For development pilots, bigger cities aren't always better

BARCELONA — With its population of 45,000, the growing city of Singra in northwest Bangladesh isn’t as well-known as its larger peers — Dhaka, Bogra, and Sylhet. But as some development groups begin to laud the benefits of holding pilot projects in so-called “secondary cities,” Singra is now home to three development pilots, funded by donors including the World Bank, Korea International Cooperation Agency, and GIZ, the German agency for international development. A secondary city is one with a population between 10-50 percent of the size of the country’s largest, which provides critical support functions for governance or transportation, and which may be a regional or state capital, according to the United States’ Department of State, which is co-leading an initiative to map them. “Small, new cities are quicker in responding and being able to set up systems because they have a smaller administration or less key stakeholders they need to engage.” --— Tu My Tran, senior officer of sustainable mobility, Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative They are some of the fastest growing urban areas in lower-income countries, but up to now have “generally been poorly mapped with limited data and information on infrastructure, land tenure, and planning,” the department says. Yet some development groups are advocating piloting more projects in these cities, saying it could be mutually beneficial. “There is a stronger need for development organizations to focus on the smaller cities instead of just the bigger cities that are already seeing a lot of attention,” said Tu My Tran, senior officer of sustainable mobility on the Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative at the Local Governments for Sustainability, or ICLEI, network, which co-designed a Singra project on e-rickshaws. “With national governments — especially in [a country like] Bangladesh where there is a very centralized system — most of their resources go directly to the capital city and then if the pilot is successful, maybe it will trickle down,” Tran said. Binayak Kumar Chakraborty, administrative officer of the Singra municipality, agreed. “Small cities haven’t a huge amount of revenue and the annual development fund provided by the central government is not sufficient for proper urban development,” he said, describing pilot development projects as “a blessing.” Working with international organizations can also help to build the capacity of municipal staff by exposing them to planning, implementation, and monitoring tools and procedures, said Binayak. But as well as benefiting the city by bringing in resources and supporting them as they expand into economic and social centers, there are also potential benefits for development groups, Tran explained. “We’ve noticed that small, new cities are quicker in responding and being able to set up systems because they have a smaller administration or less key stakeholders they need to engage. They're also more on the ground and connected with their citizens because of the size and they lack infrastructure so it's much easier for them if development organizations are working with them in creating more sustainable practices [from the start].” In addition, funds can typically go further in smaller cities. At the same time, there are challenges in implementation. Susana Rojas Williams, head of housing and human settlements for the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region at Habitat for Humanity, explained in an email that institutions and governance can be weak in secondary cities, with often only one junior urban planner on staff. “Most professionals are in large cities and not in secondary cities where the need is large, particularly around planning, financing, revenue creation, management, and administration,” she said. She explained that limited financial and human resources have previously contributed to short-term vision in the planning of such cities. To remedy this, Habitat for Humanity has helped train community members on issues around land management in Ndola City, Zambia. In the Western Cape of South Africa, the organization was involved in municipal training sessions to help build local capacity for implementation. To overcome the limited transfer of power or resources to implement projects from national governments, Tran advised groups to explore the local context and any locally grown solutions already in existence in similar cities. “Look for cities [of] similar size and maybe look to ... cross-collaborate with cities with similar characteristics,” she said. ICLEI has started to follow a model where it selects a cluster of smaller cities in the same region to work in, with the view that they are more likely to collaborate and be able to build capacity together. For example, the success of a pilot project in Singra to roll out electric rickshaw ambulances, which are more suited to the city given its narrow streets, has inspired other municipalities in the district to replicate the system. But the pilot might not have been so successful in Dhaka, where there are millions of inhabitants and bigger streets, Tran explained. Strong partnerships between cities as well as organizations are also key, she said. “Most of the initiatives are now gathering various organizations to leverage on each other’s expertise and share knowledge,” she said. Binayak recommended organizations follow five steps when considering working with a secondary city like Singra: Select a small city that will really benefit from the pilot; ensure the city has a real need for the project; ensure the city is committed to its citizens; consider the overall performance and background of the city; and ensure there is transparency and accountability. Finally, Tran added, when it comes to piloting projects in secondary cities, be patient, be creative, and persevere, since there is no one-size-fits-all solution. “It's a long process, but if we don't get started then it will never happen,” she said. Update April 8, 2019: This article has been updated, Tu My Tran is the senior officer of sustainable mobility on the Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative at ICLEI.