It is hardly news that COVID-19 is changing our cities: ghost business districts, a collapse in tourism, less traffic, increased online deliveries. Nor is it a surprise that much of the creative sector is struggling with the extended shutdown. Global audiences are staying at home, producers are paralyzed, new launches are risky, and investors are scarce. But amongst all this, … [Read more...] about Culture on Every Corner: The Opportunity for Cities in the COVID-era
The Power of Urban Storytelling
Over the past few months, as the initial shock of the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, urbanists around the world have begun the process of reimagining what cities can and should look like post-pandemic. At the IDB Cities Network, several of our webinars in our series focused on municipal management of the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean focused on the future of … [Read more...] about The Power of Urban Storytelling
License plate–based driving restrictions programs: Where do they make sense?
In the early 1970s, planners in Buenos Aires piloted a novel remedy for the city’s chronic traffic congestion and vehicular pollution: to cut downtown traffic in half, they banned vehicles from entering the city center every other day, depending on whether the last digit of a license plate was odd or even. This approach turned out to have tremendous appeal to planners in … [Read more...] about License plate–based driving restrictions programs: Where do they make sense?
10 reasons why Heerenstraat Festival is not just a festival
Heerenstraat Festival is a place of encounter to celebrate the living heritage of Paramaribo’s city center. The first edition of the Festival took place between September 30th and October 6th 2019 on the streets of Paramaribo’s city center, a World Heritage Site (WHS). The IDB in coordination with the Ministry of Education and Culture of Suriname partnered with The Back Lot … [Read more...] about 10 reasons why Heerenstraat Festival is not just a festival
Innovating project finance in Latin American cities through Tax Increment Financing
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