For many in Asian countries, the city is the ‘New
Deal’. The city is where aspiration and opportunities meet, the platform that
offers the opportunity to climb the ladder both socially and economically and
even shape one’s ability to support those below. Job opportunities, educational
institutions, social services and transport, and modern consumerist lifestyle.
From Beijing to Seoul, Jakarta to Tokyo and Manila to Bangkok, the city offers all
these deals, to the thousands and millions that live in or move into them each
year.
Yet, the city can be brutal.
It can be exclusive and can turn into ‘hell’ for the poor urban majority. Call
it urbanization and urban growth at work.
This is the theme of UN
Habitat’s recent Asian and Pacific Cities Report. The report offers deep
insight into the already known fact that Asia is experiencing rapid urban
population growth and a significant level of urbanization.
Asia constitutes about 55
percent of the world’s urban population and an urbanization rate of 1.5
percent. By 2018, the population of Asia is expected to be more than 50 percent
urban.
Indeed, a recent World Bank
report revealed rapid change in urban expansion and even more critically, that
urban population far exceeds urban land expansion in East Asia. Even more,
aside the 17 mega cities (population of more than 10 million) in the region,
the fastest rate of growth is occurring in small and medium size urban areas,
where human, financial and organization resources are woefully inadequate. The
statistics are startling.
So why does this matter? As
the UN Habitat report indicates, it is time to move from ‘quantity’ to
‘quality’. In other words, turn the numbers into quality, positive urban
experiences. However, as recently noted in the urbanization and development
debate—urbanization can propel economic growth and development.
Evidence from the Asian
pacific region suggests that ‘most of the cities are now hubs of economic
growth and wealth creation’. It is also claimed that the ‘booming’ urban
economy has lifted millions out of poverty in the region. For instance,
industrial centers in Jakarta, Manila and Bangkok provide employment and
economic access to several thousand and most Asian cities rank well in the
‘cities of opportunity’ global index.
Yet, it is important to
underscore, another, if not more important, part of the entire picture. As
Mitlin and Patel argue, though economic growth continues to transform many of
the cities in the Asia pacific, many, if not the majority, are excluded. Even
though poverty has reduced over the years, inequality and poverty is still high
and many are in the vulnerable, low-wage earning informal sector.
In addition, the report
mentions that less than 75 percent of the urban population has access to
improved sanitation. Rising cost of living, inadequate affordable housing and
lack of meaningful income has had led to the socio-spatial manifestation of
informal settlements (or slums)— ubiquitous for all to see.
More problematic is the
environmental and climate risk in the region, with far reaching health
implications. Severe levels of air pollution, organic pollution of water
bodies, sanitation concerns and CO2 emissions are prime. The threat of
disasters, including flooding, still remain among the broader issues of urban
resilience and livability.
So, is the future of cities
and urban areas in the Asia-Pacific a sort of a ‘double-edge’ sword scenario of
‘boom’ and ‘gloom’; good and bad—an ‘urban divide’?
Herein lies the miracle of
urban governance. Turning the tides of urbanization into positive, quality
living experience for all urban residents, in both large and small areas,
requires urban innovation. Bringing to the center collaborative governance,
that gives communities and civil society the possibility to take part in
planning and urban development decisions through accountable, transparent,
inclusive and responsible institutional frameworks.
Governance, not government,
that includes the process of believing in a change in the modus operadi, the
proper role and resources for local governance beyond partisan and ethnic
politics and shared responsibility to create sustainable changes.
Accepting the poor as not
merely a representation of poverty, but fellow humans who posses the
capabilities and latent potential to contribute to and positively shape their
living environments if given the necessary support and space.
In the end, joining ends into
a responsible and dutiful circle—of public sector, civil society, private
agencies and citizens—to make things better. The future is bright but it may
require ‘bright’ innovation in inclusive governance and ‘shared prosperity for
all’.
***
Seth is a
Development Planner and currently a MEXT PhD Scholar at Osaka University,
Japan. He holds an MSc Urban Planning and Policy Design from the Politecnico di
Milano, Italy and Crises Management and Disaster Response certificate from BBK
Academy Germany. Seth Asare Okyere was also the recipient of the Konosuke
Matsushita Memorial (Panasonic) Foundation young researcher grant Award in
2015. His professional and research interests are in the areas of urban
development and policy and informal urbanism.
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