Forbes Davidson
Planning
Address:
Stadhouderslaan 10
3051HG
Rotterdam
The Netherlands
+31102850399
fd@forbesdavidsonplanning.com
Phone (O):
Email
Curriculum Vitae: Forbes Davidson
Proposed Position:
Name of Firm:
Forbes Davidson Planning
Name of Staff:
Forbes Davidson
Profession:
Town Planner
Date of Birth:
1946
Years with Firm/Entity:
1
Nationality: British
Memberships in Professional Societies:
Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute, United Kingdom
Key Qualifications:
Forbes Davidson has more than 40 years of experience in education and practice in the fields of
planning, integrated development, low income housing, capacity building and institutional
development, training, project review and evaluation and project management. Subject area
focus includes urban management urban and regional planning, low income housing and
upgrading, governance, e-governance, institutional development. A particular focus is a
practical approach to integrated development and building capacity for planning development
and implementation.
He is currently director of his own advisory office. Till recently he was in charge of programmes
on urban policy, planning and development strategies at IHS. He works on issues of integrated
development including housing, upgrading infrastructure and land. He recently worked on the
strategy for land and housing for UN-HABITAT.
1
Mr Davidson has worked for many years in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe on
capacity building linked to urban and regional policy, planning and management.
Recently he has advised the Governments of Egypt and Palestine on the implementation of
integrated urban development strategies. Earlier he led a high level team to develop guidelines
for sustainable urban development for the European Commission, the Worlds largest donor
organization. In Indonesia he led a team, advising the government on the procedures and
capacity development of the integrated infrastructure development programme (IUIDP)
Mr Davidson has considerable experience with evaluation. He recently led the evaluation of the
Netherlands funded project to support the work of UN-Habitat’s Training and Capacity Building
Branch. This programme involved the development and implementation of support
mechanisms for capacity building institutions and networks. Earlier he was responsible for the
evaluation and documentation of the Community Participation training programme experience
in Zambia for UN Habitat, evaluation of the Nasriya participative upgrading programme in Egypt
for GTZ.
Capacity building has been an area of special interest from 1995 when he was responsible to
document experience for UN Habitat and later led a team promoting capacity building strategies
at Habitat II in Istanbul. This work has continued with publications in the field, the drafting of a
special chapter for the Global Report on Human Settlements in 2001 and recently the organizing
of a special session WUF in Vancouver on the subject. Work was also undertaken on
development of supporting networks. Experience includes training support to implementation
in Ismailia, Egypt in the 70s and early 80s, setting up a system of training support for IUIDP in
Indonesia in the late 80s, long term support to the development of HSMI in India, developing
training capacity of institutions focused on local government urban development capacity in
Romania and Poland, working on strengthening local capacities in Ethiopia and most recently
working to link institutional development, training and implementation of integrated planning in
Kosovo.
In Ethiopia he has been a consultant on the Master plan revision of Addis Ababa, was team
leader for urban management training for Addis Ababa and the running of a national urban
development capacity building workshop. At the Civil Service College he played a key role in
setting up, running and inputting into the first two Urban Management Masters Programmes.
In Rotterdam, Forbes Davidson was a key member of the team that established the Masters
Programme in Urban Management. He developed and ran modules in Urban Management and
Planning, Policy and Planning, City Development Strategies and E-governance. He has been an
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external examiner for PhD programmes at University of London, University of Trondheim and
University of Newcastle upon Tyne.
On the project side, Forbes Davidson has extensive experience. He was a member of the master
plan development team for Ismailia, Egypt and later led an international team for a period of
seven years, with a particular focus on integrated development. The work included planning
and implementation of major upgrading and new housing and urban development, linked to the
capacity building necessary for sustainability. He was also a member of the team working on
the planning of the extension of municipal infrastructure for Cairo and Giza, and the
environmental profile for Giza. He led a team in Indonesia to establish a capacity building
system to support decentralized local government in their ability to plan and develop
infrastructure programmes.
Mr. Davidson has direct experience of working in local government – working in the planning
departments in a Scottish County and a New Town.
Member of the editorial boards of Cities and Open House International.
Mr. Davidson has worked in Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, India, Kenya, Kosovo, Libya, Namibia,
Netherlands, Nepal, Poland, Romania, South Africa, Tanzania, United Kingdom, United States,
Vietnam and Zambia
Education:
B.Sc. (Honours), Geography (1963 - 1968)
University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland
Post-graduate Diploma in Town and Country Planning (1969 - 1971), University of Newcastle
upon Tyne, Newcastle, England
Professional qualification: Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute, United
Kingdom (MRTPI)
Employment
2011-2012
1984-2011
1974-84.
1974
Director, Forbes Davidson Planning. Working both through the
company and on an individual basis.
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies, Rotterdam, The
Netherlands. Various positions including head of Rotterdam courses,
head of urban management, chair of the academic committee
Senior planner, Culpin Planning
Senior planner, Irvine New Town, UK
3
1971-74
Planner, Inverness County Council, United Kingdom,
Experience
2011-present
2012
2012
2012
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
1984-2011
-
Director, Forbes Davidson Planning. Running and providing
professional services for consultancy focusing on issues of planning and
management of urban and regional development. Assignments include:
Technical University, Darmstadt. Designing and teaching modules for
the Mundus Urbano Masters programme on International Cooperation
and Development on Funding Agencies and Project Planning and
Management.
World Bank Institute, Washington, review and guidance on integrated
urban upgrading module development
Lecturing, integrated strategic development planning, IHS, the
Netherlands.
Turkey, for IHS. Input on participative strategic planning for municipality
of Diyarkabir in high level workshop
Armenia for IHS. Develop and run one week module on strategic
planning for local government of Yerevan
Egypt, for IHS. Coordination of refresher course linking strategic
planning to local upgrading. Cooperation with Urban Training Institute
Palestine, for GIZ , advice on the institutionalization of the strategic
planning programme (SDIP), including policy and institutional capacity
issues.
Netherlands, for Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies
lecture inputs on strategic planning and upgrading. Coordinated
refresher course in Egypt linking issues of strategic planning to local
upgrading
Senior staff member Institute for Housing and Urban Development
Studies, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Responsible for training and
education programmes on urban management, urban policy, urban
planning and e-governance, specialist inputs on housing and providing
professional consulting inputs in projects. Work focused on the
development of multi sectoral programmes and building capacity to
plan and manage city development including private sector, public
sector and community participation.
2010
Egypt, UNDP, Evaluation of participative upgrading programme, El Hallous and
El Bahatini, Ismailia.
2010
Vietnam. Quality management of training module run in Vietnam
4
2010-11
Egypt, Team leader providing advice via UN-HABITAT to General
Organization of Physical Planning in Egypt on guidelines for strategic
planning for governorates and districts. This included advice on
capacity development
2009/10
Egypt, UTI and Nuffic – support to Urban Training Institute in the
development of training for strategic planning and upgrading
2008-9
Team leader for development of strategy for pro-poor land and housing for UNHABITAT.
2008-9
Advisor to Ministry of Construction, Vietnam on developing training for
local government on participatory planning. Review of curriculum
development for undergraduate planning
Kosovo- advisor to UNDP to support Institute for Spatial planning to
access EC funding.
Refresher course for East Africa on strategic planning
UN Habitat and Government of the Netherlands. Evaluation of the
project Evaluation of the project “Strengthening of National Training
2007-8
2007
2007
Capabilities for better Local Governance and Urban Development” including
field review in India and Egypt
2007
2006
2006
2006
2005
Hanoi, Vietnam, team leader of special project to support training in
areas of public, private and community participation in planning with
Hanoi Architectural University.
Master Plan, Baghdad , Iraq – advice to World Bank and Iraqi team on
the terms of reference for the Master Plan for Baghdad
Vancouver, World Urban Forum, co-organized workshop on capacity
building
Nairobi, refresher course focusing on capacity building related to the
experience of alumni from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda
Romania. Building institutional capacity through E-learning for
decentralized training for local government
2004-2006
2004-5
2003-6
Ethiopia, Masters Programme in Urban Management, Civil Service
College. Responsible to coordinate IHS inputs and to provide technical
input in the areas of Urban Management, Development Planning and
Urban Information Systems.
Evaluation of urban sector components to DFID’s Knowledge and
Research Programme
Poland Training of local and provincial government staff in the PUMP project,
building the capacity of the Institute for European Integration in Szczecin,
Poland to provide training for in-service local government staff
5
2003
Rotterdam – ran a high level programme on urban management and
planning for the Minister of Regional affairs, Ethiopia and high-level
staff, Ethiopia.
External evaluation of work done on PPI initiative, Cambodia
Kosovo, Advisor to UN-Habitat and Government of Kosovo on capacity
building for strategic planning for land use and infrastructure
development, including building capacity for and running major
stakeholder involvement programmes and partnerships.
2003-4
2002-6
2002
South Africa. Area based management for housing and urban
development. Advice to Durban funded by European Commission.
India. Advisor on local infrastructure planning and capacity building for
Andhra Pradesh Urban Services for the Poor Project, funded by DFID
2000-2002
2000-2002
Ethiopia. Responsible for developing and running special training for
urban management for city council and regional government, including
planning and information systems and relationship with private sector.
GTZ funded. Supported the organization and running of a national
urban development capacity building workshop.
Ethiopia. Technical input to support the team revising the Master Plan
of Addis Ababa including training in the field of Strategic Planning.
2000
2000-2001
Team leader of research group assessing the experience of city
consultation processes in the Urban Management Programme. This
study had a particular focus on understanding the process and impact of
the consultation process.
1999-2001
Team leader of multi-disciplinary group developing guidelines for
sustainable urban development for the European Commission. This
included guidance on planning and developing multi-sectoral
programmes involving public and private sectors.
1998
-
Urban development and planning advisor for the Giza Environmental
Profile. Member of multi disciplinary team preparing a profile for the
environmentally sensitive city of Giza, with a population of 3.5 million, a
part of Greater Cairo.
1998 - 2000
-
Romania – support for capacity strengthening of Regional Training
Centres supporting decentralized local government in Romania.
6
Responsible to support curriculum development and business plan
development in areas of urban management and planning.
1997
-
India Support for development of strategic planning and its institutional
implications– for decentralized capacity building programme, DTUDP.
Vietnam advisor on housing and resettlement policy, Ho Chi Minh City,
and institutional and capacity building implications of change in policy.
Review of HCMC Master plan.
1996-2002
-
Co-ordination of multi year multi country programme “Support for
National Plans of Action” or SINPA. The programme aimed to strengthen
links between and strengths of local capacity building institutions and to
build relevant abilities to tackle priority local issues including
participative planning housing and partnerships for private sector
participation in local services.
1995
-
Responsible for support in curriculum development and implementation
of training programme for action planning related to development of
municipal strategies for improving urban productivity -Szczecin, Poland.
1995
-
India: Bombay Resettlement and Rehabilitation Project for: World Bank
Responsible for institutional assessment related to the development of
a resettlement rehabilitation project parallel to the Bombay
Transportation Project.
South Africa. Urban upgrading programme. Support for participative
planning processes and links to local capacity building organizations in
Eastern Cape.
Zambia – evaluation of experience of community based monitoring and
evaluation for UN Habitat
1995/97 -
1994
1994
1993
Indonesia. Ministry of Public Works. Developed strategy for
assessment of appropriate forms of private sector participation in local
infrastructure programmes. Development of supporting capacity
building programme for decentralized local government and private
sector.
-
Led a team at IHS working with UN Habitat to develop a review of
resettlement experience and developed and published a manual on
Urban Relocation, Policy and Practice. Development also included
collaboration with the World Bank
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1992
1991-3
Organized a major international expert meeting on relocation and
resettlement policy and practice
Ganga Action plan, India. Member of evaluation and review missions to
assess programmes and lessons from a major integrated environmental
programme.
India. Support for the Human Settlement Management Institute in
Developing the planning for decentralized training in Bangalore. The
programme involves a range of existing institutions. The focus of the
training is decentralized management and planning for medium and
small urban centres.
1991-1993
-
1991
-
Zambia. UNCHS/Danida programme of Training for Community
Participation in Settlement Upgrading in Zambia. Responsible to
evaluate and document the experience in terms of training and
institutional development of an innovative programme to support local
government staff to work with communities in improving squatter
settlements.
1989-91
-
Collaborating with the India Human Settlement Management Institute
and the Regional Centre for Urban and Environmental Studies,
Hyderabad on the development of and running of a new workshop on
action planning for administrators and technical staff of secondary cities
in Andrha Pradesh and Karnataka, India.
1989-1991
-
Head of Rotterdam International Courses at IHS. Also responsible for
developing and running a workshop on urban management.
Egypt. Team leader Ismailia Demonstration projects – large scale
upgrading and new city development programmes with a particular
focus on low income housing. The building of institutional capacity
together with implementation was a major feature of the programme.
Co-editor and author of Urban Projects Manual.
1975-84
1974
Senior planner, Irvine New Town, UK
1971-74
Planner, Inverness County Council, United Kingdom,
-
Languages:
Speaking
Reading
Writing
English
fluent
fluent
fluent
8
French
Arabic
Indonesian
moderate
basic
basic
moderate
basic
basic
moderate
basic
basic
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Publications Forbes Davidson
GOPP, Sipiu International, Davidson, F Abdelhalim, K., (2011). Toolkit for Strategic Planning for
Governorates and Markazes.
Davidson, F. & Ruijsink, S., (2011). International Lessons from strategic planning experience with
relevance to Governorate and Markaz levels in Egypt ,.
Davidson, F., (2006). Development planning: balancing demands between performance and capacity, A
personal view. In A. Atkinson & M. Graetz, eds. Renewed Efforts to Plan for Sustainable Development.
Berlin: Berlin Technical University, p. 15.
Davidson, F. and G. Payne, Eds. (2004). Manual de proyectos urbanisticos, translated from English by
Gonzalez Pantaleon, edited in Spanish by Carlos de la Espriella. Lund, Housing Development and
Management, Lund University, Sweden.
Note: Systematic description of steps in developing and urban project, based on experience in
Ismailia, Egypt. Contains numerous technical notes and references
European Commission (2002). The Strategic Approach to Urban Development. Towards Sustainable Urban
Development, a Strategic Approach. F. Davidson, R. Dauskardt and J. Antoniou. Brussels, European
Commission.
Davidson, F. and R. Skinner, Eds. (2002) [CD-ROM]. Urban Development Capacity Building, Sinpa
programme: Resources for Trainers and Practitioners, Institute for Housing and Urban Development
Studies.
Davidson, F. (2001). The implications of globalization and polarization for capacity building (background
paper). Cities in a globalizing World. London, Earthscan.
Davidson, F. and C. Pennink (2001). From Fire Fighting to Fire Lighting. National Seminar on
Urban/Municipal Capacity Building, Addis Ababa, Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies.
Pennink, C., R. Dauskardt, et al. (2001). Urban Policies and Strategies in a Global Context: Key Issues,
Elements and Lessons. National Seminar on Urban/Municipal Capacity Building, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,
IHS/ GTZ/UDSS.
Davidson, F., G. K. Payne, et al. (2000). Urban projects manual : a guide to the preparation of projects for
new development and upgrading relevant to low income groups, based on the approach used for the
Ismailia Demonstration Projects, Egypt. Liverpool, Liverpool University Press for Department for
International Development.
Herzog, A. D., Leon van den; Davidson, Forbes; Skinner, Reinhard (2000). Process, Politics and
Participation. Process, Politics and Participation, Rotterdam, Institute for Housing and Urban Development
Studies.
Peltenburg, M., F. Davidson, et al. (2000). "Capacity Building for Urban management: Learning from
Recent Experiences." Habitat International 24(4).
Note: Key paper relating to special issue of Habitat International edited at IHS which contains
a useful set of papers on capacity building.
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Davidson, F., L. v. d. Dool, et al. (2000). Pilot Evaluation of the City Consultation Process. Rotterdam,
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies and Habitat Platform: 28.
Note: Report of methodology and results of assessment of process of city consultation process
in Colombo, Sri Lanka and Lusaka, Zambia
Davidson, F. (1999). Conceptual Cycles in Urban Development Management
Are we getting better and better - or just going round in circles?
Implications for Capacity Building and Research. N-Aerus, Venice.
note: paper reviews changing thinking in urban development and proposes that there are
cycles of development thinking which can be describes as 5 H's - High, Hype, Hiatus, Hangover
and Hindsight
Davidson, F. (1996). "Planning for performance: requirements for sustainable development." Habitat
International 20(3): 445-62.
Note: Review of changing environment of planning and its impact on performance required of
planning. Performance orientation is compared to statutory planning particularly in the
requirements for sustainable development. Implications examined for plans, institutions and
planners. Conclusion, need both types of planning.
Peltenburg, M., F. Davidson, et al. (1996). Building Capacity for Better Cities. Rotterdam, Institute for
Housing and Urban Development Studies Rotterdam.
Note: Strategic approach developed for Habitat II to develop more effective approach to
capacity building. Includes discussion of capacity building concept. Based on experience of a
number of capacity building institutions and also of user organizations. Has companion volume
of cases
Davidson, F. and M. Lindfield (1996). To Integrate or not to Integrate: Developing a Model for Effective
Integration. Integrated Urban Infrastructure Development in Asia. K. Singh, F. Steinberg and N. v.
Einsiedel. New Delhi, Oxford and IBH: 31-46.
Note: The paper reviews the experience in three major integrated development experiences in
Indonesia, India and Thailand. The lessons from these are used to define the main dimensions
of integration. The paper argues that integration should not be an objective in itself.
Davidson, F. and D. Watson (1995). Training for IUIDP: Ideas, Integration and Implementation. Indonesia's
Urban Infrastructure Development Experience. H. Suselo, J. Taylor and E. Wegelin. Nairobi, UNCHS: 142173.
Note: description of the process of developing the training support programme for IUIDP.
Introduces the concepts used and reviews the experience and lessons
Davidson, F. and United Nations Centre for Human Settlements. (1994). Monitoring and evaluation: from
project to programme: the Community Participation Training Programme in Zambia. Nairobi, United
Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat).
Zaaijer, M., M. Peltenburg, Davidson, F. (1994). A Manual for guiding resettlement processes. From
research to practice, Uppsala, Sweden, "Paper submitted to Symposium on operational theories of
resettlement at 48th International Congress of the Americanists (ICA), 6-7 July 1994,”
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Davidson, F. (1994). Improving effectiveness of Planning: Case of Ismailia, Egypt. Improving effectiveness
of Planning, Prague, ISOCARP.
Note: Brief review of Ismailia experience over 20 year period, looking at effectiveness of the
planning interventions. Discusses what makes for effective planning and what conditions are
necessary
Davidson, F., M. Zaaijer, et al. (1993). Manual for urban relocation and resettlement. Rotterdam, Institute
for Housing and Urban Development Studies.
Davidson, F., M. Peltenburg, et al. (1993). Relocation and resettlement manual: a guide to managing and
planning relocation. Rotterdam, Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies.
Davidson, F. (1992). Training for community participation Lessons from a programme in Zambia. Nairobi,
UNCHS.
Note: review of innovative programme which has achieved considerable impact in the field
from a very limited external input. Interesting and useful model.
Davidson, F. (1992). Community participation in Zambia: the Danida/UNCHS Training Programme. Nairobi,
United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat).
Davidson, F, Peltenburg, M and Zaijer, (1992). Evaluation of Relocation Experience. Nairobi, UNCHS.
Davidson, F. and P. Nientied (1991). "Urban management in the Third World: developing the capacity."
Cities 8(2): 82-86.
Note: Introduction to series of articles on developing institutional capacity for effective urban
management. Discusses definition of urban management
:
Davidson, F. (1991). "Gearing up for effective management of urban development." Cities 8: 120-33.
Note: Examination of the institutional development aspects of the Ismailia Demonstration
projects and the later technical assistance programme. Discusses the relationship between
opportunities for practical experience given by projects and the complementary supports
possible
Davidson, F. (1991). Training for community participation: Lessons from a programme in Zambia.
Rotterdam, Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies for United Nation Centre for Human
Settlements (UNCHS).
note:
Baross, P., D. Forbes, et al. (1989). Guidelines for Integrated Action Planning. Nairobi, mimeo for UNCHS.
Sidabutar, P. and F. Davidson (1987). Planning and Programming for Integrated Urban Development in
Indonesia: Technical support, Bangkok, Paper from Bangkok seminar on integrated urban development as
s support strategy for housing.
Davidson, F. (1985). "Aid and urban development in Egypt, The role of aid agencies and consultants."
Open House International.
12
Note: Review of roles of key actors concerned in a range of urban development projects in
Egypt
Davidson, F., G. K. Payne, et al. (1983). Urban projects manual : a guide to the preparation of projects for
new development and upgrading relevant to low income groups, based on the approach used for the
Ismailia Demonstration Projects, Egypt. Liverpool
Atlantic Highlands, N.J., Liverpool University Press in association with Fairstead Press;
Distributed in the U.S.A. by Humanities Press.
Note: A guide to preparing upgrading and new urban development projects with a particular
emphasize on the approach and process rather than on specific solutions. Tasks are described
and supported with technical notes
Davidson, F. (1981). "Ismailia: From master Plan to Implementation." Third World Planning Review: 161178.
Note: A review of the relationship between the master Plan and the early implementation of
the first site and service and upgrading projects in Egypt
Davidson, F. and D. Allen (1981). Incremental Utilities provision and affordability, Paper presented at 7th
WEDC conference, Loughborough UK.
Note: Discusses the relationship between affordability and standards of infrastructure in the
Ismailia projects
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