This fascinating book explores environmental, institutional, social and cultural aspects of sustainability in a variety of towns and cities in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Central and South America. The contributors focus particularly on meeting the needs of the urban poor. The main themes are:urban environmental management with particular reference to economic activities and housing achieving institutional, social and cultural sustainability managing urban development processes to reduce their environmental impacts, to improve the produced built environments and sustain improved practices. Drawing on case studies of individual cities (Lahore, Shanghai, Medellin, Florianópolis, Hofuf, Cairo) and countries (South Africa, Mozzambique, Iran) as well as comparative research and analytical procedures, the international group of contributors evaluate government policies and practices and make suggestions for improvements

Prelims (Contents, Foreword, The Urban Management Series, Acknowledgements, List of figures, List of boxes, List of tables, List of acronyms and abbreviations)
1. Introduction
Carole Rakodi, Sam Romaya
PART I: URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING
2. Housing and industry in Lahore, Pakistan: good or bad neighbours?
Rizwan Hameed, Jeremy Raemaekers
3. Urban growth and development in Shanghai: towards responsive institutional arrangements for environmental planning and management
David Shaw, Peter J.B. Brown, David W. Massey, Xiangrong Wang
4. Rational environmental decision-making: some lessons from Thailand’s EIA experience
Orapim Pimcharoen, David Shaw
5. The effects of home-based enterprises on the residential environment in developing countries
Graham Tipple, Justine Coulson, Peter Kellett
PART II: ACHIEVING INSTITUTIONAL, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY
6. Environments of harmony and social conflict: the role of the environment in defusing urban violence in Medellin, Colombia
Peter Brand
7. Building sustainable capacity for urban poverty reduction
Carole Rakodi
8. The role of civil society in housing policy development: some lessons from Southern Africa
Paul Jenkins
9. Community empowerment and social sustainability in Florianópolis, Brazil
Denise Martins Lopes, Carole Rakodi
10. When the state cannot cope: community self-management? The case of Rincón Grande de Pavas in San José de Costa Rica, Central America
Harry Smith
11. Cultural continuity: comparing the fereej system and modern housing development in Hofuf, Saudi Arabia
Mashary A. Al-Naim
PART III: SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES
12. Incremental transformations for sustainable urban settlements
Sam Romaya
13. Good practice in core area development: combating poverty through a participatory approach
Tony Lloyd-Jones, Sarah Carmona
14. Ambitious aims, persistent problems: an evaluation of low-income urban housing policy in Iran
M.R. Dallalpour Mohammadi
15. Developing appropriate housing standards and procedures
Theo Schilderman, Lucky Lowe
16. Public–private partnerships in urban land development
Geoffrey Payne
17. Conclusion: some building blocks for sustainable urban settlements
Carole Rakodi
Back Matter (Notes on authors, Notes, References, Index)