Urban Development & Governance: Risks & Opportunities, Learning from other Cities

I was able to attend an open to the public Urban Development & Governance: Risks & Opportunities, Learning from other Cities - Understanding Choices Forum (A four-part Urban Development Series this year) by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. in collaboration with the University of Cologne, South East Asian-Germany Forum for Urban Futures (ForUm-Network), and National Economic and Development Authority (Neda-7) which was held at the Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center.

Some mitigation measures done by other countries, funny but True!

Half of the world's population already lives in urban areas and by the middle of this century most regions of the developing world will be predominantly urban. This ongoing growth is expected to concentrate in major cities in the world. To combat recent urban sprawl and/or stimulate urban dynamics, programs on urban development and governance have been established.

Mr. Prak Angkeara, Deputy Director General, General Department Land Management and Urban Planning

These programs are usually set up in a policy-making context, urban development planning and societal participatory governance. As to what have been the effects, successes and failures, these have steadily created impact and have changed the urban scenario and courses in various major cities. And this is good since we have a lot to learn from other country's cities of there Best practices to relate and apply in our own situation, if possible.

Prof.Dr. Frauke Kraas from Department of Geography - University of Cologne, Germany

The forum highlighted inputs from more than one international experts and professionals from ForUm-Network, a network of global experts in the field of urban planning and development. The experts are: Prak Angkeara, deputy director general of the General Department of Land Management and Urban Planning, who talked on Urban networking by participatory community land use planning in Cambodia; Dr. Sekson Yongvanit from Khon Kaen University and Vinrunpob Supab from the Ministry of National Resources in Thailand, who talked about how Khon Kaen City in Thailand improved itself from green and clean city to Low Carbon City; and Dr. Goh Hong Ching from the Department of Geography in Universiti Malaya in Malaysia, who talked on the risks being faced by Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Dr. Goh Hong Ching from Malaysia, Department of Geography - Universiti Malaya

About the ForUm-Network:

The ForUm-Network, the "Forum for Urban Future" is a network of partners from South-East Asia and Germany in the field of urban planning and development. Since 2007, the ForUm-Network has provided a platform for exchange of concepts, researches and application-oriented results between and among South-East Asian and German universities and institutions through regular summer schools and expert seminars on urbanization and urban development.

Every year, the ForUm-Network focuses on specific topics or concerns related to urbanization, and urban planning & development. This year the topic is Regional Urban Networks and the challenges of urban environmental and risk management.

Mr. Virunpob Supab from Ministry of Natural Resources, Thailand

I learned a lot once again from this leg of the Understanding Choices Forum, not just about grass-roots, regional and urban planning, but also the interaction of different cultures present in the forum which had various delegates from CDO, Manila, Germany, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and the like! It was truly a multi-sectoral, with Businesses and NGOs participating that made it also International!