Metropolitan Strategic Plan for Housing and Habitat with Environmental Perspective

METROPOLITAN STRATEGIC PLAN FOR HOUSING AND HABITAT WITH ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE

Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley, Colombia

Danny Andrés Osorio Gaviria Critical Review of Sustainable Development Policies and Planning [H02Q6a] Master of Human Settlements KU Leuven 2015

Metropolitan Strategic Plan for Housing and Habitat with Environmental Perspective - Danny Andrés Osorio Gaviria

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Introduction

high risk areas in the valley.

Nowadays, one of the most critical issues in Latin American cities is the high quantitative and qualitative deficit of housing. In the specific case of the Metropolitan Area of the AburrĂĄ Valley, the second most populated metropolitan area in Colombia, the problems related to housing are associated to the deficit of housing units, dwellings in high risk areas and poor habitability conditions.

These issues are associated and influenced by different factors: the application of plans and policies, land use and management, social and political control, innovation and development of new technologies regarding environmental efficiency, costs reduction and real state, commercial, building and financial activities that affect the affordability of housing.

In addition, the interdependence between housing in the different territorial levels with demographic, social, cultural, territorial and, environmental policies is a key factor in the cohabitation and governance of urban and rural human settlements in the region.

As part of the vision of the state to solve these issues, it is the responsibility of the metropolitan areas the coordination of the National System of Social Housing which provide general guidance to municipalities and regulations on the metropolitan issues.

The Integral Metropolitan Development Plan establishes the housing policies as one of the metropolitan issues concerning to the state, not only as a social, economic and demographic policy, but also as a territorial policy part of the urban-regional development model.

The Metropolitan Area of the AburrĂĄ Valley as a planning entity has the responsibility to formulate the longterm strategic plan regarding housing policies. The approach of this strategic plan is addressing the actions, regarding housing and habitat, in the region for the solution of issues related to the Metropolitan Land Use Guidelines concerning the high deficit of housing, the low habitability conditions and the large number of dwellings located in

In this regard, some research questions emerge: How are the formulation, application, and evaluation and control processes of the Metropolitan Strategic Plan for Housing and Habitat with Environmental Perspective regarding the Best Practice Guidelines for Regional Development and Spatial Planning [Scheers, 2006]?

The expected result of this analysis is a critical assessment of the sustainable development established in the Metropolitan Strategic Plan for Housing and Habitat with Environmental Perspective.

Keywords: Housing, Public Policy, Planning, Sustainable Development.

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Metropolitan Strategic Plan for Housing and Habitat with Environmental Perspective The Metropolitan Strategic Plan for Housing and Habitat with Environmental Perspective is a planning instrument addressed to the achievement and improvement of a dignified and adequate habitat for all the inhabitants of the region and is based on the Metropolitan Land Use Guidelines.

In this regard, the plan establishes the guiding processes to obtain a sustainable development and the consolidation of the territorial occupation model based on an equity criterion.

In addition, the implementation of the plan requires the development of a consensus among the different strategic actors in the region as municipalities and the community, in a way that enables the cooperation in the development of the Metropolitan Public Housing Policy, in harmony with the national and local policies of each municipality of the AburrĂĄ Valley.

The development of this plan was established in five stages: planning, diagnosis, formulation, coordination and approval. The plan is focused in three strategic lines: territorial and environmental, economic and institutional. Each line was developed under the hierarchical structure of programs, subprograms and projects, which are the operational components of the plan and articulate the proposals for the solution of different problems

detected in the diagnostic phase.

Finally, as part of the implementation process, it was created the Evaluation, Monitoring and Control System as the final stage in the development and implementation of the plan.

In this regard, the Metropolitan Strategic Plan for Housing and Habitat with Environmental Perspective is a new element in the debate on sustainable development in the city of MedellĂ­n and the Antioquia Department.

The sustainable development policies, spatial planning policies and the institutional framework of policy making are clear examples of the sustainable development planning efforts implemented in the LatinAmerican context.

The motivation of the critical assessment of the sustainable development established in the Metropolitan Strategic Plan for Housing and Habitat with Environmental Perspective regarding the Best Practice Guidelines for Regional Development and Spatial Planning [Scheers, 2006] is a comparative evaluation of the sustainable development public policies and planning in my country, in comparison with the rigorous and systematic policies in the European context as a synthesis of the policies, experiences and guidelines in the regulatory framework of the national, regional and local public policies in sustainable development.

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Methodology

making regarding the housing issues.

First of all, it is important to give an introduction about the methodology implemented in the construction of the plan. In first place, in the diagnosis stage there were problems identified related to housing and habitat in the AburrĂĄ Valley. This established the base line for variables and indicators about the hypothesis, obtaining and reviewing information, definition of thematic fields, variables and indicators, and the development of an assessment matrix for the initial issues. In second place, in the formulation stage it was defined the initial scenario and proposed solutions for the problems identified in the diagnosis stage. Furthermore, different programs and projects were developed and grouped in these strategic lines: territorial and environmental, institutional and economic. In third place, the consensus process was composed by the socialization and agreement of the diagnosis and formulation stages; as well the accompaniment to each municipality was through the Metropolitan Planning Council, Municipal Councils and Government Councils. Finally, the approval process and the presentation of the final agreement was accomplished through different participation strategies as community forums, interviews, regional seminars, online surveys, community work tables and the accompaniment and permanent support to each municipality and the stakeholders involved in the decision-

However, as part of the methodology implemented in the critical assessment of the sustainable development established in the Metropolitan Strategic Plan for Housing and Habitat with Environmental Perspective, the comparative evaluation of the sustainable development public policies and planning in the Latin-American context are compared against the rigorous and systematic policies of the European context, specifically regarding the (GRIDS Program) Best Practice Guidelines for Regional Development and Spatial Planning [Scheers, 2006].

In this sense, the methodology started with the analysis of the regional approach of the different strategies included in the plan and the possible weaknesses at these levels. The aim of this methodology is the demonstration of the application of the good practice guidelines in the different contexts.

Regarding Spatial Planning, the national, regional, inter-regional, local policies and the articulation and coordination between them were analyzed. The economic aspect was analyzed regarding the distribution of the budgets and the coordination between the different economic levels of the decision making, strategies, institutions and coordinated action at regional level.

In the methodological process, the fundamental aspect is the analysis and

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comparison of the critical elements of a good regional development and spatial planning embedded in the organizational, economic and social context. This can be done by establishing a widely-shared vision for the future development of the region and engaging the different stakeholders in an open and productive manner during preparation of the strategies, communicating its key messages clearly to a variety of audiences and identifying clear mechanisms for the delivery of the phases and sequences key investments and actions, and finally establishing a simple but effective framework for monitoring [Scheers, 2006].

The methodology implemented in the critical assessment of the sustainable development is established in eight key elements: the purpose, scope and status, writing for the audience, defining visions and objectives, engaging stakeholders, information, data and analysis, presentation and illustration, implementation and resources and, monitoring, evaluation and review [Scheers, 2006].

Supporting the idea that in the regional spatial development planning the ideal document does not exist and a plan is a process. This methodology is optimal for the critical assessment of the Metropolitan Strategic Plan for Housing and Habitat with Environmental Perspective implemented in the Metropolitan Area of the AburrĂĄ Valley.

Critical Analysis First of all, it is important to give an introduction about the articulation of the plan at different levels in the Colombian context. In first place, regarding the housing national policies, there is a discontinuity at this level because each period of state government has its own policies which change totally when a new government is elected; therefore there is no continuum in the long-term vision from the national government level. There are no strong institutional aspects in the public sector to enable the operation of a sustainable housing system, in other words, it is not possible to coordinate, harmonize and optimize the capacities and resources of the local, public, private and community actors involved in different processes of the governance dynamics of human settlements. The national authorities do not formally recognize the capacity of self-governance of the organized communities. Furthermore there are not effective controls against the growth of the informal settlements, nor methodologies or processes which articulate the existing fragmented local governance systems and consider the social housing in its capacity to contribute to the improvement of the economy of the inhabitants as an autoproduction process.

In second place, at regional level the social housing projects are one of the strategic lines for the Antioquia Department. In the Development Plan

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for Antioquia 2012-2015 and in the Departmental Strategic Plan it arises the inclusion of all territories to the development proposal, recognizing the dignity and capacity of the inhabitants to assume their own development, the equity in the access to opportunities and the distribution of benefits of the social life. The Department has developed a strategy to improve the territory and guide it in the terms of competitiveness and, regional and local development with the aim to establish sustainable urban structures at regional level.

In third place, at metropolitan and local level, the Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley is in charge of the articulation of the strategic plans together with the actors of the metropolitan housing system. In this regard, the Metropolitan Development Plan 2020 establishes the housing policies based on sustainability, comprehensiveness, governance, and democratic institutionality; on the other hand the Metropolitan Land Use Guidelines 2006 complements the housing policy for the occupation model of the metropolis until 2020.

The local government has formulated the Strategic Housing Plan for the Municipality of Medellín as a complementary instrument of the regional and national level public policies to guide and promote actions that improve the quality of life of the inhabitants from the urban and the rural areas in Medellín. The strategic plan is a

tool developed in a social and cultural process integrating key actors in the transformation of the city. The efficiency of this mechanism depends on the participation and commitment of the actors called to guide the governance of the territory, supported by institutional guidelines for the development of social housing projects and a comprehensive habitat.

The strategic plan establishes as main lines of actions at local level the coverage, affordability and quality of the goods and services of housing and habitat, institutional development, productive land, and the quality in the production of housing, knowledge, learning and social innovation. The Mayoralty of Medellin and the Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley are in charge of the articulation between the social housing policies and the Bio 2030 Master Plan.

On the other hand, the economic issues are one of the most important concerns about social housing in Colombia. For this reason, it is fundamental the integration of public policies related the resource management in order to be able to strengthen the local and metropolitan investments in social housing. This can be achieved through mechanisms that allow municipalities to provide the capital needed for the solution of the housing deficit without affecting the budget structures and at the same time integrating private capital through marketing strategies at different

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levels.

The methodology implemented in the critical assessment of the sustainable development is established in eight key elements [Scheers, 2006]. In first place, the purpose, scope and status are clearly defined in the diagnosis stage: the roles, status and strategic framework are complemented by a realistic scope; however, one of the weaknesses of the plan is the discontinuity of the longterm strategies and its disconnection to other strategies.

In second place, regarding the way to write for the audience, in the consensus process which is composed by the socialization and agreement of the diagnosis and formulation stages, avoiding complex terms and clearly defining key terms, metaphors and ideas of the plan, and the communication techniques were defined by the Metropolitan Planning Council, Municipal Councils and Government Councils.

In third place, the visions and principles of the plan were the result of the research process in the diagnosis and formulation stages about the economic, social, cultural and environmental aspects. Nevertheless, the statement of creating and distributing wealth is just mentioned related to costs reduction and the real estate, commercial and financial activities that affect the affordability and the employment generation and productive chain at local level. As positive aspects of the plan, the

polycentric development and dynamics were defined as part of the urban development model; the consultation as an inclusive practice, the sustainable development as a binding element of the plan, and the thematic and limited strategic priorities: territorial and environmental, institutional and economic. These aspects are supported by existing institutional arrangements and are compatible with demographic models and deriving principles from the existing legislation.

In fourth place, there are no clear policies engaging stakeholders; in spite of the identification of the key stakeholders there is no clear involvement of theses in the process.

In fifth place, about information and data there is a lack of sharing data at the local, regional and national level.

In sixth place, the presentation of the elements used in the illustration process (maps, diagrams, illustrations, photographs, etc.) is clear enough.

In seventh place, in the implementation process there is a lack of political commitment due to the corruption in the public institutions reflected in the lack of funds for the real or total implementation. The long-term goals are formal processes in contrast to the short-term actions with easy and fast access to funding and small budgets.

Finally, regarding the monitoring and evaluation process, the Tracing,

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Evaluation and Control System is the final stage of the plan, where the appropriation, the monitoring of the local dynamics and the social, political and financial controls are responsibility of the diverse strategic actors, organizations linked to local governance arrangements and the local communities.

Conclusions In the Metropolitan Strategic Plan for Housing and Habitat with Environmental Perspective, the diagnosis and formulation process does not count with an excessive analysis and description. Nevertheless there is a limited engagement of the stakeholders, the private sector is not involved in the formulation of the plan and there is a lack of communication between the public and the private sector.

There is a limited attention to the implementation process; however, the monitoring and evaluation process through the Tracing, Evaluation and Control System is a key element before the formulation of the plan.

The economic issues are one of the most important concerns about social housing in Colombia. For this reason, it is fundamental the integration of public policies for the resource management in order to strengthen the local and metropolitan investments on social housing through mechanisms that allow

municipalities to provide capital for the solution of the housing deficit without affecting the budget structures and integrating private capital through marketing strategies at different levels.

In spite of the issues of justice and security, the critical challenges for a sustainable regional development will be determined by the continuity of the long-term policies regarding affordable housing. In second place, related economic issues, the creation of local economies and the articulation of the public policies and guidelines that count with the technical assistance system for the self-governance integration and regulation of the housing activities at local level. Finally, it is important to improve the governance coordination with neighborhoods, municipalities, metropolitan areas, departments and central government.

References CERRETA, Maria, CONCILIO, Grazia, MONNO, Valeria, “Making Strategies in Spatial Planning. Knowledge and Values”, in Urban and Landscape Perspectives, vol.

9, Netherlands, 2010.

METROPOLITAN AREA OF THE ABURRÁ VALLEY, Metropolitan Strategic Plan for Housing and Habitat with Environmental Perspective, Medellín, 2012.

SCHEERS, Joris, Grids – Best Practice Guidelines for Regional Development Strategies, Cardiff University, 2006.

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