Gonzaga, Mark Daniel T.

6/25/2015
BSCE-5 MW 1:30 3:30 PM

INSIGHTS ON THE LOCAL AGENDA 21

The highlight of the Local Agenda 21 is that it changes the paradigm of urban planning
by empowering the local governments in the planning, decision-making, and
implementation for sustainable development, a vision that many countries share. "Think
globally, act locally" would be the suitable mantra for this strategy; sustainable
development is not just limited to a single building or a single area of a city, thus it is
imperative that the entire city as the bigger picture is considered. The involvement of the
local government is essential, as it is defined as "the level of government closest to the
people, local authorities have a vital role in educating, mobilizing and responding to the
public to promote sustainable development.

However, this concept is not necessarily new; since the dawn of technological
advancement, there has been a clamor for it especially from the concerned and
educated citizens within a community. Just now, it has a name, with the current era of
the 21st century as its namesake. In itself, the concept is vague, but as written in the
study by WHO, the Local Agenda 21 approach differs from city to city as it addresses
the specific needs and takes into consideration the varying structures of different
communities. Some countries are already way ahead of this: an example being Curitiba,
Brazil, whose mayor, an architect by profession, spearheaded the plans for the city as
far back as his first term in the 1970s.

While the participatory effort has been widely accepted all over Europe, it should be
about time that Asian countries also embrace this sustainable culture. Asian countries
are particularly well grounded in their traditions and culture, and that could be
incorporated into their urban planning. Also, many countries in the continent are
exhibiting steady growth and development, and so to catch up with the current trend of
globalization, a sustainable city is the best bet to attract investments and boost tourism,
both of which are major driving forces in the economy.
Gonzaga, Mark Daniel T. 6/25/15
BSCE-5 MW 1:30 3:30 PM

Stages of the Planning Process

Analysis of Present
Situation and opportunities

Identify Aims

Explore options

Selection of Best options

Gathering of Data

Detailed Planning

Plan Evaluation

Closure of Plan

Plan Implementation