The Urban Lecture series
Name of Lecture:
Lecturer:
UN-Habitat connectivity:
Coordinator:
Name
Name, Associated University/Institution/Organization
Name of UN-Habitat project
<UNI@unhabitat.org> <www.unhabitat.org/UNI>
Lecture Outline (for 15 min lecture)
One sentence on the focus of the lecture:
(Example) “Making Room for a Planet of Cities” aims to introduce an emerging science of cities, based on
historical and current evidence on the growth and expansion of all cities on the planet.
One paragraph on the issues which the lecture addresses:
(Example) The lecture is based on the realization that the current urban planning paradigm championed in the
United States and Europe—the Containment Paradigm, also known as urban growth management, smart growth, or
compact city—is inappropriate in the rapidly-urbanizing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Instead, it calls
a new paradigm for coming to terms with rapid urbanization: The Making Room Paradigm.
One paragraph on the analysis of these issues:
(Example) Analysis of the evidence presented yields a practical approach to urban planning in the face of rapid
urbanization. The Making Room Paradigm draws on data collected from a sample of 120 cities, extracted from a
much larger database, and is based on the realization that rapid urban population growth and its rapid concomitant
urban expansion are inevitable and that cities need to secure the lands for essential public works—an arterial
infrastructure grid and a hierarchy of public open spaces—well in advance of their expansion for them to become
more efficient, more equitable, and more sustainable.
One paragraph/bullets outlining propositions for addressing the issue:
(Example) Solly Angel introduces four fundamental propositions as the spine of his understanding of cities that
altogether have policy implications for the practical and normative work that UN-Habitat carries out. These
propositions are:
1. The Inevitable Expansion Proposition: the expansion of cities that urban population growth entails cannot
be contained. Instead we must make adequate room to accommodate it.
2. The Sustainable Densities Proposition: cities densities must remain within a sustainable range. If density is
too low, it must be allowed to increase, and if it is too high, it must be allowed to decline.
3. The Decent Housing Proposition: strict containment of urban expansion destroys the homes of the poor and
puts new housing out of reach for most people. Decent housing for all can be ensured only if urban land is
in ample supply.
4. The Public Works Proposition: as cities expand, the necessary land for public streets, public infrastructure
networks, and public open spaces must be secured in advance of development.
Biography (1-2 paragraphs)
(Example) Shlomo (Solly) Angel is Adjunct Professor of Urban Planning, New York University, Lecturer in Public
and International Affairs at The Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University. He was the principal investigator in a
global study of urban expansion that has been financed by the World Bank, the National Science Foundation,
NASA, and lately the Lincoln Institute of Land policy. Drawn on this research, together with colleagues, he
published ‘The Atlas of Cities’ and the ‘Planet of Cities’ dealing with the decline of urban densities, the
fragmentation of urban footprints, and measuring and projecting urban land cover in all countries from 2000 to 2050.
Additional reading material
(Example) Planet of Cities: http://www.lincolninst.edu/pubs/2094_Planet-of-Cities
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