World Habitat Day 2013

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

October 7, 2013 marks this year's World Habitat Day and the theme for this year is “Urban Mobility”. With this World Habitat Day 2013 acknowledges that mobility and access to goods and services is essential to the efficient functioning of our expanding cities and towns. Accessible cities encourage a shift towards more sustainable modes of transportation and draw more and more travelers out of cars and onto trains, buses, cycle paths, and footpaths.

Far too many towns and cities, especially in Britain, are no laid out well for alternatives for the motorcar at all and London, the capital, is no exception. So-called bicycle lanes and paths all too often are not separated from the main traffic and are actually more a hazard to cyclists than a help. Despite this, however, the Mayor prides himself of the x-miles of cycle routes. And things are even worse in other cities and towns and we do not even want to talk about the situation in most places in the United States.

If we are really serious about urban mobility and the possibility of people living in towns and cities to get about without the use of the motorcar then changes must be made to the infrastructure and cycle routes and foot paths be created that can get you anywhere without problems.

For this we must look to the European mainland, to countries such as the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany first and foremost, and especially the cities of Copenhagen (Denmark) and Amsterdam (Netherlands) from where to take the lead.

It is also necessary to breathe new life into the high street and make it possible for people to shop not at out-of-town supermarkets and malls but at shops just around the corner for about the same costs as in those huge places that are more often than not located well outside the towns and cities and require the car to get to.

This is as much part of urban mobility as the creation of the right mobility infrastructure with foot paths and cycle lanes, both needing to be physically separated from the motor traffic, and also a proper public transport infrastructure.

The lack of all of that – and laziness also – makes for people using the car for even the shortest of journeys even, such as going a few hundred yards, literally, up the road to the railway station, as can be seen daily in the area where I live. People will jump into the car to go the distance that would require but five minutes or such to walk then park for the entire day blocking parking spaces in the high street in order to travel into London by train.

The case just described above is down to laziness, without doubt, in this area there are sidewalks they could walk rather safely and much more conveniently than using the car and then having to park. Considering the time it takes to get into the car, get it out of the dive, get up the road and then park it, they could walk the distance almost twice.

Thus, it not just requires the necessary infrastructure but also a change in mindset of the people in general to get away from jumping into the car for such short journeys.

If we look at cities such as Copenhagen or Amsterdam and outside their railway stations we will find very few cars parked there but hundreds to thousands of bicycles. And if we but watch the arrival of the people commuting by train their either cycle to the station, if they come from a little distance away, or come on foot, unlike in Britain or the United States.

It is true that distances in the United States are greater from home to stores or station but in towns and cities the bicycle or Shank's pony would be faster even in there. It is different in rural locales but that is not what we are looking at here.

Urban living is on the rise and it is estimated that up to 60% of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2030. We thus must work harder still to create towns and cities where walking and cycling are primary transport options as such mobility is good for the environment, the economy and our well-being, providing a range of social and health benefits for individuals. Cycling and walking keeps people healthy and the fact that a bike can be parked almost anywhere, as long as there is somewhere to lock it to (bike racks are nice), and walking needs not even that consideration the high street can and will be revitalized as well and the local economy will benefit, as will air quality and thus all of us.

© 2013

World Habitat Day October 4, 2010

The United Nations has designated the first Monday in October as annual World Habitat Day.

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

On October 4, 2010, in recognition of World Habitat Day, Habitat for Humanity will try to raise awareness of the need for improved shelter and will highlight Habitat’s priorities: the worldwide connection between human health and housing, and, in the United States, neighborhood revitalization. These themes echo the United Nations’ chosen theme for 2010 for events in the host city of Shanghai, China and the rest of the world: “Better City, Better Life.”

Every week, more than a million people are born in, or move to, cities in the developing world. As a result, the urban population of developing countries will double from 2 billion to 4 billion in the next 30 years. (Kissick, et al: 2006)

It can be estimated that, due to Peak Oil and other issues, in the future even more people will be moving into towns and cities simply because living in the sprawling suburbs and commuting to work miles and miles will no longer be feasible.

By the year 2030, an additional 3 billion people, about 40 percent of the world’s population, will need access to housing. This translates into a demand for 96,150 new affordable units every day and 4,000 every hour. (UN-HABITAT: 2005)

Habitat for Humanity hopes that by raising awareness and advocating for universal decent housing we can dismantle and alter the systems that allow for poverty housing and make an affordable, decent place to live a reality for all.

Habitat for Humanity World Habitat Day events

Around the world, many Habitat for Humanity local offices have organized World Habitat Day events.

Habitat for Humanity’s 27th annual Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project is a World Habitat Day event this year. It will be held on October 4 – 8 in six cities in the United States.

Held in a different location each year, Habitat’s Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project is an annual, internationally-recognized week of building that brings attention to the need for simple, decent and affordable housing.

This year, the Carters will work alongside volunteers in Washington, D.C.; Baltimore and Annapolis, Md.; Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn.; and Birmingham, Ala. to build, rehabilitate and improve 86 homes.

Health and housing

Habitat’s World Habitat Day efforts will focus on the link between housing and health, for example, through the release of the 2011 Shelter Report, which focuses on the need for more research on the connections between healthy homes and healthy families around the world.

Housing, according to many studies, improves health

• The number of low-income families who lack safe and affordable housing is related to the number of children who suffer from asthma, viral infections, anemia, stunted growth and other health problems. About 21,000 children have stunted growth attributable to the lack of stable housing; 10,000 children between the ages of 4 and 9 are hospitalized for asthma attacks each year because of cockroach infestation at home; and more than 180 children die each year in house fires attributable to faulty heating and electrical equipment. (Sandel, et al: 1999)

• Children younger than 5 living in Habitat for Humanity houses in Malawi showed a 44 percent reduction in malaria, respiratory or gastrointestinal diseases compared with children living in traditional houses.

• Children in poor housing have increased risk of viral or bacterial infections and a greater chance of suffering mental health and behavioral problems. (Harker: 2006)

• Housing deprivation leads to an average of 25 percent greater risk of disability or severe ill health across a person’s life span. Those who suffer housing deprivation as children are more likely to suffer ill health in adulthood, even if they live in non-deprived conditions later in life. (Marsh, et al.: 2000)

Housing has a positive impact on children

• Children of homeowners are more likely to stay in school (by 7 to 9 percent), and daughters of homeowners are less likely to have children by age 18 (by 2 to 4 percent). (Green and White: 1996)

• Owning a home leads to a higher-quality home environment, improved test scores in children (9 percent in math and 7 percent in reading), and reduced behavioral problems (by 3 percent). (Haurin, Parcel, and Haurin: 2002)

• Children who live in poor housing have lower educational attainment and a greater likelihood of being impoverished and unemployed as adults. (Harker: 2006)

Neighborhood revitalization

In the United States, Habitat for Humanity will also focus on neighborhood revitalization. In a broad effort to help communities fulfill their aspirations, Habitat will expand its housing programs to include repairing more homes, rehabbing more vacant homes, and improving the energy-efficiency of homes. Habitat will work with partners to provide holistic improvements in a community.

Housing strengthens communities, and this is a number of ways:

• Homeowners are more likely to know their U.S. representative (by 10 percent) and school board head by name (by 9 percent), and are more likely to vote in local elections (by 15 percent) and work to solve local problems (by 6 percent). (DiPasquale and Glaeser: 1998)

• Homeowners are more likely to be satisfied with their homes and neighborhoods, and are more likely to volunteer in civic and political activities. (Rohe, Van Zandt, and McCarthy: 2000)

• Resident ownership is strongly related to better building security and quality, and to lower levels of crime. (Saegert and Winkel: 1998)

It must be said that home-ownership, in my experience, is not always the necessary thing for the above; just having an affordable home in itself does all those things. This can be seen from places where more people rent than own homes and still are all happy and well, in a way.

Home-ownership is not the key but, as I said, access to safe and affordable homes, whether rented or owned. The individual house in the suburbs is not sustainable and never really has been if commuting to work over long distance is part of the equation as well.

That will mean that we need new different homes in towns and cities, whether owned by the occupants or rented at a fair and affordable rate, so that people can, as they will have to, be able to live in walking or cycling distance from their places of work.

It would be good if Habitat for Humanity could also look at this and how this need can be fulfilled.

© 2010