Public Spaces

Healthy Cities: Revisiting the Role of Cities in Promoting Health

The Healthy Cities Report aims to provide policymakers and development practitioners with an action-oriented framework for achieving healthy cities. Informed by an extensive literature review, it draws on the wealth of World Bank experience in urban development, citing examples and case studies of healthy city successes and challenges globally. It also recognizes the significant existing global efforts made by other stakeholders and partners on the healthy cities agenda, incorporating these lessons and practices.
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Open Spaces for All

Open spaces are essential resources for public health and the environment: they provide places for recreation, cultural enrichment, learning, exercise, and relaxation, as well as crucial support for wildlife and habitat, clean air and water, and local economies.
 
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The Impact of COVID-19 on Public Space: A Review of the Emerging Questions

Restrictions on the use of public space and social distancing have been key policy measures to reduce the transmission of SAR-CoV-2 and protect public health. At the time of writing, one half of the world’s population has been asked to stay home and avoid many public places. What will be the long term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on public space once the restrictions have been lifted? The depth and extent of transformation is unclear, especially as it relates to the future design, use and perceptions of public space.
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Bridging the Gap in Solid Waste Management: Governance Requirements for Results

The primary responsibility for providing on-the-ground services and for ensuring the controlled management of solid waste, on the other hand, lies with the local authorities. Often fiscally constrained with many competing priorities beyond waste, local authorities may have limited ability to deliver adequate services.
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Guide for the Urban Park Ranger (Spanish)

The training guide responds to a condition that characterizes the sector related to the management of protected areas: the relatively low training of those in charge of urban conservation units, the park rangers. Additionally, the document presented may also be useful to teachers, the academic community, and in general, for any training event that is organized in order to strengthen the conservation initiatives of numerous institutions and organizations linked to environmental protection. and taking care of green areas in general.
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Urban treeing guide for the Metropolitan Area of Asunción (Spanish)

The guide provides information about tree planting process and presents a set of good practices for its management. The current regulations and laws are exposed, as well as a general description of the ecoregions and the natural characteristics of the AMA. It also includes thirty technical charts of native species recommended for the arborization with their technical features, as well as the particularities of each one regarding the uses, ideal location in urban areas and the maintenance and care required.
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Streets for Pandemic Response and Recovery

The COVID-19 global pandemic altered every aspect of urban life in recent months. In response, city transportation officials around the world have quickly implemented new street design and management tools to keep essential workers and goods moving, provide safe access to grocery stores and other essential businesses, and ensure that people have safe space for social/physical distancing while getting outside.
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[VIDEO] WRI Explains: 6 Road Design Changes That Can Save Lives

WRI Brasil explains six simple road design changes that can significantly improve road safety. These changes put people – not vehicles – at the center of design to reduce speeds, demand more awareness from drivers and create more opportunities for safe crossings. They can even help make cities greener.

Click here for the video. 

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TOD Guide for Communities

This TOD Guide for Urban Communities shares the best practice guidelines in transit oriented development around the world. This publication summarizes 28 concrete design recommendations for transit oriented development. It also identifies seven steps that developers and authorities should follow in transit oriented development. The target audiences are real estate developers, public sector decision makers, researchers, and citizens searching for quality-of-life improvement.

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Safe Access Manual: Safe Access to Mass Transit Stations in Indian Cities

The Safe Access Manual offers recommendations to develop safe access to mass transit stations in Indian cities. An investment of 15 billion USD has already been made across various cities to develop mass transit infrastructure such as metro rail and bus rapid transit. Improving access to mass transit in India can serve multiple objectives—provide safe, affordable and sustainable commuting options, create vibrant public spaces and serve its communities’ needs.

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