Urban Resilience in Jordan: Shocks, Stressors and Pointers for Moving Forward

By |2021-06-10T10:09:40+02:00June 10th 2021|Governance & Finance, , , |

Climate change and urban growth, political tensions and a global pandemic on top – how can cities respond and take action towards a more sustainable future? Dr Deyala Tarawneh offers insights from Amman.

#SolutionsForCities

By |2020-11-25T08:08:00+01:00November 25th 2020|Smart & Digital Development, Urban Health, , , |

Cities around the world are facing similar challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The need for physical distancing has once more emphasised the need for digital innovation in local governance processes. The ideas competition #SolutionsForCities provides a platform where cities and solution providers can further develop and adjust solutions for urban challenges in times of a pandemic.

It’s Time to Change the Housing Conversation

By |2020-10-06T09:29:06+02:00October 6th 2020|Economic Development, Housing & Informality, Water & Sanitation, , , , , |

Safe, affordable housing is not an end in itself but should be interwoven with other interventions to improve access to related services and benefits. As the pandemic exacerbates shortcomings in housing programmes around the world, Vidhee Garg on the need to re-think housing and to look beyond its purely quantitative aspects.

Puerto Rico: Architecture and a “Culture of Emergencies”

By |2020-10-08T09:32:13+02:00October 1st 2020|Climate Change & Resilience, Housing & Informality, , , |

Puerto Rican architect Astrid Díaz on the importance of resilient housing, education, and participation in a country prone to cyclones and earthquakes.

Resilient Cities are Green Cities

By |2020-07-02T11:15:52+02:00July 2nd 2020|Climate Change & Resilience, Urban Health, , , |

COVID-19 has strengthened our understanding of the vital relationship between healthy environments and the need for sustainable infrastructure. Donovan Storey from the Global Green Growth Institute reminds us that it is precisely in times of crises that we should commit to more holistic and ambitious green transformations.

Resilience After Covid19 – A System-Thinking Approach

By |2021-11-04T10:39:26+01:00June 18th 2020|Climate Change & Resilience, Global Urban Debates, Urban Health, , , , , , |

Resilience needs to be a priority in shaping the post-pandemic future, argues David Jácome-Pólit, outlining the advantages of system-thinking in urban planning.

Housing as Healthcare: COVID-19, Affordable Housing, and Urban Resilience in Asia

By |2020-06-22T12:37:37+02:00June 9th 2020|Basic Infrastructure & Housing, Urban Health, , , |

To ensure that cities are healthy, residents need access to affordable housing, argues Andrew Jones from Reall – a social enterprise, innovator and impact investor that has been at the forefront of affordable housing for decades.

Landscape Porosity: Why we need Water-Based Urbanism

By |2020-05-14T08:53:35+02:00April 28th 2020|Climate Change & Resilience, Water & Sanitation, , , , , |

Creating urban spaces that allow for the free flow and penetration of water and wind is essential to the survival of water-based cities like Bangkok. “Landscape porosity” can help us better understand and defend these urban ecosystems in times of climate change, says Kotchakorn Voraakhom.

Informality and Climate Resilience – The Story of Onyika Settlement, Windhoek, Namibia

By |2021-02-23T15:29:04+01:00January 21st 2020|Basic Infrastructure & Housing, Climate Change & Resilience, Housing & Informality, , , , |

In Namibia, the major share of urban growth is informal, with an estimated 30-40 per cent of the population living in informal settlements, with trends projecting shacks to become the predominant form of housing by 2025. Being especially vulnerable to climate change, these forms of settlements require special attention in the development of climate resilience strategies.

Urban Settings Need New Approaches

By |2021-02-23T14:48:17+01:00December 12th 2019|Economic Development, Energy & Waste, Urban Health, Water & Sanitation, , , , , , , , |

The traditional relief-rehabilitation-development paradigm does not hold true in urban conflict zones. A combined approach of long-term support for systems reinforcing short-term support for individuals would meet people’s needs, secure development gains, and represent value for money. The cost of failing to adapt is simply too high, argues Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

My City in Crisis: The Struggle to Reconstruct

By |2019-12-10T10:28:35+01:00December 10th 2019|Basic Infrastructure & Housing, , , , |

As densely populated urban areas like Homs, Raqqa, and Idlib in Syria continue to be the site of years-long armed conflicts, architect Ammar Azzouz argues that cities must not wait for post-conflict reconstruction plans. Rather, amidst destruction, ideas for the cities of tomorrow should be developed.

Egyptian Eco-Communities: Reintegrating the Homeless

By |2019-10-30T10:30:54+01:00October 30th 2019|Housing & Informality, , , , |

Homelessness is an issue that countries are struggling to address. Professor Ayman Mosallam’s proposal for building Eco-Communities represents an innovative solution that equips homeless people with new skills and purpose. At the same time, the Eco-Communities also promote sustainable living.

The Time is Right: Introducing Effective Food Waste Management in the City of Belgrade

By |2019-10-24T10:23:02+02:00October 24th 2019|Energy & Waste, Smart & Digital Development, , , , |

With thousands of tons of food going to waste every year, Serbia is coming up with solutions to prevent the production of surplus food – and support vulnerable groups with the surplus that is generated anyway.

Beyond Urban: City-Region Food Systems for Resilient and Sustainable Development

By |2019-10-21T09:48:16+02:00October 17th 2019|Climate Change & Resilience, Global Urban Debates, , , |

A large share of the world's population lives in urban areas, making cities a major cause of climate change. Food is especially relevant in this regard, calling for strategies that make food systems contribute to urban resilience. How this may look like can be seen when looking at the City Regions Food System presented by Michela Carucci, Roman Malec, and Guido Santini.

Urban Rural Partnership: A Win-Win Solution Towards Resilient Growth

By |2019-10-15T13:09:33+02:00October 15th 2019|Climate Change & Resilience, Smart & Digital Development, Urban & Metropolitan Governance, , |

Strengthening urban rural connections is essential for building resilient infrastructure, claims Rajib Shaw. However, as examples from Japan show, implementation is often hindered by administrative issues, calling for innovations in governance and communications to make urban rural partnerships a reality.

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