 |
|
In This Update:
Egypt Will Build a New Capital, Smart City
Nigeria Responds to Housing Crisis with Evictions
Why Europe Should Rethink its Approach to Social Housing
How Rio de Janeiro Should Think About its Favelas
In U.S. Cities, Racial Diversity Does Not Guarantee Racial Inclusion
How Kazan Became Russia's Most Livable City
IHC Global Will Attend Upcoming 10th World Urban Forum in Abu Dhabi
Spotlight Event: The Impact of Climate Change on the Urban Poor
In the News and Around the Web
|
Egypt Will Build a New Capital, Smart City
Egypt will build a new administrative capital city as an antidote to congestion, pollution, and overcrowding in Cairo. The unnamed smart city, located 21 miles East of Cairo, will include a new parliament, presidential palace, the largest tower in Africa, the largest opera house in the Middle East, and a $20 billion entertainment district as well as smart traffic monitoring, smart utilities, and smart buildings. But, rapid inflation, unemployment, a downturn in tourism, and poor infrastructure generate concern about whether Egypt can finance the project. Furthermore, some wonder whether the new city will solve Egypt's housing challenges. The Economist calls the project an "elephant in the desert," because despite its promise as an employment hub, "few civil servants can afford to live there."
|
Nigeria Responds to Housing Crisis with Evictions
On January 3rd, the Nigerian Navy demolished the illegal settlement Okun Glass in Lagos State. The demolition, which resulted in the eviction of 3,000 people, underlines growing tensions between officials, activists, and small communities over the settlements. It also alludes to the increasing severity of the housing crisis across Nigeria and especially in and around the megacity Lagos. Large numbers of the 600,000 people who move to Lagos each year end up in informal settlements, where they are vulnerable not only to poor living conditions, but also to eviction at any moment. In September, the United Nations said Nigeria's policy of mass evictions was only exacerbating its housing crisis. But, the Nigerian government asserts that its evictions and demolitions are a security concern.
|
Why Europe Should Rethink Its Approach to Social Housing
In Modern Diplomacy, Dunja Mijatovice, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, urges Europe to rethink its approach to social housing. Mijatovic says housing supply and cost burden is a major problem in Europe which can diminish prospects of finding decent work, education, quality healthcare, and other basic social needs. Above all, Mijatovic believes successful social housing policy is rooted in a human rights-based sustainable, long-term, and inclusive solutions. She offers four recommendations. European member states should adopt European Social Charter Article 31 on the right to housing, adopt and implement sustainable national housing strategies with clear targets, invest in social and affordable housing and eradicating housing cost overburden, and prevent and eradicate homelessness in particular for children and disadvantaged and other vulnerable groups.
|
How Rio de Janeiro Should Think About its Favelas
At Urbanet, Mariana Dias Simpson and Itamar Silva argue that to improve people's lives in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil must consider its favelas, or informal settlements, as an integral part of the city, rather than an aberration. Simpson and Silva explain that over the past half century, Brazil has oscillated between slum policies. In some years, it has sought to eradicate slums and mass produce social housing units, while in others it has aimed for comprehensive slum upgrading. Simpson and Silva say that the police war against drugs in slums, economic crises, and a populist far right government has worsened life for slumdwellers. Instead, they urge the government to recognize the right of the poor to live in urban land, upgrade slums, and acknowledge that mass state-produced housing is unsustainable and insufficient to meet the needs of Rio's low-income families.
|
In U.S. Cities, Racial Diversity Does Not Guarantee Racial Inclusion
At U.S. News and World Report, Urban Institute (UI) research analyst Brady Meixell explains that racial diversity does not guarantee racial inclusion in American cities. Racial diversity means the number of city residents that come from different racial and ethnic backgrounds whereas racial inclusion means whether residents of all races and ethnicities have equal opportunity to benefit from and contribute to economic prosperity. This argument draws on UI data that measures a city's racial inclusion by segregation, racial gaps in homeownership, racial gaps in education, racial gaps in poverty, and the share of people in color. For instance, U.S. News ranks Oakland, California second in its diversity index, but UI ranks it 26th on the racial inclusion index because of a 20% gap in homeownership, 15% in poverty, and 25% in education.
|
How Kazan Became Russia's Most Livable City
Kazan, Russia is considered to have the best city living standards in the country. But, only 15 years ago, the city's public health was poor. Since 2006, Kazan has prioritized and implemented health policies. Under the Health Kazan initiative, the city built 30 new sports facilities and has hosted a number of international sporting events which have been crucial to upgrading city infrastructure and making healthy lifestyles attractive to its citizens. Kazan has also focused on improving school nutrition, increasing hot meal lunch coverage for students from 37% to 93%. Among its environmental health initiatives include the Green Record Project which planted more than 150,000 trees and doubled city parks and gardens.
|
IHC Global Will Attend Upcoming 10th World Urban Forum in Abu Dhabi
Thousands will gather at WUF 10 to be held February 9-13th in Abu Dhabi. This is a major international meeting focused on urban and housing issues. Convened by UN Habitat and hosted in different locations every two years. This year, WUF 10's theme is Cities of Opportunity- Connecting Culture and Innovation. Senior government officials from around the world, including a US delegation led by Deputy Assistant Secretary Seth Appleton, will meet together with civil society, private sector, academics and others engaged with the challenges and opportunities of our rapidly urbanizing world.
IHC Global will also be there as will many of our members. IHC Global will launch "Smart Cities with Women in Mind" a new policy paper under the Smart City. Just City initiative as well as convene and speak at a number of panels and participate in other meetings.
Find the program
here and registration
here.
|
The Impact of Climate Change on the Urban Poor and Their Development Prospects: A Peek at Recent USAID Research
February 5, 2020
Society for International Development, Washington
Cities worldwide are experiencing increasing effects of climate change. Climate
change is overtaxing the urban infrastructure that more and more people depend upon. For some, this problem is an inconvenience or even a major inconvenience. For others, especially the urban poor, the threat is literally existential. USAID is well aware of the many impacts of climate change on development, but is always striving to understand the implications in more detail.
The Society for International Development-Washington will host
USAID Office of Energy & Infrastructure Policy Advisor Matt Jelacic to speak about leading a USAID multi-country study on the impact of climate change on cities, as well as its initial findings about the way that climate change is affecting the urban poor.
This event is organized by SID-Washington Infrastructure and Urban Development Co-Chairs David Painter and IHC Global CEO Judith Hermanson in collaboration with the Environment and Sustainability Workgroup .
More Speakers TBA.
Find more information here.
|
|
In the News and Around the Web
- Berlin Will Freeze Rent Prices: Berlin state legislature has approved a 5 year rent freeze, but critics say the move will worsen the city's housing crisis.
- Nonprofit Resilient Cities Catalyst Formed After End of 100 Resilient Cities: Former executives of the now-disbanded 100 Resilient Cities initiative launched Resilient Cities Catalyst
-
World Health Organization Declares Coronavirus a Global Health Emergency:
On Thursday, the World Health Organization declared coronavirus a global health emergency.
|
Egypt has published plans for its new capital city. (Photo credit:
ACUD)
|
IHC Global invites everyone who wants to help to create inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities to become involved in our work.
Share your views (
info@ihcglobal.org
). Get our regular
updates
. Become an
individual member
. Make a
contribution
. Add your company or organization to our growing
coalition
.
Your financial support directly helps us to advocate on national & international platforms including with U.S. government officials and the United Nations & UN-Habitat to put urban at the forefront of the development agenda. It helps us produce original data-based research and to support local institutions. In a time of diminishing resources for news outlets, your support also enables us to send this unique & comprehensive agglomeration of urban news from around the world to your inbox each week, free of charge.
Please donate today and help IHC Global "change cities for good." We need your help now more than ever to secure a better urban future for us all.
|
|
|
|
Head Office: 5425 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 600, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
Satellite Office: 430 N. Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
|
|
|
|
|
