LOCAL AREA SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT OBSERVATORY
Sub-Project 2: Geographic
Information System for Urban and Sector Planning
City of
ATLAS 2003
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MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR OF COLOMBO
Over the past two years, the cities of Paris, Madrid
and Colombo have worked in close co-operation thanks to the European Union Asia
Urbs programme, which aims at developing the links between European and Asian
local authorities through effective partnerships in the field of projects
development and information sharing activities.
The project developed in Colombo, named LASDO for
Local Area Sustainable Development Observatory, aimed at providing the Colombo
Municipal Council with a computerised map of the City and several planning and
communication tools based on geographical information systems technologies.
The present Atlas is a summarised expression of one of
the LASDO project achievements. It presents some outcomes in terms of thematic
cartography about urban facilities, census data, health and environment
matters. The tools which have been implemented will allow to process in the
same way data which will be collected in the future according to the
information processing needed for providing an improved service to the
population of Colombo.
I would like to emphasise indeed on the fact that one
of the most important issue of the LASDO project was the development of a
competent technical team in the field of geographic information mastering. This
was the condition for the sustainability of the work which has been undertaken.
To end this short presentation,
I must say that I am very happy to
note that this project has come to fruition today, both from technical and
institutional point of view, and I look forward to the immense benefits that
would accrue in our day to day administration and decision making process.
Prasanna GUNAWARDENA
Mayor of
ASIA URBS Programme
Following the Strategy for
The Asia Urbs Programme is supported by
both the development and economic funds of the Commission. Its main activity is
to fund two-year development and
Information-sharing projects or six-month studies, which seek to improve
living and environmental conditions for the inhabitants of urban areas. As one
of its aims is to strengthen 'decentralised co-operation', these projects are
designed and implemented by local governments in
Sustainability
The decentralised co-operation approach encourages the active
participation of local communities and helps to achieve longer-term commitment
and sustainability. The Asia Urbs Programme encourages the integration of
non-governmental organisations (NGOs), academic or educational institutions,
associations, and business to be a part of the projects it funds. Each of these
groups embraces a different set of skills, experience and outlook - all of
which effectively contribute to an innovative and sustainable development
project.
Projects funded by Asia Urbs should be
suitable for replication in other areas. This 'replicability' is encouraged by
the European Commission (EC). As only two years' funding is available through
the Programme, the projects are designed to be sustainable after the funding
has finished.
Mutual benefit
Through working together Asian and European
nationals coming from different sectors of the community, rapidly learn from
each other and benefit from the collaboration. As they share their expertise,
experience, knowledge, and facilities and outlook such greater awareness leads
to innovation, helps to ensure that the project is successfully reaching its
beneficiaries, and that lessons being learned can be shared with other projects
and organisations.
Areas of interest
The projects can be in any area of urban
development and focus clearly on any geographical area. Those addressing two or
three urban issues, especially if they seek to improve the situation for
disadvantaged groups of society, are particularly desirable.
The projects can involve infrastructural
development, the improvement of management and planning systems, policy
development, health and marketing schemes, rehabilitation of buildings, water
and sanitation systems, etc. The Programme also considers funding disaster prevention
activities, education initiatives and health care in the community.
Support
Asia Urbs can provide up to 65% or 500.000 euros of the total cost of a
development or information-sharing project and up to 65% or 15.000 euros for a
study.
Local Area
Sustainable Development Observatory (LASDO)
Description of
the main urban stakes in Colombo
The Colombo Municipal Council faces serious urban
development and environmental management stakes. The challenge of providing an
affordable and appropriate level of service delivery is a major issue for the
municipal government. Colombo, as a lot of other capitals in south Asia is
characterised by high population density, large traffic flows and congestion, proliferation
of shanties and slums, struggle to cope with service delivery (more than 50% of
the population is underserved).
In this viewpoint, the CMC faces higher customer
expectation relative to lowering costs and above all increasing quality of
service delivery. It also often lacks appropriate, updated, complete and
localised data to insure a relevant urban management policy. There is an imperative need to build up local
capacity for collecting and monitoring useful information on urban trends and
to apply this data to appropriate analytical techniques, and help in the
decision making process. This
Information System will therefore help in formulating urban policies adapted to
the development needs. This is today one of the most important issues for the municipality
to meet its commitments on urban development, in addition to following up their
investment policies to achieve an acceptable level of sustainable development,
as defined in the last HABITAT Agenda.
The objective of attaining sustainable urban
development and a balanced social environment (involving a compatible growth
between different constituents, namely population, employment, housing,
transport, education, health and other basic public services) have stimulated
municipal authorities to examine their management capacity, evaluate and
monitor this ever-expanding urban growth.
Thus, thematic urban observatories identifying the land use, and their
capacity to accommodate a complex array of activities (trade, economy, social
problems, housing, land uses, health care, etc.) are increasingly regarded as
necessary tools to establish interactive documents allowing to define
appropriate policies and to monitor the trends of growth towards a sustainable
city.
As a part of an Asia Urbs
programme, co-financed by the European Commission, the aim of the project is to
promote decentralised co-operation between European and Asian cities in order
to develop and extend good governance models in the field of urban planning and
housing policies.
In order to achieve this, the
City of
In this context, the creation
of a Local Area Sustainable Development Observatory appears as an helpful tool
to elaborate, follow and assess urban and planning.
Overall
Objectives
The overall objective is to improve communication
between the various stakeholders of urban development and management and thus
to favour emergence of a democratic process for elaborating borough development
projects. This will be done through the development of a common information
culture.
Accepting the fact that there cannot be efficient
planning without comprehensive knowledge of the existing situation, our
objective is to contribute in improving the urban management and planning
process through the creation, on a pilot strategic zone, of a prototype of
territorial observatory based on GIS.
The tools which shall be initiated will allow to
develop an overall view of urban composition, land use patterns and their
impact on environment, resources and quality of life. It will facilitate access
to vital information on urban trends - a most critical requirement for local
authorities in deciding future urban development strategy.
The purpose of our project is also to provide, through
the realisation of the pilot observatory, a local capacity to collect data and
support a GIS organisation.
The observatory to be set up in the
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Provide a better service to city inhabitants
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Facilitate the analysis and study of critical urban issues
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Provide better decision making in land use planning
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Follow main socio-economic trends and therefore anticipate and adjust
urban policy
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Modernise work methods, usually done handmade and supported by ancient
maps and plans.
Composition of the
different committees and working groups
LASDO Project
Steering Committee
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Mr.
Prasanna Gunawardana |
Mayor
of |
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Mr.
Omar Kamil |
Former
Mayor of |
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Dr. Jayantha Liyanage |
Municipal
Commissioner |
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Deputy
Municipal Commissioner (Professional Services) |
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Director,
Development |
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Dr.
P.S. Kariyawasam |
Chief
Medical Officer of Health |
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Dr. R.L.S. de Wijayamuni |
Deputy
Chief Medical Officer of Health |
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Dr.
(Mrs.) N. Wickremasinghe |
Chief
Dispensary Medical Officer |
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Mr.
Lakshaman Perera |
Lands
Section - Chief Land Officer |
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Works
Section - Director (Engineering) |
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Mr.
S.A.L.R. Samarawickrama |
City
Planning Section – Former Director |
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City
Planning Section - Director |
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Eng. T.A. Gamage |
City
Planning Section - Superintending Engineer |
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Eng. L.R.L. Wickramaratne |
Solid
Waste Section - Director |
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Water
Supply and Drainage Division - Director |
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Drainage
Division - Superintending Engineer |
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Drainage
Division - Engineer |
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Training
Manager |
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Traffic
Division – Director (Engineering) |
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Mr.
P.P.T. Mohideen |
Municipal
Assessor |
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APUR/City
of |
Mr.
P.Billot |
Project
Coordination 1 |
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Project
Coordination 2 |
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City
of |
Mr.
E.Martinez-Vidal |
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European
Delegation |
Mr.
R.Lyman |
Economic
Advisor |
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Mr.D. Jayantha |
Former
Economic Advisor |
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Mr.F.Metel |
Permanent
Local Coordinator |
European Experts
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APUR/City
of |
Mr.
A. Beauregard |
Senior
GIS expert |
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Miss.C.Pinchon |
Senior
database management expert |
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Miss.M.T.Besse |
Cartographer
expert |
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Mrs.C.Luciani |
Web-Site
expert |
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Mr.L.Dublineau |
Accountant |
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City
of |
Mrs.C.Moreno |
Senior
survey management expert |
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Mrs.
C.Sanabria |
Senior
urban development expert |
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Mr.O.Toutain |
Senior
precarious housing expert |
Project
Management Unit
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Deputy
Municipal Commissioner (Professional Services) |
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Director,
Development |
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Works
Section - Director (Engineering) |
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Drainage
Division - Engineer |
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Drainage
Division - Superintending Engineer |
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Works
Section - Engineer (Road Maintenance) |
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Eng.A.G.
Irshardh |
Solid
Waste Section – District Engineer |
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Traffic
Division - Traffic Engineer (General) |
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Public
Health Department |
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Assessment
Department |
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Miss.
D. Pelaketiya |
City
Planning Division |
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Mrs.
Nayanna Da Silva |
Water
and Drainage Division |
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Mr.
K.A. Jayaratne |
Sevanatha
- President |
Working Group
Multimedia Tool
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Deputy
Municipal Commissioner (Professional Services) |
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Director,
Development |
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Works
Section - Director (Engineering) Works |
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Drainage
Division - Engineer |
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Eng.
A.G. Irshardh |
Solid
Waste Section - District Engineer |
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Works
Section - Engineer (Road Maintenance) |
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Traffic
Division - Traffic Engineer |
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Mrs.
Nayanna Da Silva |
Water
and Drainage Division |
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Miss.
D. Pelaketiya |
City
Planning Division |
Working Group
Health
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Deputy
Municipal Commissioner (Professional Services) |
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Dr.
P.S. Kariyawasam |
Chief
Medical Officer of Health |
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Dr. R.L.S. de Wijayamuni |
Deputy
Chief Medical Officer of Health |
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Dr.
(Mrs.) N. Wickremasinghe |
Chief
Dispensary Medical Officer |
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Dr.
Shanmugam |
Epidemiological
Unit |
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Public
Health Department |
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Training
Manager |
Working Group City
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Deputy
Municipal Commissioner (Professional Services) |
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Mr.
Raja Samarawickrama |
City
Planning Section - Director |
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Ms.
N. Herath |
City
Planning Section - Director |
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Eng. T.A. Gamage |
City
Planning Section - Superintending Engineer |
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Mrs.
Lavani Fernando |
City
Planning Section - Engineer (Buildings) |
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Drainage
Division - Engineer |
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Mr.
A.D.S. Rohana |
Traffic
Division - Traffic Engineer (General) |
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Works
Section - Engineer (Road Maintenance) |
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Mr.
Lakshaman Perera |
Lands
Section - Chief Land Officer |
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Mr.
P.P.T. Mohideen |
Municipal
Assessor |
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Miss.
D. Pelaketiya |
City
Planning Section |
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Mr.
H.T.S. Fonseka |
Head
Draughtsmen – Assessment Department |
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Assessing
Inspector – Assessment Department |
Working Group
Environment
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Deputy
Municipal Commissioner (Professional Services) |
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Dr.
R.L. de Wijayamuni |
Deputy
Chief Medical Officer of Health |
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Eng. L.R.L. Wickramaratne |
Solid
Waste Section - Director |
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Solid
Waste Section - Superintending Engineer |
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Eng.A.G.
Irshardh |
Solid
Waste Section – District Engineer |
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Dr.
Shanmugam |
Epidemiological
Unit |
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Public
Health Department |
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Training
Manager |
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Water
Supply and Drainage Division - Director |