Urban planners in North Africa and the Near East deal with many of the same issues as their U.S. counterparts: population change, infrastructure needs, traffic management, zoning regulations, and pressures for pollution control and “green” solutions to planning challenges. Unlike many planners in this country, many of them also face the reality of scarce water resources and/or the lack of potable water supplies.

Visitors from Iraq, Jordan, Algeria, Egypt, and Morocco included ICMA as a stop during a study tour focusing on urban planning and green development in the United States. They sought to 

• Understand the context of urban and regional planning in the U.S.
• Review government planning operations and legislative initiatives designed to support sustainable growth
• Visit cities that face challenges similar to their own
• Learn about green building standards and new technologies
• Review U.S. policies and international treaties on environmental issues that affect urban communities. 

Sandra Tripp-Jones, senior governance advisor with ICMA International and former city administrator in Santa Barbara, California, provided an overview of planning in the United States. She explained the role of the governing body and the appointed professional manager in making and implementing plans, noting that planning-related issues often dominate the agenda of elected officials. She also pointed out that planning here is highly local and citizen-focused, reflecting the underlying values and goals of the city or county. While planning processes are becoming more localized in some of the visitors’ countries, the reality for all of them is that planning is “top-down.” 

The group asked how planners deal with the dilemma that many U.S. planners have faced during the economic downturn: What do you do when a general plan and zoning are in place—but the economic realities make it impossible to implement the plan? The short answer: Sometimes you have to implement plans more slowly that you anticipated. 

A demonstration of the Knowledge Network (KN) generated interest and excitement among members of the group. Laura Hagg, senior business development manager, showed how the KN can be used to exchange information and resources across national boundaries, serving as a central point for accessing documents, posting queries, and forming groups with specific topic interests. In the case of planning, the KN includes ordinances, plans, and descriptions of green building programs, water conservation initiatives, and other innovative programs.

KN members can also form country-based groups—either public or private—to share information among their peers. This can be especially useful in countries where internal travel is limited by security or other considerations.

The visitors are in the United States under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program. Their tour was arranged by the Institute of International Education.

ICMA International has implemented programs in Iraq, Jordan, and Morocco. To learn more, visit the ICMA International website or the International Development topic in the Knowledge Network, or contact international@icma.org.