Fragility, conflict, and violence FCV) have emerged as pressing development challenges in recent years. Around 2 billion people in the world, including half of the world’s extreme poor, live in countries affected by FCV. Natural disasters lead to similar unwanted outcomes—loss of life, displacement, loss of livelihoods, massive economic damage, etc.—and in turn create fragility. Increasingly, conflicts and disasters (both natural and man-made) are urbanizing, leading to large-scale forced displacement challenges in urban areas. Globally, approximately 60 percent of the estimated 68.5 million people classified as forcibly displaced (through conflict, natural disasters, and violence) are living in urban areas. There are several challenges cities in the FCV context face: spatial challenges (changes in urban footprint and pressure on urban services, infrastructure, and housing due to rapid and sudden population movements), social challenges (social tensions due to active conflicts or tensions between host communities and the forcibly displaced), and economic challenges (low levels of economic development, competition over limited jobs, and economic exclusion of certain segments of the population, such as the forcibly displaced, those with low incomes, and others). The TDD provided an opportunity for knowledge exchange and structured learning focusing on tools and approaches that combine spatial planning, physical investments, and institutional interventions. It aims to promote better social and human development as well as better security and economic outcomes, particularly with respect to safety and inclusion in the FCV context.
Participants visited Nishinari district in Osaka to learn how the city offers housing, jobs, and social services and how it improves public space to foster economic, spatial, and social inclusion. The visit was intended to help clients learn about agile solutions.