Geoff is happy to announce the appointment of a new GPA Associate! Daniela Munoz-Levy is collaborating with Geoff on a major study for UN-Habitat on land based finance for affordable housing. As her Bio (click here for details) shows, Daniela has wide ranging academic and professional experience on urban development, housing and transport policy and practice.
Geoff attended the Bartlett Development Planning Unit meeting to celebrate five years of the DPU’s 60th Anniversary PhD Scholarship at University College London on 16 May. He was happy to meet current students on the Building and Urban Design in Development (BUDD) MSc course which Geoff established in 1993. Karen Waneska (right) is currently helping Geoff with some research.
Geoff and Daniela at UN-Habitat, Nairobi.
GPA has been commissioned by UN-Habitat to prepare a report on international examples of land based finance that can improve access to affordable housing. The project includes countries at all levels of social and economic development and builds on ongoing research by UN-Habitat, the World Bank and academic publications. Geoff invited Daniela Munoz-Levy to undertake the project with him and a draft working paper was submitted for peer review in March 2019. A presentation based on the working paper was presented to senior UN-Habitat staff in Nairobi during a visit between 06-10 May 2019 and both Geoff and Daniela are now preparing a revised paper as a guide for elected officials and professionals. It is intended that this will be ready for publication by the end of the year.
A view from colorful streets of Tirana.
Geoff was invited by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) to contribute to a meeting in Tirana, Albania on formulating indicators for implementing the SDGs related to urban land and housing, in May 2019. The visit demonstrated the massive improvements to the public realm in Tirana since Geoff was there in 2011 contributing to a City Development Strategy. Many roads are pedestrianised and building painted bright colours!
Geoff is pleased to announce that Routledge publishers have decided to relaunch a book he co-edited (with David Cadman) called ‘The Living City: Towards a sustainable future’. Given that the book was originally published in 1990, Geoff is flattered that ideas and examples published nearly thirty years ago are still considered relevant for the future. The book is to be relaunched in July 2019.
In early 2019, Geoff was commissioned by UN-Habitat to prepare a report on land-based finance for affordable housing. The study will will review, analyse and propose ways to link housing finance and land value capture mechanisms in countries at all levels of economic development and with diverse legal, institutional and political structures.
Geoff has invited Daniela Munoz-Levy to undertake the study with him and a review of the extensive literature has been undertaken. This forms the basis for a draft report which will be presented at a series of meetings and workshops in Nairobi in early May. Following discussions, a final report will then be prepared and submitted for publication.
Prof. Dr. Rusen Keles and Cemre at the Faculty of Political Science at Ankara University.
Cemre Sahinkaya, a GPA Associate, has successfully completed a literature review and short fieldwork studies of housing and planning in the Turkish capital, Ankara thanks to financial support from GIZ. The aim of the study has been to update the literature following Geoff’s major three volume study undertaken in the 1970’s. It is hoped that additional funding may be obtained to undertake more extensive fieldwork this summer in order to produce enough material for a book covering more than forty years of the city’s development.
After almost 40 years, Geoffrey & Rita Payne visited Istanbul in order to work on a project and see the city with the guidance of GPA associate Cemre Sahinkaya. During the visit, Paynes got to chance to cross the Bosphorus (actually two continents!) and see the beautiful coastal side of the city in Karakoy.
Spending some time in Taksim Square and Istiklal Street was a lovely refreshment for all!
Geoffrey was delighted to be in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey, as a guest lecturer at the Ankara University Faculty of Applied Sciences in late October 2018.
He gave a lecture entitled “Meeting the Global Urban Land and Housing Challenge” in Prof. Dr. Rusen Keles’ “City Economy and Management” class.
The participants consisted of architects, urban planners and geomatics engineers.
At the end of the class, a long Q &A and discussion part took place and the participants could have a chance to ask questions to Geoffrey about his urban planning experiences all around the world.
Geoff was invited by the UK Built Environment Advisory Group and UN-Habitat to make a presentation at the Transition Training and Dialogue on Global Future Cities, for senior officials from nineteen cities in ten countries. The event was held during 10-14 September at the Royal Institute of British Architects and Geoff’s presentation was on ‘Engaging with urban informality and standards’.