ENGAGING WITH
CITIES OF THE FUTURE
A Perspective
ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
Engaging with Cities of the Future
A Perspective
Inefficient and uncompetitive cities inhibit economic growth and inclusive
development. Integrated urban planning will help stem the decline of Asian and
Pacific cities, spelling the difference between a future of gloom or glory in the
region. The technical assistance Establishing the Future Cities Program in the
Asia and Pacific Region identifies new approaches, particularly the Future Cities
approach, to address the challenges of urbanization. The program reviewed the
entire ecosystem of how to develop livable cities and served as a testing ground for
new or improved solutions. This publication captures insights from work in six pilot
cases in Tbilisi, Mandalay, Greater Suva Area, Ulaanbaatar, Makassar, and Bandung.
About the Asian Development Bank
ADB’s vision is an Asia and Pacific region free of poverty. Its mission is to help
its developing member countries reduce poverty and improve the quality of life
of their people. Despite the region’s many successes, it remains home to a large
share of the world’s poor. ADB is committed to reducing poverty through inclusive
economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration.
Based in Manila, ADB is owned by 67 members, including 48 from the region.
Its main instruments for helping its developing member countries are policy
dialogue, loans, equity investments, guarantees, grants, and technical assistance.
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ENGAGING WITH
CITIES OF THE FUTURE
A Perspective
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Unless specified, all photos by ADB. Main Makassar photo by Imelda Baleta.
Figures and Boxes v
Foreword vii
Acknowledgments ix
Abbreviations xi
Chapter 1: Introduction 1
Urbanization in Asia and the Pacific 2
Evolution of Urban Operations in ADB 4
Overview of the Future Cities Approach 5
Chapter 2: Components of the Future Cities Approach 15
Knowledge Partnerships 16
Regional Technical Assistance Projects 22
Chapter 3: Pilot Cases: Demonstration of the Future Cities Approach 31
Tbilisi 32
Mandalay 40
Greater Suva Area 46
Ulaanbaatar 56
Makassar 64
Bandung 68
Contents
Engaging with Cities of the Future
iv
Chapter 4: Lessons Learned from the Pilot Cases 73
Selection of Cities and Activities 74
Use of Knowledge Partners 74
Urban Diagnostics 76
Regional Technical Assistance Projects 77
National Urban Planners 78
Capacity-Building Practitioners 79
Interns (Long-term Voluntary Placements) 80
Political Events 80
Coordination inside ADB 81
Chapter 5: Conclusion and Considerations for Adopting
the Future Cities Approach 83
Continuing the Momentum in the Short Term 86
Continuing the Approach for the Long Term 86
Figures and Boxes
Figures
1 Future Cities Approach Begins with an ADB Project that Leads
to Broadened Engagement 10
2 Mobilizing Resources to Expand the Pipeline and Develop Future
Livable Cities 13
3 Building the Jigsaw in Tbilisi 34
4 Building the Jigsaw in Mandalay 42
5 Building the Jigsaw in the Greater Suva Area 49
6 Urban Operations Support to Ulaanbaatar 60
7 Building the Jigsaw in Ulaanbaatar 61
8 Building the Jigsaw in Makassar 66
9 Building the Jigsaw in Bandung 70
10 Future Cities Approach Formula 85
Boxes
1 Future Cities Approach Objectives 8
2 Fast Facts about the Cooperative Research Centre
for Water Sensitive Cities 19
3 Fast Facts about the Austrian Institute of Technology 20
4 Fast Facts about the Paris Region Planning and Development Agency 21
5 Fast Facts about Mainstreaming Integrated Solid Waste Management
in Asia 24
v
vi
Figures and Boxes
6 Fast Facts about Financing Low Carbon, Climate-Resilient Urban
Infrastructure in Asia 25
7 Fast Facts about Results for Malaria Elimination and Control
of Communicable Diseases Threats in Asia and the Pacific 27
8 Fast Facts about Promoting Smart Systems in ADB’s Future Cities Program 28
9 Fast Facts about Piloting Future Cities Future Women Initiative 29
10 Fast Facts about Unlocking Innovation for Development–Digital Finance 29
Introduction
vii
Foreword
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) technical assistance (TA)
project Establishing the Future Cities Program in the Asia and
Pacific Region aimed to identify new approaches to address
the challenges of urbanization. This 2-year TA project was an
incubation mechanism reviewing the entire ecosystem of how
to develop cities. How do we plan up front to reduce the carbon
footprint and increase the energy efficiency in the delivery of
public services? How do we engage with city mayors and their
constituents so they can realize the unique vision they have for
their locality? The TA project served as a testing ground for ideas
on how to better interface with city officials and stakeholders to
mainstream new or improved solutions into ADB operations.
This publication, Engaging with Cities of the Future: A Perspective,
provides insights into this new type of engagement drawing from work
in six cities in the region. The approach emphasized by the Future
Cities TA project eschews traditional paradigms of working solely
on one sector and instead emphasizes cross-sectoral and thematic
collaboration, identifying relevant knowledge and financial resources
both within and outside ADB to strengthen the relationship at the
city level, support holistic growth, and ensure livability in the future.
There are several highlights and lessons to be learned from the TA
project. In Tbilisi (Georgia), for example, various teams—such as
gender, digital finance, and smart systems—came together to leverage
an existing ADB urban transport investment program to maximize
its positive impacts. In Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia), the knowledge
partner tapped will provide insights on the proposed Master Plan for
Ulaanbaatar and guide the establishment of an institutional structure
for capacity building on urban planning. Meanwhile in Mandalay
(Myanmar), the international physical planner trained the city’s
urban planning unit on urban design methodologies. In Bandung
(Indonesia), the main takeaway is the importance of flexibility. Some
viii
Foreword
headway has been made on possible partnerships in an area where
there was no previous engagement.
ADB operations staff will benefit greatly from reading this publication.
The experiences and lessons learned from the case studies present
opportunities they can replicate in their areas of work, to enrich
investments and build strong synergies with other sectors, partners,
academia, donors, and city leaders.
Building livable cities is the goal of ADB’s urban sector operations.
The experiences from the implementation of the Future Cities TA is
one of several ways to help achieve this, beginning with reading this
publication.
Ma. Carmela Locsin
Director General
Sustainable Development
and Climate Change Department
Asian Development Bank
Introduction
ix
Acknowledgments
This publication was prepared under the regional research and
development technical assistance (TA) project Establishing
the Future Cities Program (FCP) in the Asia and Pacific Region,
implemented in 2016–2017 by the Urban Sector Group of the
Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department
(SDCC).
It serves as a reference on alternative pathways to engage with cities
of the future. Specifically, it provides essential direction for Asian
Development Bank (ADB) staff on how to adopt the Future Cities
approach, which draws from the experiences of this TA project.
The publication was prepared by Andrew McIntyre, senior urban
development specialist and TA project officer, with the support of
the FCP team: Ian Hamilton, team leader (2016–April 2017); Imelda
Baleta, national urban planning coordinator (2016–April 2017) and
current team leader; and Elga Reyes, media and communications
coordinator. Vijay Padmanabhan, technical advisor (urban), provided
overall guidance on project implementation and the framework for
this publication.
The FCP team gratefully acknowledges the project officers of the
ADB core projects and associated TA projects that have supported
the FCP implementation and for reviewing the contents of this
report in relation to their respective projects: Bertrand Goalou,
senior urban development specialist (transport), and Mookiah
Thiruchelvam, urban development specialist (Central and West
Asia Urban Development and Water Division), for the Sustainable
Urban Transport Investment Program; Siti Hasanah, senior project
officer (urban development), for the Neighborhood Upgrading and
Shelter Project (Phase 2); Eri Honda, principal urban development
specialist (Southeast Asia Urban Development and Water
Division), for the Mandalay Urban Services Improvement Project;
x
Acknowledgments
Arnaud Heckmann, senior urban development specialist (East Asia
Urban and Social Sectors Division), for the Ger Areas Development
Investment Program; Michael Rattinger, climate change specialist,
and Esmyra Javier, climate change officer (SDCC), for Financing Low
Carbon, Climate-Resilient Urban Infrastructure in Asia; Ritchie Anne
Roño, team leader (consultant), for Promoting Smart Systems in
ADB’s Future Cities Program; Susann Roth, senior social development
specialist (social protection) (SDCC), for the Results for Malaria
Elimination and Control of Communicable Diseases Threats in Asia
and the Pacific; Lotte Schou-Zibell, technical advisor (finance), for
Unlocking Innovation for Development–Digital Finance; and Sonomi
Tanaka, technical advisor (gender equity), for the Piloting Future
Cities Future Women Initiative. David Fay, project administration unit
head (Pacific Subregional Office in Suva, Fiji), was also instrumental
in the implementation of the TA project.
The team also appreciates the constructive advice of the FCP national
urban planners in developing this publication: Nana Adeishvili (Tbilisi,
Georgia); Bat-Erdene Gombosuren (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia); Mann
Htun (Mandalay, Myanmar); and Mere Naulumatua (Suva, Fiji).
Lastly, special thanks go to Aldrin Plaza, urban development officer
(SDCC), for acting as peer reviewer of this publication.
Introduction
xi
Abbreviations
ADB Asian Development Bank
AIT Austrian Institute of Technology
CDIA Cities Development Initiative for Asia
CoE center of excellence
CRCWSC Cooperative Research Centre for Water
Sensitive Cities
DMC developing member country
GSA Greater Suva Area
IAU Île-de-France Institut d’aménagement et d’urbanisme
d’Ile-de-France (Paris Region Planning
and Development Agency)
NUP national urban planner
RETA regional technical assistance (project)
RISE Revitalization of Informal Settlements
and Environment
TA technical assistance
INTRODUCTION
Chapter 1
Engaging with Cities of the Future
2
Urbanization in Asia
and the Pacific
At the turn of the century (1990–2010), the region’s
urban population grew by 29%, faster than any other
region in the world. By midcentury (2010–2050),
it is expected to rise from 40% to about 65% of the
total population, or almost double from billion to
billion While this foretells opportunities for
higher productivity and better living standards, there
are several risks. An estimated 523 million people
across the region live in squalid urban slums with poor
services,1 severe living condition disparities in many
cities affect social cohesion, and urban buildings and
1 ADB. 2015. Technical Assistance for Establishing the Future Cities
Program in the Asia and Pacific Region. Manila (R-RDTA 9025,
for $ million).
Introduction
3
transport account for significant energy consumption
and carbon emissions. The region is increasingly
exposed to the risks of climate-related hazards such as
droughts, floods, and storm surges.
With about 75% of Asia’s gross domestic product
(GDP) generated in urban areas, the quality and
efficiency of its cities will determine the region’s
long-term productivity and Asian cities are
centers of trade stimulating national economies, and
these are integrated into trade corridors that link to
global economic networks. They are magnets for
people seeking a better quality of life and economic
opportunities, and they are loci of regional
Conversely, inefficient and uncompetitive cities inhibit
2 ADB. 2011. Asia 2050: Realizing the Asian Century. Manila.
3 ADB. 2013. Urban Operational Plan, 2012–2020. Manila.
Cities are magnets for people seeking a better quality of life, and yet many in the region
live in slums with poor urban services.
Engaging with Cities of the Future
4
economic growth and impede inclusive development
(footnote 2). Asian municipal infrastructure financing
is only 40% of its $100 billion annual maintenance
Stemming the decline or failure of Asian and Pacific
cities, while facilitating their rapid growth, is essential
for the region. Integrated urban planning—focusing
on managing urban sprawl and providing sustainable,
affordable, and climate-resilient infrastructure and
basic services—will spell the difference between
a future of gloom or glory. The United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which outline
a comprehensive global agenda for 2030, clearly
emphasize this with SDG 11: “Make cities and human
settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.”
This is the universal backdrop for engaging with cities.
Evolution of Urban
Operations in ADB
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has been
assisting its developing member countries (DMCs)
with about $22 billion in funding for over 200 urban
development projects since the 1960s. These have
improved urban transport, sanitation and waste
management, and access to clean
During the 1980s, so-called integrated urban
development projects were implemented. These
saw the need for the construction of a small basket
of different infrastructure in order to satisfy a wider
set of stakeholders in one or more cities in a focus
country. In the 1990s, ADB began developing
country urban sector strategies that inventoried key
4 World Economic Forum and European Bank for Reconstruction
and Development. 2014. Accelerating Infrastructure Delivery
New Evidence from International Financial Institutions. Geneva:
World Economic Forum.
5 ADB. 2016. Manual for Undertaking National Urban Assessments.
Manila.
With fast-growing,
changing, and
complex cities,
ADB needs to
constantly adapt
its way of working
and engaging with
cities so that it
reflects a more
comprehensive
long-term
partnership
Introduction
5
infrastructure requirements across all urban sectors
in a country, and sought to package them in further
bundles of projects to undergo project preparation
and processing. In most cases these were restricted
to purely physical infrastructure in traditional sectors,
and did not include services or social infrastructure
that would operationalize, leverage, or utilize the
investments. Governments and cities were expected
to fill in the gaps themselves or to seek funding from
other international financing institutions (IFIs). There
was and still is little coordination across sectors at the
regional or country level despite significant structural
reforms in ADB in the early 2000s.
Overview of the Future
Cities Approach
The Future Cities approach emanated from a need
identified in the review of ADB’s Strategy 2020, which
is to develop better ways for ADB to engage with Asian
and Pacific cities and ensure better sustainability and
development effectiveness. With cities in the region
already facing inherent development complexity and
growing at such a rapid pace, traditional approaches
to sector investment and planning have become
inadequate, particularly with other IFIs entering the
picture. It was necessary, therefore, to refine the
process ADB used to select and engage with cities so
that scarce knowledge and financial resources could
be used most effectively.
Inspiration from the soft systems design literature6 for
managing complexity and change in human activity
systems influenced the Future Cities approach—Asian
cities being some of the most complex in the world
to date. It is an action-learning paradigm that entails
understanding how multiple activities and interactions
are joined together within and into a city, with the overt
acknowledgment that this is continuously changing,
6 Key developers of the soft systems methodology are Peter
Checkland and Brian Wilson.
Engaging with Cities of the Future
6
and developing over time to some improved, more
livable state.
The Future Cities approach was piloted in the research
and development technical assistance (TA) project
Establishing the Future Cities Program in the Asia and
Pacific Region (Future Cities TA).
As tested under the TA, the Future Cities approach
is anchored on building a relationship with a city,
supported by the identification and assignment of
financial and best practice knowledge resources, both
from within and outside ADB, applied where they
support ongoing activities and where they make the
most sense to cultivate broader engagement and to
codevelop a city that is livable and ready for the future
(Box 1). Cross-sector and thematic support is also a
main feature of the approach, which takes after the
“One ADB” approach noted in the Midterm Review of
Strategy 2020.
Broader engagement in the Future Cities approach
pertains to two salient points. First, it is about
broadening engagement through increased ADB
investments in the city. The aim is to have a mutually
strong, diverse, and robust investment pipeline that
will lead to a future livable city. Second, broader
engagement is about the relationship and support
toward the city. The substantive aspect of the
approach includes acknowledging how the city is part
of a wider network that consists of IFIs, city-to-city and
business-to-city links, and most importantly a complex
formulation of a diverse and growing citizenry.
Selecting the Future Cities
The Future Cities approach starts with overt city
selection as opposed to the traditional approach of
project allocation by the national government. Cities
selected under the Future Cities TA are those with
existing ADB projects and networks, and which have
leaders and ADB stakeholders willing to expand into
a more comprehensive and long-term partnership.
The Future
Cities approach
is a process for
establishing
and broadening
engagement first,
then applying
planning and
investment
Introduction
7
The unique advantage of the Future
Cities approach is the way it acts as
a hotbed for alternative solutions, an
incubator of ideas fusing the relevant
knowledge and funding sources that
can be eventually mainstreamed into
operational thinking and lending.
Engaging with Cities of the Future
8
Box 1: Future Cities Approach Objectives
Outcome: Selected cities and the Asian Development Bank are engaged in an
integrated approach to become more livable
Long-term engagement with selected cities
Harmonize support and delivery of operationally focused funding and technical
assistance resources
Facilitate a broader urban and cross-sector agenda
Encourage quality urban research and practice
Provide the time and space to support integrated planning activities and
funding over the long term
Source: Author (NUP Presentation, September 2016).
These chosen existing projects are identified as the
ADB core projects of the Future Cities approach.
It is this initial component from which the concept or
analogy of “building the jigsaw” emanates (Figure 1).
Too many projects are started in locales and with
institutions with no track record of engagement.
By utilizing existing networks, it is easier and faster to
build those networks and expand into other sectors
and departments. Traditionally, ADB urban operations
in a city have focused on water, sanitation, or transport.
The Future Cities approach also encourages beginning
engagement with large finance, health, education, or
governance projects, and from there build cross-sector
linkages for more effective responses to developmental
challenges.
Coordination
Once a city has been chosen, the next step of the
Future Cities approach is to actively coordinate
resources from within and outside ADB into the city.
This is the role of the national urban planners (NUPs)
Introduction
9
Tbilisi (Georgia)
Greater Suva Area (Fiji)
Makassar (Indonesia)
Mandalay (Myanmar)
Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia)
Bandung (Indonesia)
Engaging with Cities of the Future
10
Figure 1: Future Cities Approach Begins with an ADB Project
that Leads to Broadened Engagement
ADB = Asian Development Bank.
Source: Author.
CORE
PROJECT
FINANCE
KNOWLEDGE
TIME
IMPROVEMENT
LIVABLE CITY
CITY
to be appointed in each city. These NUPs have to be
continually aware of building value within each city by
understanding ongoing needs. In addition, they have
to be aware of available or potential resources and
partnering opportunities that could be applied in the
city, in so far as it is sensible and relevant.
Furthermore, it is also essential to have an overall
coordinator in ADB headquarters. The coordination of
knowledge, finance, and TA resources across thematic
and sector groups and sector divisions in the regional
departments is the most critical function.
The ADB resident mission in a selected city (or in
the respective DMC) can also play a significant role
(from left to right, by row)
The ADB core projects for the Future
Cities TA are: Sustainable Urban
Transport Investment Program (Tbilisi);
Mandalay Urban Services Improvement
Project (Mandalay); Urban Water
Supply and Wastewater Management
Investment Program (Greater Suva Area);
Ger Areas Development Investment
Program (Ulaanbaatar) (Photo: Ian
Hamilton); and the Neighborhood
Upgrading and Shelter Project (Phase 2)
(Makassar).
Engaging with Cities of the Future
12
in coordination. Resident missions are instrumental
in ensuring key central and local government
connections are made. At a minimum, the country
director and senior staff should be able to support the
engagement process with cities. The resident mission
also imparts ADB knowledge to NUPs to guide them
in strengthening relationships with city governments.
Aligning Knowledge and Finance
Resources
To build a relationship with the city and broaden
engagement, the Future Cities approach entails
leveraging best practice knowledge and available
financing from within and outside ADB. These should
enhance the ADB core project in the city so as to
widen its positive impacts. The unique advantage
of the Future Cities approach is the way it acts as a
hotbed for alternative solutions, an incubator of ideas
fusing the relevant knowledge, best practices, and
funding sources that can eventually be mainstreamed
into operational thinking and lending.
Knowledge resources primarily consist of knowledge
partnerships and related regional technical assistance
(RETA) projects (Chapter 2). It can also include city
twinning arrangements, mobilization of interns or
long-term voluntary placements, and capacity building.
One example of capacity building is the training on
the use of the Source System (formerly known as
the International Infrastructure Support System), an
online project preparation platform (p. 29).
Financial resources can come in the form of internal
ADB trust funds (the Urban Climate Change Resilience
Trust Fund, Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction, and
so on) or external financing. Examples include grants
from charity institutions like the Wellcome Trust; pilot
and demonstration finance from businesses (Philips
Lighting, General Electric, and various utilities);
or funding from other IFIs looking to better utilize their
own scarce resources.
Introduction
13
These various resources represent the different
colored pieces in “building the jigsaw,” which link to the
core project and create cross-sector synergies leading
to potential new ADB projects down the pipeline—
and toward developing a city that is integrated and
future-ready (Figure 2).
ADB = Asian Development Bank.
Notes:
1. The ADB pipeline is broadened through the addition and alignment of knowledge and financing resources.
2. The jigsaw puzzles are a general representation of the resources, additional ADB support, and/or new projects
arising from the engagement with the city.
3. Green jigsaw pieces are a general representation of interventions from the Future Cities technical assistance.
4. Jigsaw pieces colored light yellow, dark yellow, light orange, and dark orange represent regional technical
assistance projects.
5. Dark blue jigsaw pieces represent existing ADB additional support and/or new ADB projects.
Source: Author.
Figure 2: Mobilizing Resources to Expand the Pipeline
and Develop Future Livable Cities
TIME
IMPROVEMENT
LIVABLE CITY
FINANCE
KNOWLEDGE
CITY
CORE
PROJECT
Engaging with Cities of the Future
14
Components of the Future Cities Approach
15
COMPONENTS OF
THE FUTURE CITIES
APPROACH
Chapter 2
Engaging with Cities of the Future
16
The Future Cities approach is an assemblage of two
major components that support city planning, broaden
the project pipeline, and deepen engagement. The
following outlines these components, including the
specific institutions and their contributions.
Knowledge Partnerships
Knowledge partnerships raise the technical expertise
of a city, improve urban services, and enhance the
delivery of knowledge outputs. Knowledge partners
and centers of excellence (CoEs) increase the ability
of Asian Development Bank (ADB) to engage with
and respond to the demands of its developing member
countries (DMCs) and also stimulate innovation.
Conversely, knowledge partners and CoEs gain
knowledge and lessons from ADB operations.
Components of the Future Cities Approach
17
Cooperative Research Centre for
Water Sensitive Cities
The Australia-based Cooperative Research Centre
for Water Sensitive Cities (CRCWSC), established in
2012, is one of 33 such centers under the Government
of Australia’s Cooperative Research Centres
Programme. It focuses on changing the way cities and
towns are designed, built, and managed by valuing the
contribution water makes to economic development
and quality of life. In recent years, CRCWSC
has developed sustainable and integrated water
development approaches for drinking, sanitation,
personal and domestic hygiene, flood protection, and
environmental stewardship. These enable vulnerable
communities and informal settlements to leapfrog
traditional trunk connections and gain early access to
essential water-related services.
Applying the Future Cities approach, seven concurrent mission teams (including project
officers from regional technical assistance projects and knowledge partners) congregated in
Tbilisi to build on the impact of a successful urban transport project.
Engaging with Cities of the Future
18
One application of this is the Revitalization of Informal
Settlements and Environment (RISE) Using a Water-
Sensitive Approach project. This pipeline project
was born from the ADB research and development
technical assistance (TA) project Establishing the
Future Cities Program in the Asia and Pacific Region
(Future Cities TA) (Box 2).
Austrian Institute of Technology
The Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) is Austria’s
largest non-university research institute and Europe’s
premier specialist in the field of urban transport
infrastructure. The combination of technological
As part of sharing knowledge and expertise, AIT discussed their urban transport study to
students and faculty of the Georgian Technical University in Tbilisi. Photo: Elga Reyes.
Components of the Future Cities Approach
19
foresight and policy development competencies
allows AIT to provide substantial input for new policy
and infrastructure concepts that closely match current
transportation opportunities in Tbilisi (Georgia),
where AIT is collaborating under the Future Cities TA.
As a best practice knowledge partner, AIT was engaged
to work with the municipality to undertake expert
studies and capacity development within the transport
sector, particularly in connection with the support
provided by the Cities Development Initiative for Asia
(CDIA) (Box 3). It is expected that this cooperation
will lead to closer ties with Austrian cities and to the
development of longer-term technical support.
Box 2: Fast Facts about the Cooperative
Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities
• It is Asian Development Bank’s knowledge partner
on the Revitalization of Informal Settlements and
Environment Using a Water-Sensitive Approach
project in Greater Suva Area (GSA), Fiji and Makassar,
Indonesia.
• It is supported by the Wellcome Trust to contribute
best practice design and supervision to effect
improved health outcomes and for the monitoring
and quantification of these outcomes.
• It undertook urban diagnostics in the GSA, Ho Chi
Minh City (Viet Nam), and Mandalay (Myanmar).
Source: Author.
Engaging with Cities of the Future
20
Box 3: Fast Facts about the Austrian
Institute of Technology
• This knowledge partner is an important link for
future additional funding and expertise from
Austria, which is currently providing funding
for the transport-related prefeasibility studies
conducted by the Cities Development Initiative
for Asia.
• There is an opportunity to link Asian Development
Bank transport initiatives with the Austrian
Institute of Technology’s expertise on public
transport usage patterns and urban development
implications.
Source: Author.
Paris Region Planning and
Development Agency
The Paris Region Planning and Development Agency
(IAU Île-de-France), a nonprofit organization created
in 1960, is the largest metropolitan planning agency
in Europe. It has international experience in assessing
urban planning frameworks and operations, and as
such is ideally placed to provide assistance on planning
and regulatory reform in Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia),
another pilot city under the Future Cities TA.
This knowledge partner worked with the Municipality
of Ulaanbaatar to implement institutional and
regulatory changes, to develop exchanges and expert
partnerships, and also to support the establishment
of a semi-autonomous urban planning research and
capacity building unit as well as a professional national
planning association (Box 4).
Components of the Future Cities Approach
21
Singapore-ETH Centre
Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC) is a joint initiative
started in 2010 between the Swiss Federal Institute of
Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich) in Switzerland and
the National Research Foundation in Singapore. Its aim
is to strengthen the capacities of the two countries
to research, understand, and actively respond to
challenges of global environmental sustainability
by collaborating with universities and researchers
to facilitate technology transfer. SEC prepared a
diagnostic report for Mandalay City (Myanmar) based
on a multiscale (region, city, and site) and integrated
multidisciplinary approach (integrated urban
densification, active mobility, and urban nature and
environmental management). A similar assessment
was also started in Bandung (Indonesia), in tandem
with the Smart Systems TA project, looking at the
interrelationship between economic enterprise, public
health, and the physical environment; coordination
between planning efforts; and the potential of big data,
smart city technologies, and planning principles.
Box 4: Fast Facts about the Paris Region
Planning and Development Agency
• It supported a wide range of Asian Development
Bank and local agency activities in Ulaanbaatar,
which need to be coordinated under the official
master plan for the city.
• It coordinated engagement between the
Municipality of Ulaanbaatar and international
urban planner on capacity building and system
recommendations.
Source: Author.
Engaging with Cities of the Future
22
Regional Technical
Assistance Projects
Part of the Future Cities approach is leveraging
resources like relevant regional technical assistance
(RETA) projects to achieve cross-sector and
thematic collaboration for more effective results and
engagement. The following are some of the main
benefits:
• It has enabled city officials to understand the
integrated nature of the Future Cities TA wherein
the RETA projects are seen as components of an
overall strategy.
• It has allowed the various projects to explore
possible synergies in future project designs and
financing opportunities, since they have been able
to operate at the same time and in the same place.
The agglomeration
of small marginal
amounts of TA
resources can
have a much more
effective impact
when combined
Components of the Future Cities Approach
23
• It has enabled the mobilization of significant
resources in focused locations.
It will always be a challenge to ensure that a variety of
needed and appropriate RETA projects from different
sources can be financed and mobilized at the same
time. However, the agglomeration of small marginal
amounts of TA resources can have a much more
effective impact when combined. More importantly,
the synergies actualized can have more sustainable
and long-reaching impacts.
To help Mandalay address present and future challenges, the Future Cities TA worked with
the RETA project on Mainstreaming Integrated Solid Waste Management in Asia to develop
a 10-year ISWM plan. Photo: Ian Hamilton.
Engaging with Cities of the Future
24
Mainstreaming Integrated Solid
Waste Management in Asia
The TA produced in-depth assessments of the current
status of solid waste management in five cities in Asia,
including Mandalay, one of the pilot cities under the
Future Cities TA (Box 5). A citywide integrated solid
waste management (ISWM) plan was prepared for
the city, as well as a prefeasibility study for Chan Aye
Thar Zan Township, which is an area covered by both
the Future Cities TA core project (Mandalay Urban
Services Improvement Project) and the Future Cities
approach support given for urban planning and
7 ADB. 2016. Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan: Mandalay.
Consultant’s report. Manila (TA 8566).
materials/20161130/integrated-solid-waste-management-
plan-mandalay; ADB. 2016. Mandalay Prefeasibility Study: Chan
Aye Thar Zan Waste Collection. Consultant’s report. Manila (TA
8566).
prefeasibility-study-chan-aye-thar-zan-waste-collection
Box 5: Fast Facts about Mainstreaming Integrated Solid Waste
Management in Asia
• This technical assistance (TA) project was mobilized in April 2015 and was
completed in early 2017.
• Original countries included the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Sri Lanka was
eventually replaced by Myanmar (focusing on Mandalay). The project covered
a total of five cities: Quezon City, Sorsogon City, Buriram, Mahasarakham, and
Mandalay. Of the five, only Mandalay is an overlap under the Future Cities
TA project.
• Outputs include integrated solid waste management plans and prefeasibility
studies for one proposed project for each city.
• Scoping missions were also undertaken in Ulaanbaatar and Greater Suva.
Source: Author.
Components of the Future Cities Approach
25
Scoping missions were also undertaken in Ulaanbaatar,
which identified an opportunity to convert a dumpsite
to a sanitary landfill and to support national ISWM
strategies and policies; and in the Greater Suva Area
(GSA, Fiji), where the overall collection and disposal
system was examined and government intentions
to develop a waste-to-energy facility at the current
disposal site were assessed. Both Ulaanbaatar and
GSA are pilot cities of the Future Cities TA.
Financing Low Carbon, Climate-
Resilient Urban Infrastructure in Asia
This TA is the first attempt to study low-carbon,
climate-resilient urban infrastructure investments
using climate data and greenhouse gas emission
profiles as determinants for project selection and
prioritization as opposed to using climate benefit
optimization within urban sector projects. The study
identified low-carbon, climate-resilient infrastructure
options, costs, and benefits in cities across the region
(Box 6). Results of the study indicate a strong need
for low-carbon, climate-resilient urban infrastructure
Box 6: Fast Facts about Financing Low Carbon, Climate-Resilient
Urban Infrastructure in Asia
• This is a study of low-carbon, climate-resilient urban infrastructure development
options, costs, and benefits.
• The main output is a methodology for rapid city appraisal of climate vulnerability
and carbon exposure, which can assist cities in identifying priority options for
adaptation and mitigation.
• The project covers four Future Cities technical assistance (TA) pilot cities in
varying detail: Greater Suva, Mandalay, Tbilisi, and Ulaanbaatar.
• As a technical assistance under the Climate Change and Disaster Risk
Management Thematic Group that links with the Future Cities TA, it exemplifies
cross-thematic collaboration.
Source: Author.
Engaging with Cities of the Future
26
investment, estimated at $ trillion to 2030 for the
106 fastest-growing DMC cities alone.
The key deliverable of the TA was a methodology for
rapid city appraisal (RCA) of climate vulnerability and
carbon exposure in cities, from which priority options
for adaptation and mitigation were identified. High-
level RCAs were undertaken for Mandalay, Suva, Tbilisi,
Ulaanbaatar, and Dhaka (save for Dhaka [Bangladesh],
all four cities also belong to the Future Cities TA).
For Ho Chi Minh City (Viet Nam), a detailed RCA
was complemented with a rapid economic appraisal,
a high-level approach to undertaking a cost–benefit
analysis. With the development of RCAs and rapid
economic appraisal methodologies and producing
city profiles, a database was developed for about 200
developing member country (DMC) cities, providing
a useful tool for ADB project officers. The results of
the assessments also allowed the pilot cities under the
Future Cities TA to evaluate the climate resiliency of
their infrastructure and determine gaps that should be
addressed.
Results for Malaria Elimination and
Control of Communicable Diseases
Threats in Asia and the Pacific
This RETA project of the Health Sector Group includes
capacity building and development of tools and
guidelines to undertake health impact assessments
(HIA) linked to the ADB Operational Plan for Health’s
objective of “maximizing health benefits and mitigating
negative health impacts from infrastructure projects.”
The cross-sector collaboration with Future Cities
centers on Mandalay, where an HIA was conducted
for the core project. This is to ensure positive
health impacts from the Mandalay Urban Services
Improvement Project are monitored and achieved, and
any negative impacts are avoided or managed. This
also supports the Mandalay project’s goal to improve
the urban environment and public health in Mandalay
by setting up a monitoring system of project impacts
on health (Box 7).
Components of the Future Cities Approach
27
Promoting Smart Systems in ADB’s
Future Cities Program
This RETA project aims to enhance ADB’s operational
knowledge of promoting pro-poor, smart solutions in
developing cities by producing knowledge and learning
materials; facilitating partnerships between cities; and
conducting prefeasibility studies on smart solutions
with an emphasis on inclusiveness to spark city and
business investments and citizen involvement. A
twofold RETA project, it is composed of a package
geared toward developing potential projects
incorporating smart systems and technologies, and
another more knowledge-oriented output to share
global best practices and create smart city networks
(Box 8).
Piloting Future Cities Future Women
Initiative
The Future Cities Future Women Initiative is part of the
Gender Equity Thematic Group’s drive to accelerate
gender equality and women’s empowerment in urban
settings (Box 9). The initiative will support and add
value to ongoing Future Cities TA activities in Tbilisi
Box 7: Fast Facts about Results for Malaria Elimination and Control
of Communicable Diseases Threats in Asia and the Pacific
• This technical assistance project consists of undertaking health impact
assessments to assess and maximize health benefits resulting from Asian
Development Bank projects.
• It covers Mandalay (in the Thin Gaza Creek and Shwe Ta Chaung and
Mingalar canals), monitoring the long-term impacts of the Mandalay Urban
Services Improvement Project.
• It links the Health Sector Group with the Urban Sector Group.
Source: Author.
Engaging with Cities of the Future
28
(urban and transport planning), Mandalay (solid waste
recycling in connection with the Mandalay Urban
Services Improvement Project), and GSA (service
access equality and livelihoods especially in relation
to the Revitalization of Informal Settlements and
Environment [RISE] project).
Unlocking Innovation for
Development–Digital Finance
This RETA project, which will run from 2017 to
2019, has two closely linked outputs: (i) cross-
sector innovative solutions to address development
problems in DMCs; and (ii) crowd-sourcing platform
for pilot testing the development solutions and
business models. Under the second output, there are
opportunities for scaling up financial inclusion through
digital financial services systems. Part of the scope in
this output covers two Future Cities TA cities, Tbilisi
and Ulaanbaatar (Box 10).
Box 8: Fast Facts about Promoting Smart Systems
in ADB’s Future Cities Program
• Mobilized in early 2017, this regional technical assistance (RETA) project covers
all cities under the Future Cities technical assistance, as well as Yokohama as a
best practice element.
• The RETA project will identify smart solutions to improve the living standards
of city residents, focusing on the urban poor and women, and will lead to the
preparation of relevant investment projects.
• Key expected outputs are two well-defined smart project concepts for each
city, smart city twinning arrangements, and technical support to initiate smart
project implementation.
Source: Author.
Components of the Future Cities Approach
29
Box 9: Fast Facts about Piloting Future Cities
Future Women Initiative
• Mobilized in early 2017, it covers three cities of the
Future Cities technical assistance: Greater Suva
Area (GSA), Mandalay, and Tbilisi. It is specifically
linked to core project activities in these cities.
• The initiative centers on increasing women
empowerment in urban settings.
Source: Author.
Box 10: Fast Facts about Unlocking
Innovation for Development–Digital Finance
• The technical assistance project was mobilized in
early 2017.
• It has a specific focus on e-finance opportunities
in Tbilisi and Ulaanbaatar.
Source: Author.
Source System
(formerly International
Infrastructure Support System)
The Source System is an online project preparation
platform to help DMC governments improve the
quality of their project development documents,
address information asymmetry, and increase their
interface with the private sector.
Engaging with Cities of the Future
30
Pilot Cases: Demonstration of the Future Cities Approach
31
PILOT CASES:
DEMONSTRATION
OF THE FUTURE
CITIES APPROACH
Chapter 3
Engaging with Cities of the Future
32
TBILISI
Pilot Cases: Demonstration of the Future Cities Approach
33
TBILISI Overview of the CityTbilisi and the adjacent city of Rustavi comprise the
capital of Georgia, making it the largest urban center in
the country containing roughly million inhabitants
(about 35% of the national population) and generating
50% of Georgia’s gross domestic product. The location
of Tbilisi, at the crossing point of the east–west and
north–south corridors, is an exceptional asset. Tbilisi
is a transit and logistics hub for the country and the
South Caucasus. However, Tbilisi has not yet taken
full advantage of its strategic location because of
inadequate development of transport and logistics
infrastructure.
Common urban problems concern transport (traffic
congestion, pollution, poor and inappropriate road
infrastructure, and inefficient urban transport systems),
urban sprawl, and low-density developments along
main road networks. The urban vision for Georgia is
to develop regionally competitive, well-connected,
and livable cities based on integrated urban planning
through an inclusive and adaptive approach.
Future Cities Approach
in the City
Providing Prefeasibility Study
Support
The Future Cities approach in Tbilisi took off from
the core project, the Sustainable Urban Transport
Investment Program (Figure 3). The program team
and the city and central governments requested that
a bus rapid transit (BRT) project feasibility study be
undertaken for possible ADB funding. At the same
time, the city and the Georgia Resident Mission
indicated that the rehabilitation of the aging metro
system—built during the Soviet era—would also
Engaging with Cities of the Future
34
Figure 3: Building the Jigsaw in Tbilisi
ADB = Asian Development Bank, AIT = Austrian Institute of Technology, CDIA = Cities Development
Initiative for Asia, FCFWI = Future Cities Future Women Initiative, NUP = national urban planner.
Notes:
1. Green jigsaw pieces represent interventions from the Future Cities technical assistance.
2. Jigsaw pieces colored light yellow, light orange, and dark orange represent regional technical assistance
projects.
Source: Author.
CDIA
bus study FCFWI
Digital
Finance
Source
System
Low-carbon
NUP
Smart
Systems
CDIA
metro study
AIT
TBILISI
Sustainable
Urban
Transport
Investment
Program
Pilot Cases: Demonstration of the Future Cities Approach
35
benefit the city in terms of public safety and health,
as well as energy and operational cost savings. Overall,
this would contribute to the shift toward sustainable
urban mobility. Cities Development Initiative for Asia
(CDIA) financing was quickly mobilized for these two
proposed prefeasibility studies. However, in the case of
the metro upgrade prefeasibility study, although CDIA
approval was granted within 2 weeks of the request
by the city, national government endorsement took a
number of months.
Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) (p. 18),
a knowledge partner engaged for Tbilisi, explored big
data options that could supplement the CDIA studies
and the Sustainable Urban Transport Investment
Program. Given AIT’s expertise on urban transport
technologies and policy development, they assessed
ways to better Tbilisi’s public transport and increase
public usage.
CDIA has conducted a prefeasibility study targeting improvements that will ensure the metro
meets present-day technical, operational, safety and accessibility standards, and contributes
to the shift to sustainable urban mobility in Tbilisi.
Engaging with Cities of the Future
36
Integrating Relevant Technical
Assistance Resources
To complement the core project and strengthen
engagement in Tbilisi, three relevant regional technical
assistance (RETA) projects were mobilized: Smart
Systems, Digital Finance, and Future Cities Future
Women Initiative. These would respectively increase
the city’s capability in smart systems, especially in
transport and other sectors; improve private sector
financing; and boost support for women participation
in urban planning.
The Smart Systems RETA project undertook
detailed inventories of smart systems in each of the
city’s physical and service infrastructure systems.
Discussions were held with a variety of city and central
government stakeholders to explore ways technology
could improve efficiencies in transport, water
supply, sanitation, education, health, building energy
efficiency, and so on, with an emphasis on supporting
existing efforts and aligning with other donors.
Members of the Future Cities Future Women Initiative and the ADB Georgia Resident
Mission met with a representative of the Business Women’s Council in Tbilisi to identify
development opportunities that are cognizant of gender empowerment.
Tbilisi has the
strongest smart city
ecosystem among
the pilot cities.
There is a high
degree of readiness
and comfort
among citizens for
technology-based
solutions
Pilot Cases: Demonstration of the Future Cities Approach
37
The initial assessment by the project team suggests that
Tbilisi has the strongest smart city ecosystem among
the pilot cities. Accordingly, there is a high degree of
readiness and comfort among citizens for technology-
based solutions. Potential project concepts identified
for Tbilisi include smart solutions around urban
mobility, e-governance, and urban planning.
Digital Finance explored opportunities to leverage
existing financial institutions to scale access to
cashless transactions, which would enhance ridership
and reduce transport transaction costs, thereby
broadening the investment pipeline around a transport
core. The RETA also looked into digitizing payments
for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.
The Digital Finance team met with public, private, and
multilateral stakeholders, such as major banks, partner
financial institutions, utility companies, mobile wallet
providers, and other innovation, technology, and smart
systems analytics providers. Through their scoping,
current uses of digital finance services in Tbilisi were
identified, including delivery channels by financial
service providers, use of cards, and use of kiosks, online
credit, other payment services, alternative credit
scoring, innovation hubs, and blockchain technology.
The Future Cities Future Women Initiative examined
ways to mainstream gender empowerment in Tbilisi
projects. The initiative’s team met with various groups
including those in city hall, national government
agencies businesswomen groups, development
partners, and financial institutions. Building on the
main areas emerging across the Future Cities TA
project, the Future Cities Future Women Initiative
will focus future work in areas of urban planning and
transport.
Engaging with Cities of the Future
38
Lessons Learned
from the City
Tbilisi has emerged as one of the flagship future
cities due to the fruitful collaboration of diverse
components (Figure 3). While it remains to be seen
whether the Future Cities approach does result into
Tbilisi becoming a livable city, present evidence points
to that direction.
Two key lessons can be taken away from the
implementation of the RETA project Establishing the
Future Cities Program in the Asia and Pacific Region
(Future Cities TA) in Tbilisi. First, respond quickly
and adapt to the city’s needs to take advantage of
opportunities to widen investments in the city. For
instance, the ability to work closely with the core
project team led to identifying operational needs and
rapidly responding with financing and needed studies.
However, it is important to note that investment
decisions are not instantaneous and require more
deliberation. Second, close coordination through
proper channels and clear documentation are
ingredients for securing prompt concurrent approvals.
In addition, it is important to explore longer-term
opportunities in Tbilisi and this could include the
following:
• transit-oriented design coordinated with strategic
investments in housing, commercial areas, and
community facilities such as schools and hospitals;
• collection of citywide data from sensors, smart
LED lighting, and mobile phone and financial
transactions to enable planners to better provide
services, and to feedback relevant information to
citizens and customers;
• use of paperless transactions and blockchain
technology for transport fares, business
transactions, and enhancement of innovation,
Pilot Cases: Demonstration of the Future Cities Approach
39
agro-processing, and other entrepreneurial
activities;
• governance systems that are fully integrated
and transparent, responsive to citizens, and
that ensure knowledge development and best
practices are the operational norm in the city; and
• physical infrastructure and community services
that embody an integrated planning approach
and ensure inclusivity in planning, operation, and
service for all, especially women.
Smart solutions that enhance urban mobility and scale up cashless transactions are some of
the potential areas that RETA projects are examining to bring Tbilisi closer to the vision of a
livable city.
Engaging with Cities of the Future
40
MANDALAY
Pilot Cases: Demonstration of the Future Cities Approach
41
Overview of the City
Mandalay, the second-largest city in Myanmar, is
located in the center of the country. It functions as
a main trading center and transit hub for jade, gems,
and agricultural products. It is also an industrial area
with most factories involved in agricultural processing
and heavy machinery manufacturing. Since it is the
country’s major city closest to the border of the
People’s Republic of China (PRC), international trade
with the PRC is expected to grow. Likewise, the city’s
trade and logistics role is projected to increase further.
The city could additionally become a pivotal player
in the transnational city network that will inevitably
emerge between the PRC, India, and Southeast Asia.
Mandalay’s urban population is expected to grow from
million people to million people in the next 30
years—a strong indication of the city’s place in the
wider urbanization
Future Cities Approach
in the City
Aligning Relevant Technical
Assistance Resources
In Mandalay, the Future Cities TA worked on supporting
the Mandalay Urban Services Improvement Project,
which began implementation in 2015 and covers
wastewater and drainage improvements. Through
the Future Cities approach, five RETA projects were
brought together to enhance and widen the impact of
the ongoing project (Figure 4).
In particular, the TA project Mainstreaming Integrated
Solid Waste Management in Asia reviewed waste
management practices in the city to address challenges
8 ADB. 2016. Mandalay Urban Diagnostics. Consultant’s report.
Mandalay (TA 9025).
Engaging with Cities of the Future
42
Figure 4: Building the Jigsaw in Mandalay
ADB = Asian Development Bank, CRCWSC = Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities,
ESA = European Space Agency, FCFWI = Future Cities Future Women Initiative, GIS = geographic information
system, ISWM = Integrated Solid Waste Management, MTU = Mandalay Technological University,
NUP = national urban planner, RECAP = Results for Malaria Elimination and Control of Communicable
Diseases Threats in Asia and the Pacific, SEC = Singapore-ETH Centre.
Notes:
1. Green jigsaw pieces represent interventions from the Future Cities technical assistance.
2. Jigsaw pieces colored light yellow, dark yellow, light orange, and dark orange represent regional technical
assistance projects.
Source: Author.
Mandalay
Urban
Services
Improvement
Project
FCFWI
ISWM
GIS
through
ESANUP
Low-carbon
RECAP
Smart
Systems
MANDALAY
Scholarships from
CRCWSC
Urban diagnostics
by SEC
Urban diagnostics
by CRCWSC
Capacity building
with MTU
Pilot Cases: Demonstration of the Future Cities Approach
43
such as poorly run landfill sites and inadequate waste
collection services. For instance, the Thin Gaza Creek
in Mandalay, previously considered a major waterway,
has since been clogged by garbage. It will be the main
northern starting point for the new sewer network
interceptors under the Mandalay Urban Services
Improvement Project. The ISWM RETA project
assisted the local government in updating its 10-year
solid waste management plan and agreed actions
included public awareness campaigns on recycling and
waste minimization as well as establishing a functional
and appropriate waste disposal
Coordination and Capacity Building
In addition to the RETA projects, the Future Cities
approach supported coordination within the
municipal government, especially in the Mandalay
9 L. Chapple and A. McIntyre. 2017. Mandalay City: Outsourcing
Waste Collection Services.
study/mandalay-city-outsourcing-waste-collection-
services?section=0
RETA projects under the Future Cities TA umbrella are collaborating to improve Mandalay’s
Thin Gaza Creek, which is also an important part of the ADB core project in the city.
Photo: Ian Hamilton.
Engaging with Cities of the Future
44
City Development Committee (MCDC) and its
newly formed Urban Planning Unit (UPU), through
the deployment of a national urban planner (NUP).
This unit is intended to be the main recipient of an
Urban Climate Change Resilience Trust Fund grant on
climate-resilient urban planning later in 2017.
An international consultant also provided capacity
building on urban design. Both the NUP and
international consultant, along with the Mandalay
Technological University, conducted further training
for the UPU.
In terms of challenges, there were delays in coming
to an agreement with some of the Future Cities TA
activities due to the non-appointment of MCDC
members during the last half of 2016. This affected
implementation since decisions on undertaking
surveys and running training courses had to be
postponed.
Capitalizing on Knowledge
Partnerships
The Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive
Cities (CRCWSC) provided early advice and
assessment in Mandalay as part of its original scoping.
Many of their initiatives, although not continued under
the Future Cities TA, were adopted by the Mandalay
Urban Services Improvement Project team and have
had significant influence on the thinking behind the
design of subsequent tranches and the expanse of
work done by project consultants.
Another notable benefit from their initial input is the
fully subsidized scholarships for the Master’s Program
in One-Belt-One-Road Sustainable Infrastructure
Engineering at Southeast University in Nanjing, PRC.
Administered by CRCWSC, the 2-year course utilizes
a water-sensitive cities approach. The first year is
dedicated to full-time study, followed by another year
of mentored research work back in Mandalay. Two
Pilot Cases: Demonstration of the Future Cities Approach
45
planners from MCDC received the scholarships and
have already completed their coursework. They are set
to return to Mandalay in mid-2017.
A new candidate will soon begin her coursework, in
combination with two additional candidates from
Ulaanbaatar.
Lessons Learned from
the City
There are four major lessons from the implementation
of the Future Cities TA in Mandalay:
1. Choose limited interventions in a specific
geographical area.
2. Ensure continuity and momentum of ADB
programs through select activities.
3. In any proposed long-term relationships, there will
be delays caused by circumstances beyond the TA
project’s control. These must be accommodated
if support is to be taken seriously by the city.
4. A combination of relatively small interventions,
when combined and documented, can provide
a compelling record of long-term impact of
projects, if planned at the start rather than as an
afterthought.
Engaging with Cities of the Future
46
GREATER SUVA AREA
Pilot Cases: Demonstration of the Future Cities Approach
47
Overview of the City
The GSA is composed of the national capital of Suva
City, and the neighboring towns of Lami, Nasinu,
and Nausori. It has a total land area of approximately
square kilometers. Each municipality in GSA
has its own distinct character, set of economic and
geographical opportunities, and constraints.
Lami to the east is the gateway into the GSA from
Nadi International Airport and is subject to coastal
and riverine flooding. Industries located in Lami are
predominantly maritime-based, such as shipbuilding,
bulk storage facilities, and fisheries. Suva City, being
the national capital, is the commercial and financial
center of Fiji—and, to an extent, the Pacific region.
The economy of Suva City is driven by the finance,
commercial, and tourism sectors. Nasinu is the
dormitory town of the GSA with 87,447 residents, the
highest population in the country according to the
2007 census of the Fiji Bureau of Statistics. Its economy
is based on manufacturing, the garment industry, and
call centers. Nausori is the gateway to Suva City from
Nausori International Airport. A commercial center for
three provinces, Nausori is predominantly a low-lying
delta region prone to flooding. It also has one of the
highest rates of urban growth in the GSA.
One of the primary challenges in urban planning in
the country is the issue of land supply. With native
land (or iTaukei) mixed with state and freehold land in
urban areas and the rapidly expanding periurban areas
comprising predominantly native and some freehold
land, land supply is heavily distorted by formal and
informal land tenure arrangements and institutional
shortcomings.
Engaging with Cities of the Future
48
Future Cities Approach
in the City
The first point of entry in the GSA is one of the major
ADB investments in Fiji, the Urban Water Supply and
Wastewater Management Investment Program. There
are several connections between the government’s
agreed policies—under utilities, strategy, and
transport—and ADB’s support. These existing links
have allowed the Future Cities TA to identify areas it
can complement and stakeholder relationships it can
strengthen. A center of excellence (CoE) or knowledge
partner (CRCWSC), several RETA projects, and staff
support (a NUP and urban planning intern) were
mobilized under the Future Cities approach (Figure 5).
Representatives of the Future Cities team and the Pacific Subregional Office met with
a local nongovernment organization to learn about its community mobilization in the
Greater Suva Area. Photo: Imelda Baleta.
Pilot Cases: Demonstration of the Future Cities Approach
49
Figure 5: Building the Jigsaw in the Greater Suva Area
GREATER SUVA AREA
CRCWSC FCFWI
NUP
Smart
Systems
Transport
development
Urban
planning
intern
GIS
through
ESA
Low-carbon
Source
System
RISE
Project
Urban Water
Supply and
Wastewater
Management
Investment
Program
ADB = Asian Development Bank, CRCWSC = Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities,
ESA = European Space Agency, FCFWI = Future Cities Future Women Initiative, GIS = geographic information
system, NUP = national urban planner, RISE = Revitalization of Informal Settlements and Environment.
Notes:
1. Green jigsaw pieces represent interventions from the Future Cities technical assistance.
2. Jigsaw pieces colored light yellow and light orange represent regional technical assistance projects.
3. Dark blue jigsaw pieces represent existing ADB additional support and/or new ADB projects.
Source: Author.
Engaging with Cities of the Future
50
The RISE project will be the first
ADB project born from the Future
Cities approach and it emphasizes
how the approach can lead to
tangible solutions.
Pilot Cases: Demonstration of the Future Cities Approach
51
Conceptualizing a New Project
with a Center of Excellence
The core project for Future Cities in the GSA is the
Urban Water Supply and Wastewater Management
Investment Program, which is expected to provide
about 4,500 wastewater connections to both formal
and informal areas. However, those in more isolated
or hard-to-service locations are not included. This
opened up an opportunity that was seized by CRCWSC,
especially after assessing the challenges and needs of
the GSA through the urban diagnostics they prepared.
They concluded that piloting an innovative water-
sensitive approach could benefit such informal urban
communities. It supplements the core project while
also already broadening the pipeline, as envisioned by
the Future Cities approach.
The Urban Water Supply and Wastewater Management Investment Program is the core
project of the Future Cities approach in the GSA.
Engaging with Cities of the Future
52
The solution they conceptualized is the Revitalization
of Informal Settlements and Environment (RISE)
project, which uses a decentralized design of low-cost
community infrastructure and housing upgrades to
improve the quality of life of marginalized residents,
particularly in the aspects of health, livelihood, and
climate resilience. The Future Cities Future Women
Initiative is supporting the RISE project to integrate
women’s empowerment into the project’s design and
implementation.
The RISE project will be the first ADB project born
from the Future Cities TA and it emphasizes how the
TA served as an incubation mechanism in which ideas
were tested and developed into tangible solutions.
Some of the informal settlements visited by the Future Cities Future Women Initiative team
in support of and to enhance the RISE project design. Photo: Gillie Brown.
Pilot Cases: Demonstration of the Future Cities Approach
53
Supplementing Skills and Unifying
Urban Plans
The Government of Fiji is in need of more qualified staff,
and this was seen as an opportunity that the Future
Cities approach could resolve. Aside from deploying
a NUP to liaise between the city and ADB, a young
urban planner was engaged as an intern for the GSA.
The intern, since early 2017, had a short assignment at
the Department of Town and Country Planning before
being posted at the Lami Town Council to assist with
research on the preparation of the draft Report of
Survey (transport sector) as an input to the revision
of the Lami Town Planning Scheme. She also reviewed
the iTaukei Land Trust Board (TLTB) Master Plan. She
has been supporting the NUP and activities for the
preparation of the RISE project.
Engaging with Cities of the Future
54
In addition, the Future Cities TA assisted in preparing
the National Development Plan, which contains
project proposals for the next 5 years (medium-
term plan) and 20 years (long-term plan). A spatial
dimension was added to the development plan by
mapping each project to show connections and
omissions and thereby help clarify future project
opportunities and priorities.
Similarly, the TLTB has been reviewing its outdated
GSA Land Use Plan in terms of policy on leases
and locations with assistance from the TA project
team. Given that 55% of the GSA is native land and
that TLTB makes decisions on lease renewals and
conditions without the guide of an overall strategy, this
has important implications for overall development
planning. It also links back to the identification of
appropriate communities with no networked water
and wastewater connections to be potentially covered
by the RISE project.
The GSA councils have also requested through
the NUP and urban planning intern to help update
current planning schemes and policies in accordance
with recommendations from the urban growth
management action plans (documents that detail how
development plans will be implemented). The city
essentially wants to harmonize all the plans, ensure
it follows GSA strategies, and from there mobilize
appropriate activities. The Future Cities approach in
the GSA not only aids in addressing rapid urbanization
but also serves to remedy institutional gaps.
More importantly, it must be emphasized that in
comparison to other cities under the Future Cities
TA—such as Tbilisi, where there is strong showing of
engaging with the city and diverse stakeholders—it is in
the GSA (and eventually Makassar) that the approach
has led to an actual project.
Given that 55%
of the GSA is
native land, this
has important
implications
for overall
development
planning
Pilot Cases: Demonstration of the Future Cities Approach
55
Lessons Learned from
the City
Applying the Future Cities approach in the GSA has
resulted in three key lessons:
1. Since ADB is operating in more than one sector,
specific supporting activities can be identified to
enhance overall coordination and bring about
integrated city development.
2. Knowledge partners can be a good source
of scientific evidence or innovative ideas to
reinvigorate practice with quality research and
funding which may not be readily available in
ADB. The challenge is to determine when and
how to use these knowledge partners.
3. Selecting an NUP and intern with skills that match
the needs of the local government will lead to
more productive day-to-day collaboration that
strengthens the relationship with the city.
Engaging with Cities of the Future
56
ULAANBAATAR
Pilot Cases: Demonstration of the Future Cities Approach
57
Overview of the City
The Capital City of Ulaanbaatar is the biggest city in
Mongolia. It is currently home to over million people
and accounts for 45% of the country’s population, 63%
of the gross domestic product, and 66% of the total
urban
The city center bears the legacy of Soviet planning
and urban design. It follows the socialist super blocks
model that mainly uses buildings of 3–4 stories
with access to full urban services. Adjacent and
surrounding the center are 60% or 800,000 of the city
residents living in ger These are vast periurban
areas where there are no basic services such as water
(indoor piped water), wastewater and sanitation, and
centralized Residents have to go to state-run
water kiosks, dump wastewater on the street, use pit
latrines, and burn coal for heating their gers or single-
family detached homes. These inappropriate practices
cause heavy pollution that affect the city residents’
health. Furthermore, unimproved individual coal
stoves generate greater air pollution during winter13
and poor sanitation and solid waste collection create
highly unsanitary living conditions.
Future Cities Approach
in the City
The Ulaanbaatar Urban Services and Ger Areas
Development Investment Program, an ADB
multitranche financing facility (MFF) approved in
10 National Statistic Office of Mongolia, 2016.
11 Named after traditional Mongol ger tents, according to MAD
(Make a Difference).
12 B. Gombosuren. 2016. Ulaanbaatar Urban Diagnostics.
Consultant’s report. Ulaanbaatar: ADB (TA 9025).
13 This pertains to , particle matter smaller than
micrometers. Rate per cubic meter in winter is seven times
higher than allowed by the World Health Organization. Winter
in Mongolia lasts up to 5 months.
ULAANBAATAR
Engaging with Cities of the Future
58
December 2013, has formulated a redevelopment
strategy for ger areas. The program proposed an
integrated and comprehensive infrastructure and
technical support approach to upgrade existing
subcenters in these ger areas. Better urban planning
combined with a network of infrastructure along
priority roads will initiate a structural change of the
subcenter urban fabric. This will (i) improve residents’
access to basic urban services, public space, and
socioeconomic facilities; (ii) support local economic
development; (iii) allow residents and businesses to
take advantage of urban economies; and (iv) provide
better housing options. This will lead to a network of
subcenters as backbone and driving force of the ger
areas redevelopment, promoting connectivity and
inclusiveness, and a more polycentric development
of the city. Four subcenters have been selected for
An example of a ger in the city. Supporting the core project will help provide better housing
options and access to basic services. Photo: Ian Hamilton.
Pilot Cases: Demonstration of the Future Cities Approach
59
the first two tranches of the MFF: two are under
construction and the other two are being planned.
Tranche 3 will focus on two more subcenters.
Other ADB initiatives linked with the investment
program include a TA for affordable housing and
urban renewal (financed by the Cities Development
Initiative for Asia [CDIA] and the Japan Fund for
Poverty Reduction [JFPR]); a TA for urban planning
improvement (funded by JFPR); the Ulaanbaatar Ger
Area Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Community
Enhancement Project prefeasibility study (financed by
CDIA); and an urban transport MFF (currently under
implementation) (Figure 6). The Future Cities TA has
adequately complemented these existing activities
from different angles, while maintaining a core focus
on increasing the impact of the ger investment program
(Figure 7).
The Municipality of Ulaanbaatar particularly requested
the Future Cities team to examine and improve current
urban planning responsibilities and arrangements,
technical skills, and legal settings, as well as to make
recommendations for institutional reform (including
a local and master planning exercise) to better
implement the provisions of the city’s 2030 Master
Plan.
One critical issue was to support the change from the
Soviet planning system to a market driven economy
model that would expose urban planning professionals
to international expertise and experiences through
partnerships and trainings. The expertise of the Paris
Region Planning and Development Agency (IAU Île-
de-France) fitted this request (p. 20). Along with an
international urban planner, IAU Île-de-France was
tasked to assist city planners with technical on-the-
job planning on methodology and tools, especially
on the formulation of local plans (especially for ger
areas); work with the Municipality of Ulaanbaatar on
urban law and regulation; and support the articulation
and vertical integration between planning, design,
and regulation among relevant agencies. IAU Île-de-
France was also assigned with setting up a long-term
Engaging with Cities of the Future
60
Figure 6: Urban Operations Support to Ulaanbaatar
ADB = Asian Development Bank, CDIA = Cities for Development Initiative Asia, CDTA = capacity
development technical assistance, EIB = European Investment Bank, FSR = feasibility study report,
JFPR = Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction, MUB = Municipality of Ulaanbaatar, PATA = policy and
advisory technical assistance, PPTA = project preparatory technical assistance.
Source: Arnaud Heckmann.
ADB–Urban Sector
Municipality of Ulaanbaatar
Ger redevelopment subcenters strategy/masterplan
Affordable housing
Eco-districts for ger areas
Enhancing cultural
heritage and tourism
Future Cities Technical Assistance
(2016–2017)
Investment program outlines
JFPR Urban Services
and Planning
Improvement PATA
(2010–2011)
JFPR Urban Services
and Ger Areas Development PATA
(2011–2013)
Affordable Housing
and Urban Renewal
CDIA pre-FSR (2015–2016)
JFPR PPTA (2016–2017)
JFPR Urban Planning
Improvement
(2013–2016) CDTA
CDIA Cultural Heritage
(2016–2017)
Training, cities partnerships,
shared data base
Infrastructure extension to
6 priority subcenters
Socioeconomic facilities in
6 subcenters
(MUB/ADB/EIB) Urban Services
and Ger Areas Development
Investment Program - 3 tranches
Implementation (2013–2022)
Pilot Cases: Demonstration of the Future Cities Approach
61
Figure 7: Building the Jigsaw in Ulaanbaatar
Affordable
housing
and urban
renewal IAU
NUP
Digital
Finance
Cultural
heritage
preservation
Source
System
Smart
Systems FCFWI
Low-carbon
ULAANBAATAR
Ger Areas
Development
Investment
Program
International
urban planner
City
twinning
Urban
planning
improvement
Urban
transport
MFF
ADB = Asian Development Bank, IAU = Paris Region Planning and Development Agency, MFF = multitranche
financing facility, NUP = national urban planner.
Notes:
1. Green jigsaw pieces represent interventions from the Future Cities technical assistance.
2. Jigsaw pieces colored light yellow and light orange represent regional technical assistance projects.
3. Dark blue jigsaw pieces represent existing ADB additional support (some through the Cities Development
Initiative for Asia and/or the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction).
Source: Author.
Engaging with Cities of the Future
62
planning and education-related institute, which will be
able to further develop local urban planning skills. It will
provide training and develop urban planning-related
technical assistance proposals for possible funding
from development partners.
The Future Cities TA also supported a city partnership
with Edmonton City (Canada), initiated during
the urban planning improvement TA, to exchange
knowledge and practices concerning cold climate
infrastructure and public space design. Additionally, to
assist with Ulaanbaatar’s financing needs, a capacity
building session on the Source System (p. 29) was
conducted to enable agencies to better prepare project
proposals for private sector funding in the future.
Lastly, in the course of the TA project while
implementing the Future Cities approach, a channel
for an efficient operational dialogue between the city
and other ADB sector group programs or projects was
opened, creating synergies and better coordination
between all ADB initiatives targeting the city. Under
the Future Cities Future Women Initiative, a gender
violence study was conducted in the ger areas. The
result of the study was translated into a shelter
for gender violence victim subproject that was
included in the second tranche of the core project
or the ger investment program. Other initiative and
reconnaissance missions were also implemented to
plant future seeds of cooperation between ADB and
Ulaanbaatar, such as those by the Digital Finance and
Smart Systems TAs.
Lessons Learned
from the City
Limited skills and experience in urban planning is
common among the pilot cities. Within fragmented
and sometimes overlapping institutional settings,
fostering trust within the planning department, urban
design institute, and city master plan agencies take
time. Strengthening an urban planning organization
Pilot Cases: Demonstration of the Future Cities Approach
63
and its functions require a long process to materialize
and institutionalize. Improving organizational
development should be envisioned for the long term,
addressing gaps in the existing planning institution
and planning expert education and training. This
needs sustained effort and support, especially from
development partners.
Opening a city-focused channel within ADB is very
useful to converge initiatives from other sectors
and departments. It allows easier access for other
programs, encourages synergies, and plants the seeds
for long-term, city-focused approach. Knowledge
partners should lead the exchange of approaches and
lessons learned among other knowledge partners and
cities.
In August 2016, ADB Mongolia Resident Mission Country Director Yolanda Fernandez
Lommen and Ulaanbaatar Mayor S. Batbold signed a memorandum of understanding to
implement the Future Cities TA in the city. Photo: Bat-Erdene Gombosuren.
Engaging with Cities of the Future
64
MAKASSAR
Pilot Cases: Demonstration of the Future Cities Approach
65
Overview of the City
Makassar is the administrative capital of South Sulawesi
province, Eastern Indonesia. With a population of
million (as of April 2017), it is the fifth-largest city in
the country and one of its most densely populated.
Makassar’s growth comes from its role as the air
and maritime gateway to Eastern Indonesia. Urban
expansion has been fast, and it has been happening
mainly in the city’s periphery, where migrants come
and stay in informal communities.
The largest slum areas are north, east, and south of
the city center, and can be categorized into (i) coastal
and riverside communities (houses on stilts above
the water); (ii) urban slums and villages, which, in
some areas, merge into the coastal and riverside
communities; and (iii) new informal developments in
formerly rural areas.
Some of the challenges facing the city include
water and wastewater management, flooding, and
vulnerability to climate change hazards.
Future Cities Approach
in the City
ADB is currently implementing the second phase of
the Neighborhood Upgrading and Shelter Project in
Makassar as part of a 20-city scope (Figure 8). The
project adopts a community-driven development
approach to upgrade basic infrastructure and establish
new housing sites for people residing in informal
settlements.
The Future Cities TA is supporting Makassar through
the neighborhood project. Addressing the proliferation
of slums in Makassar could have a significant and far-
reaching effect on the city’s trajectory toward livability,
and the RISE project with its green infrastructure
services and housing solutions complements this.
Engaging with Cities of the Future
66
Figure 8: Building the Jigsaw in Makassar
CRCWSC
NUP
GIS
through
ESA
MAKASSAR
RISE
ProjectNeighborhood
Upgrading
and Shelter
Project
(Phase 2)
ADB = Asian Development Bank, CRCWSC = Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities,
ESA = European Space Agency, GIS = geographic information system, NUP = national urban planner,
RISE = Revitalization of Informal Settlements and Environment.
Notes:
1. Green jigsaw pieces represent interventions from the Future Cities technical assistance.
2. Dark blue jigsaw pieces represent a new ADB project.
Source: Author.
Pilot Cases: Demonstration of the Future Cities Approach
67
Similar to the GSA, the RISE project in Makassar
targets informal communities that have not received
any form of prior assistance.
Lesson Learned
from the City
There is still a lot of room for engagement with the
city. The key takeaway from the Makassar experience
is the importance of selecting the right and most
relevant knowledge partner, which could enrich the
development work being accomplished in the city, and,
more importantly, open up new or innovative ideas to
address long-pressing urbanization problems. In the
case of Makassar, the knowledge partner (CRCWSC)
became a good source of scientific evidence and
research, nontraditional solutions, and even additional
funding that were not readily available in ADB.
This slum site in Makassar depicts the typical conditions of informal settlements in the city.
Photo: CRCWSC.
Engaging with Cities of the Future
68
BANDUNG
Pilot Cases: Demonstration of the Future Cities Approach
69
Overview of the City
Bandung, the capital of West Java, is the fourth-
largest city in Indonesia. It has a population of about
million people and is well-known for its academic
institutions, industries, and recreational and cultural
activities. The city is a popular getaway destination for
the more than 20 million people living in the nearby
Jakarta metropolitan
Bandung has witnessed continuous economic
growth. This, however, has attracted a steady stream
of rural–urban migrants, who often end up in slums
and squatter settlements. Still, Bandung is viewed as a
good area for investments. Its gross domestic product
growth rate has generally been 7%–8%, which is higher
than Indonesia’s annual growth of 6%–%.14
Future Cities Approach
in the City
Ideally, the Future Cities approach should start with a
core project. In Bandung, however, there was no ADB
investment to reinforce (Figure 9). Bandung became
a pilot city because of its potential, due largely to its
active local government and civil society and private
sector interest.
To spark engagement, the Future Cities TA first
tapped the World Resources Institute to provide a
diagnostic assessment of the city. This knowledge
partner highlighted a lot of potential areas for
specialization. However, the lack of a core project
and stakeholder relationships severely hampered
consistency and fluency with the city. There were
attempts to start a number of projects that aligned
the city’s intentions with ADB resources. ADB held
discussions with potential solid waste management
and waste-to-energy initiatives with the thought
14 ADB. 2016. Bandung Urban Diagnostics. Consultant’s report.
Manila (TA 9025).
Engaging with Cities of the Future
70
Figure 9: Building the Jigsaw in Bandung
Smart
Systems
Urban
diagnostics
by SEC
Source
System
BANDUNG
ADB = Asian Development Bank, SEC = Singapore-ETH Centre.
Notes:
1. Green jigsaw pieces represent interventions from the Future Cities technical assistance.
2. A light yellow jigsaw piece represents a regional technical assistance project.
Source: Author.
Pilot Cases: Demonstration of the Future Cities Approach
71
Creating a regional high technology knowledge and training hub for smart cities is one of the
potential areas for wider engagement in Bandung.
to potentially link the RETA project Integrated Solid
Waste Management in Asia.
It was only in early 2017 with the Smart Systems TA
becoming involved in Bandung that concrete progress
emerged. One of the opportunities identified, which
could be well supported by the local government, is
the city’s potential for a public–private partnership
with technology companies and the city’s universities
to create a regional high-technology knowledge and
training hub for a smart city. Singapore-ETH Centre was
also brought in to conduct research on urban planning
systems for an integrated Bandung through (i) grassroots
engagement; (ii) smart neighborhood infrastructure
(incremental housing and urban planning for tropical
cities); and (iii) coordination of smart neighborhood
initiatives with other activities of different scales in the
city, and regional infrastructure plans.
Lesson Learned
from the City
The unique case of Bandung demonstrates how the
Future Cities approach can be flexible, organic, and
responsive to the potential once analyzed. Moreover,
the potential can be realized and the absence of a core
project can be overcome.
Engaging with Cities of the Future
72
Lessons Learned from the Pilot Cases
73
LESSONS LEARNED
FROM THE PILOT
CASES
Chapter 4
Engaging with Cities of the Future
74
There are many lessons to be gained and shared from
implementing the Future Cities approach, several of
which are continuously being learned.
Selection of Cities
and Activities
It is essential that there be mature and wide-
ranging support from both the Asian Development
Bank (ADB) and the government to broaden the
investment pipeline in the city and establish long-
term engagement. Without assurances from the ADB
regional departments, resident missions, and city
and national government, it is counterproductive to
spend time dealing with uncertainties. Cities that have
resident missions benefit from closer ADB oversight of
ongoing activities unlike those without.
It is very important early on to execute a long-term
memorandum of understanding with a city, laying out
the long-term relationship that is to be forged and the
expectations that are to be met. This memorandum of
understanding needs to be flexible enough to ensure
that the process of engagement is responsive and
forward thinking, not prescriptive and linear.
Use of Knowledge Partners
Over the course of implementing the Future Cities
approach, the means of engaging knowledge partners
changed from a contract requiring them to produce
comprehensive urban diagnostics to a more limited
agreement wherein they provide focused outputs
Use core project relationships and identified priority sites when
broadening engagement with the city, so as to efficiently focus
scarce resources and create bigger impact.
L E S S O N
Engaging with Cities of the Future
A Perspective
The technical assistance Establishing the Future Cities Program in the Asia and Pacific
Region aimed to identify new approaches to address the challenges of urbanization. It was
an incubation program reviewing the entire ecosystem of how to develop cities and served
as a testing ground for ideas on how to better interface with city officials and stakeholders
to mainstream new or improved solutions. This publication provides insights from work in
six pilot cases in the region (Tbilisi, Mandalay, Greater Suva Area, Ulaanbaatar, Makassar,
and Bandung). It also presents the Future Cities approach, which emphasizes cross-
sectoral and thematic collaboration, aligning relevant knowledge and financial resources,
as well as supporting holistic growth toward livability in the future.
About the Asian Development Bank
ADB’s vision is an Asia and Pacific region free of poverty. Its mission is to help its developing
member countries reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of their people. Despite
the region’s many successes, it remains home to a large share of the world’s poor. ADB
is committed to reducing poverty through inclusive economic growth, environmentally
sustainable growth, and regional integration.
Based in Manila, ADB is owned by 67 members, including 48 from the region. Its main
instruments for helping its developing member countries are policy dialogue, loans, equity
investments, guarantees, grants, and technical assistance.
ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City
1550 Metro Manila. Philippines
ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
ENGAGING WITH
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A PERSPECTIVE
Lessons Learned from the Pilot Cases
75
The ADB Georgia Resident Mission and Future Cities TA representatives had a meeting with
Tbilisi Mayor David Narmania, Deputy Mayor Irakli Lekvinadze, and other top city officials for
a presentation of CDIA studies. Austrian Ambassador Arad Benkö also attended.
based on these diagnostics or a similar analysis by
the research and technical assistance (TA) project
Establishing the Future Cities Program in the Asia and
Pacific Region (Future Cities TA) team.
The right, relevant knowledge partners are needed for
each city so that synergies can be generated. Although
facilitated with seed resources and support, they need
to be separately motivated and self-sufficient to work
with the city government (ultimately with their own or
additional financing), and well engaged globally in their
specialty area. Working with the city, they should assess
long-term development perspectives, connections,
While one pilot city had no core project, it took more than
18 months to effect any coordinated activities; thus, engaging the
city without this vital element is not recommended unless there is
strong engagement from another nearby twin city.
L E S S O N
Engaging with Cities of the Future
A Perspective
The technical assistance Establishing the Future Cities Program in the Asia and Pacific
Region aimed to identify new approaches to address the challenges of urbanization. It was
an incubation program reviewing the entire ecosystem of how to develop cities and served
as a testing ground for ideas on how to better interface with city officials and stakeholders
to mainstream new or improved solutions. This publication provides insights from work in
six pilot cases in the region (Tbilisi, Mandalay, Greater Suva Area, Ulaanbaatar, Makassar,
and Bandung). It also presents the Future Cities approach, which emphasizes cross-
sectoral and thematic collaboration, aligning relevant knowledge and financial resources,
as well as supporting holistic growth toward livability in the future.
About the Asian Development Bank
ADB’s vision is an Asia and Pacific region free of poverty. Its mission is to help its developing
member countries reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of their people. Despite
the region’s many successes, it remains home to a large share of the world’s poor. ADB
is committed to reducing poverty through inclusive economic growth, environmentally
sustainable growth, and regional integration.
Based in Manila, ADB is owned by 67 members, including 48 from the region. Its main
instruments for helping its developing member countries are policy dialogue, loans, equity
investments, guarantees, grants, and technical assistance.
ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City
1550 Metro Manila. Philippines
ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
ENGAGING WITH
CITIES OF THE FUTURE
A PERSPECTIVE
Engaging with Cities of the Future
76
and commonalities between ongoing and proposed
work, and establish a platform for further discussion of
proposed issues, themes, and interventions.
The Future Cities TA team should initiate the urban
diagnostics in each city in conjunction with existing
ADB projects and teams. Appropriate knowledge
partners should be utilized as required based on the
team’s analyses of problems and opportunities.
Urban Diagnostics
Urban diagnostics is a wide assessment of issues and
opportunities in the city that is vital to understanding
its needs and how the city can move toward achieving
livability. The assessment also presents areas or sectors
where investments can be made so that development
work is not haphazard. Urban diagnostics can also
open up leads to valuable contacts in a city.
Knowledge partners prepared the urban diagnostics
for all cities using standardized templates provided
by the Future Cities TA team. Outputs contained the
following headings: Urban Development Context
(Urban Setting, Development Constraints/Issues,
Administration, and Current Project or Program
Status); and Vision for a Livable City (City’s Vision,
External Support, and Way Forward).
The diagnostics can be commenced at an early stage
using existing ADB resources, such as information
in documents of core projects. They can eventually
be produced in more detail and regularly updated
Knowledge partners are able to address issues in innovative ways.
They can also mobilize additional finance and specific technical
expertise to support projects. ADB should support and direct
them to appropriate opportunities.
L E S S O N
Engaging with Cities of the Future
A Perspective
The technical assistance Establishing the Future Cities Program in the Asia and Pacific
Region aimed to identify new approaches to address the challenges of urbanization. It was
an incubation program reviewing the entire ecosystem of how to develop cities and served
as a testing ground for ideas on how to better interface with city officials and stakeholders
to mainstream new or improved solutions. This publication provides insights from work in
six pilot cases in the region (Tbilisi, Mandalay, Greater Suva Area, Ulaanbaatar, Makassar,
and Bandung). It also presents the Future Cities approach, which emphasizes cross-
sectoral and thematic collaboration, aligning relevant knowledge and financial resources,
as well as supporting holistic growth toward livability in the future.
About the Asian Development Bank
ADB’s vision is an Asia and Pacific region free of poverty. Its mission is to help its developing
member countries reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of their people. Despite
the region’s many successes, it remains home to a large share of the world’s poor. ADB
is committed to reducing poverty through inclusive economic growth, environmentally
sustainable growth, and regional integration.
Based in Manila, ADB is owned by 67 members, including 48 from the region. Its main
instruments for helping its developing member countries are policy dialogue, loans, equity
investments, guarantees, grants, and technical assistance.
ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City
1550 Metro Manila. Philippines
ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
ENGAGING WITH
CITIES OF THE FUTURE
A PERSPECTIVE
Lessons Learned from the Pilot Cases
77
with support from the national urban planner (NUP)
in liaison with city administrators and the resident
mission.
Regional Technical
Assistance Projects
In the past, regional technical assistance (RETA)
projects have often operated independently of
other projects in similar areas. This confuses city
administration and wastes resources. Combining
and coordinating other RETA projects under one
umbrella and title (Future Cities) has enabled better
understanding of linked issues and opportunities
within the RETA project and the Future Cities TA,
as well as in the cities. It is important to realize that
coordination between the various RETA projects
shows a unified ADB front to city administrations,
and it simplifies transaction costs for the city and
resident mission, providing more holistic, efficient, and
energized resource usage for ADB. There is room for
improvement within ADB to ensure the benefits of a
coordinated approach are fully understood and that
city officials are not overwhelmed or confused.
Delays in fielding some RETA projects, however, have
limited coordination and expected synergies. It is
essential to ensure both operational and knowledge
TA projects are well in sync, even if they are meant
to achieve different objectives. More engagement is
required, especially by NUPs, to ascertain the ability
of cities to absorb different amounts and types of
assistance.
Coordinating the timing of TA projects (within ADB) will ensure
better synergies with other such projects and related activities
under the Future Cities approach.
L E S S O N
Engaging with Cities of the Future
A Perspective
The technical assistance Establishing the Future Cities Program in the Asia and Pacific
Region aimed to identify new approaches to address the challenges of urbanization. It was
an incubation program reviewing the entire ecosystem of how to develop cities and served
as a testing ground for ideas on how to better interface with city officials and stakeholders
to mainstream new or improved solutions. This publication provides insights from work in
six pilot cases in the region (Tbilisi, Mandalay, Greater Suva Area, Ulaanbaatar, Makassar,
and Bandung). It also presents the Future Cities approach, which emphasizes cross-
sectoral and thematic collaboration, aligning relevant knowledge and financial resources,
as well as supporting holistic growth toward livability in the future.
About the Asian Development Bank
ADB’s vision is an Asia and Pacific region free of poverty. Its mission is to help its developing
member countries reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of their people. Despite
the region’s many successes, it remains home to a large share of the world’s poor. ADB
is committed to reducing poverty through inclusive economic growth, environmentally
sustainable growth, and regional integration.
Based in Manila, ADB is owned by 67 members, including 48 from the region. Its main
instruments for helping its developing member countries are policy dialogue, loans, equity
investments, guarantees, grants, and technical assistance.
ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City
1550 Metro Manila. Philippines
ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
ENGAGING WITH
CITIES OF THE FUTURE
A PERSPECTIVE
Engaging with Cities of the Future
78
National Urban Planners
NUPs have proven to be critical in enhancing
existing relationships between ADB and the cities.
Experience suggests that these planners represent
a good value investment to both ADB and the cities.
They serve as readily available sources of information
and technical support to local (and some national)
governments without any language barriers and with
full understanding of sociocultural issues involved in
project identification and development. They are able
to supplement local resources in ADB resident missions,
especially where they may be located in another city as
opposed to the capital (., Mandalay) or where the
resident mission has a wider geographical mandate
(., Suva with the Pacific Subregional Office). In the
future, more autonomy may require small operating
budgets to enable them to hold meetings with key
local stakeholders as may be necessary.
During the Future Cities TA implementation, the
available talent pool for NUPs was found to be quite
small, given that many such technical staff will either
be already working in government or with international
agencies. Because of the required expertise (if
possible, with an economic, engineering, or project
management specialty) and seniority expected for a
NUP, this makes finding such individuals extremely
difficult. It is also hard to find someone who can
be passionate about the aims of the Future Cities
approach, and would be able to articulate how this is
applied. In the future, it may be necessary to consider
hiring someone on a part-time basis (in conjunction
with another ADB project perhaps) or assigning the
NUP to a larger geographical area if the Future Cities
approach will be expanded to more than one city in a
country. In some cases, perhaps a current government
employee would be willing to take a leave of absence
to take up this role.
Going forward, the use of a sector-based RETA project with a
Future Cities approach should be carefully limited to where a
RETA project has real potential value.
L E S S O N
Engaging with Cities of the Future
A Perspective
The technical assistance Establishing the Future Cities Program in the Asia and Pacific
Region aimed to identify new approaches to address the challenges of urbanization. It was
an incubation program reviewing the entire ecosystem of how to develop cities and served
as a testing ground for ideas on how to better interface with city officials and stakeholders
to mainstream new or improved solutions. This publication provides insights from work in
six pilot cases in the region (Tbilisi, Mandalay, Greater Suva Area, Ulaanbaatar, Makassar,
and Bandung). It also presents the Future Cities approach, which emphasizes cross-
sectoral and thematic collaboration, aligning relevant knowledge and financial resources,
as well as supporting holistic growth toward livability in the future.
About the Asian Development Bank
ADB’s vision is an Asia and Pacific region free of poverty. Its mission is to help its developing
member countries reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of their people. Despite
the region’s many successes, it remains home to a large share of the world’s poor. ADB
is committed to reducing poverty through inclusive economic growth, environmentally
sustainable growth, and regional integration.
Based in Manila, ADB is owned by 67 members, including 48 from the region. Its main
instruments for helping its developing member countries are policy dialogue, loans, equity
investments, guarantees, grants, and technical assistance.
ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City
1550 Metro Manila. Philippines
ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
ENGAGING WITH
CITIES OF THE FUTURE
A PERSPECTIVE
Lessons Learned from the Pilot Cases
79
Capacity-Building
Practitioners
Individual practitioners have been hired in situations
where more detailed and specific capacity building
have been required, such as for urban design solutions
for Thin Gaza Creek in Mandalay and urban planning
training in Ulaanbaatar. This has worked well when the
proposed trainees are small in number, relatively junior,
and identified in advance.
The presence of project officers from the RETA projects (from Digital Finance, Future Cities,
and Future Cities Future Women) shows a united ADB front to city administrations.
A full-time national urban planner in each city is crucial for
coordination with the city and internally within ADB.
L E S S O N
Engaging with Cities of the Future
A Perspective
The technical assistance Establishing the Future Cities Program in the Asia and Pacific
Region aimed to identify new approaches to address the challenges of urbanization. It was
an incubation program reviewing the entire ecosystem of how to develop cities and served
as a testing ground for ideas on how to better interface with city officials and stakeholders
to mainstream new or improved solutions. This publication provides insights from work in
six pilot cases in the region (Tbilisi, Mandalay, Greater Suva Area, Ulaanbaatar, Makassar,
and Bandung). It also presents the Future Cities approach, which emphasizes cross-
sectoral and thematic collaboration, aligning relevant knowledge and financial resources,
as well as supporting holistic growth toward livability in the future.
About the Asian Development Bank
ADB’s vision is an Asia and Pacific region free of poverty. Its mission is to help its developing
member countries reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of their people. Despite
the region’s many successes, it remains home to a large share of the world’s poor. ADB
is committed to reducing poverty through inclusive economic growth, environmentally
sustainable growth, and regional integration.
Based in Manila, ADB is owned by 67 members, including 48 from the region. Its main
instruments for helping its developing member countries are policy dialogue, loans, equity
investments, guarantees, grants, and technical assistance.
ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City
1550 Metro Manila. Philippines
ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
ENGAGING WITH
CITIES OF THE FUTURE
A PERSPECTIVE
Engaging with Cities of the Future
80
To hire the most appropriate national urban planner, flexibility
may be required due to the limited availability of individuals with
the necessary skill set.
L E S S O N
Engaging with Cities of the Future
A Perspective
The technical assistance Establishing the Future Cities Program in the Asia and Pacific
Region aimed to identify new approaches to address the challenges of urbanization. It was
an incubation program reviewing the entire ecosystem of how to develop cities and served
as a testing ground for ideas on how to better interface with city officials and stakeholders
to mainstream new or improved solutions. This publication provides insights from work in
six pilot cases in the region (Tbilisi, Mandalay, Greater Suva Area, Ulaanbaatar, Makassar,
and Bandung). It also presents the Future Cities approach, which emphasizes cross-
sectoral and thematic collaboration, aligning relevant knowledge and financial resources,
as well as supporting holistic growth toward livability in the future.
About the Asian Development Bank
ADB’s vision is an Asia and Pacific region free of poverty. Its mission is to help its developing
member countries reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of their people. Despite
the region’s many successes, it remains home to a large share of the world’s poor. ADB
is committed to reducing poverty through inclusive economic growth, environmentally
sustainable growth, and regional integration.
Based in Manila, ADB is owned by 67 members, including 48 from the region. Its main
instruments for helping its developing member countries are policy dialogue, loans, equity
investments, guarantees, grants, and technical assistance.
ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City
1550 Metro Manila. Philippines
ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
ENGAGING WITH
CITIES OF THE FUTURE
A PERSPECTIVE
Interns (Long-term
Voluntary Placements)
Many city administration offices are in need of qualified
full-time staff. Appointing qualified interns benefits
both cities and these professionals who are often just
beginning their careers. Local governments generally
welcome external support in nonsensitive situations
like writing urban policies or guidelines. During the
Future Cities TA implementation, an opportunity to
obtain the services of suitably qualified and motivated
interns arose. But the experience with the agencies
providing the interns has been less than satisfactory
due to the quick turnover of their junior staff and lack
of internal coordination.
Political Events
The Future Cities approach hinges on a leader of
an urban agency who is supportive of ADB and
its projects. Ideally, this is the mayor or head of a
relevant department. However, experience has
shown that political change in cities can be rapid and
dramatic, with wholesale changes of departments
following elections (such as in Mandalay, Tbilisi, and
Ulaanbaatar in 2016). Such events are generally known
in advance and need to be considered in the selection
process so as to determine whether such short-term
disruption outweighs the potential long-term benefits
of engagement.
Lessons Learned from the Pilot Cases
81
Coordination inside ADB
Coordinating between technical and thematic groups
is one of the critical aspects of the Future Cities
approach. This enables financial and knowledge
resources to be quickly identified and fielded where
relevant, and ensure disparate RETA projects can be
coordinated and focused where they make the most
sense.
Although coordination within the Sustainable
Development and Climate Change Department of
ADB has been challenging, collaborating with and
between regional department divisions has been the
most difficult.
Critical support is needed from both the director
general and the director of the core project. This
support needs to be extended across the regional
department and to other relevant sectors and thematic
groups.
The Future Cities approach seeks to break silos and achieve
functional change in internal relationships by motivating people
within ADB to work together.
L E S S O N
Engaging with Cities of the Future
A Perspective
The technical assistance Establishing the Future Cities Program in the Asia and Pacific
Region aimed to identify new approaches to address the challenges of urbanization. It was
an incubation program reviewing the entire ecosystem of how to develop cities and served
as a testing ground for ideas on how to better interface with city officials and stakeholders
to mainstream new or improved solutions. This publication provides insights from work in
six pilot cases in the region (Tbilisi, Mandalay, Greater Suva Area, Ulaanbaatar, Makassar,
and Bandung). It also presents the Future Cities approach, which emphasizes cross-
sectoral and thematic collaboration, aligning relevant knowledge and financial resources,
as well as supporting holistic growth toward livability in the future.
About the Asian Development Bank
ADB’s vision is an Asia and Pacific region free of poverty. Its mission is to help its developing
member countries reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of their people. Despite
the region’s many successes, it remains home to a large share of the world’s poor. ADB
is committed to reducing poverty through inclusive economic growth, environmentally
sustainable growth, and regional integration.
Based in Manila, ADB is owned by 67 members, including 48 from the region. Its main
instruments for helping its developing member countries are policy dialogue, loans, equity
investments, guarantees, grants, and technical assistance.
ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City
1550 Metro Manila. Philippines
ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
ENGAGING WITH
CITIES OF THE FUTURE
A PERSPECTIVE
Decision makers in ADB must be able to see the potential for a
longer-term relationship between cities and ADB and not base
impressions on short-term events and results.
L E S S O N
Engaging with Cities of the Future
A Perspective
The technical assistance Establishing the Future Cities Program in the Asia and Pacific
Region aimed to identify new approaches to address the challenges of urbanization. It was
an incubation program reviewing the entire ecosystem of how to develop cities and served
as a testing ground for ideas on how to better interface with city officials and stakeholders
to mainstream new or improved solutions. This publication provides insights from work in
six pilot cases in the region (Tbilisi, Mandalay, Greater Suva Area, Ulaanbaatar, Makassar,
and Bandung). It also presents the Future Cities approach, which emphasizes cross-
sectoral and thematic collaboration, aligning relevant knowledge and financial resources,
as well as supporting holistic growth toward livability in the future.
About the Asian Development Bank
ADB’s vision is an Asia and Pacific region free of poverty. Its mission is to help its developing
member countries reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of their people. Despite
the region’s many successes, it remains home to a large share of the world’s poor. ADB
is committed to reducing poverty through inclusive economic growth, environmentally
sustainable growth, and regional integration.
Based in Manila, ADB is owned by 67 members, including 48 from the region. Its main
instruments for helping its developing member countries are policy dialogue, loans, equity
investments, guarantees, grants, and technical assistance.
ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City
1550 Metro Manila. Philippines
ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
ENGAGING WITH
CITIES OF THE FUTURE
A PERSPECTIVE
Engaging with Cities of the Future
82
Conclusion and Considerations for Adopting
the Future Cities Approach
83
CONCLUSION AND
CONSIDERATIONS
FOR ADOPTING
THE FUTURE CITIES
APPROACH
Chapter 5
Engaging with Cities of the Future
84
The Future Cities approach is all about engaging
with city governments and developing a long-term,
forward-thinking relationship that leads to creating
livable cities (Figure 10). Aside from nurturing linkages
between cities and the Asian Development Bank
(ADB), it is also important to cultivate the support of
other development partners and stakeholders. While
the approach can work well with such collaboration,
delays in mobilizing the various components can occur
and processes must be flexible enough to deal with
occasional setbacks.
The approach is also recommended as a broad
framework for future engagements in urban
development, bearing in mind the lessons and
experiences of the pilot cities. In summary, the Future
Cities approach has focused on the following steps:
(i) Base initial discussions with cities that have
links with and support ADB core project(s)
and whose project officers have established
relationships with local stakeholders.
(ii) Select cities that have expressed support for
the Future Cities approach and that have
the backing of respective ADB regional
departments and resident missions.
(iii) Execute a long-term memorandum of
understanding with the city to set expectations
and clear outputs out of the engagement.
(iv) Appoint a national urban planner (NUP) who
is well connected locally and will be able to
provide independent advice to key stakeholders
on urban development issues, as well as assess
activities, including coordinating missions of
related technical assistance (TA) projects.
(v) Undertake an urban diagnostics study to
supplement knowledge of the current situation,
issues, and potential opportunities.
Conclusion and Considerations for Adopting
the Future Cities Approach
85
STRENGTHENING RELATIONSHIPS
BUILDING THE JIGSAW
BROADENING THE PIPELINE
Future Cities Approach to Livable Cities
Figure 10: Future Cities Approach Formula
(vi) Refer to any vision or formal development
or concept plans that the city currently has to
assess future aspirations and directions.
(vii) Build the jigsaw. Identify activities that relate to
both the core project and the vision of the city,
and that can increase investments, preferably
on a location-specific basis and within the
city’s scope to control and/or approve.
(viii) Identify available Future Cities support and
additional finance, which can be utilized to
implement these activities, whether through
knowledge partners, individual resources,
funding facilities, other TA projects, interns,
twinning arrangements, or other engagement
mechanisms. Over time, the original single
sector core engagement becomes wider and
stronger.
(ix) Seek views and feedback from individual cities
and formalize agreements.
(x) Promote the Future Cities approach to share
its usefulness, raise awareness and support for
activities, and share document outputs and
lessons learned.
Source: Author.
Engaging with Cities of the Future
86
Continuing the Momentum
in the Short Term
The approach should be promoted. Raising awareness
on how it works and what it has achieved will ensure
greater chance of its continuity and getting more
institutional support in ADB. Blogs, presentations, and
articles can be used in this regard. There is also scope
for allocating additional resources to producing video
documentaries in selected cities, as and when agreed
activities start to take place (., the Revitalization of
Informal Settlements and Environment [RISE] Using a
Water-Sensitive Approach project).
As for support from the cities, the NUPs should
be advocating the approach and its advantages
when liaising with local government officials and
other stakeholders. The myriad components of the
approach, the various linkages involved, and how they
all fit can sometimes be challenging to understand.
Thus, NUPs have to lead in communicating what the
Future Cities approach can do for the city.
One idea is the allocation of small amounts of funding
to enable NUPs to organize small meetings to explain
the approach and brainstorm potential activities. In
addition, contracts of future knowledge partners must
have a requirement to promote the approach during
reporting, presentations, and discussions to further
emphasize the concept to cities.
Continuing the Approach
for the Long Term
The Future Cities approach is designed to be
ambivalent to the physical, institutional, or cultural
form and boundaries of a city. It is a paradigm for
sustained engagement, strengthening relationships
over time, providing appropriate and relevant financial
The ideal scenario
would be to modify
the processes
of the regional
departments using
the successes of the
approach. This could
then shift the way
urban development
is done.
Conclusion and Considerations for Adopting
the Future Cities Approach
87
and knowledge resources, and ensuring development
is effective. It is also a safe space for creating ideas and
solutions that can be eventually embedded into ADB
operations.
These virtues aside, the verdict on adopting the Future
Cities approach has yet to be finalized. Future options
include (i) continuing some or all of the current pilot
cities (Phase 1); (ii) starting Phase 2 with new urban
areas in regions and countries that fully support the
aims of the approach; (iii) mainstreaming the approach
into standard operational practices of ADB regional
departments; or (iv) a combination of any of these.
Out of the four options, the Future Cities approach
has always had the possibility of being mainstreamed
or operationalized into the regional departments’
standard practices. This was how it was designed.
The question now is whether this should be the
case or should the Sustainable Development and
Climate Change Department retain ownership of the
approach. Since it still has the scope to do so, it would
then maintain coordination with each city.
Still, the ideal scenario would be to modify the
processes of the regional departments using the
successes of the approach. This could then shift the
way urban development is done. One concern, though,
would be how to manage and maximize the benefits
from the use of knowledge partners. Based on the pilot
demonstration, particularly the development of the
RISE project, there is a wealth of innovative thinking
and research outside ADB that can be harnessed to
conceptualize solutions in conjunction with standard
ADB operating procedures.
As a whole, there are many ways to proceed with
continuing the Future Cities approach, apart from the
other option of letting it naturally subside. However,
if the gains and any of the lessons from the pilot
cases have any weight, then there is good reason and
solid validation to take up the approach in any form
possible. The Future Cities approach resulted from a
Engaging with Cities of the Future
88
TA project that served as an incubation of ideas, an
experimental space to find the optimal way to engage
with local governments and open up opportunities
to make cities livable in the future. Now is the time
to take it further. The future of Future Cities lies with
ADB project officers and regional departments in
whether they will apply the approach, especially in light
of the global development agenda. The Future Cities
approach could be that critical piece to help complete
the jigsaw puzzle of urban livability.
ENGAGING WITH
CITIES OF THE FUTURE
A Perspective
ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
Engaging with Cities of the Future
A Perspective
Inefficient and uncompetitive cities inhibit economic growth and inclusive
development. Integrated urban planning will help stem the decline of Asian and
Pacific cities, spelling the difference between a future of gloom or glory in the
region. The technical assistance Establishing the Future Cities Program in the
Asia and Pacific Region identifies new approaches, particularly the Future Cities
approach, to address the challenges of urbanization. The program reviewed the
entire ecosystem of how to develop livable cities and served as a testing ground for
new or improved solutions. This publication captures insights from work in six pilot
cases in Tbilisi, Mandalay, Greater Suva Area, Ulaanbaatar, Makassar, and Bandung.
About the Asian Development Bank
ADB’s vision is an Asia and Pacific region free of poverty. Its mission is to help
its developing member countries reduce poverty and improve the quality of life
of their people. Despite the region’s many successes, it remains home to a large
share of the world’s poor. ADB is committed to reducing poverty through inclusive
economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration.
Based in Manila, ADB is owned by 67 members, including 48 from the region.
Its main instruments for helping its developing member countries are policy
dialogue, loans, equity investments, guarantees, grants, and technical assistance.
AsiAn Development BAnk
6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City
1550 Metro Manila, Philippines
9 789292 579272
