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November 10, 2009

 

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TOOLS: URBAN

 


Making Cities Work Urban Strategy: USAID. USAID's Urban Programs Team is dedicated to increasing economic prosperity, democracy and security in the world's rapidly growing cities. The Team works across sectors to advance the Agency's Making Cities Work Strategy in the following areas: City Management and Governance; Municipal Finance; Housing; Infrastructure and Services; Local Economic Growth; Urban Health and Environment;  Urban Security.

http://www.makingcitieswork.org/

 

Urban Health Resource Centre [UHRC] is a non profit Indian organization which aims to address health issues of the urban poor through a consultative and knowledge-sharing approach in partnership with the government and civil society. UHRC develops innovative urban health programs in diverse cities. Experiences from these programs are used to influence larger health initiatives such as the Urban Health component of National Rural Health Mission and similar programs of Non-Government stakeholders through proactive information dissemination and advocacy. http://www.uhrc.in/

 

Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC Urban Health. By the year 2000, about half of the global human population had become urban citi-zens, most of them living in the rapidly growing cities of Africa, Asia and Latin America. Living in an urban area does not mean “development” for many of these people. In most cases a majority live in “poverty”, characterised by household and environmental deprivation and in circumstances of extreme social and economic stress. The attainment by all urban citizens of the highest possible level of health through the strengthening of urban health systems is therefore an important challenge, and a crucial element in the struggle against poverty, underdevelopment and political instability. In response to the necessity for health improvements for urban citizens as well as to the absence of adequate basic health services, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) was in the early 1990s one of the first agencies to invest in the widely neglected area of urban health. An important reasoning for doing so was the potential impact of such activities on poverty alleviation, gender, empowerment, good governance and equity, all being guiding principles of the SDC health policy.

www.sdc-health.ch/priorities_in_health/pro_poor_health_service/urban_health

 

The International Society for Urban Heath [ISUH] is an association of researchers, scholars, and professionals from various disciplines and areas of the world who study the health effects of urban environments and urbanization. Membership in ISUH is open to anyone who is interested in the health of urban populations. The goals of ISUH are to encourage research, interventions, and program evaluations that lead to healthier cities in the 21st century.

http://www.isuh.org/

 

Center for Research on Inner City Health [CRICH] is Canada’s first and only transdisciplinary and hospital-based research centre dedicated to reducing health disparities and improving the health of socially and economically disadvantaged urban populations. Our research agenda is intervention-oriented, patient and population-focused and policy-sensitive. Our overlapping population foci include: homeless and underhoused groups, urban aboriginals, women and children at risk, immigrants and refugees, people living with HIV/AIDS and people living with severe and persistent mental illness.

http://www.stmichaelshospital.com/crich/

 

The International Healthy Cities Foundation. The term Healthy Cities was coined in 1985. It was the title of a speech given at an international meeting in Canada. The theme - health is the result of much more than medical care; people are healthy when they live in nurturing environments and are involved in the life of their community, when they live in Healthy Cities.This presentation offered a new view of the interactions that affect people's lives. It took into consideration the influence of the context - the place, surroundings, relationships and opportunities on the individual. It began to highlight the interconnections among what seem to be diverse elements and problems in society. And finally, it suggested the solutions to both community and quality of life problems also may be interwoven.

http://www.healthycities.org./overview.html

 

Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute is a collaboration and a vital connection with East Baltimore, a community that has long struggled with an all-too-familiar list of persistent urban health woes. The Institute is the starting point for forging true University and community partnerships in health care, education and community planning, with all partners working to change the trajectory for the children, youth and families of East Baltimore. As it seeks to build a "learning community," the Institute draws on the expertise of neighborhood residents, educators, philanthropic organizations, elected representatives and community leaders, in addition to the wealth of intellectual resources that Hopkins can offer. The past year has been one of refining and broadening the Institute's mission to serve as a bridge between the University and the community through innovative partnerships designed to better the health and well-being of East Baltimore.

http://www.jhsph.edu/urbanhealth

 

The Urban Health Program at University of Illinois Chicago improves the quality of health care services for medically underserved urban populations, especially those in Health Professions Shortage Areas of Illinois, by expanding health professions education opportunities for underrepresented groups (African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Mainland Puerto Ricans, and Native Americans). http://www.uic.edu/depts/uhealth/

 

Inclusive Cities Canada Inclusive Cities Canada conducts research and engages local leadership and community participation in order to shape public policy and institutional practices. The initiative will create a horizontal civic alliance on social inclusion across urban communities in Canada.

http://www.inclusivecities.ca/index.html

Philip O’Hara - Social Inclusion Health Indicators: A Framework for Addressing the Social Determinants of Health

 

Philip O’Hara is currently the Coordinator of the Alberta Healthy Living Network’s Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Project. Previously he was the research and social policy analysis coordinator for the Edmonton Social Planning Council and the regional coordinator for Inclusive Cities Canada (ICC) – Edmonton.

Drawing on the national ICC research and the results of the social inclusion inquiry in Edmonton, Mr. O’Hara’s paper explores the close link between the dimensions of social inclusion and social determinants of health. The paper suggests social inclusion health indicators for Edmonton that are based on the ICC research and our knowledge about the SDOH. Key outcomes and lead indicators will be identified for each of the ICC dimensions of social inclusion, which will point to recommendations for public policy and community practice.

Full Paper (202K PDF)

The Brookings Institution: Metropolitan Policy Program  Redefining the challenges facing metropolitan America and promoting innovative solutions to help communities grow in more inclusive, competitive, and sustainable ways. http://www.brookings.edu/metro/metro.htm

 

Where did they go? The Decline of Middle-Income Neighborhoods in Metropolitan America

Although middle-income families have declined considerably as a share of the overall family income distribution, it is noteworthy that middle-class neighborhoods have disappeared even faster in metropolitan areas, especially in cities. This trend suggests increased sorting of high- and low-income families into neighborhoods that reflect their own economic profiles, and increased vulnerability of middle-class neighborhoods "tipping" towards higher- or lower-income status. The resulting disparities among neighborhoods create new challenges for policies to enhance household mobility, improve the delivery of key public services, and promote private-sector investment in struggling locales. FullReport in PDF (529KB)

 

Asset-based, Resident-led Neighbourhood Development / Développement communautaire fondé sur les actifs du milieu et la prise en charge citoyenne [Caledon Institute of Social Policy] In February 2005, Action for Neighbourhood Change (ANC) was launched with funding from the Government of Canada.  Its purpose is to explore and assess approaches to strengthening neighbourhoods that are resident-led and can enhance the capacity of individuals and families to build and sustain strong, healthy communities. This paper presents insights derived from the initiative’s first 14 months of operation.  It highlights the asset-based, resident-led approach pursued on the ground in the five participating neighbourhoods.  It also considers the roles that government and voluntary sector partners at the national level can play in support of such initiatives. http://www.caledoninst.org/Publications/PDF/599ENG%2Epdf

 

Orienteering Over New Ground: A Neighbourhood Theory of Change/ S’orienter en terrain inexploré : Pour une théorie du changement relative aux quartiers [Caledon Institute of Social Policy] In February 2005, Action for Neighbourhood Change (ANC) was launched with funding from the Government of Canada. Its purpose is to explore and assess approaches to strengthening neighbourhoods that are resident-led and can enhance the capacity of individuals and families to build and sustain strong, healthy communities.

http://www.caledoninst.org/Publications/PDF/592ENG%2Epdf

 

Atelier Parisien d'Urbanisme (APUR) [Jan 26 06 Paris France]--   APUR was created by the Council of Paris in 1967. Its mission is to follow urban evolutions, participate at the elaboration of definitions of urban and land use planning policies and at the preparation of projects for Paris and the region of Ile de France.It observes and analyses demographic, economic and social data of the French Capital and other big cities in order to engage and elaborate action plans proposals, and prepare urban studies. www.apur.org

 

Building and Housing Research Centre (BHRC), Iran BHRC is affiliated to the Ministry of Housing & Urban Development. It is a national center for research and assessment of products and systems in the building and housing fields in Iran. Its principal objectives are study, coordination, centralization, and performance of research projects on building and housing systems, materials and constructional technologies, and the effects of climatic and environmental conditions. www.bhrc.gov.ir

 

Center for Research and Transfer of Appropriate Technology (CITTA), University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Center has taken a leading role in the development of architectural and urban planning techniques for the reduction of disaster risk. Recent work in conjunction with the World Bank has focused on the reduction of consequences of urban flooding in Argentina.

 

Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), India. The Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee, India, has been vested with the responsibility of generating, cultivating and promoting building science and technology in the service of the country. Since it's inception in 1947, the Institute has been assisting the building construction and building material industries in finding timely, appropriate and economical solutions to the problems of materials, rural and urban housing, energy conservation, efficiency, fire hazards, structural and foundation problems and disaster mitigation. http://www.cbri.org

 

Earthquake Disaster Mitigation Research Center (EDM), Miki, Japan. The main purpose of the EDM is to produce “frontier research on earthquake disaster mitigation for urban regions.” The major research activities are performed by three research teams: the disaster process simulation team, the disaster information system team and the structural performance team. http://www.edm.bosai.go.jp

 

Environment and Society Institute (ESI), State University of New York, Buffalo, USA
It offers courses on engineering and applied sciences and hosts the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA), the Center for Urban Studies. The Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (MCEER) is an affiliated research center.
http://www.buffalo.edu

 

European Centre for Vulnerability of Industrial and Lifeline Systems/Centre Européen sur la Vulnérabilité des Réseaux et Systèmes Industriels (ECILS), Skopje (Former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia)--It promotes programmes for theoretical and applied research of urban vulnerability. http://www.iziis.ukim.edu.mk

 

Growing better Cities: Urban Agriculture for Sustainable Development--Farming in the city — urban agriculture — is too often seen by municipalities as a problem to be eradicated rather than as a part of the solution to making the city and its environment more sustainable. This In_Focus Web site assembles a variety of resources on urban agriculture (UA). Including slide presentations, short stories, case studies, research reports, books, etc., the site presents an overview of UA, results of IDRC-supported research, and the important lessons that have been learned. http://www.idrc.ca/in_focus_cities/

 

Institute for Hazards Mitigation Planning and Research, College of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Washington The objective of the Institute for Hazards Mitigation Planning and Research is to encourage the incorporation of hazards mitigation principles into disaster preparedness, response and recovery practices through planning programs, community involvement and research to support the creation of more disaster-resistant and sustainable communities in the Pacific Northwest. http://depts.washington.edu/mitigate www.caup.washington.edu
 

Urban Geoscience Division of Geoscience Australia. Geoscience Australia is the national agency for geoscience research and geospatial information. It is located within the Industry, Tourism and Resources portfolio. As part of its extensive work on urban centres, Geoscience Australia watches and assesses earth-surface processes that pose a risk to Australia. It gathers data and develops tools that governments and other authorities may use to make the nation as safe as possible from natural and human-induced hazards. www.ga.gov.au

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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