10 Years of Research that Informs and Influences Sustainable Urban Development

Since its academic beginnings at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, the Institute’s work has been deeply rooted in applied research. Organizations such as UN-Habitat, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Swedish International Development Agency have funded various research projects carried out by the Institute, contributing to a greater understanding of urbanization in the 21st century. We also undertake self-funded research in areas that we consider to be timely and critical.

The Institute’s research and documentation has been published as background papers, guidance manuals, book chapters, and reports, dealing with issues from basic service provision to migration and remittances. Intended for a wide range of audiences, our research has proven a valuable resource to students, practitioners, local authorities, communities, and policymakers at the regional, national, and global level. One of the series that has had a particularly wide impact is UN-Habitat’s State of the World’s Cities series, to which I2UD has made meaningful research contributions over the past 10 years.

In 2008, I2UD staff, led by Dr. Mona Serageldin drafted the North African chapter for UN-Habitat’s first State of African Cities report. In doing so, I2UD was among the first to identify some of the key urban dynamics, such as high unemployment among the well-educated youth, which would eventually lead to several Arab cities transforming into places of protest. Based on the excellence of this research, Dr. Mona Serageldin lead the writing of UN-Habitat’s first ever State of Arab Cities 2012 Report, which launched in May 2012. This seminal work has inspired interest and follow-up reports by the Institute on specific topics affecting Arab cities, such as migration and conflict-induced displacement, housing strategies, and national urban policies.

I2UD followed this groundbreaking work with the drafting of the Middle East and West Asia chapter in UCLG’s third Global Report on Local Democracy and Decentralization (GOLD III). The report, “Basic Services for all in an Urbanizing World,” was coordinated by David Satterthwaite and published in June 2014.

I2UD has consistently worked on bridging the gap between rigorous academic research and practical applications of findings. Nowhere is this more evident than through our work on urban and community climate change adaptation. Through the generous support of the Lincoln Institute for Land Policy, the Institute has been able to carry out research on climate change, environmental risk, and land use through various projects in South and Central America. This year, I2UD staff will be travelling to Belize to undertake field research to inform an assessment of alternative resiliency strategies for under-resourced coastal communities. Previously, in 2014, the Institute compiled a Guidance Manual for Municipal Development Planning in Belize, which has proven highly operational as local authorities set out to achieve their development goals.

You can visit the I2UD Library here to explore our publications and contributions on issues such as slum upgrading, urban finance, historic districts, and cross-border reconciliation through development.

Next month, look for I2UD’s contribution to UN-Habitat and FUPOL’s book on E-governance and Urban Policy Design in Developing Countries.

I2UD is always seeking opportunities to carry out action research that has a positive impact on the communities and urban trends analyzed. If you would like to learn about or support any of our current research interests, please connect with us by phone or email: office.i2ud[at]gmail[dot]com.