Preserving Paramaribo’s historical center– A challenge the Notre Dame fire just reminded us of. Since the 17thcentury, the white wooden heritage buildings have come to define Suriname’s capital city, Paramaribo. Its historic center, like others around the world, has lost population, suffered from fire outbreaksand experienced physical decay. Over the last couple of years, … [Read more...] about Preserving Paramaribo’s historical center
Sustainable development
Between 1950 and 2014, Latin America and the Caribbean urbanized at an unprecedented rate, increasing its urban population from 50 to 80 percent (as a percentage of the total); a figure that is expected to reach 86 percent by 2050. On the other hand, Latin American cities are extremely vulnerable to extreme weather events, droughts and floods: three-quarters of Latin Americans live in low-lying coastal areas. How to promote sustainable urban development? Learn more by reading our blog and downloading this publication.
Are Cities like Boiling Frogs?
Heat waves and floods have frequently hit the headlines in the news in 2018-19, and there is no indication that this will end soon but might get a lot worse. Climate change has increased the strength and frequency of both extreme heat and extreme precipitation worldwide, but still surprisingly little is being done about it considering the social and physical impact caused by … [Read more...] about Are Cities like Boiling Frogs?
More and better social housing increases inclusion in Latin American and Caribbean cities
In Latin America and the Caribbean there are few consensus issues as clear as the need to produce more and better housing for low-income families. This consensus engages governments right and left, and moves both national and local governments, as well as private business and NGOs. We have around 500 million people in the region living in cities under an accelerated, defective … [Read more...] about More and better social housing increases inclusion in Latin American and Caribbean cities
How to build a safe and inclusive neighbourhood for (and by) women?
We often talk about the importance of ensuring that urban development is participatory or that it responds to the needs of the community, but it is easy to forget about the diversity of people living in that community. In particular, the absence of women working as urban planners, architects, and engineers has led to the development of cities that are built by men and for men. … [Read more...] about How to build a safe and inclusive neighbourhood for (and by) women?
Vienna Calling: A residency on innovations in urban development
Are you an urban practitioner, architect, or urban planner working in a local municipality or government in Latin America and the Caribbean (from an IDB member country) who works in the field of urban development and/or sustainable architecture? The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the City of Vienna and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance invite you to apply for a … [Read more...] about Vienna Calling: A residency on innovations in urban development