URBANIZATION AND ACCOMPAIGNED BASIC SERVICES

By Minani Leodegard,
Kampala International University
College of High Degrees and Research
Online consultant: Habitat III
CEO and Founder of Community Linkage Uganda
E mail: mileodegard@yahoo.ca
Tel: +256775048575
August 2015

Get Involved in the HABITAT III Urban

Dialogues
Wednesday, July 8, 2015 8:35 AM
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The Habitat III Urban Dialogues have started!
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We invite you to participate in the Urban Dialogues towards

The United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development
(Habitat III)
to be held in Quito, Ecuador, in October 2016.
The Urban Dialogues will host a series of e-discussions over the course towards
Habitat III with the aim to enable all voices to be heard and to bring new thinking
in the elaboration of
the New Urban Agenda.
From the 6 to 31 July 2015, the thematic consultation will run on the following six
areas:
Social
Urban Frameworks Spatial Development
Cohesion &
Equity

Urban
Economy

Urban Ecology &

Environment

Urban
Housing &
Basic Services

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URBANIZATION AND ACCOMPAINED SERVICES

Urbanization is a key indicator of economic development and should be seen
as a positive factor for overall development. Also, as an economy grows, its
towns and cities expand in size and volume and the contribution of the urban
sector to the national economy increases. For instance, the contribution of
urban sector to countries GDP has ranges from 60 and beyond depending on
the urbanization magnitude of the country of the GDP (W. Felix 2008).
The trends of urbanization in the recent decades indicate the following key
features:
The degree of urbanization in world over is increasing the day after day.
The growth of rural settlements which are acquiring urban characteristic is
very high and there is reluctance on the part of the States to notify the rural
settlements as a town.
There are large variations in the spatial patterns of urbanization across the
States and cities.
The pattern of population concentration in large cities reflects spatial
polarization of the employment opportunities.
This phenomenon has led to tremendous pressure on civic infrastructure
systems, water supply, sewerage and drainage, uncollected solid waste,
parks and open spaces, transport, etc. It has also led to deterioration in the
quality of city environments. In several cities, the problems of traffic
congestion, pollution, poverty, inadequate housing, crime, and social unrest
are assuming alarming proportions.
The number of urban agglomerations and towns has increased considerably
starting with 1990s.
Further, this urbanization is characterized by incomplete devolution of
functions to the elected bodies, lack of adequate financial resources,
unwillingness to progress towards municipal autonomy, adherence to
outdated methods in property taxation, hesitation in levy of user charges,
unsatisfactory role of parastatals in the provision of water supply and
sanitation services.
The extent and magnitude of the urban population calls for extra efforts by
city planners and managers to cope up with the ever-growing strain on the
urban infrastructure. Special attention is needed for management and
governance of urban areas which are at present fragmented between
different State-level agencies and urban local bodies (ULBs), with lack of coordination.

The policymakers need to focus on new ways to achieve the results and on
different benchmarks that capture efficiency, effectiveness, quality, and
sustainability in governance, service delivery, intergovernmental municipal
finances, and social development.
CORE URBAN BASIC SERVICES
Water, Hygiene and Sanitation: The quality of water and its
distribution are areas that require special attention in the urban basic
services. At certain places, cost incurred by the poor to fetch water is
much higher than for valid connection holders. Sewerage facilities are
almost absent in a large number of unauthorized and resettlement
towns and slum and squatter settlements. Waste water and sewage
treatment and its reuse for non-potable purposes and industries are
also limited and need attention. Moreover, cattle menace, open
defecation, dumping of solid wastes along roadsides, open dumping of
garbage and hazardous wastes, etc., are commonly sighted. Concerted
efforts are required to fill these gaps and make cities clean, healthy,
and livable.

Shelter services: Housing, besides being a very basic requirement

for the urban settlers, also holds the key to accelerate the pace of
development. Investments in housing, like any other industry, have a
multiplier effect on income and employment. It is estimated that the
overall employment generation in the economy due to additional
investment in the housing/construction sector is eight times of the
direct employment (IIM-Ahmedabad Study 2005). Housing provides
opportunities for home-based economic activities. Housing also has a
direct impact on the steel and cement, marble/ceramic tiles, electrical
wiring, PVC pipes, and various types of fittings industry, which make a
significant contribution to the national economy.
The National Urban Housing and Habitat Policies Should provide the
basic framework for achieving the objective of shelter for all. The
policies should evolve with the long-term goal of eradicating
houselessness, improving the housing conditions of the inadequately
housed, and providing a minimum level of basic services and amenities
to all. It might be formulated to address the issues of sustainable
development, infrastructure development, and for strong PPPs for

shelter delivery with the objective of creating surpluses in housing

stock.
Land Availability, Land Tenure, and Land Reforms. Access to land
and legal security of tenure are strategic prerequisites for the provision
of adequate shelter for all and for the development of sustainable
human settlements affecting both urban and rural towns. It is for the
State Governments to bring in the required institutional reforms and
legislative measures to augment housing both by State agencies and
the private sector. While recognizing the existence of different national
laws and/or systems of land tenure, governments at the appropriate
levels, including local authorities, have to strive to remove all possible
obstacles that may hamper equitable access to land and ensure that
equal rights of women and men related to land and property are
protected under the law. The failure to adopt, at all levels, appropriate
urban land policies and land management practices remains a primary
cause of inequity and poverty. Urban planning tools including master
planning, zoning, and regulations are not enough to make land
available in pace with the rapid urbanization, resulting in insufficient
land supply and increase in land prices. It is important to have flexible
land policy wherein conversion from one use to another is cost
effective and efficient. Computerization of land records and data and
e-governance should also constitute important elements of the urban
land policy.
Transportation. Urbanization has lead to corresponding increase in
demand for transportation. The growth in transport infrastructure
should keep pace with the increased demand and the share of public
transport vehicles. The problem of congestion and its consequences
are posing a severe threat to sustainability of the urban areas.
Managing urban expansion is a critical element towards achieving the
goals set by the National Urban Transport Policy. The National Urban
Transport Policies should focus on the need to Move peopleNot
vehicles, by encouraging public transport and use of non-motorized
modes. The policy suggests involvement of private sector, innovative
financing mechanisms to enhance efficiency, reduction in travel
demand by encouraging a better integration and use and transport
planning.