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Revaluing the City

27 June, 2016 - 1 July, 2016

Revaluing the City: Land, Infrastructure and the Environment as a Catalyst for Change

Africa is experiencing an urban revolution involving the most rapid urbanization in history, but amid severe constraints. There are calls to grow local and national economies, enable employment, upgrade governance, improve global competitiveness, and reduce inequalities and poverty. Problems of income inequality, economic exclusion, food insecurity, inadequate transportation networks, lack of urban services, environmental degradation, and climate change are huge challenges for cities across Africa.

Transforming African cities on their own terms, and making urban formations sustainable and equitable is an unprecedented challenge.

Study Space IX will explore these urban growth issues in South Africa’s oldest city, Cape Town, a profoundly unequal city from its days of slavery in the 17th century. Although labeled the continent’s least African city, Cape Town shares the ingredient of ‘slum urbanism’ with poverty and social stress in growing, sprawling informal settlements. There is relentless pressure to increase the density of residential land, and to revalue the city’s recreational, agricultural and public land, and ecosystem services.

During the course of the week, twenty participants will develop a wider, ‘southern’ perspective on balancing issues related to urban growth with a focus on income inequality and economic exclusion. Guest lectures will be on a variety of topics, including:

— Planning equitable and sustainable development
— Property rights and land use law
— Affordable housing and housing finance
— Taxation and infrastructure finance
— Cultural heritage and historic preservation
— Environmental law
— Climate change

 

The ACC is hosting Study Space IX on behalf of the Center for the Comparative Study of Metropolitan Growth in the College of Law at Georgia State University, Atlanta, USA. The Center’s ninth intensive study week gives professionals, practitioners and academics an opportunity to sharpen their understanding of metropolitan affairs in conversation with local experts. Previous Study Spaces have been held in Barcelona, Bogota, Denver, Rio de Janeiro, Istanbul, Medellin, Panama and Warsaw.

Details

Start:
27 June, 2016
End:
1 July, 2016
Event Category:
Website:
http://law.gsu.edu/centers/metro-growth/programs/study-space-ix-cape-town/

Organizer

Gordon Pirie

Other

Theme
Location

Venue

UCT Graduate School of Business,
V&A Waterfront
Cape Town, Western Cape 8001 South Africa
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