Planning practice and theory in Kabul

Working syllabus for the course:

1. Planning as urban modernization: public health and infrastructure. Case of Kabul Jadid (1923-1928).
A. Discussion: What is your vision of a modern Kabul?

2. Comprehensive data, political legitimacy, and the urban government. Governing as ?comprehensive caring.?
B. Discussion: How does planning support the people and the government at the same time?

3. Comprehensive master-plans and economic development plans: coordinated public investment.
C. Discussion: What are public goods versus private goods? What do cities need that markets cannot deliver?

4. Performance-based policies versus static land-use planning.
D. Discussion: What strategic intervention would you propose?

5. Public input, participatory enforcement: techniques of popular policing.
E. Discussion: How do you design policy so that the people themselves will enforce it?

6. The General Plan that incorporates the Master Plan: explanation of intent before regulation.
F. Discussion: How would you structure it? How would it promote your vision of modern Afghan cities?

7. Interagency coordination: the hard part is understanding the present, not forecasting the future.
G. Discussion: How would you build alliances across agencies to help implement policy?

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