Sustainable Cities – Local Solutions in the Global South

Recognizing the imbalance in resources and attention paid to promoting sustainable development in urban areas as opposed to rural regions, this book presents nine case studies that address the diverse challenges to achieving urban sustainability in cities of the Global South, and offers relevant tools and methods for conducting sustainable participatory research in cities. These draw on research projects by recipients of the ECOPOLIS Graduate Research and Design Awards from 2007 to 2010, part of the International Development Research Centre’s (IDRC) Urban Poverty and Environment (UPE) programme.
Many of the research projects discussed adopt an interdisciplinary perspective to the sustainable city, and the case studies revolve around six inter-connected themes that were explored through action−research projects: urban agriculture; good construction practices; housing and land tenure security; linkages between the formal and informal sector; supplying clean water; and solid waste management. Many of the case studies encompass more than one theme related to sustainable cities, highlighting the need to take an interdisciplinary perspective when it comes to urban development challenges, and they also demonstrate how participation and concrete action can lead to successful initiatives for poverty reduction and sustainable urban development.
Two papers address urban agriculture. The first is a case study from Peru, where food-producing trees were introduced into urban public spaces to contribute to food security, raising the issue of potential conflicts between private and public interests. Public spaces can offer advantages for planting food-producing trees, as they are protected by zoning laws which, in effect, equates to tenure security, a fundamental requirement given the long timescale needed for trees to reach their full productive potential. The second paper is a study from Dakar, Senegal, on the health impacts of using polluted irrigation water for urban agriculture, with recommendations to reduce the risks, many of which would be applicable in other contexts.
Good construction practices are explored, with another example from Dakar, where an existing women’s centre building was transformed and expanded to integrate productive practices such as urban agriculture, as well as wastewater treatment. Another Senegalese case study addressed urban pig farming through a participatory design process to improve sanitary and environmental aspects, in line with cultural practices. A local veterinary student also participated in the project and will be able to ensure continued monitoring of the health of the livestock, while the pig breeders will receive continued training. A case study from Dhaka, on housing for the urban poor through informal providers, examines the construction processes of informal owner−builders as producers of shelter through a piecemeal approach that means it can take on average 20−25 years to fully complete a house. The paper on Addis Ababa offers an ethnographic survey of condominium housing, in particular the socio-spatial dynamic of large-scale housing solutions, which have to balance the expectations of different stakeholders, from residents to planners to politicians. These two papers also address the issue of housing and land tenure as a key concern in cities of the Global South.
A case study from Kinshasa examines water supply, where a partnership has been formed between the public sector and informal operator collectives to ensure a reliable water supply in poor urban neighbourhoods. The challenges of solid waste management are addressed with two case studies, one from Thailand, where women and girls were taught the skills to create crafts from waste products, thus improving their livelihood security and becoming environmental ambassadors in the process; while three communities in Cayagan de Oro in the Philippines engaged in a participatory process to develop site plans to integrate organic wast