Planning for Cities in Crisis: Lessons from Gondar, Ethiopia

Description

This book analyzes ancient cities that are facing crisis, and their coping mechanism to maintain resiliency and sustainability to remain economically viable and historically relevant. The book takes a fresh look at the underlying causes of the crises and recommends good governance and strategic planning options that the city could use to develop a robust economy using surveys and other materials, including geez (old Ethiopian language) church sources. This book illustrates the usage of the concepts of resilience and sustainability to critically assess the historical and cultural transformation of cities and the role of local government in maintaining a sustainable community. A historic city that served as the national capital for close to 250 years, where Christians, Moslems, and Jews lived side by side for centuries, and once dubbed “Paris de l’Abyssinie” by European travelers because of its rich cultural resources, modern artifacts, and setting of new fashions, today Gondar is experiencing stagnation and decline because of changes that moved the center of political power from the city to Addis Ababa in the central part of the country. Since the last century, Gondar has been struggling to maintain its identity as the historical and cultural center of Ethiopia. This book also gives insights on some of Gondar’s extraordinary historic issues/subjects including who were the main construction workers that built the Fasil castle, how did the Ethiopian Orthodox churches of Gondar sustain themselves for centuries, where is kurate Reesu (the 16th century painting of Christ with crown of thorns) treasured by Gondarian emperors, how did the tabot of Abune Teklehaymanot of Debre Libanos (the most influential church in Ethiopia) end up in Azezo (Gondar) and stayed there for over 260 years, and who were the main royal women that opposed the Jesuits plan of converting Ethiopia to Catholicism? Preface Contents About the Author Part I: Elements of Planning, Governance, Urban Resilience, and Sustainability Chapter 1: Planning, Urban Resilience, and Sustainability 1.1 The Nexus Between Planning, Urban Resilience, and Sustainability 1.2 Urban Governance, Planning, and Resilience 1.3 Operationalizing Resilience and Sustainability 1.4 Planning and Sustainability of Gondar 1.5 Administrative Reform and Local Governance in Ethiopia 1.6 Tracking Gondar’s Governance and Resilience Through the “Regime Change” Model 1.7 A Call for Orderly Growth and the Building of a City’s Capacity 1.8 The Need for This Book 1.9 The Book Parts and Chapters References Chapter 2: Local Governance and the Comprehensive or the Master Plan 2.1 The Comprehensive or the Master Plan 2.1.1 Definition 2.1.2 Evolution of the Comprehensive Plan 2.2 General Elements, Functions, and Characteristics of the Comprehensive Plan 2.3 The Legal Basis of the Comprehensive Plan 2.4 The Centerpiece of Plans 2.5 Required Principles, Processes, and Standards of a Sustainable Comprehensive Plan 2.6 The Justification or Basis for Developing a Master Plan 2.7 Why a Comprehensive or a Master Plan for Gondar Now? 2.7.1 Population Growth 2.7.2 Employment 2.7.3 Urban Renewal 2.7.4 Housing 2.7.5 Land Use 2.7.6 Infrastructure 2.7.7 Deterioration of Public Facilities, Such as Schools, Clinics, and Government Offices 2.7.8 Lack of Space for Parking, Pedestrian Walkways, and Right of Ways for Road Expansion 2.8 Comprehensive Plan vs. Structure Plan vs. Local Development Plan 2.8.1 Structure Plan (SP) and Local Development Plan (LDP) 2.8.2 Diversity of Plan 2.9 Scope of Gondar’s Comprehensive Plan 2.10 The Comprehensive Plan Implementation Tools 2.10.1 Regulatory Measures 2.10.2 Nonregulatory Measures 2.10.3 Capital Improvement Programs (CIPs) References Chapter 3: Planning Support System and Community Information 3.1 Community Information System (CIS) 3.2 Demographic Analysis and Projections 3.3 Population Projection Techniques 3.3.1 The Extrapolation Method 3.3.2 Population Characteristics and Projection for the City of Gondar 3.3.3 Cohort-Survival Method 3.4 Geographic Expansion 3.5 Age Characteristics 3.6 Comparative Growth 3.7 Poverty in Gondar 3.8 Citizen Participation and the Planning Process 3.9 The Gondar Community Surveys 3.10 Summary Analysis of Survey Data 3.11 Public Meeting References Chapter 4: Planning Support System and Governance Information on Housing, Land Use, and Infrastructure 4.1 Land Use Planning: Overview 4.2 Land Use as a Component of the Comprehensive Plan 4.3 Land Tenure, Governance, and Integrated Land Use Planning 4.3.1 Urban Areas 4.3.2 Peri-Urban Areas 4.4 Land Use Profile of Gondar 4.5 Land Use Issues and Problems Impacting Gondar 4.6 Land Requirement Projections 4.7 Land Use Change 4.8 Greenways 4.8.1 Definition 4.8.2 Why a Greenway Plan for Gondar? 4.8.3 Developing a Greenway Plan 4.9 Housing Governance 4.9.1 Housing in Ethiopia 4.9.2 Housing in Gondar 4.9.3 Housing Affordability 4.9.4 Policies and Actions to Improve Housing Affordability 4.9.5 Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization 4.9.6 Redevelopment and Privatization of Kebele Homes 4.9.7 Historic Buildings and Italian-Built Structures 4.10 Infrastructure, Planning, and the Governance System 4.10.1 Water 4.10.2 Transportation 4.10.3 Power 4.10.4 Waste References Part II: Gondar Through the Layers of History Chapter 5: Heritage Preservation: Protecting the Past and Building the Future 5.1 Heritage Preservation: Purpose and Rationale 5.2 Heritage Preservation in the Context of the Planning Process 5.3 Heritage Preservation in Gondar: Challenges and Opportunities 5.4 The Early Foundation of Gondar, 1500–1632 5.5 The Portuguese Connection: Susenyos and the Jesuits 5.6 The Resistance Against the Edict to Convert to Catholicism 5.6.1 The Jesuit’s Attitude Toward the Ethiopian Orthodox Church 5.6.2 Wolete Petros and Her Role in Championing the Cause of the Orthodox Church 5.6.3 Fasiledes 5.7 Heritage Resources in and Around Gondar 5.7.1 Gannata Iyesus 5.7.2 Castles: The Fasil Ghibbi (Compound) and Gondarian Architecture 5.7.3 Churches 5.7.4 Old Bridges 5.7.5 Traditional Roundhouses and Indigeni Neighborhoods 5.7.6 Islam Bet 5.7.7 Gorgora 5.7.8 The Semien Mountain National Park 5.8 The Master Builders of the Gondarian Castles 5.9 Gondar and Its Link with the Diaspora Community Annex 5.1: Shaykhe Ali Musa’s Letter to Ahmed Pasha Manikli References Chapter 6: Governance and Administrative Structure of Gondar City 6.1 Governance in a Traditional Hierarchical Society: Governance During the Gondarian Period 6.2 The Gondarian Period: Challenges and Opportunities 6.2.1 Fasiledes (1632–1667) and His Son Yohannis I (1667–1682) 6.2.2 Fasiledes and the Religious Conflict That Marked His Regime 6.2.3 Fasiledes and His Policy of Selective Isolation That Marked His Governance System 6.2.4 Iyasu I: Iyasu the Great (1682–1706) 6.2.5 From Dawit III to Beginning of Zemene Mesafint (1716–1769) 6.2.6 Zemene Mesafint (1769–1855) 6.3 The Beginning of Modern Ethiopia: From Tewodros to Menelik II (1855–1907) 6.4 Decentralization and Governance Under Haile Selassie, Derg, and the EPRDF 6.4.1 The Decentralization of Administrative Power 6.4.2 The Impetus to Modernize the Administrative Structure and Local Governance 6.5 The Legal and Institutional Framework for Cities 6.6 Local Administration and Urban Governance Under the EPRDF Annexes Annex 6.1: Gondarian Emperors’ Genealogy Annex 6.2: The Ethiopian Rulers – From the Gondarian Era Up to the EPRDF Period References Chapter 7: The Italian Colonial Administration and Governance, 1935–1941 7.1 The “Regime Change” Model and Fascist Italy’s Plan of Building a New City (The New Gondar: Il Novo Citta) 7.2 The Invasion and Reorganization of Italian Administrative Structure 7.3 The Fascist Policy of Territorial Expansion and Infrastructure Development 7.4 Planning for a Fascistized City 7.5 Italy’s Resettlement and Agricultural Development Plans in Ethiopia 7.6 The Campaign to Liberate Gondar 7.6.1 Mission 101 and the Liberation of Ethiopia 7.6.2 The Attack on the Wolchifit and Kulkualber Passes 7.6.3 The Final Assault on Gondar City 7.7 Relations Between Patriots and the British Commanders 7.8 Relations Between the British Military Administration and the Ethiopian Government References Chapter 8: The Church and Its Influence on the Administration and Governance of Gondar 8.1 Church and State Relationship in Ethiopian History 8.2 The Ethiopian Church as the Center of Learning and Cultural Resources of the Country 8.3 Governance in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church (EOTC) 8.4 Church and State in Gondar 8.4.1 Church-State Alliance in Gondar 8.4.2 Gondar and Its 44 Churches 8.4.3 Azezo and the Tabot of Abune Tekle Haymanot 8.5 Kwrate Reesu and Its Significance in Gondar’s History 8.6 Gult and Rim Lands Granted to Churches During the Gondarian Period 8.6.1 Medhanealem, Gondar Church 8.6.2 Debre Birhan Selassie Church 8.6.3 Baata Church (Debre Hayle Wedebre Tibeb) 8.6.4 Quesquam, Debre Tsehay Church 8.6.5 Selestu Meit/Hamare Noh Church 8.7 Gondar as an Ecclesiastical Scholarly Accrediting Center (Masmeskeria –) 8.7.1 Background 8.7.2 The Teaching Process 8.7.3 Presently Active Schools in Gondar Annexes Annex 8.1: The Tabot of Dabra Libanos of Gondar Annex 8.2: How Menelik Took Back the Tabot of Abune Tekle Haymanot to Debre Libanos, Shewa Annex 8.3: Liq Atsqu’s Abbreviated Land Endowment Record of Baata Annex 8.4: Liq Atsqu’s Extended Version of Land Endowment Record of Baata References Part III: Economic Policies and Programs Chapter 9: Governance and Economic Development 9.1 Economic Development: Meaning and Challenges 9.2 The Need for an Economic Base Analysis of a City 9.3 Economic Base Analysis 9.3.1 The Economic Base Model 9.3.2 How to Conduct an Economic Base Analysis 9.3.3 Shift-Share Analysis 9.4 Economic Impact Analysis 9.5 Application of Economic Base and Shift Analysis to Gondar’s Economy 9.5.1 Employment by Industrial Division 9.5.2 Employment by Occupational Group 9.6 Major Employers of the City 9.6.1 The Educational Sector (Gondar University) 9.6.2 The Tourism Sector 9.6.3 Manufacturing 9.6.4 The Agriculture Sector 9.7 Long-Term Employment Trend, 2018–2030 9.8 Geography of Employment: Major Market Areas 9.9 Unemployment 9.10 Poverty 9.10.1 Poverty in Ethiopia: National Trend 9.10.2 Poverty in Cities References Chapter 10: Conclusion: Policies and Programs to Promote Good Governance and Enhance the Resilience and Sustainability of Gondar 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Integrating Key Principles of Good Governance in the Planning and Development of a City 10.3 Gondar’s Role as a Regional Growth Center 10.3.1 Growth Centers 10.3.2 The Regional Development Strategy 10.4 Focusing on the Rich Agricultural Potential of the Region to Build a Robust Economy 10.5 Building a Sustainable Tourism-Based Economy 10.5.1 Tourism in Ethiopia 10.5.2 Tourism in Gondar 10.6 Developing a Modern and Efficient Infrastructure Services References Index