inclusive urban planning | Urbanet

Interview: “Diversity is part of our DNA” (Peter Kurz, Mayor of Mannheim)

Interview: “Diversity is part of our DNA” (Peter Kurz, Mayor of Mannheim)

By Peter Kurz|2018-05-08T10:44:47+00:00May 8th 2018|inclusion, participation, citizen participation, inclusive city, inclusive urban planning|

The city of Mannheim has always been an intercultural city with an urban community characterised by diversity. But like many other cities in Germany, Mannheim is feeling the impacts of the sudden influx of refugees in 2015. Through various projects and initiatives, the city strives to maintain an urban society which is characterised by a spirit of openness and understanding. URBANET talked to Mannheim’s mayor Dr. Peter Kurz about the city’s approach to diversity and the chances that can arise from being a diverse city.

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“I believe that technology can foster democracy” – interview with Kalpana Viswanath from Safetipin

“I believe that technology can foster democracy” – interview with Kalpana Viswanath from Safetipin

By Kalpana Viswanath|2018-03-26T15:42:32+00:00March 26th 2018|inclusion, smart & digital development, inclusion, inclusive urban planning, smart city, sustainable urban development, urban safety|

Kalpana Viswanath from Safetipin, a mobile app developed to support community and women's safety, points out what she is currently missing in the smart city debate and explains to URBANET how technology can actually be used in an inclusive way to promote democracy and citizenship.

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Accessible Mobility for All: Development Cooperation For Accessible Public Transportation

Accessible Mobility for All: Development Cooperation For Accessible Public Transportation

By Jelena Auracher|2018-03-15T12:28:44+00:00March 12th 2018|inclusion, civil society, inclusion, inclusive urban planning, New Urban Agenda, participation, Sustainable Development Goals|

Accessible public transportation is a critical component of future urban development. Worldwide, more than one billion people live with a disability, and the number of people over the age of 60 is expected to double by 2050. Countries should prioritise accessible mobility—and development agencies can help by encouraging community participation, sharing best practices, and raising awareness, says Jelena Auracher.

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Creating a low-carbon and equitable future: Cities IPCC sets blueprint for urban transformation

Creating a low-carbon and equitable future: Cities IPCC sets blueprint for urban transformation

By Stephen Leahy|2018-03-09T13:16:31+00:00March 9th 2018|global urban debates, civil society, climate change, climate change adaptation, inclusive urban planning, Sustainable Development Goals|

At the end of three intensive days of Cities IPCC, scientists, policymakers and development experts set a global blueprint on how cities can be better places to live and meet the challenge of climate change. Stephen Leahy takes a look back and ahead.

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“Climate change and gender issues cannot be taken apart” – an interview with Laids Mias-Cea from UN-Habitat (video)

“Climate change and gender issues cannot be taken apart” – an interview with Laids Mias-Cea from UN-Habitat (video)

By Laids Mias-Cea|2018-03-08T13:36:01+00:00March 7th 2018|global urban debates, inclusion, climate change, climate change adaptation, gender, gender equality, gender inequality, gender-sensitive urban development, inclusion, inclusive urban planning, local governance, SDGs, South-East Asia, sustainable urban development|

What are the linkages between climate change and gender? Why are women and youth particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change? And how can we create an enabling environment that allows women and youth to participate in climate decision making? URBANET talked to Maria Adelaida “Laids” Mias-Cea, Regional Coordinator of UN-Habitat’s Cities and Climate Change Initiative (CCCI). Check out her video on the occasion of this year’s International Women’s Day.

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Cities and scientists join forces in the fight against climate change

Cities and scientists join forces in the fight against climate change

By Stephen Leahy|2018-03-09T13:14:42+00:00March 5th 2018|global urban debates, civil society, climate change, climate change adaptation, housing, inclusion, inclusive urban planning, Sustainable Development Goals|

More than 700 climate scientists and city planners have gathered in Edmonton this Monday for the CitiesIPCC—Cities and Climate Change Science Conference. The three-day gathering marks the first time cities rather than nation states are offered a seat at the table of the U.N.'s top scientific authority on global warming. At day one, data collection and analysis for effective emissions reduction and their potential for social inclusion has been the main focus, writes Stephen Leahy.

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A Better Climate for Cities: CitiesIPCC Aims to Launch a New Research Agenda

A Better Climate for Cities: CitiesIPCC Aims to Launch a New Research Agenda

By Julie Greenwalt|2018-03-01T11:39:51+00:00February 28th 2018|global urban debates, housing & informality, inclusion, national urban policies, basic services, civil society, climate change, climate change adaptation, housing, inclusion, inclusive urban planning, Sustainable Development Goals|

At next week’s CitiesIPCC conference, the urban and climate communities will brave the cold of Edmonton, Canada, to discuss some of the century’s hottest issues. From March 5-7, more than 700 delegates will seek to close a significant gap in our collective understanding of the role of cities in adapting and responding to climate change, and launch a global research agenda to inform the IPCC. Julie Greenwalt explains how the organising partner Cities Alliance is working to ensure that issues critical to the Global South will be emphasised at this landmark event.

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Hyperlocal Neighbourhood Networks: Building Social Capital and Empowering Local Urban Communities

Hyperlocal Neighbourhood Networks: Building Social Capital and Empowering Local Urban Communities

By Michael Vollmann|2018-08-02T12:44:23+00:00February 28th 2018|inclusion, participation, Chile, civil society, inclusion, inclusive urban planning, participation|

It has never been easier to stay in touch with family, friends and colleagues, wherever they live. Yet most of us still lack a digital infrastructure for connecting with the people living next door. Despite their success in some developed countries, hyperlocal social networks are not a fixture of most local communities. Hence, nebenan.de, Germany’s first hyperlocal communication platform, could offer a model for communities in developing countries seeking to leverage the power of hyperlocal communication to increase social capital, says co-founder Michael Vollmann.

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Safer Cities for Children

Safer Cities for Children

By Frank Mischo|2018-02-21T11:58:54+00:00February 15th 2018|global urban debates, inclusion, children, inclusive urban planning, Sustainable Development Goals, sustainable urban development, vulnerability|

Rapid and unplanned urbanization has many negative consequences, especially for children and young people. Many children live in urban areas without safe spaces to play, learn, and develop. Frank Mischo explains why city leaders and planners must pay more attention to the needs and rights of urban children.

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A “new urban agenda” for displaced communities? Unveiling architecture and urbanism principles to strengthen the Right to the City

A “new urban agenda” for displaced communities? Unveiling architecture and urbanism principles to strengthen the Right to the City

By Fernando Murillo|2017-10-14T15:10:58+00:00June 12th 2017|basic infrastructure & housing, inclusion, displaced communities, inclusion, inclusive urban planning, informal settlements, migration, refugees, Right to the City|

According to UNHCR, 65.3 million people were displaced due to conflict and persecution in 2016. How can city planning respond to this massive influx of people in a way that meets minimum standards for housing? URBANET's author Fernando Murillo outlines his ideas for inclusive cities that welcome refugees and migrants.

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Women’s Right to the City: Reflections on Inclusive Urban Planning

Women’s Right to the City: Reflections on Inclusive Urban Planning

By Ana Falú|2017-10-14T15:11:30+00:00June 7th 2017|basic infrastructure & housing, inclusion, gender equality, inclusion, inclusive urban planning, Latin America, Right to the City, women's rights|

Traditional city design and planning often fails to recognise the complex and unequal relations between men and women in our society, says URBANET's author Ana Falú. While women’s right to the city was largely left unattended until the recent past, it is important to understand that women have always been active participants in the building of cities. Still, many challenges remain. The progress and success of city policies depends on the capacity to ensure equal conditions and opportunities for people of all genders.

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

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

By Sonia Dias|2017-10-14T15:26:28+00:00March 10th 2017|global urban debates, gender equality, inclusion, inclusive urban planning, New Urban Agenda, participation|

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.

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Spotlight on livable cities, Part IV: Building livable cities

Spotlight on livable cities, Part IV: Building livable cities

By Shipra Narang Suri|2017-10-25T22:01:20+00:00December 1st 2016|basic infrastructure & housing, climate change & resilience, disaster risk reduction, green & smart development, inclusion, disaster risk reduction, inclusion, inclusive cities, inclusive urban planning, India, Mumbai, South-East Asia, urban poverty|

What do cities in India need to be more livable? In the four part series "Spotlight on livable cities", ISOCARP Vice-President Shipra Narang Suri aims to answer this question by approaching it from various angles, giving examples from different areas of urban planning. In this fourth part, she explains what is concretely being done against the factors that threaten the livability of India's cities and concludes by saying that there needs to be a fundamental shift in the way planners and policy-makers approach urban development.

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Spotlight on livable cities, Part III: Responding to the challenge of livability

Spotlight on livable cities, Part III: Responding to the challenge of livability

By Shipra Narang Suri|2017-10-14T15:43:49+00:00November 29th 2016|basic infrastructure & housing, housing & informality, inclusion, basic services, Delhi, health, inclusion, inclusive cities, inclusive urban planning, India, sanitation, slums, South-East Asia, urban poverty|

What do cities in India need to be more livable? In the four part series "Spotlight on livable cities", ISOCARP Vice-President Shipra Narang Suri aims to answer this question by approaching it from various angles, giving examples from different areas of urban planning. In this third part, she talks about how Indian cities could be made more livable by improving urban services, mobility, public-private partnerships and the situation in slums.

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Spotlight on livable cities, Part II: The Changing Mechanisms of Planning

Spotlight on livable cities, Part II: The Changing Mechanisms of Planning

By Shipra Narang Suri|2017-10-14T15:44:20+00:00November 23rd 2016|basic infrastructure & housing, housing & informality, integrated planning, Governance, inclusion, inclusive cities, inclusive urban planning, India, land rights, local governance, South-East Asia, urban poverty|

What do cities in India need to be more livable? In the four part series "Spotlight on livable cities", ISOCARP Vice-President Shipra Narang Suri aims to answer this question by approaching it from various angles, giving examples from different areas of urban planning. In this second part, she talks about urban building master plans, the land housing market in India's cities and the urban poor.

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