scholarly journals Implementing the New Urban Agenda in Rwanda: Nation-Wide Public Space Initiatives

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilija Gubic ◽  
Oana Baloi
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Green Growth ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Master Plans ◽  
Funding Sources ◽  
Limited Budget ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
New Urban Agenda

Rwanda, with its population of 12,600,000, growing 2.8% yearly, and significant investments in infrastructure and construction in its capital Kigali and six secondary cities identified as economic poles of growth, aims to achieve a 35% urbanisation rate by 2024. Kigali and Rwanda’s secondary cities are currently revising their master plans in response to the pressure of rapid urban growth in infrastructure and services. To address the lack of public spaces in its cities, the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Rwanda Housing Authority, local authorities, the Global Green Growth Institute, and other stakeholders have committed to deliver a range of activities in this area. Their commitments include the assessment of public spaces, which will be used as a baseline for the purpose of reporting on the Sustainable Development Goals public space indicators (11.7) and further revision of the master plans of Rwanda’s secondary cities. This article firstly builds on the existing knowledge and understanding of public spaces in Rwanda’s planning documents, followed by an examination of how multiple actors in Rwanda interact in order to promote a nation-wide public space agenda. The main findings indicate emerging forms of innovative collaboration and partnerships for public spaces involving all levels of the Rwandan government, development partners, the civil society sector, and other stakeholders. The article concludes that, as planning documents and strategies on public spaces are in place and in line with the recommendations of the New Urban Agenda, given the limited budget for its development, Rwanda needs access to innovative funding sources in order to effectively implement public space initiatives across the country.

scholarly journals ENLIVENING THE MOSQUE AS A PUBLIC SPACE FOR SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY OF TRADITIONAL MALAY SETTLEMENTS

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Najiha Jaffar ◽  
Nor Zalina Harun ◽  
Alias Abdullah
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Social Sustainability ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Public Places ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
The Public ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Key Indicators ◽  
Religious Aspects

Public spaces are vital elements of settlement fabrics that animate communities together in one place. Nevertheless, most public places are used for recreational purposes only without building on communal activities, especially in religious aspects. Therefore, to achieve robust social sustainability, this study aims to identify the key indicators for ensuring social sustainability of traditional settlements’ public spaces. This study explores the typologies of public spaces found in traditional settlements that fill the needs of the local community. A mixed methodology was used to map and observe the public spaces and the communal activities held in two traditional Malay settlements in Kuala Terengganu. The bulk of the data were randomly collected from 400 residents by using a questionnaire survey to identify the most relevant factors that influence social sustainability. The results show that mosques have been listed as the highest preference of public space in the two sampled settlements. The study outlines three key qualities that lead the community to choose the mosque as the most important public space: 1) convenient access, 2) comfortable and clean, and 3) social aspects. This paper concludes on how these findings contribute to the improvement of quality of life, social interaction and social cohesion to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) globally.

scholarly journals STEM Education in Ukraine in the Context of Sustainable Development

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 323
Author(s):  
Oksana Buturlina ◽  
Serhii Dovhal ◽  
Heorhii Hryhorov ◽  
Tetiana Lysokolenko ◽  
Vadym Palahuta
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Stem Education ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Educational Innovations ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Global Issues ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Educational Trend ◽  
Development Goals

The conceptual and generalizing experience of STEM education implementation presented in Ukraine reflects the realization of the sustainable development goals through educational innovations. The study is based on the premise that STEM is a component of education for sustainable development. This educational trend focuses on the goals of Education for All (EFA), conforms to the ideas of the education-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and relates to solving societal challenges in the long run. It is argued that the concept of STEM seeks to offer non-standard solutions to global issues in the field of sustainable development, and STEM education should be seen as a mechanism to accelerate the achievement of all sustainable development goals (SDG) and a strategy to obtain each of them. The specifics of STEM key ideas as global educational trends in the national Ukrainian public space are demonstrated. The consideration of STEM education as a component of the strategy for sustainable development through the detailing of the structure and implementation principles as well as STEM competencies, which are defined as the expected result and key for the person of the XXI century, is proved. The experience of Ukrainian research initiatives in the field of STEM education in the context of sustainable development is summarized. A full-fledged programme complex for comprehensive, equitable and high-quality education is presented, which combines the following links: research and experimental work of different levels, teacher’s professional development, museums and science centres work, implementation of various educational programmes, festivals and projects to attract young people to STEM, ensuring equal access for girls and boys.

scholarly journals ‘Don’t call me resilient again!’: the New Urban Agenda as immunology … or … what happens when communities refuse to be vaccinated with ‘smart cities’ and indicators

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Kaika
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Smart Cities ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Ecological Modernization ◽  
Consensus Building ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Path Dependent ◽  
New Urban Agenda

The Habitat III Conference’s New Urban Agenda hails a “paradigm shift” for pursuing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, the new call for “safe, resilient, sustainable and inclusive cities” remains path dependent on old methodological tools (e.g. indicators), techno-managerial solutions (e.g. smart cities), and institutional frameworks of an ecological modernization paradigm that did not work. Pursuing a new urban paradigm within this old framework can only act as immunology: it vaccinates citizens and environments so that they can take larger doses of inequality and degradation in the future; it mediates the effects of global socio-environmental inequality, but does little towards alleviating it. Indeed, an increasing number of communities across the world now decline these immunological offers. Instead, they rupture path dependency and establish effective alternative methods for accessing housing, healthcare, sanitation, etc. I argue that real smart solutions and real social innovation are to be found not in consensus-building exercises, but in these dissensus practices that act as living indicators of what/where urgently needs to be addressed.

scholarly journals Women’s Safety and Public Spaces: Lessons from the Sabarmati Riverfront, India

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darshini Mahadevia ◽  
Saumya Lathia
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Western India ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Space Design ◽  
Urban Planning And Design ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Equal Right ◽  
The City

The Sustainable Development Goals 5 and 11, as well as the New Urban Agenda, emphasize gender equity and safe, resilient, and inclusive cities. The ‘safe cities’ idea for women includes their equal right to the city and public places within it, which includes their right to be mobile in the city at any time of the day, as well as their right to loiter in public spaces without any threats of harassment or sexual violence. These issues have gained importance in urban planning and design in contemporary India. This article is an assessment of how safe Ahmedabad city’s largest public space, the Sabarmati Riverfront, is for women. Ahmedabad, a city in western India, has long carried an image of a safe city for women. The Sabarmati Riverfront is over 22 km in length, 11 km on both sides of the river. This assessment is made through mapping of space use disaggregated by sex and age at four different time points throughout the day and of 100 women’s accounts of the experience of harassment on using the space. The article concludes with specific recommendations on proposed activities and space design along the riverfront to make these spaces safe for women throughout the day.

scholarly journals The Biennial of Public Space in Rome. From the Charter of Public Space to the Post-Habitat III Agenda

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pietro Garau
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Good Practices ◽  
International Agencies ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Space Target ◽  
New Urban Agenda

<p>The fourth Biennial of Public Space (BISP 2017 – <a href="http://www.biennalespaziopubblico.it/">http://www.biennalespaziopubblico.it/</a>) will be held in Rome on May 25-27<sup>th</sup>, at University of Roma TRE, Testaccio neighbourhood. It will be the first one held after the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda. Therefore, it will have the opportunity to take stock of the challenges the two events posed to city dwellers, civil society and policy makers.<br />If it will limit itself to parading good practices and admirable projects it will miss this opportunity. However, the intention is to lend an attentive ear, as always, to the work of international agencies and organizations. In fact, one of the preparatory activities proposed is to activate a dialogue paying special attention to the role that local governments and an efficient and responsible public sector can perform in addressing the SDG Public Space Target, and their unique civic responsibility and development potential: policies and planning. Unless this role is explored and enabled, it is highly unlikely that the SDG public space target will be achieved simply relying on civil society initiatives, isolated good practices and spirited performances.</p>

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