Gonzaga, Mark Daniel Tagimacruz 6/25/2015

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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
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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