Urban Planning

Urban planning and design: laws, regulations, and the informal city

Medellin has undergone a profound transformation. While two decades ago it was a city known for violence, lack of social services and inequality, now it has become a model for all Latin American cities on how to tackle these problems. Urbanism, although not the only factor, has played a crucial role in this process. In Medellin, urban reforms became closely associated with the search for solutions for social problems. They also had a strong pedagogical ambition. Read more.

Submitted by Jorge Bela — Sat, 03/01/2014 - 10:22

Banjir Jakarta butuh rekayasa fisik dan non fisik

Genap sudah bencana banjir melanda ibukota Indonesia, Jakarta, selama satu bulan di tahun 2014. Jakarta memang menjadi langganan banjir, bahkan sejak dulu Belanda menjajah Batavia. Banjir Jakarta pertama kali tercatat tahun 1621. Pemerintah Belanda pada waktu itu pun berupaya menangani banjir dengan melaksanakan berbagai mega proyek seperti pembangunan tiga bendungan besar Jakarta tahun 1918, yakni Bendungan Hilir, Bendungan Jago dan Bendungan Udik. Selain itu, pada tahun 1922 Belanda juga membangun Banjir Kanal Barat (BKB) yang membuka pintu air Manggarai-Rawa Angke. Baca lebih lanjut.

Submitted by Rendy A. Diningrat — Tue, 02/04/2014 - 05:38

Simulation Models Are Fantastic Tools for Engagement

A lot of recent discussion around urban planning, resilience, and sustainable cities has included ideas about community engagement. How do we get the public more engaged in urban planning in ways that are effective - that honors good design, evidence-based science and community desires? Having decided that community engagement is a good idea doesn't make it easy. My friend and colleague PK Das of Mumbai has been involved in a lot of public engagement around the expansion of open spaces, and he said something insightful. One the one hand, plopping a big plan with an elaborate drawing down in front of an audience is not exactly engagement - in fact, it can easily be a buzz kill. On the other hand, when I asked Das what for him was the biggest difficulty, he responded: "As a professional, it is resisting the temptation to try an control the proceedings; I need to relax and be a participant." So there it is. How can we meld expert opinion (and science) and non-expert opinion (just as valid, but different) in a way that honors and includes both? Read more.

Submitted by David Maddox — Mon, 02/03/2014 - 12:28

Event: Africa's Urban Revolution
20 February 2014 London, England

Jo Beall looks at why cities so often serve as safe havens in times of conflict, only to be wracked by terrorism, violent crime and rioting after wars wind down. Sean Fox uses historical trends to demonstrate that Africa’s urbanisation is not as unique as it seems. Register .

Urban farms in Lagos – a feasible proposal?

I recently attended the launch of an exhibition at the Goethe Institute's Lagos office, on the "Post-Oil City", drawing on efforts from all around the world to create cities that have tamed the traditional hunger for fossil fuels. Some of them are brand new cities (like Masdar in Abu Dhabi), others are existing cities trying to make changes (Curitiba, Brazil, which in 1974 launched the world’s first BRT system). Read more.

Submitted by Tolu Ogunlesi — Fri, 01/31/2014 - 15:03

Urban development and the wellbeing of the bottom millions

Lagos is on the cusp of a radical change in the way the city is organised. Not only is the first light rail being built in the city, thirty years after the idea was first mooted; the government has also recently announced that construction will soon start on the 4th Mainland Bridge, long overdue by many standards. A few years ago I listened to a talk by the designers of that bridge, and was fascinated by how they envisioned it to not only work as a conventional bridge but also a direct stimulant/supporter of economic activity. The design is of a two-level bridge, the upper one for vehicular movement, the lower one for a combination of a tram line, rows of shops and goods vendors, and a pedestrian lane; that idea informed by the realization that modernizing Lagos does not have to happen at the expense of the trademark hustle-and-bustle that gives the city its peculiar character and feel; the things that make Lagos Lagos. Read more.

Submitted by Tolu Ogunlesi — Mon, 01/06/2014 - 12:17

Four questions for the year 2014

For those of us living in Delhi today, let's start our look at 2014 by admitting that we're lucky. We don't live in the city we lived in two years ago, where our political choices were so limited and our collective conscience was in a state of sleepy inertia. If you followed the debates and movements of the year 2013, you know there is still hope for our city. But all of this aside, we still have a problem: water scarcity through corruption, slum rehabilitation, and sexual assaults affect the citizens of Delhi across class, caste, and gender boundaries. Before Delhi progresses up the ladder of livability, the year 2014 will require answers to four big questions. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Editor — Mon, 01/06/2014 - 00:00

2014: Esperanza e incertidumbre en Cali y Bogotá

Hay muchas cosas positivas que esperar para el año 2014 en Colombia. Se prevé que el crecimiento económico siga siendo vigoroso, al tiempo que las conversaciones de paz pueden acabar con un conflicto armado que ha durado ya varias décadas. Estas circunstancias presentan un escenario sin precedente para aliviar los problemas de pobreza y desigualdad que sufre el país. Bogotá y Cali, las dos ciudades que seguimos en este blog, tienen iniciativas en marcha que pueden ofrecer soluciones concretas a estos dos problemas. Sin embargo, la incertidumbre es también elevada, tanto a nivel nacional como local. Por un lado, los resultados de las conversaciones son inciertos. Por otro, las elecciones presidenciales que se celebrarán en su primera vuelta en mayo también resultarán en una ralentización de la administración central. Aunque se espera que Juan Manuel Santos ganes la reelección, cualquier cosa puede suceder en la política colombiana, y un cambio en la presidencia puede decelerar aún más el ritmo de las reformas. Leer más o discutir.

Submitted by Jorge Bela — Mon, 01/06/2014 - 00:00

Impian Jakarta menjadi kota hijau

Bagi kebanyakan orang Jakarta identik dengan kota macet, kota polusi, kota mall atau kota banjir. Sedikit atau bahkan hampir tidak ada yang menyebut Jakarta sebagai kota Hijau. Sebutan ini bukan tanpa alasan mengingat kondisi Jakarta saat ini yang kian macet, polusi udara yang parah, pembangunan yang banyak menyalahi penggunaan lahan dan tingkat urbanisasi yang tinggi dan munculnya kampung kumuh. Kondisi ini membuat masyarakat merindukan kehadiran ruang terbuka hijau atau taman-taman di pusat kota yang berfungsi sebagai tempat rekreasi, olahraga, serta interaksi sosial. Hal-hal inilah yang menjadi harapan masyarakat di tahun 2014 yang ingin melihat lebih sedikit pembangunan mall dan lebih banyak taman kota. Secara kebijakan, pemerintah telah merespon dengan mengeluarkan undang-undang Penataan Ruang yang secara tegas mengamanatkan bahwa 30% dari wilyah kota berwujud Ruang Terbuka Hijau (RTH). Undang-undang ini kemudian diterjemahkan kedalam sebuah program bernama Program Pengembangan Kota HIjau (P2KH). Baca lebih lanjut atau bergabung dalam diskusi.

Submitted by widya anggraini — Mon, 01/06/2014 - 00:00

São Paulo: Coletivos agindo!

Sem dúvida há muito que esperar para São Paulo em 2014. A abertura da copa, as mudanças na mobilidade, a aprovação do plano diretor, o dilema do mercado imobiliário — será uma bolha? — todas as questões acima poderiam ser tópicos para discutir no ano que vem. Entretanto, o fato extraordinário em 2013 que pode mudar o modo como vivemos a cidade é o seguinte: As pessoas estão provocando mudança. Muito foi dito sobre as manifestações de junho e seu impacto no que diz respeito a conscientização política, cidadania, participação e o surgimento de uma nova geração de ativistas. Nota-se cada vez mais o surgimento de grupos independentes transformando o espaço da cidade com suas próprias mãos e meios. Leia mais o discutir.

Submitted by Editor — Mon, 01/06/2014 - 00:00

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