Profession: Urban Planner
Nationality: French.
Born: 1952.
Address : Harvard Graduate School of Urban DesignCambridge, Mass. USA
Tel. 1 617 495 49 64, Mob. 617 669 24 43
ycabanes@gsd.harvard.edu
1977. Ph.D. Paris I Sorbonne University. IEDES. Social and Economic Development Studies Institute. Option Development Policies and Programming. Excellence Award. Thesis: Determinants of urban - rural contradictions in Iraq.
1976. Paris I Sorbonne University. DEA. Regional Analysis and Planning.
1974. Graduation ESSEC. School of Economic and Management Sciences. Paris/Cergy. Option : Economic and physical regional and national Planning.
1974. ENPC. National School for Bridges and Roads (Civil Engineering). Higher Degree in Town and Regional Planning. CES.
Dissertation : Economic and physical planning of four villages in a rural region. Aurés. Algeria.
1969. Baccalaureate. Aire sur Adour Lycée.
1982. World bank-UNCHS. Squatter Settlements Improvements. Madras. India.
1978-79. ECLAC. Economic Commission for Latin America and The Caribbean/ Ministry for Human Settlements. Mexico. Seminar on Ecotechnologies for Human Settlements in the Mexican Humid Tropics.
1976-77. SMUH. Service for Habitat and Urban experts. Professional course on urban development in developing Nations.
1974-75. EPHE. Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes. School For Advanced Studies. Manuel Castells Seminar on the Urban Question. Research and Theoretical Group on Latin American Urbanisation.
1970-1972. Bordeaux University. DUEL. English and American Literature and Civilisation.
French, English, Spanish, Portuguese: fluent
German, Italian, Arabic: basic knowledge
1997 to date. The Urban Management Programme. United Nations Programme for Human Settlements (UN-Habitat) / UNDP. Coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean, Quito, Ecuador.
Activities:
Main focus is to support the efforts of Local Governments and Cities to face their challenges. Main activities are: City Consultations, Action Plans and Knowledge Management activities to support urban stakeholders in the following areas: participatory governance (such as strategic planning, strategic investment planning, administrative reforms for integrated poverty policies, citizens participation); urban poverty alleviation (micro-credits, economic local development, integrated neighbourhood improvements programmes, access to basic services); urban environmental management (solid waste, polluted urban rivers, urban agriculture).
From 2001 on, UMP LAC has been involved in activities with other regions of the world in the perspective of generating a global learning system on urban issues. UMP will be upgraded to a resource Centre for Urban Management.
Main duties: Coordination of some 70 projects with cities from the LAC region. Since 1997, over 900 activities have been carried out with above 300 municipalities from the 33 nations of the LAC region. Liaison with bilateral and multilateral donors; institutional engineering to set up stakeholders approaches to face urban challenges; capacity building; staff management.
1991- 1996. CIRAD/GRET. Coordinator of Latin American Urban Programme.
Brazil-based. Other countries for activities: Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Haiti, Ecuador and Costa Rica.
Activities:
Support to Local Governments. Innovations for Urban Development Program (main programme), Fortaleza Metropolitan Region; Low income housing and infrastructure through assisted mutual aid and a community-based approach; Urban Finance and micro-credit for low income generation activities and home improvements (3000 families); Urban Planning and design; Capacity building of local authorities; In-service and on-the-job training; Forging of partnerships.
Main duties: Project formulation, resource mobilisation and management of urban development projects; Advisor to Brazilian local authorities and State Government; Institutional engineering for forging partnerships; Advisor to urban NGOs and grassroots.
1980-1990. CIRAD /GRET. Co-ordinator of Human Settlements Unit.
Paris and half time field work. In ten years, setting up and co-ordination of 50 Human Settlements projects and programs in 35 countries.
Activities:
Implementation of development projects; Applied and experimental research; Training and capacity building, communication; awareness campaigns and consulting in the following areas:
Appropriate Technologies for building, basic infrastructure and domestic energy; Indigenous building materials, architecture and technologies; Social and technological innovations processes; Sustainable economic activities in the building sector, both formal and informal; Disaster mitigation in hazard prone areas (for instance anticyclone - Caribbean, Vietnam-, earthquake -Mexico-, flood prone areas –Brazil-); Community based development and participation; City and neighbourhood management; Urban and housing finance
Main duties: Identification of innovative projects and programmes; co-ordination of the implementation of technical co-operation projects; Resource mobilisation and liaison with donors; Networking and lobbying activities; Editor of papers, book collection, and reports written by staff and consultants.
1978- mid 1980, Mexico.
• SICARTSA. Responsible for planning and economic studies for a World Bank co-funded project.
• CEESTM. (Centre for Economic and Social Studies for the Third World).
Director of Research and Development Unit on Alternative Building m
Materials and Technologies.
Main programs areas: Rural Housing and settlements Support to co-operatives, Rescuing of indigenous and vernacular technologies, Alternative building materials, Appropriate technologies (building, energy, basic infrastructure, food and water conservation)
1977. GRET. Group for Research and Exchange of Technologies - Appropriate Technologies. Co-manager of the Human Settlements Unit. Paris.
1975-76. ATEA SETAP. Consulting for Physical and Economic Planning.
Co-ordinator of the planning and socio-economic studies for the construction of 4 urban neighbourhoods (12,000 prefabricated units) in Iraq’s main cities, Baghdad, Basra, Kerbala and Mosul. Ministry for Urban Development and Housing, Iraq.
• Harvard University. Graduate School of Design. Center for Urban Development Studies. Visiting lecturer, Cambridge, 2000, 2003.
• Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Special course for MPs. and senators on Social Equity, Public Policies and Governance. Brazil, 1996.
• Louvain Catholic University. Belgium. Regular lecturer for the post graduate international course and Master’s degree "Habitat and Development". Courses, 1983-94:
- Methodologies for formulation, monitoring and evaluation of urban projects and programmes.
- Urban analysis of Latin American cities
- Integral micro urbanisation and operational physical planning at the neighbourhood level.-
• Paris VIII University. Town Planning Institute/ Institut d'Urbanisme.
Post Graduate Seminar: "Methodology for urban projects and programs monitoring and evaluation" and "Implementation of urban projects". Paris, 1984-1986, 1995.
• Ceará State University -UECE-
Post Diploma course on Urban Social Policies. Brazil, 1991.
• Higher Technical School for Building -ETSB- Ecole Supérieure des Techniciens du Batiment. Invited Lecturer and Coordinator.
Training Course for teachers on use and production of indigenous materials. Vientiane. Laos, 1986, 1987, 1988.
• Guadalajara University, Mexico. Planning and Architecture Faculty.
Professional course on "Methodology for Monitoring and evaluating Habitat Programs". 1987-8
• Autonomous University of Mexico, UAM Atzapotzalco/DICSA.
Post graduate course on "Post disaster reconstruction of Mexico inner city. Evaluation of participatory projects". Mexico, 1986-7.
• Engineering School for Arts and Crafts/ Ecole Centrale des Arts et Manufacture.
Responsible for the course "Technologies and Development". Paris, 1982-1983.
• Institute of Political Sciences/ Institut des Sciences Politiques. CFECTI : Training Centre for International Cooperation.
Coordination of the training course for international cooperation experts and volunteers. Paris, 1980-1982.
• Aix Marseille University/OREAM-PACA. Regular lecturer and coordinator of the summer international course on «Innovations in Housing technologies and urban development». Marseilles. 1977-1982.
• National School for Bridges and Roads, ENPC. Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées. Regional and Urban Planning Department. Teaching Assistant. Paris,1974-5.
• Conferences and lectures in numerous universities: International Institute for Public Administration (IIAP, Paris), Baghdad Technological Institute, Dortmund, International Housing Studies (Rotterdam), Tokyo University, Toluca School of Architecture, Cambre and Mons Universities (Belgium), Nancy School of Architecture, Rouen School of Architecture, Pays de l’Adour (Pau) University, Zulia University (Maracaibo, Venezuela), Catholic University of Chile (Santiago), Guadalajara University, Harvard University, Federal Universities of Ceara (Fortaleza), of Rio Grande do Sul (Porto Alegre), University of the West Indies (Trinidad).…)
• Tutor to 50 Masters and Ph.D. students (from 15 universities) on urban-related matters (since 1983).
• Organiser and chairman of numerous international scientific seminars.
• 2003. Experiences of Municipal Finance and Participatory budgeting at world wide level, The Municipality of Porto Alegre, The European Union (Urbal Programme), The Urban Management Programme ( UN Habitat), Global Campaign for Good Governance and researchers from 28 cities ( Latin America and Europe).
• 2002. Regional Consultation on the use and on the limits of methods for urban management, The Urban Management Programme ( UN Habitat), ECLAC, Italian Government and research associates in ten LAC cities.
• 1999 - 2001. Monitoring of intermediate cities in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Urban Management Programme ( UN Habitat), Lausanne Polytechnic, IREC, COPEVI and the Swiss Cooperation. 7cities associated. Scientific coordination.
• 1999 -2000. Monitoring of 40 Latin American and Caribbean cities, five years after Istanbul. UMP and The Global Urban Observatory (Habitat), local governments, universities and local partners in over 40 cities. Scientific coordination.
• 1998 to date. Cities feeding people: urban agriculture and urban self-reliance. The Urban Management Programme (Habitat) / International Development Research Centre (IDRC, Canada) / IPES (Peru). 10 cities associated. Scientific coordination.
• 1994-1996. Shared Urban Management, local development and policies of people’s initiatives. European Union ALFA programme with 7 universities (Colombia, Brazil, Cuba, France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal). Scientific coordination and liaison of network activities.
• 1985-1993. Monitoring and evaluation methods for urban projects and programs (AGCD, Belgium; UCL, Belgium; UDG, Mexico)
• 1987-1990. Potentials of prefabrication systems for Self-help and Mutual Aid (DGIS/Holland, IHS, GRET). 10 volumes and scientific papers in coordination with Indian, Chinese, Nicaraguan, Colombian and Mexican research teams.
• 1986-1989. People’s strategies and Practices. Observatory of strategies of the urban poor. (FPH, University of the United Nations). Brazil, Mexico, global.
• 1985-87. Housing in Socialist countries. Scientific coordination and active member of European and Third World research network. Cuba, Ethiopia, Korea.
• Alternative Finance for Low Income Housing and Urban Development
1984-85. (Plan Construction), 1990-92 (Habitat Solidarity Program), Coordination of International Working Group, 1993-95 (Hic, Misereor): coordination of Latin American Working Group. Chile, Brazil, South Africa, The Philippines, Mexico.
• 1980-84. The role of international aid in the field of human settlements: multilateral, bilateral, private agencies. 18 volumes (Plan Construction, MAE, DAEI, IIED, UNCHS)
• Environment and Urbanisation (IIED) Advisory Board member, 1986 - 2003.
• La Era Urbana, the supplement of the Urban Age in Spanish, Chief Editor, 1997-2001, and 2003. Main journal in Spanish on urban management.
• Working Papers, UMP LAC series ( 60 publications since 97), Chief Editor.
• The Urban Age (The World Bank); Editorial Board, 1997-2000.
• Rythmes Urbains, Ritmos Urbanos. Bilingual bulletin in French and Portuguese. Editor, 1990 to 1996.
• Technology and Development. Collection coordinator (7 books produced on Appropriate Technologies for Building). La Documentation Française Publishing House, 1980 to 1989.
• Co-direction of documentary films on housing and urban development: Mali, Tunisia, Korea, Brazil, and Mexico.
• Megacities Program. New York. Member of the Advisory Board, since 1984-2003.
• Habitat International Coalition. Member and board member, 1981 - 2000.
• Member of the following civil associations: Human Rights League -LDH; International Association of Professionals, Experts and Researchers -AITEC; Centre for International Solidarity –CEDETIM, The Prague Institute.
1995 • UNCHS Habitat Scroll of Honour
• Brazilian Best Practices Awards
1996 • Tokyo and Dubai Awards of excellence for improving the living environment (Best Practices Award).
• Urban Management Programme. Latin American Region. Selection of the brazilian «Comunidades» Programme.