Haft Shahr - Journal of the Urban Development and Revitalization Organization (UDRO) - No. 35-36 - September 2012

2. Director’s Note: Mr Majid Kianpour, Deputy Minister
of Roads and Urban Development, Managing Director
of Urban Development and Revitalization Organization,
and Chairman of Asia-Pacific Slum Upgrading Working
Group ………….....………………………………..........3
Editorial Director’s Note: Mohammad Saeid Izadi…........7
Speeches: ……………………………………………………9
• Mr. Ali Nikzad, Minister of Roads and Urban
Development of the Islamic Republic of Iran
• Mr Majid Rousta, The Secretary of the First
Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Slum Upgrading
Working Group
• Mr. Wimal Weerawansa, Minister of
Construction, Engineering Services, Housing
and Common Amenities, the Republic of Sri
Lanka
Case studies: ………………………...….......………………28
• Robat - Karim Rehabilitation Project
• Khani-abad rehabilitation project
Concluding Session and Closing Ceremony: …...........40
• The Tehran Communique
Report (by Niloufar Mosleh): …………….....………….…43
• The Regional Slum Upgrading Working Group
Director: Majid Kianpour
Editor-in-Chief: Mohammad Saeid
Izadi
Editorial board: Dr Seyed Mohsen
Habibi, Dr Mostafa Kiani, Dr Mozaf-
ar Sarafi, Dr Mostafa Abbaszadegan,
Dr Bahram Vahabi, Mr Majid Rous-
ta, Mr Mohammad Hossein Javan-
mardi, Mr Mohammad Aeeni, Dr Ali
Ghafari Sede, Dr Mohammad Saeid
Izadi, Dr Alireza Andalib
Executive Colleagues: Nesa Jalali
Graphic designer: S.Rahimi
Address: No. 51, Shahid Khoddami
St., Vanak Sq., Tehran, Iran
P.O. Box: 19395-4339
Tel: + 98 21 88875007
Fax: + 98 21 88875007
Journal of the Urban Development and
Revitalization Organization U.D.R.O
Contents

3. 582
Urban

4. Director’s Note: Mr Majid Kianpour
Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development,
Managing Director of Urban Development and Revi-
talization Organization, and Chairman ofAsia-Pacific
Slum Upgrading Working Group
3
Urban

5. 524
Welcoming speech by Mr. Majid Kianpour
Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban
Development,
Managing Director of Urban
Development and Revitalization
Organization,
and Chairman of Asia-Pacific Slum
Upgrading Working Group
Excellencies, Dignitaries and Delegates from the member countries, Ladies and
Gentlemen:
I am very glad that following the Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban
Development in 2008, we are again hosting urban development managers, technical
officers, and other stakeholders of the Asia-Pacific Region in Tehran. It is an honor
to welcome all of you.
This is the first technical meeting of the Asia-Pacific Urban Slum Upgrading Work-
ing Group organized with the purpose of operationalizing the implementation plans
of Tehran and Solo in the Asia-Pacific Region.
The Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development, inter-
national urban forums, and other technical meetings create appropriate opportunities
to discuss the main urban challenges we are facing and to develop scientific and ef-
fective proposals toward the realization of sustainable cities.
We are in a transitional period of rapid urbanization which has created a number
of challenges and complex situations for urban life. The Asia-Pacific Region is ex-
periencing fundamental changes at various scales. Urbanization in Asia-Pacific is
taking place at a faster rate compared to other regions. Taking this into account, it is
necessary that policymakers and planners concentrate in serious ways on developing
effective, coordinated, and integrated strategies to tackle existing urban issues.
Some of the major characteristics of the Region include:
Urban

6. • Eleven mega-cities exist in the Region with populations of 10 million persons or
more.
• Forty three percent of urban residents across the region live in slums.
• Based on current estimates, by 2020, of the 1.4 billion slum residents, half will live
in the Asia-Pacific Region.
In addressing major issues and challenges of the Region, previous technical meet-
ings have highlighted the following issues/aims: reducing urban poverty rate, basic
shelter provision, provision of potable water and sewerage, creating proper envi-
ronment for the poor in the context of sustainable urban development, assessing
and finding ways to address the effects of rapid urbanization on local communities/
cities/economies, taking into account the historical spirit of cities, balancing natural
and built environments, improving urban safety and security, planning for disaster
mitigation, preventing crises and post-crisis reconstruction, enabling slum residents,
provision of inexpensive housing, balanced and sustainable territorial planning, ad-
dressing social deprivation and inequality, and seeking civil society participation
in decision-making (participatory governance and citizenship responsibility). Some
member countries have accepted responsibility for certain missions related to the
above issues/aims.
The Tehran Conference was organized under the title “Sustainable Urban Develop-
ment: Associating Growth with Equity and Identity,” while the motto of the Solo
Conference was “Empowering Communities for Sustainable Urbanization.” Under
such headings, these gatherings have created a clear path for further technical discus-
sions.
In pursuit of the declarations of the second conference in Tehran and the third confer-
ence in Solo, in particular the emphasis placed on activating the working groups, the
Urban Development and Revitalization Organization of Iran representing the Minis-
try of Roads and Urban Development (of the Islamic Republic of Iran) has organized
the Slum Upgrading Working Group.
5
Urban

7. This technical working group aims to create a network comprising research, gov-
ernmental, and civil society (CBOs and NGOs) institutions. Creating the means for
exchange of knowhow and experience on urban slum upgrading is also a key goal of
the working group which has been endorsed in the declarations of Tehran and Solo.
Therefore, this technical working group has highlighted the needs for gathering and
analyzing information and data, knowledge exchange, and capacity-building as im-
portant steps in formulating strategies to tackle the challenge of slums.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has convened the First Meeting of the Slum Upgrading
Working Group toward the realization of the above mission. Formation of a techni-
cal network made up of the representatives of various stakeholder institutions and
exchange of knowledge and experience on key themes agreed upon by the member
countries is the major aim of this meeting. The main themes of this meeting based on
the implementation plans of Tehran and Solo are:
• Standardization of urban slum indicators
• Creation of a data base on various issues related to urban upgrading in the Asia-
Pacific Region
• Discussing national policies on urban slum upgrading and prevention
• Discussing national experiences from implemented programs and projects in slums
• Planning for exchange of experiences, findings, and knowhow through project vis-
its in member countries
• Discussing means to finance slum upgrading
• Discussing best practices
Enabling, community development and pursuing growth in conjunction with identity
and justice are keys to slum upgrading. Through enabling and improving the living
conditions, we can enhance human dignity and provide hope for a better life among
slum residents.
It is hoped that this meeting will be a major step toward realizing our goals and
member countries will be united here to benefit from the experiences of each other
and find strategies appropriate for their national contexts to tackle their slum issues.
Thank you.
506
Urban

8. Editorial Director’s Note:
In the 21st century, cities have become worthier of our attention than those of
previous ages. It has been anticipated that in the next 50 years, two thirds of the
world’s population shall live in cities. Cities are the past, the present and the future
of humanity. Cities are the cradles of early culture and society; embodiments of the
seeds of communal life, economy, religion, politics and organized habitats wherein
the activities of humanity lie. Meanwhile migration and changes in population, ur-
ban sprawl and the burden of modern-minded ideas of governments past and present
in the frame work of physical planning system, on one side and on the other, sparks
of war, unpredictable natural disasters and changes in climate have rapidly created
an infinite number of problems for cities.
Editorial Director’s Note:
Mohammad Saeid Izadi
Urban
7

9. The consequences of urban sprawl especially in developing countries has been
the spearing and increase of urban poverty which in turn leads to the creation and
growth of informal settlements with minimum facilities, services and infrastructure.
Social and economic deprivation of urban cores and the spatial and functional
disorganizations accompanied by the deprivation of environment standards are also
major and leading problems in world cities.
Like many other developing nations Islamic Republic of Iran has experienced
rapid urbanization during the past decades. And while both rural and urban popula-
tions are growing, the pace of growth in urban areas is much faster. However, during
the last three decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been paid to poverty elimina-
tion and the establishment of social justice in the government’s development plans.
Urban Development and Revitalization Organization (UDRO), as a national re-
generation agency, operating within the remit of the Ministry of Roads and Urban
Development (MRUD) acts as the government’s specialist agency on Brownfield
land and works on the revival of the areas within cities which suffer from multiple
deprivations. The UDRO which is in charge of policy making, planning, manage-
ment and supervision over the urban and slum upgrading programs as well as host-
ing the Slum Upgrading Working Group Secretariat, has tried to take the first in the
continuation and evolution of the action and implementation plans of the threeAPM-
CHUD conferences (Solo) and the establishment of networks at the implementation
and expert level. Accordingly, the UDRO held the First Meeting of the Asia-Pacific
Slum Upgrading Working Group in Tehran in July 2012 to create the grounds for the
exchange of knowhow and experiences for the upgrading on distressed fabrics and
informal settlements, and the formation of a network comprised of research institu-
tions, government agencies and non-government bodies within the Asia-Pacific.
Enabling, community development and pursuing growth in conjunction with identity
and justice are keys to slum upgrading
Cities are engines of economic wealth creation, they are inherently configured to
generate prosperity and to provide opportunity, increasing access for all to the ben-
efits accruing in urban life.
We envisage an urban future where economic growth and prosperity proceed with
equity; one where poverty, inequality and employment/underemployment are attenu-
ated by strong human centered policies; and all rooted inthe right institutional con-
texts.
It is hoped that this issue of the journal will encourage and stimulate increased inter-
est between all actors and agencies involved in the process of urban planning, deci-
sion making, managing and policy making towards achieving the following goals.
Dr. Mohammad Saeid Izadi
Editor-in-Chief
488
Urban

10. 89‫پاییز‬26-25‫شماره‬
47
Mr. Ali Nikzad
Minister of Roads and Urban
Development of the Islamic
Republic of Iran

11. Speech by H.E. Mr. Ali Nikzad
Minister of Roads and Urban
Development of Islamic Republic of
Iran to the First Meeting of the Slum
Upgrading Working
Group of The Asia-Pacific Ministerial
Conference on Housing And
Urban Development
Excellency Dr. Abdullahi the Honorable Minister of Urban Development Affairs, the
Republic of Afghanistan
Excellency Mr. Wimal Weerawansa the Honorable Minister of Construction, Engi-
neering Services, Housing and Common Amenities, the Republic of Sri Lanka
Honorable Member of Parliament Engineer Aghaie, the Chair of the Development
Committee of the Islamic Consultative Majlis
Excellencies Ambassadors from Member Countries
Distinguished Representatives from Member Countries
I am very happy to be in this respected gathering for the first meeting of the Asia-
Pacific Slum Upgrading Working group in Tehran. I am honored to welcome all of
you distinguished guests here as the Minister of Roads and Urban Development of
the Islamic Republic of Iran as well as a member of the APMCHUD bureau.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
Your presence here today truly shows the importance that your country places on the
issues that will be discussed in this meeting and the joint and common role which
we need for sustainable development in the area of housing and urban development
in the region.
The Asia-Pacific region as the largest and most populous region of earth is faced
today with serious challenges such as rapid urbanization and growing poverty to-
day. Based on the UNDP’s 2012 Asia-Pacific Human Development report, the Asia-
Pacific region is home to more than half of the world’s population which includes 90
million of the world’s poor and its area is 30% of the earth’s land mass. This densely
populated region has a massive share of the deprived population of the developing
world. Estimates show that by 2030 its urban population will grow by a factor of
two and will reach 2.7 billion people. 95% of the population growth will take place
in urban areas which equates to the addition of a new city with a population of one
million per week until that date.
More than 70% of the region population lack access to a proper sewerage system.
Around 67% are below the poverty line. This widespread deprivation exists along-
side parameters such special geographical characteristics, changing climate and a
region not prepared to deal with natural disasters. In the past three decades 45% of
all natural disasters have occurred in this region.
4610
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12. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development is a
proper venue to discuss and exchange views on the challenges and issues facing
urban development in the region. The past there conferences starting in 2006 in
New Delhi, Tehran and then Solo have looked challenges in the areas of urbaniza-
tion, housing, management of informal settlements, millennium development goals,
urban poverty and the expansion of slums. The conference presents a unique oppor-
tunity to have the region’s officials speak as one and converge urban development
policies in Asia-Pacific.
Considering the extreme importance of slum upgrading and also the declaration and
action plan of the Second Conference which was hosted by the Islamic Republic of
Iran and the declaration of the third conference which took place in Solo Indonesia,
the government of I.R. Iran has taken the initiative in guiding the Slum Upgrading
Working Group and carrying out the necessary actions and coordination to ensure
its successful operation based on the declarations and actions plans from the Tehran
and Solo Conferences.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
Like many other developing nations Islamic Republic of Iran has experienced rapid
urbanization during the past decades. And while both rural and urban populations are
growing, the pace of growth in urban areas is much faster.
In Iran with the victory of the Islamic Revolution especial attention has been paid
to poverty elimination and the establishment of social justice in the government’s
development plans. From amongst the most important programs of the government
geared towards the low-income groups and slum upgrading we can point to:
The preparation of legal documents and tools and the drafting and passing of the re-
quired laws including the Law on Supporting Revitalization, Upgrading, and Reno-
vation of Distressed and Underutilized Urban Fabric and the Law and the Law on
Organizing and Supporting Production and Supply of Housing, the preparation of
incentive packages including the offering low-cost facilities and exemption from
paying dues, preparing the grounds for temporary housing , the development and
expansion of infrastructures and urban and neighborhood services in slums such as
parks, playgrounds, libraries, sport centers, starting micro-credit funds, the offer-
ing of health and sanitation classes, leisure-time activities, vocational and technical
training especially for the youth and women, implementation of entrepreneurial and
livelihood projects, capacity building in local institutions and institution building at
the community level.
As the formation of slums often have its roots in the shortage of proper housing for
low-income and vulnerable urban groups the government of the Islamic Republic of
Iran addressed the issue of slum upgrading in its massive Mehr Housing Program as
well.
Urban
11

13. This program is one of the
most important initiatives of
the government of the Islamic
Republic of Iran for the hous-
ing of low-income groups
through the offering of 99 year
low-cost leases on govern-
ment lands. The program was
started in order to prepare the
grounds for the offering of
proper housing to all Iranians,
especially the low-income groups, strengthening the support role of the government
in the supply of housing, achieving social justice and enabling low-income classes
with the approach of supporting and guiding mass-building, reducing the share of
land price in the finished price of housing, strengthening housing cooperatives, hous-
ing builder philanthropists, support institutions and achieving unfired and compre-
hensive management.
My colleagues in the Urban Development and Revitalization Organization, as the
organization in charge of guiding, policy making , planning, management and su-
pervision over the urban and slum upgrading programs as well as hosting the Slum
Upgrading Working Group Secretariat, have tried to take the first in the continuation
and evolution of the action and implementation plans of the three APMCHUD con-
ferences and the establishment of networks at the implementation and expert level
by organizing this meeting, and to create the grounds for the fulfillment of the objec-
tives and goals of APMCHUD.
It is expected that together and alongside each other we will have a fruitful and ef-
fective meeting and while establishing a common language and indicators agreed
to by member countries, to elevate our knowledge and understanding of sustainable
urban development especially on slum upgrading and enabling activities. I hope that
with the holding of this meeting the grounds for the exchange of knowhow and ex-
periences for the upgrading on distressed fabrics and informal settlements, and the
formation of a network comprised of research institutions, government agencies and
non-government bodies within the Asia-Pacific countries will be created.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
In closing while wishing much success for this meeting I would you like to again
welcome our distinguished guests and the honorable ambassadors of the Member
Countries to our beautiful capital Tehran and wish you a pleasant visit with us.
Thank You
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14. Mr Majid Rousta
The Secretary of the First
Meeting of the Asia-Pacific
Slum Upgrading Working
Group

15. Speech by Mr. Majid Rousta
General Director of the National
Task Force of Enabling and
Regularization the Informal
Settlements and Secretary of the
Regional Slum Upgrading
Working Group
Hello, greeting and welcome all dear audiences especially esteemed minister of roads
and Urban Development and as well as a member of the APMCHUD bureau Mr. Ali
Nikzad, Dr. Hassan Abdollahi, the Honorable Minister of Urban Development Af-
fairs, the Republic ofAfghanistan, Mr. Vimal Viera Vansa, the Honorable Minister of
Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities, the Republic
of Sri Lanka, and ambassadors of member countries residing in Tehran, respected
representatives of the Islamic Consultative Assembly especially Mr. Aghaei, head
of civil commission of Islamic consultative Assembly, officials and national authori-
ties, all staff deployed from Asia-Pacific and honored guests. Today we are proud to
host the First Meeting of the Slum Upgrading Working Group of The Asia-Pacific
Ministerial Conference on Housing And Urban Development.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen
Now for the first time in human history, half of the world’s population lives in cities.
It is predicted that by 2025 more than two thirds of this population will be living in
cities. While urban development is a global phenomenon, the most urban develop-
ment growth will be seen in developing countries, so that over 90 percent of new
world’s urbanites will be deployed in this sector. This population has been concen-
trated in large cities of developing countries, such that one out of every four people
live in cities with population of over 500000 people, and one out of every ten people
in cities with population of over 10 million people.
Cities are driving force of economic growth, and provide employment and various
services and promise life quality improvement. However, today cities witness rap-
id growth, motor vehicle expansion, poor and overcrowded neighborhood that can
threaten health, environment and ecological resources, and these disorders endanger
urban economy and limit urban life facilities.
Promoting sustainable urban development
Urbanization in Asia-Pacific has passed the track record in terms of scale and speed;
and urban development shape will have a profound reflection on the region’s eco-
nomic competitiveness, social and environmental sustainability over the next two
decades. The current practice of urban life and urban development is unsustainable
in Asia-Pacific, and associated costs and risks have been distributed unfairly. The
4214
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16. aim of urban development plans of Asia-Pacific region must be sustainable urban
development with an emphasis on strengthening the foundation of ‘new compact cit-
ies with internal development approach’to provide the possibility for small and large
cities in Asia-Pacific to reach themselves to economic efficiency, environmentally
friendly sustainable urban systems and social comprehensive systems.
Asia-Pacific region has indicated that with economic growth in the past few decades,
it has been successful in reducing poverty. However, this growth has not necessarily
guaranteed life quality improvement for all.
Housing for low-incomes
Not all urban poor live in slums of Asia-Pacific and the reverse is also true, all people
who live in urban slums are not poor. Yet, poor quality of housing and lack of basic
services are in all neighborhoods and shows the dimensions of urban poverty. From
the perspective of some policymakers, slums are not exclusively a problem; but stud-
ies over many years have demonstrated that inhabitants of slums fully participate in
urban economy and have cultural diversity and dynamics. They also have energy,
creativity and skills and must not be looked as unemployed, criminal and rounder
of cities.
The indices of these areas are lack of basic services, housing shortage, and over-
crowding, poor living conditions, lack of security, tenure and poverty. Approaches
that can be considered for low-income people for housing include: improving their
neighborhoods, resettlement, and construction of public houses by the government
and expanding housing strategies in cities.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen
Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development by under-
standing this matter intends to consider challenges of urbanization, housing, settle-
ment management, millennium development goals, urban poverty, and slum upgrad-
ing.
In this regard, one of the five working groups of the conference was devoted to slum
upgrading issues; the head of Slum Upgrading Working Group of the Asia-Pacific
was assigned to Islamic Republic of Iran in the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference
on Housing and Urban Development held at 12-14 May 2008, Tehran. Urban De-
velopment and Revitalization Organization as a policymaker institution, supervisor
and supporter of development plans of slums on behalf of the ministry of road and
urban development (Islamic Republic of Iran) was responsible for establishing a
permanent secretariat.
After the establishment of Regional Slum Upgrading Working Group Secretariat
in next steps in the third conference of APMCHUD held at 22-24 July 2010 in Solo,
Indonesia, axes of the activities of the secretariat was reaffirmed, and this matter
was considered at the 23rd Session of the Governing Council of the United Nations
Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) on 11-15 April in Nairobi, Kenya.
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15

17. Planning for organizing the meeting was on the agenda from 2009 in the form of de-
veloping services description and executive structure of the working group. In 2010,
preparations were done for organizing the meeting such as working group site set up,
national committee attended by 15 involved administrators, experts, and internation-
al institutions and also national committee attended by more than 20 representatives
of relevant systems. With the assistant of God, and 2-year efforts, my colleagues in
Urban Development and Revitalization Organization and others involved concluded
that this meeting will be held as the first meeting of five committees of ministries of
housing and urban development in Asia-Pacific.
This meeting includes three days of talks with deputy ministries, experts and senior
executives of member countries and specialists of scientific committee. The core of
negotiations is around other issues related to meeting goals besides providing and
designing national reports of region countries.
At the end, teachings and best practice are summarized in the form of developing
a statement and administrative plan for designing and presenting in the sixth World
Urban Forum in Naples, Italy(1-7 September 2012) and fourth APMCHUD confer-
ences in Amman, Jordan(16-18 October 2012).
This meeting is an appropriate opportunity to meet officials, managers, experts and
specialists of Asia-Pacific countries in order to exchange knowledge and experi-
ences.
Given that the principle of “common but differentiated responsibility” is considered
the ethical foundation of 21 sustainable development agenda, it is expected that all
member countries take steps to realize this approach in relation to renewing urban
dysfunctional tissues.
It is hoped that findings and results of this meeting which is based on the statement of
ministers of member countries in previous conferences can develop regional opera-
tional plans and produce documents needed to promote urban renewal and improve-
ment of urban dysfunctional tissues in next APMCHUD conferences.
It is expected that all member countries help to stabilize and continue working group
activities by active and serious participation. So that besides institutionalizing the ac-
tivities, this working group can play role as central point of coordination, exchange,
aggregation, and generalization of experiences in the development field of Asia-Pa-
cific development areas. We hope that future meetings of this working group will
also be held periodically hosted by other member countries.
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18. Mr. Wimal Weerawansa
Minister of Construction,
Engineering Services, Housing
and Common Amenities, the
Republic of Sri Lanka

19. Mr. Wimal Weerawansa the Minister
of Construction, Engineering Servic-
es, Housing and Common Amenities,
the Republic of Sri Lanka
Honorable ministers, members, ladies
and gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure for me to be here today in the event of the first meeting of
the regional slum upgrading working group. Today, urbanization is not synonymous
with human progress. Urban slum groups are outpacing urban growth by a wide
margin. Approximately half the world’s population now lives in cities and towns.
One out of three urban dwellers, nearly one billion people, are living in underserved
settlements. In today’s world nearly eight hundred million children go to sleep with-
out dinner. Majority of these children live in urban and semi urban underserved
settlements or in other words, crammed cities. Actually crammed cities are products
of urban ruler dispirit which leads to the segregation of people from rural areas to
cities for economic reasons. Urban base and create dependent economic policies
promoted by international linden agencies help created the situation in most of the
countries. This is further aggravated by internal conflict and worse. However, it is
obvious that the efforts of the world community in solving the problem of crammed
cities have not been successful. Yet the western world is pending trillions of dollars
in wars which are against these very same communities. However in Sri Lanka we
have taken courageous steps to change this worth scenario. Under the guidance of
his Excellency the president Mahinda Rajapaksa (Name of Sri Lankan President)
we could eradicate the terrorism prevailed in the country for more than thirty years.
After bringing peace to the country, the government of Sri Lanka is leading to im-
pact on national physical development program throughout the country under the
name “Mahinda Chintana” as the part of creating continuous climate for ethnic har-
mony, regional development, political, social and economic advancement to a pro-
gressive framework. Instead the mindset of “Mahinda Chintana” the development
policy framework of the government of Sri Lanka has focused national priorities
including housing and urban development. The right to adequate housing is one of
the principals of the government of Sri Lanka. The government of Sri Lanka has
currently the right to push it into its constitution. To facilitate this process, necessary
policies and legislations have been introduced during the past few years.
Accordingly we asked the ministry of construction, engineering service, services
housing and common amenities declare the operation of Janasevana National Hous-
ing and Settlement Development with the target of one million housing units. Of
this target, forty thousand housing units are unconditional for the people who live
The challenge, faced by the existing government is to make the wonderful hope, given by His excellency
the President, Hon. Mahinda Rajapaksha to transform Sri Lanka to the wonder of Asia, the precious
wish of the land, a reality. The only wish of the Sri Lankan patriotic people is to see that this hope comes
true. “A house for each Sri Lankan family” – The objectives of Mahinda Chinthana Forward Vision
should be made true due to the fact that it is an essential factor to lift Sri Lanka as the wonder of Asia.
Ministry of construction, Engineering Services, Housing & Common Amenities launches the operation
of Janasevana National Housing & Settlement Development in order to make that noble concept a
reality.
3818
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20. in urban underserved settlements we are de-
liberating here today. If I come to the urban
sect of focusing on underserved settlements
or slum and shanty settlements, one hun-
dred and fifty thousand such housing units
were designated within the Colombo met-
ropolitan region. About 53657 of them were
located within 1614 settlements in the city
of Colombo. In relation to our stand point,
I firmly believe that this deprived community is a product of imbalanced economic
strategies we adapted in the past. Previous enough negative consequences by intro-
ducing innovative national economic policies with breaking down the benefits of
the new world and the economy to the widest segment of our society are the chal-
lenge a head. The mission of Janasevana National Housing and Settlement Devel-
opment is to provide the ownership of an environment and culture friendly, power
efficient, spacious unit of settlement for every Sri Lankan family, including people
in underserved settlements. The Janasevana program is broken down into several
sub-programs which focus on the needs of the Sri Lankan people and efficient solu-
tions. With the lessons learned at history, Janasevana strategy plan has identified
three fold housing programs for underserved settlements. First One: Janasevana “Sa-
hasra Lanka” Housing Programme: This is an innovative market based voluntary
re-housing program with the participation of the state, private sectors and the com-
munity who address the shelter problem of slums and shanty retail. This program
will offer the urban-poor an option to trade off the land on which they live without
title against a modern apartment constructed within the compact township. Second
One: Janasevana human development program. This program aims the development
of socio-economic and cultural competencies of said community to enter the city’s
mainstream. Third One: “Nagamu Purawara” settlement upgrading program. This
program is designed to upgrade the underserved settlements by providing basic or
essential physical and social infrastructure for the people units. Such time they are
given finer solution to Janasevana “Sahasra Lanka” Housing Programme.
Ladies and gentleman,
In answer to the good urban governance by strengthening of civil society, local part-
nerships and enabling the urban-poor, we are aiming our cities and urban places to
manage informal hyper growth. Our government has also been successful in mobi-
lizing and utilizing substantial volumes of foreign assistance towards the public in-
vestments as rapid and socio-economic development in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka wishes
to harness international cooperation and assistance for the achievements of its public
needs. Mobilization of housing tenants in rational development basic infrastructure
provision, development of monitoring mechanisms, human resource development,
renting of community based organizations are some important areas identified for
international cooperation.
“Nagamu Purawara” aims at renovating the old flat houses in main cities of the island includ-
ing Colombo. The second step of the Nagamu Purawara programme, commenced by His
Excellency the president Hon. Mahinda Rajapaksha has been implemented now. Rs. 255M
has been utilized for the year 2011. 3000 housing units will be renovated under that.
Urban
19

21. 89‫پاییز‬26-25‫شماره‬
36
Case studies
Case studies :
• Robat - Karim Rehabilitation
Project

22. The First Specialized Seminar of Informal Settlements Regularization and Slums
Upgrading Working Group
The Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development
June, 2012
Project of the Rehabilitation and Renovation of Robat Karim Neighborhood
(Local Office for the Neighborhood Rehabilitation and Renovation)
Employer: Tehran Municipality
Tehran City Renovation Organization
Consultant: TARH-VA-MEMARY Consulting Engineers, Architects and Planners
Introduction:
In the mega city of Tehran, there are about 3000 hectares of dilapidated fabrics (with
the characteristic of having very small land parcels and houses, insufficient acces-
sibility, flimsy buildings).
During the recent decades, a number of projects have been prepared and partially
carried out for the rehabilitation or reconstruction of these neighborhoods by Tehran
City Municipality and other organizations.
However, no comprehensive research has been made on the pathology of these proj-
ects (completed projects of this sort are relatively rare in number).
Recently, this sort of research has been conducted on Navab Project (construction of
a highway in part of a dilapidated urban fabric) by TARH-VA-MEMARY Consulting
Engineers, Architects and Planners the results of which will be released soon.
Project of Robat Karim Neighborhood dilapidated fabric, urban municipal district
No.11of Tehran Municipality
1- History of the dilapidated fabric
1-1- Characteristics of the Neighborhood
Robat Karim neighborhood is located in the “urban municipal district no.11” of Teh-
ran City (the south west of the city) between the two highways of Navab (in the west)
and Yadegar-e Emam (in the north and the east) and nationwide railway station (in
the south of the county).
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23. The area of this neighborhood is about 14/5 hectares with a population of about 6000
people which make the neighborhood density to about 430 people. Robat Karim is
located at the venue of the conjunction of four urban municipal districts (municipal
district 10, 11, 12, and 17).
The people of this neighborhood have mainly migrated to Tehran from two Up-
per Samin and Lower Samin villages near Ardabil and a few number of non-Azari
people have come to this neighborhood mainly from Semnan and other provinces.
In this neighborhood, there are about 934 residential units. The commercial units
are about 109 units. There are also 6 administrative units and 6 work place units. The
average of floors is about 2.6. The minimum and maximum area of the land pieces
are 32 and 1500 square meters respectively. The average land pieces is 97 square
meters (apart from educational units and clinic that are of larger areas); the rate is
totally 94 square meters.
About 85 percent of the neighborhood land use on the first floor (ground floor) is
residential and the rest is commercial-residential, work place and parking lot. About
80 percent of the buildings which are located in this neighborhood are of more than
30 years, 10% percent between 30 to 10 years and 10 percent less than 10 years.
12% of the buildings are newly-built and 16% are acceptable and the rest are subject
to destruction. About 76 percent of the buildings lack proper structure.
The education level of the household heads is as follows:
21 percent are illiterate, 24 are with primary school degree and less, 24 percent are
with guidance school degree, 24 percent with a high school diploma and only about
4.5 percent have an academic degree.
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24. The average duration of the household residence in the housing units is about 17
years (minimum one year and maximum 55 years). Of the total households, 1102
people have permanent jobs (about 52%), 364 people are unemployed or with a
temporary job (about 4.5 percent are jobless and the rest are housewife, student and
so on). The average monthly income and expenditure of the typical household is
3,790,000 and 3,470,000 rials respectively.
An Introduction to the Company
Consulting Engineers TARH-VA-MEMARY, Architects and Planners was estab-
lished after the Islamic Revolution in 1982 by changing its name from “Abdolaziz
Farmanfarmaiyan Consulting Engineers and Colleagues” to the present name. It
enjoys various experiences in the areas of urban development and architecture. The
related projects in the areas of rehabilitation and renovation measures in old urban
fabrics and informal settlements:
• Studies and design of the dilapidated urban fabric of Tehran Municipal District
no.10;
• Studies and project of dilapidated urban fabric of Robat Karim neighborhood;
• Studies and project of dilapidated fabric of Quchan city (located in khorassan
Province of Iran);
• Studies and project of dilapidated urban fabric of Hamidiya city ( Yazd);
• Informal settlements enabling plan in Qom (located in Iranian province of Qom);
• Informal settlements enabling plan in Isfahan
• The forth agent of the Informal settlements enabling plan in Bandarabas (located
in Hormozgan Province)
• Studies and design of the dilapidated urban fabric of Zeinabiyeh neighborhood in
Isfahan (locatd in Isfahan province)
• Studies and project of the dilapidated urban fabric of Amir Arab neighborhood
in Isfahan;
• Establishment of the Office of Robat Karim neighborhood Renovation of
( Tehran)
• Establishment of the Office of Renovation of Zeinaiyeh Municipal district
( Isfhan)
• And…
2- Interventions in Tehran City
As it was mentioned in the introduction, some projects for the rehabilitation of Teh-
ran have been prepared and partially carried out, including Navab project for which
a relatively comprehensive assessment has been done.
The most important points of the assessment are as follow:
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25. • Of about 2000 owners who owned units in both sides of it and the six thousands
households who were relocated (a great number have been housed outside municipal
district 10), and none of them have been housed in the residential units in both sides
of Navab Highway (according to the responses to the questionnaires which were
distributed among the households residing in the mentioned units).
• The present inhabitants of Navab residential units are dissatisfied with their life
environment due to insecurity in the spaces of joint ownership, shortage of services
and etc.
• There is no proper social communication between these residents and other neigh-
bors who are living in the same neighborhood, namely municipal district no.10.
• Noise and air pollution in the above-mentioned residential complexes is notice-
able.
3- Project Title: Urban landscape of Robat Karim neighborhood Project– Office for
neighborhood Renovation
Methodology and Type of Intervention3224
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26. 1. Objectives
The main objectives of the project were:
• Rehabilitate and renovate the neighborhood as much as possible (supplying public
services, accesses, etc.)
• gain people participation to integrate and renovate residential units and
reinforcement/retrofication
• to encourage local micro renovators to do renovation in a better way and
integration in the neighborhood
• to develop entrepreneurship for women and the youth for economic empowerment
of households
2. The most important suggested projects
2-1 Short-term
• change the green space in part of the neighborhood
• install a police pre-fabricated stand
• keep the neighborhood clean
• upgrade the destroyed and empty spaces
2-2
Mid-term
• integration of 18 very small land parcels in one of the alleys located in the
neighborhood
• regularization of traffic routes in the municipal district
• Establishment of neighborhood center
2-3 Long-term
To promote citizenship principles
To improve the neighborhood economic situation
To struggle against addiction and drug smuggling
To Increase optimism/life expectancy in the neighborhood
3. Type of intervention
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27. The most important cases are as follows:
3-1 improvement, rehabilitation and renovation of housing units which could not be
kept
3-2- integration of very small land parcels
3-3 Reinforcement/ retrofication of the repairable buildings
3-4 Hold classes to train handicrafts to women in the neighborhood center
(neighborhood’s house)
3-5 arrange encouragement (awarding plaque and prize) and training meetings for
the local builders
3-6 arrange various meetings for the residents and trying to persuade them to
participate in the integration of very small land parcels/houses
3-7 Finding investors for integration and reconstruction
3-8 finance loans for the relocation of residents (temporary mortgage of house during
the period that their housing unit is under construction, about one and a half
year).
3-9 install bus stations to solve women’s problems
3-10, and…
5- Analysis of the position of the project in macro policies of urban rehabilitation
and renovation
• Compatibility of the implementation of the project with the set of macro
urban rehabilitation and renovation policies:
- The totality of the project is compatible with the macro urban rehabilitation and
renovation policies, namely to keep the inhabitants in their own neighborhood and
preventing from their relocation.
• The last situation of ownership
- As in the integration project, the assumption and the objective was to maintain the
existing residents in the neighborhood and returning them to the same place and lo-
cation, no ownership has been made in this project. (with the exception of replacing
individual land ownership to joint land ownership and converting land ownership
into ownership of housing units).
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28. • The latest situation of the project implementation:
- The project of the integration of 18 very small land parcels which was one of the
main objectives of this project has already been performed. (Integration of land par-
cels, destruction, renovation, relocation of previous residents).
6- Summing up and Proposals
The important principle in each rehabilition and renovation project is at the first
stage to identify the problems of the neighborhood and in particular its inhabitants
and to see the problems from the viewpoint of the people and not only that of experts
and professionals, because some issues which are important to people are ignored by
the experts. Also, paying attention to the solutions suggested by people (due to their
awareness of their own problems) can help out very much. Of course, the solutions
should be optimized in an expert view.
The second stage is to gain people participation. (that is the main point of the imple-
mentation of an rehabilitation and renovation project). This important issue will be
impossible but through calling the trust of people and fulfilling the promises. Ac-
cording to the views of one of the experienced experts in this area ( Ms. Eskandari)
, people can be brought to the scene for the first time, but if promises are broken, it
will be very difficult to bring them to the scene for the second time. So, the promises
and proposals should be within the power of the executive agency and stakeholders
to be able to guarantee and expedite their implementation.
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29. Case studies :
Khani-abad rehabilitation project

30. Urban
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31. 2630
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32. Urban
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33. 2432
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34. Urban
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35. 2234
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36. Urban
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37. 2036
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38. Urban
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39. 1838
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40. Urban
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41. Concluding Session and
Closing Ceremony:
The Tehran Communique

42. First Meeting of the Slum Upgrading Working Group of the Asia-Pacific Ministerial
Conference on Housing and Urban Development (APMCHUD)
THE TEHRAN COMMUNIQUE
We, the representatives from the Asia-Pacific governments who have participated
in the first meeting of the Asia-Pacific Slum Upgrading Working Group, in Tehran,
Iran, on 2–4 July 2012,
Express our appreciation and gratitude to the Ministry of Roads and Urban Develop-
ment (the Urban Development and Revitalization Organization) which on behalf of
the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran hosted the First Meeting of the Slum
Upgrading Working Group in Tehran as well as hosting and supporting the Working
Group’s secretariat and its work in the region;
Recognizing the mandates set forth for the Working Group by the Delhi, Tehran and
Solo Declarations and Action Plans;
Emphasizing the importance of rapid development of guidance policies for slums as
a national priority in urban development programs in the Asia-Pacific region;
Acknowledging the need to transfer and propagate the experiences of the leading
regional countries in urban upgrading to countries needing or requesting them;
Further acknowledging the need for localizing these experiences in each country
utilizing them;
Stressing on the necessity of mobilizing and converging international regional finan-
cial resources for slum upgrading in requesting regional country through the utiliza-
tion of experiences from the national institutions of leading countries;
Acknowledging the importance of an agreed regional list of indicators and bench-
marks for comprehensive monitoring and reporting on slum upgrading and impact
assessment of such initiatives in accordance to Tehran and Solo Declarations;
Cognizant of the importance of sustainable financial tools and resources as a main
pillar of slum upgrading
And aware of the current challenges and opportunities in the region:
1. Emphasize the necessity of the expansion of the development and implementation
of strategies and policies for enabling communities towards sustainable urbanization;
2. Recommend to regional countries to officially recognize slum upgrading in their
urban planning and management; place it on top of their implementation priorities
and in line with this to see slums as an opportunity and not a threat to urban
development;
3. To Declare the formation of a regional network comprised of research and
government institutions, civil societies and non-governmental bodies in order to
exchange knowledge and experiences on slum upgrading and expect member
countries to activate their national networks;
4. Agree to the formation and development of databases on the various areas of
slum upgrading for the Asia-Pacific region and information dissemination sys-
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43. tems, and knowledge and training networks between cities and countries through the
secretariat of the Working Group;
5. Furthermore agree to the creation of a regional database on national reports and
the protocol proposed by the secretariat of the Working Group, once finalized will
be the basis for the preparation of the national reports;
6. Agree to proactively contribute to the elaboration of a regional list of indicators
according to the agreed timetable;
7. Further agree to have the regional countries exchange their sustainable innovative
methods for financial tools and mechanisms as well as their experiences,
knowledge and successful examples through the coordination of the Working
Group secretariat;
8. Agree to hold the second meeting of the Slum Upgrading Working Group on the
sidelines of Fourth APMCHUD;
9. Endorse the enclosed action plan;
And ask the current chair of APMCHUD to support the implementation of the ar-
ticles of the Communiqué with the cooperation of the other members of the Bureau
and the permanent secretariat of APMCHUD and UN Habitat and require the New
Delhi secretariat to inform the member states about it in a timely manner.
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44. Report
(by Niloufar Mosleh):
• The Regional Slum Up-
grading Working Group

45. Regional Slum Upgrading Working Group
APMCHUD
The website of Regional Slum Upgrading Working Group was launched in 2011
with the aim of informing and news coverage of Regional Slum Upgrading Work-
ing Group in Asia-Pacific. This website has been designed dynamically and to both
Persian and English language and is available for all by the address www.rsuwg.ir.
The following information is included in home site.
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46. About Us
In this section, the history of work group establishment based on conferences held
and Tehran Action Plan and also introducing Regional Slum Upgrading Working
Group are addressed.
Our work
In this section, the activities and services of improving work groups for unorganized
urban areas are included based on Tehran Action Plan and Solo implantation Plan.
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47. Partner
It shows the establishment of information network, transferring lessons learned and
capacity building experiences between key involved institutions. This diagram is a
model that the secretariat will consult with members for creating its management
structure. It should be noted that based on surveys conducted the existence of mu-
nicipalities in the structure mentioned is essential to communicate with non-govern-
mental institutions and local organizations.
Bureau
In this section, the profile of first, second and third Conferences Board members of
Ministers of Housing and Urban Development in Asia-Pacific have been included.
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48. Member Countries
Please refer to this section to get familiar with the 68 member nations of Asia-Pacific
region.
Documents
You can refer to this section to have access to the declaration and action plans of
Housing and urban Development Minister’s conferences held in Asia-Pacific region.
- Delhi Declaration 2006
- Tehran Declaration 2008
- Tehran Action Plan 2008
- Solo Declaration 2010
- Solo Implementation Plan 2010
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49. Web Link
Web links associated with the working group’s activities are included in this section
Join to the virtual scientific committee
In this part, academic members and experts in the field of working group activities
throughout the region has been requested to register in order to join the Virtual Sci-
entific Committee Working Group. The registration form is included in this section.
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50. Contact us
In order to be in connection with the technical department, you can contact via e-
mail(info@rsuwg.ir) or (secretariat@rsuwg.ir) to be in connection with workgroup
secretariat.
First Meeting of the Regional Slum Upgrading Working Group
Along with the first meeting of the Regional Slum Upgrading Working Group in
Asia-Pacific, all news and events were released together with, meeting goals, meet-
ing scheduling program, first meeting communique and gallery pictures.
The daily visits of this website have been 300 people and internal pages of site have
been displayed 1500 times every day.
Niloufar Mosleh-Ali Saeedi
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51. 6
Visula report
of site visit
Visula report
of site visit

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53. 452
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54. 53
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55. 254
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56. 55
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57. 5656
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