case study urban regeneration

How Eight Cities Succeeded in Rejuvenating their Urban Land

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SINGAPORE, July 13, 2016 – The single most crucial component in rejuvenating decaying urban areas around the world is private sector participation, according to a report released today from the World Bank and the Public Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF) during the World Cities Summit taking place in Singapore this week.

“ Urban regeneration projects are rarely implemented solely by the public sector.  There is a need for massive financial resources that most cities can’t meet,” said Ede Ijjasz-Vasquez, Senior Director for the World Bank’s Social, Urban, Rural and Resilience Global Practice .  “Participation from the private sector is a critical factor in determining whether a regeneration program is successful – programs that create urban areas where citizens can live, work, and thrive .”

Every city has pockets of underused land or distressed urban areas, most often the result of changes in urban growth and productivity patterns. In developing countries, which are absorbing 90 percent of the world’s urban population growth, decaying inner cities are home to an increasing number of poor and vulnerable citizens. These areas marginalize and exclude residents, and can have a long-term negative effect on their upward mobility.

Regenerating Urban Land: A Practitioner’s Guide to Leveraging Private Investment looks at regeneration programs from eight cities around the world – Ahmedabad, Buenos Aires, Johannesburg, Santiago, Singapore, Seoul, Shanghai, and Washington DC – documenting the journeys they have faced in tackling major challenges in this area. 

Building on the experience of cities from different regions around the world, the report looks at projects for inner cities, former industrial or commercial site, ports, waterfronts, and historic neighborhoods. While the cases vary in many aspects, what they have in common is significant private sector participation in the regeneration and rehabilitation of deteriorating urban areas. 

The report singles out successful policy and finance tools in each city case study, and points out issues and challenges the city faced during the process. It identifies four distinct phases for successful urban regeneration: scoping, planning, financing, and implementation. Each phase includes a set of unique mechanisms that local governments can use to systematically design a regeneration process.

For example, in Singapore, the polluted Singapore River was no longer used for trading activities as large-scale container ports gained prominence. 

“ Capitalizing on the Singapore River’s historical importance and potential for redevelopment, the government launched a transformational program that preserved cultural heritage, improved the environment, and opened the area for recreational pedestrian use.  Similar efforts elsewhere can rejuvenate cities and regional economies,” said Jordan Schwartz, Director of the World Bank’s Infrastructure & Urban Development Hub, based in Singapore .

Yet there is no “one size fits all” approach when looking for solutions to cities’ declining areas.  The report stresses that while the tools presented in the report yielded successful results in many cities around the world, no one solution is universally applicable to all cities and situations .  The report also emphasizes that with strong political leadership, any city can start an urban regeneration process, but the successful use of land-planning and finance tools depend on sound and well-enforced zoning and property tax systems.

“No two cities are alike, so to meet this challenge, the World Bank created an online decision tool, based on the specific issues the city faces and its current regulatory and financial environment ,” said Rana Amirtahmasebi, author of the report. “ Local governments can use the information curated in this report to begin to reverse the process of economic, social, and physical decay in urban areas, moving toward the sustainable, inclusive development of their cities.”    

Illustrating the transformation, other case studies from the new report include:

• The city of Santiago (Chile) lost almost 50 percent of its population and 33 percent of its housing stock between 1950 and 1990. But the city turned this around, using a national housing subsidy to specifically target the repopulation of the inner city. The private investment reached USD 3 billion throughout the life of project, stimulated by a USD 138 million subsidy.
• Buenos Aires (Argentina) found itself on the verge of becoming unsustainable, when urban sprawl moved away from downtown leaving prime waterfront land, with significant architectural and industrial heritage, vacant and underused. To tackle this problem, the city used a self-financing urban regeneration initiative in Puerto Madero to redevelop the unused 170-hectare land parcel to an attractive mixed-use waterfront neighborhood. The total investment reached USD 1.7 billion, with USD 300 million invested by the city through the sale of land.
• Seoul (Republic of Korea) experienced a major decrease in residential and commercial activity in its downtown, where small plots, narrow roads, and high land prices made development too costly. From 1975 to 1995, Seoul lost more than half its downtown population, while substandard housing for mostly squatters and renters was more than twice the city’s average. Seoul launched the Cheonggyecheon revitalization project to redevelop an 18-lane elevated highway into a revitalized stream with green public space totaling 16.3 hectares, dramatically increasing real estate values and the variety of uses for the downtown areas.
• In Ahmedabad (India) , the closure of mills along the Sabarmati Riverfront caused unemployed laborers to form large informal settlements along the riverbed, creating unsafe and unclean living areas and reducing the flood management capacity.  In response, the city created a development corporation to reclaim 200 hectares of riverfront land on both sides and paid the project costs through the sale of 14.5 percent of the reclaimed land, while the rest of the riverfront was transformed into public parks and laborers resettled through a national program. 
• In the 18-square kilometer inner city of Johannesburg (South Africa) , a series of targeted regeneration initiatives achieved a decline in property vacancy rates from 40 percent in 2003 to 17 percent in 2008, and a similar jump in property transactions.  Since 2001, for every rand (R) 1 million (about USD 63,000) invested by the Johannesburg Development Authority, private investors have put R 18 million into the inner city of Johannesburg, creating property assets valued at R 600 million and infrastructure assets valued at R 3.1 billion.

For the full report and toolkit, please visit: https://urban-regeneration.worldbank.org/

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• ONLINE PLATFORM Urban Regeneration: Decision Tool for City Planners
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• Published: 27 June 2022

Regenerative living cities and the urban climate–biodiversity–wellbeing nexus

• M. Pedersen Zari   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-4664-7558 1 ,
• M. MacKinnon   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0613-1530 2 ,
• K. Varshney   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2320-7584 2 &
• N. Bakshi 2  

Nature Climate Change volume  12 ,  pages 601–604 ( 2022 ) Cite this article

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The expansion of urban environments contributes to climate change and biodiversity loss. Implementing nature-based strategies to create ‘regenerative living cities’ will be critical for climate change mitigation and adaptation and will produce measurable biodiversity and wellbeing co-benefits.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the NUWAO (Nature-based Urban design for Wellbeing and Adaptation in Oceania) project, funded by a Marsden grant from the Royal Society of New Zealand ( www.nuwao.org.nz ). Additional support was provided by the Restoring Urban Nature Project funded by an Aotearoa New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Endeavour grant. The views expressed herein are the authors’ own.

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Pedersen Zari, M., MacKinnon, M., Varshney, K. et al. Regenerative living cities and the urban climate–biodiversity–wellbeing nexus. Nat. Clim. Chang. 12 , 601–604 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01390-w

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A Case Study of Urban Regeneration in Bristol

What is urban regeneration?

Urban regeneration involves redeveloping and revitalising areas that have experienced urban decay or decline. The processes can include installing modern facilities in old buildings (known as renewal) or opting for redevelopment (i.e. demolishing existing buildings to create brownfield sites for new developments). The aim is to improve these areas’ physical, economic, and social conditions, making them more vibrant and attractive to residents, businesses, and visitors.

In Bristol, old industrial areas near the railway station and port had become rundown. The docks and industrial buildings became derelict as the port facility moved to Avonmouth. Much of this area has now been regenerated, including the area around the railway station known as the Temple Quarter.

Where is the Temple Quarter?

The Temple Quarter is an area located in Bristol, England. It is situated southeast of Bristol city centre, around the Temple Meads railway station. The area is named after the historic Temple Church located within its boundaries. Much of the area became an Enterprise Zone in 2012, meaning it qualified for government money to support regeneration.

A map to show the location of Bristol’s Temple Quarter

Why did the area need to be regenerated?

During the eighteenth century, the Temple Quarter grew as an industrial region. Frequent flooding plagued the area until the nineteenth century when the ‘Floating Harbour’ and the Feeder Canal were constructed. As a result, the harbour’s water level was no longer subject to tidal changes and remained constant, enabling further industrial expansion. In 1841, Brunel established the first railway station in the area. This was followed by adding more railway sidings, which occupied 40% of the Temple Quarter.

Terraced housing in the Template Quarter was demolished as part of a programme of slum clearance. The heavy industries were closing by the second half of the twentieth century. The city centre docks declined due to the new port developments at Avonmouth and Portbury, leaving behind abandoned factories, railway sidings, and many areas contaminated with industrial pollution and waste. Despite its central location and transport links, the Temple Quarter suffered significant neglect and underinvestment. Many buildings were abandoned or underused, and the area lacked residential housing and recreational spaces.

A number of factory buildings were protected as listed buildings, meaning they could not be demolished. Cobbled streets from the nineteenth century were to be retained for their heritage value.

Despite its proximity to the city centre, the area was largely disconnected, contributing to its decline. The area had high unemployment rates and was not considered an attractive place to invest, work, or live.

What were the challenges of regenerating the Temple Quarter?

• Securing funding: The scale and complexity of the project required significant financial investment.
• Balancing interests: Different stakeholders had varied interests and goals, requiring careful negotiation and compromise.
• Infrastructure challenges: The redevelopment of infrastructure, particularly around a busy railway station, was technically challenging and disruptive.
• Maintaining heritage: Protecting and preserving the area’s historical elements while allowing for modern redevelopment posed a significant challenge.
• Environmental damage: Pollution left by industrial waste and other contaminants

What are the main features of the Temple Quarter regeneration scheme?

The regeneration of the Temple Quarter was a complex, multi-stakeholder project led by the Bristol City Council in collaboration with the Homes and Communities Agency, Network Rail, and private sector investors. Key elements included:

• Enterprise Zone: An area covering 72 hectares became an Enterprise Zone in 2012. It is the UK’s largest Enterprise Zone. The Enterprise Area offered incentives for businesses to relocate, including tax relief and low rents.
• The Temple Gate Scheme: The Temple Gate scheme involved the redevelopment of the area in front of Temple Meads railway station. The railway station was redeveloped into a transport hub. It included segregated pedestrian and cycle routes, new pedestrian and cycle crossings, improved transport facilities and a new Metrobus stop and the creation of bus priority lanes.
• University of Bristol’s new campus: The establishment of a new campus focused on digital and business technologies. It includes Brunel’s Engine Shed, an Enterprise Hub led by the University of Bristol. The building is home to a range of high-tech and creative businesses. Boxworks, a collection of 20 custom-designed shipping containers as workspaces, is located next to Engine Shed.
• Green infrastructure: Emphasis was placed on creating green spaces and promoting sustainable and energy-efficient construction.
• Mixed-use development : The project included a blend of residential, commercial, and public spaces.

How successful is the Temple Quarter regeneration?

The Temple Quarter regeneration project has been hailed as a success for various reasons:

• Economic growth: The creation of the Enterprise Zone has attracted significant business investment and created new jobs. More than 4000 jobs have been created as part of the plan to create 17,000 jobs over 25 years. Almost 400 firms from the creative, digital and green industries have moved into the area.
• Improved connectivity: Transport and accessibility improvements have better integrated the area with the wider city.
• Increased vibrancy: Adding housing, recreational spaces, and cultural attractions has enhanced the area’s vibrancy and liveability.
• Sustainability: The emphasis on green and energy-efficient construction has contributed to Bristol’s reputation as a green city.

However, it’s important to note that the project is ongoing, and complete assessments of its success will likely be made in the coming years. Also, like any large-scale urban regeneration project, it has faced some criticism, particularly regarding affordability and inclusivity.

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Innovating Strategies and Solutions for Urban Performance and Regeneration pp 219–232 Cite as

A Comparison Between Italian and French Case Studies on Urban Regeneration

• Elena Gualandi 24 ,
• Tiziano Innocenzi 24 ,
• Chiara Pompei 24 &
• Alessandro Stracqualursi 24  
• Conference paper
• First Online: 02 July 2022

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Part of the book series: Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation ((ASTI))

Urban regeneration is a process that aims to transform the existing city while improving its performance, adopting strategies for the recovery and enhancement of the building heritage. In the contemporary age, we are experiencing a phase of industrial crisis that is reflected in the consolidated European city themes of reactivation and rehabilitation, which are assuming a central role for both local and metropolitan communities. The aim of this paper is to highlight issues and strategies for sustainable urban regeneration from a socio-economic point of view. To achieve this, we will compare different case studies from Italy and France, all located in dynamic contexts, whose projects have been completed in the last ten years. The cases are gathered in two categories of brownfield land, each addressing a different perspective: ex-industrial areas and docks. Urban regeneration is a key challenge for the contemporary city. Restoring brownfield sites means putting the theme of sustainability, declined in all its forms, at the centre of the future city development process.

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Elena Gualandi, Tiziano Innocenzi, Chiara Pompei & Alessandro Stracqualursi

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Cristina Piselli

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Osman Balaban

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Gualandi, E., Innocenzi, T., Pompei, C., Stracqualursi, A. (2022). A Comparison Between Italian and French Case Studies on Urban Regeneration. In: Piselli, C., Altan, H., Balaban, O., Kremer, P. (eds) Innovating Strategies and Solutions for Urban Performance and Regeneration. Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-98187-7_17

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Urban regeneration brings back underutilized assets and redistributes opportunities, increasing urban prosperity and quality of life. Urban regeneration initiatives are complex, lengthy and run the risk of gentrifying private space or privatize public one. At UN-Habitat we work for urban regeneration that ensures affordability, access to services and involvement of local residents to promote local economic development, where public space is a key element of interventions, and cities reduce environmental impact and GHG emissions. The preservation and valorization of historic and cultural heritage is a key opportunity for urban regeneration as well.

The Challenge

The shift of economic activities towards the outskirts of cities have left many inner-city areas blighted by unemployment, poor quality services, housing and decaying streets and public spaces. This has excluded residents from the opportunities of more prosperous districts and undermined the potential of urban centers to contribute to the prosperity of cities. Urban regeneration requires a diversity of approaches, such as redevelopment of brownfields, densification and intensification strategies, the diversification of economic activities, heritage preservation and reuse, public space reactivation and strengthening of service delivery.

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Urban regeneration requires the involvement of different stakeholders and expertise.

UN-Habitat collaborates with sister agencies such as UNESCO and WHO to ensure that urban regeneration, renewal and heritage projects are aligned with the international agenda, the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda.

UN-Habitat works with international think tanks, academia and professional organizations to develop norms, global guidance and principles for urban regeneration.

Through specific technical and advisory services, UN-Habitat supports national and local governments to develop the spatial, legal and financial framework required for the implementation of urban regeneration projects, such as spatial development plans, legal instruments for participatory land readjustment and financial mechanisms for land-value capture.

The collaboration with expert NGOs and foundations is particularly important for implementation and mobilization of residents on the ground, as well as for advocacy.

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Case studies tagged with Urban Regeneration

The portable modular natural biological system, pm-nbstm developed by ayala water & ecology.

To improve and validate a portable, modular, enery-free, decentralized water treatment system,  the PM-NBSTM, to remediate source water to high quality for resuse, filling a major gap in small agglomerations and remote areas where good quality waters are needed and no other solution is feasible

• Read more about The Portable Modular Natural Biological System, PM-NBSTM developed by AYALA WATER & ECOLOGY

Vingis and Verkiu parks in Vilnius, Lithuania (URBANGAIA project)

The aim of the project is to develop realistic indicators to evaluate, manage and develop performant Green and Blue infrastructure (GBIs) in cities and intensively managed landscapes. UrbanGaia explicitly focusses on analysis of ecological and socio-economic features of the many existing GBIs within a place-based and socio-ecological research framework. The project consists of three main approaches which converge in a transdisciplinary analysis of GBI performance: ecological science, political economic analysis and stakeholder co-creation.

• Read more about Vingis and Verkiu parks in Vilnius, Lithuania (URBANGAIA project)

Quito: Urban Agriculture as Nature Based Solution for facing Climate Change and Food Sovereignty

The project aims to tackle climate change, poverty and food provision, by supporting urban gardens on public or private land with community participation. The aims being food security and sovereignty, environmental management, employment and income improvement, social inclusion, sustainability and resilience.

• Read more about Quito: Urban Agriculture as Nature Based Solution for facing Climate Change and Food Sovereignty

Integrated green grey infrastructure (IGGI) - Ecologically enhanced sea defence

Ecological enhancement of hard coastal structures. Project aimed to mitigate expected habitat losses associated with improving  coastal defences for both the natural substrate & pre-existing defences within Natural 2000 site, & minimise future habitat losses due to sea level rise & coastal squeeze.

• Read more about Integrated green grey infrastructure (IGGI) - Ecologically enhanced sea defence

Urban Food Forest St. Urbanus

A Food Forest is an artificial human designed forest that predominantly consists of edible plants and fruit-bearing bushes and trees.

• Read more about Urban Food Forest St. Urbanus

Managing urban Biodiversity and Green Infrastructure to increase city resilience in Ghent (UrbanGaia project)

The aim is to develop a realistic framework of indicators to evaluate, manage and develop performant Urban Green-Blue Infrastructure (U-GBI) in cities and intensively managed landscapes. UrbanGaia explicitly focusses on analysis of ecological and socio-economic features of the many existing GBIs. The evaluation of one the green axis of the ecological network in Ghent will serve as a case study for the framework of indicators. Furthermore, policy, governance and management practices of U-GBI are analyzed to identify innovative approaches to GBI implementation and usage.

• Read more about Managing urban Biodiversity and Green Infrastructure to increase city resilience in Ghent (UrbanGaia project)

Sweet City: Facing Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss in Urban Costa Rica

Sweet City aims to create the conditions required to improve the quality of life of all the inhabitants of the territory, humans and other species alike, e.g. pollinators, by providing better conditions for them to thrive and, as a result, obtaining a more biodiverse, comfortable, clean, colorful and better organised urban environment. The aim is to restore the balance between urban and natural areas, preserve and increase biodiversity in the city and manage climate change.

• Read more about Sweet City: Facing Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss in Urban Costa Rica

Operatie STEENBREEK

Operatie Steenbreek  is a foundation that organizes awareness raising campaigns and offers assistance with regards to greening private gardens. Many gardens and streets in the Netherlands are covered with tiles that cannot absorp the rainwater from heavy rainfall.

The idea behind the initiative is to encourage citizens to remove the tiles and stones from their gardens/backyards and replace it with grass, plants and trees for better drainage and to increase the biodiversity.

Thanks to an app., citizens can be adviced and exchange plants with neighbours. Citizens can...

• Read more about Operatie STEENBREEK

Bath Quays Waterside Park

To create a riverside park, reconnecting the city centre to the riverside and to mitigate flooding for more than 100 existing properties.

• Read more about Bath Quays Waterside Park

Filwood Park Development and Green Business Centre

To regenerate a brown site to develop 150 new homes, an improved park area and a BREEAM outstanding green business park. To deliver high quality jobs, family housing and a better green space.

• Read more about Filwood Park Development and Green Business Centre

Nature-based solutions for improving well-being in urban areas in Sheffield, United Kingdom

This case study examines in particular the interface between four sets of plans and strategies, providing important context for further examination of meso- and micro-scale interventions covered in subsequent sections. This case also touches on other formally adopted plans and strategies only in relation to the above meso- and micro- scale initiatives, in an attempt to better understand contexts.

• Read more about Nature-based solutions for improving well-being in urban areas in Sheffield, United Kingdom

Managing urban Biodiversity and Green Infrastructure to increase city resilience in Coimbra (UrbanGaia project)

The aim is to develop realistic indicators to evaluate, manage and develop performant GBIs in cities and intensively managed landscapes. UrbanGaia explicitly focusses on analysis of ecological and socio-economic features of the many existing GBIs within a place-based and socio-ecological research framework. The project consists of three main approaches which converge in a transdisciplinary analysis of GBI performance: ecological science, political economic analysis and stakeholder co-creation.

• Read more about Managing urban Biodiversity and Green Infrastructure to increase city resilience in Coimbra (UrbanGaia project)

Yerevan-Nature-Based Solution: A GREEN WALL FOR KINDERGARTEN

The described situation was an opportunity for the nature based solutions (green wall creation) implementation. Particularly, based on the scientific data available from more than 160 Yerevan kindergartens specific one was identified and selected ensuring the maximum benefits for the kindergarten territory, its sounding and children’s health.

The testing site - kindergarten was built in former Soviet Union period and did not underwent any reconstruction action. Due to its spatial location the kindergarten is...

• Read more about Yerevan-Nature-Based Solution: A GREEN WALL FOR KINDERGARTEN

Bristol Harbourside

To regenerate a brownfield site into a vibrant public space and reconnect the city with its waterfront, integrating art and ecology.

• Read more about Bristol Harbourside

Let's Crop the Diversity (LCD)

• Regenerate abandoned, unused and/or under-used spaces in densely urbanized areas
• Promote innovative agricultural practices
• Involvement of citizens and marginalized social classes (Social benefits)

“Let’s Crop the Diversity” (LCD) aims to redevelop urban spaces through the coproduction of solutions based on nature (NBS) to promote resilience and environmental quality of the geographical areas of intervention.

The goal of this project is developing an Urban Agricultural System that, thanks to the...

• Read more about Let's Crop the Diversity (LCD)

Basel, Switzerland: Green roofs : Combining mitigation and adaptation on measures

By 2100, under a high greenhouse emissions scenario, the temperature is projected to increase by about 4.5 ºC in comparison to the 1990s. This means that every second summer will be as hot or even hotter than the temperatures reached during the 2003 heat wave which caused severe loss of life across Europe. Extreme precipitation events are likely to increase in frequency and severity. Green roofs were found to offer opportunities to combine energy saving, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and biodiversity objectives. In densely built-up areas where providing extensive parks and...

• Read more about Basel, Switzerland: Green roofs : Combining mitigation and adaptation on measures

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eKhaya : an urban regeneration project in Johannesburg, South Africa

Johannesburg

Main actors

City Government, Private Sector, Community / Citizen Group, Public Utility

Project area

Neighborhood or district

Ongoing since 2004

Through community mobilization, the eKhaya neighbourhood regeneration program has influenced the re-development of other declining areas in the City of Johannesburg.

eKhaya is a residential inner-city neighbourhood in Hillbrow, a district of Johannesburg.  Hillbrow is historically known for high levels of unemployment, poverty, crime and population density. In 2004 eKhaya was designated as a Residential City Improvement District (RCID) and a Neighborhood Improvement Program was implemented with the support of the City of Johannesburg and The Johannesburg Housing Company (JHC) together with other stakeholders including property management companies, property owners, property caretakers and tenants. The project demonstrates a bottom-up, community-led response to urban degeneration that puts emphasis on social capital as an essential element of urban regeneration.

This case study was contributed from the UCLG Learning Team .

Peer-Learning Note #21 on Vital Neighborhoods in Metropolitan Cities

For further information about the case study, click here.

Sustainable Development Goals

The district of Hillbrow was established as a residential extension to Johannesburg in the late 19th century. It was identified as an entry point neighbourhood for Immigrants due to its favourable, central location. During the 1950s and 1960s, a property boom led to extensive high-rise building developments in the area, making it only second to Hong Kong in terms of residential density at that time.

In the 1970s Hillbrow was a prosperous, designated whites-only area.  In 1978, under Apartheid, the Rental Control Act was lifted and landlords could now charge new tenants market rents, this resulted in a massive exodus of European migrants, the beginning of “white flight” from the city. The escalating violence in other townships of Johannesburg, together with the abolition of the Rental Control Act, led many colored and Indian people to move to Hillbrow. By 1980, the racial composition of the district had changed, leading the City of Johannesburg administration to declare Hillbrow a “gray area”, where people of different ethnicities lived together.  Rising rents forced tenants to sublet, causing over-crowding in poorly maintained buildings.

Subsequently, Hillbrow suffered from urban degeneration, over-population, unemployment, poverty, drugs, homicides and violence combined with many derelict buildings and by the 1990s the district was classified as an urban slum.

The objectives of the eKhaya Neighbourhood Improvement Program include:

• Improving the living environment
• Increasing social housing programs, systems and support
• Activating local government interventions in the public realm (streets, alleyways, etc.)
• Attracting private sector investment in building and management services
• Changing resident perception of the area

By initiating the Neighborhood Improvement Program in 2004, The City of Johannesburg administration sought to dispel the notion that Hillbrow, and in particular eKaya, as a violent, no-go area by creating a liveable neighbourhood characterised by safety, cleanliness and friendliness, the three principles underpinning the initiative.

Beyond changes to the physical improvement of the area, the project sought to break the fear associated with “grey areas”. From the outset, the initiative used social capital as the basis of transformation and physical regeneration . Social capital was promoted by bringing together different stakeholders– property caretakers, for-profit and not-for-profit property owners, tenants and the city administrators – and encouraging them talk to one another on a regular basis, creating positive relationships.

The first critical phase placed emphasis on community mobilization . Following the purchase of properties by the Johannesburg Housing Company and Trafalgar Property Management, JHC’s housing consultant and community organiser initiated the ‘Know Your Neighbourhood’ campaign with the help of property caretakers. The cost for this phase was approximately ZAR 500,000 (approximately USD 35,000).

Aimed at breaking down barriers and fostering familiarisation among residents and stakeholders, the campaign involved neighbourhood scanning in the form of walkabouts. This led to active mobilisation of the housing managers and/or property caretakers around building issues, and the establishment of a housing manager forum . Following the mobilisation of the key stakeholders, primarily building managers – who identified crime, grime and violent New Years’ Eve celebrations as the immediate challenges – a voluntary association was set up and an executive committee was elected. As a result of these steps, property owners agreed to the payment of monthly levies of ZAR 24 (USD 1,70) to mitigate the challenges identified . The successful mobilisation of property owners generated a monthly income of ZAR 6400 (USD 450).

The second phase emphasized ‘ bottom-up physical regeneration’ . The monthly levies from the property owners enabled the eKhaya executive committee to introduce a security and street cleaning project called ‘Our Clean eKhaya Neighbourhood’ by contracting Bad Boy’z Security (a private security services provider) to work with Pikitup (a city refuse removal institution) – to clean the streets around member buildings. The levies also facilitated the start of the public space upgrading and management, which was supported by public agencies including the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA). The first public spaces to be upgraded were derelict pavements and the grimy sanitary lanes, were cleaned and made secure.

The third phase involved community development and further attempts to foster the notion of friendliness in the eKhaya neighbourhood and the Hillbrow district. This was accomplished through social cohesion programmes such as the annual children’s program, the eKhaya Street Soccer concept, and the eKhaya Kidz’ Day event, which were largely driven by the precinct’s property caretakers.

The lead agencies for the project are The City of Johannesburg and the Johannesburg Housing Company. The City of Johannesburg is responsible for capital investment in streets, lighting, lane upgrades and the renovation and upgrades of the eKhaya park and other public spaces. The Johannesburg Housing Company and Trafalgar Properties provided the seed funding as well as providing administration and general logistics support. Membership levy fees also contribute to the ongoing upkeep on buildings.

Project activities such as children’s recreational and social cohesion programmes all require some level of resourcing.  Generally, these are financed from a combination of other sources:

• sponsorship by way of cash or in-kind support external grant fund raising including from the municipality
• contribution from service providers
• volunteer work from people involved in activities
• tenant and member fund-raising activities
• small entrance fee for participation

The eKhaya project has helped to achieve the following outcomes:

• regeneration of the physical quality of the neighbourhood
• increase in the sense of security and wellbeing of its residents
• generation of increased private and public investment in the area
• stimulation of social cohesion and positive community involvement
• making the eKhaya neighbourhood a positive-place-to-live for tenants

After years of extensive mediation and lobbying with the city administration, a site once abandoned to drugs and crime was reclaimed and upgraded into a recreational space for children , named eKhaya Park. The city administration invested ZAR 7 million (USD 500,000) in the park and provides on-going maintenance and gardening services.

‘Our Healthy eKhaya’ and ‘Safe New Year’ campaigns, largely driven by the property caretakers, involve the display of posters discouraging violent and chaotic behaviour. This has resulted in peaceful festive celebrations in the area since 2004, and residents now take more ownership of internal and external spaces.

Businesses and retail franchises are slowly returning to the area and will provide employment opportunities moving forward.

The implementation of the eKhaya project has led to a significant drop in crime and grime , both within and outside eKhaya member buildings, and has created a more liveable environment. In a 2016 survey on the impact for tenants, the general response was that eKhaya had positively impacted on their quality of life and livelihoods.

The eKhaya Neighbourhood Improvement Programme has ensured that a large part of the Hillbrow district is safe, clean and an inviting place to live, however ongoing social challenges remain in some sections of the district including:

• “hi-jacked” buildings
• unemployment and poverty
• aging engineering services
• fragmented Institutional structures

The eKhaya project demonstrates that solutions to urban problems cannot only be devised by city administrators, but can also be generated by residents and business owners and operators.

The eKhaya neighborhood is managed by a consortium of public agencies, private sector and community actors. It demonstrates the power of mobilization to actively engage residents –those who own property and those who do not own property – by giving them a voice in urban regeneration efforts of the district.

While most urban regeneration initiatives lead to gentrification and the exclusion of low-income residents, the eKhaya project is flexible towards informal and street trading and subletting. These practices are often seen by city officials as illegal by contributing to urban disorder, however, they are imperative to making the city inclusive to the urban poor.

Vital Neighborhoods in Metropolitan Cities, Power of Urban Transformation through Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE), UCLG peer learning Note, Montreal, June 2017

External links / documents

Vital Neighborhoods in Metropolitan Cities, Power of Urban Transformation through Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE), UCLG peer learning note, Montreal, June 2017

UCLG Learning ›

United Cities and Local Governement (UCLG) ›

Technopole Angus Montreal ›

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From industrial lot to urban wellness village

Casa de Luz is a case study that teaches the value of thinking differently about health, food, parking, and community building. Although the project covers less than an acre, it has an outsized impact on the City of Austin, Texas. 

“The unlikely story of how a health-oriented restaurant transformed into a village for health and wellness started in the early 1980s,” notes Shambala Corp., the site owner. After a fire, the operation moved in 1989 to the current site, a former meatpacking plant in an industrial area across the river from downtown Austin. This barren area was surrounded by dumping grounds and abandoned buildings.

Over the next quarter century, the venture grew from serving 25 to 700 people daily with whole-food, plant-based meals. Next, Casa de Luz transformed from a dining hall to a “village” by embracing a multipurpose, new urban vision involving education, experience, wellness, and a community center. 

The site now has a collection of buildings grouped around five outdoor spaces, including an entrance garden, open walkway and gardens, a courtyard, a community area, and a playground. The village hosts many community events, such as outdoor music, dining, and meetups. Inside, the offerings cover various wellness, food, and educational activities.

“Today, the Casa de Luz Village expanded to include 13,000 square feet with 18 rooms for rent, including short-term and long-term rentals. Short-term spaces are used for physical health, mental health, and events, such as yoga, meditation, and lectures/workshops. Long-term spaces are used for bodywork, traumatic stress therapy, art studios, apothecary services, and retail establishments such as cacao, kava, and cold-pressed juice bars.” 

The project's ambitious goals strive to create a model for urban development, emphasizing a seamless integration of healthy living, sustainability, and community engagement. “The magic lies in our embrace of Neotraditionalism, a philosophy that promotes connections through new urban design,” the team explains.

Before most planners recognized the problems with city parking requirements, Casa de Luz members took a stand on the issue. From the start, Casa de Luz refused to meet the city’s parking requirements, which would have made the vision of an urban village impossible. “Facing resistance from city parking codes, which mandated the construction of a parking lot, we stood firm in our belief that urban space is too valuable to be sacrificed for parking,” the team told CNU. “Through persistent advocacy, we convinced the city to embrace a lot-sharing arrangement with the baseball field across the street.” The field’s lot was metered, ensuring turnover, improving access to the park and nearby businesses, and generating revenue for park improvements.

Chris Riley, a former Austin City Council member, notes that Casa de Luz thrived without on-site parking, helping to demonstrate “the folly of the city’s requirements. … We would’ve had a much harder time making progress toward urgently needed healthy, walkable urbanism in Austin and other cities, had the Casa de Luz Village not taken the initiative to challenge archaic parking requirements.” 

The communal-style meals, outdoor meeting areas, and health/wellness spaces create a “holistic environment as a blueprint for happiness,” reports Shambala. Nicholas Wagner, Casa de Luz community member, explains how this works:

"My first experience with Casa de Luz was for its health food dining hall. I was extremely focused on healthy eating and heard that Casa de Luz had the purist, healthiest food in Austin, Texas. After my first meal at Casa de Luz, my mind, body, and spirit implored me for more, and I started eating at Casa de Luz three times a day. Living only a mile away, I biked or walked every day for my meals. And that is when the real magic started: In addition to improving my health, I also gained a community of members who sat together, ate together, and discussed together. Happiness research shows that in addition to healthy eating, exercise, and sleep, a sense of belonging and community helps people live healthier, happier, longer lives. I arrived at the Casa de Luz Village for the food, but I stayed for the community." 

Note: The Charter Awards will be presented in a ceremony on May 16 at  CNU 32  in Cincinnati

Casa de Luz Village, Austin, Texas: 

• Shambala Corporation ,  Principal firm
• Eduardo Longoria,  Founder
• Logan Wagner , Architect

2023 CNU Charter Awards Jury

• Matthew Bell (chair), Professor, University of Maryland School of Architecture, Principal, Perkins Eastman in Washington, DC
• Diane Jones Allen, Professor, College of Architecture, Planning, and Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Arlington
• David Baker , Principal, David Baker Architects in San Francisco, CA
• Anne Fairfax, Principal, Fairfax & Sammons in New York, NY, and Palm Beach, FL
• C.J. Howard , Principal, C.J. Howard Architecture in Washington, DC
• Neal Payton , Principal, Torti Gallas + Partners in Los Angeles, CA
• Rico Quirindongo, Director, City of Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development

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April 22, 2024

Earth Day 2024: Building a sustainable future

raldrich | Book Lists , Environment , Holidays

Spotlighting environmental justice and urban design for Earth Day 

These days, celebrating Earth Day can feel like a macabre experience. Climate change continues to evolve at a rapid pace, increasingly affecting more and more of the planet. This year to mark Earth Day, we focus on hope—and what we can do in our built environments to improve our one planet.

Read on to explore books on sustainable urban design and environmental justice, and sign up for our newsletter to hear more from the Press.

Inventing Future Cities by Michael Batty

We cannot predict future cities, but we can invent them. Cities are largely unpredictable because they are complex systems that are more like organisms than machines. Neither the laws of economics nor the laws of mechanics apply; cities are the product of countless individual and collective decisions that do not conform to any grand plan. They are the product of our inventions; they evolve. In Inventing Future Cities , Michael Batty explores what we need to understand about cities in order to invent their future.

“Mike Batty’s new book is a tour de force meta-narrative of both the trends and components of urbanism at the start of the 21st century and one that should be read by all those with an interest in cities.” —Urban Analytics and City Science

Our Urban Future: An Active Learning Guide to Sustainable Cities by Sabina Shaikh and Emily Talen

While the problem of urban sustainability has long been a subject of great scholarly interest, there has, until now, been no single source providing a multi-disciplinary, exhaustive view of how it can be effectively taught. Filling this gap, Our Urban Future uses active learning techniques to comprehensively relate the theory of urban sustainability and the what, why, and how of sustainable cities. This practical, pedagogically rich textbook concisely covers all the key subjects of the field, including ecosystem services and transects, the internal design and patterning of urban elements, how cities mitigate and adapt to climate change, and questions of environmental justice. It functions as both an illuminating roadmap and an active reference to which any student of sustainability can turn to find essential resources and perspectives in pursuit of creating sustainable cities.

Shifting Gears: Toward a New Way of Thinking about Transportation by Susan Handy

Excruciating traffic jams. Struggling transit agencies. An epidemic of pedestrian fatalities. It is clear that transportation is not working in the United States and that we need to rethink our approach. In Shifting Gears , Susan Handy provides an in-depth history of the ideas embedded in American transportation policy and the emergence of new ways of thinking that could give us better transportation options. Weaving in bits of her own personal narrative, Handy gives readers a deeper and clearer understanding of our transportation system and the roots of its successes and failures.

“With accessible writing, academic rigor, and the right sense of the absurd, Susan Handy explains how American transport planning got us into this mess, and the path to get us out.” —Jeffrey Tumlin, Director, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency

Form and Flow: The Spatial Politics of Urban Resilience and Climate Justice by Kian Goh

Cities around the world are formulating plans to respond to climate change and adapt to its impact. Often, marginalized urban residents resist these plans, offering “counterplans” to protest unjust and exclusionary actions. In this book, Kian Goh examines climate change response strategies in three cities—New York, Jakarta, and Rotterdam—and the mobilization of community groups to fight the perceived injustices and oversights of these plans. Looking through the lenses of urban design and socioecological spatial politics, Goh reveals how contested visions of the future city are produced and gain power.

“A great look into the near future for these three cities—New York City, Rotterdam, and Jakarta—and a warning to other cities.” —Choice

Cycling for Sustainable Cities by Ralph Buehler and John Pucher

Cycling is the most sustainable means of urban travel, practical for most short- and medium-distance trips—commuting to and from work and school, shopping, visiting friends—as well as for recreation and exercise. Cycling promotes physical, social, and mental health, helps reduce car use, enhances mobility and independence, and is economical for both public and personal budgets. Cycling should be made feasible for everyone and not limited to especially fit, daring, well-trained cyclists riding expensive bicycles. Cycling for Sustainable Cities shows how to make city cycling safe, practical, and convenient for all ages and abilities.

Grounding Urban Natures: Histories and Futures of Urban Ecologies edited by Henrik Ernstson and Sverker Sörlin

The global discourse around urban ecology tends to homogenize and universalize, relying on such terms as “smart cities,” “eco-cities,” and “resilience,” and proposing a “science of cities” based largely on information from the Global North. Grounding Urban Natures makes the case for the importance of place and time in understanding urban environments. Rather than imposing a unified framework on the ecology of cities, the contributors use a variety of approaches across a range of locales and timespans to examine how urban natures are part of—and are shaped by—cities and urbanization. Grounding Urban Natures offers case studies from cities on five continents that demonstrate the advantages of thinking comparatively about urban environments.

Bridging Silos: Collaborating for Environmental Health and Justice in Urban Communities by Katrina Smith Korfmacher

Low-income and marginalized urban communities often suffer disproportionate exposure to environmental hazards, leaving residents vulnerable to associated health problems. Community groups, academics, environmental justice advocates, government agencies, and others have worked to address these issues, building coalitions at the local level to change the policies and systems that create environmental health inequities. In Bridging Silos , Katrina Smith Korfmacher examines ways that communities can collaborate across systems and sectors to address environmental health disparities, with in-depth studies of three efforts to address long-standing environmental health issues: childhood lead poisoning in Rochester, New York; unhealthy built environments in Duluth, Minnesota; and pollution related to commercial ports and international trade in Southern California.

“ Bridging Silos offers hope at a time of federal inaction on pressing environmental and public health issues.” —Gina McCarthy, former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator

To Know the World: A New Vision for Environmental Learning by Mitchell Thomashow

How can we respond to the current planetary ecological emergency? In To Know the World , Mitchell Thomashow proposes that we revitalize, revisit, and reinvigorate how we think about our residency on Earth. First, we must understand that the major challenges of our time—migration, race, inequity, climate justice, and democracy—connect to the biosphere. Traditional environmental education has accomplished much, but it has not been able to stem the inexorable decline of global ecosystems. Thomashow, the former president of a college dedicated to sustainability, describes instead environmental learning , a term signifying that our relationship to the biosphere must be front and center in all aspects of our daily lives. In this illuminating book, he provides rationales, narratives, and approaches for doing just that.

“This book, so rich in insight and evocative in style, will become a classic as its message is so critical to our shared planetary future.” —Mary Evelyn Tucker, Yale University; co-author, Journey of the Universe

Just Urban Design: The Struggle for a Public City edited by Kian Goh, Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris and Vinit Mukhija

Scholars who write about justice and the city rarely consider the practices and processes of urban design, while discourses on urban design often neglect concerns about justice. The editors of Just Urban Design take the position that urban design interventions have direct and important implications for justice in the city. The contributions in this volume contextualize the state of knowledge about urban design for justice, stress inclusivity as the key to justice in the city, affirm community participation and organizing as cornerstones of greater equity, and assert that a just urban design must center and privilege our most marginalized individuals and communities.

Co-Cities: Innovative Transitions toward Just and Self-Sustaining Communities by Sheila R. Foster and Christian Iaione

The majority of the world’s inhabitants live in cities, but even with the vast wealth and resources these cities generate, their most vulnerable populations live without adequate or affordable housing, safe water, healthy food, and other essentials. And yet, cities also often harbor the solutions to the inequalities they create, as this book makes clear. With examples drawn from cities worldwide,  Co-Cities  outlines practices, laws, and policies that are presently fostering innovation in the provision of urban services, spurring collaborative economies as a driver of local sustainable development, and promoting inclusive and equitable regeneration of blighted urban areas.

“Since their emergence over 10,000 years ago, cities have been a piece of shared infrastructure. In light of today’s technological advances, this book compellingly advances the idea of the city as a commons.” —Carlo Ratti, Professor of Urban Technologies, MIT; Planning Director, MIT Senseable City Lab

Urban Humanities: New Practices for Reimagining the City by Dana Cuff, Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, Todd Presner, Maite Zubiaurre and Jonathan Jae-an Crisman

Urban humanities is an emerging field at the intersection of the humanities, urban planning, and design. It offers a new approach not only for understanding cities in a global context but for intervening in them, interpreting their histories, engaging with them in the present, and speculating about their futures. This book introduces both the theory and practice of urban humanities, tracing the evolution of the concept, presenting methods and practices with a wide range of research applications, describing changes in teaching and curricula, and offering case studies of urban humanities practices in the field.

“ Urban Humanities  allows us to reimagine the cities with a heightened sense of engagement for the cities in which we live and engage with.” —Catherine Opie, Professor of Photography, UCLA

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