Urban Management Programme Publications

UMP 30 : Urban Management Programme Phase 3 Report (no charge), 71 pages, May 2002

This document is an overview of the Urban Management Programme activities and achievements in Phase 3 (1996 - 2001) from the global and regional perspective.

UMP 29 : City Development Strategies: Lessons from UMP / UN-HABITAT. Experiences from Bamako, Mali, Cuenca, Ecuador, Colombo, Sri Lanka, Johannesburg, South Africa, Santo Andre, Brazil, Shenyang, China and Tunis, Tunisia. (US$18.00) ISBN 92-1-131-662-6, 180 pages, May 2002

This publication is based on lessons from seven City Development Strategy exercises conducted in 2000 and 2001 by UN-HABITAT / Urban Management Programme in Bamako, Mali, Colombo, Sri Lanka, Cuenca, Ecuador, Johannesburg, South Africa, Santo Andre, Brazil, Shenyang, China and Tunis, Tunisia. These CDS activities provided an opportunity to closely examine the CDS process, share the lessons learned and highlight good practices and results in the seven cities.

UMP 28 : Implementing the Habitat Agenda: Urban Management Programme City Consultation Case Studies, featuring Kasserine, Tunis, Damascus, Syria, Johannesburg, South Africa, Bamako, Mali, Dakar, Senegal, Colombo, Sri Lanka, Nonthaburi, Thailand, Belem, Brasil and Maracaibo, Venezuela. UMP Regional Offices. (US$18.00) ISBN 92-1-131477-1, 110 pages, May 2001

The underlying premise of the Urban Management Programme city consultation process is to promote participatory decision-making in cities for sustainable urban development, and, in doing so, implement the Habitat Agenda at the local level. Through the city consultation process, local governments are encouraged to engage in constructive dialogue with stakeholders and involve them in the decision-making concerning city's development. Towards the goal of ensuring institutionalisation of the consultative process, local and regional anchor institutions are encouraged to build adequate rapport with the city government and stakeholder groups and ensure that participatory decision-making is sustained.

Over the past five years, 120 UMP city consultations have been undertaken in 57 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific, Africa and the Arab States. Recognizing that these regions have different conditions and characteristics, there are variations in implementation of programme activities and strategy. Each regional and sub-regional office has placed the programme objectives within the regional context. There is a rich and diverse experience of stakeholder engagement in urban management and implementation of the Habitat Agenda at local level.

This publication illustrates the city consultation process through an examination of eight case studies from across the regions. It discusses process, lessons learned, outcomes and results from the perspective and context of each particular city. It considers the success of each city consultation in implementing the Habitat Agenda and demonstrates how strongly the UMP supports the principles, commitments and plan of actions identified at Istanbul in 1996.

UMP 27 : From Participation to Partnership: Lessons from UMP City Consultations.
Urban Management Programme team. (US$18.00) ISBN 92-1-131476-3, 75 pages, May 2001

One of the key implementation strategies of UMP in its third phase (1996 - 2001) is the city consultation process, which is seen as a means of institutionalising participatory governance. Through the process of participation of civil society, UMP city consultations aim to develop a true partnership among the civil society and the local government. This publication presents an analytical and in-depth look at the city consultation process, looking at why and how activities unfolded during the process, in addition to what happened. In any process as complex as a city consultation, undertaken in such a wide variety of contexts, success depends on many factors and issues linked together. Obstacles arise along the way that hamper the process, especially when the new and unfamiliar modes are introduced. This publication draws out lessons, explores some of the difficulties and considers the ways in which many things are inter-linked as the city consultation unfolds, following the broad outline of the city consultation process.

This publication is based on the evaluation and analysis of 120 UMP city consultations in 57 countries by the UMP regional offices, anchor institutions and local partner institutions. Experiences from these city consultations reveal common themes, concerns, requirements, obstacles and outcomes that demonstrate the success of the participatory process as well as its limitations. The purpose of this evaluation is to review the experience of the UMP city consultation process, identify key lessons and use these important findings to develop appropriate guidelines and tools in the future.

UMP 26 : Guiding Cities: The Urban Management Programme.
Babar Mumtaz and Emiel Wegelin. (US$18.00) ISBN 90-6433-030-1, 136 pages, May 2001

The way that cities are managed and administered has a direct bearing on their ability to support economic development and mitigate poverty. Therefore all those concerned with either economic or with social development should also be concerned with urban development and management and how their actions impact on cities and vice versa. The primary objective of this book is to provide a guide for those concerned with economic or social development, as well as those concerned more directly with urban development and management, to the main issues and the range of options available to deal with them. The presentation of issues and options is accompanied by examples of practice generated by the Urban Management Programme in cities in countries around the world.

This first section presents an overview of urbanisation and urban management, setting out the processes by which cities grow and develop and the role they play in human and economic development. Some of the main trends and directions of policy advice and intervention are introduced. This is followed by three sections looking at Urban Governance, Urban Poverty Reduction and Urban Environmental Management. Within each section are particular areas, ranging from leadership, accountability and democracy through privatisation, partnership and participation to vulnerability and social exclusion and integration, to urban heritage protection. Within these, problems are summarised, followed by an indication of some of the issues raised in addressing them. Guidelines for Action are presented as a series of steps that could be undertaken in order to confront the issues and resolve the problems. These Guidelines draw upon the experience of the Urban Management Programme, and case studies of (successful) interventions are presented. There is a brief list of resources and documentation that can provide further information and assistance.

UMP 25 : Participatory Urban Governance: Practical Approaches, Regional Trends and UMP Experiences. Edgar Pieterse (US$18.00) ISBN 92-1-131-460-7, 91 pages, October 2000

Improved urban governance is one of the most important keys to success in making cities work, not only to address the challenge of urban poverty, but also to harness the opportunities that global economy provides. During Phase 3, the Urban Management Programme emphasis shifted to more decentralised and city specific activities. Regional and sub-regional offices were established. The principal activities of the programme have been the convening of city consultations and anchoring of the programme in 19 institutions across the regions. Through these regional offices and anchor institutions, more than 90 city consultations have been initiated in 40 countries.

This paper provides a practical overview of the various dimensions of participatory urban governance and the tools used in city consultations. The first section presents a working definition of urban governance drawn from the experiences of the Urban Management Programme and distinguished from other approaches. The next section considers the difference dimensions (national, urban and municipal) of participatory urban governance in concrete terms. From there, significant trends based on regional divisions are explored through ten case studies, largely drawn from the experience of the UMP city consultations. It considers the difficulties of institutionalising participatory governance and presents a set of generic lessons. Finally, tools for implementing and mainstreaming participatory governance at the city level are considered.

UMP 24 : Household Responses to Poverty and Vulnerability. Volume 4. Confronting Crisis in Chawama, Lusaka, Zambia.
Caroline Moser, Jeremy Holland (US$18.00) ISBN 0-8213-3850-1, 125 pages, March 1997

How do poor households respond when incomes decline, jobs are increasingly scarce, and spending on food and services increases? Some households are more vulnerable than others, and not all cope equally well. As governments and donors grapple with the problems of poverty in countries experiencing economic difficulties, understanding how the poor respond to economic crisis has become increasingly important. This understanding can help ensure that interventions aimed at reducing poverty complement and strengthen people's own inventive solutions rather than substitute for or block them.

This case study presents the main findings from the community of Chawama, in Lusaka, Zambia, part of a four city comparative project on countries experiencing economic difficulties during the 1980s. It explores how poor households respond to changes in economic circumstances and labour market conditions - or, "how the impact has been felt on the ground." The poor always face harsh conditions, but economic stress and decline intensify adversity. The study looks at how poor households adjust to a deteriorating situation, what strategies they adopt to limit the impact of shocks and generate additional resources and what constraints impede their actions. The results show that the four communities cope in remarkably similar (and dissimilar) ways.

Community-level studies form the basis of the research, documenting and analyzing the resourcefulness of the poor. This type of study is important in assisting policymakers in designing more effective locally based solutions that ensure that the poor are themselves active agents of growth, rather than passive recipients of targeted income transfers or other compensatory measures. This ensures that interventions complement and strengthen rather than substitute for people's own resourcefulness.

UMP 23 : Household Responses to Poverty and Vulnerability. Volume 3. Confronting Crisis in Commonwealth, Metro Manila, The Philippines. Caroline Moser, Cathy McIlwaine (US$18.00) 120 pages, March 1997

This case study presents the main findings from the community of Commonwealth in Metro Manila, Philippines part of a four city comparative project on countries experiencing economic difficulties during the 1980s. The other communities are Cisne Dos, in Guayaquil, Ecuador; Angyafold, in Budapest, Hungary; and Chawama, in Lusaka, Zambia.

The study explores how poor households respond to changes in economic circumstances and labour market conditions - or, in the words of a 1995 World Bank report, "how the impact has been felt on the ground." The poor always face harsh conditions, but economic stress and decline intensify adversity. The study looks at how poor households adjust to a deteriorating situation, what strategies they adopt to limit the impact of shocks and generate additional resources and what constraints impede their actions. The results show that the four communities cope in remarkably similar (and dissimilar) ways.

Community-level studies form the basis of the research, documenting and analyzing the resourcefulness of the poor. This type of study is important in assisting policymakers in designing more effective locally based solutions that ensure that the poor are themselves active agents of growth, rather than passive recipients of targeted income transfers or other compensatory measures. This ensures that interventions complement and strengthen rather than substitute for people's own resourcefulness.

UMP 22 : Household Responses to Poverty and Vulnerability. Volume 2. Confronting Crisis in Angyalfold, Budapest, Hungary.
Caroline Moser, Cathy McIlwaine (US$18.00) ISBN 0-8213-3848-X, 104 pages, March 1997

This case study presents the main findings from the community of Angyafold, in Budapest, Hungary, part of a four city comparative project on countries experiencing economic difficulties during the 1980s. The other communities are Cisne Dos, in Guayaquil, Ecuador; Commonwealth in Metro Manila, Philippines and Chawama, in Lusaka, Zambia. The study explores how poor households respond to changes in economic circumstances and labour market conditions - or, in the words of a 1995 World Bank report, "how the impact has been felt on the ground." The poor always face harsh conditions, but economic stress and decline intensify adversity. It looks at how poor households adjust to a deteriorating situation, what strategies they adopt to limit the impact of shocks and generate additional resources and what constraints impede their actions. The results show that the four communities cope in remarkably similar (and dissimilar) ways.

Community-level studies form the basis of the research, documenting and analyzing the resourcefulness of the poor. This type of study is important in assisting policymakers in designing more effective locally based solutions that ensure that the poor are themselves active agents of growth, rather than passive recipients of targeted income transfers or other compensatory measures. This ensures that interventions complement and strengthen rather than substitute for people's own resourcefulness.

UMP 21 : Household Responses to Poverty and Vulnerability. Volume 1. Confronting Crisis in Cisne Dos, Guayaquil, Ecuador. Caroline Moser (US$18.00) ISBN 0-8213-3847-1, 146 pages, March 1997

This case study presents the main findings from the community of Cisne Dos, in Guayaquil, Ecuador, part of a four city comparative project on countries experiencing economic difficulties during the 1980s. The other communities are Angyafold, in Budapest, Hungary; Commonwealth in Metro Manila, Philippines and Chawama, in Lusaka, Zambia.

The study explores how poor households respond to changes in economic circumstances and labour market conditions - or, in the words of a 1995 World Bank report, "how the impact has been felt on the ground." The poor always face harsh conditions, but economic stress and decline intensify adversity. The study looks at how poor households adjust to a deteriorating situation, what strategies they adopt to limit the impact of shocks and generate additional resources and what constraints impede their actions. The results show that the four communities cope in remarkably similar (and dissimilar) ways.

Community-level studies form the basis of the research, documenting and analyzing the resourcefulness of the poor. This type of study is important in assisting policymakers in designing more effective locally based solutions that ensure that the poor are themselves active agents of growth, rather than passive recipients of targeted income transfers or other compensatory measures. This ensures that interventions complement and strengthen rather than substitute for people's own resourcefulness.

UMP 20 : Policy Programme Options for Urban Poverty Reduction: a Framework for Action at the Municipal Government Level. Franz Vanderschueren, Emiel Wegelin and Kadmiel Wekwete (F/S - US$18.00) ISBN 0-8213-3716-5, 55 pages, September 1996

The main objective of this options paper is to review the specific actions which municipalities and city governments may take in contributing to urban poverty reduction. It highlights examples of issues, options, and constraints which urban governments have to address in grappling with poverty and focuses on municipalities and other city-level government entities as a critical institutional level of intervention, particularly in addressing issues relating to service delivery.

It also highlights several key issues and characteristics of urban poverty, in particular the inherent constraints often associated with the urban poor's access to urban services delivery systems. The paper also proposes generic roles for municipal governments based on case studies. The range of options presents a broad menu from which the different global experiences may be applied. The conceptual framework helps to define and clarify municipal government responsibilities in the area of urban poverty reduction.

UMP 19 : Participation and Partnership in Urban Infrastructure Management.
Peter Schubeler (US$18.00) ISBN 0-8213-3650-9, 101 pages, June 1996

Infrastructure service users make important contributions to the provision, operation and maintenance of infrastructure service systems in cities and towns in developing countries. These contributions may occur within development projects or, more importantly, in the regular daily processes of service provision. The potential benefits of community and service user participation are not being fully realized, however, due to numerous constraints, including shortcomings in prevailing policies.

Participation in infrastructure service management - which includes planning, programming, and monitoring as well as implementation and operation and maintenance - is a form of partnership between government and service user communities which may be promoted in the context of improving infrastructure service management. In particular, participation is essential to realizing demand-oriented service delivery. As experiences have demonstrated, the benefits of participation derive not only from mobilizing additional community resources but, more importantly, from increased effectiveness in the use of available resources.

Participatory strategies must consider the role of stakeholders at the community level (households, community-based organizations, leaders and, in particular, women), the intermediary level (non-governmental organizations and special purpose government agencies), in the private sector (formal and informal enterprises) and in government (technical agencies and local government authorities). It is important to consider all processes by which users gain access to services, including private and informal provision as well as public sector service delivery.

Participation implies that people acquire a greater voice in local affairs and an expanded role in decision-making processes; it is inseparable from empowerment. At the same time, the justification for participatory strategies must lie in their contribution to the specific objectives of infrastructure service delivery.

As a form of partnership between service user groups and government authorities, participation exists in a wide variety of forms, which range from government participation in and support of community-based development activities on the one hand to people's participation in government-directed management functions on the other. In between, various forms of involvement and collaboration are possible. Four main strategic approaches may thus be identified: community-based support strategies, area-based involvement strategies, functionally-based collaboration strategies, process-based decentralization strategies.

An important characteristic of each approach is the manner in which it defines the sharing of infrastructure service management tasks and responsibilities between stakeholders at the community and government levels, and how it structures the relationships between them. A large body of experience demonstrates the relative strengths and weaknesses of each of these strategic orientations. The strengths of each approach tend to complement the weaknesses of the others. A certain evolution from one approach to the next is advantageous and frequently observed.

UMP 18 : Toward Environmental Strategies for Cities: Policy Considerations for Urban Environmental Management in Developing Countries. Carl Bartone, Janis Bernstein, Josef Leitmann, Jochen Eigen (US$18.00) ISBN 0-8213-2827-1, 116 pages, June 1994

Rapid urbanization in the developing world, if ignored, can be a threat to health, the environment, and urban productivity. Cities are the engine of economic growth, but the environmental implications of such growth need to be assessed and managed better. The critical and most immediate problems facing developing country cities are the health impacts of urban pollution that derive from inadequate water, sanitation, drainage and solid waste services, poor urban and industrial waste management, and air pollution, especially for particulates. Facing such a multiplicity of problems, it is important for each city to identify specific priorities, policies, and actions needed to address the most immediate issues.

Experience in both industrialized and developing countries demonstrates that an effective approach for confronting urban environmental issues is to formulate a city-specific environmental management strategy and action plan. This paper describes a strategic approach to urban environmental planning and management that is based on participation, building commitment, and choosing effective policy interventions. Five key policy areas are emphasized: (i) mobilizing public support and participation, (ii) choosing policy instruments that will change behaviour, relieve conflicts, and encourage cooperative arrangements, (iii) building local institutional capacity, (iv) strengthening urban service delivery, and (v) increasing local knowledge about the urban environment.

The strategic planning process describe in this paper has been successfully applied in many cities. Case studies are presented to show how institutional, informational, political, and technical problems related to urban environmental management can be addressed in a strategic manner.

UMP 17 : Strategic Options for Urban Infrastructure Management.
William F. Fox (US$18.00) ISBN 0-8213-2826-3, 88 pages, June 1994

Substantial investments in infrastructure have not been made during the past decade by national, regional and local governments, donors, private firms, and non-governmental organizations around the world. Differences exist across countries and services, but generally the universal delivery of infrastructure services continues to be plagued by problems that have existed for many years. The condition of infrastructure facilities is poor, the services provided are inferior, and the financing systems are inadequate.

The implications of poor service delivery can be felt throughout developing countries. Quality of life is diminished as consumers receive unreliable and poor services. Low income people often are most affected because they have the fewest acceptable options and are least likely to obtain alternative services. Business production costs rise substantially as firms contend with inadequate infrastructure services or install their own captive capacity. Small and newly starting firms, the source of many new jobs, will be the most disadvantaged, and their inability to succeed can substantially inhibit overall economic performance. Other consequences of poor service delivery include congestion, environmental degradation, and poor health conditions.

Experience of the past decade confirms that the solution to infrastructure problems is not merely to expand capacity by making new investments. Much more systematic changes must be undertaken if service delivery is to attain the standards necessary to improve quality of life and allow economic output to expand more rapidly. This paper identifies several broad areas for reform and recommends a series of actions to attain effective service delivery.

UMP 16 : Decentralization and its Implications for Urban Service Delivery.
William Dillinger (US$18.00) ISBN 0-8213-2792-5, 39 pages, May 1994

This paper reviews efforts to improve the efficiency and responsiveness of urban service delivery in developing countries. It argues that failures in urban service delivery are not merely the result of a lack of technical knowledge on the part of local government staff, but also reflect constraints and perverse incentives confronting local personnel and their political leadership, and that these, in turn, are often the inadvertent result of problems in the relationship between central and local government.

In this respect, the report views the spread of decentralization as a potentially fortuitous phenomenon. As a political phenomenon, decentralization is widespread. Out of the 75 developing and transitional countries with populations greater than 5 million, all but 12 claim to be embarked on some form of transfer of political power to local units of government. But the objectives of decentralization as - as it is observed in practice - appear only tangentially related to administrative performance. The decentralization now occurring is not a carefully designed sequence of reforms aimed at improving the efficiency of public service delivery; it appears to be reluctant and disorderly series of concessions by central governments attempting to maintain political stability.

Nevertheless, it presents reformers - both domestic and in the donor community - with an opportunity to promote the kinds of fundamental reforms that have proven frustrating in the past. Because decentralization has introduced a high degree of fluidity into the structure of intergovernmental relations, it has brought flexibility into what had appeared to be an immutable system of governance.

The stakes are high. Decentralization affects not only urban services, but also social sectors, non-urban infrastructure, and - conceivably - the stability of national economies and the relationsis presumably transitory, it is an opportunity that should be seized.

UMP 15 : Rapid Urban Environmental Assessment: Lessons from Cities in the Developing World. Volume 2. Tools and Outputs. Josef Leitmann (US$18.00) ISBN 0-8213-2791-7, 144 pages, May 1994

The 1992 UNCED Earth Summit concluded that the environmental problems of the world's growing urban population need attention; however, the 1993 Ford Foundation-supported evaluation of urban research in developing countries noted that scant data are available on the urban environment, as little research has been done on this topic. Thus, there is a need for environmental action at the local level, but there is little solid information available for building public commitment, planning and decision making. One solution for resolving this contradiction is to apply the methodology for rapid urban environmental assessment that is developed in this report. The methodology has been explicitly designed to be low cost, rapid, locally managed, and participatory; it is also a possible starting point for environmental planning and management.

This is a second of a two-volume set on rapid urban environmental assessment. It is composed of the tools that can be directly applied in the field by practitioners and researchers concerned with urban environmental profile, and guidelines for consultations. These tools form the basis for a three-step process for rapid urban environmental assessment: (a) data collection, which leads to (b) analysis that supports (c) the involvement to stakeholders.

UMP 14 : Rapid Urban Environmental Assessment: Lessons from Cities in the Developing World. Volume 1. Methodology and Preliminary Findings.
Josef Leitmann (US$18.00) ISBN 0-8213-2790-9, 78 pages, May 1994

The 1992 UNCED Earth Summit concluded that the environmental problems of the world's growing urban population need attention; however, the 1993 Ford Foundation-supported evaluation of urban research in developing countries noted that scant data are available on the urban environment, as little research has been done on this topic. Thus, there is a need for environmental action at the local level, but there is little solid information available for building public commitment, planning and decision making. One solution for resolving this contradiction is to apply the methodology for rapid urban environmental assessment that is developed in this report. The methodology has been explicitly designed to be low cost, rapid, locally managed, and participatory; it is also a possible starting point for environmental planning and management.

The first volume in this set is designed for an audience of urban managers, policy makers, analysts, and researchers. It presents the techniques, summarizes results from applying the approach in a select number of cities, and suggests future directions and improvements.

UMP 13 : Private Sector Participation in Municipal Solid Waste Services in Developing Countries. Vol 1: The Formal Sector. Sandra Cointreau-Levine (US$18.00) ISBN 0-8213-2825-5, 52 pages, May 1994

Municipal Solid Waste Management is an essential public service which benefits all urban residents. It is not feasible to exclude from service those who do not pay, because public cleanliness and the safe disposal of wastes are essential to public health and environmental protection. As a result of these characteristics, solid waste management is a public good for which local or metropolitan governments are typically responsible. This does not, however, mean that local government has to accomplish the task of solid waste service delivery entirely with its own staff, equipment and monies. In fact this is where the role of the private sector comes into play.

This paper discusses the reduction of government activity through the participation of the private sector in service delivery. The paper poses the questions of whether and how to involve the formal private sector in the provision of solid waste services. Private sector participation is a possible opportunity - not a panacea. In situations in which existing service delivery is either too costly or inadequate, private sector participation should be examined as a means of enhancing efficiency (and thus lowering costs) and mobilizing private investment (and thus expanding the resources available for urban infrastructure and equipment).

To decide whether to have private sector participation, many factors need to be analyzed, such as cost recovery, efficiency, public accountability, management, finance, economies of scale, legislation, institutions, and cost. Cost factors in particular should be analyzed separately for the different components of solid waste service - collection, cleansing, disposal and transfer.

Methods of private sector participation most common to solid waste management are contracting, concession, franchise, and open competition. These options are discussed with particular emphasis given to the roles and responsibilities of local government in each case. The suitability of each of these methods may also vary for collection, cleansing, disposal and transfer services.

The paper summarizes decision-making criteria for whether to have private sector participation in delivery of solid waste management services. Furthermore, it recommends steps for proceeding beyond the discussion of issues and privatization approaches and moving toward field studies that will support decision-making in a specific city and, where justified, lead to phased involvement of the private sector.

UMP 12 : Land-use Considerations in Urban Environmental Management.
Janis Bernstein (US$18.00) ISBN 0-8213-2723-2, 99 pages, January 1994

In rapidly growing developing country cities, distorted land markets and ineffective urban land management often have resulted in the degradation of environmentally fragile land; occupation of hazard-prone areas; loss of cultural resources, open space, and prime agricultural land; and excessive urban sprawl. To prevent further degradation, governments should exert some degree of control over urban land use and development, but not necessarily constrain the supply of land for housing or discourage the private sector from providing affordable housing in safe locations. An important challenge is to achieve a balance between urban development and environmental protection, taking into account linkages among land use, poverty, and the environment.

Balancing environmental and economic objectives requires a land management strategy that facilitates the land market and protects sensitive land and cultural resources. Implementing such a strategy requires a mix of policies and locally appropriate instruments (regulatory, economic, property rights, acquisition, government provision of infrastructure, and information and education) to guide and motivate the behaviour of actors causing land degradation problems and those responsible for managing urban land to avoid these problems. The paper presents the most promising land management approaches and instruments for protecting sensitive resources, managing hazard-prone areas, protecting cultural resources conserving open space, discouraging excessive urban sprawl, and managing prime agricultural land.

UMP 11 : Elements of Urban Management.
Kenneth J. Davey (S - US$18.00) ISBN 0-8213-2424-1, 55 pages, November 1993

Urban Management is concerned with the policies, plans, programs and practices that seek to ensure that population growth is matched by access to basic infrastructure, shelter, and employment. While such access will depend as much, if not more, on private initiatives and enterprise, these are critically affected by public sector policies and functions that only government can perform.

This papers focuses on selected elements of urban management arrangements and on their impact on the effectiveness of urban government in managing urban growth. Characteristics examined are the structure of urban government agencies, the division of tasks between them, their staffing and resource bases, their internal organization and management processes, their relations with central government, and their interaction with private and community organizations. It discusses how differences in these characteristics contribute to (or detract from) effectiveness. In doing so, it acknowledges fully that these characteristics themselves are only one set of factors that determine the success or failure of urban government.

The paper summarizes the findings of a research program on the institutional framework on urban management. Research for the paper has been carried out by the Institute of Local Government Studies, the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, under the sponsorship of the Overseas Development Administration (United Kingdom) (ODA) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank).

UMP 10 : Utility Mapping and Record Keeping for Infrastructure.
David Pickering, Jonathan M. Park, David H. Bannister (US$18.00) 69 pages, April 1993

Any attempt to improve, or even maintain, the standard of living in rapidly developing urban areas cannot go forward without adequate municipal infrastructure and utility services. Inadequate or poorly managed services limit urban economic development in several ways: exposing segments of the urban population to health risks; limiting economic productivity when services are cut off or unreliable; adding financial costs to individuals and enterprises through unnecessary property damage; and creating additional economic costs from congestion of transportation and communications systems.

The economic and efficient delivery of infrastructure services, in turn, depends on effective planning and management. Without proper information - spatial and otherwise - the quality of service delivery, financial performance, and ability to plan can be eroded. Information from maps and records, based largely on records of utilities and infrastructure facilities, contributes not only to efficient services, but also to the operation and maintenance of assets, and to the sensible planning of extensions and new works. Any serious lack of such information can adversely affect the economy, the quality of life, public health and the environment.

This discussion paper reviews recent developments in the field of urban infrastructure record and mapping, a number of issues that need to be addressed, and some actions that could be taken to improve recordkeeping systems. Although the emphasis here is on maps and records for utilities and basic municipal infrastructure services, particularly those with underground networks, some aspects of the discussion apply to urban management information systems in general. The central point is that the standard of records and information systems in municipalities and utilities often fails to meet the needs outlined above. Any organisation that expects to run an efficient day-to-day operation and to manage and develop its services effectively must know what assets it has, where they are, their condition, how they are performing, and how much it cots to provide the service.

UMP 9: Urban Applications of Satellite Remote Sensing and GIS Analysis.
Bengt Paulsson (US$18.00) ISBN 0-8213-2266-4, 60 pages, October 1992

Throughout the world, urban managers and policy makers make strategic decisions on environmental protection, infrastructure development and maintenance, land development, and land administration and taxation. In many cities in developing countries they also have to respond to specific pressures, such as rapid population growth and an expansion in urban areas. Yet rarely do they have access to up-to-date base-maps and systematic information on the extent of settlements, land-use patterns, environmental problems, and infrastructure facilities.

A reliable information base is essential for success urban management and strategic decision making. Lack of information contributes to problems such as ineffective urban development programs and activities; un-economical and badly planned investment projects; poor functioning of land markets; property tax and transport and utility systems; and disregard of the environmental impact of development on the population. One promising new source of information for urban management is high-resolution satellite data. Satellite remote sensing is increasingly being used for timely and cost-effective development of information in a wide number of applications. At the same time, computer-based geographic information systems (GIS) are being used more and more by urban agencies to improve the management and use of information. There is currently a strong trend toward more closely integrating these two technologies.

This report serves as a practical guide on how satellite remote sensing can be a useful source of urban management information and the benefits of geographical analysis of available data. It focuses on operational applications in cities in developing countries, based on a comprehensive review of recent reports and illustrated by experience from case studies and operational projects. It does not attempt to cover all possible urban applications of GIS technology or serve as a detailed manual for all possible applications of satellite remote sensing. Rather, it offers an introduction to the technologies, available range of products, and various methods of analysis offered by satellite remote sensing.

UMP 8: Conditions de Mise en Place des Systèmes d'Information Foncière dans les Villes d'Afrique Sud-Saharienne Francophone. Alain Durand-Lasserve (US$18.00) ISBN 0-8213-2267-2, 103 pages, March 1994

Les progrés réalisés dans le domaine des syst mes informatisé de gestion de l'information, la mise au point de techniques fiables et rapides de recueil et de traitement des données, l'évolution du matériel, la dimunition rapide de son co t et de celui des logiciels permettent de considérer que les probl mes techniques sont aujourd'hui largement surmontés.

On assiste ainsi, en particulier dans le contexte des villes d'Afrique sud-saharienne francophone, un déplacement progressif de la problématique. Le choix des techniques en mati re de gestion de l'information fonci re dépend des réponses que nous pouvons apporter aux questions suivantes: quels objectifs assigner un syst me d'information fonci re (SIF)? Comment trouver la meilleure adéquation des moyens aux objectifs? Comment concevoir et mettre en place un SIF pour le rendre acceptable et appropriable par ceux qui le g rent et par ceux qui l'utilisent? En référence aux études et recherches réalisées au cours des cinq derni res années sur la gestion de l'information fonci re dans les grandes villes de l'Afrique sud-saharienne francophone, c'est ces questions que ce rapport propose d'apporter des éléments de réponses.

Apres avoir précisé quels sont les objectifs de cette étude, ses sources et l'acception donnée aux termes utilisés, le rapport rappelle succinctement les raisons pour lesquelles la mise en place de SIF est devenue aujourd'hui particuli rement importante dans les villes d'Afrique sud-saharienne. Le rapport souligne qu'un certain nombre d'échecs ou de probl mes majeurs rencontrés dans la mise en place de SIF dans les villes d'Afrique sud-saharienne francophone tiennent principalement deux ensembles de causes: d'une part, les choix en mati re de gestion et de politique fonci re ont été trop étroitement subordonnés des choix techniques faits (ou imposés) préalablement.

Par référence des études de cas récents, le rapport proc de une identification des obstacles et des contraintes rencontrées dans la mise en oeuvre de SIF dans les grandes villes d'Afrique sud-saharienne. Compte tenu des potentialités et de la finalité des SIF d'une part, des contraintes et obstacles qui ont été identifiés, d'autre part, le rapport sugg re quelles orientations doivent tre privilégiées pour que soient efficacement mis en places des SIF dans le contexte des villes d'Afrique sud-saharienne francophone.

UMP 7: A Framework for Reforming Urban Land Policies in Developing Countries.
David E. Dowall, Giles Clarke (US$18.00) ISBN 0-8213-3642-8, 48 pages, August 1996

Governments around the world pursue urban land policy objectives, and they rely on a vast range of policy tools and institutions to achieve them. Many cities use master plans, zoning, subdivision regulations, building codes, and other public policies to shape development. These regulations are normally adopted to help protect the urban and natural environment, gear infrastructure investments with development, and maintain and enhance property values. Other objectives are more difficult to achieve; providing the poor with access to land, controlling land speculation, and land inflation. In the minds of many policy makers achieving these goals requires stronger medicine; nationalization of land, public land development, and highly centralized property registration systems to control and monitor land ownership.

The purpose of this paper is to challenge much of the conventional wisdom about the indisputable desirability of government intervention into urban land markets and to argue for a reduction in the scope and direction of public policies and actions. It is written for a wide audience of policy makers concerned with urban development. The paper concentrates on defining the critical land policy issues and offering what can be only considered a preliminary set of guidelines for carrying out urban land policy reforms. Most of the guidelines imply major political decisions and commitments on the part of governments, especially clear support for deregulation and privatization. The steps to reform include: land market assessment, decentralisation of land management authority, deregulation of urban land policies and regulations, curtailing of public land development agencies, improving efficiency of land market operations and provision of financial, institutional and spatial structure for installing infrastructure networks.

UMP 6: A Review of Environmental Health Impacts in Developing Country Cities. David Bradley, Carolyn Stephens, Trudy Harpham, Sandy Cairncross (US$18.00) ISBN 0-8213-2194-3, 58 pages, August 1992

This report reviews and summarizes available literature on health in the urban areas of developing countries with a view to assessing the relative health impacts of physical environmental problems in urban areas of developing countries in order to better guide the World Bank's urban policy and investment decisions. It discusses associations between health and problems of the material environment.

The objectives of the report are to: produce a classification of environmental variables relevant to urban health in developing countries; propose an analytical framework for relating environmental variables to health; review intra-urban differentials in mortality, morbidity and causes of death in developing countries, with particular reference to vulnerable groups; review literature that attempts to link causally urban environmental conditions to health in developing countries and propose future related research.

UMP 5: Reforming Urban Land Policies and Institutions in Developing Countries.
Catherine Farvacque, Patrick McAuslan (F - US$18.00) ISBN 0-8213-2092-0, 114 pages, May 1992

Land is a unique commodity that is affected by the forces of demand and supply. Unlike other markets however, ease of entry or exit is closely controlled by local and national government policies. Well-functioning land market can therefore be characterized by the level of ease of entry into the system and of carrying out land markets transactions, both of which depend on the availability of adequate land information, secure tenure arrangements, and appropriate registration/recording mechanisms. On the other hand, non-performing land markets are plagued with a number of easily recognizable and commonly found problems such as (a) overcentralization of management and administration; (b) inappropriate, over detailed, and inflexible regulatory and legal frameworks; (c) lack of inappropriate use of resources and political will to tackle problems; (d) administrative systems lacking in efficiency, equity, accountability, and probity; (e) a failure or reluctance to encourage participation from the urban poor.

This paper is an attempt to define and assess the various institutional and mechanical elements which constitute a land management system and which have a significant impact on the functioning of land markets. The assumption of this report is that the accumulation over time of different institutions and instruments, which have reflected different priorities and policies, has inhibited the efficient and equitable operation of land markets and that reforms of institutions and policies are now urgently needed. Among the main policy instruments affecting the supply of land, the paper focuses on four of them, namely property rights, land registration, land use regulations, and planning and direct public intervention in the acquisition and disposal of land.

UMP 4: The Land Market Assessment: A New Tool for Urban Management.
David E. Dowall (F/S - US$18.00) ISBN 0-8213-2703-8, 68 pages, September 1995

Over the next 15 to 20 years, the urban areas of developing countries are expected to double in size. The rate at which urbanization is proceeding and pushing up the demand for residential, industrial, commercial, and community land has no precedent even in the history of developed countries. The problem for most developing countries is not a shortage of developable land, but the ineffective and often outdated mechanisms they use to ensure an adequate supply of suitable land for urban growth. But it is no easy matter to develop land policies that would address this problem particularly because of the complex role that land plays in society - not only as an avenue of development, but also as a commercial good and a natural birthright. Consequently, every land decision is surrounded by an array of institutional, administrative, technical, financial, cultural, environmental and political issues.

Despite the complexities of land development, its potential benefits are enormous. These may be measured by the lower cost of industrial and commercial development, higher standards of living for residents, and the more efficient provision of urban services, not to mention the more intangible benefits, such as individual peace of mind, cultural satisfaction, and social stability. Therefore, it is important for developing countries to understand their land issues and learn how to deal with them so that these complexities can be overcome.

This report covers topics such as urban land crisis, why land market assessments are necessary and the process of organizing land market assessments. The information in this report together with others to be developed is to be used to prepare detailed operational guidelines to help policy-makers and technical staff in developing countries carry out appropriate land development policies and techniques especially at the city and municipal level of government.

UMP 3: Alternative Approaches to Pollution Control and Waste Management: Regulatory and Economic Instruments. Janis Bernstein (F/S - US$18.00) ISBN 0-8213-2344-X, 64 pages, May 1993

In recent years, many countries, primarily industrialized ones, have adopted economic instruments to introduce more flexibility, efficiency and cost-effectiveness into pollution control measures. These instruments act as incentives to polluters to choose their own means of pollution control.

The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the most common strategies and policy instruments (regulatory and economic) used in developing countries to achieve pollution control and waste management objectives. Its purpose is to explore how regulatory and economic instruments are used to control air and water pollution, protect ground water, and manage solid and hazardous wastes. The paper is directed to policy makers at the national, state, and local levels of government, as well as to other parties responsible for pollution control and waste management programs.

UMP 2: Energy Environment-Linkages in the Urban Sector.
Josef Leitmann (F/S - US$18.00) ISBN 0-8213-3641-X, 38 pages, August 1996

Energy is a key input for economic development that includes, inter alia, fuel for cooking, heating and lighting to meet basic household needs, power for industrial growth, and petroleum products for transportation. The production and transformation of energy is, in itself, an important economic sub-sector. The supply and demand of virtually every type of energy generates varying degrees of environmental externalities that affect human health, ecological stability, and economic development. These effects can occur at the local, regional, national or transnational level.

Given the need to understand and address energy-environment linkages in the urban sector, this paper reviews: a) the structure of urban energy use, including the urban energy balance, supply and demand systems, and key actors; (b) the environmental dimensions of urban fuel supply; (c) the environmental consequences of urban energy consumption; (d) some key issues and options at different spatial levels; and (e) approaches for choosing and pursuing solutions. Energy-related environmental problems that occur within metropolitan boundaries and those that have an urban cause with an extra-urban effect are considered. Special emphasis is placed on the health, economic, and ecological consequences of air pollution because of its significant relation to energy use in developing cities.

UMP 1: Urban Property Tax Reform: Guidelines and Recommendations.
William Dillinger (F/S - US$18.00) ISBN 0-8213-2065-3, 47 pages, May 1992

The property tax is a potentially attractive means of financing municipal government in developing countries. As a revenue source, it can provide local government with access to a broad and expanding tax base. It can also promote broader efficiency objectives linking the provision of municipal services more closely to their financing and rationing the consumption of municipal services by price.

At present however, yields of urban poverty taxes in developing countries are extremely low. These low yields in part, reflect failures in administration, which need to be addressed through procedural reforms. In addition tax rates need to be increased, a system for annually adjusting valuations needs to be introduced and disincentives confronting the agencies responsible for administering should be addressed. This report among other things defines and discusses policy and procedural targets of urban property tax reform, reviews institutional incentives and addresses the scope and strategies for reform in property tax.

Working Paper Series (WPS)

UMP-WPS 21 Managing the HIV/AIDS Pandemic at the Local Level. September 2002. Electronic version only

UMP-WPS 20 Urban Poverty Reduction and Urban Security Consolidation: A New Paradigm at Work. Ronaldo Rameriz (US$16.00). HS/649/02E; ISBN 92-1-131637-5. 140 pages, August 2002

UMP-WPS 18 Street Children and Gangs in African Cities: Guidelines for Local Authorities.
Lynette Ochola, André Dzikus, Franz Vanderschueren (US$16.00). 88 pages, May 2000

The problem of street children is a comparatively new phenomenon Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa is currently the least urbanised region of the developing world, with less than 30 per cent of the population living in cities. It is catching up fast, however, and is currently experiencing the highest urban growth rates in the world.

It is widely believed that urbanisation and economic growth are linked and they are regarded as important features of national economic development. However, rapid urbanisation also poses enormous challenges for the urban social and physical environment, particularly in terms of the widespread poverty that results from the rapid urbanisation process. Many children, in a bid to escape from appalling living conditions, have turned to the streets in search for opportunities. The rapidly-growing number of street children has left many local authorities helpless, a situation which call for urgent attention and action. So far, most street children programmes are run by NGOs or national institutions. The majority of the programmes are remedial as they only serve the children on an ad-hoc basis, providing food, clothing and occasionally shelter and health services. These initiatives, which treat symptoms, have to be complemented by programmes that also address the causes of "streetism". The guidelines in this publication hope to bridge the knowledge gap in this important area and to improve the understanding of the urban manager on how local authorities can better deal with the ever rising number of street children and gangs.

UMP-WPS 17 Violence Against Women in Urban Areas: An Analysis of the Problem from a Gender Perspective. Soraya Smaoun (English/French - US$16.00). 44 pages, April 2000

This publication on violence again women in urban areas reviews the situation in with thousands of women all over the world are living every day. It concerns the most revealing kinds of violence against women: acts of violence linked to the structural constraints of modern life and domestic violence. The aim is to shed some light on this huge problem, in the hope of assessing the size of the phenomenon, analysing the underlying causes and trying to develop appropriate strategies to respond to and fight against it. The aim is also to show that we will not be able to reduce urban violence if domestic violence continues to be categorised as a private matter. We need to understand that urban violence can be properly addressed if we establish the correlation between domestic violence and street violence. This is because the impacts of domestic violence go beyond the family and affect society as a whole and not only the victims.

The first section of this publication reassesses the debate on the issue by considering different sociological and criminological theories developed on this theme. The second section covers domestic violence, highlighting forms of violence in the home and their very close links with violence outside the home. The last section attempts to review this violence while trying to formulate concrete proposals and prevention programmes to fight against it.

UMP-WPS 16: Understanding Environmental Problems in Disadvantaged Neighborhoods: Broad Spectrum Surveys, Participatory Appraisal and Contingent Valuation.
Gordon McGranahan et al (US$16.00). 143 pages, July 1997

In poor urban areas, serious environmental problems arise in and around people's homes, often creating health hazards. Inadequate sanitation, insufficient or contaminated water, smoky cooking fuels, uncollected waste, and insect infestation are all correlated with urban poverty and a lack of environmental services. Many people, especially women, children and the elderly, spend much of their time close to home. Their health is directly threatened by these problems. Respiratory infections and diarrhoeal diseases are the two biggest childhood killers. Both are linked to inadequate home and neighbourhood environments. Understanding neighbourhood conditions can play an important role in environmental improvement at the local level. It can be instrumental in helping government officials and others determine what needs to be done.

UMP-WPS 13: Valuating the Economic Impacts of Urban Environmental Problems: Asian Cities. Euishoon Shin et al (US$16.00) 105 pages, June 1997

The urban environment is a complex living entity. In a general sense, it is an ecosystem consisting of the structures and infrastructure built in a defined area, the naturally occurring resources and conditions that enable a city to exist, and all the human beings who reside and work in it. All these components are affected by urban growth. Consequently, when problems arise, urban administrators need to consider many factors in their search for solutions: these include physical, socioeconomic, political, and institutional factors. Economic valuation can provide them with a strong foundation for urban problem solving.

The objectives of this study are to survey the current state of knowledge of urban environmental problems and their costs, focusing on low- and medium-income Asian cities; assess approaches to the economic valuation of environmental effects, emphasizing non-productivity effects such as health, amenities, ecological values, and equity; discuss institutional/property rights approaches to urban environmental problems; extend the scope of economic valuation to environmental problems other than pollution, primarily congestion and the degradation of natural resource support systems; assess the applicability of economic valuation approaches to the environmental problems of low- and medium-income Asian cities; and suggest a strategy for applying valuation techniques to selected Asian cities in the near future.

UMP-WPS 9: Conceptual Framework for Municipal Solid Waste Management in Low-Income Countries. Peter Schubeler, Karl Wehrle, Jurg Christen (US$16.00) 59 pages, August 1996

Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) is a major responsibility of local government. It is a complex task which requires appropriate organisational capacity and cooperation between numerous stakeholders in the private and public sectors. Although it is essential to public health and environmental protection, solid waste management in most cities of developing countries is highly unsatisfactory.

The Conceptual Framework provides brief definitions of the main concepts of MSWM and identifies the goals and principles that normally guide MSWM system development. it discusses the key objectives and issues which should be addressed by MSWM strategies with regard to political, institutional, social, financial, economic and technical aspects. The paper concludes by outlining possible directions for development cooperation.

UMP-WPS 7: A Practical Approach to Dealing with Municipal Malfeasance. Robert Klitgaard, Ronald MaClean-Abaroa and H. Lindsey Parris (US$16.00) 40 pages, May 1996

Malfeasance or wrong doing by public officials operates as a critical impediment to developing accountable and transparent urban management systems which are essential for the efficient and equitable use and distribution of resources at local level. Preventing corruption helps to raise city revenues, improve service delivery, increase public confidence and participation and win elections. Municipal malfeasance is becoming a more critical issues as many countries in the developing world are moving towards more decentralized systems of public finance and administration.

This paper was prepared to help city officials diagnose, investigate and prevent various kinds of corrupt and illicit behaviour. It focuses on systematic corruption rather than the freelance activity of a few law-breakers, and emphasizes preventive measures rather than purely punitive or moralistic campaigns. It approaches the problem from an economic perspective rather than from an ethical one. It stresses practical steps and considers, albeit schematically, political and administrative tactics. Most of its suggestions involve approaches to preventing corruption and not detailed prescriptions.

This document also emphasizes that tackling corruption can be a means toward broader aims of municipal leaders such as providing services, empowering citizens, working with the private sector in order to make cities even more vibrant economic centres. It does not recommend an approach to corruption that emphasizes more controls, more laws, and more bureaucracy. Instead, especially in cases of systematic corruption, it suggests a restructuring of city services and institutional reforms through improved information linked to more powerful incentives and discentives. A major theme of this document is that fighting corruption can be come a lever to achieve much broader ends, including not only financial survival but remaking the relationship between citizen and local government. There is no magic wand here but the study's message is optimistic. Corruption can in fact be prevented even if never, in this imperfect world, eliminated.

UMP-WPS 6: Regularization and Integration of Irregular Settlements: Lessons from Experience. Alain Durand-Lasserve, Valerie Clerc (F - US$16.00) 93 pages, May 1996

Many projects and programmes have been undertaken in cities in developing countries over the last decade which provide infrastructure, services and the regularization of land tenure in irregular settlements. The present study calls for a cross-analysis of the most innovative aspects of these projects. It draws significantly on the conclusions of the 30 national case studies carried out between 1992 and 1995 by the Urban Management Programme on the theme Urban Land Management, Policies for regularization and local development in Africa, the Arab States, Asia and Latin America.

Part 1 of the report reviews the current situation of irregular settlements and the global evaluation of projects and policies implemented during the last decade. Particular attention has been paid both to major trends common to the various regions and to specific regional and national features. Part II identifies new strategies in regularisation policies. It reviews their contents, results and limitations. The emergence of new strategies for regularizing irregular settlements is emphasized. Part III describes and analyses innovative practices regarding the provision of infrastructure and services, tenure regularization and new relationships among urban actors as a result of these practices.

In conclusion, this research suggests that all aspects of irregularity should be dealt with. The diagnosis and the guidelines suggested in this study illustrate a break from the urban, land planning and development traditions of the past three decades. There is a call for new relationships between the State, local authorities and citizens, which enable the city to be considered essentially as a product of the society which has built it and lives there.

UMP-WPS 5: Urban Poverty Research Sourcebook: Module I: Sub-City Level Household Survey. Caroline Moser, Michael Gatehouse and Helen Garcia (S - US$16.00), 145 pages, September 1996

The Urban Poverty and Social Policy in the Context of Adjustment (UPA) Study is a community-level research project in four cities within countries with contrasting experiences of economic crisis and reform - Guayaquil in Ecuador, Budapest in Hungary, Metro Manila in the Philippines, and Lusaka in Zambia. The research looks at the implications of economic crisis for poor urban communities, the constraints that limit the poor's capacity to respond to opportunities created by policy change, and the strategies adopted by individuals, households, and communities to reduce vulnerability and prevent increased impoverishment. In response to the growing need to understand the increasingly complex phenomena of urban poverty, the Urban Poverty Sourcebook aims to provide a reference document which draws on the strengths of the UPA study.

This module presents the research methodology adopted in UPA which uses an integrated set of multi-level research tools to collect micro-level data at community, household, and individual level. The data are used to analyze the characteristics of urban poverty and vulnerability, and to examine coping strategies of households and individuals in a specific low-income urban community. The resulting Community Profile locates the specific study community within the city and links the data to aggregate date available at city or national urban level, of the kind gathered in Module II. The annexes provide sample data collection instruments useful in generating poverty-specific indicators.

UMP-WPS 5: Urban Poverty Research Sourcebook: Module II: Indicators of Urban Poverty. Caroline Moser, Michael Gatehouse and Helen Garcia (S - US$16.00) 66 pages, September 1996

The Urban Poverty and Social Policy in the Context of Adjustment (UPA) Study is a community-level research project in four cities within countries with contrasting experiences of economic crisis and reform - Guayaquil in Ecuador, Budapest in Hungary, Metro Manila in the Philippines, and Lusaka in Zambia. The research looks at the implications of economic crisis for poor urban communities, the constraints that limit the poor's capacity to respond to opportunities created by policy change, and the strategies adopted by individuals, households, and communities to reduce vulnerability and prevent increased impoverishment. In response to the growing need to understand the increasingly complex phenomena of urban poverty, the Urban Poverty Sourcebook aims to provide a reference document which draws on the strengths of the UPA study.

This module provides a review of selected indicators typically used to evaluate sectoral and project performance in poverty reduction. It incorporates indicators which were tested in the UPA study and emerged as significant indicators of urban poverty. The techniques described provide a means of rapid assessment of poverty at city, community, and household levels using primary data collected from sample surveys and/or from secondary sources such as labour force, household, and expenditure surveys.

UMP-WPS 4: Public-Private Partnerships in Urban Infrastructure Services. Philip Gidman with Ian Blore, Jens Lorentzen and Paul Schuttenbelt (US$16.00) 68 pages, January 1995

This paper has been prepared to provide Urban Managers and other interested parties with an overview of issues and options in the development of public - private partnerships in the management of urban infrastructure services in developing countries. It explores the use of public - private partnership arrangements as a means of obtaining greater value for money needed in the provision of infrastructure services. It does this by identifying the actions needed to prepare and implement partnership arrangements. Private sector involvement in public service provision is now firmly established in most industrialised countries and the increased use of such arrangements in developing countries could aid service delivery. There are now many examples of how public - private partnerships have been used in developing countries and some of these are mentioned in annotations.

The paper provides a general background to the introduction of an approach which is geared towards providing quality services at the cheapest possible cost. It examines the context of public-private partnerships in relation to national policy, and discusses the various forms of partnership arrangements, from the traditional direct provision through to privatisation, competitive tendering and management by buy-outs.

UMP-WPS 3: Multi Sectoral Investment Planning. George Peterson, G. Thomas Kingsley, Jeffrey P. Telgarsky (US$15.00) 68 pages, June 1994

Throughout the world, decentralization has opened new options for municipal governments. With local authorities' greater control over the investment budget has come responsibility for planning and financing the efficient use of capital resources. The new reality places a premium on careful project choice. Investments need to be coordinated across sectors, fit within a multi-year development plan, and be consistent with the financing constraints that a locality faces. In the past investments too often have been made in a haphazard manner, without cross-sectoral linkages and without provision for repair and maintenance. As a result, the developing world is burdened with capital projects that no longer can function at their designed capacity, are located in the wrong places for today's economic activity, or required so much funding that they displaced other, more useful projects.

Better systems of capital investment planning and capital budgeting are an important part of improving urban management capacity. This paper draws on recent experience from different parts of the world to illustrate the principal design choices that officials face in building a capital investment planning system and offers step-by-step guidance on how a multi-sectoral investment planning process can be constructed.

There are three principal audiences for the report: local officials who make decisions on and introduce a new capital investment planning process at the local level; central government officials who seek to change, nation-wide, the character of local capital investment planning; and international advisors, who are collaborating with local and central-government officials in the design of new but workable systems. This paper is meant as reference for officials charged with decision-making on capital planning and selection of priorities for investment at the local level. The paper should give them an overview of existing practice and possible options, which then can be build-in their policy and daily management. The paper is primarily based on, and intended for, developing country cities.

UMP-WPS 2: The Life Cycle of Urban Innovations. Elwood M. Hopkins (US$15.00) 52 pages, June 1994

The most innovative and valuable solutions to urban problems are often found in grassroots experiments or small-scale government pilot projects. For these innovations to achieve maximum impact, they need to be upscaled, replicated in communities city-wide, transferred to other cities, or incorporated into urban policies. Unfortunately, innovations do not always diffuse. Too often, an innovative, small-scale initiative remains isolated and unknown. Or, if it does diffuse, it does so through a protracted process fraught with obstructions and delays.

To overcome these obstacles, one must first understand the process of innovation in urban areas. This report describes the five phase life cycle that urban innovation goes through: conception, implementation, evaluation and redesign, routinization and institutionalization, and dissemination and replication. For each phase of the life cycle, there are lessons learned. In addition to the findings a number of methodological lessons are learned.

UMP-WPS 2: The Life Cycle of Urban Innovations in Mega Cities - Seven Case Studies - Volume Two. Elwood M. Hopkins (US$15.00) 92 pages, September 1994

The most innovative and valuable solutions to urban problems are often found in grassroots experiments or small-scale government pilot projects. For these innovations to achieve maximum impact, they need to be upscaled, replicated in communities city-wide, transferred to other cities, or incorporated into urban policies. Unfortunately, innovations do not always diffuse. Too often, an innovative, small-scale initiative remains isolated and unknown. Or, if it does diffuse, it does so through a protracted process fraught with obstructions and delays.

To overcome these obstacles, one must first understand the process of innovation in urban areas. This report describes the five phase life cycle that urban innovation goes through: conception, implementation, evaluation and redesign, institutionalization and dissemination and replication. For each phase of the life cycle, there are lessons learned. In addition to the findings a number of methodological lessons are learned. In this second volume the lessons learned are applied to seven case studies namely: Sao Paulo's Sacalao community wholesale markets; Sao Paulo's "Alert II"; Buenos Aires' Comaco infrastructure cooperative; Bangkok's "Magic Eyes" anti-littering campaign, Bangkok's land sharing; New Delhi's Sulabh Shauchalaya sanitary latrines and the Los Angeles small business toxics minimization project.

UMP-WPS 1: Environmental Innovation and Management in Curitiba, Brazil. Jonas Rabinovitch, Josef Leitmann (US$15.00) 62 pages, June 1993

Curitiba is a southern Brazilian city of 1.6 million inhabitants (metropolitan population 2.3 million). From the 1950s through to 1980 it has been Brazil's fastest growing city: its poverty profile and rate of inflation have been similar to other cities in the south and southeast of the country. Curitiba has not only prospered economically but has done so in an environmentally sensitive manner, despite the pressures created by rapid growth, inflation and poverty. Beginning in the 1960s, most Brazilian cities built highways and consolidated the predominance of the automobile; Curitiba took a different path.

This working paper examines how that path was laid out, where it led to, and what was learned along the way. It encompasses the period between 1965 and 1992 and concentrates on the solutions developed as a result of an explicit urban planning process. Curitiba has had and still has a variety of urban-related problems, like any other city in the world. This presentation of the main difficulties, innovations, principles, and results achieved in Curitiba is intended to serve as a basis for discussion and guidance for other cities.

*Note: F/S indicates that the publication is also available in French or Spanish. Charges for publications will be levied from countries that fall into the High Income Economies category as defined by the World Bank1. All other applicants, i.e. those from developing countries and all bona fide students, regardless of country, are exempted from payment.

To order, write to: The Coordinator, Urban Management Programme
UN-HABITAT, P. O. Box 30030, Nairobi, KENYA, 00100
Tel: 254 2 623214; Fax: 254 2 623536/624264; E-mail: ump@unchs.org

Cheques should be made payable to UN-HABITAT in US$.

1The World Bank "The State in a Changing World: World Development Report 1997", June 1997 p215. These countries are defined as those with a GNP per capita of US$9,386 or more. They include the Republic of Korea, Portugal, Spain, New Zealand, Ireland, Israel, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, Canada, Finland, Hong Kong, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Singapore, Austria, United States, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Japan and Switzerland.