July 18, 2011—There are multiple challenges that accompany rapid urbanization. They vary from proliferation of slums to traffic congestion and the intensity of carbon emissions. Different policies and approaches to managing urbanization can result in widely varying social, environmental and economic outcomes.

Mumbai provides some sobering lessons regarding slums. In the 1960s and 1970s, the city government decided that its population should be limited to about 7 million, and land regulations and infrastructure policies were designed accordingly. But people flooded into the city anyway, and today, the city’s population is more than twice the intended size, with around 54 percent of its residents living in slums. In contrast, Vietnam’s permissive regulations to increase land use efficiency have enabled a market of low-cost housing for low-income city dwellers.

Another key issue of urbanization is the ecological footprint of cities. Compact cities use less energy for transport and heating and consume less land for housing, which leads to reduced carbon emissions. This is demonstrated by comparing Atlanta and Barcelona. Although the two cities had similar populations in 1990, Atlanta at present occupies over 26 times the physical space of Barcelona. The footprint of these two economically successful cities is different today, with per capita CO2 emissions of Barcelona accounting for about 9% of those of Atlanta.

WBI’s New E-learning Course on Sustainable Urban Land Use Planning

The above examples, drawn from the case library of the World Bank Institute’s new e-learning course Sustainable Urban Land Use Planning, show the importance of effective urban planning, which not only improves the quality of life of city dwellers, but also makes cities competitive in the global arena. To improve urban planning, cities will need to reform their cumbersome planning documents, inefficient regulations and building approval processes in order to meet rapid urbanization changes.
 

As my first e-learning experience, I can say that this virtual environment made me travel to all the cities of the other participants and see their challenges and their efforts to make cities better. Evelyne Labanca Correa de Araujo, Municipal Secretary of Management and Planning, City Hall of Recife, Brazil

To provide urban practitioners with an integrated understanding of urbanization issues and practical experience from good and bad practices around the world, WBI launched this e-learning pilot course in early 2011.

The course discussed effective urban planning and management, strengthening institutional capacity, polices and planning tools, how to promote local economic development, and how to address social equity and climate change, among other topics. It brought together 200 participants from government, civil society, academia, training institutions, and private sector, representing 63 countries, primarily in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

The heart of the course is the guided discussion in the forums that brings together content with the free exchange of ideas and experiences of participants. “I can surely say that I feel ... connected. As my first e-learning experience, I can say that this virtual environment made me travel to all the cities of the other participants and see their challenges and their efforts to make cities better,” said Evelyne Labanca Correa de Araujo, Municipal Secretary of Management and Planning, City Hall of Recife, Brazil.

“For a long-time a practitioner like me who hasn't gone into updated training, the resources and case studies were helpful and enlightening. I appreciated the diversity of participants and hence a diverse look at the same issues throughout the world. It was a great learning platform that allowed the exchange of views and gain knowledge unavailable elsewhere,” said Elmer Mercado, Environmental Management and Governance Adviser, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Quezon City, Philippines.

Beyond e-Learning

Learning does not end after the course has finished. A community of practice among course “alumni” is established to foster continued learning and networking. Engagement is sustained through a series of knowledge exchange activities. For example, coinciding with the launch of the World Bank’s Urbanization Knowledge Platform in East Asia, former course participants from China, Indonesia, South Korea, Philippines, Vietnam, Mongolia and Lao PDR got together on June 30 and July 1, 2011 to learn from each other and exchange ideas around the strategic concepts and issues emerging from the course.

Schedule

The next delivery of the course is scheduled to begin in September 2011 under the new E-Institute, the World Bank’s global, virtual learning platform.