Bridging Modernity by Improving Informal Sector for Substantially Industrialized Construction in Developing Countries

We have argued in Chapters 1-3 that the construction industry in developing countries is dominated by the strong presence of SMEs and “jobbers”. The informal sector workers constitute the essential provider of human resources construction industry. So far, the weaknesses of the construction industry in developing countries have been identified. As a result, various decision models were proposed for largely improving labor cost management and scheduling (time) with the aim of improving productivity. In a single volume like this, it is unrealistic to cover all aspects to improve performance. This chapter will now provide ideas on how quality of projects can also be improved so as to maintain a balance between cost, time and quality. Furthermore, the management of onsite workshops that can lead to construction productivity will be examined.

Planning Transit System for Indian Cities

Indian cities are currently in a phase of transition. Continuous urbanization and seamless connectivity is the paradigm. Proliferating bourgeois class is extending the demand for private automobiles. With limited opportunity to increment land use allocated to transportation and rapid shift towards automobile ownership, importance of transit system is being sensed. City managers believe that public transit could be an alternative in providing solution to ever increasing problem of traffic congestion, parking demand, accidents and fatalities, and global environmental adversities. This chapter examines the critical planning issues that need to be addressed. It highlights the opportunities and challenges these cities are poised towards transit system planning. The experiences from cities worldwide that have adopted transit systems to create compact city forms fostering mixed land use development are exemplified here. A ‘3P' developmental framework of ‘provide', ‘promote' and ‘progress' has been proposed to harness the opportunity.

Sustainability Strategies and Projects of Turkish Municipalities

Municipalities have variety of tools for improving environmental sustainability. The effects of climate change increase the renewable projects developed by municipalities and public private sectors. Turkish municipalities practiced the early steps of sustainability projects, some of which were small-scale projects. In addition, Turkish municipalities have gained experience in LA 21 Process since the late 1990s. Some of the city models for sustainability, such as CittaSlow and healthy city projects developed by Turkish Municipalities. The work in this chapter represents research about variety of issues for environment and sustainability in Turkish Municipalities. Visions, strategies and projects of these municipalities have been analysed to attain this goal. A literature review and SWOT analysis were used for the methodology to determine the Turkish municipalities' potential for sustainability.

From Rural Majority to Urban Majority Africans

Africa is experiencing triple processes of high population growth, rapid urbanization, and digital transformation. The undercurrents of these processes suggest that the continent is turning from rural majority to urban majority, and this situation raises the question of where will this majority work? Arab Spring and the turbulent situation in the Middle East suggest what could be the result of inaction. This chapter attempts to answer this question by using exploratory research method to highlight the potential role of mainly young entrepreneurs to define, through online questionnaire responses, their preferred terrain of workplace creation in local areas, cities, rural areas and in the diverse regions of Africa as well as on the ubiquitous online work environment extending from home to anywhere in the continent. The chapter ends with a review of the observations and suggestions about future research.

Concerns Management, E-Government and E-Participation

Advancements in internet technology have profoundly changed communication between citizens and government authorities. Concerns management systems and smartphone applications offer new and convenient channels of interaction. In Germany, the “Mängelmelder” platform offers a nationwide service channel for local citizens' concerns. Citizens generally use this communication channel for reporting public infrastructure defects. This paper examines whether the “Mängelmelder” platform – with customized systems can facilitate further citizen participation at the local level in Germany. Analysing different customized systems shows that possibilities for further use depend on the way in which local authorities handle the citizens' input. It could not be proven that offering an open category for citizens' recommendations (in a customized concerns management system) has an impact on further citizen participation. But using digital citizen services, such as concerns management platforms, can indeed facilitate increased citizen participation.

The Impact of Information and Communication Technology on the Rise of Urban Social Movements in Poland

The chapter examines the relationship between the use of Information and Communications Technology (ITC) and the emergence of social movements focused on urban agenda in Poland. The aim is to investigate how and to what extent a growing body of smaller activist groups use opportunities provided by the ITC to achieve their political objectives. The research results indicate that Web-based media have helped to raise the profile of local initiatives and increased awareness of systemic urban issues between different groups of grass-root actors. The findings of the chapter are based on the analysis of the Congress of Urban Movements (Kongres Ruchów Miejskich: KRM), a broad coalition of smaller non-governmental organizations and bottom-up activist groups, which use Internet-based tools to network. The results indicate that the Web-based tools increase the members' ability to connect and interact, consequently improving the ability to coordinate joint initiatives, expand real-life social networks, and in the result stimulate the rise of urban social movements.

Cities in the Gulf

In fast growing cities, such as Dubai, Jeddah and Doha the issue of identity and its implications are increasingly complex and multi-dimensional. Traditionally, people were able to maintain a strong identity in their urban environment because everything was locally influenced, created and managed. In dealing with the question of identity in the present Gulf city, several important concepts are raised; impact of rapid growth and urbanization on the resilient historic centers is one such important issue. This chapter raises and discusses the following question “Will the historic city, the heart of urban life, survive and maintain its place in the emerging global Gulf cities of today and tomorrow?” This study will focus on the three old centers of Dubai, Jeddah and Doha with the aim to explore ways of being undertaken to rediscover their vanishing cultural identities in the mainstream of rapid growth and urbanization that happened since the discovery of oil in the 1950s.

Past, Present and Future Population Growth and Urban Management in Zimbabwe

The central focus of this chapter is to analyse the urban population growth–urban management nexus in Zimbabwean cities. These cities are registering rapid population growth rates, due mainly to massive rural to urban migration and natural increase. Ideally, rapid urban population growth rates should be proportionate to urban infrastructure, facilities and services. This is not in the case in Zimbabwean cities, where the development of informal settlements, rising urban poverty, dilapidated urban infrastructure and other urban developmental challenges are rampant. Drawing from Malthusian theory, the current conditions in Zimbabwean cities represents that stage where the positive and negative checks are expected. In putting together this chapter, we used archival sources such as newspapers, government reports and other secondary sources. We conclude that planning initiatives and population control measures need to be used in Zimbabwean cities to address inefficiency and urban management challenges, which may be compromising urban sustainability. This study provides evidence-based information that urban local authorities may use to formulate policies to manage urban problems.

Recent Progress in Online Communication Tools for Urban Planning

This comparative analysis of Polish and German online communication tools for urban planning follows a similar study conducted in 2012. A comprehensive method for analysis of e-participation tools including three complimentary criteria: “transparency”, “spatiality” and “interactivity” is now enhanced with mobile applications for planning. Using the same research sample (the biggest regional capital cities) enables the comparison of the ICT tools in the years 2012-2015. The results show how public planning institutions improve and develop their online communication in urban planning processes in line with the contemporary trends and citizens' expectations. They also point to the emerging standards in e-participation in urban planning, evidently similar in Poland and Germany despite different historical background as well as socio-political and technological contexts.

Urbanization and Socio-Economic Growth in South Asia Region

Urbanization in the South Asia Region (SAR) stood at 34% (2014) and is relatively sluggish when compared to that of the World at 54%. The World Urbanization Prospects (2014) and World Bank Report (2016) reveals that the future urbanization globally will be concentrated in Asia and predominantly in the select countries of SAR - Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. The chapter analyses the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the select countries, which are indicative of the quality of life of citizens, benchmarking it with that of Asia and the world. The analysis reveals the slow, messy and hidden nature of urbanization in the region which is required to be addressed. The conclusions recommend large investment and policy imperatives which should bring about sustainable urbanization ensuring basic urban services resulting in improved demographics, Human Development Indices and other socio-economic characteristics of the people in the region.