Weekly Urban News Update
In This Update
BOp-Ed: Continued foreign assistance and the administration

Paul Weisenfeld of IHC Global Sustaining Member RTI writes an opinion piece for the Hill, in which he argues that continuing foreign assistance is a smart and easy win for the new administration. He reaffirms the long-standing policy that U.S. assistance to other nations benefits both sides, and praises the evolution of foreign assistance practices, noting that today's programs "have embraced the best lessons of modern management: evidence-based programs focused on key priorities, applying context-appropriate technologies and building ownership among a broad range of stakeholders to achieve sustainability." The new administration can and should build upon these achievements, and continue promoting a safer and more progressive world for the U.S. and its allies. IHC Global believes that this importantly includes a robust strategy for addressing rapid urban growth and its multi-faceted challenges.

Read the full article  here.
One New World Bank course on urban crime prevention

The World Bank's Open Learning Campus is now offering an online course on urban crime and violence prevention. The course will feature a total of ten modules, six of which will introduce the subject and examine the conceptual and theoretical frameworks of crime and violence, situational crime and violence prevention with an emphasis on the methodology Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), as well as the various types of social prevention (intra-family, youth and school-based violence prevention, and community/problem-oriented policing). The others will be practical modules, where participants learn to design, implement and evaluate a crime and violence prevention strategy through a five-stage methodology and a series of hands-on, real-life exercises, diagnostics, development of multi-sectoral partnerships, community participation, design of a communication campaign and action plan, and monitoring and evaluation.
When: March 7th - June 6th, at 5:00 PM
Registration ends before March 2nd

Strategies for increased safety in cities are integral to the achievement of SDG 11. Learn more about the course  here.
ANew strides for foreign aid data transparency in 2016

Dennis Vega, Managing Director for Planning, Performance, and Systems in the State Department's Office of Foreign Assistance, discusses the progress that has been made in 2016 in creating foreign assistance data that is open to the public. This year, ForeignAssistance.gov has improved data completeness and quality, advanced systems and policy changes in the name of transparency, and furthered data use around the world. These major steps by the U.S. government show just how important data and data transparency have become in global development, particularly in ensuring better targeted services and programs to address current and emerging issues. More transparency on foreign assistance goes well with the highly campaigned (and IHC Global supported) push for better and more connected data systems, so foreign aid programs can use best practices from around the world in their work.

Read the full article  here.
Two Stay up to date with the High Level Panel on Water
The World Bank is now offering a way to receive news and updates on everything happening with the High Level Panel on Water. The HPLW was created by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon and the President of the World Bank Group Dr. Jim Yong Kim, to provide the leadership required to champion a comprehensive, inclusive and collaborative way of developing and managing water resources, and improving water and sanitation related services. Water and sanitation are central to the on-the-ground work of many of IHC Global members as well as central IHC's own policy focus in this area, so it is pleasing to see this attention to this critical issue.  Launched in January 2016, the panel consists of 11 sitting Heads of State and Government and one Special Adviser. This newsletter will follow the panel's tireless work to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

Sign up for updates  here . Email [email protected] with any questions.
DNew Urban Perspectives: Climate Change, Refugees and Planning

IHC Global, the Wilson Center, USAID, Cities Alliance, and the World Bank collaborate each year on the "Reducing Urban Poverty" paper competition for advanced graduate students, to encourage a new generation of scholars and innovators to join the conversation on urban development. Join us now for a discussion on the latest research on innovative urban approaches to climate change, accommodating refugees in urban areas, and inclusive city planning, featuring the winning authors of the 2016 Graduate Student Reducing Urban Poverty Paper Competition. The winners will present their research, with commentary provided by experienced professionals from the urban sector, including IHC Global President and CEO Judith Hermanson. 

When: Monday, March 6th
2:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Where: Wilson Center
Ronald Reagan Building
and International Trade Center
One Woodrow Wilson Plaza
1300 Pennsylvania, Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20004

Register for the event here.
NewsIn the news and around the web
  • Greenbiz weighs in on why businesses should think small on sustainable cities here.
  • Waste of potential: researchers dig through heaps of discarded food to find out why we throw so much of it away- and what cities can do about it. Check it out here.
  • The Indian wetlands are being destroyed, and much of the blame lies on mismanaged urbanization. Read more here.
  • Can tech save urban transport from itself? Find out here.
  • Mexico City is parched, sinking, and facing a water crisis. Learn more here.

As pollution remains one of the greatest threats to global health, a new study shows that millions of premature births could be linked to fine particulate matter, a common air pollutant, with Africa and Asia especially affected.
Source: Guardian Cities
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