FOR GLOBAL URBAN DEVELOPMENT

What is our fundamental challengefor global urban development in the 21st century?

Can we possibly succeed at enabling everycommunity to peacefully grow and thrive?

Why can’t we all just get along?

The dictionary definitions on the facing page revealimportant truths about the history and future of cities andtowns, of metropolitan growth and urban development. Thefundamental tradition and promise of urban life iscommunity, civility, and citizenship, the common valuesthat all human beings share. These include: the balance ofrights and responsibilities; a feeling of belonging to a largerwhole; the everyday courtesy that makes life safe, peaceful,and pleasant; the economic and social advancement thatmakes life secure, sufficient, and fulfilling – best representedby the definition of “civilization” which comes from thesame ancient root word as “city.” The timeless human goalsof enabling families and communities to thrive are fullyexpressed through urban development in the finest sense ofthe term, which involves preservation of what is alreadygood, as well as creating new opportunities and possibilities.Urban life – despite its many problems and failings duringthe past few centuries, from poverty and disease to violenceand overcrowding – has been and continues to be the destinyand promise of global civilization. In the 21st century,urbanism offers the world new hope for reaffirming eternaland universal bonds of humanity and nature.

The history and future of urban civilization

citizenA legally recognized subject

or national of a state orcommonwealth, either native or

naturalized; Citizen of the World -A person who is at home in any

country.

civicOf or relating to the duties andactivities of people in relation to

their town, city, or local area(Origin: civis ‘citizen’).

commonBelonging to, open to, or affecting

the whole of a community or the public.

urbanIn, relating to, or characteristic of atown or city (Origin: Latin urbanus,

from urbs, urb- ‘city’).

regionAn administrative district of a city

or country (Origin: from Latinregio[n-] ‘direction, district’ from

regere ‘to rule, direct’).

developGrow or cause to grow and

become more mature, advanced, or elaborate; become moreeconomically and socially

advanced; construct or convert abuilding so as to improve existing

resources.

civilOf or relating to ordinary citizens

and their concerns; courteous and polite.

communityAll the people living in a particular

area or place; the people of a districtor country considered collectively;

a feeling of fellowship with others, asa result of sharing common attitudes,

interests, and goals (Origin: Latin communitas).

metropolisThe capital or chief city of a

country or region; a very large and densely populated

industrial and commercial city (Origin: Greek metropolis

‘mother state’).

developmentA specified state of growth or

advancement; a new and refinedproduct or idea; an event constitutinga new stage in a changing situation;

the process of converting land to a newpurpose by constructing buildings or

making use of its resources.

city-state A city that with its surroundingterritory forms an independent

state.

civilization The stage of human social

development and organization that isconsidered most advanced; the

society, culture, and way of life of aparticular area; the comfort and

convenience of modern life, regardedas available only in towns and cities.

cityA large town

(Origin: Latin civitas, civis ‘citizen’).

metropolitanAn inhabitant of a metropolis

(Origin: Greek metropolites ‘citizenof a mother state’).

urbanitySuavity, courteousness, and

refinement of manner; urban life(Origin: Latin urbanus ‘belonging

to the city’).

The Prague Institute for Global Urban Development isdedicated to serving and enfranchising people in order toheal the many places where the universal bonds of humanityand nature are now undergoing severe challenges; torestoring accountability and balance to urban developmentand community; to promoting and enhancing prosperity andquality of life for all people; and to strengthening communaland civic bonds not just for our time, but for the ages. Ourgoal is to initiate and build a worldwide awakening of humanspirit and fellowship, of economic equity, social civility,political citizenship, and environmental sustainability, as alegacy for future generations.

Building and healing communities

In the 21st century, for the first time in human history, amajority of the world’s population is living in cities andtowns. During the coming decades, the most rapid globalpopulation growth will be in the urban areas of thedeveloped and developing world, including a steadily risingnumber of “megacities” with more than ten million residents.The United Nations Millennium Declaration, signed bynearly 200 countries in the fall of 2000, officially recognizedthe vital urban challenges of the future. There is an urgentneed to address these concerns, and to develop new entitieswhich can apply intelligence and experience to generatingeffective solutions. The Prague Institute for Global UrbanDevelopment has joined a very select number of research andeducation centers around the world that are devoted toassessing urban policies and enhancing urban development.The Prague Institute is a non-profit organization devoted toresearch, teaching, discussion, publication, and action on themajor issues related to urban development around the world– governance, citizenship, demography, planning, design,construction, economics, finance, public policy,transportation, infrastructure, employment, technology, culture,community development, housing, environment, education,recreation, health, and safety. Our primary emphasis is onorganizing dialogues and designing projects that generatestrategic policy interventions and program innovationswhich can be replicated on a very large scale to improve thequality of life in urban communities worldwide. In addition,the Prague Institute’s special focus is on building andstrengthening a global network that brings experts on urbanissues in developing countries together with experts on urbanissues in developed countries – including the United States – toactively engage in a unified worldwide conversation devoted toproducing effective action, and widely publicizing the resultsand benefits of strategic investments.

What is the Prague Institute for Global Urban Development?

The mission of the Prague Institute for Global UrbanDevelopment is to find new, innovative, and practicalsolutions for the world’s urban problems, from conception toimplementation. Our vision is a world where everycommunity, town, and city is a dynamic and creative place ofmagic and vitality, and where every metropolitan region is agrowing center of peace and prosperity–in short, an urbanworld where truly “the lion shall lie down with the lamb.”The Prague Institute structures its work around three broadorganizing principles: Treating People and Communities asAssets – Inclusive communities are productive communities.Every person and neighborhood deserves the opportunity toparticipate actively in governmental decision-making, tocontribute to economic development through individual andcooperative initiative, and to share in the fruits of prosperityand democracy. Facing the Metropolitan Challenge – Urbanregions are the world’s dominant population centers and themain growth engines of the global economy. For effectivegovernance, citizenship, urban planning, and economicstrategy in metropolitan areas, every level of government andthe private and civic sectors must collaborate acrossjurisdictional boundaries. Celebrating Our Urban Heritage –The physical and cultural legacy of urban regions is avaluable asset to be preserved, enhanced, and honored. Thisprecious legacy connects the past to future generations,enables broad-based sustainable prosperity, and emphasizesquality of life as a key building block for economic well-being, environmental health, and social vitality.

Our mission is simple, Our vision is clear.

The Prague Institute for Global Urban Development bringstogether leaders in urban affairs from around the world,including well-known and highly acclaimed scholars,professionals, business executives, public officials, civic andreligious leaders, and community activists representing thecomplete spectrum of non-governmental organizations.They meet frequently in Prague and many other cities todiscuss how best to address worldwide urban challenges frompollution, poverty, and property rights, to economic growth,social justice, human rights, open societies, and civicharmony. A key function of the Prague Institute is to bedirectly involved in action-oriented projects as advisors tobusinesses, governments, communities, and internationalagencies on global urban problem-solving. The PragueInstitute advances creative solutions that are market-oriented,equity-based, pro-environment, inclusive, productive, anddemocratic. These solutions draw on proven best practices,good urban policies, and effective enabling legislation forsmart growth, sustainable development, new urbanism,metropolitan economic strategy, and a wide range ofadditional strategic initiatives.

A meeting of the minds.

The Prague Institute for Global Urban Development isheadquartered in the historic City of Prague, the nationalcapital of the Czech Republic. Prague is a traditionalcrossroads between East and West, and a meeting groundwhere the ancient and the modern come together. Currentlythe city and metropolitan region are key transition points inthe evolution of democratic market systems in the new globaleconomy and urban world. The Prague Institute’s Chairmanand Chief Executive Officer is Dr. Marc Weiss, its ViceChairmen are Sir Peter Hall and Dr. Emiel Wegelin, and it isrun by an international Board of Directors and AdvisoryBoard consisting of many distinguished scholars andpractitioners from around the world. The Prague Institutealso maintains an office and staff in Washington, DC.

Our location

Inclusive communities are productive communities. Everyperson and neighborhood deserves the opportunity toparticipate actively in governmental decision-making, tocontribute to economic development through individual andcooperative initiative, and to share in the fruits of prosperityand democracy. The Prague Institute recognizes people as theworld’s most important resource; therefore we develop andimplement urban strategies that are participatory andinclusive. Such strategies empower people to organizeeffectively to solve their own problems, improve theirenvironment, and contribute to the overall productivity oftheir community, city, region, and nation. For example, thePrague Institute addresses the dynamics of the “informal”sector and explores ways to fully integrate every individualand family into the international marketplace, with fullcitizenship, property rights, and responsibilities. Theadaptive methods people create and employ to conductbusiness, produce goods, provide services, grow food, makeclothes, build housing, educate children, maintain health,and perform many other daily activities clearly contribute tothe well-being of society and should not be excluded fromthe formal organization of economic and social life. It is farbetter to welcome and encourage people’s creative energy andhard-working spirit by integrating everyone into mainstreaminstitutions and ensuring that they have the basic security oftenure and livelihood. All people will then benefit muchmore completely from the output that flows from the manydifficult and challenging tasks they regularly perform. Thesesame principles apply in the world of the “formal” sector.The power of people to organize cooperatively in theircommunities is vital for solving urban problems andimproving the quality of urban life. The Prague Instituteemphasizes partnership approaches as the most effective wayto accomplish important urban development goals,highlighting a wide variety of initiatives from around theworld where community groups have successfully collaboratedwith business, government, and civic organizations.

Treating people and communities as assets

Urban regions are the world’s dominant population centersand the main growth engines of the global economy. Foreffective governance, citizenship, urban planning, andeconomic strategy in metropolitan areas, every level ofgovernment and the private and civic sectors mustcollaborate across jurisdictional boundaries. Public policyand urban management today generally do not correspond tothe reality of metropolitan regions as fundamental units ofmarket activity, social interaction, culture, transportationsystems, land-use planning, and environmental protection.Many people across the globe are now economic “citizens” ofmetropolitan regions, but in most cases they are politicallydisenfranchised within these dynamic and rapidly growingurban agglomerations. Even stable public institutions areincreasingly unable to cope with the vast array of problemsconfronting the entire urban region, and metropolitanresidents are generally disconnected at the regional level fromgovernmental decision-making, democratic participation,and citizenship rights and responsibilities. The PragueInstitute directly addresses this 21st century challenge bydeveloping cooperative partnerships among the public,private, and civic sectors in urban regions. Thesepartnerships design and implement metropolitan economicstrategies to generate increased prosperity; metropolitanland-use and transportation strategies to invest ininfrastructure, manage growth, and enhance the urbanenvironment; and metropolitan community developmentstrategies that promote livable neighborhoods with improvedhousing, education, health, safety, and quality of life.Through effective and inclusive metropolitan strategicpartnerships, urban regions can become more economicallyproductive, technologically innovative, socially equitable,and environmentally sustainable.

Facing the metropolitan challenge

The physical and cultural legacy of urban regions is avaluable asset to be preserved, enhanced, and honored. Thisprecious legacy connects history to future generations,enables broad-based sustainable prosperity, and emphasizesquality of life as a key building block for economic well-being, environmental health, and social vitality. Thecompetitive advantage of places – what makes themattractive and special – is the character and spirit ofcommunity that is embedded in our history. The rapid paceof change in the 21st century underscores the need toconserve the treasures of the past, and to pay homage to thedynamic evolution of human ingenuity and urban civilizationover many centuries. Market systems are increasinglyreflecting greater respect for the value of what is old andtraditional. The Prague Institute works on projects thathighlight the economic and social importance of, andencourage public and private investment in: preservinghistoric buildings and districts, celebrating ethnic andcultural diversity, promoting heritage tourism, andappreciating recreation and nature. Many of these projectsemphasize citizen participation, civic activism, andcommunity-based initiatives, from arts festivals and crafts fairsto architecture museums and neighborhood walking tours.

Celebrating our urban heritage

photo credits:Shari Kessler

Camilo Jose VergaraErnest Skinner

NCCED

Kozi 7110 00 Praha 1Czech Republic

www.pragueinstitute.orgemail: info@pragueinstitute.org

FOR GLOBAL URBAN DEVELOPMENT