Four win awards for innovative efforts in tackling urbanisation
Bhagyashree Garekar, Straits Times 17 Dec 07;
WASHINGTON - FROM software which makes sure planning applications follow the rules to determined attempts to end pollution, Asian cities are winning recognition for improving the lives of their inhabitants.
The third annual London-based NGO World Leadership Forum awards, which recognise innovative attempts to cope with the problems of rapid urbanisation, saw eight Asian cities on the shortlist of 23, with four among the 14 winners.
The Indian city of Pune made the final cut with software that can read a building plan submitted for approval and check whether the blueprint is consistent with the various rules and regulations.
For a city bustling with infotech companies, it was no great technological leap forward, but it has meant freedom from paperwork, inefficiency and malpractice.
Earlier this year, the forum, which seeks to spotlight leadership in a host of areas including public policymaking and the private sector, approached 400 of the world's largest cities and asked them to enter their most successful projects in a contest.
Categories included town planning, ways of dealing with pollution, the housing crunch, crime and health issues, and the entries were judged by a team of experts in terms of the quality of leadership displayed, the obstacles faced and the degree of inspiration held out for others.
Another Asian winner was the Taiwanese city of Taichung, which was lauded for a simple yet successful plan to boost tourism: 'Build the city with art and boost its economy.'
The Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh picked up an award for its doggedness in taking on environmental pollution.
And the southern Indian city of Chennai was feted for the way it reached out to school students to educate them about HIV/Aids.
Meanwhile, Amman, the capital of Jordan, won an award for town planning.
Buffeted by the arrival of thousands of refugees from the Iraq war as well as petrodollars from the Gulf which were rapidly buying up the city's real estate, the city produced its first detailed urban plan in the 6,500 years since it was founded.
Mr Malcolm Turner, president of the forum, said: 'More than half the projects come from the developing world - it goes to show that ideas which improve people's lives can be implemented on budgets far smaller than those employed in Europe or America.'
And he noted a jump in the entries and winners from Asia this year, saying: 'We particularly noted there were eight projects from four cities in India, and we think that has to do with the economic reforms embraced by the country's leadership.
'It is benefiting the cities and disadvantaged people.'
Mr Joel Kotkin, a Los Angeles-based urban expert and author of a noted book, The City: A Global History, agreed that Asian cities, many of which have been subject to Western colonisation, are coming into their own.
While no city has completely managed to solve problems like overcrowding or transportation, they are increasingly paying attention to their liveability, he said.
And such creative approaches to the problems that urbanisation is bringing to Asia will be increasingly necessary as experts say that, between now and 2025, the continent's urban population will increase by 60 per cent.
Meanwhile, Singapore is due to host a conference on liveable cities next June to address the related issues of urbanisation, climate change, energy and the environment.
And Mr Turner said he hoped Singapore might enter some of its well-regarded projects in the forum competition in coming years.
