April 30, 2007

The World Bank Group is increasingly engaged in addressing the shelter challenges facing a number of prominent capital and mega cities around the world. Scaling up informal settlement upgrading, increasing the functionality of housing and land markets and anticipating the next wave of urban population are among the most urgent of these challenges. In the course of this engagement there has been an evolution in the tools of inquiry; the modalities of participation and partnership; and the understanding of the effects of various policies and interventions.

This one-day seminar reflected on these advances and their scope for inter-regional application. The event featured short city presentations, interactive table discussions and actively moderated panel conversations featuring prominent researchers and practitioners. These included Stephen Sheppard (Williams College), Alain Bertaud, Richard Green (George Washington University) and Bernard Marchand (University Paris). Cairo, Mexico City, Mumbai, Paris, Quito, Tirana and Accra were among the case studies presented by city officials complemented by Bank staff.

Land and Shelter Challenges in Big Cities

Chair: Robin Rajack, Senior Urban Development Specialist, World Bank

Cairo, Egypt
Cairo, Egypt
Ahmed Eiweida, Senior Urban Management Specialist, World Bank
Hazem El Kouedi, Chairman, General Organization for Physical Planning, Ministry of Housing, Utilities and New Communities, Cairo
Mostafa Madbouly, Director Technical Office, General Organization for Physical Planning, Ministry of Housing, Utilities and New Communities, Cairo

Mexico City, Mexico
The Shelter Challenge: Mexico City
Abhas Kumar Jha, Senior Infrastructure Specialist, World Bank
Increasing Urban Densities: Challenges and Opportunities for Cities
Sara Topelson, Undersecretary for Urban and Territorial Development in the Social Development Secretariat, Mexico City

Mumbai, India and other cities
Developing Land: Formal or Informal? The Case of Mumbai and Other Cities
Robert Buckley, Adviser, Urban Housing, World Bank
Alain Bertaud, Urban Planner

Urban Expansion: A Global Phenomenon with Local Causes
Urban Expansion: A Global Phenomenon with Local Causes
Stephen Sheppard, Professor of Economics, Williams College

Moderated Panel Conversation on Land and Shelter Challenges in Big Cities

Moderator: Balakrishna Menon Parameswaran, Senior Urban Specialist, World Bank

Panelists:
Richard Green, Professor of Finance and Real Estate, George Washington University
Bernard Marchand, Emeritus Professor, University Paris, France
Mila Freire, Senior Advisor, World Bank
Deepali Tewari, Senior Municipal Development Specialist, World Bank

Guest Lecture: Drawing Lessons from 19th Century Paris
Drawing Lessons from 19th Century Paris
Bernard Marchand, Emeritus Professor, University Paris, France

Land and Shelter Challenges in Smaller Cities

Chair: Roberto Chavez, Lead Urban Specialist, World Bank

Ecuador
Urban Land Management in Ecuador: A Preventive Approach
Alexandra Ortiz, Senior Urban Economist, World Bank
Monica Quintana, Coordinator of the Ecuador Low-income Neighborhood Upgrading and Urban Land Management Project Preparation

Tirana, Albania
Land and Shelter Challenges in Albania
Yan Zhang, Urban Economist, World Bank

Accra, Ghana
Cities and Inclusive Growth: The Role of Housing and Land Markets
Robert Buckley, Adviser, Urban Housing, World Bank

Moderated Panel Conversation on Land and Shelter Challenges in Smaller Cities

Moderator: Robin Rajack, Senior Urban Development Specialist, World Bank

Panelists:
William Cobbett, Program Manager, Cities Alliance
Richard Green, Professor of Finance and Real Estate, George Washington University
Stephen Sheppard, Professor of Economics, Williams College
Alain Bertaud, Urban Planner