- Email: [email protected]
Making cities work: The role of local authorities in the urban environment
Book Reviews
83
RICHARD GILBERT, DON STEVENSON, HERBERT GIRARDET and RICHARD STREN, Making Cities Work." The Role of Local Authorities in the Urban Environment. Earthscan, London, 1996, 203 pp., £13.95. If the lives of people in urban areas are to improve, then we have to look to local governments to provide the solutions. Making Cities Work argues that local authorities and local units of government must be at the center of the effort to improve urban environment around the globe. This book was written to coincide with the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements held in Istanbul, Turkey in June, 1996. The book was intended to provide insights into how local authorities around the world are dealing with environmental issues ranging from housing and employment services to waste management and transportation. While the book discusses economically sustainable and socially sustainable development, its main focus is on environmental sustainability. The book is divided into two parts. Part One has five chapters that give an overview of the role of local authorities in sustaining the environment, discuss the issues that local authorities must deal with, and provide examples of local action. Part Two contains case studies. The eighteen case studies in Part Two can be useful to scholars who want an overview of possible approaches and information about people to contact. Practitioners may find the cases useful for identifying locales that have faced similar problems. Unfortunately, there is no overriding analysis in the case studies or elsewhere in the book that says what seems to work and when. The basic argument is that local authorities should be at the center of the effort to protect the environment and urban living can be compatible with worldwide sustainability. The adverse environmental, social and economic impacts of human activity are primarily local and ought to be addressed locally. The world's population is increasingly located in urban areas, and, by the end of the century, urban areas will contain half of the world's population. Moreover, the distinction between urban and rural is dissolving, especially as a result of improved communications. Consequently, there is no choice but to concentrate on actions to secure a sustainable future in urban areas. As a result, the book argues that local governments must play central roles in designing and implementing programs to ensure a healthy environment, show the practical ways in which cities can protect the environment, and demonstrate how local and other governments can work together to pursue sustainable development. Chapter One gives a good overview of population growth and urbanization, even with the difficulties in comparisons because of differences in definitions. It points out the variance in poverty distributions between northern and southern cities and the disparity in the use of resources between the north and south. The authors provide a good discussion of the challenges to both wealthy and poor cities, the wealthy cities being challenged to maintain standards of liveability while reducing resource use and emissions, and the poor cities being challenged to achieve comfort and convenience without increasing resource use. Chapter Two argues that good governance is critical to sustainability. Cities need to have decision-making processes that are supportive of sustainable development. These challenges include responsible resource use, regulation of the demand for land, provision of appropriate infrastructure, attraction of suitable investments, and the encouragement of partnerships. Moreover, services should be provided at the lowest level that makes economic and administrative sense. The authors believe that only local authorities can deal with the range of competing pressures and needs that approaches to urban sustainability must address. They propose the adoption of a local Agenda 21 to guide development policies. But, they believe, local governments ought to have their responsibilities and powers guaranteed, possibly in constitutional arrangements.
84
Book Reviews
If local governments are to rise to the challenge, they must have a solid fiscal base and professionals with sound administrative and management skills. They must also work with neighbouring municipalities and other governments and integrate land use and transportation planning activities. Chapter Three focuses on governments that have taken action. It summarizes the case studies in Part 2 of the book. Different approaches have been taken, depending on whether a city is rapidly growing or stabilized, whether it is rich or poor, or whether it is politically stable or in transition. The chapter covers waste management issues and capacity building in the areas of watershed management, financial planning, government restructuring, and political change. The authors also differentiate between the experiences of northern cities and southern ones. The cases range from Rio de Janeiro to Tripoli to Kanagawa, Japan. Chapter Four argues for a worldwide system for sustainable development and looks at the role of local authorities in providing it. The authors argue that cities cannot deal with these issues in isolation and can learn from one another. They hold that the cities and towns of the world are becoming an integral part of the global structure of international relations and are linked through associations, collaboration and funding. The role of the United Nations Development Program in providing technical assistance is discussed as well as the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements, UNICEF, the World Bank and a dozen other organizations. The main usefulness of these programs is in capacity building in local governments. The chapter concludes with examples of international municipal cooperation, but there are difficulties in making the system work. They discuss the typical problems of involving actors with different motivations and missions. But the authors do provide a list of twenty useful principles and recommendations. Some of their points: practical solutions, collaboration based on share issues, staff sensitive to cultural and political contexts, and the need to be aware that solutions are not generalizable. They stress that governments need autonomy and authority, projects should be partnerships when possible, etc. It would have been better to have these points presented in priority order. Ideally, the authors should have given us some idea of what works when and where. Chapter Five lays out recommendations. International Agencies should recognize local authorities as the only bodies that can mobilize local action, give urban sustainability high and distinct funding priority, support the local governments that have capacity, and set priorities on collaboration. National Governments and Agencies should recognize the legitimacy of local governments through legislation, follow the principle of delivering the service closest to the people, ensure local government capacity, support decentralized international development, and encourage programs of municipal international cooperation. Local Authorities should take leadership roles, prepare Local Agenda 21s, seek out partnerships, and establish a strategy for participation in international cooperation programs. Municipal Associations need to develop more formal linkages among themselves, serve as centers of research and information, act as catalysts for decentralization and the creation of strong local governments, and be priority setters for municipal international cooperation programs. No doubt that the solutions, to the extent that there are any, will depend on local action. This point does seem to be generalizable around the world. Thus, the book makes an important point, and gives useful illustrations from around the world, in both northern and southern cities. The academic who reads Making Cities Work will find helpful sources, citations and examples. The practitioner will find cases that will serve as models and people to contact. But still the questions remain: what will work and under what conditions? Of all the recommendations, which are the critical ones? From a list of twenty things we ought to do, which matter the most? Most researchers and observers would agree that local governments must be at the center. The sad experience is that most governments do not have the will and leadership to make
Book Reviews
85
much happen. I agree with the authors that capacity building must be at the center of action. The authors call for genuine participation, but this too takes time to build. Widespread participation without good leaders and competent staffwill end up in debate but no change. Typical governments do not now have the necessary capacity for change, but I am not sure that the authors' call for assistance from municipal associations and international agencies will result in the needed assistance. Much more needs to be done in terms of identifying the critical variables for change, training professionals and leaders and provision of incentives for action. The overriding question is whether the commitment, leadership, will, drive and desire is there among urban professional and politicians. Carl Patton Georgia State University
83
RICHARD GILBERT, DON STEVENSON, HERBERT GIRARDET and RICHARD STREN, Making Cities Work." The Role of Local Authorities in the Urban Environment. Earthscan, London, 1996, 203 pp., £13.95. If the lives of people in urban areas are to improve, then we have to look to local governments to provide the solutions. Making Cities Work argues that local authorities and local units of government must be at the center of the effort to improve urban environment around the globe. This book was written to coincide with the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements held in Istanbul, Turkey in June, 1996. The book was intended to provide insights into how local authorities around the world are dealing with environmental issues ranging from housing and employment services to waste management and transportation. While the book discusses economically sustainable and socially sustainable development, its main focus is on environmental sustainability. The book is divided into two parts. Part One has five chapters that give an overview of the role of local authorities in sustaining the environment, discuss the issues that local authorities must deal with, and provide examples of local action. Part Two contains case studies. The eighteen case studies in Part Two can be useful to scholars who want an overview of possible approaches and information about people to contact. Practitioners may find the cases useful for identifying locales that have faced similar problems. Unfortunately, there is no overriding analysis in the case studies or elsewhere in the book that says what seems to work and when. The basic argument is that local authorities should be at the center of the effort to protect the environment and urban living can be compatible with worldwide sustainability. The adverse environmental, social and economic impacts of human activity are primarily local and ought to be addressed locally. The world's population is increasingly located in urban areas, and, by the end of the century, urban areas will contain half of the world's population. Moreover, the distinction between urban and rural is dissolving, especially as a result of improved communications. Consequently, there is no choice but to concentrate on actions to secure a sustainable future in urban areas. As a result, the book argues that local governments must play central roles in designing and implementing programs to ensure a healthy environment, show the practical ways in which cities can protect the environment, and demonstrate how local and other governments can work together to pursue sustainable development. Chapter One gives a good overview of population growth and urbanization, even with the difficulties in comparisons because of differences in definitions. It points out the variance in poverty distributions between northern and southern cities and the disparity in the use of resources between the north and south. The authors provide a good discussion of the challenges to both wealthy and poor cities, the wealthy cities being challenged to maintain standards of liveability while reducing resource use and emissions, and the poor cities being challenged to achieve comfort and convenience without increasing resource use. Chapter Two argues that good governance is critical to sustainability. Cities need to have decision-making processes that are supportive of sustainable development. These challenges include responsible resource use, regulation of the demand for land, provision of appropriate infrastructure, attraction of suitable investments, and the encouragement of partnerships. Moreover, services should be provided at the lowest level that makes economic and administrative sense. The authors believe that only local authorities can deal with the range of competing pressures and needs that approaches to urban sustainability must address. They propose the adoption of a local Agenda 21 to guide development policies. But, they believe, local governments ought to have their responsibilities and powers guaranteed, possibly in constitutional arrangements.
84
Book Reviews
If local governments are to rise to the challenge, they must have a solid fiscal base and professionals with sound administrative and management skills. They must also work with neighbouring municipalities and other governments and integrate land use and transportation planning activities. Chapter Three focuses on governments that have taken action. It summarizes the case studies in Part 2 of the book. Different approaches have been taken, depending on whether a city is rapidly growing or stabilized, whether it is rich or poor, or whether it is politically stable or in transition. The chapter covers waste management issues and capacity building in the areas of watershed management, financial planning, government restructuring, and political change. The authors also differentiate between the experiences of northern cities and southern ones. The cases range from Rio de Janeiro to Tripoli to Kanagawa, Japan. Chapter Four argues for a worldwide system for sustainable development and looks at the role of local authorities in providing it. The authors argue that cities cannot deal with these issues in isolation and can learn from one another. They hold that the cities and towns of the world are becoming an integral part of the global structure of international relations and are linked through associations, collaboration and funding. The role of the United Nations Development Program in providing technical assistance is discussed as well as the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements, UNICEF, the World Bank and a dozen other organizations. The main usefulness of these programs is in capacity building in local governments. The chapter concludes with examples of international municipal cooperation, but there are difficulties in making the system work. They discuss the typical problems of involving actors with different motivations and missions. But the authors do provide a list of twenty useful principles and recommendations. Some of their points: practical solutions, collaboration based on share issues, staff sensitive to cultural and political contexts, and the need to be aware that solutions are not generalizable. They stress that governments need autonomy and authority, projects should be partnerships when possible, etc. It would have been better to have these points presented in priority order. Ideally, the authors should have given us some idea of what works when and where. Chapter Five lays out recommendations. International Agencies should recognize local authorities as the only bodies that can mobilize local action, give urban sustainability high and distinct funding priority, support the local governments that have capacity, and set priorities on collaboration. National Governments and Agencies should recognize the legitimacy of local governments through legislation, follow the principle of delivering the service closest to the people, ensure local government capacity, support decentralized international development, and encourage programs of municipal international cooperation. Local Authorities should take leadership roles, prepare Local Agenda 21s, seek out partnerships, and establish a strategy for participation in international cooperation programs. Municipal Associations need to develop more formal linkages among themselves, serve as centers of research and information, act as catalysts for decentralization and the creation of strong local governments, and be priority setters for municipal international cooperation programs. No doubt that the solutions, to the extent that there are any, will depend on local action. This point does seem to be generalizable around the world. Thus, the book makes an important point, and gives useful illustrations from around the world, in both northern and southern cities. The academic who reads Making Cities Work will find helpful sources, citations and examples. The practitioner will find cases that will serve as models and people to contact. But still the questions remain: what will work and under what conditions? Of all the recommendations, which are the critical ones? From a list of twenty things we ought to do, which matter the most? Most researchers and observers would agree that local governments must be at the center. The sad experience is that most governments do not have the will and leadership to make
Book Reviews
85
much happen. I agree with the authors that capacity building must be at the center of action. The authors call for genuine participation, but this too takes time to build. Widespread participation without good leaders and competent staffwill end up in debate but no change. Typical governments do not now have the necessary capacity for change, but I am not sure that the authors' call for assistance from municipal associations and international agencies will result in the needed assistance. Much more needs to be done in terms of identifying the critical variables for change, training professionals and leaders and provision of incentives for action. The overriding question is whether the commitment, leadership, will, drive and desire is there among urban professional and politicians. Carl Patton Georgia State University