Urban Regeneration and Viruses:

Learning from Past and Present

Health Crises

1
Urban Regeneration and Viruses
Learning from Past and Present Health Crises

Disclaimer
The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do
not imply the expression
of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations
concerning the legal status of
any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of
its frontiers of boundaries.
Views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the United
Nations Human Settlements
Programme, the United Nations, or its Member States.
Excerpts may be reproduced without authorization, on condition that the source is
indicated.

First publlished in 2022, updated in March 2024.

Project Coordinator: Laura Petrella, Katja Schaefer, Javier Torner.

Project supervisor: Javier Torner.
Authors: Mariana Saraiva de Melo Pinheiro, Radu Remus Macovei, Elena Balabanska.
Contributors: Mark Ojal.
Design and Layout: Elena Balabanska, Ekta Rakholiya

All rights reserved

United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)
P. O. Box 30030, 00100 Nairobi GPO Kenya
Tel: 254-020-7623120 (Central Office)
www.unhabitat.org
Copyright © United Nations Human Settlements Programme 2024
Contents Preface
1. Introduction 06 About UN-Habitat
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the United Nations
1.1 Purpose of the report 08 Programme for sustainable towns and cities. Headquartered in Nairobi, it works in over 90
1.2 Who is this report for? 09 countries worldwide to promote transformative change in cities and human settlements
1.3 How is this report structured? 09 through knowledge, policy advice, technical assistance and collaborative action. UN-Habitat is
1.4 What is urban regeneration? 10 responsible for the coordination of all urban activities and relationships with local governments
1.5 Urban regeneration in the context of UN-Habitat’s Flagship Programme in the UN system and monitoring the progress of Sustainable Development Goal 11 on
14
sustainable cities and communities as well as the New Urban Agenda.

Over the last 40 years, UN-Habitat has implemented urban projects and programmes in cities
2. Recovery after Disruption: Urban Implications and Opportunities 16 all over the world. Inclusive and integrated approaches are inherent in UN-Habitat’s modus
operandi. Technical elements such as urban planning, innovation and research are always
2.1 How have pandemics disrupted cities historically and how did they recover? 18 combined with capacity building and fostering value-add, inclusive partnerships and dynamic
Case Study A: The Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1920 in the United States 20 stakeholder engagement processes. As a United Nations agency, engagement, and coordination
Case Study B: The Influenza Pandemic of 1957-1958 in the United Kingdom 22 of various stakeholders - bringing together governments, research institutions, companies and
Case Study C: The SARS Crisis of 2003 in China 24 citizens for dialogue is our core mandate. Alongside our focus on human rights and vulnerable
2.2 How have cities adapted during the Covid-19 pandemic? 26
groups, these factors are our ‘convening power’ and a core strength of the UN system.
2.3 What adaptations will stay in a post-Covid-19 world? 27
2.4 What challenges and opportunities does the pandemic UN-Habitat’s Strategic Plan 2020–2025 defines four interlinked domains of change (DoC)
28
present for the future of cities? that overlap and are mutually reinforcing to promote sustainable urbanisation. The domains of
change are:
1. Reduced spatial inequality and poverty in communities across
3. Case studies in Urban Regeneration Worldwide 30 the urban–rural continuum;
2. Enhanced shared prosperity of cities and regions.
Introduction to the Case Studies 32 3. Strengthened climate action and improved urban environment;
3.1 Quito, Ecuador: The Quito Agrifood Pact (region) 34 4. Effective urban crisis prevention and response
3.2 Paris, France: The 15-minute City (city) 40
3.3 Chiang Mai, Thailand: Chiang Mai Urban Farm (neighborhood) 46 To reduce spatial inequalities and eradicate poverty, planned urban growth must be
3.4 New York City, USA: Chinatown Economic Recovery Project (street) 52 accompanied by effective urban renewal through in-situ upgrading and urban regeneration.
3.5 Cairo, Egypt: Al-Darb al-Ahmar Housing Rehabilitation Programme (building) 58 Such efforts would also offer the benefit of preserving cultural heritage and helping to build a
sense of identity and belonging in cities.
4. Conclusions 62
Five different flagship programmes have been defined in the implementation of the Strategic
4.1 Approaches to urban regeneration 64 Plan 2020-2025. UN Habitat Flagship Programme 1 ‘Inclusive Communities, Thriving
4.2 Recommendations 66 Cities’ works to address spatial inequality and in this process, it identifies urban regeneration
as a key component.
“Urban regeneration represents a powerful tool for local
Introduction
governments for an inclusive and green socio-economic recovery.
Inclusive urban regeneration can be a key tool to transform and
recover socially, economically and ecologically affected urban
areas, building them back better into dynamic, diverse and vibrant

1
places. ”

Maimunah Mohd Sharif, October 2020

6
« Residents enjoy public realm improvements achieved through
the George Town Transformation Project in Penang, Malaysia. 1
7
Introduction
Introduction

TOWNHALL
1.1 Purpose of the report The report demonstrates that working together, city 1.3 How is this report structured?
The Covid-19 pandemic magnified some of humanity’s most leaders, citizens, civil society organisations and other urban This report is structured in six chapters: Introduction, Recovery References
City Library stakeholders hold remarkable value for implementing a 1. “Cities and Pandemics: Towards a More Just, Green and Healthy
pressing challenges, such as the inequitable provision of basic CITY PLANNING After Disruption, Urban Regeneration in Seoul, Case Studies
sustainable post-crisis regeneration process with lasting Future” (United Nations publication 2021), chapter 1 and 2.
services, infrastructure and environmental resources, and in Urban Regeneration in Seoul, Case Studies in Urban 2. Narayan, A. and others, “COVID-19 and Economic Inequality Short-
impeded progress on poverty and inequality reduction.1,2, 3 dance studio positive impact on communities. Regeneration Worldwide and Conclusions. Term Impacts with Long-Term Consequences”, Policy Research
Nursery
The health crisis, however, has demonstrated the decisive communal kitchen
Working Paper 9902, (World Bank Group, Poverty and Equity Global
and agile role of urban areas in the face of this crisis. Building 1.2 Who is this report for? The current chapter – Introduction, discusses the notion Practice & Development Data Group, January 2022)
on their ability to concentrate knowledge, infrastructure and t h e a t r e fe s t This report presents to city leaders, planners, researchers, of urban regeneration based on extensive literature review and 3. Christensen, Z., Lelourec, H., “Inequality: Global Trends” (Development
civil society, investors and private sector some of the lessons Initiatives (DI), 2023)
capacity, many cities managed to deliver innovative solutions UN-Habitat’s project experience. It also describes UN-Habitat’s 4. “Cities and Pandemics: Towards a More Just, Green and Healthy
– from enhanced service provision to the repurposing of local bakery learnt from urban regeneration practices around the world and approach to and work on urban regeneration. Chapter two, Future” (United Nations publication 2021).
economies to meet the changing needs of residents. Urban provides a solid understanding of possible paths to promote Recovery After Disruption, presents common recovery 5. Expert Group Meeting Report ‘Urban regeneration as a tool for
regeneration has been brought forth as a comprehensive socio-economic recovery and urban resilience as a response policies to major socio-economic disruptions in urban history inclusive and sustainable recovery’ (United Nations publication, 2021)
!@%#^! to disruptions, such as epidemics and pandemics. 6. Vianello, M., and others, “Urban Planning after Covid-19: Supporting
process that through multi-level coordination could provide cases through the analysis of three cases: the 1918-1920
a global sustainable recovery”, (Royal Town Planning Institute, 2021)
an urban form generating wide and interrelated public benefits Spanish Influenza in the United States, the 1957 Influenza 7. Roberts, P., and Sykes, H. “Urban Regeneration: A
– physical, social, ecological, and economic, and thus advance – City Leaders in the United Kingdom and the 2003 SARS Crisis in China. Handbook”. (London: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2008). https://doi.
post-crisis recovery.5, 6 The report is a resource for city leaders as it provides an overview Adaptation measures to Covid-19 integrate this section, org/10.4135/9781446219980
of the essential elements necessary to promote successful providing timely reflections. Chapter three, Case Studies in 8. Leary, M.E., & McCarthy, J. (Eds.). (2013). The Routledge
A comprehensive and consolidated body of interdisciplinary regeneration in different scales. Through comparative global Urban Regeneration Worldwide, gathers five experiences Companion to Urban Regeneration (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.
knowledge on urban regeneration has been built over case studies, it presents possible ways to financially sustain org/10.4324/9780203108581
in urban regeneration in cities of different regions around the
9. De Magalhães, C. (2015). Urban Regeneration. In Wright, J. D. (Ed.).
decades7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14, however there is no consensus on the projects, to implement innovative participatory processes world. It gives an overview of each initiative and discusses International Encyclopedia of Social & Behavioral Science (pp. 919-925).
definition for urban regeneration that is appropriate in different leading to inclusive development, and how to strategically valuable learnings and project characteristics, highlighting 10. Porter, L. & Shaw, K. Whose Urban Renaissance? An international
contexts and urban dynamics.15,16 This report marks the first engage the private sector. strengths and weaknesses. Key messages and findings are comparison of urban regeneration strategies . (Routledge, 2013).
step of UN-Habitat’s Flagship Programme 1 ‘Inclusive presented in Chapter four – Conclusions. 11. Altrock, Uwe (2018): Urban regeneration. https://nbn-resolving.org/
Communities, Thriving Cities’ towards conducting a – City Planners urn:nbn:de:0156-559923189
12. Lehmann, S. The Ten Strategies for an Urban Regeneration. in
thorough study and transdisciplinary, cross-sectoral and The report provides city planners, architects, and urban Urban Regeneration: A Manifesto for transforming UK Cities in the Age
inclusive discussion with relevant urban actors and partners on planning practitioners with an understanding of the scope of Climate Change (ed. Lehmann, S.) 133–156 (Springer International
urban regeneration. The overarching goal is to collaboratively of urban regeneration, linkages between intervention scales, Publishing, 2019). doi:10.1007/978-3-030-04711-5_5.
develop guidelines and methodologies and, ultimately, facilitate inspiring tools, actors involved, and the possible outcomes. 13. Wang, H.; Zhao, Y.; Gao, X.; Gao, B. Collaborative decision-making
urban regeneration processes and post-pandemic recovery of for urban regeneration: A literature review and bibliometric
The report also helps to clearly understand what urban
analysis. Land Use Policy 2021, 107, 105479.
urban areas. regeneration means in the post-Covid-19 world and its role to 14. Bevilacqua, C. & Sferrazza, M. Transformative Urban Regeneration:
promote resilience and prosperity. Two Paradigmatic Examples in Boston and Paris. in New
This report explores the spatial dimension of recovery
Metropolitan Perspectives (eds. Bevilacqua, C., Balland, P.-A., Kakderi,
measures in past and present health crises and identifies C. & Provenzano, V.) 175–198 (Springer International
– Civil Society, Investors And Private Sector
essential planning and governance components to adverse the Publishing, 2023). doi:10.1007/978-3-031-34211-0_9.
negative effects of such disruptions while making urban areas The report is also addressed to civil society, researchers, 15. Tan, X, Altrock, U.. “Struggling for an adaptive strategy? Discourse
more inclusive and prosperous. It provides a comparative study investors, developers, private and voluntary sectors. It aims analysis of urban regeneration processes – A case study of Enning Road
of recent urban regeneration case studies in different regions, to help individuals and organisations to imagine the possible in Guangzhou City’’ (Habitat International, 2018). n 56: 245-257 ISSN
transformations their own city could undergo, visualising how 0197-3975, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2016.06.006.
presenting valuable learnings to build socio-economic
and environmental resilience at different scales. each of them could benefit through their specific role.

8 9
Introduction Introduction

Urban Policy & Finance & Planning &

ENABLERS
post-crisis recovery: spatial inclusion, urban health, climate Governance Legislation Economy Design
1.4 What is urban regeneration?
Participation is essential for successful urban
It is a challenging and conflicting effort to construct a universal change, conflict and migration, digital transformation, and
regeneration
definition for urban regeneration. According to the country
and local context, the objectives of the urban regeneration
culture. The present challenges within these thematic areas
could also be seen as opportunities to advance, finance and While urban regeneration is a transformative approach
Enablers and thematic areas in urban regeneration >>
6
build-back-better through urban regeneration initiatives.20 to urban development, capable of promoting significant Six cross-cutting thematic areas (illustrated by the coloured CROSS
process can be similar, yet adopt different approaches, rows) were identified to be considered and integrated in urban CUTTING
influencing its perceived meaning. The definition also varies The combination and alignment of different mechanisms co-benefits, the process is complex and requires the
participation of diverse urban actors,especially existing regeneration processes, as discussed in the EGM in Bilbao, THEMES
among scholarly perceptions and theoretical ideas.17 and processes, such as agile governance models, inclusive
residents and local stakeholders. If developed through 2021. Governance, urban policy, planning and design and finance Spatial Inclusion
policies, and integrated urban planning and design strategies,
a participatory and comprehensive approach, urban and economy stand out as the key enabling instruments in urban
This report presents a working and incremental concept for are central to a successful and sustainable urban regeneration
regeneration can promote spatial inclusion and shared regeneration (illustrated by the grey vertical arrows).
urban regeneration based on historical research and UN- process. Multi-level coordination and engagement with all
relevant urban actors could activate the synchronistic and prosperity. If done wrong, it can lead to a deepening of
Habitat’s global project experience. Similarities identified
strategic use of these enablers. inequalities, as well as destruction of valuable cultural
through this analysis were systematised to open a discussion << Expert Group Meeting
heritage in the name of modernisation. Communique ‘Urban Regeneration
Digital Transformation
on the criteria for inclusive and sustainable urban regeneration.
Depending on the characteristics of the targeted area, the as a tool for inclusive and sustainable
Concept initiatives can combine hard (e.g., construction of physical Inclusive and sustainable urban regeneration should aim at recovery’, 2022.
elements, tactical urbanism interventions) and soft measures benefiting the city as a whole, directing private investments
Urban regeneration is a comprehensive, area-based18 for the commons while expanding revenue streams for
and a multi-agent collaborative planning process that (campaigns, programmes, incentives). Interventions typically Culture & Heritage
the city. It is crucial to involve all relevant individuals and
improves the physical, environmental and socio-economic address demands for infrastructure and services, such as
organisations in the decision-making when reprogramming
conditions of an urban area and links the generated benefits basic services, green and public space, housing affordability,
land management, value-capture and innovative finance
to the wider urban fabric. In the context of this report, it is renewable energy, food accessibility, mobility, job opportunity
mechanisms. As such, this comprehensive process
characterised as an inclusive process aiming to create long- and others. also requires close engagement with the private sector,
term post-crisis social value, shared economic prosperity and Climate Change
including real estate companies, investors, businesses,
environmental resilience. etc. Collaborative effort through public-private and
community partnerships is essential to the promotion of
A key to urban regeneration is to preserve, protect and economic activities and socio-economic diversity, as well
enhance socio-economic assets, natural heritage and as to the prevention and mitigation of gentrification in the Conflict & Migration
tangible and intangible cultural heritage.19 Building on the local targeted areas.21, 22, 23
assets and strong participation processes, it has the potential
to strengthen the sense of identity, contribute to community
‘self-sustaining’ regeneration, promote inclusion beyond the 16. Qingchang, H., and Reith, A. “(Re)Defining Restorative and
intervention area, and enrich the overall urban diversity. Regenerative Urban Design and Their Relation to UNSDGs—A Urban Health
Systematic Review” Sustainability 14, no. 24: 16715 (2022). https://
Key components in urban regeneration doi.org/10.3390/su142416715
As a holistic process, urban regeneration offers multiple 17. Palen, J., Gentrification, Displacement, and Neighborhood
Revitalization (New York: State University of New York Press, 1984)
project entry points and opportunities to generate interrelated 18. Area-based approaches have common defining characteristics:
benefits across different domains. The multidisciplinary they are geographically targeted, and adopt a multi-sectoral and
Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on inclusive and sustainable participatory approach, as defined in Parker, E., Maynard, V.
Mathare Environmental Conservation Youth Group (MECYG) runs a
urban regeneration in Bilbao, Spain that took place in garbage collection business with youth in Mathare, Kenya, to create
Humanitarian response to urban crises: a review of area-based
December 2020 identified 6 cross-cutting thematic approaches. (2015)
public open spaces. Source: UN-Habitat, https://spark.adobe.com/
19. The New Urban Agenda pp 38, (United Nations publication, 2016).
Physical Environmental Social Economic BENEFITS
areas to be considered in urban regeneration processes for page/VI8mpWtxFbavw/

10 11
Introduction
Introduction

Interrelated benefits blue and green infrastructure could improve biodiversity, Further studying, understanding and articulating the co-
Planning and initiating urban regeneration from a broader resilience to environmental shocks, air quality and sustainable benefits of urban regeneration will produce a wider positive
area perspective and through multi-level cooperation can mobility, while also creating economic activities and livelihood effect in urban areas, attract investments for such initiatives
bring about comprehensive benefits both to the targeted opportunities. and increase resilience to disruptions, such as epidemics and
area and the wider city. The benefits could be categorised into pandemics.
four categories with strong linkages between them: physical, Social
social and cultural, environmental, and economic. The impacts The social benefits of urban regeneration relate to the impact Scale of urban regeneration initiatives
translate to a diverse range of individuals across society with on social relations, identity and governance of the targeted No urban system can be understood through the analysis of
considerable variation by income, gender, ethnicity, age, areas. The process could alleviate spatial segregation and a single feature. Physical, economic, and social dynamics are
geography and disability.24 social exclusion by, for example, providing equitable access interlinked and connected across the urban fabric and urban
to infrastructure, land and housing, services, and livelihood regeneration, as the process of physical, socio-economic and
Physical opportunities to vulnerable communities, elderly, youth and environmental urban revival, is not limited to space or time.
Physical benefits refer to improvements in the built environment women. Furthermore, urban regeneration could leverage In the context of this report, four scales categorise the
– the revitalisation of underutilised land and distressed community resources and identity and facilitate human spatial extent of a regeneration vision and action: region, city,
urban areas with the aim to restore or create new functions, interaction at a local level. This includes preservation and neighbourhood, street and building.
improve vibrancy and urban sustainability. Examples of such protection of cultural aspects, both tangible (e.g., historical
– Regional scale: the extent of the initiatives is a very large UN-Habitat works with the Block-by-Block participatory process
interventions could be activation of public spaces, integration buildings and sites, monuments, museum that have a
area e.g., metropolitan/ greater city or cross-city. An initiative at leveragingl digital technologies to support cities in developing
and rehabilitation of green areas, installation of bike lanes and diversity of values, etc.) and intangible (e.g., practices, community-driven public open spaces. Source: UN-Habitat.
pedestrian areas, urban infill and retrofitting, urban farming, representations, knowledge, skills, and other forms of cultural a regional scale could include different cities or districts, going
and others. The physical improvement could generate gains expressions transmitted from generation to generation). By beyond the urban boundary. In the case of big metropolises,
related to all six cross-cutting areas. improving the public realm, renovating or changing the use of regional scale projects could connect distant parts of the city.
20. Expert Group Meeting Report ‘Urban regeneration as a tool for
existing structures to create new activities with respect to the – City scale: the extent of the initiatives is the city. The inclusive and sustainable recovery’ (United Nations publication, 2021)
Ecological cultural context, it promotes the preservation and restoration 21. Clark, J., Wise, N. (eds) Urban Renewal, Community and
city scale project goes beyond the local dynamic of a Participation. The Urban Book Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.
Urban regeneration can also bring about environmental of tangible and intangible heritage. neighbourhood, such as a Strategic Development Plan or org/10.1007/978-3-319-72311-2_2Clark, J., Wise, N. (eds) Urban
benefits and contribute to climate change adaptation and
city-wide programmes. Renewal, Community and Participation. The Urban Book Series.
mitigation efforts through the preservation, strengthening Economic (Springer, Cham. 2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72311-
and restoration of green infrastructure and environmental The outcomes on the local economy are linked to improving – Neighbourhood scale: the extent of the initiatives is a large 2_2
assets. Integrating Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and the access to resources and services and the vibrancy entire area within the city. Neighbourhood urban regeneration 22. Expert Group Meeting Communique ‘Urban regeneration as a tool
Ecosystem-based Approaches (EbA) in urban regeneration for inclusive and sustainable recovery’ (United Nations publication,
of the area. If public spaces and transport services are should study and work with community dynamics. It often 2021)
processes delivers multiple positive ecological impacts, undeveloped, communities will have limited access to socio- integrates smaller interventions (streets and building) and 23. Managing Gentrification. Policy brief. (Council of Europe, Intercultural
such as alleviating heat stress, improving biodiversity and economic opportunities, health care and leisure. Socially area-wide tactical urbanism strategies. Cities. June 2020)
reducing carbon emissions. By improving the thermal comfort vibrant urban areas attract new economic activities, creating 24. Chen Y, Liu G, Zhuang T. “Evaluating the Comprehensive Benefit
for people and urban ecosystems, NbS could reduce the new jobs, enhancing local revenue generation, and promoting – Street scale: the extent of the initiatives is a street or a of Urban Renewal Projects on the Area Scale: An Integrated Method.”
effects of urban heat island (UHI) effect, remove a number path connecting two places or areas in the city. The focus is Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Dec 29;20(1):606. doi: 10.3390/
more equitable access to resources (food, housing, digital ijerph20010606.
of air pollutants from the atmosphere and offer significant connectivity, mobility, etc.). This could help mobilise diverse often on walkability, social connections, green areas and good 25. IPCC, 2023: Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report. Contribution
energy savings.25, 26 Furthermore, inclusive and context- investment partners, including private sector and civil society, design quality. of Working Groups I, II and III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the
specific nature-based regeneration interventions could unlock paving the way towards circular economy and innovations. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, H.
socio-economic benefits and create substantial health gains, – Building scale: the extent of the initiatives is a building. A Lee and J. Romero (eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, 184 pp., doi:
Initial improvements and pilot projects have the potential to
improving the adaptive capabilities of communities in deprived building project can alone promote benefits to the surrounding 10.59327/IPCC/AR6-9789291691647.
catalyse other improvements, e.g. give way to more and better 26. Raymond, C. M., Frantzeskaki, N., Kabisch, N., Berry, P., Breil, M.,
and disaster-prone zones. For example, through an inclusive environment, however, it is often a part of a larger spatial plan.
Cikapundung Terrace is a river revitalization project in Indonesia which targeted ecological aligned urban activation projects or advocate for changes in Nita, M. R., et al. (2017). “A framework for assessing and implementing
and environmentally sensitive approach, regeneration of Common projects involve, housing, economic activities, basic
goals and the creation of urban public open space. Source: Local Guides Connect. policy and legislation. the co-benefits of nature-based solutions in urban areas.” Environ. Sci.
services, energy efficiency, heritage and culture. Policy 77, 15–24. doi: 10.1016/j.envsci.2017.07.008

12 13
 Introduction

1.3 Urban regeneration in the context of Flagship 1.4 UN-Habitat’s approach

Programme 1 UN-Habitat’s comprehensive approach to urban regeneration
UN-Habitat through its Flagship Programme 1 ’Inclusive is based on the entity’s global experience in integrated urban
Communities, Thriving Cities’ supports governments planning and human rights-based processes.27 It places
and other urban actors to build more inclusive and climate- people at the centre with the aim at mitigating gentrification
resilient cities through comprehensive urban regeneration. It and exclusion, addressing possible risks for human rights
aims to bridge the urban divide, nurturing multi-stakeholder in accordance with international law and related standards
collaboration to make cities, neighbourhoods, and (e.g. issues of evictions, displacement, compensation,
communities more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable. loss of livelihoods, coercive actions by state) and setting in
place a strategy to prevent, mitigate and manage potential
The programme contributes to the commitment of the resettlement. The Programme ‘Inclusive Communities, Thriving
New Urban Agenda and Toledo Declaration to prioritise the Cities’ addresses the need to establish and mainstream an
infill, renewal, regeneration and retrofitting of urban areas; inclusive and sustainable approach to urban regeneration that
promote participatory planning with all relevant stakeholders; aims to build:
and mitigate spatial and socioeconomic segregation
and gentrification, while preserving cultural heritage and Participatory Design Workshop for Jingdian No.1 Renovation of Shuangjing
– Social value creation
preventing and containing urban sprawl. Furthermore, it Subdistrict. Through an urban regeneration initiative focusing on inclusive
Reduction of poverty, exclusion and improvement of living
contributes to localising 15 SDGs, advancing 45 Targets governance, the private sector and social actors participated in activities
conditions with a priority on the fundamental right to an to improve social welfare based on the principles of government-led and
for the 2030 Agenda, specifically contributing to SDG1 on
reduced Poverty, SDG 5 on Gender Equality, SDG 10 on adequate standard of living under the International Covenant public-private partnership. Source: UN-Habitat.
Reduced Inequalities, SDG 17 on Partnerships and SDG 11 on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.28
on Sustainable Cities and Communities. Urban regeneration
– Environmental resilience Following successful collaboration in various contexts,
could enable Member States to progressively deliver the Right
Enhancing and protecting the natural assets, addressing UN-Habitat through its Flagship Programme 1 ‘Inclusive
to an Adequate Standard of Living - Adequate Housing, the
Right to Water, Sanitation and the Right to Gender Equality issues of connectivity, functionality and resource degradation Communities, Thriving Cities’ is continuously looking to
for all, as well as equal access to green and public spaces with a city-wide perspective, improving e land use efficiency engage with city leaders, the private sector and communities
among others. and circularity of resources. to exchange knowledge and co-develop initiatives to
revive distressed neighbourhoods through an inclusive and
– Shared economic prosperity participatory approach.
Promotion of economic activities and socio-economic
diversity in the revitalised areas. Inclusive urban regeneration
should aim at benefiting the city as a whole, directing private 27. Universal Values. Principle One: Human Rights-Based Approach.
investments for the commons while expanding revenue United Nations Sustainable Development Group.
streams for the city. 28. International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
(United Nations, 1967)
Grota do Cigano, Maceió. UN-Habitat Alagoas team in collaboration Working closely with different stakeholders, this approach aims
with the State government facilitated an inclusive regeneration process to unlock the value of underutilised assets and community
based on UN-Habitat’s Block by Block methodology. In a co-creation
resources, leveraging their potential and attracting mid- and
workshop, the local residents proposed a design of the space which
reflects the community’s vision, but is also feasible to be implemented long-term investments. It aims to provide job opportunities,
by the Alagoas government in a short timeframe and within the available affordable homes and infrastructure, paving the way towards
budget. The activity involved 30 young people and children who worked The New Urban Agenda, 2017 The Toledo Declaration, 2020 sustainable and inclusive cities and communities that are
collaboratively to incorporate their needs and wishes in the design. resilient to shocks and stresses.

14 15
“Disease can be prevented by focusing our attention on the design,
Recovery after Disruption:
creation and management of environments in which people live.” Urban Implications and Opportunities
Integrating Health in Urban and Territorial Planning,
UN-Habitat, WHO, 2020

16
« In Wuhan, China, high school students return to
school with social distancing measures in place during
the Covid-19 pandemic.
2
17
Recovery after Disruption: Urban Implications and Opportunities Recovery after Disruption: Urban Implications and Opportunities

2.1 How have pandemics disrupted cities historically include the case of the United States after the 1918 influenza
and how did they recover? pandemic, the United Kingdom after the 1957 influenza Common recovery policies based on these three
pandemic and China after the 2003 SARS pandemic. responses to past socio-economic disruptions include,
Major breakthroughs in urban history that transformed urban
While several decades and regions apart, the adaptation but are not limited to:
form and policy are inextricably linked to disruptions. Public
and recovery schemes these three countries developed to
health crises have been common throughout the history of
respond to specific global pandemics bear striking similarities • vaccines and treatments to suppress the source
cities and have led to radical changes in areas as vast as
and may prove useful when thinking about socio-economic of the pandemic
building codes and standards, the share of green areas,
recovery schemes today. • expansion of infrastructure to increase mobility
and infrastructure development. For example, in 1854, after
physician John Snow discovered that the cholera outbreak and stimulate economic activity
While specific medical and technological advancements have • investments in technological innovation to bring
in a neighbourhood in London had been caused by a
historically supported control and remediation after disruption, improved services to more people
contaminated water fountain, the city developed sanitary
urban planning played a central role across recovery efforts. • subsidies to key industries, notably agriculture, to
disposals of waste and improved access to clean water.
Investments in physical infrastructure, public space and blue- retain food security
Similarly, after the tuberculosis pandemic peaked in western
green networks, improved urban governance and institutional • increased institutional collaboration to prevent
Europe and North America in the 19th c., cities developed
collaboration and local policies supporting vulnerable and better respond to future pandemic impacts and
public space strategies that would increase the share of green
communities are part of integrated recovery efforts that urban crises
areas, as well as housing policies that would regulate building
deploy urban planning processes and projects to increase • subsidies to cultural activities to revitalise urban
form and layout to ensure access to light and air in every
urban mobility, activate neglected areas and improve quality centres
home.
of life. Collectively, recovery after disruption inherently means • financial support to vulnerable communities
investing in urban regeneration. • investments in global knowledge exchange to
Speculation abounds as to how the Covid-19 pandemic is
reshaping our cities. Many hope that some of the adaptations learn how others have responded to the disruption.
to the ongoing pandemic, notably those that have increased • public space improvements and increased share
References
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1. Schaper, D. National Public Radio. “Some Pedestrian-Friendly
closures of vehicular arteries, are here to stay long-term¹. With Street Changes May Stay After The Pandemic Ends.” (24 March
an increase in remote work and office space vacancies, as 2021) https://www.npr.org/2021/03/24/980894449/some-
well as lower demand for office space in the long-term, the pedestrian-friendly-street-changes-may-stay-after-the-pandemic-
urban core’s vacant building stock may become more mixed ends?t=1652112166165 Accessed on 9 May 2022.
in its programming as it is adapted to new uses, including 2. Kane et al, Brookings Institute. “Pandemic-fueled suburban growth
doesn’t mean we should abandon climate resiliency.” (12 April 2022)
residential, civic or commercial activities². In suburbs, growing https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2022/04/12/pandemic-
numbers of people working remotely and spending additional fueled-suburban-growth-doesnt-mean-we-should-abandon-climate-
time where they live may demand more amenities, making resiliency/ Accessed on 9 May 2022.
suburban neighbourhoods further mixed-use as well.

In the meantime, governments around the world are

announcing large-scale reopenings and ambitious socio-
economic recovery schemes that would bring about the
post-pandemic world. This is not the first time such global
socio-economic recovery schemes are pushed forward by A New York street cleaner wears a mask to prevent the spread of A classroom on a ferry in New York City. Source: Bureau of Charities, as referenced in The New York Times, Ginia Bellafante,
governments in a post-pandemic world. Notable examples the influenza epidemic in 1918. The National Archives and Records ‘Schools beat earlier plaques with outdoor classes. We should, too.‘, 17/07/2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/17/nyregion/
Administration via Influenza Encyclopedia, The American Influenza coronavirus-nyc-schools-reopening-outdoors.html, accessed in 05/2021.
Epidemic of 1918-1919, A Digital Encyclopedia, Section New York.

18 19
 Recovery after Disruption: Urban Implications and Opportunities | Case Study A
Case Study A
1918-1920 Spanish Influenza, United States

Context imposed a mask mandate in public spaces to reduce the

Summary of Key Measures to Reduce the Spread* spread while retaining people’s mobility and “New York City References
The Spanish flu was a particularly deadly pandemic which 1. Taubenberger JK, Morens DM (January 2006). “1918 Influenza: the
• Banning mass-gatherings affected roughly a third of the world population¹ and took staggered the openings and closings of certain businesses
mother of all pandemics”. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 12(1): 15–22.
the lives of 20-50 million people across four waves starting in to reduce crowding on streets and on public transit4.” Recent
• Closing schools, theatres, spaces of worship, bars 2. World Health Organization, 2013. “Pandemic Influenza
1918 and ending in 1920, each with varying levels of infection research into the economic impacts of the 1918 influenza Risk Management WHO Interim Guidance.” p. 25. https://
• Closing public spaces and mortality rates². While the exact origin of the virus remains pandemic in the US found those cities “that intervened earlier www.who.int/influenza/preparedness/pandemic/GIP_
unknown, early reports of infections with the respiratory virus and more aggressively experienced a relative increase in real PandemicInfluenzaRiskManagementInterimGuidance_Jun2013.
• Imposing local mask-mandates
were located in the United States and Western Europe. economic activity after the pandemic subsided5.” pdf?ua=1
• Staggering business opening schedules 3. Flynn M (12 March 2020). “What happens if parades aren’t canceled
Mortality as a consequence of the influenza pandemic during pandemics? Philadelphia found out in 1918, with disastrous
disproportionately affected young adults between the ages of Social and Economic Recovery in Cities
results”. The Washington Post. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
Summary of Recovery Actions and Outcomes While World War I caused 117,0006 deaths for the U.S.A.,
20-40 years. 1. Tool, P. 2018. The Flu Epidemic of 1918. https://www.archives.nyc/
• investing in technology research and electrification the influenza pandemic had a death toll of 675,0007. In blog/2018/3/1/the-flu-epidemic-of-1918 (last accessed: 04. April 2021).
In the United States, the first cases of the Spanish Influenza 1920, the U.S. was experiencing mass unemployment at 4. World Economic Forum. 2020. How can we save lives and the
increasing industrial production
were observed in the State of Kansas in March 1918 and, 11.7%, an increase from 1% in 19188, mainly due to post- economy? Lessons from the Spanish Flu pandemic. https://www.
• investing in infrastructure for developing a highway within a week of the first observation, the disease spread war recessions9. Unrest and violence as a consequence of Public School 51 in Manhattan. Source: Library of Congress, as weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/pandemic-economy-lessons-1918-flu
referenced in The New York Times, Ginia Bellafante, ‘Schools beat (last accessed: 04. April 2021).
network increasing mobility, stimulating to New York City. Because virus transmission was through Crowded Children’s Playfround at Golden Gate Park. With most the economic impacts of the pandemic and the end of World
earlier plaques with outdoor classes. We should, too.‘, 17/07/2020, 5. Mougel, Nadège. “World War I casualties” (PDF). Centre européen
airborne respiratory secretions, cities were particularly indoor venues closed, outdoor attractions were particularly valued by War I were growing in American cities. By 1923, however, accessed in 05/2021: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/17/nyregion/ Robert Schuman. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 February 2021.
construction, and service sectors, notably the the public. Source: Influenza Encyclopedia – The American Influenza the United States was experiencing full employment and an
vulnerable to the spread of the Spanish Influenza due to high coronavirus-nyc-schools-reopening-outdoors.html Retrieved 5 June 2020
Epidemic of 1918-1919, A Digital Encyclopedia, Section San Francisco.
tourism and entertainment sectors population densities, the regular organisation of large-scale economic boom which lasted until the Great Depression, 6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/
gatherings and delayed measures to contain the virus. For triggered mainly by the federal government’s recovery pandemic-resources/1918-commemoration/1918-pandemic-history.htm
• implementing tax cuts in the agricultural sector potential disruptions to the transportation of people and
example, during the deadly second wave of the pandemic, the measures. 7. World Economic Forum. 2020. How can we save lives and the
improving food security and urban livelihoods goods10. The new national road infrastructure anticipated the economy? Lessons from the Spanish Flu pandemic. https://www.
Philadelphia Liberty Loans Parade took place in September boom of the car manufacturing industry that lasted through
In 1921, the federal government deployed a series of large- weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/pandemic-economy-lessons-1918-flu
1918 and led to 12,000 deaths after a major outbreak hit the 1920s and was made possible by the development of (last accessed: 04. April 2021).
* varied from city to city parade attendees³. The pandemic also had deep socio- scale socio-economic recovery measures that would improve
affordable automobile models. 8. Ullman, H. 2020. Economic recovery from coronavirus: Lessons
economic impacts on urban life and its economy with mass- urban economies and reduce social unrest in urban areas. from 1918-1923. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/
unemployment and business closures triggering a series of One of the pillars of the recovery package was large-scale economic-recovery-from-coronavirus-lessons-from-1918-1923/ (last
The affordability of the car stimulated demand in urban
recovery measures after the pandemic waned down in 1920. public investment in the country’s interstate road infrastructure accessed: 04. April 2021).
areas and put pressure on federal authorities to expand the
through the development of a national highway network being 9. Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation.
electrification network to areas with large population densities Highway History. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/hwyhist04f.
Measures to Mitigate the Impacts of the Pandemic the centrepiece of the investment plan. The national road
(homes) and to industrial areas (factories). The latter provided cfm
Because the virus was transmitted through airborne network was made possible by federal and state authorities
the basis for a rapid increase in industrial productivity and 10. Gordon, John Steele, An Empire of Wealth: The Epic History of
respiratory secretions, national and local governments around working together.
stimulated the car industry with manufacturing output American Economic Power, HarperCollins Publishers, 2004.
the world took measures to reduce the spread. In the United increasing by more than 90 percent between 1921 and 192911.
States, many cities instituted social-distancing measures The Federal Highway Act of 1921 allocated federal funds to Further Reading
Throughout the decade, people’s mobility grew and led to the
and restrictions to reduce large gatherings in places like match 50-50 state investment in interstate road infrastructure • Sisson, P. 2020. What the 1918 pandemic can teach cities about
growth of the tourism and entertainment industries throughout
cultural venues, churches and bars. They also closed schools as a way to encourage State highway agencies to develop public spaces today. https://archive.curbed.com/2020/3/18/21178053/
The front page of Bemidji Daily Pioneer, 12/10/1918, as referenced in the country’s cities. The increase in mobility stimulated the
and limited public transportation. Concerned about the multi-year infrastructure plans that would connect siloed areas, coronavirus-pandemic-public-space-influenza-history (last accessed: 04.
The Bemidji Pioneer Online, ‘Déjà vu? Public gathering places were urban construction and service sectors, bringing many jobs April 2021).
functioning of social and economic activity, many cities took ordered closed in 1918 during deadly Spanish flu crisis’, 20/03/2020, notably the West of the U.S., with the assurance they would get
to cities experiencing high unemployment.
specific measures to keep the economy open. San Francisco accessed in May 2021. reimbursed. The Act was also premised on the development
of an interstate alternative to railroad transportation to offset
20 21
 Recovery after Disruption: Urban Implications and Opportunities | Case Study B
Case Study B
1957 Influenza Pandemic in the United Kingdom

Context and Impact on Urban Life “In some areas officers ordered complete closure of schools
Summary of Recovery Actions and Outcomes In April 1957, thousands of Hong Kong residents had been while in others only assemblies and physical training were References
banned7.” In many areas, factories, offices and mines closed, 1. “Pandemic Influenza Risk Management: WHO Interim Guidance”
• Investing in infrastructure reported to have contracted a new form of influenza, breaking (PDF). World Health Organization. 2013. p. 19.
out into a pandemic. In total, the new virus, transmitted through having deep economic consequences. The government
• Disbursing financial support to retirees in the form of 2. Claire Jackson (2009), History lessons: the Asian Flu pandemic.
airborne secretions, killed an upper estimate of 4 million people advised those with flu-like symptoms to self-isolate and spent British Journal of General Practice, 2009.
direct additional income worldwide1. “As an entirely new strain there was no immunity £10 million on sickness benefits to support the population 3. Saunders-Hastings, P, and Krewski, D. 2016. “Reviewing the History
in the populace and the first vaccines were not distributed in seeking medical attendance when contracting the virus, of Pandemic Influenza: Understanding Patterns of Emergence and
• Improving housing security and tenure Transmission” in Pathogens. 2016 Dec; 5(4): 66.
until August in the US and October in the UK, and then on an under the condition they receive a doctor’s note8.
• Improving standards for health and safety at work 4. Clark, William R. (2008). Bracing for Armageddon?: The Science and
extremely limited basis2.” However, the 1957 pandemic was Politics of Bioterrorism in America. Oxford University Press. p. 72.
• Disbursing financial support for sickness benefits the first opportunity to deploy mass-vaccination campaigns to Social and Economic Recovery in Cities 5. Epidemic Observation Unit. Retrospective survey of the
stop the spread and to protect vulnerable people. The health Thanks to the ensuing containment of the pandemic and 1957 epidemic of Asian influenza. J Coll Gen Pract Res Newsl.
crisis sparked a subsequent economic shock which saw 1958;1(3):254–261.
the mass roll-out of the vaccines, economic recovery quickly
6. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/may/13/lessons-from-
3-8% work absenteeism experienced by the United States followed in the summer of 1958. After GDP had shrunk by the-past-uk-biggest-quarterly-economic-declines
and overall global industrial output shrank by roughly 1.2%3. 2.4% in 1958 mainly due to the closure of factories and 7. Jackson. C. “History lessons: the Asian Flu pandemic,” in British
mines, the national government implemented a wide-ranging Journal of General Practice. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/
A typist wearing a mask in the UK, 1957. socio-economic recovery plan which brought investments PMC2714797/ (last accessed: 04. April 2021).
Source: Daily Herald Archive, as referenced in The Irish Times Online, 8. ‘Setback in Production — “Recession through Influenza”’
in and around urban areas. Central to the recovery plan
Una Mullaly, ‘An ‘Asian flu’ pandemic closed 17 Dublin schools in 1957’, (Manchester Guardian, 29 November).
2020. were large-scale infrastructure investments that built the
UK’s first motorway and that led the way to major road- Further Reading
The pandemic rapidly spread worldwide and reached the building programmes throughout the 1960s which increased • World Health Organization. 2013. “Pandemic Influenza Risk
United Kingdom in June 1957. The pandemic peaked in connectivity between urban areas, stimulating commerce. Management WHO Interim Guidance.” who.int/influenza/preparedness/
October of that year in the UK and took an estimated 33,000 The major road-building programmes triggered an increase pandemic. (last accessed: 04. April 2021).
lives in the country alone4. 9 million people had been estimated in car ownership, further improving urban and inter-urban
to have contracted the flu across the country and more than mobility. The socio-recovery plan also included anti-poverty
half of the cases had been under medical attendance5. The actions, supporting vulnerable groups and older adults in
UK’s GDP shrank by 2.4% in the UK6 in 1958 which sparked cities with direct additional income. Addressing concerns
an economic shock. In the period immediately following the raised throughout the pandemic about housing tenure, the
pandemic, the government undertook an extensive recovery Landlord and Tenant Act of 1958 emerged to make it harder
plan to stimulate the economy and recover the losses for landlords to evict tenants and to regulate how and when
experienced during the pandemic. rents can increase. In an attempt to prevent future health
crises, important milestones were reached in legislation
Measures to Mitigate the Impacts of the Pandemic covering health and safety at work. The 1961 Factories Act
In the first months of the pandemic, UK authorities largely regulated health and safety measures in factories.
dismissed the spread of the virus, a fact which led to the death
Danes in temporary sick quarters set up in a gymnasium at of 30,000 Britons in the winter months of 1957. National UK Staff of the store Selfridges are seen lining up for an anti-flu vaccination
Copenhagen’s naval shipyard, October 1957. Source: AP, as referenced authorities decided to let Medical Officers of Health implement from a hypospray gun. Source: Frank Leonard Tewkesbury, AP Images,
in the Guardian Archive, ‘Archive, 1957: flu vaccine for hospitals – accessed in May 2021: https://apimagesblog.com/historical/2020/3/12/
their own schemes to reduce the spread of infection locally.
epidemic past peak?’, 01/10/2020 influenza-pandemics-throughout-history

22 23
 Recovery after Disruption: Urban Implications and Opportunities | Case Study C
Case Study C
2003 Sars Crisis in China

Context and Impact on Urban Life the first quarter of 2003. Measures to combat the epidemic
Summary of Recovery Actions and Outcomes also included increased institutional collaboration at multiple References
In the fall of 2002, a new viral respiratory disease, SARS,
levels. The national government funded and set up a three- 1. Ben Franklin Technology Partners. 2020. Most Older Americans
• Upgrading medical infrastructure at county-level transmitted through airborne secretions, was reported to Might Not Realize They Have Already Lived Through Several Pandemics.
have infected people in southern China. After first reports, tiered disease prevention network and improved collaboration
• Improving access to medical resources for https://cnp.benfranklin.org/most-older-americans-might-not-realize-
the disease subsequently spread internationally and reached between its local and national health agencies. they-have-already-lived-through-several-pandemics/ (last accessed: 04.
farmers and low-income urban residents global public media in the spring of 2003 when the World April 2021).
Health Organisation issued a global alert regarding SARS. Social and Economic Recovery in Cities 2. Lee, Y.N. 2020. 4 charts show how SARS hit China’s economy nearly
• Implementing temporary tax relief for affected
20 years ago. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/11/coronavirus-4-charts-
Social and economic recovery after the SARS pandemic in
industries, particularly the agricultural sector While fatality rates for SARS were reported to be as high as show-how-sars-hit-chinas-economy-in-2003.html (last accessed: 04.
China hinged on two packages. The first package focused on April 2021).
• Subsidising affected industries, particularly the 9%, the virus was slow to spread and was easily contained1. addressing healthcare-related needs to prevent and contain 3. Dow Jones Newswires. 2003. China’s Economy Is Expected
Nevertheless, the country’s economic growth dropped from future SARS outbreaks. The second package aimed at To Grow 8% in Spite of SARS. https://www.wsj.com/articles/
agricultural sector
11.1% to 9.1% in the three months since the outbreak mitigating the economic effects of the outbreak. SB105716972393262200 (last accessed: 04. April 2021).
started2. The decrease in growth is mainly a result of 4. Huang, Y. 2004. The SARS Epidemic and its Aftermath in China: A
disruptions in supplies and a slow-down in industrial output When the SARS epidemic started waning in late spring, a Political Perspective. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92479/
as China was battling the epidemic in the first months. In national fund of 2 bn yuan ($250 million), complemented by (last accessed: 04. April 2021).
this period, in urban areas across the country, 10 million local funds of 7 bn yuan ($875 million), was set up by the 5. US General Accounting Office, Asian SARS Outbreak Challenged,
A masked employee cleans a table at an empty restaurant in Beijing.
jobs were lost3. Cities didn’t just struggle with job losses national government to control the outbreak and prevent International and National Responses, 2004.
Photo copyright: Eugene Hoshiko. Source: Business Insider Netherlands,
and increased unemployment, but also with containing the James Pasley, ‘How SARS terridied the world in 2003, infecting more future ones. Because the outbreak revealed key weaknesses
virus in densely populated areas. A series of measures which than 8,000 people and killing 774’, 2020. in the country’s medical infrastructure, the recovery package
included localised quarantines that affected tens of thousands centred on upgrading county-level hospitals and healthcare
of people took hold of many urban areas. infrastructure. The fund also aimed at improving access to
medical resources for farmers and disadvantaged urban
Measures to Mitigate the Impacts of the Pandemic communities in both rural and urban areas by purchasing
With the onset of the SARS epidemic in the early months of SARS-related medical resources (protective equipment,
2003, local authorities took strong action to fight the spread medical equipment, medication), notably in central and
with context-specific measures. “They sealed off villages, western China.
apartment complexes, and university campuses, quarantined
tens of thousands of people, and set up checkpoints to take With a focus on economic recovery, the national government
temperatures. By May 7 2003, 18,000 people had been disbursed a stimulus package in the value of $3.5bn to
quarantined in Beijing. In Guangdong, 80 million people were mitigate the economic effects. The stimulus package included
mobilised to clean houses and streets. In the countryside temporary tax relief for affected industries and provided
(...) roadside booths were installed to examine all those who subsidies to key areas of the economy. As in the experience
entered or left.”4 of previous pandemics in different parts of the world, the food
production industry was seen as key in social and economic
The strictest measures were implemented in urban areas recovery and as such received generous subsidies through Teacher of Yan Chai Hospital Wong Wha San Secondary School leads a
which seemed more susceptible to spread. Beijing was shut the recovery package.5 virtual class in an empty classroom, 2003.
down tighter than other parts of the country and had cultural Passengers helping themselves to free vitamins. Source: Bullit Marquez, Photo copyright: Vincent Yu. Source: Business Insider Netherlands,
as found in Business Insider Netherlands.
venues, bars, shopping malls and sports facilities closed in James Pasley, ‘How SARS terridied the world in 2003, infecting more
than 8,000 people and killing 774’, 21/02/2020.

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Recovery after Disruption: Urban Implications and Opportunities Recovery after Disruption: Urban Implications and Opportunities

2.2 How have cities adapted during the Covid-19 Anti-poverty actions Work from home 2.3 What adaptations will stay in a post-Covid-19 world? The need to adapt uses of vacant or underused buildings to Work from home
pandemic? new uses will be encouraged to preserve identity and to reduce
Many of the urban adaptations developed as emergency
CO2 emissions associated with new construction4, in an effort
The government responses to the Covid-19 pandemic have responses to the Covid-19 pandemic will remain with cities in
to combat climate change. For example, demolishing and
had a tremendous impact on cities. People, businesses the long-term. Given the proven viability of work-from-home
reconstructing an English Victorian terrace house produces
and authorities have rapidly adapted urban environments to schemes, many offices will shrink in size and vacant office
up to thirteen times more embodied carbon than adapting or
ensure the continuous functioning of the economy and the buildings may need to accommodate new uses in higher
restoring it5. Where new construction is done, new building
provision of public services. demand. Early pandemic-related office closures and hybrid
standards will encourage design for flexibility as resilience
work schemes today have reduced economic activity and
measures in the face of future crises.
With office closures came the rise in home offices which has the vibrancy of the urban core. For example, the number of
brought housing tenure, provision and design to the fore. In people walking in Denver’s urban core dropped from 96,000
The rise in e-commerce is a trend that had also started
the wake of lockdowns in spring 2020, many cities urgently on March 9th, 2020, to 20,000 on March 30th, 2020. In
gaining ground prior to the pandemic, but which has
adopted eviction bans and rent freezes to ensure housing March 2022, 37,000 visitors were counted on a given day
experienced tremendous growth during the health crisis to
provision for as many people as possible. Similar to previous in the city centre, suggesting the vibrancy of the urban core Office Space Vacancy?
the detriment of mainstreet retail. Rapid shifts to e-commerce
public health crises, the Covid-19 pandemic has evinced Adaptive reuse Reprogramming of streets would not return to pre-pandemic levels.2 With many city Reprogramming of streets
in the private sector and the emergence of online public
inadequacies in housing building quality, layout and design centres experiencing retail vacancies, cities and businesses
services demonstrate the importance of digital transformation
with overcrowding and inflexibility in use being two main will have to identify new uses to retain vibrancy.
for economic activities and transparent and accessible
concerns. Cities have already responded by adapting vacant
The closure of many streets to cars in favour of outdoor dining governance.
urban buildings into emergency shelters for the homeless,
and pedestrianisation will stay in the long-term where it is
as part of a series of anti-poverty actions to mitigate the
viable from a transportation planning perspective, part of larger
disproportionate impacts on vulnerable communities. In total, References
efforts to achieve health gains. New York City announced that
authorities have been challenged with the urgency to house 1. Tabary, Z., Reuters. 2020. ‘Cities reboot: Will adapting to COVID-19
100 miles of its 6,000 mile street network which became fully
1.8bn people worldwide who would otherwise not have access change urban life for good?’ https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-
pedestrianised during the Covid-19 pandemic will remain
to safe housing or who are particularly exposed to contagion1. coronavirus-cities-insight-trf-idUSKBN27E0O2 Accessed 5 May 2022.
so permanently.3 The fall in use of public transportation may 2. Rubino, J. Denver Post. 2022. ‘Will downtown Denver ever fully recover
Adaptive reuse has also been a powerful tool for local
also be retained if work-from-home schemes are extended from Covid-19? Here’s what we’ve learned.’ Accessed 5 May 2022.
authorities to extend hospital uses and to set up vaccination
and affordable housing provision is developed closer to urban 3. Eyewitness News ABC7. 2021. ‘NYC Open Streets Becoming
centres. Use adaptation has also been applied to the public Permanent, Open Boulevards Launching.’ https://abc7ny.com/open-
centres. This will favour an increase in cycling and anticipates Increased pedestrianisation?
realm with many cities closing streets off to motorised vehicles. streets-boulevards-streets-restaurants-nyc-dining/10620018/ Accessed
Reduction in use of public transport Rise of E-commerce the development of cycling infrastructure and networks. During Rise Of E-Commerce
Reprogramming streets accommodates outdoor dining 5 May 2022.
the Covid-19 pandemic, many cities set up cycling lanes to
and playgrounds, new green areas and cycle lanes that help 4. Greater London Authority. 2022. ‘London Plan Guidance: Whole Life-
provide commuters with safe transportation infrastructure. Cycle Carbon Assessments.’ https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/
people commute safely. The new cycle lanes and walkways
Paris announced that ‘coronapistes’ - cycling lanes set up files/lpg_-_wlca_guidance.pdf Accessed on 5 May 2022.
have been especially helpful in the context of a reduction in 5. Historic England, Historic Environment Forum. 2021. ‘Heritage Counts
during the Covid-19 pandemic - would become a permanent
use of public transportation to lower the risk of contagion.1 2020. Know Your Home, Know Your Carbon.’ Accessed on 5 May 2022.
feature of the transportation arteries connecting the city.
A further adaptation of urban life is the rise in e-commerce
Affordable housing development in urban centres will be on
which helped many businesses continue their economic
local authorities’ agendas in the long-term, as part of efforts
activity and gave consumers access to essential services
to reduce spatial inequality. In many cities, affordable housing
and goods. This is coupled with the more general trend of
development and tenure protection schemes had been
digitalisation of commerce and services, including public
underway since before the Covid-19 pandemic, but they have
ones, which many cities have adopted.
been accelerated by the impacts of the public health crisis.
“Mainstreet” retail vacancy?

26 27
 REMOTE WORK HYBRID OFFICE/HOME WORK increase in residential unit sizing to
accommodate remote work space

Recovery after Disruption: Urban Implications and Opportunities Recovery after Disruption: Urban Implications and Opportunities revival of suburban neighbourhoods

2.4 What challenges and opportunities does the opportunities lying ahead. Schemes to achieve these goals the Covid-19 pandemic. In the long term, economic already extending specific programmes with Kenya pursuing inclusive and to accommodate new uses in a more extension of pedestrian walkways
pandemic present for the future of cities? had been started before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, yet the resilience, especially that of low-income and vulnerable the mobile-first technology inREDUCTION
the digital transformation
IN PUBLIC of its equitably distributed public space and blue-green network. References
development and extension of
INCREASE IN CYCLING
urgency of their implementation has been accelerated by the groups, will need to be brought to the fore. Accompanying services to reach the 80% of people who own aUSAGE
TRANSPORTATION phone. Temporary and permanent
AND WALKING
playgrounds, outdoor dining, 1. Abdullahi, H. Kenya News Agency. 2022. “Gov’t Is Committed
city-scale cycling network
In the context of the urban disruptions caused by the To Enhance Digital Transformation.” https://www.kenyanews.go.ke/
public health crisis. Nevertheless, several challenges abound. urban regeneration efforts that aim to tackle social inequality, The experience of the pandemic has also revealed the cycling lanes, green areas and recreational uses need to be
Covid-19 pandemic, planning for urban health will be govt-is-committed-to-enhance-digital-transformation/ Accessed on
5 Mayof2022.
redesign public transportation
meaningful and continuous participatory processes insufficiency of public health infrastructure with many accommodated in newly pedestrianised streets, underused
a central departure point of urban regeneration. Given the The financing of affordable housing schemes is becoming
are needed to ensure community consent, input and vacant buildings rapidly adapted to accommodate extensions and vacant lots across the city. With a rethinking of public
rapid adaptations cities have undertaken during the Covid-19 more urgent in urban contexts with precarious housing
inclusion. of overcrowded hospitals. These weaknesses need to be realm programming, an opportunity emerges to integrate
pandemic, opportunities and challenges abound in the urban supplies. In this context, public-private partnerships and
urgently addressed to ensure resilience in the face of future diverse cultural activities in public spaces to nurture a
regeneration agendas of the post-pandemic world. Making public financial commitment to the development of affordable With digital transformation accelerated by the Covid-19
public health crises. more inclusive sense of belonging. This large-scale vision
cities more pedestrian- and cycle-friendly and safe, housing in and close to urban centres will need to be secured. pandemic, notably through the shift of some public services increase in mainstreet retail vacancy
and challenge also provides an opportunity to incorporate
extending public health networks to ensure equitable The pandemic has revealed and augmented already growing online, such efforts will only be expanded to enhance Within a reorganisation of home-office settings, a reduction
RISE OF strategies of urban environmental
DOMINANCE OF E-COMMERCE resilience and climate
access across the city, reducing social inequality and social inequality across the urban landscape with many public participation, provide access to more people and in commutes and a reduction in E-COMMERCE
car dependency, the
action over
in new, vibrantretail
mainstreet public open spaces. development of urban logistics
increasing the digitalisation of public services are some low-income workers losing their sources of revenue during increase governance transparency. Some countries are public realm has to be reimagined to become more
and storage spaces
COVID TRENDS NOW COVID TRENDS TO STAY LONG -TERM IMPLICATIONS FOR CITIES
COVID TRENDS NOW LONG -TERM IMPLICATIONS FOR CITIES COVID TRENDS NOW COVID TRENDS TO STAY LONG -TERM IMPLICATIONS FOR CITIES
COVID TRENDS TO STAY

reduction in office space development improvements in the number of

REPROGRAMMING OF STREETS
reduction
and in office space development
footprint PEDESTRIANIZATION public open in
reduction office and
spaces its development
space quality
[increase of pedestrian public open space; OF PUBLIC OPEN SPACE and footprint
and footprint
extension of hospitality industry uses in improvements in public open
REMOTE WORK HYBRID OFFICE/HOME WORK increase in residential unit sizing to outdoor public open space]
REMOTE WORK HYBRID OFFICE/HOME WORK space accessibility
increase in residential unit sizing to
REMOTE WORK HYBRID OFFICE/HOME WORK accommodate remote work
increase in residential unit space
sizing to
accommodate remote work space accommodate remote work space
revival of suburban neighbourhoods
revival of suburban neighbourhoods ADAPTIVE REUSE revival of suburban
improvements neighbourhoods
in building standards
PEDESTRIANIZATION
[temporary conversion of large buildings
OF PUBLIC OPEN SPACE
into hospitals and vaccination centres] modular construction systems in
new urban developments
extension of pedestrian walkways
extension of pedestrian walkways extension of pedestrian walkways
REDUCTION IN PUBLIC INCREASE IN CYCLING development and extension of
TRANSPORTATION
REDUCTION USAGE
IN PUBLIC AND WALKING
INCREASE IN CYCLING city-scale cycling
development andnetwork
extension of REDUCTION IN PUBLIC INCREASE IN CYCLING development and extension of
TRANSPORTATION USAGE ANTI-POVERTYTRANSPORTATION
ACTIONS USAGE AND WALKING city-scale cycling network
AND WALKING city-scale cycling network improvements in housing tenure
redesign of public transportation [e.g anti-poverty centers; rent and INCREASE IN AFFORDABLE
redesign of public transportation eviction freeze; rent control; increase in HOUSING ACCESS redesign of public transportation
homeless shelter capacity] increase in affordable housing stock

increase in mainstreet retail vacancy free

increase in mainstreet retail vacancy increase

free in mainstreet
provision retail
of broadband vacancy
connectivity
TM

RISE OF E-COMMERCE DOMINANCE OF E-COMMERCE

over mainstreet retail RISE OF E-COMMERCE DOMINANCE OF E-COMMERCE
RISE OF E-COMMERCE DOMINANCE OF E-COMMERCE development of urban logistics DIGITALISATION OF PUBLIC SERVICES
over mainstreet retail over mainstreet retail public access to computers in
and storage spaces
development of urban logistics development of urban logistics
community centres;
and storage spaces 28 and storage spaces 29
 Case studies in Urban Regeneration Worldwide

3
“Through a multi-sector effort and inclusive approach, urban regeneration
enables cities to provide accesas to residents to fundamental human
rights: the right to the city, to adequate housing and land, the right to water,
healthcare and sanitation and the right to gender equality, ensuring equal
access to public and green spaces.”

Maimunah Mohd Sharif, October 2020

« Over 100 buildings have been rehabilitated

through the al-Darb al-Ahmar Housing
Rehabilitation Programme in Cairo, Egypt.
30 31
Urban Regeneration Worldwide | Introduction Urban Regeneration Worldwide | Introduction

Knowledge exchange is an essential component of the and building. Opening the list, the regional scale takes on the implementation of which has been accelerated by The fourth case study, located in New York City, USA, quality, public safety and preserving the historic built selected from a different geographical and cultural region to
recovery process within the field of urban regeneration. As city-specific dimensions and meanings. Urban regeneration the Covid-19 pandemic. The project takes on a holistic focuses on a small-scale urban regeneration project in fabric through urban regeneration approaches. showcase how urban regeneration schemes adapt to local
recovery schemes and project financing kick in globally, projects taking on this scale need to be adapted to specific approach to sustainable urban development, quality direct response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Its object specificities. The geographic diversity emphasizes that there
specific case studies about how cities in different regions local contexts. In this case study, located in Quito, Ecuador, of open space and housing tenure.The neighborhood of intervention is a single street where community This organization challenges conventional approaches to is no blanket approach to urban regeneration. Instead, urban
have developed successful urban regeneration projects civil society took on the initiative of bringing together local takes multiple definitions depending on urban form, density, organizations, small businesses and city agencies come urban regeneration which start from large-scale plans or regeneration approaches have to adapt and respond to
in response to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic or and regional public authorities, large corporations, local environment, socio-economic make-up and must therefore together to support safe economic development. which are formulated by city agencies. Instead, the following local history, culture, economy, and urban form, while always
other specific urban challenges will suggest how urban farmers, and representatives of local communities to change be identified within the context of the city where the examples showcase that urban regeneration could, for grounded into a community engagement and participation
regeneration can be approached at different physical scales the governance structure of regional food production and intervention takes place. This case study, located in Chiang Closing the list of case studies, ‘building’ implies that the example, take place at the scale of a single street where the scheme to raise consent and capacity.
and across culturally different communities. The following its urban distribution. Mai, Thailand, identifies an urban farming intervention on a object of intervention of the urban regeneration project is a physical, social and economic elements are reshaped to
five case studies are organized along the size of the object single lot, but whose object of impact is at the scale of an physical building, while the actual urban regeneration plan improve specific aspects of urban life. While the fundamental
of intervention of the specific urban regeneration project, The second case study, located in Paris, France, hones entire neighborhood and its food security, notably within its may be covering an entire neighborhood. This case study, organizational principle of the case studies is that of the
from big to small: region, city, neighborhood, street in on a city-scale urban regeneration project and policy, vulnerable communities. located in Cairo, Egypt, focuses on improving housing scale of the object of intervention, each case study is

REGION CITY NEIGHBORHOOD STREET BUILDING

2
Paris
4 FRANCE
New York City
USA
5
Cairo
EGYPT
3
Chiang Mai
UN-Habitat THAILAND
Headquarters
1 Nairobi
Quito KENYA
ECUADOR

scale of interventions

Location of case studies (in purple) and the headquarter’s office of UN-Habitat (blue).
32 33

BASE MAP:
Map No. 4170 Rev. 19 UNITED NATIONS - October 2020
 Quito, Ecuador Urban Regeneration Worldwide | Case study 1 | The Quito Agrifood Pact Quito, Ecuador
Case Study 1
The Quito Agrifood Pact (PAQ)

Project Description local food producers can provide fresh nutritious food to
Key stats improve Quito’s general public health in a city where almost
Quito is the capital city of Ecuador with 2 million inhabitants.
Project Dates = 2018 - ongoing The city has over 3 million people in its metropolitan area. of adults suffer from obesity6 and where a healthy diet is 60%
Even though agriculture is one of the city region’s most more expensive than a regular diet.7
Key terms lucrative industries with rice, bananas, cacao, sugar and With the aim of developing a solid food system with little waste,
• Participatory planning practices coffee crops, Quito depends heavily on food imports from a healthy offering to consumers and fair prices for local farmers,
• Public health outcomes other regions in Ecuador. This is because the city exports Rikolto, RUAF Global Partnership on Sustainable Agriculture
• Food security most of its agricultural products and depends on few large and Food Systems, the Center for Rural Development in Latin
• Urban governance food distributors who rely on large-scale supply chains. The America and the Municipality of Quito partnered up to create
• Evidence-based public policy city region only supplies 5% of the food its population needs the multi-stakeholder platform Pact Agro-Food Quito (PAQ).8
• Multi-stakeholder engagement locally and a further 12.7% of its food is supplied by the
province the city is located in.1 Moreover, Quito struggles Founded by civil society and local authorities, this platform
• Community resilience has shifted the governance of the city’s food policy to a new
to feed its population with growing food insecurity due to
lack of affordable food, increasing food prices and potential body consisting of the private and public sectors, academia,
Key Project Financing Sources civil society and cooperation agencies. This new structure
supply problems.2 The latter is mainly due to Quito’s physical
• Quito Municipality Source: ISOCARP Review 15, David Jácome-Pólit et al., ‘Quito’s augments the voices of small producers, farmers and
location which makes it vulnerable to volcanic threats that resilient agrifood system’, p. 300, 2000, accessed in May 2021: https://
• Rikolto may disrupt larger food-supply chains, but also to its poor distributors, permits the development of inclusive food policy
ruaf.org/assets/2020/01/Quitos-Resilient-Agrifood-System-1.pdf
• RUAF and ensures the right to food by redirecting surplus and waste
• Center for Rural Development in Latin America to communities which are in most need. The governance
road infrastructure which urban food provision is dependent platform has also been able to strengthen urban-rural
on. This is further exacerbated by a population projected to linkages within the Quito region to leverage local agricultural
reach 2.8 million inhabitants by 2022.3 production with large-scale distribution and to increase the
The three main food markets of meat, bread/grain and dairy share of fresh and affordable food on Quito’s food market. The
are heavily dominated by few large food distributors with prices project initiators, Rikolto and RUAF, deployed mapping tools
local farmers cannot compete with.4 Due to gradual food price to identify the city’s food supply and distribution chains and
increases, only 17% of food purchases of Quito families are the city’s vulnerable areas, such as, for example, localities with
from supermarkets with farmers markets and the informal high numbers of people on food assistance programmes.
food sector being the other source of food procurement.5 These mapping outputs have been instrumental in setting up
The increasing dominance of large food distributors via the new governance of Quito’s food policy as they revealed Legend
supermarkets who promote modernisation and concentration gaps in food distribution, vulnerabilities in food storage and
of food supply systems excludes small- and medium-sized lack of affordable food options in many urban areas. In this Regional Food Storage/Distribution Centers 1:500.000
producers and low-income consumers from access to food context, the Quito Agrifood Pact is an urban regeneration Quito City
chains. However, supporting small- and medium-sized process that sets out to improve a specific aspect of urban Provincial and National Food
life - food security - by restructuring its governance to make Quito Metropolitan District Distribution Connections
producers and businesses can be beneficial in the context of
an urban crisis as they have stronger ties to local communities it more inclusive. This goal is made possible by continuous
Source: Resilient Cities Network, ‘The Transformative Impact of Quito’s data gathering towards the development of evidence-based
Resilient Food Security Program’, accessed in May 2021: https://
and their specific needs and, given their size, can be nimble
resilientcitiesnetwork.org/urban_resiliences/quito-food-program/ and adapt to changing circumstances. In addition, smaller public policy.

34 35
Urban Regeneration Worldwide | Case study 1 | The Quito Agrifood Pact Quito, Ecuador Urban Regeneration Worldwide | Case study 1 | The Quito Agrifood Pact Quito, Ecuador

– Improves food security

– Supports small local farmers
– Based on continuous public participation
– Supports women’s food initiatives
Covid-19 Implications for the Project – Supports vulnerable communities Considerations for Inclusion and Sustainability
– Diversifies food systems governance
Key project outputs The Quito Agrifood Pact and the city’s new food policy The adjusted lens identified at UN-Habitat’s Expert Group
✔ Governance platform bringing together civil society, governing body were launched in 2018 shortly before the Meeting ‘Urban Regeneration as a tool for inclusive
private companies and local and regional authorities Covid-19 pandemic and its ensuing disruptions started, but and sustainable recovery’ enables a reflection on the new
✔ Participatory strategy for developing food policy proved to be an essential platform to ensure the right to food contexts in which urban regeneration takes place today. The
in a period of urban crisis and broken urban-rural linkages. Quito Agrifood Pact was developed to integrate the multiple
✔ Workshops around food economics, security and The disruption’s impacts are especially concerning in Quito, scales of the agri-food network (from the neighbourhood
policy where supply goods are concentrated in two opposite points Improves nutrition quality and quantity to the region and beyond)10 with the aim of developing a
of entry into the city connecting the region to national supply more resilient system that is able to Spatial
respond and adapt to
✔ Collaborative platform with private sector to redirect Spatial Inclusion
surplus to communities in need and schools chains in areas of the country that are particularly vulnerable to Inclusion changing circumstances. In this context, the Quito Agrifood
climatic events. Given that the pandemic has hit low-income – Develops GIS mapping capacity Pact is a model for an inclusive participatory approach
✔ Map of the city’s food production, distribution and communities with mass unemployment, lack of access to to urban regeneration. Firstly, it is a platform that brings
consumption system to identify vulnerable areas Urban Urban
healthy food makes these communities especially vulnerable. togetherHealth
city leaders, city planners, policymakers, the private
Health sector and academia to work together towards strengthening
✔ Food hub mobile units using municipal buses – Improves urban resilience
The Quito Agrifood Pact brought together local producers, – Strengthens rural-urban linkages and adapting food distribution. Secondly, the Pact commits
✔ Local organic production farms Large volumes of food delivered on repurposed city buses in Wuhan.
distributors and small- and medium-sized businesses to – Promotes urban farming to meaningful and continuous engagement with residents.
Quito has also adopted this approach to facilitate food access. Source:
shorten the distribution chain and to increase local affordable During the Covid-19 pandemic, RUAF and the Water,
Digital
C40 Knowledge Hub, ‘Food and Covid-19: How cities are feeding Digital
food production. Data gathering and GIS mapping were residents today and building a better tomorrow’, 05/2020. Tranformation Land, Ecosystems Programme (WLE) generated GIS maps
Tranformation
Q U I T O
used to understand the make-up of the food distribution P A across
visualising food distribution R I Sthe Quito area which
and consumption systems and their vulnerabilities. The Quito Agrifood Pact enabled the municipality to target local disruptions. This action
maps helped identify the locations of people in need of food The 15-Minute City
Climate specifically addresses the challenge of spatial inequality by
assistance, including people with disabilities or older adults. Climate
Action leveraging digital tools. Targeting SDG 2, the Pact focuses
Action
on improving urban health and supporting local communities
The new governance structure that amplified the voices
to become more resilient in the face of climate change and
of local communities and food producers, distributors and
Culture & its disruptive effects on food production and supplies
Culture & in the
businesses and raised institutional capacity was also able
Heritage long-term. Through a programme that started in the 2000s,
Heritage
to swiftly facilitate access to food. This was done through Conflict & AGRUPAR (ParticipatoryConflictUrban
& Agriculture), anticipating
food hub mobile units using municipal buses, partnering with Migration
the Agrifood Pact, the municipality engaged mainly female
Migration
food banks and developing a communication campaign for
heads of household to support their access to nutritious
responsible food purchasing.9 In addition, the new regional
food produced locally in urban gardens11, addressing the
governance body also identified and set up prototypes for
gender dimension within the food system’s distribution and
initial urban farms on underused lots where local residents – Promotes traditional and leveraging urban agriculture as a bridge to community-led
could produce fresh food closer to where they live. The new – Expands food distribution local agricultural practices
processes.
governance structure thus ensured community resilience in
the face of the public health crisis. Moreover, by increasing
the share of locally produced food and access to affordable
fresh, more nutritious food, the new governance structure Source: Rikolto Online, Nataly Pinto Alvaro, ‘Quite: A food system put to The diagram maps the cotribution to the six crosscutting areas
the test in the pandemic’, 26/02/2021, accessed in May 2021: https:// linked to urban regeneration processes in the current context.
also improved the population’s nutrition. congo.rikolto.org/en/news/quito-food-system-put-test-pandemic
Spatial
36 Spatial inclusion 37
Urban
Inclusion
Health
Urban Regeneration Worldwide | Case study 1 | The Quito Agrifood Pact Quito, Ecuador Urban Regeneration Worldwide | Case study 1 | The Quito Agrifood Pact Quito, Ecuador

Project strengths
References
Key strengths The strength of the Quito Agrifood Pact lies in its capacity
1. Rikolto. 2018. “Affordable quality food for Quito’s consumers.” https://
+ Inclusive participatory planning process to bring together civil society, private sector and public www.rikolto.org/en/project/affordable-quality-food-quitos-consumers
sector stakeholders operating at a regional scale to provide Accessed on 7 May 2022.
+ Promotion of sustainable development and resilience healthy and affordable food to Quito’s residents in a more 2. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, City Region
+ Public health outcomes inclusive urban governance format. The project’s success Food Systems Programme. 2018. “Reinforcing Rural-Urban Linkages for
became visible during the Covid-19 pandemic when the Resilient Food Systems. Pilot City: Quito, Ecuador.” http://www.fao.org/
+ Private-Public-NGO partnership and collaboration Quito Agrifood Pact was able to rapidly gather residents’ food in-action/food-for-cities-programme/pilotcities/quito/en/ Accessed on 7
May 2022.
building needs and address them with concrete solutions. Importantly, 3. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, City Region
the mapping efforts revealed inequality and insufficiency Food Systems Programme. 2018. “Reinforcing Rural-Urban Linkages for
Key weaknesses spatially and specifically identified areas not covered by Resilient Food Systems. Pilot City: Quito, Ecuador.” http://www.fao.org/
– Slow progression due to many and diverse food distribution. Addressing the gender dimension of food in-action/food-for-cities-programme/pilotcities/quito/en/ Accessed on 7
distribution, the initiative empowers women to become more May 2022.
stakeholders. 4. Veco Andino, RUAF Foundation. 2016. “The role of private actors in the
self-sufficient in their food supplies through the development Quito Metropolitan District food system.” https://issuu.com/vecoandino/
of local urban gardens. Throughout, the project is based on docs/role_of_private_sector_in_the_quito Accessed on 7 May 2022.
an extensive and diverse participatory effort which includes 5. Veco Andino, RUAF Foundation. 2016. “The role of private actors in the
Large volumes of food delivered on repurposed city buses in Wuhan.
surveys and mapping exercises. These diverse participatory Quito Metropolitan District food system.” https://issuu.com/vecoandino/
Quito has also adopted this approach to facilitate food access. Source: docs/role_of_private_sector_in_the_quito Accessed on 7 May 2022.
tools engage both qualitative and quantitative data gathering C40 Knowledge Hub, ‘Food and Covid-19: How cities are feeding 6. Rikolto. 2018. “Affordable quality food for Quito’s consumers.” https://
to relate personal experiences with distribution patterns. The residents today and building a better tomorrow’, 05/2020. www.rikolto.org/en/project/affordable-quality-food-quitos-consumers
combination of teaching agricultural and entrepreneurship Accessed on 7 May 2022.
skills and setting up urban gardens has insofar been successful 7. Rikolto. 2021. “Quito: A food system put to the test in the pandemic.”
and has led to the production of 1,350,000 kg of organic food https://www.rikolto.org/en/news/quito-food-system-put-test-pandemic
per year by 2021.12 Accessed on 7 May 2022.
8. Veco Andino, RUAF Foundation. 2016. “The role of private actors in the
Quito Metropolitan District food system.” https://issuu.com/vecoandino/
Project weaknesses docs/role_of_private_sector_in_the_quito Accessed on 7 May 2022.
While setting up the new food governance structure is an 9. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2019.
ongoing effort, the Quito Agrifood Pact has insofar successfully “Quito’s Resilient Agrifood System.” http://www.fao.org/urban-food-
actions/resources/resources-detail/en/c/1306291/.
implemented immediate crisis-response projects to the
10. Jácome, D., Santandreu A., Paredes, D., Rodríguez, A., Pinto, N.
Covid-19 pandemic’s impacts on food security, but whether (2020) Resilience Strategy of the Quito Agrifood System. RUAF - WLE.
the agricultural and entrepreneurship skills will support 11. Jácome, D., Santandreu A., Paredes, D., Rodríguez, A., Pinto,
economic independence and resilience will be determined in N. 2020. “Resilience Strategy of the Quito Agrifood System.” RUAF
the long term. Foundation, Water Land and Ecosystems Project.
12. Stolar, S. BORGEN Magazine. 2021. “AGRUPAR: Urban Agriculture
in Quito, Ecuador.” https://www.borgenmagazine.com/urban-agriculture-
in-quito/ Accessed 7 May 2022.

Further Reading
Source: Rikolto Online, Nataly Pinto Alvaro, ‘Quite: A food system put to Source CGIAR, Research Program on Water, Land and ecosystems, René van Veenhuizen, ‘Resilient
• UN-Habitat. 2021. “Cities and Pandemics: Towards a more Just, Green
the test in the pandemic’, 26/02/2021, accessed in May 2021: https:// and participatory: How Quito’s setting the standard on urban food systems’, accessed in May 2021:
and Healthy Future.” https://unhabitat.org/un-habitat-report-on-cities-
congo.rikolto.org/en/news/quito-food-system-put-test-pandemic https://wle.cgiar.org/news/resilient-and-participatory-how-quito’s-setting-standard-urban-food-systems
and-pandemics-towards-a-more-just-green-and-healthy-future.

38 39
 Paris, France Urban Regeneration Worldwide | Case study 2 | The Minimes Baracks and the 15-Minute City Paris, France
Case Study 2
The Minimes Baracks and the 15-Minute City

Project Description essential needs closer to where people live, housing provision
Key stats In July 2020, the C40 Mayors’ Agenda for a Green and Just is central to the 15-minute city. The Minimes Barracks is an
Area = 32.000 sqm Recovery presented ‘creating 15-minute cities’ as a key action urban block in the centre of Paris where living, working and
Project Dates = 2020 - ongoing for the post-Covid-19-pandemic recovery, agreed on by the playing are brought in close proximity. The former military
mayors of 97 cities that represent one-twelfth of the world barracks buildings have been transformed into a mixed-use
Key terms population. The central idea of the 15-minute city, a term housing complex with 70 social housing units.3 The ground
coined by the Franco-Colombian scientist Carlo Moreno, floor is occupied by a nursery, a community restaurant,
• Affordable housing nine maker spaces, an office space and an art gallery, all
is that a resident’s core needs are met within a 15-minute
• Community-oriented programming surrounding a central green public space with a playground.
walk, bike-ride or public transit-ride with the aim of reducing
• Pedestrianization By programming affordable housing at the city centre, the
carbon emissions.
• Public realm improvements project thus aims to provide equitable access to urban
• Green areas This urban concept reimagines the city into one where amenities to city dwellers of all income levels. It also embodies
2
home, workplace, stores, healthcare and public amenities a model for an inclusive compact mixed-use programming 15 MINUTE WALK/BIKE
Key project financing sources are brought within closer reach from one another and into development with ample open space which brings together 1

• City of Paris neighbourhoods physically connected by green circulation people of different ages, abilities and income-levels.
• Region of Ile de France arteries and digitally through the online public provision Illustration by Nick Bascon for Paris en Commun. 3

of services. Further implications of the 15-minute city are Source: Press release, Le Paris du Quart d’heure, Anne Hidalgo, Paris Similar projects are underway across the city and many
providing neighbourhood-level variety in housing types, sizes en Commun, 2020. have been accelerated by urgent needs during the Covid-19
and affordability, ensuring clean air and green public open pandemic. For example, a 5-minute walk away from the 5
4
space, and accommodating flexible working conditions. Minimes Barracks is the Place de la Bastille, a partially
Additionally, the reduction in car dependency would reduce pedestrianised area with reduced access for motorised
street parking by 72% 1 - this would greatly improve the public vehicles. Cutting through the Place de la Bastille are a series
realm with the widening of sidewalks, city-wide bike networks of “corona pistes”, cycling lanes set up to encourage cycling
and outdoor dining programming. This urban concept also across the city during the Covid-19 pandemic. These cycling
hinges on equitable access to public amenities, services and lanes will become permanent as the City of Paris has secured
green space for all and on participatory planning practices to a large-scale investment from the regional government for
identify local community needs. the project.

Taken holistically, the 15-minute city is a city-scale strategy By proposing to bring urban functions closer to one another,
of urban regeneration which seeks to revitalise urban the urban regeneration process also depends on increasing Legend
environments heavily impacted by traffic and pollution. It is the flexibility of uses in public buildings. For example, the
City of Paris is proposing to offer school spaces to local 1:25.000
also a highly attractive approach for urban regeneration in a 1 Jardin Beltrame Green Network
post-Covid-19 pandemic era of building back better where community needs during weekends and school breaks. It is
also aiming to make the city more child-friendly by revitalising 2 Nursery Blue Network
the preconditions of flexible work arrangements and the need
for more localised amenities already exist. streets around schools into ‘childrens’ streets’, i.e. temporary 3 Place des Vosges Pop-Up Bike Lane
Illustration by Micael for Paris en Commun. playgrounds during school opening times. In this context, the
The City of Paris is one of several cities around the world Source: Medium, Zung Nguyen Vu, ‘The key to 15-minute cities? urban regeneration process can encompass a holistic city- 4 Place de la Bastille
which has implemented specific projects towards becoming a Neighbourhood service design’, 19/11/2020, accessed in 05/2021: wide strategy with specific locally implemented projects as
5
15-minute city2. As this urban concept presupposes providing https://medium.com/strategicdesign/the-key-to-building-15-minute- catalysers of inclusive and vibrant cities.4 Pop-Up Bike Lane
cities-good-neighbourhood-services-48d5bf14a7f1.
40 41
Urban Regeneration Worldwide | Case study 2 | The Minimes Baracks and the 15-Minute City Paris, France Urban Regeneration Worldwide | Case study 2 | The Minimes Baracks and the 15-Minute City Paris, France

Covid-19 Implications for Project – Stimulates local economic development Considerations for Inclusion and Sustainability
Key project outputs With proximity as a guiding principle for urban programming, – Brings public services closer to citizens The 15-Minute City specifically addresses the challenges
– Mixes uses
✔ Adaptive reuse of former military barracks into the 15-minute city reduces the need to travel long distances – Distributes urban resources equitably
exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic with a focus on urban
affordable housing with mixed-use amenities for work, shopping and leisure, while it increases the – Based on a continuous participatory process health as a central departure point for city-wide urban
amount of walkable and recreational space in dense urban – Improves the quality of public open space regeneration ambitions. By bringing essential needs within
✔ Providing affordable housing in urban core – Promotes intergenerational uses walking or cycling distance, this urban regeneration process
environments. This contributes to resilience in the face of – Improves air quality
✔ Mixing income-levels in urban core potential future urban disruptions. In many cities, the Covid-19 – Increases green urban areas sees health as an investment. Spatial It also justifies climate
pandemic lockdowns exposed a series of insufficiencies in – Develops cycling infrastructure action: through intensifiedInclusion
blue-green networks and an
✔ Mixing uses in compact urban block
the urban network, including remoteness to food supplies Spatial increase in urban biodiversity, the 15-Minute City protects
✔ Increasing share of green open space Spatial Inclusion
and other essentials, insufficient or inadequate green space, Inclusion health and promotes sustainable economy, while protecting
✔ Improving pedestrian and cycling infrastructure underdeveloped cycling and walking infrastructure, inefficient environmental resources. To achieve its proximity goals, the
Urban looks to adaptive reuse as a tool to bring diverse
process
public transportation networks, among others. In this context,
✔ Decreasing car dependency Urban Urban Health
the mixing of varied uses and the availability of essential public uses together in compact building envelopes, where possible.
Health Health
✔ Improving air quality services within a 15-minute walking, cycling or public transit This enhances local cultural heritage and preserves urban
radius addresses the specific insufficiencies experienced by identity, while pursuing development without the associated
urban populations during lockdown periods. CO2 emissions. With a polycentric urban approach, the
Digital
Digital process also aims at reducing spatial inequality, notably
Tranformation
Digital C H I A N G
Tranformation Tranformation that generated by monocentric urban models that favour
Q U I T O M urban
A I core to the detriment of the
P A R I S investments in the
Quito Agrifood Pact periphery. The core
Climate Urban aim of the 15-Minute City – access –
Farm
The 15-Minute City needs to be measured through context-specific indicators
Climate Action
Climate throughout the urban regeneration process. To that end,
Action
Action – Monitors proximity indicators
digital transformation of local governance is essential to
Courtyard of Minimes barracks. Source: Dmitry Kosyukov for collecting quantifiable data efficiently and reliably.
Bloomsberg Business Week. Feargus O’Sullivan, Laura Bliss, ‘The Culture &
Culture & Culture &
15-Minute City—No Cars Required—Is Urban Planning’s New Utopia’, Heritage
Heritage Heritage
12/11/2020 Conflict & – Expands blue-green networks
Conflict & Conflict &
Migration
In addition, the 15-minute city connects the urban environment Migration Migration
through extensive blue-green networks that increase the
amount of trees, tree cover and water bodies. The former – Reuses and adapts existing buildings
improve urban air quality and the latter reduce overheating,
thus mitigating the impacts of climate change in urban
areas.5 Coupled with an increase in recreational areas and – Takes anti-gentrification actions

Source: Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto. Vivienne Walt, The Time Online, ‘We accommodating cycling and pedestrian infrastructure which
Heard Birds.’ Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo on How Lockdown Offered a stimulate physical activity, the 15-minute city has strong urban
Glimpse at a Greener City’, 09/07/2020 health outcomes.
The diagram maps the cotribution to the six crosscutting areas
linked to urban regeneration processes in the current context.

Spatial
42 Spatial inclusion 43
Urban
Inclusion
Health
Urban Regeneration Worldwide | Case study 2 | The Minimes Baracks and the 15-Minute City Paris, France Urban Regeneration Worldwide | Case study 2 | The Minimes Baracks and the 15-Minute City Paris, France

Project Strengths
References
Strengths The 15-minute city’s greatest strength is the provision of a 1. Reid, C. Forbes. 2020. “Every Street In Paris To Be Cycle-
+ Public open space creation bold vision for a car-free or car-poor environment where living, Friendly By 2024, Promises Mayor.” https://www.forbes.com/sites/
working and leisure are in close proximity. The project improves carltonreid/2020/01/21/phasing-out-cars-key-to-paris-mayors-plans-
+ Adaptive reuse of unused lots and buildings in urban urban air quality through car-use reduction, stimulates physical for-15-minute-city/?sh=490430406952 Accessed on 4 April 2021.
core activity through the expansion of pedestrian and cycling 2. C40 Knowledge. 2020. “How to build back better with a 15-minute
city. Implementation Guides.” https://www.c40knowledgehub.org/s/
+ Anti-poverty action infrastructure and reduces the impacts of climate change by article/How-to-build-back-better-with-a-15-minute-city?language=en_
strengthening blue-green networks, resulting in an improved US Accessed on 4 April 2021.
+ Increasing community self-sufficiency
urban health. It also fundamentally proposes an intelligent 3. Pavillon Arsenal. 2020. “Restructuring Caserne des Minimes.”
+ Extensive public participation housing strategy which promotes social inclusion through https://www.pavillon-arsenal.com/en/blog/11487-restructuring-
mixed income-levels, multi-generational living and equitable caserne-des-minimes.htm
+ Reducing carbon emissions 4. Sisson, P., 2023. City Monitor. “What is the 15-minute City?”, https://
access to urban amenities. While the vision is city-wide, its citymonitor.ai/community/neighbourhoods/what-is-a-15-minute-city
Weaknesses implementation is project-based and determined through 5. Moreno, C., Wiley, 2022. “The 15-Minute City: A Solution to Saving
extensive localised public engagement processes. Through Our Time and Our Planet”.
– Small-scale and insular development its application in a dense historic urban fabric, the project 6. O’Sullivan, F. Bloomberg City Lab. 2021. “Where the ‘15-Minute City’
demonstrates how the adaptive reuse of buildings can lead to Falls Short.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-02/
the-downsides-of-a-15-minute-city Accessed on 4 April 2021.
more sustainable construction practices and more equitable Courtyard of Minimes barracks. Source: Dmitry Kosyukov for
housing policies in the urban core. Bloomsberg Business Week. Feargus O’Sullivan, Laura Bliss, ‘The
15-Minute City—No Cars Required—Is Urban Planning’s New Utopia’, Further reading
12/11/2020 • Moreno, C., 2019. “The 15 minutes-city: for a new chrono-urbanism!”.
Project Weaknesses https://www.moreno-web.net/the-15-minutes-city-for-a-new-chrono-
The urban regeneration process requires insular development urbanism-pr-carlos-moreno/
• Yeung, P. British Broadcasting Corporation. 2021. “How ‘15-minute
which, if done unevenly, may weaken the city-wide vision. The cities’ will change the way we socialise.” https://www.bbc.com/
public and private amenities on offer in a given neighbourhood worklife/article/20201214-how-15-minute-cities-will-change-the-way-
can differ greatly in quantity and quality across the city we-socialise Accessed on 4 April 2021.
depending on local resources, community engagement and • Willsher, K. The Guardian. 2020. “Paris mayor unveils ‘15-minute
local economic conditions. Defining and ensuring a minimum city’ plan in re-election campaign.” https://www.theguardian.com/
world/2020/feb/07/paris-mayor-unveils-15-minute-city-plan-in-re-
standard for proximity, housing quality and essential uses
election-campaign Accessed on 4 April 2021.
is currently lacking, which may lead to exacerbated spatial
inequality. Without minimum standards and strong urban
networks, the urban regeneration project is susceptible
to creating siloed areas. For its success, the project relies
heavily both on large-scale municipal, regional and national
investments and coordination for the achievement of city-
wide circulation and public space networks and on small-
scale neighbourhood-level community initiative, neither of
which are guaranteed.6
Source: Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto. Vivienne Walt, The Time Online, ‘We Place de la Nation, one of seven transformed squares.
Heard Birds.’ Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo on How Lockdown Offered a Source: Dmitry Kosyukov for Bloomsberg Business Week
Glimpse at a Greener City’, 09/07/2020

44 45
 Urban Regeneration Worldwide | Case study 3 | Chiang Mai Urban Farm
Case Study 3 Chang Mai, Thailand Chang Mai, Thailand

Chang Mai Urban Farm

Project Description increased food insecurity and led by Jaaiban Studio, the Mae
Key stats Kha canal community came together in March 2020 to lobby
Chiang Mai is a city counting 130,000 inhabitants and has
Area = 4.500 sqm a metropolitan population of 1 million being the largest city local and provincial authorities to let the residents transform
Project Dates = 2020 - ongoing in northern Thailand. Its economy is heavily dependent on the landfill into a 4,800 sqm urban farm. Chiang Mai’s
the tourism industry with the city registering a 15% growth Province Governorship supported the initiative with planning
Key project terms in visitors from year to year since 2011 and counting over approvals and the city’s administration provided bulldozers,
7 million visitors in 2015.1 In this context, given global travel equipment and manpower to clear the landfill. After clearing
Food security
restrictions starting in the spring of 2020, the Covid-19 the site, the project organisers added a 1-metre thick soil layer
Underused lots 90 m
pandemic has severely impacted many residents’ sources of for the gardening beds. Community members then started 60 m
Community building
income. These restrictions have disproportionately affected planting with seeds and gardening tools received from private
Economic development and resilience
Chiang Mai’s low-income workers who abruptly lost their jobs donations.
Urban farming
Poverty alleviation in the tourism and service sectors. Because Chiang Mai’s By June 2020, fruit and vegetables were growing in the newly
low-income residents spend more than half their incomes on created urban farm of the Mae Kha canal neighbourhood and
Key project financing sources food2, the loss of their source of revenue and lack of access to the most vulnerable community members were supported
affordable food generated mass food insecurity as residents in feeding their families. After receiving a grant from the
Community Organizations Development Institute
struggled to feed their families. This is further exacerbated by Community Organisations Development Institute, Jaaibar
(financial)
pandemic-related global food supply disruptions which have Studio designed and built a bamboo-structure market where
Chiang Mai City Administration (bulldozers and
caused food prices to rise by 38% worldwide and basic food Chiang Mai urban farmers sell excess produce. In the long-
equipment for clearing landfill)
prices such as those of maize to increase by 80%. 3 term, the farm is also a motor for neighbourhood economic
Chiang Mai Province Governorship (planning-related
support) 2,500 low-income families live in informal settlements along the development.
Various small community donations (seeds) Mae Kha canal, a highly polluted urban canal that nevertheless The Chiang Mai Urban Farm project is an unconventional urban
supports an ecosystem of trees that runs through the city’s regeneration plan where an informal local leader engaged the
historic district. The architectural firm Jaaiban Studio pursued community to leverage an underused lot for socio-economic
community mapping to identify Chiang Mai’s unused lots as development. With modest private donations and support

CANAL
potential places for planting trees to mitigate the city’s heavy from provincial authorities, the rapid implementation of the
air pollution. However, when the impacts of the pandemic project reduced food insecurity and alleviated poverty while
made it difficult for thousands of Chiang Mai families to access

MAE KHA
revitalising a former landfill into an economic community
food, Jaaiban Studio identified a landfill site within the Mae Kha driver in both the short- and long-term. Additionally, the
canal district that could be cleared and used as an urban farm active engagement of the local community with the project
where community residents could practise urban agriculture implementation has given Mae Kha canal’s most vulnerable
for basic foods to increase the low-income community’s food residents a sense of ownership and belonging, a valuable
security throughout the pandemic and beyond. The Mae Kha project feature for building trust and raising consent for future Legend
canal community had been at the forefront of Chiang Mai’s urban regeneration initiatives within the community.
community organising, pooling resources to upgrade the Chiang Mai Urban Farm 1:5000
neighbourhood’s housing stock, clear the polluted canal and
improve the neighbourhood’s overall quality of life. Faced with Source: Chiang Mai Urban Farm Mae Kha Canal and Communities

46 47
Urban Regeneration Worldwide | Case study 3 | Chiang Mai Urban Farm Chang Mai, Thailand Urban Regeneration Worldwide | Case study 3 | Chiang Mai Urban Farm Chang Mai, Thailand

– Supports vulnerable communities

– Improves food security
– Promotes intergenerational
Covid-19 Implications for Project has directly provided Mae Kha canal neighbourhood families collaboration Considerations for Inclusion and Sustainability
Key project outputs Chiang Mai Urban Farm project is a direct response to the with food. In the long-term, the project has increased aware- – Based on continuous community Addressing SDG 2, Chiang Mai Urban Farm emerged as
hardships experienced by low-income communities due to ness about urban farming and spread specific knowledge on participation an urban regeneration process to address spatial inequality
✔ Productive farm set up in urban core
the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. Food insecurity is a how to grow food. It has also contributed to local economic – Improves nutrition quality – Develops anti-eviction measures
exposed by rising food prices during the Covid-19
✔ Food production brought within reach to 2,500 specific affliction of Chiang Mai’s Mae Kha canal low-income development via the physical market space where local pro- – Improves cleanliness of urban pandemic. By increasing access to locally-locally grown
low-income families community who saw its incomes slashed after the fall in the ducers can sell their excess produce and fruit. Taken together, waterways
nutritious food and by developing programmes to educate
tourism and service sectors in the spring of 2020. these accomplishments contribute to the community’s resil- local communities on urban agriculture, the urban farm
✔ Increase in disadvantaged community food security Spatial
ience in the face of future urban crises. Additionally, Chiang Inclusion acts as a bridge to community-led processes that would
✔ Public health outcomes in terms of improved By leveraging a government-owned landfill within the Mae Mai Urban Farm has also improved the nutritional quality of
Spatial ultimately enable residents to become more self-sufficient in
Spatial the community-initiated project
Kha canal neighbourhood,
nutrition the food consumed by Mae Kha canal community Inclusion families their livelihoods. Prior to the urban farm, the initiative flipped
Inclusion
set up a highly productive farm at the centre of the city where which has clear public health outcomes in the long-term. vacant lots into tree-planted gardens along a neglected
✔ Economic development through set up of market Urban
local residents affected by unemployment and the rise in food river bank, thus improving local urban health, contributing
prices could grow produce. Since opening in June 2020, the
Urban Urban
On the whole, the urban farm is part of wider community-led Health
Health
to climate change mitigation efforts and protecting an
Chiang Mai Urban Farm has improved nutrition, lowered food
Health efforts to clean the canal and to plant trees with the aims of environmental resource. The urban regeneration process
expenses and built greater self-sufficiency among some of the – Supports protection of urban
preserving the urban canal and improving quality of life and waterway builds up on community-led efforts to specifically address
city’s most vulnerable people. In the short-term, the project urban health. – Increases urban green area share evictions of residents of informal settlements that started in
Digital
Digital Digital Tranformation the 2000s. Then, local communities connected to support
C H I A N G
Q U I T O Tranformation Tranformation housing upgrading, clean the canal and preserve the river
P A R I S M A I
bank of the Mae Kha canal in an effort to enforce community
Quito Agrifood Pact Climate Urban Farm ownership and to avoid displacement.4 In this context, the
The 15-Minute City Chiang Mai Urban Farm contributes to the preservation of
Climate Action
Climate local identity and to the enforcement of human rights.
Action
Action

Culture &
Culture & Culture &
Heritage
Heritage Heritage
Conflict &
Conflict & Conflict &
Migration
Migration Migration

– Supports community identity

– Supports traditional farming practices

– Enables community resilience in

the face of displacement
Children cultivating their own fruit and vegetables. Source: Chiang Mai The farm’s multipurpose public space hosting a socially-distanced – Improves community organization
Urban Farm, as seen in International Institute for Environment and Devel- public event. Source: Chiang Mai Urban Farm, as seen in
opment, “Rubbish dump turned lush urban farm”, 2020. International Institute for Environment and Development, “Rubbish
dump turned lush urban farm”, 2020.
The diagram maps the cotribution to the six crosscutting areas linked to
urban regeneration processes in the current context. Digital transformation
Spatial was not identified as a key thematic area of the initiative.
Spatial inclusion
48 49
Urban
Inclusion
Health
Urban Regeneration Worldwide | Case study 3 | Chiang Mai Urban Farm Chang Mai, Thailand Urban Regeneration Worldwide | Case study 3 | Chiang Mai Urban Farm Chang Mai, Thailand

Project Strengths
Strengths References
By being community-initiated and -run, Chiang Mai Urban 1. Chinmaneevong, C. Bangkok Post. 2016. “Chiang Mai hoteliers face
+ Community-initiated and -run project; Farm’s biggest strength is that it addresses and adapts to the price war woe”. https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/982121/
+ Multi-stakeholder engagement; neighbourhood’s specific needs, both during and beyond the chiang-mai-hoteliers-face-price-war-woe Accessed 7 May 2022.
conditions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. It is also a 2. Chandran, R. 2021. “Thai landfill turned into urban farm to feed
+ Leveraging underused lots; model for transforming an underused lot in the urban core into mushroom farm poor during pandemic.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-
landrights-environment-trfn-idUSKBN29C0VH Accessed 7 May 2022.
+ Increasing food security; a highly productive site with economic and social benefits. The 3. The World Bank. 2021. “Food Security and Covid 19. Brief.” https://
adjacency of food production and farmers’ market bring the chicken farm
www.worldbank.org/en/topic/agriculture/brief/food-security-and-
+ Alleviating poverty; urban regeneration project to the scale of the neighbourhood, covid-19 Accessed 15 April 2021.
+ Crisis response. activating the public realm in its immediate vicinity, while 4. Boonmahathanakorn, S. International Institute for Environment and
improving the quality of life of all the neighbourhood’s Development. 2020. “ Rubbish dump turned lush urban farm.” https://
www.iied.org/rubbish-dump-turned-lush-urban-farm Accessed 7 May
Weaknesses residents. The project succeeded in alleviating poverty and multipurpose 2022.
– Centralised site risks reducing access for most Mae food insecurity by teaching the local community gardening public space 5. Duangputtan, P., Mishima, N. 2023. Participatory Placemaking
Kha communities who live along the canal’s entire and entrepreneurial skills and by applying them onto a real- for Inclusive Food Security: A Case Study of Chiang Mai Urban Farm,
length; world project. The successful combination of educational fast-growing Thailand. In: Rubbo, A., Du, J., Thomsen, M.R., Tamke, M. (eds) Design
Members of the Chiang Mai Homeless People’s Network. Source: Chiang vegetable plot for Resilient Communities. UIA 2023. Sustainable Development Goals
tools and applied outputs led to the community’s sense of fruit and vegetable plot
– Receiving support from city administration to use Mai Urban Farm, as seen in International Institute for Environment and vegetables Series. Springer, Cham.
ownership over the urban farm and its market, serving as a Development, “Rubbish dump turned lush urban farm”, 2020.
unused city-owned landfill lot for urban farm was model for bottom-up urban regeneration. flower garden
Further Reading
difficult.
• International Institute for Environment and Development. 2020.
Project Weaknesses vegetable plot “Rubbish dump tuend lush urban farm.” https://www.iied.org/rubbish-
vegetable plot dump-turned-lush-urban-farm.
Chiang Mai Urban Farm’s centralised site risks reducing
• Biodiversity International. 2020. “Covid-19 makes a strong case for
access to many Mae Kha communities who live further away
urban farming.” https://www.bioversityinternational.org/news/detail/
along the canal or to other vulnerable groups in the city. covid-19-makes-a-strong-case-for-urban-farming/.
Leveraging the mapping exercise through which Jaaiban • Eigenbrod, C. and Gruda, N. 2015. “Urban vegetable for food security
Studio identified underused lots across the city to extend the in cities. A review.” in Agronomy for Sustainable Development. https://
urban farming benefits to all Mae Kha community members link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13593-014-0273-y.pdf.
• Evans, D. and Davies, J. World Economic Forum. 2020. “4 reasons
would improve food security across all the neighbourhood’s
why the world needs more urban farming post-pandemic.” https://www.
vulnerable groups and would provide a model for scaling up a weforum.org/agenda/2020/09/urban-farming-flourish-post-pandemic.
successful urban regeneration pandemic response. While the • Chandran, R. World Economic Forum. 2021. “From a landfill site to an
project brought together a wide variety of stakeholders, the Zoning of the urban farm. Source: Chiang Mai urban farm: The transition that kept a Thai city fed during COVID-19.”
organisers initially struggled to get support from local public Urban Farm, as seen in International Institute for https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/01/landfill-coronavirus-covid-
authorities who should be prime partners to the project as Environment and Development, “Rubbish dump 19-thailand-urban-farm-food-produce/.
turned lush urban farm”, 2020. • Lei Win, T. Thomson Reuters Foundation News. 2018. “Urban farms
they own the land. The initiators succeeded in implementing ‘critical’ to combat hunger and adapt to climate change.” https://news.
the project with material support and pressure from regional trust.org/item/20180111102522-tb51m.
authorities. Source: Chiang Mai Urban Farm, as seen in International Institute for • Sheldon, M. NYC Food Policy Center. 2021. “Urban Farm in
Environment and Development, “Rubbish dump turned lush urban farm”, Thailand Reduces Pandemic-Induced Food Insecurity.” https://www.
2020. nycfoodpolicy.org/food-policy-snapshot-thailand-urban-farm/.

50 51
 New York City, USA Urban Regeneration Worldwide | Case study 4 | Chinatown Economy Recovery Project New York City, USA
Case Study 4
Chinatown Economic Recovery Project

Project Description affordable physical structures for outdoor dining which would
Key stats 1 2 2
Chinatown is a 100,000-inhabitant neighbourhood in help small local businesses operate anew. To finance their
Area = 50.000 sqm Manhattan, New York City, USA, whose main economic drivers efforts, the community organisation set up ThinkChinaTown.
Project Dates = 2020 - ongoing are tourism and the restaurant industry. When the Covid-19 org to gather donations to build the affordable structures. This
pandemic hit and New York City banned on-premise dining community initiative expanded to propose the neighbourhood-
Key project terms in March 2020, the neighbourhood’s many small shops and specific Chinatown Economic Recovery Project that would
restaurants had to close. While many restaurant businesses in bring together local communities, architects, businesses
Public realm activation
the rest of the city shifted to delivery and takeaway services, and the City in a formal capacity to find affordable, quick and
Local economic development
the small businesses of Chinatown lost their sources of tangible solutions to extend economic activity in the public
Open space pedestrianization
revenue as they lacked the financial and digital resources realm beyond the neighbourhood’s central streets.
Key project financing sources to shift their business online. 90% of Chinatown businesses
ceased operations as a consequence.1 The area’s small In July 2020, The Chinatown Partnership, a local development
Small local businesses corporation originally set up to support the neighbourhood’s
business owners took an economic hit after business had
The Rockwell Group rebuilding after the impact of 9/11, and the Rockwell Group,
already slowed down in early spring 2020 due to prejudice
New York City Hospitality Alliance an architecture firm focused on restaurant design, partnered
against the predominantly ethnically Chinese community of
Think Chinatown up to develop, finance and build a 120-seat outdoor dining
the neighbourhood.2 Within a few months, an economically
The Chinatown Partnership structure on Mott Street, a formerly vehicular street now 300 m
and culturally vibrant neighbourhood became economically 2
precarious and unsafe to many residents facing prejudice. Source: Think!Chinatown. Assembly for China Town. A+A+A Studio. pedestrianised at the centre of the neighbourhood. This
Accessed May 26, 2022. https://www.thinkchinatown.org/assembly. permitted many businesses along this central neighbourhood
artery to restart operations after months of inactivity and 3
By the summer of 2020, New York City’s Department
of Transportation launched its Open Streets/Open to increase footfall in the neighbourhood. The extension of
Restaurants programme3,4 which eased restrictions restaurants into outdoor dining on sidewalks and roadways
on on-premise dining to permit restaurants to service has been accompanied by a series of public programming
customers outdoors on the sidewalk and/or on the roadway. actions, including Mott Street Public Art Engagement,
The programme mapped out which streets would close to Outdoor Dining Initiative and DineOutNYC.5
vehicular traffic to provide space for temporary seating and
table structures where customers could be served in safe Collectively, the efforts of the local community, local authorities,
private companies and community organisations led to the 1 200 m
environments. While many restaurants took advantage of the
new open streets, Chinatown’s businesses struggled to invest successful revitalization of the neighbourhood following the
resources in setting up temporary structures, made difficult immediate impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
by the neighbourhood’s narrow sidewalks and streets, as well
as its many restricted parking spaces.

With the aim of revitalising the local neighbourhood economy

Legend
and activating the streetscape as early as May 2020, an
Asian/Pacific Islander women-led group of Chinatown
Hard Open Space 1 3 Columbus Park 1:2500
architects from three associations (A+A+A, Chaos Built, Source: Lynch, Scott. Outdoor Dining in Chinatown,2020. March Mott Street
Think!Chinatown) developed a series of prototypes for 5, 2021. Gothamist. https://gothamist.com/news/as-chinatown-
remains-on-life-support-how-will-the-next-councilmember-tackle-post- Soft Open Space 2 Bayard Street
pandemic-recovery.
52 53
 Culture &
Culture & Culture &
Heritage
Urban Regeneration Worldwide | Case study 4 | Chinatown Economy Recovery Project New Heritage
York City, USA Heritage
Urban Regeneration Worldwide | Case study 4 | Chinatown Economy Recovery Project New York City, USA
Conflict &
Conflict & Conflict &
Migration
Migration Migration

In the Context of the Covid-19 Pandemic – Enables safe food consumption Considerations for Inclusion and Sustainability
Key project outputs This project is a direct response to the economically devastating – Increases pedestrian and cycling The Chinatown Economic Recovery Project is an urban
activities – Supports struggling small regeneration process that addresses urban health and
✔ Construction of physical structures to permit impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on small businesses,
– Improves local air quality local businesses
outdoor economic activity and especially eateries, restaurants, cafes and bars, which pandemic recovery with social, economic and
all largely depend on indoor activity. The challenges faced environmental benefits. Starting from providing basic
✔ Pedestrianisation of neighbourhood streets by these businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic have support in the form of physical infrastructure to small
been exacerbated in Chinatown by the businesses’ lack of minority-owned businesses, the project addresses
✔ Cultural programming of streets in increase footfall Spatial – Leveraged social media
resources to invest in digital and takeaway platforms and challenges that go beyond economic resilience and aim
inclusion to raise awareness
by increased prejudice against the neighbourhood’s ethnic Spatial for long-term positive transformation for Chinatown.
Urban
makeup. The intervention at Mott Street showcases how Inclusion Affected by plunging numbers of customers as a
Health
the coming together of resources made available by local consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic and of prejudice
authorities, changes in zoning regulations, private investment against the local community, small businesses in Chinatown
Urban
and the capacity raised by community organisations can act Health suffered unevenly. In this context, the project addresses
Digital spatial inequality by enabling small businesses to leverage
as an urban regeneration plan to revitalise an economically-
Source: Think!Chinatown. Assembly for China Town. A+A+A Studio. Tranformation the easing of restrictions to reactivate economically. The
struggling area and an inactive public realm.
Accessed May 26, 2022. https://www.thinkchinatown.org/assembly. N Y C pedestrianisation of streets where eateries extended service
Digital contributes to an inclusive approach to regeneration and
The project also includes specific public health
C A components
I R O Chinatown Economy
Tranformation involves health gains through the promotion of walking and
which address pandemic-specific concerns. The Open Streets Climate Recovery cycling. The public art interventions supported increasing
programme developed by NYC’s Department ofThe Al-Dharb
Transportation Action footfall, improving street vibrancy and intergenerational
al-Ahmar Housing
permits the safe operation of restaurant services outdoors programming, while enhancing local cultural heritage.6
where Covid-19 transmission Climate Rehabilitation
is lower. In addition, by closing
off Mott street to vehicular Action
access, the project encourages Culture &
and increases pedestrianisation, a healthier alternative to the Heritage
– Reduces air and noise Conflict &
use of the car. Furthermore, with community organisations Culture & pollution emitted by cars
and private companies activating Mott Street through public Heritage Migration
Conflict &
art and other cultural events, the projectMigration
also provides the
neighbourhood with new child-friendly public open spaces
which encourage outdoor activities for children and families. – Promotes outdoor public community
art projects
– Supports vulnerable groups – Supports cultural group’s resilience
from displacement and bankruptcy – Engages design for public use

Source: Andrews, Emily. Outdoor Dining in New York’s Chinatown.

Dezeen. Danish media group JP/Politiken Media Group, September 29,
2020. accessed in May 2021. https://www.dezeen.com/2020/09/29/ The diagram maps the cotribution to the six crosscutting areas
open-restaurants-program-new-york-city-outdoor-dining-coronavirus/#. linked to urban regeneration processes in the current context.

54 55
Urban Regeneration Worldwide | Case study 4 | Chinatown Economy Recovery Project New York City, USA Urban Regeneration Worldwide | Case study 4 | Chinatown Economy Recovery Project New York City, USA

Project Strengths
Strengths References
The biggest strength of the Chinatown Economic Recovery
1. Yang, S. Wall Street Journal. 2020. “New York’s Chinatown Businesses
+ Multi-stakeholder collaboration; Project is its community-anchored approach which Struggle to Survive Coronavirus.” https://www.wsj.com/articles/
empowered it to act early on to respond to the negative new-yorks-chinatown-businesses-struggle-to-survive-coronavirus-
+ Community empowerment; economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. By focusing on shutdown-11588856400 Accessed 15 April 2021.
+ Public realm reprogramming; the immediate neighbourhood and fostering relationships of 2. Hubbell, D. The Guardian. 2021. “New York’s Chinatown pulls
trust with local business owners, it was able to immediately together to brighten the Covid darkness.” https://www.theguardian.com/
+ Inclusive urban design; travel/2021/jan/28/new-yorks-chinatown-pulls-together-to-brighten-the-
identify needs. Their initial efforts then attracted larger-scale covid-darkness Accessed 15 April 2021.
developments which led to the construction of generous 3. New York City Department of Transportation. 2020. “Open Streets.”
Weaknesses
outdoor dining facilities. Furthermore, the specific focus on https://www1.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pedestrians/openstreets.shtml
– Small-scale strategy cannot be replicated a single street in the neighbourhood established the project’s Accessed 20 June 2021.
success. Due to sparse resources, the initiators focused their 4. New York City Department of Transportation. 2020. “Open Restaurants.”
https://www1.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pedestrians/openrestaurants.shtml
efforts along a single street which, through programming,
Accessed 20 June 2021.
became a catalyst for reactivating the neighbourhood as 5.Light, A. Streets Blog NYC. 2020. “Chinatown Sees Car-Free Mott
a whole. Importantly, this Chinatown Economic Recovery Street as a Road to Recovery.” https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2020/07/28/
Project is not a conventional urban regeneration plan - it is chinatown-sees-recovery-in-a-car-free-mott-street/ Accessed 20 June
initiated and authored by community organisations which 2021.
seek to pool resources made available by local authorities 6. Wells, P. New York Times. 2020. “Chinatown Is Coming Back, One
Source: Think!Chinatown. Assembly for China Town. A+A+A Studio.
Noodle at a Time.” https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/03/dining/
and private investment in the neighbourhood with the aim of Accessed May 26, 2022. https://www.thinkchinatown.org/assembly.
chinatown-outdoor-dining-coronavirus.html Accessed 20 June 2021.
revitalising the social, economic and physical environment of
a neighbourhood street. NYC’s revitalisation programmes also Further reading
helped support action at the neighbourhood scale. In addition • Cruz, D. Gothamist. 2021. “As Chinatown “Remains On Life Support,”
to identifying areas where street closures could benefit local How Will The Next Councilmember Tackle Its Post-Pandemic Recovery?”
businesses, the Open Streets / Open Restaurants programme https://gothamist.com/news/as-chinatown-remains-on-life-support-
how-will-the-next-councilmember-tackle-post-pandemic-recovery
of NYC’s Department of Transportation also permitted multiple Gibson, E. Dezeen. 2020. “Outdoor dining on New York City streets
adjacent businesses to pool resources together to establish a becomes permanent”. https://www.dezeen.com/2020/09/29/open-
more expansive dining area along the street, thus fostering restaurants-program-new-york-city-outdoor-dining-coronavirus/
local partnerships and solidarity. • ThinkChinaTown.org. 2020. “Assembly.” https://www.thinkchinatown.
org/assembly Accessed 4 April 2021.
Project Weaknesses • Yang, S. The Wall Street Journal. 2020. “New York’s Chinatown
Businesses Struggle to Survive Coronavirus Shutdown.” https://www.
Throughout the summer of 2020, similar autonomous projects wsj.com/articles/new-yorks-chinatown-businesses-struggle-to-survive-
emerged in the neighbourhood. A farther-reaching revitalization coronavirus-shutdown-11588856400 Accessed 20 June 2021.
project would have come about if the stakeholders behind the
various small-scale recovery projects pooled their resources
- financial, social and cultural - to amplify their voice and
address the comprehensive needs of the neighbourhood as
whole. Source: Think!Chinatown. Assembly for China Town. A+A+A Studio. Source: Emily Andrews for Rockwell Group via Secret NYC.
Accessed May 26, 2022. https://www.thinkchinatown.org/assembly.

56 57
 Cairo, Egypt Urban Regeneration Worldwide | Case study 5 | The al-Dharb al-Ahmar Housing Rehabilitation Project Cairo, Egypt
Case Study 5
The al-Dharb al-Ahmar Housing Rehabilitation Programme

Project Description building. In this sense, raising awareness, building trust and
Key stats actively involving the local community were key to the project
Al-Darb al-Ahmar is a 100,000 inhabitant historic
Area = 1.2 sqkm neighbourhood in eastern Cairo, Egypt, which experienced outcomes.
Inhabitants = 100,000 (UCLG, 2010) a deterioration of its housing stock and public open space
Project Dates = 1998 - 2009 (incomplete) throughout the 1990s. This deterioration implied safety In this context, the urban regeneration project is deeply
Key project terms concerns for residents and pedestrians and it impeded local innovative in at least two ways. Firstly, the Rehabilitation 1.6
Programme diverted from conventional conservation projects km
Housing tenure economic development and reduced the neighbourhood’s
quality of life in one of Cairo’s low-income areas. Bounded on which zero in on individual historic monuments and focused
Housing quality instead on the preservation of an entire neighbourhood.
Historic preservation the east by Al-Azhar Park, a 32-ha-large park completed in
2004, the project focused on housing rehabilitation to revitalise Secondly, the Rehabilitation Programme is a fine example
Innovative finance in innovative finance with long-lasting positive impact
Participatory Planning the urban area as a whole while supporting local residents
in securing tenure. Launched in 1998 by the Aga Khan Trust beyond the project timeframe.2 Because the majority of the
Key project financing sources for Culture, the al-Darb al-Ahmar Housing Rehabilitation neighbourhood’s inhabitants are low-income residents, they AL AZHAR PARK
Programme brought together local authorities, international had been excluded from accessing loans to maintain a safe
Egyptian-Swiss Development Fund and healthy building condition. The project is unique in that it
Ford Foundation organisations and international donors to develop an urban CAIRO 1.8 km
regeneration project for the neighbourhood whose object of empowers local residents, both tenants and owners, to take
World Monuments Fund ownership of the rehabilitation works.
Aga Khan Trust for Culture intervention is the building.
Before
Canadian International Development Agency Managed by the Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance, the
Social Fund for Development The plan started off with an extensive participatory process
and expert studies to identify the state of the neighbourhood’s microcredit scheme granted access to affordable loans to
housing stock, the specific interventions needed to restore the building’s inhabitants who could otherwise not access
classic loans due to their low incomes. Concomitantly with
NASIR
structurally precarious buildings and the best ways to include
local residents in taking ownership over the rehabilitation an educational programme to increase residents’ knowledge
works1 in an effort to avoid gentrification and displacement. of financial tools, the microcredit schemes were tailored to
Beyond understanding what the community’s needs are, the individual financial needs. While the scheme required an
intensive inclusion of residents in all project phases aimed at affordable minimum downpayment, the length and share of
preventing the eviction of the buildings’ residents, at increasing repayment was agreed by the resident and the Aga Khan
their housing tenure and at raising consent in both the financial Agency for Microfinance on a case-by-case basis. For every
and technical components of the project. building project, the Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance
worked with architects to determine the extent of the
The al-Darb al-Ahmar Community Development Company rehabilitation works in order to fairly estimate the project cost Legend

was set up by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and the and the size of the loan.
1:15.000
Egyptian State’s Social Fund for Development to implement Neighborhood
the rehabilitation works once contracts and individual
financing processes were set up by residents and the project Action Areas
stakeholders. Importantly, the Rehabilitation Programme After
depended on individual tenants and owners approaching the Source: TADAMUN, ‘Al-Darb al-Ahmar Housing Rehabilitation Key Open Space
project organisers to initiate the rehabilitation process for their Programme: Housing Rehabilitation beyond Physical Upgrading’,
30/03/2017, accessed in 05/2021.

58 59

rce:
 Action

Culture & Culture &

Urban Regeneration Worldwide | Case study 5 | The al-Dharb al-Ahmar Housing Rehabilitation Project Cairo, Egypt Urban Regeneration Worldwide | Case study 5 | The al-Dharb al-Ahmar Housing Rehabilitation Project
Heritage Heritage Cairo, Egypt
Conflict &
Conflict &
Migration
Migration

– Improves housing quality for vulnerable groups

– Improves financial literacy and independence
Covid-19 Implications for Project – Improves housing quality and safety Considerations for Inclusion and Sustainability
Key project outputs4 Although a decade old, the al-Darb al-Ahmar Housing – Based on continuous community engagement The al-Dharb al-Ahmar Housing Rehabilitation Programme
Rehabilitation Programme presents valuable lessons in – Ensures community ownership and accountability is an urban regeneration process that sought to reduce
✔ Rehabilitation of 110 buildings between 2002 and – Improves housing air flow and
2010 urban regeneration and public health planning in its notable ventilation social inequality in Cairo by improving the deteriorated
relationship to housing design. Based on findings from the – Improves housing structural integrity building stock in a low-income community. By pursuing an
✔ 99.6% of microcredit loan repayment rate – Creates / improves sanitary
2003 neighbourhood report compiled by the Aga Khan Cultural inclusive approach in which residents were trained through
infrastructure
✔ Reduction of evictions through Supreme Council of Services Egypt for the project’s second phase, 22% of al-Darb a series of household finance workshops the programme
Antiquities demolition policy shift al-Ahmar’s housing stock did not have a bathroom and 32% involved residents to drive the rehabilitation of their homes.
Spatial
had rooms that lacked any form of ventilation.3 Concomitantly, Spatial The programme also inclusion
supported residents to own the
Urban
the survey also found that over a third of residents interviewed Inclusion rehabilitation works in full by providing realistic micro-loans
Health
suffered from rheumatism and chest diseases. Given the and supporting residents with the financial skills to repay
survey findings, the Programme responded by partnering the loans. The programme brings together international
up with architects to leverage the rehabilitation works as an Urban organisations and donors, residents and beneficiaries, local
Health Digital
opportunity to improve the quality of the housing stock. The experts in finance, architecture and engineering, and local
rehabilitation works thus had to include the layout of a kitchen Tranformation
authorities in a participatory approach that expanded over
and a toilet and the inclusion of ventilation mechanisms for Before a decade through N Ymeaningful
C and diversified engagement.
each dwelling room. This approach showcases how urban Digital Having gathered quantitative and qualitative data on
regeneration projects can be leveraged to improve long-term C A I R O Chinatownand
health indicators Economy
building features, the rehabilitation
Tranformation
public health outcomes and the general quality of life for local Climate process Recovery
modified interior layouts to improve airflow and
The Al-Dharb
inhabitants and, implicitly, to render local communities more Action sanitation and presents positive urban health outcomes.
resilient in the face of public health crises. al-Ahmar Housing Through the rehabilitation works, the urban regeneration
Climate Rehabilitation process preserves local cultural heritage and the urban
Importantly, the Rehabilitation Programme was one of five Action experience, while protecting residents and visitors from
Culture &
parallel programmes that holistically addressed housing structural damage. Through its participatory
Heritage and inclusive
Conflict &
rehabilitation, infrastructure/open space, employment, social Culture & process, the project leverages the building as a bridge to
Migration
services and micro-finance. Taken together, specific projects Conflict & Heritage community-led processes in the long-term.
in these areas of focus lead to sustainable neighbourhood – Developed alongside a park
Migration
conservation and, implicitly, to long-term resilience in the
face of crises. Essential to the project’s long-term viability, all
Programmes aimed at building institutional capacity through
community organising, educational workshops and by – Rehabilitates historic urban fabric
setting up legal and financial processes developed with local – Supports housing tenure – Educates community on restoration
authorities and communities with the goal that these would through anti-gentrification actions
outlive the project timeframe.
After
Sources: TADAMUN, ‘Al-Darb al-Ahmar Housing Rehabilitation
Programme: Housing Rehabilitation beyond Physical Upgrading’, The diagram maps the cotribution to the six crosscutting areas linked to
30/03/2017. urban regeneration processes in the current context. Digital transformation
was not identified as a key feature of the initiative.

60 61
Urban Regeneration Worldwide | Case study 5 | Al-Dharb al-Ahmar Housing Rehabilitation Project Cairo, Egypt Urban Regeneration Worldwide | Case study 5 | Al-Dharb al-Ahmar Housing Rehabilitation Project Cairo, Egypt

Strengths
Strengths The project’s strengths are its extensive years-long qualitative References
and quantitative participatory exercises and its focus on 1. Tadamun: The Cairo Urban Solidarity Initiative. 2017. “Al-Darb
+ Multi-stakeholder participatory planning practices; al-Ahmar Housing Rehabilitation Programme: Housing Rehabilitation
raising ownership of the project scope by the residents beyond Physical Upgrading.” http://www.tadamun.co/?post_
+ Improved housing tenure; who were ultimately impacted by the urban regeneration type=initiative&p=8465&amp;lang=en&lang=en#.YKESU6hKjZs
+ Data-driven planning practices; project. By bringing together public institutions, international Accessed 4 April 2021.
organisations and the local community, the Rehabilitation 2. Ibrahim, K. Urban Regeneration Project for Historic Cairo-URHC.
+ Improved institutional collaboration; Programme leveraged critical expertise for the improvement 2011. “Housing Rehabilitation Study, Historic Cairo.” http://www.
urhcproject.org/Content/studies/5_ibrahim_housing.pdf Accessed 4
of people’s housing safety, quality and broader needs.
April 2021. p. 27.
Weaknesses Importantly, by financing the rehabilitation works through 3. Shehayeb, D. Aga Khan Cultural Services Egypt. 2003. “Darb
– Weak engagement from local community after data- microloans taken by the project beneficiaries, the revitalization Al-Ahmar Phase II, Baseline Survey-Final Report.”
project extended financial literacy, a positive long-term impact. 4. Tadamun: The Cairo Urban Solidarity Initiative. 2017. “Al-Darb
gathering phase; In this context, the Rehabilitation Programme is an urban al-Ahmar Housing Rehabilitation Programme: Housing Rehabilitation
regeneration project which is focused on establishing a strong beyond Physical Upgrading.” http://www.tadamun.co/?post_
– Slow financing and implementation phases; type=initiative&p=8465&amp;lang=en&lang=en#.YKESU6hKjZs
regeneration process that could outlive the project timeframe.
– Large-scale building code violations and historic building Accessed 4 April 2021.
demolitions after project end Weaknesses Further Reading
Before
The project’s weaknesses derive from the lengthy bureaucratic • Shehayeb, D. Al Darb Al-Ahmar Community Development
processes due to the fact that the project initiators received Company. 2009. “Post Implementation Survey-Final Draft Report.”
weak institutional support from local authorities before the • United Cities and Local Governments. Inclusive Cities Laboratory.
2010. “Cairo, Egypt: The Al-Darb Al-Ahmar Housing Rehabilitation
rehabilitation works took off. The project also saw lengthy Programme.”
negotiations between owners, tenants and local authorities
on the rehabilitation process for individual buildings. The
rehabilitation works required significant initiative on part of
the building inhabitants who would have to commit to lengthy
processes of financing, design and implementation. Hence
the active engagement from local residents took time to pick
up. While the financing and implementation processes set
in place by the project were intended to outlive the project
timeframe, in 2010, after the Programme’s initiators concluded
the project, the rehabilitation works stopped. The project thus
did not achieve the long-term independence the initiators had
hoped for early on.

After
Sources: TADAMUN, ‘Al-Darb al-Ahmar Housing Rehabilitation Source: Otte, Gary. Conservation and Revitalisation of Darb Al-Ahmar, Cairo, Egypt. Aga Khan Development Network. Accessed May 26, 2022.
Programme: Housing Rehabilitation beyond Physical Upgrading’, https://www.akdn.org/where-we-work/middle-east/egypt/cultural-development-egypt.
30/03/2017.
62 63
 Conclusions
“The ‘right to the city’ includes the right to access spaces that promote social
cohesion, support healthy lifestyles and deliver economic benefits as well as the
right to transform the city by legitimizing leadership from within the community.
Considering health impacts can promote fuller participation in urban decision-
making by various stakeholders and members of different communities.”

4
Maimunah Mohd Sharif, October 2020

64
Conclusions Conclusions

Across the historic case studies responding to previous Approaches to urban regeneration Chiang Mai’s Urban Farm, the urban regeneration project
public health crises and ongoing responses to disruptions Covering a variety of areas of urban life from food security to centres on leveraging underused lots to accommodate
caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, urban planning and historic preservation, the case studies in urban regeneration urban farming and food market activities. In New York’s
urban regeneration are at the core of recovery policies. The evince how the tool can be used to address specific issues Chinatown Economic Recovery Project, the main approach
Influenza pandemics of 1918 and 1957 respectively elicited from the scale of the singular building to the systems and is to reprogramme public open space from vehicular-centred
specific responses in the form of large-scale investments in processes of entire urban regions in both large and medium- uses to pedestrian-centred uses to support economic
physical infrastructure. Improving mobility and developing new sized cities. development and cultural activities. In Cairo’s Al-dharb
technologies were the planning tools that enabled recovery, Al-ahmar Housing Rehabilitation Programme, the initiators
stimulating economic activity, integrating multi-level authorities The case studies presented in this document approach implemented rehabilitation works of privately-owned buildings
and enhancing quality of life. The experience of the Covid-19 urban regeneration with a focus on specific urban challenges. by approaching the urban regeneration project with innovative
pandemic demonstrates that urban regeneration is necessary However, due to urban regeneration’s holistic and integrative financing processes which increased ownership of the plan
for recovery efforts as it is able to integrate social, economic, nature, the specific challenges are addressed through actions by the beneficiaries and brought a variety of stakeholders to
physical and environmental aspects into concrete projects that tackle spatial inequality, climate change, urban health, the same table.
that have direct positive impacts on people’s lives. Our case digital transformation and culture and heritage.
Across the investigated case studies, an inclusive participatory
studies show that the process of urban regeneration can take
In Quito’s Agrifood Pact, the main approach is to restructure approach underpins the effectiveness of the urban
place at multiple scales and hone in on specific urban issues, Left: Our City Plans (publication). To the digital platform.
the governance of urban food systems and integrate regeneration project outcomes and outputs. Participatory
all while tackling interconnected challenges and opportunities. Right: Tactical Urbanism Master Plan for San Nicolás de los Garza
participatory tools within the decision-making process to processes deployed in the document’s case studies
Whether this means addressing food insecurity, climate
increase food security. In Paris’s 15-Minute City, the present varied approaches, adapted correspondingly to the The Municipality of San Nicolás de los Garza (Mexico) applied the
change mitigation, inclusive urban governance, economic
central approach to city-wide urban regeneration is shifting urban regeneration project aims and size. The participatory participatory process of Our City Plans to develop its 2030 Vision
resilience or urban health, urban regeneration is a holistic
zoning uses to increase mix use, notably that of affordable processes deployed in the case studies at hand range from (SNG2030 City Vision). Tactical urbanism was identified as a process with
and integrative process and an effective tool for inclusive and
housing, and facilitate adaptive reuse in the city centre. In community mapping exercises and surveys (Quito Agrifood great potential to trigger positive change on local level. In collaboration
sustainable recovery. with UN-Habitat, the municipality developed a Tactical Urbanism Master
Pact) to community financial ownership of urban regeneration
Plan, aligned with the themes of the SNG 2030 Vision.
works (Cairo’s Al-dharb Al-ahmar Housing Rehabilitation
Programme). Many participatory tools are investigated across
UN-Habitat’s publications and synthesised notably in UN-
Habitat’s Our City Plans.
As a central tool for the execution of post-disruption
recovery plans, urban regeneration presents opportunities
to bring together multiple stakeholders in innovative finance
processes. The case studies in this document present urban
regeneration financing schemes that range from multi-scalar
public authority investments to public-private partnerships to
microloans for community ownership. These demonstrate the
capacity of urban regeneration processes to engage diverse
interests for improving urban environments.

Source: Jeenah Moon for the New York Times. A Quito resident buys vegetables from a local farmer in a bioferia.
Source: AGRUPAR via Open Edition Journal.

66 67
Conclusions Conclusions

Recommendations
Multi-Level Coordination Inclusive Participatory Planning Innovative Finance Technological Investment
Think Big, Apply Locally Engage Many, Meaningfully Leverage Private-Public Partnerships and Think Long-Term Improve Quality of Life and Well-being Conclusion References
1. For stakeholder identification tools, see United Nations Human
The experience of the Covid-19 pandemic and of urban To achieve long-term community support, urban regeneration While participatory planning and community organisation Historically, investments in technological advancement in Settlements Organization. 2021. T8 Stakeholders’ Mapping in “Our
The case studies presented in this document reveal how City Plans, An Incremvental and Participatory Toolbox for Urban
disruptions explored in the historic precedents reveals the must be developed alongside a continuous, meaningful are key, financing is a crucial component of long-term urban post-disruption recovery packages led to the expansion of the the tool of urban regeneration is deployed in various Planning.” https://unhabitat.org/our-city-plans-an-incremental-and-
important role public institutions play in effectively managing and inclusive process of community engagement. Here, regeneration thinking. While the implementation of an urban electric network in the United States through the 1920s and approaches to mitigate the immediate impacts of urban participatory-toolbox-for-urban-planning Accessed 7 May 2022.
the immediate effects of urban disruptions and in developing community must be defined according to the specific context regeneration project has a specific timeline, planning for costs of the motorway and roads network in the United Kingdom
and scope of the project, but should include a variety of disruptions and to ensure cities become more inclusive, 2. Ullman, H. Atlantic Council. 2020. “Economic recovery from
and implementing successful socio-economic recovery beyond the time frame ensures its resilience. This requires in the 1960s. The ensuing increased quality of life and well-planned and regionally-integrated. Historic precedents coronavirus: Lessons from 1918-1923.” https://www.atlanticcouncil.
plans. Public institutions provide irreplaceable basic services stakeholders: government institutions, the private sector, project-specific creative financing. For example, the al- org/blogs/new-atlanticist/economic-recovery-from-coronavirus-
mobility stimulated industry and job-creation which reduced of urban disruptions also hint to the importance of
and public goods throughout and beyond disruptions. It is community associations, NGOs, displaced communities, Dharb al-Ahmar Housing Rehabilitation Programme brings lessons-from-1918-1923/ Accessed 7 May 2022.
unemployment over a short period of time. Some argue that urban regeneration in the socio-economic recovery
important to differentiate between the roles institutions at migrants etc.1 For example, in Quito’s Agrifood Pact, a together international philanthropic funds and an affordable the equivalent recovery of the post-Covid-19 pandemic must process. Notably following public health crises, urban
different scales play in implementing successful responses to series of communities ranging from local farmers and low- loan scheme accessed by the beneficiaries. The combination include the deployment of 5G broadband and large-scale regeneration has proved to be an effective tool to improve
urban disruptions. As the historical case studies of Chapter income families to academic researchers and big food of the two led to the rehabilitation projects’ community-
vendors were consulted as part of the project’s engagement. investments in physical infrastructure.2 These would urban living conditions, particularly in the areas of housing
2 demonstrate, national governments are able to mobilise ownership. However, the Programme’s main weakness
The engagement processes also materialised in specific stimulate the economy, create new jobs and improve quality quality, tenure and access, public open space quality and
significant budgets and to provide research for evidence- stems from the halting of the rehabilitation works when the
tangible outputs with a map of the city’s food distribution of life and well-being. Many cities and countries are already provision, basic service provision and food security, and
based policy in the context of evolving disruptive situations. international philanthropic community ended the project
networks being the most consequent`ial. In the beginning pursuing such policies, some within the context of national to prevent similar disruptions from reoccurring. However,
With human activity concentrated in urban areas, local funding. Here, the resilience of the Programme beyond the
of the Covid-19 pandemic, the map was used to distribute presence of the international donor and initiator would have large-scale investments and others on their own. Paris’s given past urban regeneration experiences leading to
authorities play a key role in addressing local and community
needs, delivering services and implementing socio-economic food to areas which lacked supply and was an essential tool been possible if local and national authorities had been 15-minute city concept reorganises urban infrastructure gentrification and displacement, specific actions must
recovery plans set out by national governments. Multi-level in poverty alleviation and improving food security. This case involved in the rehabilitation organisation, financing and for multimodal transportation, cycling and walking, and be taken today to ensure existing communities are
coordination among tiers of government is thus essential study demonstrates how, when done right, community maintenance process. In this context, financing for urban situates it within extensive blue-green networks. The reframing positively impacted by the process. Of importance to the
in potent crisis management, successful socio-economic engagement can be the urban regeneration process regeneration needs to lead to both community ownership or of urban infrastructure with a focus on pedestrians requires effectiveness of the urban regeneration process is the
recovery and effective prevention of and resilience in the face itself and result in transformation that improves quality of life involvement and to diverse and nimble financing sources that extensive investments in the city’s physical fabric, improving approach taken to implement it. The case studies explored
of future crises. and avoids displacement. are not dependent on a sole sponsor. mobility, equity and well-being in the urban environment. in this document point to the essential inclusion of the
following elements in the urban regeneration process:
inclusive participatory processes, multi-level
coordination structures, public open space strategy,
innovative and inclusive financing schemes, anti-
gentrification actions.

Collectively, the case studies in crisis-responsive urban

regeneration projects present models for the world. From
the international perspective of the global case studies
which hones in on diverse urban regeneration processes
across cultural boundaries, the formats urban regeneration
can take to improve a multitude of aspects of urban life,
demonstrate the effectiveness of urban regeneration in
creating more inclusive and vibrant communities.

Participatory Mapping in Bubaque, Guinea Bissau. Source: UN-Habitat. Participatory activities for the project Parque de la Equidad, Cancun, Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle. Igloo (UK) established a community fund Source: Emilie Koefoed for the Obel Award.
Mexico. The initiative managed to successfully incorporate digital tools to support collaborative community activities, managed by the residents
for public engagement during Covid-19. Source: UN-Habitat. and businesses in each phase. Source: Skyscraper City.

68 69
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