Recent News
Elliott Sclar, Director of the Center for Sustainable Urban Development at Columbia's Earth Institute, taught a condensed course on the political economy of global urbanization for the Global Leadership Fellows of the World Economic Forum in Geneva, Switzerland. Sclar's module, taught in February 2008, was one of the offerings from Columbia University during its first year of participation with the World Economic Forum on the education of future global leaders.
At the 6th annual conference of the International Society for Urban Health in Baltimore, MD, on November 2, 2007, Elliott Sclar received the society's humanitarian award given "for individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to improving the health of urban populations."
Photo credit: Herard Media Group at herardmedia.com
Projects and Events
Africa is urbanizing at an incredible pace, much faster rate than many other regions in the world. It is a timely moment to study the process of African urbanization and to implement a strategy for this new urbanization. CSUD chose to articulate this project around the following question: how to provoke a policy change toward urban areas at the national government level, through local authorities? This question is the core of CSUD’s work in Nairobi, particularly though the pilot urban planning project in Ruiru, Kenya, to influence a transport policy at the metropolitan scale of Nairobi region. Ruiru is a satellite city of Nairobi and CSUD believes the important work in Ruiru will ultimately lead to the creation of an urbanization template with a social element for other African cities, thus establishing a context for studying the larger urbanization process in the Global South. more about this project...
Rockefeller Foundation and CSUD Convene Global Urban Summit
This year marks the first time in history that half of the world's population lives in urban regions. By 2030, this proportion is expected to climb to more than 60 percent. In an effort to highlight innovative solutions to the complex urban challenges resulting from this major demographic transformation, the Rockefeller Foundation, along with the Center for Sustainable Urban Development (CSUD), part of The Earth Institute at Columbia University, sponsored a month-long series of themed conferences in July, 2007. more about this project.
In 2002, Secretary-General Kofi Annan called upon development experts from around the world to develop concrete action plans to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Columbia University professor Elliott Sclar co-chaired Task Force 8, which was charged with MDG 7–Ensure Environmental Sustainability–Target 11: “To achieve significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers By 2020”. read article...
Regional Development of Metropolitan Nairobi and the Ruiru Master Plan
CSUD's first project is located in Kenya. The Spring 2006 Nairobi Studio has two foci: the regional development of metropolitan Nairobi and the planning of Ruiru; a dormitory city in the region. The two parts are interdependent. The planning of metropolitan Nairobi provides context and Ruiru provides a chance to more fully explore the site specific implications. more about this project...
Better Air Quality for African Cities
Urban air pollution in African cities is emerging as a key threat to health, environment, economy and quality of life of millions of Africans as the levels of urbanization, motorization and economic activity increase. Air quality levels are deteriorating and to raise awareness and develop a framework for action to address the growing problem, a regional conference was organized at UNEP's headquarters in Nairobi in late July. Patrick Kinney (pictured at right), a professor at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and CSUD researcher, gave a presentation on the health impacts of major air pollutants. view presentation flash ...more about the conference | pdf
Sustainable South Bronx (SSB) New Roof Demonstration Project
With funding from Majora Carter, Executive Director of Sustainable South Bronx, Joyce Rosenthal will work with graduate research assistants to assess the benefits of cool roof development in the South Bronx. The project will evaluate passive rooftop cooling technologies that may have multiple advantages in conserving peak electrical load by reducing need for air conditioning during hot days; improving air quality by reducing the formation of ground-level ozone; and improving public health by reducing summertime heat stress during hot days and heat waves. more about this project...