China:
Comprehensive revitalization of Chengdu
In 256 BC, Shu leader Li Bing built the Dujiangyan
Irrigation System channeling the Min river through
Chengdu in what is still recognised as a triumph
of hydraulic engineering. But the irrigation system
was neglected during the rapid industrial developments
of the 1970s. Since then, the Fu and Nan Rivers
Comprehensive Revitalization Plan has saved the
two rivers and the city of Chengdu from severe
pollution. Intensive public awareness raising
and effective mobilization of multiple stakeholders
have resulted in public investment and community
participation in the restoration of the city.
30,000 households have been resettled away from
the slums on the rivers' banks. Other projects
dealing with sewage and industrial effluents have
helped to change many undesirable areas into green
zones.
Contact
Person:
Mr. Liu Xuegui
Ministry of Construction of the People's Republic
of China
2, Ren Min Xi Rd
Chengdu, P.R. China
Tel: 0086-28-6271961
0086-28-6642750
Email: wsxhja@yeah.net
India:
City-wide sanitation in Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore
A major problem in most informal settlements is
a lack of basic sanitation, which leads to a variety
of health problems. In Mumbai, Pune and
Bangalore, a partnership among three civil society
actors -- SPARC, an NGO; Mahila Milan, a women's
grassroots network; and the National Slum Dwellers
Federation -- has worked with city and state governments
to provide comprehensive sanitation to informal
settlements. The activities carried out
by these projects have led to the training of
the poor, which has then enhanced their employment
opportunities. The three organizations are also
actively working with the city and state governments
to provide security of tenure for the residents
in these settlements.
Contact
Person:
Ms. Sheela Patel, A. Jockin and Celine Dçruz
Society for Promotion of Area Resource Centres
Bhulabhai Desai Road
Mumbai, India
Tel: 91-22-3865053, 3858785
Fax: 91-22-3887566
Thailand:
Urban Poor Community Fund
Most formal financial institutions are unwilling
to provide loans for the very poor. Established
by the Government and managed by the Urban Community
Development Office (UCDO), the Urban Poor Community
Fund provides low-interest loans for community
development projects. It has helped communities
and individuals in 950 community savings groups
and 100 community networks through capacity-building
and credit. By 2000, the Fund had extended
to 53 out of 75 provinces of the country and had
acquired assets worth $45 million.
Contact
Person:
Somsook Boonyabancha, Director
Community Organizations Development Institute
New Petchburi Rd, Huaykwang
Bangkok 10320
Thailand
Tel: (662) 7180911, 7166000
Fax: (662) 7180937, 7166001
Email: codi@codi.or.th
EUROPE
France:
Lyon in the 3rd millennium (Millenaire3)
The "Millénaire 3" plan is an initiative
to involve Lyons' 1.2 million inhabitants and
55 municipalities in planning for the city's future.
After three years of intense debate involving
thematic working groups and various partnerships,
a city strategy plan has been adopted that identifies
‘21 priorities for the 21st Century’ and provides
a new vision for the city. One of the more interesting
aspects has been the complete overhaul of the
transportation system. In addition to providing
more public transportation, the number of vehicles
parked on the street has been reduced by the creation
of eight new parking lots. Each lot is unique
and artistic. One boasts a laser display
and another resembles Breugel’s painting of the
Tower of Babel.
Contact
Persons:
Mr. Philippe DHÈNEIN
ENTPE - rue Maurice Audin 69518
Vaulx-en-Velin
Cedex, France
Tel: 04 72 04 77 69
Fax: 04 72 04 62 54
Website: www.pole-urbanisme-lyon.asso.fr
Email: dhenein@entpe.fr
Joëlle BOOURGIN
ESPACE - VILLE - BP 125
Cedex, France
Tel: 04 72 00 88 10
Fax: 04 72 00 80 27
Email: j.bourgin@free.fr
Poland:
Environmental improvement in Katowice
4 million people -- 10 per cent of Poland's population
-- live in the Katowice region, which produces
15 per cent of the country's gross domestic product.
Unfortunately, the area has suffered from decades
of uncontrolled mining and industrial pollution.
By the 1980s, two-thirds of the water supply was
considered too contaminated for industrial use,
much less for human consumption. The sulphur dioxide,
dust and carbon monoxide regularly emitted from
over 4,000 chimneys led to one of the highest
rates of premature birth in Europe, with many
children suffering from bronchitis and respiratory
diseases. Since 1996, the Union for Sustainable
Development of the Municipalities of the Katowice
Agglomeration has achieved visible positive results
in environmental reclamation, improved housing
conditions and the rehabilitation of old industrial
neighbourhoods.
Contact
Person:
Mr. Piotr Uszok, Mayor
Katawice City Hall - Urzad Miasta Katowice
Ul. Mlynska 4
40-098 Katowice, Poland
Tel: 48-32-2538133
Fax: 48-32-2537143
Email: prezydent@um.katowice.pl
Spain:
Barcelona's economic transformation and decentralization.
The transformation of Barcelona into one of the
most vibrant cities in Europe has already made
headlines in the international press. The challenge
of transforming this city while maintaining social
cohesion was met by the city authorities, who
drew up the Pacte Industrial de la Regio Metropolitana
(Industrial Agreement for the Metropolitan Area).
This Pacte was negotiated through consultation
and consensus-building among all the various city
stakeholders: the private sector, NGOs, women’s
groups and ordinary citizens. As part of
the process, and to bring public administration
closer to the citizens, enhance participatory
democracy and improve service delivery, the city
was divided into 10 decentralized districts.
Contact
Person:
Ms. Margarita Obiols
Director of International Relations
Barcelona City Council
Barcelona, Spain
Tel: 34-93-4027882
Fax: 34-93-4027877
Email: mobiols@mail.bcn.es
Sweden:
Stockholm's Sustainable Development
Many cities are faced with the problem of controlling
urban sprawl. Stockholm is controlling this through
innovative land policy. Urban growth is being
accommodated through alteration of land
uses, where former harbour and industrial areas
become mixed residential-commercial neighbourhoods
connected by tramways. However, in order to ensure
social cohesion and acceptance of the new land
policies, the local authority
organized inclusive strategies for citizen participation.
The designers also included large green belts
and extensive areas for human activities.
Contact
Person:
Mats Pemer
Director Strategic Department
Stockholm, Sweden
Tel: 46 8 508 266 44
Fax: 46 8 508 272 23
Email: mats.pemer@sbk.stockholm.se
LATIN
AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN
Brazil:
Social inclusion in Santo Andre
Since Habitat II, the Santo Andre Municipality
in the Sao Paolo metropolitan area has been working
to include those members of society who had been
traditionally excluded. A citizenship programme
was developed to improve communication and partnership
between the municipality and its residents, particularly
the poor. Among the many people who have benefited
are 16,000 inhabitants of four favelas who now
enjoy improved housing and better services, as
well as access to credit and vocational training.
Contact
Person:
Celso Daniel and Jeroen Klink
Municipality of Santo Andre
Praca IV Centenario, s/n 7th floor
Santo André
Tel: 55 (0 xx 11) 4433 - 0150
Brazil
Fax: 55 (0 xx 11) 4433 - 0323
Email: mabelchior@santoandre.sp.gov.br
Colombia:
Integrated upgrading programme in Medellin
Over the last few years, Medellin’s commitment
to reducing the level of urban violence and crime
through community participation has paid off.
140,000 inhabitants of 30 inadequate settlements
have benefited from physical upgrading of housing
and services, including legalization of tenure.
With secure tenure for the first time, the community
has been able to organize social programmes for
youth aimed at reducing urban violence. In addition,
community participation by all actors has helped
to open up areas that were previously closed to
the city police force. The "Holistic Upgrading
Programme for Incomplete or Inadequately Serviced
Communities" of Medellin (PRIMED) brings together
national Government, municipal authorities, NGOs
and community organizations.
Contact
Person:
Ms. Carolina Barco de Botero
Departamento Administrativo de Planecación
Distrital
Bogota, Colombia
Tel: 368-07-80; 368-07--79
Email: dapd.asesores@aldato.com.co
Peru:
Participatory action for poverty reduction
The city of Villa El Salvador in the Lima Metropolitan
area has suffered from a history of violence and
municipal mismanagement. Over the last three years,
a programme of systematic consultation among all
sectors of the population, including women and
youth, and including a referendum involving over
48,000 inhabitants, has helped to define priorities.
One such priority was to turn Villa El Salvador
from a “bedroom community” (a residential suburb)
into a “productive district”, in order to overcome
poverty and social exclusion.
Contact Person:
Martin Pumar, Alcalde Martinnpumar@yahoo.es
Marianna Llona, Jefa Programa Urbano mariana@esco.org.pe
C/o Centro de Estudios y Promocion del Dessarollo
Villa El Salvador, Peru
Tel: 51-1-263-1318
Fax: 51-1-284-0128
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