May 2011
New York, NY (May 24, 2011) – Halcrow’s Jon Clyne, associate director and project manager for the TAV high-speed rail project in Brazil, presented at the Better City/Better Life: The South – North Initiative conference held at the United Nations in New York City on May 18th.
For the better part of the second half of the 20th century the developing world has relied on the expertise, advice and resources of the developed world. This premise has become increasingly questionable in light of economic shifts and emerging technologies. The goal of this conference was to showcase best practices and successful programs being used in the South in the areas of affordable housing, transportation, infrastructure and the application of information communication technologies.
Speaking on the issue of transport infrastructure, Jon outlined the history of transport and economic growth for cities. He explained that, for the transport sector, ‘leapfrogging’ (where developing countries miss out or “leapfrog” a generation of technology) as well as the sharing of ideas between nations is not new and can be very beneficial.
Jon said: “High-speed rail (HSR), as an example of a leapfrogging technology, works best for large city pairs with existing high levels of transport demand and capacity constraints - for example in China and the planned HSR line in Brazil. HSR can generate significant time savings, environmental benefits (by taking cars off roads), and wider benefits to cities such as productivity and new jobs.”
Halcrow’s work around the world in both developed and developing countries has offered our experts a first-hand look at how innovation and new technologies are a catalyst for urban development.
Participants at the conference included governments, academia, NGOs and the private sector/industry. The event was organized by UN Habitat for a Better Urban Future, American Institute of Architects New York Chapter, Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization and South-South News.