UAC    Understanding Asian Cities

UNDERSTANDING   ASIAN  CITIES    RESEARCH     DIRECTIONS June 30, 2003	Understanding  Asian Cities
Rationale for the Studies  ACHR members have become increasing involved with advocacy and lobbying at government levels as well with international policy bodies. Our special focus and understanding has derived from our links with the grassroots poor groups. We need to understand more clearly the macro level processes that affect our cities , to strengthen the advocacy and lobby process at the higher level. Our grassroots colleagues have consolidated their community organising over the past decade and many have formed city wide and nationwide networks and federations which are increasingly negotiating from strong positions with government and other urban actors. They too need more information and understanding of the elements and actors involved in the macro level city planning process to strengthen their negotiating positions.  Over the past decade Asian cities have come under increasing influence of globalizing forces.  These need to be understood and the effects they have on our cities and the poor need to be researched and articulated in an information process that other agencies do not appear to be doing. In our Asian cities activities we need to develop integrated teams of Young Professionals, NGOs, community leaders,  academics and government planners who can begin to understand these new forces and inform a broader public. Apart from gaining an understanding the planning process the studies will enable a better understanding of other trends in Asian Cities such as: Devolution / decentralization:   In most Asian countries there is some kind of devolution plan. And in devolution there is a conflict between the concept and the reality. Impact of globalization on the poor (particularly) and on planning (more generally.)  The impact of structural adjustment on some of these countries  The impact of structural adjustments has been particularly negative in countries such as the Philippines, Pakistan, Indonesia - where it has lead to major cuts in government subsidies in health, education, public infrastructure, it has also lead to extremely high utility rates for electricity, gas, transport The Increasing gap between aspiration and needs, which is determining politics.  This is growing not only because of growing consumer culture, but growing urban culture, among communities which were previously pioneers from the rural areas, and are now city people. To change cities on a scale there needs to be a common understanding between the various urban actors. ACHR has had success in demonstrating the effect of integrated activity between government, NGOs and community organisations in its exchange programmes over the past years and in subsequent partnership process between the various actors.  There is increasing recognition of the impacts of similarly integrated teams in research activities on cities.  With ACHR’s close links with communities, academics, NGOs and city governments  in the region, we feel we are in a particularly favourable to position to initiate the integrated team studies in Asian cities.
A.            OBJECTIVES 1.              To understand the process of socio-economic, physical and institutional change in Asian cities, the actors involved in it and its effect on disadvantaged communities and interest groups. 2.              To identify/understand civil society and/or community movements and their role in the process of change. 3.             To help the NGO, CBO, ACHR partners/ACHR in taking a position on national and international forums on housing rights and development issues. 4.       To support in eight cities a group that monitors the city/continuous  learning.	Discussions have been held amongst ACHR members to draw up  the parameters for research studies in 8 Asian cities.  The process focused on City Planning and how it affects the urban poor.   Teams of academics, city officials, young professionals and NGOs will undertake research for 4 months following the workshop in Bangkok June 26 and 27 2003.
	Participating cities are Chiang-mai,  Karachi,  Surabaya,  Puna,  Hanoi,  Phnom Penh and  a city in China  and Muntinlupa Philippines.
B. RESEARCH OUTLINE 1. Demography and Census Data 2. Poverty Profiles and Funds 3. The Institutional Set Up 4. The Physical City (2ndary data, observations      and in-depth interviews) 5. Housing Policies and Programmes 6. Civil Society Organisations 7. The Impact of Globalisation (and its culture)      and Structural Adjustment 8. Conclusions. For more detail on the RESEARCH OUTLINE  click  HERE