Would it be possible for Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to work in Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) cities to expand local governments’ investment capacity in infrastructure? The short answer is yes.Although there are many factors to consider. The Urban area of the IDB's research found that a handful of cities in the region could meet most of the critical factors needed to … [Read more...] about Innovating project finance in Latin American cities through Tax Increment Financing
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Urban experiments in historic downtowns: Local identity and innovation for a more sustainable cultural heritage
Why pursue urban experiments in historic downtowns? It might seem counterintuitive picking the most consolidated areas of the city for experiments. However, the historic downtowns often face obsolescence processes that translate into decay, abandonment, overcrowding, or underuse[1]. Urban experimentation breaks the inertia of such longstanding processes, transforming the … [Read more...] about Urban experiments in historic downtowns: Local identity and innovation for a more sustainable cultural heritage
Favela-Bairro Upgrading Program: Assessing results 10 years later
More than a billion people live in informal neighborhoods around the world, also known as slums, barriadas or villas, or favelas in Brazil. These neighborhoods usually lack access to clean water and sanitation systems, and residents live in inadequate and overcrowded housing. In 1995, Favela Bairro (FB) program in Rio de Janeiro Brazil, aimed to connect these informal … [Read more...] about Favela-Bairro Upgrading Program: Assessing results 10 years later
Analyzing and improving access to culture
How to improve access to diverse cultural activity to Buenos Aires youth? (ages 15 to 18) Faced with this question, the city developed the Pase Cultural or Cultural Pass program in 2018, and with the IADB cities Lab, the first month’s results of the program were assessed to adjust this public policy on an early stage. The Cultural Pass is a monthly credit card … [Read more...] about Analyzing and improving access to culture
Incubating urban solutions: 4 lessons learned from city labs
Cities and urban life pose constant challenges, for which we need to find effective and quick solutions. To this end, we need an adaptive and multi-faceted approach that allows us to engage with different actors, catalyze ideas, experiment and test solutions, fine tune and scale up, and eventually inform new public policy. The primary goal of the Housing and Urban … [Read more...] about Incubating urban solutions: 4 lessons learned from city labs