|
Some of the most difficult choices facing urban decision-makers, especially
in developing and transitional economies, have to do with technologies
and procurement.
There are three main facets of this issue:
- what is already being used to provide infrastructure, buildings
and services often lays a heavy hand on what can be in the future;
- selecting a new system for providing infrastructure, buildings
or services may involve huge investments and hence financial and technological
risks for the municipality;
- whenever a lot of money and intense competition for its
expenditure is involved, the political stakes are raised, and the potential for
corruption is increased, in any society.
Immediate conditions and long-term economic, social, environmental and
cultural circumstances within which building and infrastructure infrastructure
technologies are selected vary immensely around the world.
Diagnostic Factors
It is essential in each case to listen carefully to local people in describing
their own resources and problems. The following factors need to be included
in a diagnostic process:
- What technologies for building and infrastructure production
are already available in the host country or region, and what are their
advantages and disadvantages?
- What is the experience of local builders or contractors?
- What materials are readily available, and at what cost?
- What perceptions do consumers have of "good quality"?
- What is the cost, quality and availability of local labour?
- What is the availability, tenure and price of land for
development?
- Among potential suppliers, what is the level of relevant
experience, cultural sensitivity, and technical skills?
- Are sites and services available for demonstration activities,
so that a new system or building method can be tried out?
- What are the risk factors in both venture development and
investment or loan financing?
- What is the availability and cost of financing?
Basic criteria for infrastructure, buildings and Urban Services
Infrastructure, buildings and urban services resulting from such a process
need to meet the following basic criteria:
- They should look better than current structures.
- They should be energy-efficient, and reasonably
"environment-friendly".
- If feasible, they should use mainly materials and labour from
the surrounding region, both to create employment and to minimize costs.
- In the case of buildings, they should be relatively easy to
erect within a period of a few days, and relatively flexible to enable
additions to be made as people's household needs change and personal finances
permit.
- They should be able to withstand most risks present in the
environment, such as poor fire services, vandalism, earthquakes and intensive
use by occupants.
- They should use a technology that may become a "trademark" of
the sponsoring organization, where local investment is engaged.
Solid Waste Management
Urban solid waste management is a matter of growing concern to cities,
especially in the Asia Pacific region, due to their success in generating
both industrial investment and increasing levels of income for individual
households.
Substantial progress has been made in some economies and in relation to
some aspects of solid waste management. Click
here to see a table of selected economies according to paper and cardboard
recycling rate.
Choosing technologies and suppliers can be especially difficult for all
of the reasons noted previously:
- "sunk" investment in established systems and facilities;
- significant risks in selecting new technologies;
- intense pressure to buy from competing suppliers
Click here to see
a table that sets out the range of options available with comments on experience
with each.
|
