ENGLISH Training. The “compass”

The “compass” of urban and housing planning

Training Workshop

WUF. 11 April 2014.

Abstract

The training provides a participatory methodological tool for the diagnosis and formulation of urban and housing planning proposals’ aimed at alleviating the problems arising from socio-spatial segregation. The aim is that participants learn to use the methodology, its foundations and results of its application in different contexts.

The proposed tool is intended to facilitate the development of intervention plans focused on the progressive fulfillment of human rights through participatory planning activities. Participants will be invited to apply the methodology to their cities and regions of origin, seeking to generate a participatory debate about the challenges of social inclusion in different regions of the world and the most appropriate strategies to solve pressing urban and housing problems in each context.

Finally, the workshop aims at generating a network among participants who are interested in using the methodology to support local governments in promoting the progressive fulfillment of human rights through urban and housing plans.   

Objectives

The objectives of the training course are:

1. Methodology: To present a participatory methodology of diagnosis and proposals to minimize urban and housing problems from an integrative approach that measures the fulfillment of human rights. Such measurement is related to the application of regulations, the realization of public works and the level of social organization, which are all core concepts that explain the reasons for compliance or non-compliance with human rights regulations.

Its application in different contexts, introduced by panelists, will provide inputs to understand the particular characteristics by region.

2. Application of the methodology: To challenge participants to analyze the urban and housing problems of the cities where they live based on the presented approach, summarizing the results in a diagnostic graph. This graph will facilitate the identification of guidelines for decision making regarding possible ways of intervention to solve identified problems. Individual or group work done by participants will be presented at a plenary meeting.

3. Discussion and generation of networks: To discuss the results of the activity carried out, aiming to create an international network of people interested in applying the methodology to their cities and generating key information for local governments that seek to combat the non-fulfillment of rights, closely linked to the proliferation of informal settlements and socio-spatial segregation.

  

Target audience

The workshop is aimed at local, national and regional officials in charge of urban and housing planning processes. Community leaders representative of specific neighborhoods or cities can also find in the proposed methodology a tool for implementing participatory planning. The training also is open to professionals from academia, researchers and students who are interested in focusing on the topic of inequality in access to human rights from a socio-spatial perspective.

Programme (Workshop duration: three hours)

First Session

15 minutes: Brief introduction to the methodology of the "compass".

15 minutes: Presentation of an educational and methodological video.

15 minutos: Question-and-answer section.

15 minutes: Launch of activity. Expeditious diagnosis and strategic proposals.

Second Session

45 minutes: Individual or group work to develop the diagnosis, neighborhood profile. The teaching team will facilitate the creation of the synthesis graph.

15 minutes: Plenary presentation of outcomes emerging from the “compass” application to the chosen cases. Question-and-answer section.

Third Session

20 minutes: Group work to develop proposals and evaluate ongoing projects from the point of view of their contribution to rights’ fulfillment.

20 minutes: Plenary presentation. Comparison of the cases in terms of detected problems and solutions adopted. Critical consideration of the actions adopted by the state, private sectors and non-governmental organizations when solutions to minimize urban problems are implemented.

20 minutes: Closure of the workshop. Conclusions and reflections based on a participatory  ​​relatoria with the audience involvement.

Organization

The activity is designed in three stages. The first one, mainly expositive, consists of a brief introduction to the methodology of diagnosis and formulation of proposals, exemplified by an instructional video which shows its application to segregated areas of the metropolis of Buenos Aires. The second is a participatory stage, in which participants work individually or in groups on the cases of their cities of origin, followed by its presentation and a brief commentary. The third is a plenary session to discuss the findings of the performed activity and make general comments of the experiences presented, as well as to consider the conformation of an international network dedicated to support local governments efforts’ to promote policies in compliance with human rights regulations.

Workshop organizers

University of Buenos Aires. Department of Architecture, Design and Urban Planning.

IDUS (Sustainable Urban Development) Programme (Argentina)

Colombia National University (Colombia)

Red de Interacción (Bolivia)

International Organization for Migration (IOM).

More information

www.urbanhabitat.com.ar

www.participlan.blogspot.com.ar