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Weekly Urban News Update
October 23, 2020
In This Update
Demonstrations in Lagos Protest Police Violence and Government Corruption
Homeless Foreign Nationals in the United Kingdom May Face Deportation
Bangkok, the Venice of the East, Seeks to Revive Canal System
Machine Rental Markets in Urban Uganda Allow Small Firms to Adopt New Technology
Brookings Institution Launches Center for Sustainable Development
IHC Global Hosts Event on People-Centered and Gender-Sensitive Smart Cities
In the News And Around the Web
Demonstrations in Lagos Protest Police Violence and Government Corruption
Demonstrations against police brutality in Lagos this week left a dozen dead and at least 25 wounded after police opened fire on protestors. Protests in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city and its financial capital began two weeks ago after the release of a video in which Nigeria’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) appeared to extrajudicially kill an unarmed man. Anger over government corruption and a stagnant economy further crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic are also fueling the anti-SARS protests. Lagos, the largest city in Africa, is home to 14 million people, sixty percent of whom live in the city’s 100 slums and informal settlements. 

Read more here.
Homeless Foreign Nationals in the United Kingdom May Face Deportation
In the United Kingdom, homeless foreign nationals may face deportation following the introduction of new immigrant laws after the Brexit transition period. A 2019 survey showed that a quarter of Britain’s homeless population were foreign and in London, this rose to nearly 50%. The UK Home Office says it will use the policy sparingly, as a last resort for people who refused support such as accommodation or welfare. Opponents of the policy describe it as a “huge step backwards.” One advocate asserts: "Investment in social housing will solve this emergency-not punishing people for being homeless."

Read more here.
Bangkok, the Venice of East, Seeks to Revive Canal System
Bangkok has released a plan to revive its canals and introduce electric ferries to mitigate traffic congestion. The Thai capital was once considered the Venice of the East due to its network of canals, but the beginning of the twentieth century saw the canals filled in, built over for roads, and clogged with sewage. Bangkok now ranks among the most congested cities in the world and is also predicted to be one of the urban areas hardest hit by climate change. Kanjanee Budthimedhee of King’s Mongkut’s University of Technology believes: “If we revive the canal network, we can solve pollution, congestion, and environmental issues quite cheaply.”

Read more here.
Machine Rental Markets in Urban Uganda Allow Small Firms to Adopt New Technology
In cities in developing countries, machinery rental markets can enable small firms to adopt new technology, enhancing their ability to move out of poverty. In a new study of machine rental markets in urban Uganda, researchers challenged the view that firms in developing countries, most of which are informal and employ only a few employees, are unable to access new technology because the modern machines require a capacity beyond individual firms. However, the researchers found that an active rental market and firm-to-firm interactions enable technology adoption for small, informal firms. The researchers recommend policymakers target machine rental markets to foster economic urban growth.

Read more here.
Brookings Institution Launches Center for Sustainable Development
The Brookings Institution Global Economy and Development program launched the Center for Sustainable Development on Wednesday to home in on advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) worldwide. In a press release, Brookings fellows emphasized the importance of advancing the SDGs across subnational level and called for new investments in infrastructure, geospatial equality, and municipal leadership and governance. According to Senior Fellow Anthony Pipa, cities are essential for “evolve[ing] and elevat[ing] new methods and mechanisms of public governance and leadership that will be key to advancing sustainable development."

Read more here.
IHC Global Hosts Event on People-Centered and Gender-Sensitive Smart Cities
This week, IHC Global hosted a two-part Urban Thinkers Campus on: “The Promise of Smart Cities for post-COVID-19 System Change.”

The first part, "Creating People-Centered and Gender Responsive Smart Cities to Advance the New Urban Agenda," drew on expertise from speakers: ElsaMarie d’Silva, Red Dot Foundation, Shivani Chaudhry, Housing and Land Rights Network, Dr. Luisa Bravo, Journal of Public Space, Dr. Ayona Datta, University College London, Natalie R. Gill, IHC Global, and Dr. Judith Hermanson, President/CEO, IHC Global.

The second part of the UTC on "Inclusive Technology and Creative Partnerships for the City We Need," completed this morning with speakers Chas Cadwell, Urban Institute, Elba Fuster Figuerola, UNDP Centre for Technology, Innovation, and Sustainability, Camila Jordan, TETO Brasil, Brian English, Foundation for Puerto Rico, and Dr. Hermanson.

Look out for the UTC report and the event recording soon!
In the News and Around the Web

  • Saving Nairobi's Playgrounds and Parks: A Nairobi lawyer and activist is protesting developer encroachment on community spaces.

  • The Athens Great Walk Struggles: A 2019 car-free plan in the Greek capital may have worsened traffic congestion.

  • World Cities Day: UN-Habitat published its World Cities Day program where it will release the World Cities Report 2020.

  • Call for Applications: The National Association of Home Builders is searching for innovative and sustainable projects for its International Home of the Year. Applications are due October 29th.

  • NOW Series Features IHC Global Senior Technical Advisor Blair Ruble: The Wilson Center interviewed Blair Ruble about his new book in a recording posted here.
Protests in Lagos, Nigeria against police brutality this week left over a dozen dead.
(Photo Credit: CNN)
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