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In This Update:
China's Urban Crisis
European Cities are Largely Unprepared for Hotter Temperatures
Atlanta Mayor Requests Federal Resources for Cybersecurity in Cities
UN Habitat Request Stakeholder Feedback on NUA Reporting Guidelines
Mumbai Slum is a More Popular Tourist Attraction Than the Taj Mahal
Can Urban Parks Help Fight Crime?
London Mayor Says Cities Can Help Fight Extremism
Sidewalk Labs Releases 1500 Page Master Plan
In the News and Around the Web
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In the Spring edition of
City Journal, Joel Kotkin argues it may be much more important for the fate of Chinese civilization to "create a more humane, less hierarchical, and more affordable urban future" than "trade deals or perfecting technology."
China's urbanization rate stands at 60%, up from 19% in 1979, and it is currently home to 6 of the world's megacities. Kotkin explains that even though important economic growth accompanied this wide-scale urbanization, Chinese cities are plagued by a number of grave problems.
Forty years of rapid urbanization under authoritarian governments means that: "China's cities offer a cautionary tale about authoritarian planning, excessive density, too many unneeded units, rising class tensions, plunging birthrates, heavy pollution, and, perhaps most ominously, the imposition of increasingly sophisticated population surveillance"
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European Cities Largely Unprepared for Hotter Temperatures
A study in European Data Journalism Network of 61 cities in 6 countries suggests Europe's local governments have only inconsistently created climate adaptation policies, despite a noticeable increase in temperature.
In 2018, 203 European cities experienced the warmest year since 1900. As
Nicolas Kayser-Bril explains, the "adaptation policies of local government are,quite literally, a matter of life and death," for city dwellers too poor to invest in cooling equipment. The widespread lack of systematic assessments of the effects of climate change in cities is especially problematic, says Kayser-Bril, and demonstrates the need for city governments to create adaptation plans and strategies based on rigorous evidence collection.
Read about the report here.
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Atlanta Mayor Requests Federal Resources for Cybersecurity in Cities
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms testified before the House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security to ask the federal government to provide more resources for cities to prevent cyberattacks like the one faced by Atlanta in 2018. Lance Bottoms said that such attacks are the "equivalent of a disaster" for cities. The ransomware attack on Atlanta has cost the city 7.2 million in recovery so far. Experts anticipate the ongoing ransomware attack in Baltimore could cost that city $18 million. The Committee made no commitment on Tuesday, but
Representatives Cedric Richmond (D) and John Katko (R) stated they are working on a "comprehensive package" to help state and city governments with more information security resources.
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UN Habitat Requests Stakeholder Feedback on NUA Reporting Guidelines
UN-Habitat invites stakeholders to provide feedback on the first draft of its New Urban Agenda (NUA) Reporting Guidelines. The Reporting Guidelines will facilitate the preparation of national reports to examine the progress of NUA implementation. The Reporting Guidelines will serve as a core component of the NUA Platform. According to UN-Habitat, the soon-to-be created Platform will provide ways of monitoring and reporting NUA and other internationally agreed goals and targets for sustainable urbanization and human settlements at the global, regional/country and local levels. UN-Habitat asks for comments by August 15, 2019 ahead of its next Multi-stakeholder Consultation Meeting.
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Mumbai Slum Is a More Popular Tourist Attraction Than the Taj Mahal
Tourist tours to Dharavi, a slum of Mumbai, is the now top "experience" in India, beating out the Taj Mahal.
One Trip Savvy article tries to explain that the privately-guided and not inexpensive tours are not exploitative in nature: "These tours aim to dispel any notions that people may have of Dharavi being a place of misery, and is actually very inspiring. They show what people are capable of achieving despite adverse conditions." But may remain uncomfortable with the concept of poverty as a tourist attraction. At Vice, Shamani Joshi explains that many wonder slum tourism is ethical since it may reduce such areas to a "voyeuristic experience," for tourists at the "cost of those less fortunate." And as
Ephrat Livni notes at
Quartzy
: "The long-term effects of lack of wealth on health and happiness can't possibly be comprehended on a quick visit."
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Can Urban Parks Help Fight Crime?
In the minds of some, urban parks are associated with spaces that facilitate crime and illicit activity such as drug dealing.
But, researchers at Clemson and North Carolina State have found in almost all of American cities examined, "green space" is in fact associated with lower crime. The researchers call this "crime prevention through environmental design." They suggest that parks designed for safety, heavily programmed on an ongoing basis, and well-maintained attract residents whose presence serves as a crime deterrent. The authors cite several examples of park programming crediting with lowering crime rates, such as the renovation of Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan that included the addition of activities and events and a citywide Summer Night Lights program in Los Angeles that promotes positive activities.
Three cities proved exceptions to their study. In
Chicago, Detroit, and Newark, places "notoriously high and stubborn crime rates," parks were associated with higher levels of violent crime.
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London Mayor Says Cities Can Help Fight Extremism
London Mayor Saddiq Khan asserts that cities can be "antidotes" to populism and extremism. Khan says that in recent years European cities have been "blighted" by extremist attacks from "the far right and so-called Islamist movements." Khan urges cities to invest in affordable public housing, high-quality and accessible public transport to jobs and city life, and social service
s like parenting classes, sports clubs, and other such things, can foster integration and stem social fractures that lead to extremism.
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Sidewalk Labs Releases 1500 Page Master Plan
Sidewalk Labs released its master plan for the development of Quayside, Toronto. The "Toronto Tomorrow" document promises "all of the buzzwords in modern urban policy," says Metropolis Magazine: equity, technology, and sustainability. It also addresses privacy concerns, asserting it will not sell personal information, use it for advertising, or disclose it to third parties without explicit consent. The report also responds to concerns about lack of community participation in the planning process and emphasizes public sector and local partnerships.
Block Sidewalk, a local opposition group is not assuaged and criticizes the 1500 page document as "designed to drown the public in detail."
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In the News and Around the Web
- The State of the Nation's Housing in 2019: The Harvard Joint Center for Housing (JCHS) released its 2019 State of the Nation's Housing report, accompanied by a live panel featuring the Federal Reserve of Atlanta, the Home Depot, JCHS, and Habitat for Humanity International. Watch the recorded event here.
- Ikea Owned-Company to Develop Low Cost Housing: An Ikea joint-venture will build low-cost housing in the United Kingdom.
- Taiwan Veterans Face Eviction: The government of New Tapei City seeks to demolish Taiwanese "veterans' villages."
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The Dharavi slum in Mumbai, India
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