World Urban Forum 2010: Global Search for Sustainable Urbanization

Sharing knowledge, exchanging experiences. World Urban Forum (WUF) 5 brought together some of the best minds on urbanization, each seeking to understand the phenomenon better in order to master it more. The World Bank Institute participated in this premier conference in Rio de Janeiro.

Read World Urban Forum 2010: Global Search for Sustainable Urbanization

Highlights from WBI at the World Urban Forum

Workshop - Improving the Competitiveness of Cities in the Global and Regional Market

In partnership with the International City Managers Association and the Latin America and Caribbean Region of the World Bank, WBI led a training for a packed house of policy makers and urban specialists, who learned about the role of cities as engines of economic growth in a rapidly changing global environment.  The workshop explored policy options, strategies, and tools that can help cities compete in regional and global markets, and heard success stories from Brazil, Italy, Mexico, and the United States.

Contact Kim Cuenco for details

First International Experts Meeting - Successful Approaches to National Slum Upgrading and Prevention Policies and Programs - 15 Country Case-Studies

WBI facilitated a meeting of internationals experts and WUF participants to examine the methodology, design, and implementation approach behind a new study, part of a joint work program between the World Bank, Cities Alliance, UN-Habitat, GTZ, and the IADB. Experts and participants were invited to provide feedback and suggestions to improve the methodology for capturing and disseminating the lessons from scaling up slum upgrading and prevention through policy reforms and programmatic approaches in 15 countries across all regions. The three key questions posed were, (i) is the program heading in the right direction, (ii) What is it missing, and (iii) How can it  broaden the impact? An open, enthusiastic, and intensive debate ensued, and participants were invited to join efforts with this global learning initiative through the interactive platform created by WBI: www.inclusive-cities.info to be launched on June 15, 2010. The program team is now proceeding with finalizing the methodology to begin the core work of the program, data collection in the 15 countries beginning July 2010.

Presentations attached: Program Update (PDF 311KB); Methodology (PDF 1894 KB); Country Selection (PDF 431 KB)

Networking Event on Affordable Housing

Keshav Varma offered an alternative paradigm to municipal finance, using credit rating and municipal bonds. These tools build on a city's strengths, such as when credit rating is used to motivate cities to identify areas needing capacity building to enable them to access the private market through municipal bonds. Rather than the traditional model of funding coming from the government with expectations attached, cities can finance their own development strategies, such as infrastructure. Varma recounted his experience with these tools in the industrious Indian city of Ahmedabad, where he once served as Municipal Commissioner.  Ahmedabad was the first city in India to issue a bond, and has since issued four consecutive bonds, showing the sustainabilty of this type of investment.

Contact Kim Cuenco for details

Innovative Cities Dialogue Series

Launched in Spring 2010, the joint WBI, World Bank, and Cities Alliance initiative begins with a series of global dialogues connecting city managers and municipal practitioners directly involved in urban governance.  This will initiate the interactive platform for knowledge exchange, peer to peer learning, research, and coalition building to facilitate the exchange of ideas and good practices on key dimensions of city management, such as: fostering urban governance and leadership, upgrading slums, creating a propitious investment climate, boosting municipal finances and credit ratings, preventing crime and violence, and combating the effects of climate change and natural disasters. 

2010 Events

In 2010, the program is hosting four global dialogues on priority themes—to share innovative ideas, inform local activities, incubate new ideas, and help the Bank refine course material.

First debate: World Urban Forum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – March
Investment climate and city competitiveness
Innovative approaches to slum upgrading

Second debate: WBI-LCSUW global dialogue – May
Urban Crime and Violence Prevention in Latin America/Caribbean and Africa
 
Third debate: WBI-World Bank dialogue series – June
Cities as Engines of Economic Growth: Enhancing Sub-national Investment Climate
Municipal Bonds and Credit Rating

Fourth debate: World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China – September
From Villages and Small-scale Cities Perspectives: the Voices of the Leaders
 

Contact Sabine Palmreuther for details