SPOTLIGHT ON: LIVEABLE CITES
Engineering the Perfectly Pedestrian City
Shyam Khandekar explains how cities can be built with humans as the focus of attention.
Basic Infrastructure & Housing
SPOTLIGHT ON: LIVEABLE CITIES
Empowerment Through Blocking-Out In Cape Town’s Informal Settlements
How can architectural solutions contribute to increase liveability in informal settlements? Alfredo Brillembourg portrays how the process of blocking-out facilitated the empowerment and upgrading in the informal settlement of Khayelitsha.
Rethinking Resilience In Bangladesh’s Urban Slum Communities: An Experimental Thought
When thinking about the resilience of urban poor, it is worthwhile to think of resilience as a dynamic process of transition on individual and household level, argue Zakir Hossain and Mostafizur Rahman.
It’s Just Architecture! The Venice Biennale Architettura 2021
“We need a new spatial contract”, says Hashim Sarkis, curator of the 17th International Architecture Exhibition, inviting participants from all around the globe to ponder sustainability and the question ‘How will we live together’. But how just and sustainable can architecture truly be? A critical review by Aseman G. Bahadori
From Timber Cities to Integrated Urban Planning – How to Make Our Cities More Climate-Friendly
The 11th of November was Cities Day at the recent climate conference COP26 in Glasgow. Together with BMZ and Cities Alliance, GIZ organised an event entitled “Cities built4climate – Shaping the global transformation in construction”. Considering that the construction sector is responsible for about 40 per cent of global CO2 emissions, it is particularly relevant to find ways to cut down emissions in construction.
Infrastructure: Ensuring No One Is Worse Off
Relocations and resettlements are often inevitable. But how can we protect the most vulnerable along the way? By Julian Baskin, Principal Urban Advisor, Cities Alliance
Storm-Proof Housing for the Urban Poor – Lessons from Da Nang, Vietnam
For low-income families in coastal areas of Vietnam, storm and typhoon damage is a constant threat to life and well-being. However, there is a way for them to escape the vicious cycle, involving proper financial and technical support for storm-resilience housing. Nguyen Anh Tho presents experiences from Da Nang City.
Localising the SDGs through Architecture: Examples from a Sustainable Public School in Chile
Al Borde Architects showcase how architecture can play a vital role in implementing the SDGs on a local level.
How a Misdirected Land Use Law Disregards Coastal Dwellers’ Rights
Lagos' Waterfront Infrastructure Development Law facilitates the sacrifice of the rights of coastal residents to commercial real estate development. Omotayo Odukola on the constitution and unjust implementation of a land use law.
Learning from Latin America’s Informal Settlements and Urban Policies
Informal housing is a common phenomenon in Latin America, and governmental regulations are designed to counteract it. However, some of them have had the opposite effect. Cynthia Goytia on its underlying dynamics and a necessary shift in urban policies.
Formalising Land While Promoting Social Justice and Economic Benefit
When informal land is valued, transferred, or titled, it comes with many opportunities, but also great risks. James Kavanagh on beneficial standards and governance approaches.
Evaluating the Slum Redevelopment Project of Borei Keila
Borei Keila stands out as a unique experiment in land sharing and social housing in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh. Dr. Paul Rabé provides insights into its origins, the pitfalls in its realisation, and the lessons to be learned.
Do Land-Based Commons Lead to More Inclusive Cities in the Global South?
What is the impact of land-based commons on tenure security and on progresses toward “inclusive cities”? Eric Denis, Claire Simonneau, and Irène Salenson explore cases of collective housing projects in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
Energy Efficiency Policies and Net-Zero Ambitions: Collaborative Public-Private Partnerships Across Latin America
Juanita Alvarez outlines how the Green Building Councils of Latin America employed Public Private Partnerships to join forces for sustainable development.
Maximising the Impact of Urban Development in Cairo’s Informal Settlements
International development efforts must be designed with long-term impacts in mind. Dr Hassan Elmouelhi provides insights into the Egyptian context and asks an all-important question: Is international development overlooking critical opportunities?