COMMUNITY BASED URBAN PLANNING EXPERIENCE FROM PROJECT SUPPORTED BY ACHR AND EU & KAS

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Thi Vinh Vice General Secretary, the Association of Cities of Vietnam Hanoi, Oct. 2011

Outline

Overview of the Association of Cities of Vietnam (ACVN) Some outcomes of community-based urban planning from cooperative projects Suggestions and recommendations

I. Overview of ACVN
There are 755 grade-5 and above urban areas in Vietnam, in which 112 are from grade 4 and above. Number of ACVN members is now 96/112
Government

58 provinces

5 National cities

107 cities/ towns

Rural districts

Urban districts

Rural districts

Wards

Communes

Towns

Communes

Wards

Towns

Communes

ACVN Functions
5 functions of the Association:
Organize activities for collaboration, communication, information and experience sharing for development
Receive and make proposals to the Government, ministries and agencies regarding urgent issues and difficulties of urban areas in construction, management and development Participate in the development of regulations, policies and laws related to ACVN activities Organize activities of training and capacity building for leaders and staff from urban areas

Promote international cooperation and networking for development

Promoting international cooperation and networking for development of urban areas are an important role of ACVN.
Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Konrad Adlauer Institute ( Germany - KAS) The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) Asian Coalition for Housing Rights (ACHR) Cities Association (CA) United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) Associations for studying issues of Korean local governments (KLGS) Programs and projects implemented by ACVN related to community based urban planning are projects supported by EU- KAS and ACHR program.

II. Some outcomes of community-based urban planning from cooperative projects

Project Mobilizing peoples participation in urban management in Vietnam urban areas through ACVN. Four focused areas:
(a) Quality of administrative services and the relationship between local people and urban governments are improving (b) Effective participation of people in promoting grassroot level democracy (c) Participation of people and relevant stakeholders in urban planning (d) Participation of people and relevant stakeholders in land use planning

Mobilize peoples participation in urban planning and land use planning???

Develop procedures for Monitoring and Evaluation system in participatory Urban planning and Land use planning:
- Which steps to participate in (more detailed than Planning Law, Construction Law, Land Law and other regulations) ?? - How to mobilize effectively?? - Institutionalize the participation of people into national laws and regulations??

Program Community Action by ACHR On the basis of Community Savings

COMMUNITY SAVINGS
Encourage, mobilize willing participation of the community through Savings groups for mutual support in poverty reduction, towards sustainable reduction of poverty Promote community initiatives and solutions to address problems related to poverty and urban development

Projects implemented in 2 years with the coordination of ACVN and implementation of urban areas include:
- Community surveys to evaluate current situation with urban

infrastructure (implemented in 9/28 urban areas in the CDF network) - Community participation in house renovation in poor and low income areas, completed the planning for 8 areas - Community participation in infrastructure and housing construction (69 projects) - Community participation in natural disaster recovery and mitigation (3 projects)

Participatory survey to identify areas for infrastructure upgrade and improvement

Current situations with downgraded collective quarters in Vinh City

Some housing facts: - 142 grade-4 collective quarters,
27 4-5 storey apartment buildings - Built 40 years ago. Small living area

Lack of basic infrastructure Uncertain tenure Houses dilapidated, but lack investment to upgrade Waste and pollution Lack community bond, passive engagement

10 togethers of Viet Tri City Community commitment & efforts made at Friendship Collective Quarter
1- Together to save 2- Together to participate in house planning and design 3- Together to dismantle houses/clear the ground 4- Together to use old material to reduce costs 5- Together to purchase material (price lower when purchased by large amounts) 6- Together to share labor, utilize family labor 7- Together to build and install infrastructure 8- Together to supervise 9- Together to promote community development activities 10- Together to share and learn from one anothers experience

Friendship Collective Quarter Community work together in house planning and designing.

Outcome of the housing project in Friendship Collective Quarter Vinh City

So much like a dream, but its now for real Here are our homes, after long years To the clouds, reaching high Well be thankful our whole life.

Supporting community representatives to survey every ward in Hung Yen city

Experience sharing between communities in CDF network

1 2 3

Viet Tri and Lang Son cities sharing experience in establishing community savings groups

Community participation in natural disaster recovery

Quy Nhon City Nhon Binh Ward: Credit for mangrove forest planting and household business recovery Vinh City Hung Hoa Commune: Community loan for upgrade and construction of houses, purchase of seedlings and breeding stock for household farming and husbandry Ha Tinh City Dai Nai Ward: Community loan for construction of houses, purchase of seedlings and breeding stock

Outcomes of Nhon Binh Ward

Suggestion by community to plant mangrove forest in early 2010 ACVN and Quy Nhon city, with 2 wards proposed to ACHR for a $25,800 support Outcomes of Nhon Binh and Dong Da wards: - 2010: planted 3 ha - 2011: planted 3 more ha Survival rate is 80%, higher than in other projects Reason: each family have a loan for tending and protecting the trees by themselves

Mangrove reforestation for disaster prevention and mitigation, Nhon Binh & Dong Da wards, Quy Nhon city
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4 1

4 5

7 8

Some images of the flood in Vinh city, Oct. 2010

Flood in Ha Tinh, 10/2010

Disaster recovery activities with community participation

Collection/relief of clothes and household items

Before

After

Housing recovery

Income recovery

Nhon Binh Ward community sharing with Dai Nai Ward community, Ha Tinh city, and Hung Hoa commune community, Vinh city on damage assessment for Project proposal to ACHR

Disaster recovery

Outcomes
ACVN and two cites with their wards and communes have proposed the project to ACHR and got it approved. Dai Nai Ward: 26,000 USD, Hung Hoa Commune: 25,200 USD Outcomes: - Households are given loans to build their houses, purchase equipment and seedlings for farming to improve their income. The decisions for some poor households not having to pay interest, and about each loan amount are agreed by the community their own. - Rebuilt and upgraded more than 100 houses - Purchase cattle and seeds

Disaster recovery project in Vinh city

III. Overall assessment

The role of community is a factor of great importance in urban planning and management. If urban governments can utilize and promote this role, all difficulties will be overcome. The progress of engaging the whole city community in planning is an effective way to mobilize community participation in urban development, especially in disaster recovery. There should be clearer and more specific regulations by the Government regarding peoples participation in urban planning and management

Thank you very much