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CITIES ALLIANCE PROJECTS APPROVED From 2 March 2010 to 3 June 2010
City Development Strategies (Namibia)
Cities Alliance has approved a proposal to pilot a City Development Strategy(CDS) process for Namibia. The proposal is a follow-up to the Cities Alliance-sponsored preparatory study conducted in 2007 on participatory city development strategies in Namibia.
Five local authorities have been chosen for the pilot and will work closely with the Association for Local Authorities in Namibia (ALAN) and the Ministry of Regional, Local Government, Housing, and Rural Development. The local authorities—Otjiwarongo, Omaruru, Karibib, Usakos, and Maltahöhe—will execute the CDS process and evaluate whether it serves as an effective urban development instrument for Namibia.
The proposal was submitted by ALAN and sponsored by German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG). The Cities Alliance will contribute $250,000 out of a total budget of $300,000.
Preparatory grant for supporting the upgrading of the Chamanculo C neighbourhood in Maputo municipality (Mozambique)
Cities Alliance has approved funding for a preparatory grant for upgrading the Chamanculo C neighbourhood in Maputo municipality, Mozambique. The grant is the result of a 2007 Memorandum of Understanding between Brazil and Italy on undertaking cooperation activities with third countries. The MoU resulted in the Brazilian-Italian Triangular Cooperation Program which identified Maputo municipality as a priority area to begin its support.
The approved preparatory grant is expected to lead to further support by the Cities Alliance and other partners towards the upgrading of the Chamanculo C neighbourhood. These upgrades are expected to result in a series of positive environmental impacts as well as improving living conditions, upgrading public sanitation and security, eliminating disease-carrying insects and minimising the factors related to unhealthy conditions and social vulnerability.
The proposal was submitted by the Municipal Council of Maputo, and sponsored by the Brazilian Ministry of Cities, CAIXA Econômica Federal, and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The total budget will be $103,500 and the Cities Alliance will provide $73,500.
Programmatic regional City Development Strategy for secondary cities (Jordan)
A proposal to develop City Development Strategies (CDSs) for four secondary cities in Jordan has been approved by the Cities Alliance. The approved proposal supports the Jordanian government’s regional development agenda and will be implemented in the cities of Karak, Mafraq, Zarqa and Tafilah and their surrounding regions.
The rationale behind the programmatic approach of the proposal is to generate local economic development opportunities outside of the nation’s capital Amman in cities with the highest poverty rates.
The proposal was a joint submission by the municipalities of Greater Karak, Greater Mafraq, Greater Tafilah and Zarqa and sponsored by the World Bank. The Jordanian Ministry of Municipal Affairs will implement the proposal. Cities Alliance will provide $500,000 with $792,000 co-financed by the World Bank.
An initiative to support City Development Planning in the state of Madhya Pradesh (India)
Cities Alliance has approved a proposal to help set up a Planning Support Unit (PSU) to coordinate City Development Planning (CDP) in the State of Madhya Pradesh, India. The PSU is expected to build the capacity of Urban Local Bodies for developing processes and methodologies for the preparation and quality control of CDPs.
The PSU personnel will support cities plan, guide and oversee the CDP preparation and will ensure that the prepared documents comply with the wider regional, state and national agenda of urban development.
The proposal was submitted by the Urban Administration and Development Department of Madhya Pradesh and sponsored by the World Bank. The Cities Alliance will provide $249,519 towards its completion.
A sustainable development strategy for the municipality of Othon P. Blanco (Mexico)
Cities Alliance has approved a proposal to provide funding to the municipality of Othon P. Blanco, commonly known as Chetumal, to add an environmental dimension to its City Development Strategy.
A study conducted in 2008 titled “Development of the Southern Mayan Coastal Corridor” identified tourism as the primary driver of Chetumal’s economy due mainly to its geographic location. The approved proposal will ensure that the residents receive maximum benefit from tourism-related activities while conserving the city’s natural, historic and cultural features.
The proposal was submitted by the Municipality of Othon P. Blanco and sponsored by the World Bank. Cities Alliance will provide $75,000 out of a total budget of $320,000.
Raising awareness of urban regeneration (East Europe and Central Asia)
Cities Alliance has approved funding for a project that aims to raise awareness of urban regeneration in a selected number of cities in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA). The approved project will assist Tbilisi (Georgia), Yerevan (Armenia), Baku (Azerbaijan), and Rijeka or Bakar (Croatia) on how best to address the complexities of urban regeneration for the benefit of each city’s economy, environment, and social cohesion.
An increasing number of EECA cities aim to actively include urban regeneration projects into their city development strategies. However, despite successful examples of transformation in the European Union (EU) and elsewhere, there is still an enormous lack of knowledge in this area. The approved project will build capacity of the above cities and pave the way for horizontal learning from EU cities which follow good practice in urban regeneration.
The proposal was submitted by the World Bank and sponsored by GTZ and World Bank. Cities Alliance will provide $75,000 towards its completion.
