There is no better time to witness the unabashed populism and shortsightedness of all levels of government than around elections. Municipal elections are just around the corner in Mumbai and sure enough, the last few months have seen a flurry of populist reforms being passed in record times. Most noteworthy are the new promises being made to certain slum dwellers...
The breakdown and premature close of the inaugural Housing Indaba in Cape Town last November shows how much such a forum is needed to address residents' concerns and mobilise government action, but also shows how unready the city's stakeholders are for constructive collaboration.
Alan Gilbert doesn't believe there is one, but if one must speak of a global urban agenda, he would point to local private sector lobbies as the common force driving similar agendas in cities around the world.
Governments in many places can exhibit a loss in the basic competencies required for effective urban planning. In the UK and India, some of the slack is picked up by the private and non-profit sectors, with surprising and innovative results.
Despite claims of lack of accountability and transparency on both sides, NGOs and governments need to learn to trust each other lest basic services for the urban poor continue to go undeveloped.
Seminar series funded by the Urban Studies Foundation and the Urban Studies Journal Seminar Series Competition
Seminar series funded by the Urban Studies Foundation and the Urban Studies Journal Seminar Series Competition
How can we reimagine a public space divided by civil war, sectarianism and redevelopment? Rather than sophisticated urban design, Tanya Gallo argues that allowing public space to retain its indeterminacy will keep it accessible for all citizens.
What do the 'DIY urbanism' movement and homelessness have in common? While DIY urbanism is hailed as a creative force, the homeless are still marginalised in many cities.
Eminent housing and urban development consultant Geoffrey Payne offers a personal view on the international framework governing the global urban agenda.
There are many celebrated ideas and personalities in urban development, but how many survive the test of time? Two writers reflect on the legacy of John Turner, a quiet hero of global urbanism.
In the first of three articles, Tanya Gallo explores the capitalist redevelopment of downtown Beirut, and how it is threatening to create new segregations between the wealthy and the general public.
The Indian government agencies responsible for managing the country's urban slums talk of ICT and GIS technology to help them keep track of slum communities, yet they should also reach out to NGOs.
Andrew Fleming (Twitter: @AndrewSFleming) works as the Senior Researcher at the Cape Town Partnership, a non-profit company dedicated to the…
Sign up here for email updates
The Global Urbanist is an online magazine reviewing urban affairs and urban development issues in cities throughout the developed and developing world.
Its readers are drawn from the urban policy and international development sectors, and include urban planners, officers in local, national or international government agencies, civil society leaders, and researchers.
