“I think the Smart Cities are on the right track” – An interview with GP Hari, Kochi Metro Rail Ltd.

By |2023-12-19T15:01:32+01:00April 28th 2017|

The city of Kochi in India is a Smart City, meaning that it is well connected and accessible, and over time is being developed into a clean, green and healthy city that is governed in a smart way. In an interview with URBANET, GP Hari from Kochi Metro Rail Ltd talks about how the city is tackling the Smart City approach and what the future might bring.

“The New Urban Agenda lacks a human rights focus” – Interview with Shivani Chaudhry from the Housing and Land Rights Network

By |2023-12-19T15:10:12+01:00March 23rd 2017|

The absence of a human rights approach and the lack of a focus on social justice in the New Urban Agenda is an cause of concern, says Shivani Chaudry from the Housing and Land Rights Network. In her interview with URBANET, she discusses these issues in relation to housing.

“Some very important elements were left out of the New Urban Agenda” – Interview with Lorena Zárate from Habitat International Coalition

By |2023-12-19T15:11:38+01:00March 16th 2017|

National and local governments must value and support community-driven development, says Lorena Zárate. In her interview with URBANET, she discusses viable and non-viable approaches to housing, democracy, and everybody's Right to the City.

“I hope the New Urban Agenda will be a tool” – An interview with Sonia Dias from WIEGO

By |2023-12-19T14:48:50+01:00March 10th 2017|

Sonia Dias has been working with grassroots organizations and in the informal sector in Brazil and beyond since the 1980s. A sociologist by training, her work focusses on participatory processes in waste management, always keeping the focus on the role of women in this field. In an interview with URBANET she spoke about what women can do to better make their voice heard and be more empowered in the city.

“Communities do not have to be socially divided” – Interview with José Morales, former National Director of Housing and Human Settlements, Ecuador

By |2023-12-19T14:50:37+01:00March 2nd 2017|

José Morales, the former National Director of Housing and Human Settlements at the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing in Ecuador, gives his view on the country's housing situation and social inequality.

“This is a very good moment for change” – Interview with Jorge Wolpert, former Executive Director of Urban Development, Land and Housing in Mexico

By |2023-12-19T14:51:13+01:00February 28th 2017|

In an interview with URBANET, former Executive Director of Urban Development, Land and Housing of Mexico's Ministry of Agrarian, Territorial & Urban Development (Sedatu). Jorge Wolpert explains what specific challenges Mexican cities are facing in terms of sustainable urban development.

From Blade Runner to Habitat IV, Part II: How livelihoods can make or break the City of Tomorrow

By |2023-12-19T14:55:53+01:00January 12th 2017|

Part I presented two subsequent paradigms related to the world of work, Fordism and Post-Fordism. Subsequently, it was argued that there are two contrasting trends in the world of (urban) labour: flexibility and stability. This is the second and concluding part of the article, which includes considerations about policies.

From Blade Runner to Habitat IV – How livelihoods can make or break the City of Tomorrow

By |2023-12-19T14:56:20+01:00January 10th 2017|

"Our Struggle for Global Sustainability will be won or lost in cities", said Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations. The present article argues that our struggle for good urbanisation will be won or lost depending on the opportunities and conditions of work.

“Nobody plans for slums” – An interview with SDI’s Sarah Nandudu

By |2023-12-19T14:44:37+01:00November 17th 2016|

Slums and informal settlements are not just a matter of housing quality, they also affect the quality of life that people have, their health and their chances at a good education. At the Habitat III conference in Quito, URBANET talked to Sarah Nandudu, vice-chairperson of the National Slum Dwellers Federation of Uganda, about community building in slums, the responsibility of the New Urban Agenda, and what formal settlements can still learn from informal ones.

Habitat III – Looking back on a milestone in the global urban development debate

By |2023-12-19T14:46:40+01:00November 1st 2016|

On October 20, 2016, the New Urban Agenda was adopted, setting the priorities and expectations for the next 20 years of urban development against the backdrop of growing urbanisation. The Habitat III conference in Quito, which hosted a vast array of events besides the official negotiations reflected the themes of the New Urban Agenda and the hopes attached to it. Here is a review of the events and atmosphere in Quito.

Impressions of Habitat III

By |2023-12-19T14:46:50+01:00October 28th 2016|

After Habitat III, we want to look back on the exciting week of the conference: URBANET has put together some visual impressions for those who did not have the chance to be there, but also for those who attended and brought great memories home with them. Enjoy!

Live from Quito, Day 3: Partnerships, Smart Cities, and urban-rural linkages

By |2023-12-19T14:11:57+01:00October 20th 2016|

Yesterday at Habitat III, Sarah Nandudu from Slum Dwellers International and Mayor Manuel Fernando Velarde Dellepiane of San Isidro district in Lima, Peru, talked about networking and Smart Cities. To find out what else happened, read URBANET's report on the events of the third day of the conference!

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