New Urban Agenda in Asia-Pacific

This book explores significant aspects of the New Urban Agenda in the Asia-Pacific region, and presents, from different contexts and perspectives, innovative interventions afoot for transforming the governance of 21st-century cities in two key areas: (i) urban planning and policy; and (ii) service delivery and social inclusion. Representing institutions across a wide geography, academic researchers and development practitioners from Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America have authored the chapters that lend the volume its distinctly diverse topical foci. Based on a wide range of cases and intriguing experiences, this collection is a uniquely valuable resource for everyone interested in the present and future of cities and urban regions in Asia-Pacific.

“In this path-setting book on the New Urban Agenda in Asia-Pacific, the world’s most economically dynamic and culturally vibrant region, the authors critically assess vital issues related to urbanization: urban planning and policy, and innovations in service delivery and access towards social inclusion. Through country- and issue-specific case studies, the authors’ contributions are important toward reducing gaps between theory and practice, and identifying contextual factors that impede innovations. Though the selected countries are diverse, Bharat Dahiya and Ashok Das have done an outstanding job editing, and in identifying common patterns and challenges that will influence the New Urban Agenda’s effective implementation in Asia-Pacific over the next decade.” (Shabbir Cheema, Senior Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, MA, USA)

“The New Urban Agenda calls for a paradigm shift on how we plan, finance, develop, govern and manage cities. The cross cutting principles of inclusion, innovation and integration are prerequisites for its successful implementation. This book expands the body of knowledge on what national and local authorities in diverse socio-economic contexts of the Asia-Pacific region are doing to promote sustainable urbanization, in partnership with civil society and other actors. The book extracts learnings on what to do and what to avoid. In this way, it can help to accelerate the implementation of the New Urban Agenda to support the achievement of the urban dimensions of the Sustainable Development Goals.” (Raf Tuts, Director, Programme Division, UN-Habitat, Nairobi, Kenya)

“New Urban Agenda in Asia-Pacific examines some key recent developments pertaining to urban governance and planning for making cities in this economically dynamic and culturally complex region sustainable and inclusive. Its rich and diverse case studies look into various dimensions of governance and planning to clarify nuances that induce as well as impede effective urban policymaking, programming, planning, and their implementation. In doing so, this book expands our understanding of contemporary governance and planning challenges, and provides ideas to concerned stakeholders for developing future pathways that may enable their cities to effectively pursue the New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals.” (Hubert Jenny, Principal Infrastructure Finance Specialis, People's Republic of China Resident Mission, Asian Development Bank, Beijing, China)

“This volume establishes a useful and wide-ranging edge in the policy conversation about governance and sustainability in Asian cities. The broad range of case studies shows deep underlying commonalities and specific idiosyncrasies—in institutional issues, decentralization challenges, service delivery and capacity strengthening—that leaders and management are faced with in cities and regions of Asia and the Pacific. The volume makes an important contribution to appreciating the role of national level planning as well. The chapters suggest many legal and policy areas that are vital to support local authorities on the front line to achieve good governance and sustainable services. Perhaps more important are the solid institutional footings required for cities to harness their creative potentials for national development in the coming decades.” (Tim Campbell, Global Fellow, Woodrow Wilson Center, Washington DC, USA)

“New Urban Agenda in Asia-Pacific is a timely contribution to understanding the future of our cities in Asia-Pacific, and one of the first steps towards realising the admirable vision of the United Nations for this region. The book’s scope is comprehensive. Bharat Dahiya and Ashok Das led the authors with intimate research and practice derived understanding of the region’s different contexts to fill an important gap between local knowledge and global objectives of governance and service delivery for promoting sustainable and inclusive cities.” (Fulong Wu, Bartlett Professor of Planning, University College London, London, UK)

An award-winning urbanist, Dr. Bharat Dahiya combines research, policy analysis and development practice aimed at examining and tackling socio-economic, environmental and governance issues in the global urban context. Since early-1990s, Bharat’s research and professional work has focused on sustainable cities and urbanization, strategic urban planning and development, sustainable and inclusive cities, urban environment and resilience, and urban governance. Working with the World Bank, UN-Habitat, the Asian Development Bank, United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS), and UNDP, he provided policy advice and technical support to national and local governments. Moreover, working with these international agencies, he initiated, led and contributed to international projects on sustainable urban development in the Asia-Pacific region.

 

Whilst working on operational projects on sustainable urban development, Bharat contributedto knowledge generation, especially through meta research and review of policies, programmes and projects. At the World Bank headquarters, he conducted the first-ever systematic review of the Bank’s investments for improving urban liveability, published as a co-authored book, Urban Environment and Infrastructure: Toward Livable Cities (World Bank, 2004; ISBN 978-0821357965). he conceptualized and coordinated the preparation of United Nations’ first-ever report on The State of Asian Cities 2010/11 (UN-Habitat and UN-ESCAP, 2010; ISBN 978-9211322743). More recently, he co-authored Partnering for Sustainable Development: Guidelines for Multi-stakeholder Partnerships to Implement the 2030 Agenda in Asia and the Pacific (UNU-IAS and UN-ESCAP, 2018; ISBN 978-92-808-4585-3). Bharat is co-editor of New Urban Agenda for Asia-Pacific: Governance for Sustainable and Inclusive Cities (forthcoming, Springer).

 

Bharat serves on the editorial boards ofCities: The International Journal of Urban Policy and Planning, Journal of Urban Culture Research, Jindal Journal of Public Policy, and National Geographical Journal of India. He has held academic positions in Australia, Indonesia and Thailand. Reuters, Inter Press Service, SciDev.Net, Nishi-Nippon, The Korean Economic Daily, China Daily and its Asia Weekly, The Hindu, Deccan Herald, Bangkok Post, The Nation, UB Post, The Sunday Times, and Urban Gateway have quoted his work. Bharat is based at the College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Thammasat University, Bangkok. He holds a PhD in Urban Governance, Planning and Environment from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Dr. Ashok Das is an Associate Professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM), USA. He is also an affiliate faculty of UHM’s Center for Southeast Asian Studies, and Center for South Asian Studies. He was co-chair (21016-18) of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning’s (ACSP) Global Planning Educators Interest Group (GPEIG). He received his Ph.D. in Urban Planning from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA); M.Arch. and M.A. in Environmental Planning & Management from Kansas State University; and B. Arch. from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi. Previously, he was an assistant professor in the San Francisco State University’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning; architecture and planning consultant in the United States and India; and the chief cartoonist for Architecture+Design, India’s leading architecture magazine. Ashok researches institutional challenges and innovations for ameliorating urban poverty through services provision in Asia-Pacific, particularly in Indonesia and India, and affordable housing in the US. Community participation and empowerment, slum upgrading, decentralization and governance, civil society, community-managed integrated microfinance, disaster risk reduction, inclusionary zoning, and planning education are specific research interests. The Ford Foundation, the World Resources Institute, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs have sought his advisory services.