As the world’s population becomes increasingly concentrated in cities, we are witnessing the urbanization of disasters. Hurricanes Florence, Maria and Irma and recent earthquakes in Ecuador, Haiti, and Mexico all underscore urban risk. And smaller scale events like fires and floods can have disproportionately large impacts in cities given high population … [Read more...] about 10 Platforms to Monitor Hurricanes and Disasters in Cities
Informality – the Essence of Cities of the South. Reflections from the 8th Caribbean Urban Forum and a Shout-out to Anthony Bourdain
Informality is not irrationality! This was my main take-away from the recently concluded 8th Caribbean Urban Forum held in Kingston, Jamaica. The theme was forming the informal, a deliberate deviation from the more conventional prescription of formalizing the informal. Narratives of the resourcefulness and resilience of Caribbean communities in the face of very challenging … [Read more...] about Informality – the Essence of Cities of the South. Reflections from the 8th Caribbean Urban Forum and a Shout-out to Anthony Bourdain
Urban Sustainability in the Caribbean: the case of Nassau, Bahamas
Sustainable urbanization in the Caribbean is a real and present development challenge. Caribbean cities are often small but not compact. They have immeasurable natural assets but are exposed to severe climate events. They have quality basic education, but struggle to prevent qualified professionals from migrating abroad. Grand hotels and beach resorts are juxtaposed by … [Read more...] about Urban Sustainability in the Caribbean: the case of Nassau, Bahamas
An Odd Couple: Cultural Heritage and Urban Sustainability
In most cities, there is a strong tension between the preservation of cultural heritage – in its multiple forms – and the pressure to renovate neglected city areas for the sake of economic development, especially for tourism. Nowadays, these tensions often appear as dichotomies, where the past confronts the future and history is in opposition to modernity. This is how the “odd … [Read more...] about An Odd Couple: Cultural Heritage and Urban Sustainability
IDB Cities Lab: multiplying urban innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean
With more than 80% of its population living in cities, Latin America is one of the most urbanized regions in the world. Never before have so many people lived in urban centers and never before has it been so necessary to improve the way we understand, plan and manage cities as collective human projects. The increased scale and number of cities bring a whole array of new … [Read more...] about IDB Cities Lab: multiplying urban innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean