| Urban
Economic Development
"A Living Laboratory" The City of Chattanooga,
USA
In 1969, Chattanooga was the most polluted city in the USA; by
1990 it was recognised by the US Environmental Protection Agency
as the nation's best turn around story. Chattanooga's vision is
to become a city where ecological initiatives generate a strong
economic base, nurture social institutions and enhance the natural
and made environment. Numerous collaborative efforts have generated
the capital resources, the political commitment and the civic momentum
to tackle complex problems such as affordable housing, public education,
transportation alternatives, urban design, conservation of natural
areas, parks and greenways, air and water pollution, recycling and
job training, downtown river front development and neighbourhood
vitality.
Civic culture is key to Chattanooga's successes and future. Building
on this civic culture, the City has turned its attention to its
Southside inner city neighbourhood, once ridden with crime, drugs
and violence. Progress to date includes: bulldozing a dilapidated
shopping centre to make way for a retail residential complex housing
a business incubator for resident owned and operated businesses,
an expanded early childhood intervention programme, a mini-precinct
police station and social and recreational programmes for adults
and children. Other activities include: the building of a new sports
facility linked to job creation and job training for surrounding
neighbourhoods; renovation of the Grand Hotel into 36 one-bedroom
apartments for low-income residents with retail space on the first
floor; and the addition of tree and street lighting to attract private
investment. Chattanooga continues to demonstrate that sustainable
development is a process not a result.
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Tomaszow Enterprise 'Incubator' Foundation, Poland
Unemployment is an economic and social problem that transcends
political and national boundaries although its extent manifests
itself to varying degrees and proportions in different localities.
The objective of the initiative was to improve local vocational
training capacity and reduce unemployment, which was well above
the national average. This was done through the creation of the
Employment Forum that undertook co-ordination and reorganisation
of local vocational training programs based on a needs assessment,
and built a data base on local training needs, training capacity
and training graduates. The Forum affiliated representatives of
training organisations, public officials from 10 counties, employers
and unemployed persons that worked together to improve local information
flow, develop better training courses and bring together newly trained
individuals with potential employers. The program is currently being
expanded to include another four cities in the Piotrkow Province,
and the cities of Opole and Zyrardow.
Achievements to date include: the creation of a coalition of vocational
training organisations in Tomaszow providing co-ordinated vocational
training programs and developing new training schemes for the unemployed;
completion of a survey of 6,000 local employers assessing training
needs and hiring plans; developing and setting up databases on employers,
training institutions and unemployed graduates. 65 % of trainees
found employment or are currently continuing training education.
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Alternative Development Standards: Towards More Efficient
Use of Land, Ottawa-Carleton, Canada
In response to concerns related to the costs and amount of land
devoted to residential development, the Regional Municipality of
Ottawa-Carleton has adopted guidelines for alternative development
standards to reduce the cost of housing, create more compact development,
and make better use of land. The guidelines include minimum standards
for local road allowances, lot sizes and utility placement. A pilot
project has been undertaken in partnership with Minto Developments
Inc. and the City of Gloucester to test and monitor the performance
of the alternative standards against the project's objectives of
reducing development costs, offering affordable and marketable housing,
and providing safe, effective and cost efficient servicing.
Preliminary monitoring results of the pilot project indicate that
the use of smaller lot sizes and road allowances generate significant
development and housing costs savings:
• Development cost savings of $8,500 per unit;
• House cost savings of $8,500 per unit;
• 48% reduction in land required for semi-detached homes;
• 46% reduction in land required for row housing units.
Contact Person: Nick Tunnacliffe
(613) 560-2053
info@city.ottawa.on.ca
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Relocation of Street Trading, Successful Experiences of
Recovery of Public, Peru
During the last decades, the Lima Historical Centre, one of the
internationally renowned areas with the highest cultural and architectural
value in Peru and South America, underwent processes of urban blight,
saturation of public spaces, deterioration of services and unplanned
changes in land use. Unfortunately, previous administrations' attempts
to solve these problems were unsuccessful. Street trading accelerated
the process of deterioration of the city and was compounded further
by recession and unemployment.
Since 1996, the successful intervention by the City Council in
co-ordination with street traders and private investors, their relocation
to business areas in the metropolis, and the reconditioning and
revival of important public spaces have made it possible for the
population to regain their identity. As a result, the historical
centre of Lima has once again become a place to live and work. 90%
of the street traders were accommodated in 50 shopping centres and
fairs, occupying 149,000 m2 whose construction and rehabilitation
were funded by the private sector (US$59 million). The remaining
10% were incorporated in the Historical Centre tourist network.
12 squares and parks, 5 promenades and avenues and 194 roads were
reconditioned. The city has realised savings of up to one million
dollars in public cleaning, due to the reduction of solid residues
(from 13,140 metric tons in 1996 to 4,672 metric tons in 1999).
Revaluation of real estate and public space heritage has seen the
values of property appreciate by up to 6 times.
Contact Person: Abel Terry Egusquiza
Tel: (511) 4-279761/4-278653
Fax: (511) 4-266080
E-mail: ahterry@munlima.gob.pe
/ ahterry@hotmail.com
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Inter-City Links
Solid Waste Management and Environmental sanitation - a
public-private management program, San Salvador, El Salvador
This Public-Private Management practice is based on the modernisation
of institutional entities brought about by the new political environment
in the Metropolitan area of San Salvador. The area is composed of
10 municipalities and has a population of 2 million inhabitants.
The office responsible for metropolitan planning and urban affairs
(OPAMSS) initiated a process of participatory and democratic decision-making
and the efficient use of resources.
The Municipality of San Salvador, together with the 9 other Municipalities
of the Metropolitan Area, joined efforts with the private sector,
NGOs, CBOs and a University to develop and implement an Integrated
Solid Waste Management Program. The idea was to cope with the critical
environmental problems caused by inadequate solid waste management.
This program brought innovative procedures to solid waste management:
street cleaning, separation at source, composting, recycling, and
the construction and operation of a sanitary landfill. Partnerships
between the public and private sector, including micro-enterprises,
co-operatives, utility companies and a Canadian company were established.
The Municipality, NGOs, CBOs and the University undertook awareness-building
and educational campaigns in order to improve habits and promote
compliance among micro-enterprises. A training-educational program
was implemented for waste collectors and residents.
The Private-Public Solid Waste Management practice has redressed
the negative repercussions on public and environmental health produced
by the inadequate collection and dumping practices. Through the
practice there has been inter-municipal cooperation and the establishment
of effective partnerships between the public, private and civil
society sectors. There has been tangible impact achieved including
namely improved waste collection and sanitation in poor settlements
in 20%; the treatment of 1,100 tons of solid waste per day, the
reduction of clandestine dumping by 40%, the creation of 5 cooperatives
and 5 micro enterprises (in San Salvador, Nejapa and Apopa) and
the social reinsertion of 300 waste collectors.
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Street Shops as solution to lawless occupation of the Public
Property, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Ouagadougou is a cosmopolitan town of 1,044,000 inhabitants. 10%
of this population is in the informal sector. The presence of informal
sector was a contributing factor in the increase in lawless temporary
installations and these presented a problem for management's policy
of the town and for traffic. These lawless occupation of the public
property were the reason of more accidents, unhygienic conditions,
insecurity (risk of fire).
Under the auspices of the town council of Ouagadougou in 1996,
a plan to integrate the informal sector with the formal sector.
The project's goals were to guarantee the security of road users
from the lawless occupations of public property, which were more
often than not, causes of accidents, and to give a dynamism to informal
sector, an important element of urban economy. Resources were initially
mobilised from the communal budget. Gradually, it became difficult
for the municipality to fund the practice and consequently strategies
like decentralised co-operation (through Agence Francaise de Development)
and co-operation with LOUDUN were pursued.
The initiative, which involved the active participation of the
informal sector traders and other stakeholders, resulted in 365
modern street shops constructed with local materials. The initiative
offers the partners of the informal sector secure land tenure and
stability that permits them to sell better. This means that the
shops give the informal sector an opportunity to integrate better
into the new urban structure and maintain new forms of partnership.
Contact person: Mr. Vincent T. Dabilgou
Tel: (226)30-6816/30-68-17/30-68
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Popular Habitat Program, COSTA RICA
Building affordable houses is not an end but a means to achieve
community development. In Costa Rica, with a population of 3,015,000,
housing shortage reached a critical stage following the financial
crisis of the eighties, which resulted in the emergence of marginal
areas and slums in the city of San Jose. This shortage effected
the least favoured classes of the population, exacerbating their
social exclusion.
Families are actively involved in the planning, execution and administration
of the Popular Habitat Program. The programme started off in 1988
as a bilateral assistance project to construct new housing for low-income
families and to remediate the housing shortage in the city. To date
the community is becoming increasingly involved in all aspects of
the programme. Alternative methods of financing are being pursued
and obtained to scale up and to sustain the project, resulting in
the establishment of a revolving fund managed under a trusteeship.
Over 17,000 families have gained access to decent housing, helping
to reduce the housing shortage in the city. The participatory nature
and a strong emphasis on community capacity building, enabled over
30,000 of the newly housed people have training in various fields
related to operations and maintenance, project management and administration.
This has created employment and increased income. Community participation
and capacity building have considerably strengthened community spirit
and involvement in civic affairs and in improving the overall living
environment. Another spin-off of the participatory process is the
unique approach where each neighbourhood designs its own housing
projects demonstrating that there can be no single model in responding
to housing needs and demand. The needs of the poor vary just as
much if not more than other segments of the population and housing
solutions will vary according to the conditions, desires and necessities
of the individual. Several international entities and institutions
have studied the model of the Popular Habitat Programme and its
principles have been adopted by other projects in Nicaragua, El
Salvador, Guatemala and South Africa. The experience of this programme
has been taken into account for NGO training in the area of housing
and development of Human Settlements
Contact Person: Eloísa Ulibarri Pernús
Tel: (506) 247-00-00
Fax: (506) 236-51-78
Email: Fuprovi@fuprovi.org
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Sustainable Human Settlements Pty Ltd, Australia
Globalisation has had a significant and negative impact on Australia's
manufacturing and construction employment base. With a population
of 751,225, Brisbane (Australia's fourth largest urban centre) and
its surroundings is characterised by high unemployment, a high level
of under-utilised human capital and an over emphasis on 'training'
for jobs that do not exist. Initiated in 1999 Sustainable Human
Settlements Pty Ltd helps establish ecological and social equity
by challenging and re-modelling conventional microeconomic and urban
planning methodologies via an urban forum that promotes community
economic development. The objectives are to reduce poverty and poverty
related crime while improving health and housing conditions within
a local environmental context. SHS Pty LTD has also been associated
with Queensland to provide a new vocational training course in the
construction industry and the course is known as Sustainable Urban
Development and Construction. Through this association SHS Pty LTD
has negotiated the use of the construction training centre's facility
located within Brisbane to manufacture the Eco-Villas and Space
Cell housing solutions. Through co-operative employment strategies
a diverse group (indigenous, multicultural and mainstream) of the
long term unemployed are encouraged to re-enter the workforce via
the manufacture of housing solutions.
Contact Person: Mr. Philip Little
Tel: 617 3844 3780
Fax: 617 3844 3780
E-mail: iskander@optusnet.com.au
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Urban - rural Links
The Kipepeo "Butterfly" Project, Kenya
The Kipepeo project is aimed at conserving bio-diversity through
poverty alleviation initiatives. Arabuko-Sokoke Forest on the north
coast of Kenya is internationally recognised because of its endemic
and endangered species of birds and mammals. It had come under intense
pressure from a rapidly growing rural population that was hard pressed
for land, jobs and suffered from damage to crops and disrupted livelihood
caused by forest wildlife. A 1993 survey indicated that only 41%
of the forest edge community wished to conserve the forest. To meet
this challenge, two Kenyan non-governmental organisations discovered
an innovative solution - butterflies.
By rearing butterflies for export to the live butterfly exhibition
industries in Europe and America, the forest edge communities were
able to earn substantial revenues without clearing the forest for
subsistent farming. The cumulative export and community earnings
now exceed US $ 137,000. For the individual farmer, butterfly earning
is estimated to contribute some 73% of their cash income. In addition,
studies indicate that this result has been achieved without adverse
affect to the wild butterfly population. There was a change of heart
as evident from the results of a 1997 survey, which indicated that
84% of the forest-edge community wish to conserve the forest. The
Kipepeo Project has shown that a cottage industry can be harnessed
to wider social goals such as poverty alleviation and environmental
protection.
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Culturally Appropriate Economic Development- The Metis
Settlements of Alberta, Canada
Metis Settlements are located in the Province of Alberta in Canada
and are home to the 'forgotten' Canadian aboriginal group. The fundamental
challenge facing the new local governments was balancing traditional,
cultural, community and environmental values with economic development
opportunities (such as oil and gas development) in the face of growing
social problems (such poverty).
In March 1997, Gift Lake Metis Settlement established a partnership
with EcoPlan International to help develop a community-based, participatory
decision support model based on traditional Metis values to assist
with local governance. Some of the more important results include
the development of a cultural value-based model that promotes better
communication about balancing traditional values and modern development;
initiation of economic activities that incorporate culture and modern
enterprise such as ecotourism and wild game ranching; the development
and employment of a 'green accounting' model for governance and
negotiations with resource companies; culturally appropriate environmental
monitoring; knowledge sharing through the development of a resource
centre; internet access for all Settlements and the development
of a website; and, traditional land use maps that have been (or
are being) incorporated into policy and bylaws.
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Program for Credit to Small Production and Vocational Enterprises,
Jordan
The Housing and Development Corporation?s mandate in Jordan includes
developing regions with sub-standard services in the Kingdom and
contributing to the solution of housing problems.
The corporation established a Program for Credit for Production
and Vocational Enterprises in 1966, which operates through local
centers established by the corporation. The philosophy behind these
centers is based on self-management i.e. resources generated from
self-financing projects and activities by the community.
To realize this objective a scheme of small credit or loans (JD100
-1500) was developed with a monthly three-year payback period. The
loans are used for improving income-generating activities of the
borrowers through the establishment of new enterprises or expanding
existing ones. Women were given priority in the granting of loans
with emphasis on sustainable professional and vocational activities.
One of the conditions is that the beneficiary contributes at least
15% of the capital and presents a feasible venture. The feasibility
studies are conducted through a joint effort between the applicant
or owner of the enterprise and the staff of the program. The program
focused its attention on food enterprises and arts and crafts including
traditional village embroidery.
Contact Person: Najah Nafe, Ghassan Abu Nasser
Tel: 962 6 464 4307 /564 5982
Fax: 962 6 553 8226 / 462 8938
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Support to the Creation of Rural Micro-enterprise development
in Morocco
Water supply has always been a problem in rural areas and Morocco
is no exception. In contrast safe water supply in urban areas has
over the years improved with an individual connection rate of more
than 85%. Traditional supply methods don't work because large water
supply companies are not interested in the low returns and margins
involved. Starting in 1996, the national office for drinking water
began an initiative for rural water supply based on establishment
of community-based micro-enterprises. This involves provision of
micro-credit and training of young agents in technical and management
skills for operations and maintenance, assistance in legal and administrative
procedures for registering enterprises to access credit and marketing
as well as other forms of assistance during an initial two-year
start-up period.
Since 1990, over 195 micro enterprises have been installed each
providing 10 to 15 jobs for local youth in rural areas in preventive
maintenance of fittings, electrical appliances, buildings, green
spaces, and water analysis. A pilot project initiated in collaboration
with UNDP and involving women-operated enterprises was also implemented
focusing on quality control aspects and providing useful lessons
on how best to mainstream and promote such enterprises. Other lessons
have been applied to decentralize and simplify contracting and procurement
procedures. The sustainability of the initiative is evidenced by
growth of initial revolving fund, which is now being used for micro-enterprise
start-ups in other sectors.
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Area Based Assessment Of Property Tax In Patna, Bihar (India)
Area based assessment method as initiated in Patna Municipal Corporation
has emerged as a legally tested, administratively tried and practically
feasible method of property tax (PT) assessment in India. The Patna
model presents a simplified assessment procedure based on Location,
Construction and Use. This has minimised the discretionary and ad-hoc
nature of assessment and has increased acceptability by taxpayers
and their compliance. The model has also prompted the inclusion
of stakeholders in the areas of Municipal Finance such as Central/State
Government, urban local governments and political and official functionaries
to replicate it in a wider context.
The model initiated in Patna Municipal Corporation in 1993 has
facilitated reduction in tax rate from 44% to 9% of annual assessed
value. Despite these reduction the current revenues have escalated
from US$ 315,660 to 1.34 million. To begin with the model was initiated
in 1/27th part of the Patna City and now covers half of the City.
It has demonstrated a potential of tenfold increase in revenues
while drastically reducing rates. The model has earned legal sanctity
from Honorable Supreme Court of India on the grounds of reasonableness
and fairness. Other Corporations of the State of Bihar have also
adopted the Patna model. The Government of India has since issued
guidelines to state governments to modify their assessment procedure
of PT in line with the Patna model. The state government of Uttar
Pradesh has already issued notification to enable urban local governments
to change their PT assessment to area based method. The government
of Madhya Pradesh has also modified its assessment procedure. The
Government of Tamil Nadu has formulated new legislation on the basis
of Patna model of taxation.
The model brings additional financial revenue to the kitty of municipal
governments along with equity, fairness and acceptability by people.
This enables local authorities to better respond to their citizens
in terms of basic services, environmental health and safety and
preventive health care. The Patna Municipal Corporation has encouraged
the Government of India to issue new policy directives for Tax reform
at national level. Simplification of procedures, reduced rate of
tax with increased revenue is worth replicating in most developing
countries.
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Development of Informal Financial Institutions,
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
The Association of Business Women of Uzbekistan was established
with the aim to improve the status of women living in Uzbekistan
and achieve economic empowerment of the population living in rural
areas. In Uzbekistan, women make up 51% of the total population
and 45.1% of the workforce. Under conditions of economic transition,
from a controlled to free market economy, unemployment levels were
extremely high affecting the entire population and impacting strongly
on women who were in most cases marginalised in comparison to men,
a situation made worse by strong traditional beliefs. Before 1996,
the state could adequately address unemployment using administrative
sanctions since the path towards the liberalization of the market
economy had been started. In 1997, the government halted the liberalization
process; foreign currency conversion was cancelled; governmental
management of export and import operations and a strict system of
taxation were introduced. The changes in the macro-economic policy
resulted in feminization of poverty with women accounting for over
90 % of the unemployed persons; gender inequality in access to social
services, labor-market and financial resources and a financial/bank
system that did not support growth of the private sector.
To address this situation, the Association launched the 'Integrated
Program on Improvement of the Situation with Women in Rural Areas
of Uzbekistan.' Taking into account the peculiarities of the rural
Uzbek woman: low mobility; part time employment; desire to work
not far from home and prevalence of gender stereotypes, the program
includes: education modules on legal issues, job training, professional
development, involvement of women in micro-finance and the establishment
of credit unions. A "legal-literacy" program was introduced
to empower women. This programme was deemed necessary to counter
the then existing stereotype that depicted women as being mere servants
to their husbands without any rights. The Association partnered
with Winrock International, USAID\Eurasia Fund and a network of
local NGOs during its implementation. The achievements of the initiative
include:
• 12,000 women were trained and 2,500 business women obtained
credits;
• Creation of jobs for women;
• The government's attitudes toward the activities of NGOs
has changed positively;
• The program well satisfied the goal of gender equality by
providing various services and improved the life of women in Uzbekistan.
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Orchard Park and North Hull Enterprises Limited, United
Kingdom
Orchard Park and North Hull were established as resettlement areas
for residents following the decline of the fishing industry in the
1960s and the subsequent slum clearance of the Hull docks. Since
then, these two neighbourhoods have suffered from high levels of
unemployment, exclusion from the local economy, a high welfare dependency
rate, poor housing and a disproportionately large number of single
parent households as well as drug abuse and a high crime rate. The
Orchard Park and North Hill Enterprises was established in 1989
as a community-business partnership, independent of local and national
government. It works on a non-profit basis and aims to improve the
local economic structure through creation of jobs that, at the same
time, contributes to enhanced self-belief and dignity.
Since its inception, over 4,000 residents have been assisted in
getting employed, 339 new businesses formed and 735 new jobs created.
A training centre was also created, which has provided training
to over 1,000 persons. Every year about 34,000 people visit OPNHE
and seek advice on employment, training and business support issues.
Several projects have been initiated including the UPBEAT project
which is a successful intermediate labour market model that provides
participants with a year of full time, waged employment in a local
small-scale micro enterprise, coupled with related vocational training.
This project simultaneously assists disadvantaged people to get
training and jobs. Another initiative that was used to socially
re-engage the socially and economically excluded residents was through
the use of arts. The Achieving Real Transportation (A.R.T) project
provides free arts activities for local people which in turn raises
their aspirations and self-esteem. Through its business support
unit, OPNHE supports new businesses and stimulates locally based
economic activity by providing a range of intensive help for start-ups,
micro-firms and small scale micro-enterprises. All projects are
available to men and women, regardless of age, race, sexuality and
disability. This practice shows how employment creation can contribute
to social rehabilitation and inclusion when sufficient commitment
is generated through local initiative.
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The sustainable revival of a little community,
Italy
The population of Italy stands at 57.4 million
(UN, 2003) with a GNI per capita: US $19,080 (World Bank, 2002).
Fossato di Vico is a town with a population of 2,500 people situated
in the region of the Umbria, Italy. A high level of emigration and
marginal economic and social state has affected the town with a
progressively ageing population. In 1997 a violent earthquake occurred
in central Italy and the town suffered numerous damages to building
and property; 60% in total, of which 12% were rendered totally unusable.
The Municipality commission a study to look into
the strengths and weaknesses of the territory. And Subsequently
established priorities, which included, increasing the historical
and environmental profile of the territory, reorganizing the Council
Administration for efficiency and transparency, stimulating public/private
partnership for all economic, cultural and social initiatives. Increasing
job opportunities, for women and youth. Building of new houses and
the restoring historical ones. Accelerating reconstruction, following
the 1997 earthquake with quality and security.
Apart from the reconstruction of houses, the Municipality
has accelerated significant marketing initiatives to highlight the
cultural and environmental characteristics of the territory, aiming
to create private partnership to support the economic and social
development. Supported by an efficient and transparent administrative
management of the problems produced by the development, more and
more partners have invested in the territory, doubling the numbers
of jobs. The recycling of waste at all the levels has been achieved.
Above all, the private sector is now co-operating with social and
cultural initiatives. All these factors have contributed in giving
the Municipality a sense of vitality and alertness, as though it
has come alive after a long sleep.
A municipal newspaper, published every 4 months
informs the citizens about the state of projects and opportunities
available. In addition, the Council, in agreement with the various
associations, has organized thematic seminars. This has allowed
for concrete answers to be given and has decreased the time gap
between planning and implementation.
The jobs have doubled in five years, from 720 to
1,460. Unemployment of the Municipality and of the neighboring municipality
is virtually zero. Female unemployment has been reduced from 40%
to 5%. Women are active in the field of commerce and services. An
increase in population of 6% has occurred in the last three years
after it had remained unchanged from 1970 to 2000. This increase
has allowed the maintenance of the fundamental services such as
schools and health services which otherwise would have ceased only
to a lack of users.
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Implementing an integrated management system
for forest ecosystems producing wild mushrooms in the Valdorba district.
Rural sustainable development project in the Valdorba district,
Spain
This practice, based in Valdorba in the
Navarre Region of Spain, began in 1990 and is still continuing.
The population of Spain is 42.7 million (official figure, 2003),
with a GNI per capita of US $14,580 (World Bank, 2002). The aim
is to generate income in a depopulated rural area that is currently
undergoing sufficient demographic growth and to create jobs for
unemployed people. The project is based on the economic development
of local organisations through the rational use of local environmental
resources. A system for the sustainable management of mycological
resources has been implemented, which is reproducible in developing
countries and depressed rural areas, and creates jobs for women,
as well as an eco-tourism project and various plans for the use
of natural resources.
Achievements include home care for all old people,
job creation for young people, women, and people over the age of
45, and the setting up of an assembly of leaders, local representatives
and rural agents interested in the development of Valdorba. Work
is also carried out to facilitate access to housing and the renovation
of unique buildings.
Local authorities with wide political differences
have managed to join forces to organise two fairs for local truffles,
as well as another joint service and tourism initiatives. This practice
brings them together in a shared project: a supra-municipal administration
centre.
Considerable experience has been gained in the
group-working dynamics of all the agents involved in this practice.
Home care cover is currently available for all
old people requesting it. Great progress has been made in providing
basic services that were unthinkable only 15 years ago — water supply
and sewerage systems, rubbish collection, paved streets, infrastructure,
social and cultural services, telephone lines, Internet connections,
etc. Statistics of de facto residents have shown a steady increase
year after year. The unemployment figures are also extremely impressive
there is hardly any unemployment in the valley any more.
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Urban Agriculture Programme, Rosario, Santa
Fe, Argentina
In 2001, Argentina was in turmoil as public
anger over a deepening recession and widespread poverty sparked
riots, looting, vandalism, and angry protests. Rosario City, population
906,004 located in the Santa Fe province was no exception. The Urban
Agriculture Programme (UAP) was initiated after the economic crisis,
which manifested itself in Rosario with poverty levels rising to
60 % of the population.
The programme was initiated to respond by providing
sustainable means of food production in urban centres for a population
whose poverty line is US$ 90. The objective was to promote a constructive
process of endogenous development, with participatory strategies
and co-operative forms of production, transformation, commercialisation,
as well as healthy food consumption.
The impact of the programme has been to make low
income families feel valued and recognised as actors forming part
of an inclusive process (especially women). So far 791 community
gardens have been established and this has led to the improvement
of the urban neighbourhood landscape as well as the quality of life
of its inhabitants. Currently, more than 10,000 families are directly
linked to the production of organic vegetables, which are consumed
by 40,000 people. This has been possible through the creation of
an economy of solidarity network that includes 342 productive groups.
Each group participates weekly in three of the locally established
fairs, deriving a monthly income ranging between US$ 40 and US$
150.
The produce from the community gardens has a high
social value in terms of quality. One example has been the development
of a production plan to supply soup kitchens and schools within
the framework of a common social network. The poor now have access
to secure tenure on the land that the community gardens occupy.
This has been possible through the institutionalisation of urban
agriculture (UA) as a local government public policy. The latter
was instituted through Ordinance HCD 7341/02 of Rosario's Deliberative
Town Council and Decree of the Secretary of Social Promotion N°
808/03 while the use of lands for the AU is regulated by Ordinance
N° 4713/89 and 7341/02. The market fairs are regulated by the Ordinance
N° 7358/02 of the Deliberative Town Council.
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