Manizales City-Region
Transcription
Manizales City-Region
Manizales City-Region Development Framework DRAFT – January 2014 Contents Introduction1 Development Framework Section 1: Overview of proposals and strategic context 5 11 Manizales vision 12 Strategic Context 14 Proposals Map 16 Trajectory and timeline 2013-2015 18 Section 2: Economic scenario and key sectors 21 Manizales City Region Growth 2025 – Development Scenarios 22 Alternative Growth Scenarios and Land Requirements 23 Manizales City Region Growth 2025 – Development Scenarios 24 An overview of Manizales city region economy and key investment locations 25 Knowledge economy and higher education 26 ICT sector 28 Transport and logistics sector 30 Urban services 31 Visitor Economy 32 Section 3: Spatial focus and proposed investment areas 35 Manizales city centre regeneration 36 University Area 41 Zona Franca – La Nubia Corridor 44 Aeropuerto Del Cafe – Palestina Rosario expansion area 46 Kilometer 41 Expansion Area 48 Rural and Tourism 51 Section 4: Implementation proposals 55 City Centre Regeneration – Implementation Green Infrastructure – Implementation City Branding and Marketing Initiative 56 60 63 Strategic Investment Site Delivery 66 Implementation Proposals – Aeropuerto Del Cafe cluster 68 Public Sector Driven Knowledge Hub 70 Next Steps 72 Introduction This report provides an overarching City-Region Development Framework Masterplan for Manizales City Region and represents Output 1 of the Manizales City Region Masterplan project. The purpose of the report is to define the value of a city-region approach to development planning in the region. The document identifies future development priorities for Manizales and the wider South Central Caldas region and opportunities for strengthening the planning approach and policies. The report builds upon the assessment of needs and priorities prepared by Findeter. It also complements a number of other strategies which have been prepared for the city and region including: Strategic Plan for the City – Estoy Manizales (Plan Estrategico Ciudad) • • • • • • • • Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial de Manizales (POT) UN Habitat South Central region planning project Environment Action Plan (Agenda Ambiental) Risk Management strategy (Gestion de Riesgos) Transport plan (Plan de Movilidad) Public Spaces masterplan (Plan Maestro Espacio Publico) Education Masterplan (Plan Maestro Education) Plans for the San Jose Area Overall the document identifies further opportunities to strengthen and build upon the existing plans and strategies in place in Manizales, improve integration between strategies and to maximise opportunities for sustainable development. The report also highlights a number of proposals and opportunities which have potential to support delivery and implementation of current plans based upon the initial discussion of gaps which took place in September 2013. The scope and next steps of these potential actions are set out towards the end of the document and highlight areas where more detailed work could be focused as part of Activity 2 of the project. The audience for the document is the Alcaldia de Manizales together with other city stakeholders. The proposals made in the document are intended as drafts for discussion and will be considered and shaped during upcoming stakeholder meetings planned for January 2014. This report is structured in a further 4 Sections Section 1 provides an overview of the strategy including the key themes for the City-Region Masterplan framework highlighting the linkages with the existing vision, strategies and plans for the city and the additional benefits which could be delivered by adopting the ideas and proposals set out in the plan. It also sets out in a spatial plan the context of the city to summarise the key issues and opportunities which can help to transform the city. The proposals reflect the feedback of city stakeholders as well as the major issues highlighted in plans and strategies relating to the study area. A city-region masterplan framework sets out proposals for the city region focusing on the main investment opportunities suggested for the city and surrounding region. It also includes a trajectory showing how the strategy for the city could be implemented. Proposals for particular investment areas are expanded upon in later sections of the document. Section 2 sets out the range of future economic scenarios for the city which can help to inform the scale of growth and change which the city is likely to experience. These economic scenarios inform the identification of additional initiatives and opportunities later in the document. A range of economic sector opportunities are highlighted which could support and enhance the further expansion and diversification of the economy of the Manizales City- Region including those relating to transport and logistics, ICT industries, urban services, visitor economy, and higher education. Section 3 shows how the economic and investment opportunities highlighted in section 3 can be accommodated in the city. The focus is on a number of key investment locations which are critical to the success of future growth and development of the city including the City Centre, University district, Zona Franca Corridor and La Nubia, Cafetero Airport- Palestina, Km 41 as well as plans for the rural area. An outline of additional proposals which could accompany and complement existing projects and proposals are highlighted and shown on plans. Section 4 focuses on delivery and implementation and highlights in summary the additional actions which could be followed to support delivery of plans for the city. The range of proposals include various ideas and suggestions based upon consideration of global benchmarks and examples which other cities have successfully adopted which could be adapted in Manizales. These summaries could be developed further into additional projects and initiatives for the city in the future. It is proposed that following discussions with stakeholders as part of this project a small number of the proposals could be developed further as part of the Activity 2 to show in more detail how they can be applied in Manizales. This section of the document also highlights the conclusions and proposed next steps relating to the project. 06 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework The rest of this section explains the context of the project and focus on Manizales, the project terms of reference and an overview of the remainder of this report. Project context – Why Manizales? Manizales is one of the leading Colombian cities showing the way towards integrated and more sustainable city development. Manizales is one of four pilot cities in Colombia forming part of the Sustainable and Competitive Cities Programme developed jointly between Findeter and the Inter American Development Bank. The city is already gaining recognition for its performance among Colombian cities. Manizales won first place in the special category of business promotion in the 5th Iberoamerican Digital Cities Awards. The Doing Business study conducted by the World Bank in Colombia in 2012 ranked Manizales as the top Colombian city where it is better and easier to do business. Conditions are aligned in Manizales to support planning at a city-region scale. The national Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial provides a legal framework for cities to work on a more co-ordinated basis to promote their territorial development. Internationally the city-region is seen as the appropriate geography to co-ordinate strategic plans as issues and their impacts extend beyond administrative boundaries. Examples include functional economic areas and labour markets, demands for strategic infrastructure relating to transport and water resources as well as the response to environmental issues such as climate change, biodiversity and natural hazards. Already the municipality of Manizales with its neighbours of Neira, Villa Maria, Chinchina and Palestina within the South-Central region of Caldas are working together to address their development issues and common challenges. The UN Habitat project for the South Central region has lead to the identification of a number of projects to address shortfalls in infrastructure provision and forms the basis of further action. There is an opportunity to build upon this to enable the Manizales City-Region to articulate its advantages and plan effectively for sustainable growth to enhance the competitiveness of the whole area and attract local and international investment. This project centred on Manizales and neighbouring municipalities provides a starting point to develop a plan for the wider Eje Cafetero region encompassing not only Manizales City Region but other cities in Risalralda and Quindinio centred on the cities of Pereira and Armenia. In the past, cities within Colombia including the Eje Cafetero region have prepared development plans in isolation, missing opportunities to benefit from regionally coordinated investment that bring social, economic and environmental co-benefits. Proposals have sometimes come forward outside of the defined urban boundary which has made it harder to coordinate development of land and infrastructure leading to unsustainable development patterns. Creating visibility of opportunities for green growth provides decision makers with information that will encourage coordinated investment, as well as provide a framework to coordinate efforts for mutual benefit. Manizales city region faces shared environmental challenges Manizales City –Region and the wider Eje Cafetero region has a complex geography of mountainous terrain which is subject to a range of natural hazards and environmental risks which in the past have represented an obstacle for development. The Eje Cafetero Region has suffered the effects of climate change due to its lack of urban planning. As a result more than 11,000 citizens suffered from shortage of water and gas, and have experienced the impact of environmental risks. Multiple houses were buried due to landslide created by the heavy rain falls. This has demonstrated that the region has a deficient strategy for risk management and that the planning, design and construction of cities has until now not taken in consideration the environmental issues. A development framework for the region can help to address this. Manizales can be an exemplar of addressing the accessibility challenges of the Andean region. Historically the mountainous terrain and relatively remote and inaccessible location of the Manizales City region within Colombia have impacted on its economic growth despite the relatively high natural and human capital available within the city. Manufacturing businesses have experienced relatively higher transport costs. Accessibility and connectivity to national and global markets has meant that other Colombian cities have been more successful in attracting investment and related employment opportunities. Manizales has found it more difficult to retain graduates and highly skilled workers who move away to find employment. A number of strategic projects are now planned to improve the accessibility of the region including highways improvements to reduce travel times and improve connectivity to Pereira, Bogota and Medellin. In addition a new airport Aeropuerto Del Cafe is being developed to replace the existing airport at Manizales which is restricted in terms of its operational capacity and potential. There is an opportunity for these projects to be transformational to transform how the region is viewed as a place to live, business location and leisure destination which can transform the city economically. To maximise the potential of these major investments there is a need to define and plan for the inter-linkages between infrastructure investment, urban development and supporting economic and social development strategies as well as environmental management so that environmental pressures do not mean that the region becomes a victim of its success. Economic diversification Manizales and the wider region was founded as a centre for coffee cultivation and production in the 19th century and ever since coffee has remained a key economic focus and source of employment particularly in the rural area. The diversification of Colombia´s economy in the last decades has forced Manizales City region to evolve and undergo structural economic change which has included to generating new innovative economic sectors and agglomerations to position the city-region to specialise and compete within the national and global economy. A number of key sectors have grown in recent years including production liquor, shoes, rubber, chocolate, detergents and soaps, threshing and packing, sweets and financial services among others. In addition, in the last half of the twentieth century the city has become a nationally significant centre for education and learning as universities have established in Manizales. The city wishes to develop its economy further to develop higher value added manufacturing and service activities as well as providing employment opportunities meeting the needs and aspirations of the workforce. The city has identified ICT related industries as a key sector which can link with its focus on higher education and support broad based growth of the economy. This report identifies how the existing projects and initiatives in ICT and other sectors can be developed further and what else could be done to maximise their potential. Focus of the City – Region Development Masterplan At the outset the opportunity of this project was identified to embed the existing Action Plan prepared for Manizales within a city-region planning framework to provide a strong basis for: • Identifying the functional urban linkages between Manizales and other settlements in the city region. Manizales City-Region – Development Framework • Improving territorial cohesion and urban-rural linkages, addressing issues of peri-urban development, building on the strengths of Manizales and other municipalities within the region as service centres. • Providing a co-ordinated framework for development which can build competitiveness and generate opportunities for key economic sectors. • Maximising the green growth benefits from upcoming investments; • Providing an environmental framework to safeguard communities from natural hazard risks and to preserve natural habitats and biodiversity. The breadth of the project is very wide ranging. As part of the process of the project stakeholder engagement has been integral to shape the focus of the project within the resources and timeframe available on the critical issues for the city. Key to this has been to complement and build from existing sector strategies, plans and initiatives which have already been completed or are ongoing to maximise the value and impact of the project. Project Partners The project has been developed jointly as a partnership between Findeter, Alcaldia de Manizales, Atkins, the British Embassy Bogota and has involved partners and stakeholders from Estoy Manizales drawn from public, private and community sectors as well as neighbouring municipios from South Central Caldas region. Findeter The Findeter programme is providing a platform to Manizales and other cities by promoting investment in strategic projects aimed at transforming medium sized cities into sustainable and competitive cities within a global framework, improving the quality of life and prosperity of its citizens. The platform objectives are to identify, plan and prioritize strategies for environmental, urban, fiscal, economic and social sustainability in order to create competitive cities improving the quality of life and prosperity of the citizens. During 2012 and 2013 Findeter with the city of Manizales the city developed an Action Plan which provided a diagnostic of the issues and priorities of the city which has been one of the starting points for this project. In addition the city has developed a portfolio of 19 strategic investment projects to support the growth and development of the city. These include a mix of transport, infrastructure environmental and urban development and regeneration projects. This project and report aim to build upon the initiatives already identified as well as help identify what else could be done to enhance and develop initiatives further and help progress implementation further. Alcaldia de Manizales The purpose has been to: Manizales is in the process of updating the city plan (Plan de Ordimiento Territorial or POT) for city. The Municipio see this project in making a contribution to informing the strategy for the city and the approach to implementing the plan. Use Manizales city-region as an exemplar show how integrated planning approaches and innovative models for implementation can be applied in Colombia to deliver green growth benefits as well as to showcase the UK’s commercial and policy expertise on sustainable master planning. The Mayor has been promoting an ICT ecosystem of interrelated projects and initiatives to support the development of information technology as a basis for the future growth and competitiveness of Manizales and to position the city to be seen as a “Learning City”. This project has been geared to complement this emerging focus. Background for partnership with UK and Atkins The UK is a leader in integrated urban planning and models for delivery. Atkins is a UK based company, known worldwide for preparing integrated masterplans and strategies that address complex issues and respond to them taking into account the particular environment and visualising the possible changes for improvement. Atkins role is to support the city in visioning and highlighting opportunities based on international experience of implementation which may not have been previously considered as well as a focus on economic and market elements which can be used to unlock delivery. Atkins has a successful track record of responding to this challenge around the world. 07 08 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Project Terms of reference and structure Activity/Task The overall structure of the project is set out below which summarised the project. The project was initiated in June 2013 and has a programme of 10 months. Activity 2: Implementation of the City-Region Development Framework and Manizales priority projects Activity/Task Summary Description Activity 1: Prepare City-Region Spatial Development Plan Framework Develop regional analysis framework Information on the Manizales City-region of Eje Cafetero will be collated, reviewed and evaluated. An analytical framework would capture the key factors relevant to green growth and regional sustainability of urban development, eco systems, social capital, network infrastructure and economic prosperity. Baseline spatial information would be collated and reviewed to inform the formulation of City-region development alternatives in Activity 1.2. This would include relevant mapping and layers on land use and development plans, regional growth projections, information on environmental constraints and risks, infrastructure and socio-economic information. 1.2 Workshop 1 – Review Regional Development Alternatives 1.3 Preferred CityRegion Development Framework and Priorities Workshop 2 – Implementation of the City-Region Framework and priority projects From the spatial development plan, the mechanisms and approach required to support implementation of programmes, projects and proposals will be discussed and reviewed with stakeholders highlighting different options and approaches. 2.2 Outline implementation and delivery case studies Based on the outcomes of the workshop for a small number of key interventions/projects an outline action plan will be prepared defining the way forward (2-3 case studies). The action plan will include: Based on the outcomes of Workshop 1, a draft spatial development framework drawing would be prepared. A supporting document will: Highlight opportunities for strengthening the planning approach and policies. Highlight the potential mechanisms which can be used for implementing the city region development framework plan to support integrated green growth. Output 1: City-Region Development Framework An overview document (approx 50 pages) which defines the value of a city-region approach to development planning. The document will identify future development priorities for Manizales and the south central Caldas region and opportunities for strengthening the planning approach and existing policies. It will build upon the assessment of needs and priorities undertaken by Findeter. An overarching City-region spatial framework plan drawing highlighting the constraints and limits on future development, key proposals and development opportunities. The base information to inform the plan will be drawn from GIS and CAD information provided by Manizales/Findeter. The workshop will be used to identify and select a small number of interventions/projects where proposals will be defined further as case studies. The opportunities for using partnership models for funding and delivery based on UK and international benchmarks will be explored. • Key objectives • Description of the project ensuring mechanisms to deliver the wider environmental, social and economic benefits are built in; • Model for delivery • Potential funding sources • Responsibilities including arrangements for implementation based on discussions on the best approach emerging from the workshop. An initial number of development alternatives will be prepared as a powerpoint for discussion in a workshop in Manizales to review key risks, constraints and opportunities identified in Activity 1.1. The workshop would refine and elaborate spatial development alternatives and priorities for the city and wider region. The workshop would be used to evaluate the different scenarios and reach consensus on a preferred spatial development approach and key priorities. Summary Description Output 2: Implementation of the City-Region Development Framework and Manizales priority projects This will be a document (approx 35 pages) building upon the options and solutions discussed at the second workshop which highlights the potential mechanisms which can be used for implementing the city region development framework. For a small number (2-3) of key interventions/projects further details will be outlined to support implementation highlighting the potential of partnership models to support delivery. Activity 3: Scale up 3.1 Summary Good Practice Guide A 10 page good practice summary and presentation summarising the City-Region Development Framework and value of its application in Colombia will be prepared. The guide will be a policy advocacy document highlighting the key issues to be considered in applying the approach. The project partners will engage with a range of national government stakeholders and other organisations to seek endorsement of the guide. 3.2 Scaling up The outputs of the project will be presented to targeted stakeholders across Colombia at appropriate conferences and events. Manizales and Eje Cafetero stakeholders involved with the project will link with Atkins to promote the benefits highlighted by the project in advocacy to other cities and regions across Colombia. Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Furthermore, it will help make Manizales an exemplar for the national government as the framework can be replicated in other regions. In addition to raising the profile of opportunities in Manizales to the public and private sector, the framework will help the region to coordinate its growth, which will allow local governments to optimise investment and maximise green growth potential. Process and progress to date Between June and August 2013 the consultants collated and review the initial tranche of documents and strategies which were shared. An initial SWOT analysis was undertaken of indicators and objectives linking with the Findeter Action Plan to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the city and its region. Short term impact Working with policy makers this project will provide outputs which can be embedded and directly inform the update to the Manizales city plan (Plan Ordenamiento Territorial de Manizales (POT)) highlighting the opportunities for green growth and how it can be practically delivered. Commitment to implementation made by local Mayor and Findeter to translate the project outputs into the formal city plan (POT) update. Through workshops knowledge sharing takes place to inform a Colombia model for implementing integrated city planning approaches. The project will convene other regional and national stakeholders to demonstrate the benefits of the approach and promote scaling of the approach. This approach has not been delivered before in Colombia, which will make Manizales and the Region a model to follow in the approach to integrated city planning and associated policies. The project will help to showcase the UK’s policy and commercial expertise in developing sustainable urban planning as well as Public Private Partnerships. Longer term impact The Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial de Manizales incorporates policies and projects which implement the integrated green growth approach. The project would provide a basis for more detailed zoning plans, sector strategies and development proposals to be taken forward on an integrated basis which are being planned over the next 3 years. Drawing from international best practice innovative partnership models to implement and deliver city plans and projects are piloted in practice in Manizales. The framework will support decision makers to take evidence based approach to urban development and infrastructure planning leading to a more efficient development and integrated solutions. 09 In addition a gap analysis was undertaken of the existing planning approach in the city based upon a review of the existing POT to highlight opportunities for strengthening the policy approach. Between 2 and 4th September a series of eight meetings took place in Manizales to explore the key issues facing the city, to explore potential economic scenarios and to brief the consultants on existing and emerging plans and initiatives. A summary note of the visit was shared which also set out a roadmap and outline of the next steps in informing this document which was finalised in further discussions. During the visit to Manizales the consultants participated in a half day Manizales roadshow which explored issues facing the city at which the project was introduced to a wider audience of city stakeholders. “Manizales is one of the leading Colombian cities showing the way towards integrated and more sustainable city development.” Section. 1 Overview of proposals and strategic context 12 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Manizales vision Introduction 1. POT 2. Transport Plan 3. Environmental Action Plan 4. Estoy Manizales 5. Education Masterplan 6. Invest in Caldas 7. Risk management plan 8. Findeter Sustainable Cities Action Plan 9. Proyectos list 10. Public spaces masterplan 11. UN Habitat South Central Region project Manizales priorities • Education • Civic participation • Environmental protection • City identity The Manizales City Region has set out a bold vision for its future in a series of strategies and plans. The Region strives to become one of the best places to live in Colombia, offering quality of life for its inhabitants. The model for development is founded on principles of social and economic productivity, habitat protection and enhancement, institutional strengthening and taking a citizen centred approach to growth and investment. The Manizales vision is by 2032 to create friendly city where citizens have a good quality of life within a city governed by ethical and democratic principles. The city’s development is founded on sustainable development, where an emphasis is placed on outstanding education, richness of culture, civic participation, innovation, entrepreneurship, enhancing natural capital and recognising heritage. The Manizales priorities are brought together into a single framework Manizales City Region Green Growth Economy Liveable The Manizales Strategic Plan 2012-2013 outlines the need to continue to engage citizens and develop a civic culture around participation that contributes to the transformation and development of the city in terms of quality of life. Strategic initiatives are identified with the goal of sustainable development, including reducing inequality, improving education, increasing participation, improving environmental protection and enhancing the quality of the environment, innovation and R&D, accessibility to public services and health, building trust in institutions and the safety and security of citizens. A series of key objectives and indicators are set out in order to measure progress. This City Region Plan illustrates how the existing plans and strategies, shown in Figure 1, align and identify further opportunities for strengthening regional performance. It incorporates detailed zoning plans, sector strategies and development proposals which have been drawn from international best practice and provides a clear roadmap for a more integrated and competitive Manizales City Region. Innovative Ecosystem Social Inclusion Integrated Infrastructure Manizales City Region Framework This framework is designed to provide a cohesive vision for a greater regional focus and support decision makers in taking evidence based decisions which account for interdependencies and complexity inherent in urban development and infrastructure planning. Furthermore, it will make the city an exemplar for the national government could be an approach which can be replicated in other cities, which could help to leverage investment from international public and private sector entities. In addition to raising the profile of opportunities in Manizales to the public and private sector, this framework will help the region to coordinate its growth, which will allow local governments to optimise investment and maximise green growth potential. Acknowledging the existing strategies and proposals this plan has focused on 5 cross cutting themes which link and complement the focus of existing plans and play an integrating role in developing proposals for the City region. Accounts for interdependencies Encourages cross sectoral linkages Joined up government Supports Big Data and City Analytics Easier for Citizens to participate Establishes a mandate for citizen centric development Ensures sustainable development Promotes investment in resilient infrastructure Provides a more attractive environment for investors Manizales City-Region – Development Framework 13 Social Inclusion Green Growth Economy Liveable Innovation Ecosystem Resilient Infrastructure Estoy Manizales provides the basis for a citizen-centric City Region. Placing citizens at the heart of decision-making in the city not only requires transparent and robust governance structures but also new methods for facilitating the interactions. This City Region Plan builds on Estoy Manizales and illustrates how urban development and new infrastructure can provide social benefit and tackle social exclusion. Manizales City Region will grow economically, spatially and socially, and as it does so, natural resources are enhanced. Green Growth is pivotal to providing a favourable investment landscape established on long term sustainable opportunities, with no negative social, economic or environmental externalities. The City Region Plan identifies green growth opportunities to help diversify the industrial base, create long term jobs and improve living and working conditions. The Findeter IDB report benchmarks Manizales to measure performance against sustainability indicators. Ultimately performance is measured against the vision of a City Region where people can live happy, health lives within the carry capacity of the local and global environment. The environment of the urban settlements and rural areas affects the quality of life of citizens. Clean, convenient, green, diverse, culturally rich, inspiring and interactive places shaped by people result in places where people want to go and enrich the lives of inhabitants. Evaluating new development against such objectives will ensure development is sustainable. Manizales aims to become a ‘Learning City’ by 2025, necessitating a shift in sectoral focus for the city region. The conditions of the city should provide favourable conditions for research and development , projects are underway to establish clusters hosting business and industry related to the knowledge economy. The Innovation Ecosystem provides a strategy and spatial focus for the knowledge economy, accommodating enterprise at different scale from start ups to campus scale activities. As an established focus for innovation the City Region can retain intellectual capital and build a reputation that attracts talent and investment. Resilience and adaptability are essential infrastructure characteristics for the sustainable city. Traditional large scale infrastructure solutions do not generally offer efficient use of natural resources, nor can they adapt to changing conditions and needs. Integrated infrastructure should allow systems to fail safely and offer flexibility, rather than present a constraint to growth. Housing and public services will provide the vital catalyst for social inclusion, but equally important is accessibility, both economically and spatially. Inhabitants should enjoy convenient access to housing, services, retail, public space, culture and social networks; providing a spatial layout and efficient transport system will support accessibility. Key Investment Areas: City-wide, Housing, City Centre Regeneration, Tourism. Key Investment Areas: Expansion areas, La Nubia redevelopment, San Jose, Knowledge economy, Tourism. The availability and quality of public space is a recognised shortcoming for Manizales, authorities aim to rectify this through new policy, understanding the pivotal role of public space in improving environmental conditions, mobility and integration with cultural heritage. Key Investment Areas: Public space strategy, connectivity and integration, city centre regeneration, safety and security, tourism, culture and heritage. Innovation extends to urban governance too and more integrated government will be necessary to facilitate the aims in this City Region Plan. Key investment Areas: Universities, Zona Franca, City Centre regeneration. New infrastructure should incorporate best practice approaches to Climate Change Adaptation and Ecosystem Based Adaption, it should not exacerbate exposure to disaster risks and will strengthen the regions resilience against direct and indirect environmental impacts. Urban infrastructure, in particular, should not introduce physical barriers that sever communities, e.g. large roads and drainage channels. Key Investment Areas: City Centre regeneration, new roads and mass transit, energy generation and supply, water catchment management. 14 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Accessibility and connectivity Upgraded linkages between Manizales, La Nubia, Kilometre 41, Rosario, Chinchina and Villamaria will support intra regional trade and to ensure that the new city satellites can be accessed easily. Urbanization of the Region will rely on the connectivity of settlements to provide convenient linkages for goods and labour to traverse. Better connectivity will increase land values and help to attract inward investment as better conditions for business prevail. Within urban settlements, improved connectivity increases accessibility, helping to make retail and public services viable. More accessible locations are more socially inclusive too by providing easier access to wider range of destinations for employment and local services. A widely documented benefit of good local accessibility and connectivity is the impact on health and reducing car dependence. Fig 1.1: Location Map Connections that are high quality, visible, safe and offer quick, convenient access to facilities increase the likelihood that people will walk to work or anywhere else. More ‘walkable’ neighbourhoods have other significant benefits beyond health. They can reduce the cost of congestion and can help to address the issue of car parking demand. There is also evidence that strong connectivity facilitates safer streets and well used public realm Strategic Context Ecosystem services and natural capital The Central Southern District is one of six districts in the department of Caldas and includes the following sub districts: Chinchina, Manizales, Villamaria, Neira and Palestina. The City Region of Manizales lies in the tropical zone, to the west of the Andes, Colombia’s central mountain range. routes, urban settlements, topography and designated areas. The City Region has earmarked a number of transformational investments, including new settlements, tourist attractions, urban extensions, road construction and utilities infrastructure. Combined with other investment opportunities these projects will have a transformational impact on the Region. Its physical geography, soil characteristics, rainfall and water re-sources are determined by the influence of the Cumanday massif. Among the active volcanoes of this massif, at a height of 5,400 metres above sea level, is the snow-capped Nevado del Ruiz. But how do these investment priorities shift the Region towards a more sustainable development path and drive significant beneficial transformational changes that improve quality of life? The diagram opposite illustrates the strategic context and depicts locations of main transport The following categories capture where major strategic investments have been identified. By virtue of Manizales’ geographical location, with marked variations in altitude, the territory of the city and sub region is characterized by large climatic and ecological diversity. A number of designated areas to protect the Region’s biodiversity have been set up, Ecoparque los Yarumos, Rio Blanco Reserve, part of the Parque Nacional Natural Los Nevados, and Ecoparque Alcazares Arenillo. Urban development, new infrastructure and economic growth of the Region are intrinsically linked to the maintenance and preservation of its ecosystem services and natural capital. If business as usual development is permitted biodiversity loss and pollution will be prevalent, severely impacting quality of life and undermining the resilience of the Region, driving up the costs of providing clean water, power and building materials and deterring tourism and business. Proposals building from the existing Environmental agenda can help to protect and strengthen natural capital. Regional character The investment opportunities already prioritised together with additional proposals made in this report will contribute to the character of the Region. Improved infrastructure, quality of life and environment will help maintain its reputation as a good place for business. The commitment to education will help to cement the Region’s goal to develop the knowledge economy. Strengthening infrastructure and investment in regeneration will support tourism too and ensure visitors to the region are left with a positive experience of Manizales. A revitalised historic core supports the Region’s ambitions to transform into a tourist destination, its regeneration is essential in order to provide a safe, functional and interesting stay for visitors. The region’s coffee growing heritage is world renowned and features a UNESCO designation and coffee is core to the foundation of Manizales and identity of the region. Green Growth Economic diversity is important for the City Region, but growth must not come at the expense of environmental quality and social inclusion or exacerbating environmental risks. By following a green growth agenda the Manizales City Region can provide wealth and wellbeing for residents whilst respecting the environment. Already the Region has strong credentials in terms of the environmental initiatives led by authorities and universities, eco-tourism and resilient infrastructure investment are further ingredients which support green growth goals. Manizales City-Region – Development Framework 15 Resilient Infrastructure Business-as-usual infrastructure is unlikely to provide the environmental and social benefits needed for the Region. Infrastructure in the Region will need to be climate resilient, meaning infrastructure should be located, designed, built and operated with the current and future climate in mind. The result is infrastructure that can adapt to projected climate impacts and has flexibility to cope with uncertainty without massive failure and economic cost. This applies to energy, transport ICT and water infrastructure, as well as housing and buildings. New infrastructure planned in the Region should be evaluated for its resilience and how it can improve on existing systems. A range of infrastructure evaluation tools are available to illustrate the connections between the infrastructure project and the local and wider society, economy, environment and businesses. These tools also help identify where connections can cause dependencies that increase vulnerability and place the systems at risk. An important element of infrastructure resilience will be the use of ecosystem based adaptation (EbA) approaches in the Region’s infrastructure strategy, EbA ‘uses biodiversity and ecosystem services as part of an overall adaptation strategy to help people and communities adapt to the negative effects of climate change at local, national, regional and global levels’ (UNEP). Further studies are planned by the city to address this opportunity and develop proposals to address the issues of climate risk and develop proposals for adaptation and mitigation. Tourism Opportunities Volcano Airport Urban Settlement Bio Regions High Ecological Value Medium Ecological Value Very High Ecological Value Road River Boundary Fig 1.2: Strategic Context Geological Fault 16 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Proposals Map Taken together with existing proposals, the priority projects identified within this Plan can facilitate transformational change for the region. This map illustrates the extent of opportunities and projects. City Centre and San Jose Restoring the heart of the city and historic core to create a safe, convenient and attractive destination for tourism, business and residents. There are many opportunities to strengthen the economic role the of the City Centre. City Centre open spaces and the public realm will be improved, and where opportunities arise new open spaces will be created, developing a network of multifunctional public space will vastly improve the liveability in the City Centre. The San Jose area will be regenerated to provide a compact urban quarter that includes a mix of uses including public facilities, new social housing and open spaces. University Area Focus of investment in knowledge economy to establish Manizales as the ‘Learning City’ by 2025. The University area is a large corridor of institution uses that stretches from the eastern edge of the City Centre, to the Baja Suiza in the west, the area is spread across two districts palogrande and Estacion). New development in the area will be controlled to ensure that the area does not become over developed in terms of the scale and density of the built form and the intensity of land use. La Nubia Airport and Zona Franca Corridor The Zona Franca is an industrial and commercial area currently under construction. The free zone offers tax and customs incentives to businesses. The development will include high quality public services and a range of office accommodation over 22ha. Once La Nubia airport is vacated there is an opportunity for a mixed use community including commercial and residential uses. Baja Suiza The Baja Suiza area is identified as a key development area in the POT. This area is identified for integrated urban public space, transportation improvements and provision of community facilities associated with commercial and residential development adding to the initial phase of teh project which has already been completed. Baja Suiza is located adjacent to an ecoparque which is an environmentally sensitive area. The area has a high slip threat and future development of the area will include stabilization work and tree planting. Aeropuerto Del Cafe – Palestina- Rosario Located in Palestina, this is a new airport to accommodate domestic and international flights. There is an opportunity for a new multimodal distribution and logistics hub and large scale mixed use development nearby at Rosario. Km 41 North West of Manizales the proposed growth area has potential to host an exemplar eco neighbourhood. Infrastructure upgrades Improvements to roads will reduce travel times between cities and towns, particularly between the new International Airport and Manizales. Flood prevention infrastructure improvements are scheduled for the Nubia airport area. New sewerage and aqueduct proposed from Chinchina to Km 41. Tourism and rural development opportunities Key opportunities include spas, ecoparks, birdwatching, adventure sports, new hotels and a revitalised historic core. Taken together these initiatives may not yet be sufficient to bring about the transformational change required for a successful tourism sector. A tourism strategy, investment in eco-tourism attractions, adventure tourism and rural income diversification can be prioritised to contribute to a strong tourism base to grow from. Existing and proposed protection areas could be expanded further. Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Volcano Airport Urban Settlement Bio Regions Road River Boundary Geological Fault Growth Area Palestina Aqueduct and Sewerage System Upgraded Roads Priority Projects Fig 1.3: Proposals Map 17 18 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Trajectory and timeline 2013-2025 Phase I Phase II Phase III 2014 - 2015 2016 - 2020 2021 - 2025 Positioning Building momentum Transformation change City Branding and Marketing Aeropuerto Del Cafe – Palestina Rosario Expansion area Zona Franca - La Nubia Corridor Airport Development Development of Commercial and Industrial Uses Development of Rosario neighbourhood Improvement of business environment Redevelopment of Nubia airport Transport improvements Public realm and open space City centre regeneration SMEs development Repopulating the city Reinvigorating the evening and cultural economy San Jose redevelopment Kilometer 41 University Area Creating an eco community District Improvements Baja Suiza Marketing Rural and Tourism areas Landscaped and signposted circuit Accommodation and amenities (rural, urban) The diagram provides an overview of the proposals presented in this document and the suggested timeframe to complete these. The proposals are categorised by spatial area and indicate key objectives or themes. A more detailed list of projects is provided further below in the document under the respective headings. The projects selected are considered complementary to the 19 POT projects reinforcing the implementation of the POT. In the first phase, any activities are related to ‘positioning’ Manizales City Region for growth and development. This is a rather short phase and reflects the preparation of studies, early wins through small interventions. More importantly it includes any efforts on marketing the city region and what it has to offer. The timeline can be distinguished in 3 main phases. Certain projects involve continuous efforts that permeate all three phases The second phase (2016- 2020), is mostly about ‘building momentum’. Results from early wins are visible and interest is shown from both domestic partners and international investors. Some long term large projects are brought forward and the vision is starting getting shape. By 2025, ‘transformational change’ is taking place with most projects ongoing or near completion. At this stage of the projects and initiatives will be showing tangible benefits and a positive impact according to social, economic and environmental indicators. Manizales City-Region – Development Framework 19 “By 2025 there could be total employment of 263,700 employees, equating to an additional 42,800 jobs, the majority of which would be in the services sector.” Section. 2 Economic scenarios and key sectors 22 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Manizales City Region Growth 2025 – Development Scenarios Preferred Scenario The Medium Growth Scenario is considered the most appropriate as the basis for planning as it best represents potential growth in Manizales city region in the next decade till 2025, taking into consideration past and recent trends. Monitoring of progress in achieving these targets will help identify where review and updates to the strategy could be necessary. Population Growth 2013-2025 Population Growth 600,000 500,000 Manizales city-region comprises of 5 municipalities that have experienced different population growth over the past few years. Villa Maria has shown the greatest increase averaging at 2% per annum, while Chinchina and Palestina have seen decreased population since 2000. 500,000 400,000 400,000 300,000 300,000 200,000 200,000 100,000 Manizales Villa Maria Neira Chinchina Palestina Manizales Villa Maria Neira Chinchina Palestina 20252025 20242024 20232023 20222022 20212021 20202020 20192019 20182018 20162016 20172017 20152015 20142014 20132013 20122012 20112011 20102010 20082008 20092009 20072007 20062006 20052005 0 20042004 100,000 0 20032003 Three scenarios were developed (Low, Medium, and High Growth) in order to understand the potential impact growth would have on land uses. The development of the scenarios has built upon analyses undertaken of past socio-economic trends. These scenarios should be considered as a starting point to support the POT as further analyses would be required to refine and finalise the land use approach. Population Growth 2013-2025 600,000 20022002 Scenario Development Preferred Scenario 20012001 Future land use requirements will critically depend on the size, make-up and distribution of future population and employment. Thus, consideration of potential future development demographic and economic growth scenarios is essential to inform the regional development framework and POT. FigPreferred 2.1 Preferred Scenario Scenario 20002000 Background Servicios comunales, sociales y personales Employment Growth Actividades Servicios comunales, sociales Inmobiliarias y personales Intermediación financiera Actividades Inmobiliarias By 2025 there could be total employment of 263,700 employees, equating to an additional 42,800 jobs, the majority of which would be in the services sector. Transporte, almacenamiento y comunicaciones Intermediación financiera Comercio, hoteles y restaurantes Transporte, almacenamiento y comunicaciones Comercio, hoteles yConstrucción restaurantes Suministro de ElectricidadConstrucción Gas y Agua manufacturera Suministro de Industria Electricidad Gas y Agua Explotación de Minas y Canteras Industria manufacturera Agricultura, pesca, ganadería, caza y ysilvicultura Explotación de Minas Canteras Agricultura, pesca, ganadería, caza y silvicultura Taking forward past and current trends, the city-region could have a population of some 590,600 residents by 2025 from 547,100 in 2013. 0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 14,000 0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 14,000 New employment positions created 2013-2025 New employment positions created 2013-2025 There is currently a workforce of 219,000, (40% of total population), with 80% located in Manizales and Villa Maria. It is expected that a successful city region would increase labour participation through the creation of more employment opportunities aligned with the skills available as well as being more successful in retaining graduates and attracting high skiled migrants to the city. Land Requirements An increase in employment would create the requirement of additional work space. An additional 42,800 jobs would require approximately 94 hectares of employment land within the city region, including 18 hectares for industrial uses. Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Fig. 2.3 High Growth Scenario Alternative Growth Scenarios and Land Requirements Fig. 2.4 Low Growth Scenario 700,000 600,000 600,000 500,000 500,000 Two further scenarios reflecting low and high growth were considered to show how macro and local economic performance could impact on land development in the city. A low growth scenario assumes that development is taking place below expectations with corresponding low population growth. Similarly, a high growth scenario is founded on the assumption that net migration is not negative. Assumptions 400,000 400,000 Fig. 2.3 Fig. 2.3 High High Growth Growth Scenario Scenario Fig. Fig. 2.4 2.4 Low Low Growth Growth Scenario Scenario 300,000 300,000 700,000 700,000 600,000 600,000 200,000 200,000 600,000 600,000 500,000 500,000 100,000 100,000 500,000 500,000 0 400,000 400,000 400,000 400,000 0 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 300,000 300,000 • Population projections are based on extrapolation of current growth patterns allowing for variations to reflect different development scenarios. No detailed demographic analyses were undertaken to qualify population characteristics including migratory patterns. • Due to the lack of detailed future economic development projections, employment growth correlates to projected population and increasing labour participation and not actual employment projections. • No study has been undertaken to quantify the capacity of each municipality to absorb population growth and employment creation. • A study of land development potential and opportunities would enable options for development of each municipality to be developed. 200,000 200,000 100,000 100,000 Population Employment Linear (Population) Linear (Employment) 00 High Growth Scenario - Additional Employment 2013-2025 2013 2014 2014 2015 2015 2016 2016 2017 2017 2018 2018 2019 2019 2020 2020 2021 2021 2022 2022 2023 2023 2024 2024 2025 2025 2013 Servicios comunales, sociales y personales Population Population Actividades Inmobiliarias 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 200,000 200,000 Population Employment 100,000 100,000 Linear (Population) Linear (Employment) 00 Low Growth Scenario - Additional Employment 2013-2025 2013 2014 2014 2015 2015 2016 2016 2017 2017 2018 2018 2019 2019 2020 2020 2021 2021 2022 2022 2023 2023 2024 2024 2025 2025 2013 Comercio, hoteles y restaurantes High High Growth Growth Scenario Scenario -- Additional Additional Employment Employment 2013-2025 2013-2025 Construcción Linear (Employment) (Employment) Linear Comercio, hoteles y restaurantes Low Low Growth Growth Scenario Scenario -- Additional Additional Employment Employment 2013-2025 2013-2025 Construcción Suministro de Electricidad Gas y Agua Servicios Servicios comunales, comunales, sociales sociales yy personales personales Industria manufacturera Actividades Actividades Inmobiliarias Inmobiliarias Suministro de Electricidad Gas y Agua Servicios comunales, sociales yy personales personales Servicios comunales, sociales Industria manufacturera Actividades Inmobiliarias Actividades Inmobiliarias Explotación de Minas financiera yfinanciera Canteras Intermediación Intermediación Agricultura, pesca, ganadería,yy caza y silvicultura Transporte, Transporte, almacenamiento almacenamiento comunicaciones comunicaciones Agricultura, pesca, ganadería,yy caza y silvicultura Transporte, almacenamiento almacenamiento comunicaciones Transporte, comunicaciones Comercio, Comercio, hoteles hoteles yy restaurantes restaurantes Employment Employment Intermediación financiera Linear (Population) (Population) Linear Transporte, almacenamiento y comunicaciones Linear Linear (Employment) (Employment) Explotación de Minas financiera yfinanciera Canteras Intermediación Intermediación 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 Comercio, hoteles hoteles yy restaurantes restaurantes Comercio, Construcción Construcción Explotación Explotación de de Minas Minas yy Canteras Canteras Explotación de de Minas Minas yy Canteras Canteras Explotación Agricultura, Agricultura, pesca, pesca, ganadería, ganadería, caza caza yy silvicultura silvicultura Agricultura, pesca, pesca, ganadería, ganadería, caza caza yy silvicultura silvicultura Agricultura, 00 5,000 5,000 10,000 10,000 0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 6,000 6,000 8,000 8,000 Suministro de de Electricidad Electricidad Gas yy Agua Agua positions created 2013-2025 Suministro Gas New employment Industria manufacturera manufacturera Industria Suministro Suministro de de Electricidad Electricidad Gas Gas yy Agua Agua New employment positions created 2013-2025 Industria Industria manufacturera manufacturera 650,000 300,000 300,000 Servicios comunales, sociales y personales Population Population Actividades Inmobiliarias Employment Employment Intermediación financiera Linear Linear (Population) (Population) Transporte, almacenamiento y comunicaciones Construcción Construcción Fig. 2.2 Population Growth 2000-2025 23 15,000 15,000 20,000 20,000 00 2,000 2,000 4,000 4,000 600,000 New New employment employment positions positions created created 2013-2025 2013-2025 550,000 Fig. Fig. 2.2 2.2 Population Population Growth Growth 2000-2025 2000-2025 500,000 650,000 650,000 450,000 500,000 500,000 High Growth Scenario 450,000 450,000 2024 2022 2020 2018 2016 2014 2012 2010 2008 2006 2004 2002 550,000 550,000 2000 600,000 600,000 400,000 Preferred Scenario Low Growth Scenario 2024 2022 2020 2018 2016 2014 2012 2010 2008 2006 2004 2002 2000 400,000 400,000 New employment employment positions positions created created 2013-2025 2013-2025 New Population – The population city region is projected to reach some 630,400, with Villa Maria, Neira and Manizales absorbing much of the growth Population – Relatively stagnant at 559,200 with municipalities of Chinchina and Palestina continuing to experiencing decreasing population Employment – Total projected employment of 277,600 in the city region Employment – Some 246,600 residents would comprise the total workforce Land requirements – 129 hectares for employment uses including 24ha for industrial uses Land requirements – 61 hectares for commercial uses including 12 hectares for industrial uses 24 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Manizales City Region Growth 2025 – Development Scenarios Manizales City Region has all the attributes to develop into a successful economic centre and an area with high standards for living. Whist the city region measures favourably in certain areas in terms of key drivers of competitive economic performance such as quality of life, decision making and human capital, there is a need to ensure that other drivers are also in a position to lead the city region to higher economic performance. These include connectivity both intra and interregional, attracting appropriate investment and cultivating an innovative diverse economy. To ensure prosperity is maximised and spread across all areas of the community, there a number of measures and intervention that can be adopted. Although Manizales benefits from extensive educational opportunities, the city is lagging behind in terms of incentives to create a right business environment with the associated physical infrastructure to retain and attract investors and businesses. A number of initiatives have been promoted and taken forward, however in a highly competitive global economy every effort needs to focus on delivering excellence so that Manizales can maximise its market share. The diagram overleaf provides an overview of the key sectors of the economy in Manizales and links to potential proposed investment locations. The aim of the diagram is to show the complexity of spatial distribution of the urban economy and how each investment site requires a comprehensive understanding of development potential in relation to the economic prospects. Target outcome Urban standard of living Economic performance GDP / GVA per capita Aggregate urban economic performance Labour productivity Revealed urban competitive economic performance Key drivers of competitive economic performance Innovation / Creativity Self-reinforcing feedback effects Investment Human Capital Employment rate Economic diversity / specialisation Wages and profits Connectivity Quality of life Decision Making The following pages provide a summary of each of the key opportunity sectors including current performance and future potential initiatives. Fundamentals Fig. 2.5 Urban growth fundamentals and drivers Business environment Educational base Physical infrastructure Social / cultural / infrastructures / networks Governance structure Manizales City-Region – Development Framework An overview of Manizales city region economy and key investment locations Manizales City-Region Economy Fundamentals and key drivers Innovation / Creativity Information Communication Technology Urban Services 1. 3. 4. 5. 7. Human Capital Investment 1. 2. 3. 4. 7. Research & Development / Higher Education 1. 2. 3. Economic Diversity Quality of life 6. 7. Decision Making Visitor Economy Transport & Logistics 1. 1. 4. 5. 7. 3. 5. Physical Infrastructure Connectivity Manufacturing 3. 5. Other Agriculture, Mining, Energy 2. 3. 5. 6. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Universities District and Learning City Zona Franca Corridor and La Nubia Airport New Airport Cluster – Palestina-Rosario City Centre Regeneration Sub regional Tourism Tourism Bioinformatics and Biotechnology centre Km41 Investment locations Key knowledge intensive economic activities Fig. 2.6 Manizales City Region Economic Projects 25 26 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Knowledge economy and higher education Vision: Manizales will build on its existing strenghts in higher education. Two of the most prominent initiatives include the partnership with the European Union under the Seventh Framework Programme of the EU to and the organisation of diaspora national scientific events to engage Colombian academics abroad. A key priority for the City is to build on its strengthin higher education. There has been considerable effort over the past few years to develop a place where R&D activities can flourish. Projects such as the Bios Centre and City Tech in Zona Franca will help increase the quality and quantity of activities in the sector. Performance: public sector education has experienced a modest growth since 2000 with 2.4% per annum, whilst private sector education has decreased at a rate of 1.4% in terms of added value over the same period. Despite that, there has been considerable effort to promote Manizales as a key university city in Colombia with a number of higher education institutions and research centres linking with national and international counterparts Future Outlook: A key goal of the Colombian government is to increase the proportion of young Colombians that continue their studies or training after school. In 2010, the proportion of those continuing to higher or vocational education was only 37.2%. In the meantime, academic institutions in the country have been raising their standards, including those located within Manizales City Region with higher quality and variety of courses offered. The National Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (Colciencias) has embarked on ambitious strategy to upscale higher education and R&D in country. R&D is closely related to the Information and Communication Technology sector and a number of projects and initiatives in the latter permeate into the development of a ‘Learning City’. There is a need to establish a strategy to facilitate future growth in the sector that provides a coherent message in terms of spatial physical planning and connectivity of the sector both within Manizales city region but also outside its boundaries. Research and Development / Higher Education Development of new products and services through applied research Type of Economic Activity Educational Base • Academic (any related subject) • Research scientists (life and physical sciences, maths) • Scientific laboratory technician • Product development specialist • Advanced studies in related subjects • Information systems Existing Initiatives Planned Projects No known initiatives • City Tech • Bios- Centre for Bioinformatics and Biotechnology Fig. 2.7 – Indicative Sector Development Framework Future Development Opportunities • New faculties and specialisms • Establishing a Science Park/City; • Organising Conferences • Incentives to develop private sector R&D market • Engaging international academics • Financing for university spin-off businesses Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Manizales City Region hosts the campus of one of the best universities in Central and South America. The National University of Colombia ranks 4th out of 300 academic institutions surveyed in the Region, behind Brazilian and Chilean institutions (Source: QS Latin American University Rankings 2013) The University has been the centre of the research and academic tradition in Colombia with a staff of nearly 3000 professors, and over 46000 students nationally. In Manizales the local campus includes the faculties of administration and information systems, engineering and architecture, biotechnology and agro industry, environmental sciences, The presence of such a reputable university locally enables the attraction of students and investor interest in R&D There are a number of other reputable academic institutions such as the University of Caldas, 8 in total. Additionally, there are 11 specialised centres in R&D that can provide a robust platform for the development of the sector. There were some 30,000 students in Manizales and based on current ratio of academic staff observed for the National University of Colombia, it is estimated that there are nearly 2000 professors and teaching staff in the City region, excluding any consideration of staff at R&D centres. With the increase of importance of the sector in Manizales it can be expected that Higher Education and R&D can become a significant employer in the city region creating a number of direct and supporting jobs as well as attracting new businesses. To service a potential growth in the sector it will be imperative that a number of facilities and infrastructure is in place to accommodate it. A number of successful examples of ‘University Cities’ around the world show that state of the art facilities, located in close proximity facilitate the functionality of a University. Given that Universities in Manizales City region are located within urban area with campuses scattered, the proposal and plan for the “University Quarter could help to consolidate the role this part of the city plays. This will not only assist with perceptions of space but will facilitate focus given on planning measures and investments to improve the legibility of the area. In addition there could be an opportunity to bring additional institutes and satellite buildings from some of the institutes to other parts of the city including the city centre and its fringe and the La Nubia airport site once it is vacated. Encouraging and increasing R&D presence in the city region will also require investment for the provision of appropriate facilities and favourable fiscal incentives to attract investors’ interest. As it is not always possible to co-locate facilities next to academic institutions, a dedicated site in a prime location, particularly close to transport nodes such as the Aeropuerto Del Cafe and/or La Nubia Airport once vacated would be important to offer required high visibility and appropriate image to the development. 27 28 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework ICT sector Vision: to establish Manizales as the ‘Learning City’ by 2025 and ‘Silicon Mountain’ of the Americas Information and Communication Technology Enabling the function of information processing and communication by electronic means. Performance: the sector has performed well in terms of output over the past 10 years achieving a steady increase of 4.7% per annum. It accounts of 0.8% of value added in the sector nationally. Future Outlook: there has been considerable effort put by stakeholders to promote the sector in Manizales. Close collaboration among national and local government and universities as well as businesses has enabled to secure some positive developments in the sector. The city region benefits from a healthy educational base with over 3,000 graduates in ICT related studies completing courses in the past 5 years. If the city can provide opportunities to retain a greater share of graduates it can provides a solid base on which ICT economy can flourish. Educational Base • • • • • • • • • • • • • Publishing activities Motion picture, video and programming Programming and broadcasting activities Telecommunications Computer programming, consultancy and related activities • Data processing, hosting and related activities • Activities of call centres • Business services and financial services, including legal The significance of the sector and the local commitment to succeed can be reflected in the numerous initiatives and projects established directly or indirectly related with the ICT sector: • Digital City strategy: a programme looking to consolidate initiatives and projects creating an ecosystem of activities • Incubar: the incubator of technology based business of Manizales, an institution supporting entrepreneurship and business development • Bios: Centre for Bioinformatics and Biotechnology which includes an IT platform/ data processing centre located at Yarumos Eco Park. Type of Economic Activity Programming languages Hardware architecture and construction Network design and engineering Software engineering/programming Multimedia design Software tools and packages Databases Data-mining Existing Initiatives Planned Projects • • • • • City Tech • Zona Franca • Bios- Centre for Bioinformatics and Biotechnology • Incubar Manizales Mas Vive Labs Tecnoacademia Digital citizen initiative and telecentros Fig. 2.7 – Indicative Sector Development Framework Future Development Opportunities • Specialised lab facilities • IT Outsourcing Activities • Business Process Outsourcing Activities • Knowledge Process Outsourcing Activities • Analysis Proves Outsourcing (APO) ie.Big Data Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Expanding the range and depth of ICT services represented in the local economy will assist in increasing the competitiveness of all sectors while it provides a basis to pursue a number of new opportunities such as outsourcing activities. However, there is still much to be achieved as the to date the most significant sub sectors in terms of employment in Manizales are lower value ICT related services such as call centres. To increase the share of higher value added activities there is a need to up-skill the local workforce. Activities such as Knowledge Process Outsourcing involve intellectual arbitrage requiring more specialised skills than ITO and BPO activities. Due to the greater specialisation these sub sectors tend to be less footloose as they are dependent labour markets where more specialised knowledge workers are available. The diagram indicates the steps involved from moving from ITO and BPO activities to those higher value activities of KPO activities. These are effectively a combination of processing activities such as BPO and more specialised activities in research and IT related activities. Manizales city region has a strong economic base that can support these. It has an existing R&D base combined with reputable university presence (eg National coffee research centre – Cenicafe and the Centre for Bioinformatics and Biotechnology). Developing these services further would provide an opportunity, through ICT, to expand in to the market of KPO activities for both national and international companies and institutions, particularly in Spanish speaking countries. 29 IT Outsourcing Activities • Application management and application development • Data centre operations • Testing and quality assurance Business Process Outsourcing Activities • • • • Financial and administration processes Human resources functions Call centre and customer centre activities Accounting and payroll Research analysis outsourcing – Analysis Proves Outsourcing Activities • • • • Financial research Clinical research Big Data analysis Legal research Knowledge process outsourcing activities • • • • • • Insurance Equity research and investment banking Retail banking and marketing Legal services Clinical services Intellectual property services Fig. 2.9 Increasing value of outsourcing activities 30 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Transport and logistics sector Vision: to establish international, inter and intra departmental connectivity An indicative list of products that require air freight is provided below. For these products what counts as time critical, and hence require fast transportation, depends on how quickly a product perishes and / or the value to the recipient. Performance: the transport sector , particularly air transportation, has experienced a major setback in recent years with 12.6% decrease per annum in value added over the past 10 years. The operation of the current airport is limited by weather conditions which has contributed significantly to the loss of business which consequently affects the whole economy of the city region. • Perishables – food, flowers • Business packages and mail • Luxury goods • Equipment / machinery • Pharmaceutical products • Animals • High value goods which can range from high value consumables to diamonds, gold, cash Given the city region’s relatively isolated location due to its topography, air linkages with the rest of the country are important. Future Outlook: The future of the sector and other related activities will depend on the progress of key projects announced to connect the city region to the rest of the country and internationally. The planned airport will play an important role not only to Manizales but to the wider department, claiming back some of the lost business to other regional airports. The operation of the current airport is limited by weather conditions which has contributed significantly to the loss of business which consequently affects the whole economy of the city region. With the development of the new airport and road connections there is an opportunity create a core logistics centre for the area. It will also enable to facilitate the improvement of business in other sectors such as tourism that will see Manizales as a place to visit within easy reach as well as providing an impetus for a successful higher education expansion, business attraction. Further opportunities could arise for sectors that benefit from the proximity to an international airport such as the development of Science Parks, high tech manufacturing, leisure sector. These products provide an indication of the potential uses and type of employment that could be created due to the existence of an established transportation network that focuses on air cargo. Potential uses that can benefit from close proximity to an airport include: • Just in time manufacturing • Factory outlets • Industrial park • Logistics park and free trade zone • Distribution centre • Intermodal freight hub • University campus • Sports complex • Medical and wellness cluster • Exhibition halls/world trade complex/ convention centre • Office corridor/business park • Info communications Technology (ICT) corridor • Residential/shopping complex • Hotels Transport & Logistics Activities that enable people and goods to be transported in the least possible time. Type of Economic Activity Educational Base • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Analysts Clerks/agents/customs brokerage Courier/drivers/pilots Distribution and packaging IT consultants and marketing Transport planner Engineers Maintenance Economics Business management Transport planning Information systems Administration Engineering Existing Initiatives Planned Projects Future Opportunities • No known initiatives • Aeropuerto de Cafe • Road schemes • Cable car Airport related uses or uses that could benefit from close proximity to an airport such as high tech manufacturing, conference halls, hotels distribution centres, food industry activities. Increase accessibility for visitors facilitating the development of the tourism sector elsewhere in the city region such as city centre regeneration, rural tourism activities and facilities. Fig. 2.10 – Indicative Sector Development Framework Manizales City-Region – Development Framework 31 Urban services Vision: to establish Manizales as a key regional service and administrative centre for the region Performance: all sectors have performed well over the past 10 years including the real estate sector (2.6% per annum) and financial services (5% per annum). in 2012,, Urban services in Manizales city region accounted for over a quarter of total output (26%) but slightly lower than the national average (30%) reflecting a higher concentration of urban services in Bogota. Future Outlook: Urban services tend to reflect and correspond to the demands of the local population and as the population of the city region is expected to increase over the next decades so will the requirements for greater and more sophisticated services. Furthermore, the city region is set to expand its economic base which would also require the provision of services to support their operations. Manizales city region has started establishing itself as a provider of specialised ICT related services. Services such as Knowledge Processing Outsourcing represent a niche market that does not only service the local market but could also capture some of the national market and international markets benefiting from language skills for Spanish speaking countries these centre not only on ICT but also related business services and support services sub sectors. A well serviced city not only benefits local population and businesses but also helps attract investors which would view the city as a good location for business. However, to accommodate expanding services and niche sectors there is a requirement for suitable workspaces. Manizales city region offers an array of current and potential development possibilities including in the historic city of Manizales and elsewhere within or outside of the Manizales. Appropriate consideration of businesses’ requirements and provisions would signal the maturity of the city region’s economy to potential investors. Urban Services Services provided through public or private facilities to residents and workers or support to other key economic sectors. Type of Economic Activity Educational Base • • • • • • • • • • • • • Financial intermediation Real estate Trade Public utilities Health care Finance/accounting Economics Medicine Engineering Marketing and human resources Legal and advertising Information systems Business management Existing Initiatives Planned Projects Future Development Opportunities • No known initiatives • Energy related projects • Business services, including specialist services to support ICT related activities • Health care facilities including specialist units • Waste management • Wholesale trade in relation to airport development • Retail services • Public sector services • Retail quarters/leisure • Public sector activities expansion to serve beyond the boundaries of the city region (e.g. e-government) Fig. 2.11 – Indicative Sector Development Framework 32 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Visitor Economy Vision: to establish the region as the second national tourism destination after the Atlantic Coast Performance: The value of the tourism sector to the local economic has grown over the 10 years at an average rate of 3.8% per annum. Although not Future Outlook: A number of initiatives have been established to promote the great wealth of natural and historic resources within Manizales city region. furthermore, new hotels and facilities such as learning centres have started being developed to enhance the touristic offer. The city region already benefits from exceptional resources with a subtropical climate boasting 8 different climate zones. The area has a lot to offer to the visitor including: • • • • • Hot springs Natural and theme parks Eco-tourism activities route/circuit Architectural heritage Events & Festivals Some of its greatest assets are the numerous parks in the area such as the Tropical Rainforest Yarumos Ecopark, White River Ecopark and Forest of Snails, the coffee culture embedded in the local life, as well as the fine architecture located within the historic centre of Manizales. Visitor Economy Services related to Eco-Tourism, Agrotourism and Architectural Heritage. Type of Economic Activity Educational Base • • • • • • • • • • Hotels and restaurants Land/water/air transport Travel agencies Car rentals Recreational, cultural and sporting facilities Other tourism related industries e.g. financial services Financial management Customer services Personnel including human resources Marketing – planning, product development, advertising sales, distribution, public relations, publicity, research analysis and e-marketing • Linguistics Existing Initiatives Planned Projects Future Development Opportunities • Improving the Competitiveness of the Tourism Sector and the Coffee Cultural Landscape in Caldas – • Coffee Route de Caldas in Chinchina • Aeropuerto de Cafe • Hotels • Conferences and conventions • 5 routes: cultural and historic. eco-parks and adventure, coffee route, religious route bird-watching • • • • • • • • In the future the sector could play an even bigger role in the local economy contributing to higher employment creation and attracting national and international attention and investment. • • • • • Fig. 2.12 – Indicative Sector Development Framework T ourism marketing campaign Infrastructure and utilities upgrade Agrotourism Eco developments and landscaped circuit Tourist Cable car and other modes of transportation within the city region Appropriate signposting and landscaping in urban areas Internationalisation of existing festivals and creation of new ones Redevelopment of building in the historic centre into new uses (e.g. boutique hotels) Business (meetings and seminars) Sports activities – walking, horse riding, cycling Health and wellness activities Centres for the scientific observation of nature Appropriate signposting and landscaping in urban areas Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Segments The identified development opportunities can largely be group together under the following segments. This process helps identify common characteristics and appropriate interventions for target audiences. Key market segments for Manizales include: MICE(Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) This segment reflects all business related visits and could see Manizales developing as a key meetings, conventions and trade shows destination in Colombia and internationally. Key requirements for this to be realised would be the completion of new Aeropuerto del Cafe and the development of new convention centre providing state of the art facilities. Special Interest/Activities This market segment directly relates to the natural environment including ecotourism experience, adventure tourism (mountain biking, hiking), native wildlife parks and gardens and agro tourism (e.g. coffee growing). An additional strand relates to the creation of wellbeing and health facilities, such as spa hotels that can complement nature related offer. Short Breaks / Family holidays There is a necessity to change perceptions of Manizales City Region towards that of a key destination for domestic tourists. The area benefits from abundant natural resources, unique within Colombia that could provide an alternative to beach destination s in country and a relaxing and educational environment as a family holiday or short weekend break. Offer Positioning in the market is very important and there will be a requirement to provide an array of services to enable a all round tourism offer that attract interest. Accommodation A variety of accommodation is essential to cater for the various segments for the market. This should include business hotels with suitable conferencing and ICT facilities; rural accommodation, particularly eco-friendly cottages, and boutique and city centre hotels. Attractions The city region already benefits from a number of natural attractions, however a more formal proposition such as established hiking routes and facilities along the way. This should also includes urban attraction such as the organisation of national and international conferences and trade shows, cultural events and educational summits. Amenities Other amenities apart from accommodation should include tourist offices, an effective transportation network, restaurants and bars and shops in an inviting and pleasing environment, easily accessible for tourists. Marketing When making a choice to travel the level of available information is critical and the way this is communicated across. Tourism promotion needs to be effective and creative with the greatest attention being paid to the target audience. It needs to highlight the desirable aspects of the location providing adequate information. It also needs to be far reaching and accessible something that can be realised through participation in trade fairs, advertisements or just simply a well structured and interesting website that provides a one-shopstop for all services and attractions in the area. 33 “The vision for the City Centre is to reinvigorate the Centre so that it once again becomes the heart of the City, an area that residents of Manizales take pride in and see as a desirable place to live, work and enjoy.” Section. 3 Spatial focus and proposed investment areas 36 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Manizales city centre regeneration Context The City Centre includes the historic centre of the City and its surrounding areas, and the San Jose area. The City Centre has traditionally been the heart of the City, serving the City and the wider region. Over the years the historic centre has been affected by insensitive development that failed to respect the character, architecture and culture of the centre. Housing in the City Centre has been displaced by commercial development, and the perception among some residents is that the city has become a less attractive place to live for a variety of issues relating to quality of life leading to a trend of more affluent residents moving away to live in other districts. The commercialisation of the Centre has led to increased traffic congestion and parking issues, noise and pollution. The City Centre does play a role in providing economic and employment opportunities for the people of the City. As the role of the City Centre has changed other problems have arisen, such as crime and deprivation and poor environmental quality. The location of the City Centre including the San Jose area has led to the formation of informal settlements for those on lower incomes. Some of the informal settlements are on steep slopes which are unstable and at risk from landslides. The result of these issues is that other centres are now developing and have attracted people and activity away from the City Centre. The growth of these centres will not help in arresting the decline of the City Centre. Vision The vision for the City Centre is to reinvigorate the Centre so that it once again becomes the heart of the City, an area that residents of Manizales take pride in and see as a desirable place to live, work and enjoy, this is important for achieving a high quality of life (a key objective of the POT). The role of the City Centre will be redefined so that it is a multi-functional area with a wide mix of uses including new housing, commercial uses, services, administrative functions, shopping and cultural facilities. As set out in the POT (Componente Generale) protection of cultural, historical and architectural assets is a key objective. Development will need to be carefully designed so that it retains and protects the buildings, culture and the urban form in the historic centre. The City Centre will continue to remain a key asset in leveraging investment and jobs to the City. The economic role of the City Centre will be diversified to attract a wider range of economic opportunities. These opportunities will be identified and promoted to potential investors and employers. Opportunities will be taken to promote walking and cycling in order to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality. The San Jose area will be regenerated to provide a compact urban quarter that includes a mix of uses including public facilities, new social housing and open spaces. The regeneration of the area will provide residents, with increased job opportunities, improved services and a better quality of life. The physical links between the San Jose area and the historic centre will be improved, so that area is better integrated with the historic core. City Centre open spaces and the public realm will be improved, and where opportunities arise new open spaces will be created, developing a network of multifunctional public space will vastly improve the liveability in the City Centre. By creating a vibrant City Centre through these improvements the City Centre will help to attract new investment into the City, and will reinforce the attraction of the City for visitors. Existing Proposals Alcaldia de Manizales has developed proposals for both the Historic Core set out in the Plan Parciade Revitalización Integral del Centro de Manizales and the San Jose area set out in Macroproyecto de Interes Social Nacional Para el Centro Occidente de Colombia – San Jose – manizales. Proposals for the historic centre include the following:Historic Centre: • Reform of the transit system to develop a circular transport system fed by two nodes. • Market square revitalisation. • Creation of new parks. • Development of new housing in block 5-219. Build an entire city block with different housing typologies new housing standards. • Shopping mall project in blocks 5-20 and 5-44 through the demolition of non-protected buildings and recycling of protected buildings and facades. • Pedestrianisation of street 19. Proposals for the San Jose area include the following: • Urban renewal of the area to provide 4,000 new social homes. • Relocation of families in the high risk area of Olivares hillside. • Commercial development. • Sport and recreation park. • College. • Territorial Health Authority. • Police District. • Integrated Community Services Center – CISCO. • Fields Gallery (market square). • Consumer Centre. • Health Center. • Educational Facilities. • Fire Station. • Technology Park. The proposals for San Jose are spread across the five areas identified Macroproyecto de Interes Social Nacional Para el Centro Occidente de Colombia – San Jose – Manizales for renewal / redevelopment: • • • • • Pieza Intermedia De Planificacion (PIP13). Parque Olivares. Zona mixta. Sector Avanzada (Advanced sector). Plan Parcial Galeria (Galleria Partial Plan). Manizales City-Region – Development Framework URBAN TREATMENTS PIP 13 SECTOR AVANZADA ZONA MIXTA PLAN PARCIAL GALLERIA HISTORICAL CENTRE PARQUE OLIVERAS (Development to be moved to alternative locations) TRANSPORTE PUBLICO CIRCULAR ESTACIONES DE TRANSFERENCIA CENTRO DE MANIZALES NATURAL OPEN SPACE OPPORTUNITIES NEW COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT Existing Public Open Spaces Monumnets / Cultural Attractions Institutional Commercial Active Frontage Major / Arterial Routes New Pedestrian Routes / Loops Connections With Historical Centre Fig. 3.1 – Proposals and opportunities City Centre 1 Plaza De Bolivar 2 Cathedral 3 Palacio de Justicia 4 Iglesia de Los Augustinos 5 New Mixed Use development to replace Transport Terminal 6 Plaza de Mercado 7 Parque Caldas 8 Parque Ernesto Gutierrez 9 Iglesia la Inmaculada Conception 37 38 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Our thoughts on suggested additional proposals the identity of the area and directing / clustering complementary land uses in order to attract more investment. In other areas there may be scope to develop new activities, for example a City Centre university campus that could provide a key focus for the future development of the area and act as a catalyst to change the perception and image. A new quarter could develop around a campus, by providing student accommodation and social facilities, and businesses serving the university and the student population would be encouraged to locate there. Role of City Centre and land uses – Development of the City Centre going forward will need to be guided by a clearly defined vision of what the role of the City Centre should be. All development should reinforce the notion of a hierarchy of centres, with the City Centre at the top of that hierarchy. The City Centre should be considered in its widest sense, so the definition of urban quarters based on the existing character (in terms of the urban form, architecture and land uses) and common identities will be an important step. Quarters should not be mono-functional in terms of land use zoning but have a more flexible approach within prescribed limits. Quarters could be established based upon one or more anchor activities, for example retail, culture, transport, civic or institutional, educational uses building upon existing strengths and potentials. Definable urban quarters based on clusters of city blocks will help to establish a definable role for each part of the City Centre which will help to manage development and catalyse investment. For each urban quarter an appropriate balance of uses should be defined and a corresponding, land use zoning approach and development parameters set for key sites. In some quarters in the City Centre the role is well established and the policy and proposals for these areas will be focused on strengthen Repopulate the City Centre – parts of the City Centre have lost much of the residential population over the last 30 years. A resident population is vital in maintaining the vibrancy of city areas, as a mix of residents and businesses create activity throughout the day, help to support public services, shops and businesses. Mixed use development should be encouraged within the City Centre. The approach should encourage both a mix of uses within buildings, through the reuse of upper floors above shops or businesses, and also mixing of uses on a development site. Projects such as San Jose will help to sustain the City Centre by providing modern housing at the fringe of the City Centre. Where new housing is developed a mix of housing, sizes, types and tenure (both social and private housing) will be required, so that a diverse mix of people will be encouraged to live in the City Centre. To achieve this, private investors will need to be incentivised to build private housing in the City Centre that is attractive to middle income households. By providing better quality accommodation this will attract highly skilled people back to the City Centre to live. This in turn will help to develop the economy by improving the skills base in the City Centre, which is particularly important for growing the knowledge economy. The trend of recognising and reinvigorating city centres has been a trend in the UK, Europe, USA and Oceania over the past 30 years to reverse the previous pattern of decline, de-industrialisation and out-migration from cities. The City Centre would also be a good location to locate student accommodation. Universities or student accommodation providers should be encouraged to develop accommodation in the City Centre. This could either be purpose built or conversion of existing buildings. Development of accommodation could be linked to a City Centre educational campus. The development of student accommodation would add to the vibrancy of the City Centre, and help to re-establish a City Centre resident population. Novel types of accommodation such as live / work or studios should be encouraged. This type of accommodation provides living space and working space for self employed people who have their own small business. Existing buildings can be converted to this type of accommodation and it is particularly well suited to creative industries. An appropriate level of new good quality services and facilities such as schools, healthcare etc. will need to be developed in close proximity to new residential areas, so that City Centre living will be a more attractive proposition. Facilities should be provided in each neighbourhood so that they are accessible to residents within a short walking distance. Economic role – The City Centre should provide a higher density of jobs and a more diverse range of job and business opportunities. The City Centre currently accommodates commercial premises, administrative functions, shopping, restaurants and services. These are all economic roles that should and will continue in future. However, the economy of the City Centre can be further diversified to attract higher value sectors such as the knowledge economy, creative industries and tourism. The aim should be to create a cluster of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the knowledge based and creative industries sectors. Start up SMEs in these sectors often require cheap, small scale office accommodation located in existing buildings that can be converted to their needs rather than grade A offices. These sectors can be encouraged to locate in the City Centre, through grants and incentives. The City Centre provides a good location for office based employment, and therefore the needs for modern office accommodation will need to be assessed and defined. The location of new office accommodation needs to be carefully considered to avoid the mistakes of the past, where insensitively designed or located developments have impacted on the character of the City Centre. New office developments should be clustered around key transport hubs to avoid issues with traffic congestion / parking. Heights of buildings may need to be controlled where they would have an impact on heritage protected buildings or residential amenity. Manizales City-Region – Development Framework The tourism economy should be encouraged further, so that Manizales and in particular the City Centre, become a base for tourists to explore the wider region. Proposals could include the development of a heritage trail in the City Centre, support for the tourist businesses and encouragement of further hotel development. In particular further visitor accommodation should be encouraged to develop in the City Centre. The type of accommodation required will depend on the tourist market that the City would like to attract. There are several types of visitor market that Manizales should aim to capture some market share of including: meetings, incentives, conferencing and exhibitions (MICE) tourism, wellness tourism (spa treatments); adventure sports tourism; food and drink tourism and cultural tourism. As such the City should aim to attract some mid range hotels with conferencing facilities to service the business tourist market, mid to high end branded and independent boutique hotels to cater for families and higher income domestic and international tourists that are likely to want to visit the City for leisure. There could also be scope to provide budget accommodation to cater for the adventure tourism market as well as families. 39 Development should also create or enhance activity corridors. These could be shopping streets, or areas with a commercial or a cultural focus. These activity corridors help to define the urban structure providing a means of understanding the City Centre and help to provide a clear hierarchy of routes to navigate through the City. Retail opportunities – Colombia is one of the world’s fastest growing retail markets and Manizales in common with other cities will experience demands and pressures for a significantly expanded retail and leisure offer in terms of scale as well as range aligned with the demands of City and regional population and visitor profile. It appears that while new malls providing space for convenience and comparison goods retail, food and beverage and leisure activities have been developed as well as “big box” bulky goods retail. It is likely that the City could be under provided for when considering future potential up to 2025. Urban form and approach to development – Development in the City Centre will include: redevelopment of existing buildings; infill on sites that are not currently built out; and re-use of existing buildings. New development should be encouraged in the City Centre but it should not impact on the character of the City Centre, and therefore scale, height, density, architectural style and building materials should be appropriate. It will be important to identify the large key sites that are most likely to come forward for redevelopment, in order that a co-ordinated approach to development can be taken across the City Centre. There are also various forms of speciality retail which the City could use as a differentiator. The City region is particularly strong in the food processing industry and this is an opportunity that could be exploited further, by developing a speciality retail offer. The specialist retail industry could play to the strengths of the City Centre in terms of markets and events (coffee fiesta), by targeting the tourist economy with local produce, through a cluster of specialist retail outlets working developed in partnership with local producers. The existing market and plans for its upgrading could form part of this approach. Other niche areas such as fashion and other retail categories could also be developed. In addition to the plans which have already been prepared a City Centre wide masterplan and site specific policies or design briefs for key development opportunity sites would be beneficial in order to guide development in an appropriate way. These masterplans should identify appropriate land uses and key development parameters. Further analysis is required to define the specific nature of the needs of the City and to identify suitable locations which can strengthen and reinforce existing shopping and leisure destinations within the City while managing pressures that these uses can bring in terms of traffic generation and congestion. The key to development in the City Centre will be to respect and strengthen the existing urban form in the City. The City Centre has well defined grid street pattern, so new development should respect this. New development should be focused at key nodes. Large scale development at key nodes such as public transport terminals will ensure that development is served by public transport and can help to create a ‘gateway’ feature, reinforcing the sense of arrival at the City Centre.3 Transport improvements – The Plan de Movilidad de Manizales identifies a number of key objectives for transportation in the City including: promoting modal choice in order to improve quality of life and promote sustainable modes of transport; encouraging public transport and prioritising this over the care; enabling modal integration, linking different modes of transport; implementing a better parking management system; reducing emissions and noise pollution; and making efficient use of existing urban land so as to reduce the need to expand the City. The City Centre is congested at times with private motor vehicles. It will be important to encourage sustainable modes of transport in the City Centre. The aim should be to make the City a walking and cycle friendly city that gives priority to pedestrians and cyclists over the motor vehicle. Walking can be promoted by providing priority at crossings, providing pedestrian routes where possible, calming traffic speeds through shared surface treatments or other measures, and greening (through street tree planting and landscaping). Cycling can be promoted through many of the same measures, by segregating cycle traffic from motor vehicles, by adequate provision of changing facilities, lockers and secure parking at public transport hubs and places of work. 40 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework The public transport system should be prioritised over the private vehicle. The reliability, comfort and ease of using the service should be improved, through bus priority on key routes, improved co-ordination and routing of services, better bus stops and real time information. Develop a parking management strategy, to address the needs of the city while recognising and encouraging a balanced approach which also gives priority of public transport, pedestrians and other users so that streets are not dominated by vehicular traffic. Some of the components of such a strategy may include focussing parking around public transport nodes in key locations in the city so that people can transfer to public transport, reducing parking in some areas, exploring charging options and enforcing on illegal parking in the city centre. Public realm and open space – There is a lack of open space in the City in both quantitative and qualitative terms. The City has a long term goal of achieving 15 square metres of public open space per inhabitant set out in the POT (Componente General). The POT identifies that overall there is currently only 2.82 sqm of open space per inhabitant, the deficit varies across the city with some comuna having as little as 0.32 sqm of open space per inhabitant. The POT strategy for meeting the deficient includes reforestation of hillsides in the urban area. In the long term this could increase the open space to 22 sqm per inhabitant. The City should develop a green grid approach across the City. A green grid is a network of interlinked, multifunctional and high quality open spaces connecting town centres, public transport hubs, major employment and residential areas with the parks and open spaces, rivers and the green urban fringe. This will allow all residents to have access to open spaces of different sizes and types. Some parts of the City will be deficient in access to open space, so it will be important in these areas to look at opportunities for greening streets to link these areas with existing open spaces elsewhere. All residents should be within walking distance of an open space. Providing an open space network with a range of recreational functions (such as sport, informal recreation, relaxation, children’s play, public and cultural events) is a key element in improving the quality of life for the City’s residents. Opportunities for new open spaces will be identified in areas that are currently deficient in open space. New open space could be delivered through setting aside some space on redevelopment sites, conversion of underutilised areas (such as parking lots), and more innovative approaches such as green roofs, green walls and sky gardens. Public realm in the City is also in need of improvement. Good public realm design can assist with the legibility and usability of the City Centre. There are a number of aspects that can be improved. Streets should be ‘greened’ by planting of street trees and landscaping. In key locations the public realm should be improved with good quality surface treatments and appropriately placed and well designed street furniture such as bins, seating and way finding signage, however the public realm should avoid over use of street furniture and signage to ensure that the spaces can allow people to move freely and easily in the way that they choose. Examples of where these approaches have worked Reinvigorating the evening and cultural economy – The City Centre has a evening economy at present, although this is seen as a problem, due to the activities that this brings with it including gambling and other unsavoury activities. However, if managed correctly the evening economy can be a big attraction for those considering living in the City Centre and tourists and visitors to the City. The evening economy should be appraised so that it is clear how many establishments are located in the City Centre, it will also be important to consider and monitor where there may be problems with these activities (crime or anti-social behaviour). A range of measures such as better lighting, security cameras and natural surveillance (through the repopulation of the City Centre) and more focused policing and enforcement will help to improve the perception of safety in the City Centre. The range of activities on offer should be improved and strive for a higher quality so that the City Centre refocuses the evening economy to appeal to a broader section of people. Encouraging the development of cultural venues such as theatres, cinemas or concert venues, with restaurants and cafes will be allowed to cluster around these areas. Other initiatives should include night food markets and a programme of cultural events, such as night fiestas and outdoor concerts. These initiatives will draw a wider cross section of people into the City Centre, and would improve the perception of the area as a safe place to go at night. • East London Tech City ‘Silicon Roundabout’ – This is a cluster of technology firms and universities and financial and professional services providers which has grown in the Shoreditch area of London. Close by are a number of street and covered markets which have stimulated the local retail economy • Birmingham jewellery quarter and Custard Factory arts complex in Digbeth. • Bristol – Cabot Circus and Gun Wharf Quays • Liverpool, World Heritage site, night time economy and higher education • York historic centre and economic development • Guyaquil, Ecuador – public space provision • Arequipa, Peru – conservation of historic centre and promotion of the city for tourism Manizales City-Region – Development Framework 41 University Area Context The University area is a large corridor of institutional uses that stretches from the eastern edge of the City Centre, to the Baja Suiza in the east, the area is spread across two districts Palogrande and Estacion). The area accommodates five universities: Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Universidad Autonoma de Manizales, Universidad Catolica de Manizales, Universidad Luis Amigo, Universidad de Caldas; and various other large institutions including the University hospital, various colleges and the Stadium Palogrande. The area also includes residential accommodation, commercial, retail and other uses. The Universities specialise in a range of activities including health sciences, technology, law, business and engineering. As the city has expanded this area has grown and has developed functions which make the area a secondary sub centre for the City in terms of commercial activities which to some extent rival the City Centre. The Universities are a key employer, and also help to support the wider economy as both students and staff use the support services and facilities that have built up in the area. Vision The University area will focus on its key role as both an institutional hub and residential area. Development in the area will complement the City Centre activities and land uses rather than competing with it. This means that the area should provide services and facilities that are of a scale and type that serve the district rather than the City as a whole. New development in the area will be controlled to ensure that the area does not become over developed in terms of the scale and density of the built form and the intensity of land use. Fig. 3.2 – Proposals and opportunities University Area 42 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework The area will build on the strengths of the Universities to, drive economic growth in the knowledge economy. Links between businesses in the knowledge economy and the research and development functions of the universities will be broadened and deepened. The area will provide a key role in providing for the City wide needs for sports facilities and large scale public open space. Existing Proposals The Baja Suiza area is identified as a development area in the POT. This area is identified for integrated urban public space, road projects, transportation improvements and provision of community facilities. Building on the commercial bulky goods retailing and access improvements which have already been completed the area will become a multifunctional area with a mix of uses, where economic and commercial projects are encouraged, housing will be at height consistent with the City model. Baja Suiza is located adjacent to an ecoparque which is an environmentally sensitive area. The area has a high slip threat and future development of the area will include stabilization work and tree planting. There are several areas in this part of the City that are designated for Conservation Urbanistica in the POT, this includes La Estrella, Belen, Palogrande, Lleras and Versalles. These areas have specific regulations for heights, overhangs and uses etc. The key aim in these areas is to respect and conserve the unity and typology of the area. For each area there are various public space projects identified, one project consist to all areas is the Linear Public Space Project along Avenida Santander. Our thoughts on proposals Role of University area and land uses – One of the key roles of the area is to accommodate the universities and other key institutions, along with the supporting facilities for the university. The area should allow for any expansion plans that the universities may have, such as new faculty buildings or other supporting uses, such as student accommodation and facilities. The City should work with the universities to jointly meet the needs of students, and should work with the universities to develop a long term masterplans for each of the university campuses to ensure that future growth plans can be met within the area. Economic role – Business initiatives and development in the area should be focused on linking with the research and development functions of the university, with the aim of growing the knowledge economy. Consider developing innovation hub, and developing small scale start up business premises. Strengthen the district centre – The current centre for the neighbourhood is at El Cable Plaza. This should be the focus for new commercial, retail, and leisure uses and other services that residents require such as health centres etc. The K23 road passes through the centre, this is a busy road and one of the key roads into the city, measures should be implemented to calm traffic on this road to make the centre a more pedestrian friendly area and improvements to provide a high quality public realm. Based on the pattern of recent development activity and growing congestion there could be a need to explore revisions to the land use zoning and controls to support the future development and consolidation of the area as one of Manizales most successful neighbourhoods. This could take the form of amendments to the current planning approach or a more comprehensive masterplan depending on number and scale of opportunities for development and the extent of changes envisaged. Urban form – along with the strengthening of the neighbourhood centre, local centres should be developed within a 10 minute walking distance of all residents. These local centres, should meet the everyday needs of residents for shopping and services. By encouraging this pattern of development, the urban area will be a more walking friendly environment and would reduce the need to travel by car for everyday needs. Controlling development – building parameters for the area should avoid over development. High density development should be focused around the neighbourhood centre, with mid density development around local centres. Traffic – The K23 road is a major route through the area, one of the key routes into the City. Consider schemes to calm this, public transport corridor, with bus priority, to reduce need for car travel. Integration of large institutional land uses with surrounding areas – the area is dominated by some large institutional uses that are largely not well integrated with the surrounding urban area. Consider the boundary treatments and links through campus areas where possible so these uses do not act as a barrier. Role as sports and open space recreation area – there are some existing areas of large open space, the area can therefore play a role at a city –regional scale for leisure and recreation. Large open spaces should be accessible to the public, and should have sufficient facilities, this would include walking trails, sports facilities, picnic areas and children’s play areas. Opportunities for creating green links between open spaces should be implemented, to promote walking and cycling and therefore developing a healthy lifestyles. Where there are existing sports facilities at universities or colleges, consideration should given to developing dual access arrangements, so that the facilities can be used by members of the general public when they are not being used by students. Manizales City-Region – Development Framework 43 44 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Zona Franca – La Nubia Corridor Context Existing Proposals The Zona Franca is an industrial and commercial area located to the east of the City on the main route to Bogata. The current proposals for the free zone include: The free zone offers tax breaks and customs incentives, to those businesses that locate in the free zone, with the aim of promoting and incentivising inward investment and job growth in Manizales. The free zone is located in an area of the City that offers opportunity for further development in future. With La Nubia Airport programmed for closure once the new Palestina airport is completed, there is potential for the area to develop further to meet some of the City’s needs for job growth. Vision The vision for the area is to develop a multi-sector free zone that offers a high quality environment that is attractive to high value businesses and inward investors. As the free zone is built out, opportunities for expansion of the free zone will be considered. La Nubia airport will be decommissioned once the Palestina airport comes on stream. The site will be redeveloped as a new mixed use area including: a local centre, commercial use, homes, and open space. • 22 ha site with 15.6 ha for sale • Plots of 500sqm upwards for industrial, commercial or services warehouses. • Offices for sale or rent • Top quality public services – including data networks and other utilities • Landscaped area • Businesses receive VAT exemptions, tariffs and fees waived and other tax breaks Our thoughts on proposals Create a high quality business environment – the free zone will need to be of a high quality to attract the most prestigious investors and businesses. In addition to facilities and services that are proposed for the free zone the following should be provided within the free zone or in close proximity to the free zone. This could either be in a second phase of the free zone or at the redeveloped airport site. • Dedicated bus / public transport linking with key public transport hubs – these would include shuttle to the city centre and the new Palestina airport • Amenities – cafes/restaurants, leisure (health club / gym), childcare / crèche, ATMs or bank, shop Infill and consolidation – in the free zone corridor there is scope for further infill development and consolidation of existing developed areas. The opportunity is primarily related to the redevelopment of La Nubia airport (see below), however other opportunities should also be explored. Developing the La Nubia airport – Once the airport is vacated develop the site which is approximately 30 ha as a new medium density mixed use neighbourhood. This should be integrated with the existing residential properties to the north. It could include up to 1,500 homes, a small local centre meeting local everyday shopping and service needs a small commercial hub and a local park. There could also be an opportunity for further institutional/R&D uses or a business park close to the existing university to bring daytime activity to the area. Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Fig. 3.2 – Proposals and opportunities La Nubia and Zona Franca Corridor 45 46 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Aeropuerto Del Cafe – Palestina Rosario expansion area Context The Aeropuerto del Café site is located 26km to the west of Manizales City and 1.5km north of the town of Palestina. Initial works to build embankments and roads for the airport have already begun although is currently on hold. The Café airport site is outside the Manizales City boundary. The Rosario area is 1 km to the east of the proposed Café airport. The area is linked to the City by Route 50 and to the south Chinchina and Pereira are accessed by Route 29. The area is largely agricultural land with some existing housing. This is an area identified in the POT as an 372 ha area for urban expansion. However, Acuerdo No 633 identifies that 37.7ha will be developed for housing, delivering a total of 2,640 private houses at a density of 70 dwellings per hectare. Vision and current proposals The vision and current proposals are to build an airport with a runway length of 2,600 metres (and increase this to 3,800m over time). The airport will improve the air connections to the Caldas region both nationally and internationally. The airport will provide a more reliable service for passengers and air freight businesses. The new airport will increase the capacity of the area to exchange goods and services with the rest of Colombia and internationally. The airport will help to boost the tourist economy of the coffee region World Heritage site as well as the business economy of the City. The proposals for the airport envisage a three phase programme as follows: • Phase 1 – develop a 1,460m runway – 30 month time frame • Phase 2 – develop a 2,600m runway – unspecified • Phase 3 – develop a 3,800m runway – unspecified The Rosario area is identified as having the potential to be a predominantly residential area, accommodating some of the expansion needs of the City. The residential uses will be supported by commercial activities, services, institutional and industrial land uses that are complementary with the main residential purpose of the area. In addition to the land set aside for residential uses the Rosario area should be developed as a logistics hub, to take advantage of the close proximity to the Café airport. This would be of benefit to the City region as it would help to provide jobs opportunities for the residents of Manizales City as well as residents in Palestina. It is unclear what plans / proposals are in place at Rosario other than what is described within the POT (as set out above). Our thoughts on proposals At present the proposals for the airport and the Rosario and Palestina area have been developed in parallel rather than as mutually reinforcing opportunities. In particular the potential economic and commercial activities which would be attracted to the Palestina-Rosario area do not appear to have been recognised and considered within the 2007 POT which is a mixed opportunity. The recommendations set out below would enable the Palestina-Rosario area and Manizales City region as a whole to fully capture the development benefits which the airport could bring and to conceive this rapidly growing part of the region on a more integrated basis. Improve integration between plans / proposals for the Rosario area and Café Airport – At present there does not seem to be any clear links between what is planned at Rosario and the plans for Café Airport. There is a need for integration of the plans given the proximity of Rosario to the airport site, including the surface access plans for the airport and how this links to Rosario, the City and the wider region. Transport links to the City will need to be improved in terms of both road and public transport. Consideration needs to be given to the issues of noise pollution and air quality that will arise from the development of the airport, and the impacts that this will have on the development at Palestina and Rosario, these issues will need to be assessed, considered and managed accordingly. The development of both projects offers the opportunity to co-ordinate the employment opportunities that the airport offers with the resident population that will be established at Rosario. The planning for these areas should consider the potential opportunity that Rosario offers to provide land for industrial and commercial development that is closely linked to the activities of the airport (logistics hub – see below, but potentially business hotels and conferencing facilities). There will also be a need to consider the infrastructure required for both airport and Rosario (such as highways) to ensure that they are appropriate to meet the requirements of both. This will help to provide a live work balance for the area, so that those living in Rosario do not have to travel to the City for work, and the airport does not have to draw all the employees from the City and the wider area. Inevitably there will be commuting to and from the airport, but better integration of the two projects could help to minimise this. Develop a commercial heart of Palestina – Chinchina area – the development of the airport provides an opportunity for both the City and the wider region. There is scope to develop a commercial centre at the airport or in close proximity to the airport. The airport will provide a route to wider markets for the food processing and wholesale markets that are already well established in the area. However, there is also scope to use the airport as a way of developing a more commercial centre for the area. This centre would include offices, hotel and conference facilities, retail and other services, all within close proximity to the airport. Develop a logistics hub – there is potential to develop a logistics and light manufacturing hub at Rosario. The development of a logistics led cluster in this location close to the airport could help to improve the viability of the airport as a cargo and freight terminal and would help the City region’s economy to grow, by providing jobs both directly and supporting jobs indirectly. The logistics hub would be an industrial area that would include warehouse and office support premises for a range of organisations such the logistics arms of enterprises, third-party logistics services providers, distribution companies, and freight carriers. There could also be scope to provide some of the airport support services (such as aircraft maintenance) and other uses such light manufacturing should also be encouraged to locate in the area. Develop the Rosario neighbourhood – The plans for Rosario should ensure that the Rosario is a self sustaining area. Given the distance of Rosario from the City and other local service centres, services and facilities (school, health care facilities, shops, services and entertainment etc) will need to be provided that will meet the needs of the new resident community. These services should be provided within the neighbourhood centre, which should be easily accessible to all the community. Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Examples of where this has worked Logistics Hub UK Doncaster – Dublin International Airport – Centred on Doncaster and the Sheffield City Region, is a major logistics and distribution hub at the geographical centre of the United Kingdom. Selected by leading companies including Asda/ Walmart, BMW and Amazon for National and Regional Distribution Centres, and with close proximity to the UK’s manufacturing heartlands. Transport links to the hub are excellent which include passenger and freight rail, direct access to the motorway network, and Doncaster Sheffield Airport. The is air cargo hub that specialises in a number of unique sectors including, just in time manufacturing and pharmaceuticals. Doncaster is not one of the largest UK cities and has established this hub in 2005 following the conversion of a former military airfield. An airport city master plan was drawn up and officially unveiled by Irish Prime Minister, Bertie Ahern in April 2008. http://www.logisticshubuk.com/p/fastmarket-access.html?FastMarketAccess The creation of a 700,000sqm office, retail, hotel and high-tech zone to provide a new economic hub for Ireland, constituting a world-class ‘smart’ economic zone focused on attracting the next generation of FDI in partnership with the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) and other state agencies. Located on over 140 hectares of land to the east of the airport, Dublin Airport City (DAC) includes 500,000sqm of office space that will provide 20% of Dublin’s annual uptake of office space when fully developed, as well as a high-tech R&D space designed to attract big name international firms such as Chevron GE and Unilever and will draw in new foreign investment. At the centre of the development is the 250,000sqm International Cleantech Services Centre (ICSC), designed to house next generation companies that conceive, research, prototype, sell and distribute newly emerging clean technologies and services. From catering to front office, R&D to niche industrial and manufacturing operations, it is hoped that global Cleantech players such as Siemens, Veolia, GE and Intel will be encouraged to locate at the ICSC due to a host of benefits, including highly attractive R&D, IP and tax regimes, within a high-skills, knowledge-based economy. Fig. 3.4 – Plans and opportunities Palestina - Rosario 47 48 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Kilometer 41 Expansion Area Context Our thoughts on proposals Sustainable neighbourhood Kilometer 41 is a designated development zone 41kms North West of Manizales. It is a strategically important project and will play an important role in meeting some of the housing needs of the south central sub region as a whole region. Its geography and flat topography allows for relatively straightforward urban expansion. There is an opportunity for Km 41 to become an exemplar Eco community and demonstration project for the whole city as proposals are understood to have reached a relatively early stage of planning. The shortfall in existing infrastructure and the location of the site mean that an innovative approach may be needed to service the site and make sure that potential risks are addressed (for example flooding from the River. A useful guide to what constitutes a sustainable neighbourhood, was developed by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in the UK: • Use the planning system to deliver sustainable results • Vision The vision for Km 41 is for a mixed use residential led community that benefits from its location close to Manizales as well as benefitting from its location on the corridor linking with Medellin to the North. Existing Proposals The current proposals for Km41 include the strengthening of existing and provision of new infrastructure – sewerage and water distribution, energy supply and distribution, roads and drainage so that the area can be developed in an integrated manner. It is understood that the community itself will include a significant allocation of land for new housing including VIS housing, as well as a scale of public services and facilities, commercial space and leisure relating to the future resident population. Planning can set the context and objectives for Km41, outlining the key criteria against which development options can be considered. In setting planning and performance criteria for Km41 the city should demonstrate sufficient evidence of the circumstances warranting this, focusing on specific local opportunities and constraints. An evidence base can be developed detailing how sustainable criteria can be achieved without placing undue burden on private and public sector projects. Naturally the evidence base should inform policies and criteria for Km41 which are appropriate to local conditions, are technically and financially viable. A sustainable design and construction framework linked to policy can ensure development in Km41 satisfies good design practice and contributes to the vision for its urban development into a sustainable town. Such a document will clearly set out the Km 41 vision and how sustainable development is expected to be supported, this will also help avoid unplanned developments and sprawl. • • • has a wide choice of housing and facilities to ensure long-term value and to create a balanced community over time. A neighbourhood with some common facilities requires a minimum of between 500 and 1,000 units, with homes catering for a range of incomes and ages; is well connected to jobs and services by foot and bike as well as by other modes of transport in order to cut travel time and costs. Creating connectivity (so that people do not have to depend on their cars and can be economically active) requires a location on a transport corridor or close to a town or city centre; has places of different character that appeal to different markets. Creating character or a sense of place requires a minimum density of 30 units per hectare, as in garden cities (Alexander 2009). Higher densities can support better infrastructure but call for higher quality design; is designed to save resources and ensure that neighbourhoods are well looked after, and do not ‘cost the earth’. Climate-proofing a development will include provision of green and blue infrastructure to project and enhance biodiversity and reduce environmental impact, as well as measures to save energy and reduce carbon emissions benefits from hands-on management and long-term stewardship by responsible local organisations, such as housing associations, development trusts, community organisations, both during development and after residents have moved in. The elements of a sustainable neighbourhood vary according to the local context, for KM41 priorities might include a convenient spatial layout to prevent car dependency, low carbon buildings, attractive design and high quality public realm, food growing spaces, local retail and public services and facilities, space for street markets, waste management facilities, and public art. Governance and community participation are vital components of the sustainable community. The development of KM41 would ideally incorporate a participatory planning approach where the needs of local people are the focus for design they are placed at the centre of the decision making processes. Social inclusion – In addition to public participation throughout the design and development process the range of services and housing opportunities have to suit different incomes. Tourism – KM41’s location may offer itself as a local base for tourists wishing to access adventure activities and the areas beautiful surroundings. Furthermore, if developed as an exemplar sustainable neighborhood this will attract field visits from those wishing to replicate such a project. Therefore basic accommodation and services should be available to visitors. Manizales City-Region – Development Framework The findings of studies of European sustainable neighbourhoods identified six success factors that are relevant to KM41: 1. Connectivity – walkable spatial layout with good connectivity to other urban settlements 2. Community – balanced population, with mix of housing type. Social housing should account for no more than 30%. Participatory planning works and long term stewardship essential. 3. Climate-proofing – establish clear and ambitious carbon reduction targets. Use green and blue infrastructure to ensure homes are future-proofed 4. Character – create comfortable and appealing spaces that enhance landscape character 5. Collaboration – built multidisciplinary teams in local authorities, set up accountable local delivery vehicles, develop strong masterplans and design guidance 6. Cashflow – fund infrastructure from the outset separately from housing budget. Reimburse landowners out of sale proceeds, share costs of masterplan to reduce risks. The next stage to take forward proposals could be the preparation of a masterplan and delivery strategy for the site to enable the proposals to be taken forward in a sustainable manner. Fig. 3.5 – Plans and opportunities Km41 49 50 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Examples Many examples exist of sustainable neighbourhoods, those considered successful have a diversity of land uses and set challenging performance targets from the outset. Coed Darcy – Spanning more than 1,000 acres, Coed Darcy is one of the most significant regeneration projects currently underway in Wales. There will be 4,000 traditionallystyled Welsh homes, for 10,000 residents. Development will include retail, leisure, sports and community facilities and acres of green open space. The first phase of development included a range of commercial space which was successfully filled. In total the development will host more than 4,000 new job opportunities locally. The overall scheme will have an economic impact of over £1 billion for the local area. Bognor Regis Eco Quarter – Plans for this expansion area to this south coast town include provision of a number of innovative features including sustainable urban drainage systems and habitat area reflecting the sensitive location of the site close to a marshland area and the coast which is vulnerable to climate change risks relating to flooding. The community includes an urban agriculture project so that the landscape of the community remains productive. The model of social facilities provision also enables shared use of education buildings for sport and recreation facilities. The area is serviced by its own neighbourhood centre which includes provision for local employment. The profile of community is to include a mix of market and social housing planned in harmony so that the proposals are socially cohesive as well as viable economically. Hammarby Sjostad – is an urban extension project in Stockholm Sweden, an exemplar initiative with 10,000 homes featuring an innovative sustainable energy, water and waste system. It’s success is attributed to the partnership model created for the project which enabled rapid development, unlocking funding from early occupation to support future phases of work. Parcels of development were led by different developers working with an overarching design code, this reduced project risk and introduced a diversity of built form that appealed to the market. Buildings were fabricated off-site which helped minimise waste and maintain building performance standards. The partnership approach to development meant the private sector was not relied upon for getting early infrastructure in place and sales rates did not drive the speed of the build. Manizales City-Region – Development Framework 51 Rural and Tourism Context Vision The Manizales City Region is rich in cultural heritage, biodiversity and geography and has enormous potential to benefit from Colombia’s growing tourism sector and national marketing initiatives such as the ProExport ‘Colombia, Magical Realism’ campaign. There is significant potential to establish a nationally and internationally recognised eco-tourism sector as well as significantly growing the visitor economy across a number of other product and segments addressing the Colombian domestic market as well as regional and international markets. The vision for Manizales City Region tourism is to develop a domestic and internationally recognised destination for eco-tourism. Several projects, including alpine activities, thermal spas and bird watching have already been planned. Bringing these projects together within a coherent sustainable tourism strategy and identifying additional investment considered essential to attract visitors and maintain high standards is important for the sector. Tourism can improve the quality of life of citizens, generate new business opportunities, safeguard and enhance cultural heritage and ecosystems. With the completion of the Café Airport it is essential the region’s tourism strategy is integrated, innovative and adheres to principles of strong sustainability to protect and enhance the region’s ecosystems, cultural heritage and livelihoods. A coherent approach to tourism recognises cooperation between local business, local people, public realm and tourism attractions. The tourism opportunities relating to the urban area of Manizales are covered elsewhere in this report The main focus of this section is on the opportunities relating to the rural Municipios. The existing rural townships and settlements within the south central region require significant improvement to infrastructure and public services to address the needs of the existing population. Sewerage, ICT and transport networks all need investment and should form a coordinated rural strategy that defines a clear vision for the rural economy across Neira, Palestina, Chinchina and Villa Maria as well as rural Manizales. Tourism can play a major part in improving conditions and providing socio economic opportunities for the rural population as well as enabling diversification and an additional source of income in addition to the predominant agricultural focus at present. Manizales Eco-tourism can offer visitors a diverse range of activities that immerse tourists in its unique natural and cultural assets – paramo forest, mountain range, rivers, coffee culture, adventure sports and wellness retreats. The benefits of a successful tourism strategy can spread to rural towns and villages, ensuring they can derive economic and social benefit from the sector. Improvements to rural services and infrastructure will also help to meet quality of life objectives and reduce risks related to natural disasters in the Region. A successful tourism strategy will set out how the Manizales City Region can make the transition to a recognised tourist destination. It will outline how the region can market itself as a domestic and international destination, and how essential services, attractions and projected growth will benefit the local population and tourists. The tourism strategy should include an investment framework capturing projects, initiatives and programmes; a tourism management plan covering environmental quality, amenities and urban services, place branding, marketing and promotion, visitor management and experience. The negative effects of tourism must also be acknowledged and mitigated. There could be an opportunity for the central south region to establish a key attraction which would link with the eco tourism theme and provide an anchor to draw in visitors. Projects such as the Eden project in the UK have developed as a major visitor attraction for educational and family visits as well as having a strong environmental message.Existing best practice both from within Colombia and other regional leaders in Eco tourism such as Costa Rica could also inform the approach and strategy for the area. Existing Proposals The current proposals for the tourism sector include: • • • • • A new airport to attract international visitors New thermal spas and hotels Development of eco parks Bird watching observatories City centre regeneration Our thoughts on proposals While providing a good starting point it is not clear that the initiatives planned at present will be sufficient to lead to a transformational change or conserve natural and cultural assets and make the most of the tourism potential of Manizales and the wider south central region and could be added to. City centre regeneration provides a safe destination – The city centre’s cultural heritage and street life has the potential to draw visitors by offering a safe and convenient base. Investing in the city’s built heritage will help to attract business back to the area and grow its reputation with tourists. The city centre’s infrastructure, transport, safety and security, quality of life, cultural heritage and future development are characteristics that will determine its success as a tourist destination. Providing a range of accommodation for different budgets in a safe and exciting city should be a priority. The city centre has the potential to become a major focus of the visitor economy for the region as a whole and, as experienced in other cities, can support preservation of historic neighbourhoods. Business tourism is responsible for a significant proportion of the visits to Colombia’s cities from overseas tourists, followed by backpackers. If Manizales can position itself as a desirable place for business and offers comfortable accommodation this will provide a basis for stimulating further growth. Colombia also has one of the fastest growing markets globally for domestic and regional tourism based upon rising incomes and the growing middle class. This is evidenced in the rapid growth in domestic and international air travel. 52 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Eco-tourism – Activities and tours can take advantage of the City Region’s geographic diversity and Colombia’s position as one of the ‘megadiverse’ countries. Adventure, nature, leisure, cultural, educational and mountain tours would position Manizales as an exciting destination. Eco tourism is defined by The International Ecotourism Society as ‘responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the wellbeing of local people’. It is about uniting conservation, communities and sustainable travel. Ecotourism’s principles offer a sensible basis for the Manizales City Region: • Minimize impact. • Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect. • Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts. • Provide direct financial benefits for conservation. • Provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people. • Raise sensitivity to host countries’ political, environmental, and social climate. Worldwide Colombia ranks first in bird and orchid species diversity and second in plants, butterflies and freshwater fish and amphibians; this impressive variety of ecosystems has the potential to draw in tourists that wish to contribute to conservation and protection efforts. Initiatives should learn from lessons to ensure ‘voluntourism’ doesn’t become an exercise in serving the egos of visitors rather than benefitting local people. The UNESCO World Heritage designated Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia extends into the Manizales City Region, the area is a best practice example of sustainable tourism management. It is not clear whether a World Heritage site Management Plan has been developed for the Coffee Landscape World Heritage site. Proposals for the City region can help to implement any existing initiatives which are identified as well as identify any complementary initiatives which can link with the objectives and values of the Coffee landscape region and its protected area status. There is an opportunity to develop a strategy for the eco tourism segment which links the coffee region, national parks close to Manizales as well as other rural and protected areas so that the tourism offer is more than the sum of its individual parts. Adventure tourism – is a growing industry capable of attracting domestic and international visitors. Visitors look for a wide choice of activities where they can immerse themselves in the local culture and nature. Examples include rafting, jungle trekking, mountain biking, wildlife/eco retreats and spas, bird watching and nature trails, via ferratas and tree top walks, paragliding, extreme sports (bungy-jumping, canyon swinging etc). The success of established adventure tourism destinations in New Zealand and Canada for example, is based on well-regulated diverse service providers offering activities for a range of budgets and durations of stay, easily accessible from a convenient base. The Region’s volcanic geology provides tourism opportunities, such as thermal spas, which feature in future current investment plans. Consideration should be given to how these features can be marketed more coherently both inside and outside of the designated national park Supporting the Rural Economy – Rural areas are predominantly agricultural and subject to geographical constraints that limit opportunities for scaling up agricultural production. These limitations highlight the need for diversification opportunities. Eco-tourism has great potential for stimulating the rural economy, for example through home stays and agri-tourism, volunteer tourism, establishing adventure sports, ecoretreats and other activities where visitors seek to escape the city. The planned upgrading of rural public services and infrastructure is an opportunity for showcasing best practice in ecosystem based adaptation and connecting dislocated rural communities using surfaced roads and ICT. A successful project in the El Choco region of Colombia focuses on tourism training, a hotel and training centre was set up by the Mano Cambiada Organisation so local people could learning about the hospitality sector. In common with other rural parts of Colombia the local community is concerned about sanitation, water quality, food security and ecology, the hotel initiative demonstrates how tourism can provide a platform for addressing these issues at a local scale. How proposals could be implemented and suggested way forward. To develop plans for tourism there is a need for more detailed analysis of the potential of the region as well as the development of plans for individual projects. The components of a tourism strategy should include the following: • Review tourism sector. Baseline information on current visitor demand, activity and economic contribution. Review of current tourist operations, marketing and PR activity • Evaluate the visitor offering. Assess the current attractions – culture, heritage, public realm, room availability and diversity, mobility, conference facilities, existing tourist experience and survey of conditions and quality of service. Examine local infrastructure needs and services • Analyse the future of Manizales City Region tourism. Assess future demand, current capacity of tourism sector, identify obstacles and risks to tourism. • Develop the vision. Select branding and marketing, identify key investment priorities. • Develop coherent tourism strategy. Tourism Management Plan, Tourism Investment Framework, Action Plan. • For the rural area more generally the UN Habitat project for the South Central region has initiated a project which has considered the needs and priorities of the rural Municipios and identified a small number of priority projects to address a number of cross boundary issues and priority where co-operation is needed between the Municipios. A next step would be to develop more detailed plans for the other priorities which have been identified so that all settlements are provided with adequate infrastructure and are not vulnerable subject to significant environmental risks from flooding, landslides or seismic hazards. Key questions • How can the Environmental Action plan proposals and management of natural and cultural assets of the region be improved? • How can the tourism of the region be further enhanced? • How can infrastructure and service provision gaps of rural areas be addressed? Case study: Liverpool Liverpool is a popular city break destination capitalising on its heritage as the birthplace of the Beatles with numerous theatres, museums and art galleries and the regeneration of the Albert Dock with its busy nightlife. Case study: Lake District The Lake District is recognised worldwide as one of the most appealing tourist destinations in the UK. It is home to England’s largest National Park occupying 855 square miles and containing 6 national nature reserves, 16 lakes, 150 mountains, over 50 dales, around 100 sites of special scientific interest and more than 40 towns and villages. Activities include over 1,800 miles of well-signed footpaths for hiking, climbing, cycling, off-roading, fishing, boating (steamer cruises, e.g. at Windermere, Ullswater, Derwent Water and Coniston); waterskiing, etc. Manizales City-Region – Development Framework 53 Section. 4 Implementation proposals 56 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework City Centre Regeneration – Implementation Scope Regeneration of the City Centre will require a City centre strategy in order to integrate the objectives of the various strategies and planning document that the City currently has in place along with the proposals that we have put forward in early sections of this development framework. The initiatives are summarised in the table below. City centre strategy Initiative Description Notes/Next steps City centre masterplan Integrated framework, formally adopted and linking to POT The plan would be focused on providing a comprehensive framework for the city centre and address gaps. Consultation with stakeholders and the public Retail and leisure assessment and strategy Define Retail opportunities Speciality retail options Markets Hotels and accommodation This would help the city to assess the needs and opportunities of retail and leisure opportunities and associated economic benefits for employment and the visitor economy. Initiative Description Notes/Next steps Public Realm Strategy Streetscape audit Produce a public realm design guide to link with the financing and delivery mechanisms for green spaces identified elsewhere in this section of the report. Provide a consistent and high quality finish to the streets and urban spaces. Improve pedestrian and cycle routes and connectivity. Circulation and parking management Assessing existing cultural assets Develop a cultural programme Develop initiatives to cultivate the creative industries sector Heritage regeneration initiative and visitor management Develop heritage trails around the City Introduce tourist guides Provide heritage interpretation facilities Finance initiative – co-funding Employment strategy and affordable workspace provision Develop an understand of the premises requirements of businesses This would provide an approach to developing the cultural assets of the city and introducing new projects and initiatives and how they could be stimulated. This would provide an approach to developing the heritage assets of the city as well as additional financing and delivery mechanisms. This would quantify the potential and develop a detailed strategy for delivering affordable Define an incentives package for businesses workspace in the city centre. Provide start up incubator units Develop bus priority options Consider scope for multi-modal transport hubs These initiatives would compliment and take forward the Plan de Movilidad. Develop Better parking management Key sites delivery strategy Identification of opportunities Development briefs – Land use/mixed use zoning proposals Applying the proposed approach suggested in separate initiative to all of the city centre sites. Viability assessment Delivery mechanisms Design and implementation Develop designs for proposed streets, junctions and urban spaces. Develop design improvements to existing streets, junctions and urban spaces. Leisure and evening economy Cultural/arts quarter Public realm design guidance report. Provide written specifications and detail design tender packages to contractors for all implementation work. Provide site supervision to implementation work. Management and maintenance Produce public realm maintenance plans for all streets, junctions and urban spaces. Produce management and maintenance plans. Produce public realm management plans for all existing and proposed streets, junctions and urban spaces. City Centre Management Approach City centre manager Business involvement Branding Events This would highlight the range of soft side capacity building and supporting initiatives which may be required which may focused around a city centre management or business improvement district approach. Manizales City-Region – Development Framework In order to achieve the actions identified in City Centre strategy there is a need to develop an appropriate delivery body to ensure that the plans and proposals identified in the strategy are implemented. In order for the chosen delivery body to be efficient and successful in its mission, it needs to have clearly defined powers and functions as well as the authority and legal power to implement its plans. Its main objectives would be to enable the delivery of projects, acting as co-ordinator and broker of deals and also to claw back from the private sector part of the public sector investment in infrastructure. The delivery body would be area specific, with the aim of co-ordinating new developments within the City Centre, and helping to facilitate the delivery of infrastructure. By adopting an area based masterplan that brings together the aims and objectives from the various planning strategies and documents that the City has developed, this will help to co-ordinate land use and infrastructure planning and will aid the delivery of projects. The delivery body will need to work within the legal framework of Colombia it will also need to consider a variety of issues outlined below: Infrastructure investment – timely delivery of infrastructure will be a key function of any delivery body, as this enables development projects to go ahead, where they would otherwise stall due to lack of infrastructure. A delivery body could help create serviced plots that are ready to develop, or could provide strategic infrastructure that serves a wider area. Funds could come from government, project proceeds, private sector or through developer contributions. Land ownership – delivery bodies can acquire land, or an interest in new developments. Land can be acquired in order to deliver infrastructure, and then be sold or rented to recoup the costs of infrastructure provision. Financial – In general, new developments can be financed by equity investment, debt borrowing, government grants and private investors. If the delivery body follows a public / private model it will be important to ensure that the delivery body operates at ‘arms length’ from Government. Incentives – In order to attract the interest, participation and investment of the private sector, the delivery body will need to offer meaningful incentives to land owners, developers and investors. The creation of Enterprise Zones has been used successfully in many parts of the world to encourage foreign investment and development. This is achieved through a range of incentives mainly revolving around tax relief, financial assistance and relaxation of planning and development requirements. Area specific – the delivery body will need to operate within a clearly defined geographical area, to ensure that there is no ambiguity regarding responsibilities. Timeframes – delivery bodies are usually set up to operate within a limited time period, typically 5-10 years. This helps to focus attention and avoid delays. Having a clearly defined timeframe in place can also act as an incentive to investment. Leadership – Whilst effective partnerships will be critical to the success of any regeneration delivery body, strong and influential leadership will be of equal importance. This will require the early identification not only of the most appropriate lead body but also an effective figure head with a proven track record in project delivery and the ability to work closely with and influence key decision makers. Legal – The proposed body which is established would need to have a clearly defined legal status as well as the legal power to fulfil its role. It needs to comply with Colombian law. The necessary range of statutory powers would need to be put in place including land assembly and the raising of necessary finance, and most likely combining the powers of various agencies. Exit Strategy – In general, after the completion of a project, the provided infrastructure (electricity, water, sewerage etc) would become the property of the relevant state-owned utility company which would be responsible for its maintenance and operation. The residential or commercial element of the development would primarily be owned by the private sector. The creation of special purpose vehicles (SPVs) relating to specific large projects can not only protect the delivery body and the public sector in general from exposure to projectrelated risks but they can be useful in terms of disposal / exit as SPVs can either be sold off to the private sector or be dissolved after the fulfilment of their objectives. Skills – The delivery body will require members of staff with a varied skill set including real estate, legal, finance, project management and planning. There may be a need to seek external advice. Relationship with other agencies – The proposed delivery body will need to maintain close relationships with all other agencies and organisations that share a stake in supporting infrastructure and development. The potential delivery body could take one of various forms including an urban regeneration company, urban development corporation, or city development company. Other mechanisms and proposals include the establishment of a business improvement district (BID), or the implementation of City Centre management. The table below sets out the each of the potential delivery mechanisms and a case study for each. 57 58 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Delivery Mechanism Case Study Urban regeneration company (URCs) – Gloucester Heritage Are established by City authorities as standalone The Gloucestershire Heritage URC was established companies, the board of the company will in 2004 to help create prosperity and bring life include local stakeholders such as businesses and back to many historic areas of Gloucester. Key community groups. They are usually established partners are English Partnerships, South West for a fixed term of 10-15 years. The principle aim England RDA, Gloucester City Council and of the URC is to engage the private sector in the Gloucestershire County Council. Various private delivery of physical regeneration of a defined area sector partners are on the board of the URC. The (such as the City Centre) and deliver projects in URC identified four development areas including line with a strategic framework or masterplan. the Historic City Centre and prepared masterplans URCs do not have separate resources or statutory for these areas. The URC aimed to regenerate 40 powers other than those already possessed by the ha of brownfield land, repair and reuse 82 historic partners. They do not hold land assets or deliver buildings, build 3,500 new homes, create 2,000 capital projects directly, instead they co-ordinate new jobs and includes retail development and a delivery through their partners. They do not have new college campus. The Gloucester Docks and their own budget and rely on existing agencies Quays area has been transformed over the past for core revenue and project funding. The benefit seven years, with the investment of more than £300 million, and nearly £700 million pounds has of the URC is that they have clarity of purpose, they have the ability to plan proactively, they have been invested in the wider area. clear lines of responsibility and are accountable. Urban Development Corporation (UDCs) – Are limited life bodies, set up to secure the regeneration of their designated areas. They are public bodies that are financed through central government, and generally have a lifetime of 7-10 years. The purpose of the UDC is to bring land and buildings back into effective use, encourage the development of existing and new industry and commerce and create an attractive environment and ensure that housing and social facilities are available to encourage people to live and work in the area. UDCs have been used where the scale of land assembly and site preparation and coordination of partners is complex and the additional powers that UDCs have become necessary. UDCs can acquire, hold, manage, reclaim and dispose of land and property. UDCs also assume planning powers for their area for strategic applications. Delivery Mechanism Case Study City development companies – Are city or city-region wide economic development companies which are formed to drive forward economic growth and regeneration. They are independent companies, that operate on a not for profit basis. Local authorities are represented on the board along with private sector, community representation, and other agencies responsible for regional development. They use similar models to URCs, however they have greater geographical coverage and a broader range of functions. The CDCs do not engage in direct delivery of capital projects. They are intended to co-ordinate delivery though their partners and the use of compulsory purchase powers. Plymouth CDC – made up of representatives from Plymouth City Council, the South West Development Agency, English Partnerships and the private sector. The Company will develop a programme for economic and regeneration activities; develop and manage arrangements to deliver business growth and inward investment, prioritise and promote inward investment in infrastructure. The CDC aims to regenerate the whole City but with a focus on the waterfront. Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) – Are defined areas within which businesses pay an additional tax (or levy) in order to fund projects within the district’s boundaries. BIDs can provide services (supplementing those already provided by the City), undertake capital projects, and can develop marketing for the area. Bids can be run on a not for profit basis or by an arms length government entity. BID boards are made up of businesses and local authority representatives. Victoria BID – is a business-led and business funded body formed to improve the Victoria area, it covers the area around Victoria station. The BID has a dedicated crime prevention police officer, 164 businesses are radio linked to the police officer, crime prevention leaflets and surgeries have been held leading to 26.5% reduction in crime. The BID has delivered environmental improvements dealing with environment incidents, creating two new gardens, tree planting and hiring a resident falconer to assist in controlling pigeons. The area has been made more welcoming through new signage that has been installed and hiring street ambassadors (who greet and assist people to find their way around the area) numerous public events have been held attracting 300,000 visitors in total. The BID has assisted the local economy by developing a privilege card system that rewards frequent patrons of local businesses, the BID has also helped to fill job vacancies, and has created branding and raised press awareness of the area. Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Delivery Mechanism Case Study City Centre Management – is a co-ordinated pro-active initiative designed to ensure that town and city centres are desirable and attractive places. In nearly all instances the initiative is a partnership between the public and private sectors and brings together a wide-range of key interests. Many town and city centre management initiatives initially are focused on resolving environmental, security or marketing problems. Many then evolve to have a far wider remit. Town and city centre management initiatives are able to develop, or support the development of, a widely-adopted vision and strategy for the centre. Successful strategies are broad-ranging in approach, typically covering the development of what the centre has to offer to attract people and investment, transport and access, environmental quality and security, and the mechanisms and actions needed to achieve the vision. Detailed Action Plans identify how the strategy is to be delivered and the partnership acts as the driving force in ensuring that delivery takes place. Town Centre Management – Bournemouth Quality Nights Initiative – The explosion of the licensed trade in the 1990s led to a significant deterioration to the image and perception of Bournemouth. To tackle this issue a strong partnership between public and private sectors was built, tasked to consider every aspect of the operation of the town at night and its future development. Now in its sixth year the partnership has started to reverse the negative perceptions and is building a quality image of the town, with benefits for all stakeholders as a result of a growing and successful night time economy Points for discussion • Are all of the proposals suggested relevant to Manizales? • Which mechanisms might be most appropriate? • Which are the highest priorities? • Which stakeholders could be bought on board to create a successful approach? • Is there anything else which should be included? 59 60 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework BOSQUES DEL NORTE Green Infrastructure – Implementation SOLFERINO CHIPRE Scope ASIS CAMPOHERMOSO An important objective of the POT and Public Spaces Masterplan is to improve the liveability of the City. Liveability can be achieved in many ways but one of the most important aspects of quality MORROGACHO of life is access to open spaces and the natural environment, and providing a good quality public LAS AMERICAS realm. It is proposed that the concept of a green grid for the City, is developed this will help to create a network of interlinked, multifunctional and high quality open spaces connecting town centres, public transport hubs, major employment LOS AGUSTINOS and residential areas with the parks and open spaces, rivers and the green urban fringe. CORINTO AVANZADA ASIS COLON ALTOS DE CAPRI SAN IGNACIOGALAN EL CARIBE SAN JOSE ESTRADA QUEBRADA OLIVARES VILLA JULIA SANTA HELENA CENTRO PERALONSO EL PORVENIR VILLAHERMOSA- La Playa LOS CEDROS JESUS. B. ESPERANZA EL SOL SAN JORGE VELEZ NEVADO VILLAHERMOSA- La Playa LA ARGENTINA LA LEONORA LLERAS Fundadores LOS ROSALES COLOMBIA EL CAMPIN PRADO VILLACARMENZA ARRAYANES LA CAROLA LA ASUNCION LA FRANCIA Open spaces and natural areas have a significant FUNDADORES role to play in climate change adaptation, for example for urban cooling and flood water SAN ANTONIO SAN JOAQUIN storage. This importance of this role will increase in future as the impacts of climate LOS ALCAZARES CAMPOAMOR change intensify. To co-ordinate initiatives on CASTELLANA URIBE PIP 12 EL BOSQUE - Bosconia liveability and the green grid it is recommended CERVANTES that a strategy is developed. The initiatives are 20 DE JULIOMARMATO summarised in the table below. SINAI COMUNEROS FANNY GONZALEZ DELICIAS NOGALES SAN CAYETANO VERSALLES PIP 10 BELEN BAJO PRADO GONZALEZ ARBOLEDA LA RAMBLA LA ESTRELLA EL CARMEN GUAMAL PALOGRANDE PERSIA CENTENARIO LAURE BETANIA EL PARAISO GUAYACANES PANORAMA CAMILO TORRES KENNEDY FATIMA Fig.X – Existing green infrastructure proposals. ESTAMBUL- Multifamiliar VIVIENDA POPULAR PALERMO Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Liveability and green grid strategy – Overview Initiative Description Green grid strategy • • Integrated framework, formally adopted and linking to POT Consultation with stakeholders and the public Green grid audit • • • Audit and map existing green infrastructure assets Assess quality and function of existing green infrastructure assets Identify gaps in the network Open Space Design Guidance • Green grid proposals/ strategy • • • Assess demands and needs for open space in the city considering the demographic profile of individual communities. • Develop guidance for the design, improvement and implementation of open spaces. • Provide updated standards and guidance on size, play space provision, street furniture types, materials, finishes, planting and use. • • Design and implementation • • • • • • Define opportunities for filling gaps in the network as part of new developments Develop action plans for key parts of the city Develop multifunctional open spaces and improve the functionality of existing spaces Improve the quality of existing open space Provide better links to the surrounding countryside though walking / cycling trails Greening of identified strategic streets through tree planting. Develop designs for new parks and spaces Develop designs for improvements to existing parks and spaces. Develop designs for walking and cycling connections to the countryside. Provide written specifications and detail design tender packages to contractors for all implementation work. Provide site supervision to implementation work. Management and maintenance • • Public realm • Guidelines for public realm (signage, surface treatments, street furniture etc) • Key demonstrator projects • Pedestrianisation of streets where appropriate • Consider opportunities for pedestrian prioritisation at key junctions • Traffic calming where appropriate Climate change adaptation • • Produce open space maintenance plans for all new parks and open spaces. Produce park management plans for all existing and proposed parks and green spaces. Introduce green roofs and walls Introduce sustainable urban drainage 61 In order to achieve the actions identified in City Centre strategy there is a need to develop an appropriate funding and management mechanism. The table below sets out the each of the potential mechanisms and a case study for each. Funding and other mechanisms Case Study Planning contributions – Planning Planning Contributions in the United Kingdom contributions are used in many countries, and (UK) are set out in ‘Planning Agreements’. although the systems for achieving contributions Planning Agreements are the outcome of vary, the main objective remains the same, to negotiations between planning authorities and secure land or financial contributions from developers about matters related to development. developers for social and physical infrastructure to These agreements are usually made under Section meet the additional demands and needs created 106 (S106) of the Town and Country Planning by development. Planning contributions are Act, and are negotiated alongside the process of informed by an evidence base which includes an securing planning permission. The agreements up to date assessment of the need for, impacts place obligations on the developer as a way of on and costs of necessary infrastructure related accessing part of the development value created to development. The level of contribution is by the granting of planning permission. The value negotiated between the Council and developer is used to provide infrastructure (this includes and agreed in a legally binding agreement. affordable housing) and other wider needs associated with the development. Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) – An Milton Keynes in the United Kingdom, is one infrastructure levy is a financial mechanism that of four major growth areas in the South East of is used to secure funding for infrastructure on a England. It was also one of the first authorities standardised basis. A CIL is paid by developers in the Country to use an infrastructure Levy. As a to the local council based on the size and type result of this status there will be significant levels of the development, the charge is calculated per of new development over the ten years 2006 to square meter of development. Funds secured 2016. To ensure that this growth is sustainable through the CIL are used to pay for strategic and successful and to ensure that it doesn’t infrastructure such as transport improvements, impact on quality of life, new infrastructure such new schools, health care facilities etc. The levy is as roads, schools and health facilities will be designed to be fairer, faster and more transparent needed alongside new housing and employment than planning obligations as they provide development. In order to effectively fund this certainty to the developer as to how much money infrastructure a ‘Tariff’ is charged for every they will need to pay towards infrastructure to residential property built and per square metre support their development. of floorspace for commercial premises (these are indexed linked to account for inflation over time). 62 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Funding and other mechanisms Funding and other mechanisms Case Study Land value capture – Is a system that recovers some or all of the value that public infrastructure investment generates for private landowners. Colombia already has the Plus Valia system, so consideration should be given as to how / whether this can be revised to allow the funds from this to be directed towards achieving the actions in the liveability and green grid strategy. Case Study Open space adoption – The developer plans and constructs open space infrastructure within their site. The developer passes ownership, maintenance and legal responsibilities to the public authority. This is suited to large-scale private sector masterplan projects where infrastructure delivery prior to unit sales is a commercial advantage. In the UK all on site infrastructure is provided by the developer, in some but not all cases the developer will transfer ownership to the public authority. In some cases the developer retains ownership and responsibility for the maintenance of the open space, but allows public access to the open space in perpetuity through legal agreement. Compensation funds – Funds are paid by those wanting to develop land in expansion areas as a way of compensating for the loss of open land / countryside. The money would be directed towards funding recreation projects already identified. Community development trusts – are community based owned and led organisations, that may work in partnership with the public, private or voluntary sectors in a specific area to deliver environmental, social or economic benefits for the community. They may be set up as a company, or charity. Community Development Trusts, could take on the planning, management and maintenance of local open spaces in their area. Heeley Development Trust – in Sheffield. Was established in 1996 by a small group of local residents to transform nine acres of derelict wasteland into a community park. In 1997, they took over ownership of the land for 125 years and created Heeley Millennium Park. Since then, the trust has raised more than £1 million to invest in new outdoor facilities for local people to enjoy and the park is now recognised nationally as a unique example of community owned and managed green space. Transferable Development Rights (TDR) – TDR programs are relatively wide spread in Transferable Development Rights combined the United States with approximately 140 with incentive zoning allow owners of property programs in place. Although the program design to sell development rights to other property varies widely as do the results. Calvert County, owners, therefore allowing development rights Maryland, USA adopted a TDR program in to be separated from a land parcel itself. The 1978. The focus of the program was to preserve rights can then be transferred from the original farmland and forests. The County is situated property/land parcel to another in a different close to Washington DC which has contributed location. Once the development rights have been to it being one of the fastest growing counties transferred the owner of the land (from which in the state. The County is mainly rural with rights have been transferred) is then restricted no large communities and most residential from developing their land usually through a legal development is in low density sub-divisions. By covenant. The purchaser of the TDR can then allowing landowners of those in areas zoned for develop their land more intensively than allowed low density uses to sell their development rights by its baseline zoning. This could be used as a to those in the City, the County has been able to way of setting aside land for open space preserve rural areas. Revenue generating activities in parks – By allowing revenue generating activities to take place in parks either on a permanent basis through catering outlets cafes and kiosks, or a temporary basis such as hiring out for events (concerts, exhibitions, outdoor cinema etc), the local authority can generate funds for the maintenance of the park. Many parks and open spaces in the UK have introduced revenue generating activities. The Royal Parks in London now generate 60% of their income, through catering, events and licensing. This in turn has allowed government grants to reduce over the past decade, meaning the cost of the parks to the taxpayer is very low. Points for discussion • • • Which components are important to take forward and implement existing plans? Which funding mechanisms might be most appropriate to Manizales? Consider which stakeholders could be bought on board to create a successful approach? Manizales City-Region – Development Framework 63 City Branding and Marketing Initiative Scope The development of a brand of a city reflects two major objectives: to create a unified and attractive image to tourists, businesses and investors and to facilitate the improvement of local residents’ quality of life. A healthy brand identity can help define and manage the competitive advantages of a city and channel local partners’ resources to orchestrate the best results from combined efforts acting as a catalyst for attracting business and investment. Efforts need to be substantiated and linked directly or indirectly to other city wide initiatives such as employment creation and investment opportunities, educational and technological advancements as well as being aligned with priorities set for spatial planning and infrastructure provision and social inclusion. Although image branding is intended to showcase all attributes it might be more sensible to prioritise key aspects that can best reflect the city’s qualities and provide a focused image. Key Actions: Initiative Description Notes/Next steps City marketing strategy Define clear objectives as part of this process such as specific results from the development of a brand strategy and expected achievements. Consolidate existing offer among relevant city partners Identify and involve partners at an early stage Image building is not about inventing a new image for the city but rather a process building upon existing unique local characteristics which help to differentiate it from other Colombian and global cities. Market research to understand the audience and their current perceptions of the city and their needs (internal/external) Undertake review of current initiatives and gaps in development Manizales does offer this platform with its distinctive coffee heritage and climate as well as its urban heritage and strong educational base. The emerging focus of the city around the knowledge economy and focus on ICT related industries as a “silicon mountain” provide another basis to project the identity of the city. The City Region could benefit from creating a unifying focus for all public, private and non-profit sector organisations and promote efforts on: • • • • • • • Correcting out of date, inaccurate or unbalanced perceptions Increasing the attractiveness of local products Increasing the ability to attract, recruit and retain talented people Proving the foundation for future product development, new businesses and investing Enhancing civic pride Contributing towards a broader economic base. Improving the perceptions of the city’s image and potential is not just about campaigning and an advertising exercise but requires a well planned and systematic approach for long term benefits. Maybe commission/develop strategy with a specialist branding communications agency to provide external challenge/review. Identify current image, gaps and develop positioning to target audiences Establish key performance indicators Case study The Glasgow: Scotland with Style The Glasgow: Scotland with Style brand is designed to build on the success of the original Glasgow’s Miles Better campaign to increase tourism, investment and civic pride in the city. It was launched in 2004 with a total funding of £4.4m in two tranches from Glasgow City Council, the European Regional Development Fund and the Greater Glasgow & Clyde Valley Tourism Board. The aim was to create nearly 1,900 full-time jobs and generate some £95mn for the local economy. Following the launch of the brand it was estimated that the initiative contributed to an attracting to metropolitan Glasgow an additional 359,769 overnight visitors generating some £42mn and increases in the number of jobs in tourism. Key activities included: • Sponsoring the BBC Proms in the Park at Glasgow and a clipper boat named Glasgow: Scotland with Style • A number of local organisations, including businesses and civic organisations, universities, shopping centres and hotels supporting the brand and used it in their own marketing. 64 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Initiative Description Notes/Next steps Potential components World class natural environment Improvement of presentation and interpretation of attractions Biodiversity Outdoor activity in a safe/ welcoming landscape Health and wellness Coffee landscape Food and natural products City centre Arts, theatre and festivals Facility to enable access to Andean landscape and biodiversity of the region. Notes/Next steps Research and education Dedicated investment manager to attract inward investment from Colombian and international companies linking with invest in Caldas? Visitor welcome and packaging of city related attractions – Examples: • • • Skills and workforce Multiple investment opportunities ready to go. Incentives for investment – soft side and positioning – differentiated with other Colombian cities. Business start ups Examples of innovations and companies. Targeting of government investment in technology and innovation. “Eden project” managed landscaping showcasing flora and fauna of climatic zones • Ease of doing business – investment friendly Innovation Outdoor centres – improving countryside access and accessibility of outdoor pursuits – making Manizales a centre of special interest tourism. • Place to do business Description Potential components Andean landscape and climate Culture and heritage Initiative Expanded range of tourism products and segments Improved accommodation offer – specialist Expanded events programme Improved visitor centre guides/interpretation of city attractions e.g trails, interpretation boards, cultural ambassadors. Research partnership Targeting of education institutes to locate in Manizales International collaborations Accessible – nearer than you think. Once Aeropuerto Del Cafe is operational Attraction of range of carriers to improve connectivity by air. Points for discussion: Examples: What is already being taken forward which can provide a starting point for a strengthened approach to promoting the city region? • What potential initiatives could be prioritised? Branding and enhancement of key sites to make them investment ready. Once improvement in place – changing perception of Manizales within Colombia through a communications strategy. Which stakeholders could be brought on board to create a successful approach? A critical first step is to identify the sequence of activities which should take place to consolidate and strengthen the offer. Sequenced approach linking with improvements and investment taking place in the city can create quick wins and helps capture interest. Manizales City-Region – Development Framework 65 66 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Strategic Investment Site Delivery Scope A significant planning task is to seek to devise innovative solutions to bring forward a portfolio of employment sites to accommodate the scale and type of economic activities there is potential for the city to attract. Projects such as Zona Franca are meeting this need but are rapidly filling up meaning that additional projects and opportunities to provide choice and flexibility for prospective occupiers in terms the type of location, premises and quality of environment, infrastructure and other amenities. The public sector should with private partners to ensure the city region has a sufficient level of commercial sites and premises to meet the needs of businesses and achieve sustainable economic growth. This enables allocation of suitable land plots per use, safeguarding land for particular uses where there are specialist requirements or conflicting demands. Such an approach will enable the city to demonstrate to investors that their needs are met with the right sites in the right location at the right time. It further provides a platform to assess and co-ordinate future provision of local services and infrastructure to support development and the range of soft side incentives which the city can provide. A project which takes the plans for the cityregion to the next stage is to provide clarity given in terms of the intentions for the future development and individual sites so that these can be reflected in the POT. It provides a clear signal to businesses and investors on the opportunities available aligned to the needs of particular sectors and subsectors providing a useful tool for investment attraction and promotion. In order to fully understand the development potential of available land (large and small sites), it is imperative to identify the future demand for sites in more detail. In the case of Manizales, a number of available sites have been put forward for development. There could also be other opportunities arising from the redevelopment of existing sites to provide an additional supply of employment land or housing. Thus, undertaking a comprehensive assessment of existing supply and potential future developable land compared with analysis of demand for different uses is important to avoid mismatches and gaps which could be a barrier to the potential of the city being realised. A high level development scenario exercise undertaken as part of this project has highlighted the need to provide high quality developable sites of approximately 94 hectares to meet the employment growth by 2025. Given that the majority of this is for commercial premises and reflecting aspirations of a knowledge driven economy and inward investment, there is a need to identify strategic sites in prime locations that are well connected and well serviced in accelerated timescales. Key Actions: The key components of a strategic investment site delivery strategy could include the following: Initiative Description Demand assessment Analyse past and current economic and demographic trends in further detail Undertake review of current and planned initiatives and developments to quantify their employment potential and premises needs Identify requirements of existing occupiers Analyse real estate market trends Refine economic and demographic model to update scenarios and finalise future requirements Refine and segment land use requirements by type of activity and land use Supply assessment Assess existing premises Identify all potential development sites including those appropriate for redevelopment Assess suitability for development per use Categorisation of sites Consolidate supply and demand assessment Gaps analysis Notes/Next steps Understand spatial impact, and the potential concentration of uses and requirements per area to help elaborate POT proposals. Undertake consultation and surveys to gather information on current requirements Would include a comprehensive assessment of individual sites in terms of their development potential to inform the scale of possible development and relevant sectors which sites could accommodate. Match supply and demand and identify options for addressing additional unmet needs ensure there are sufficient opportunities and options to provide choice and flexibility. Impact assessment Analyse potential impact on and requirements for infrastructure and local services Identify the phasing and sequencing of enabling infrastructure which may be required. Guidelines for future development For key sites provide clear planning and design guidance as to which uses can be developed on each site. May include design briefs or masterplans for larger sites shaped in consultation with land owners. Providing guidance on monitoring and review, and how jobs growth can be achieved through employment land delivery Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Points for discussion: 67 Case study • Have aspects of the above analysis already been completed? • Are there specific requirements have been identified by potential investors which the city has found a challenge to meet? • Are there major requirements which have been put forward by current occupiers for expansion/relocation existing or future premises • How could the approach be taken forward – what support might be needed? Northamptonshire Strategic Employment Land Needs Assessment Northamptonshire was faced with a significant challenge in terms of delivering the amount of employment space (industrial, commercial, retail) employment proposed. Whilst it was important to have a focus on an ability to provide immediate readily available sites to meet the needs of existing companies, a further aim was to encourage inward investment from regional, national and international sources, requiring a number of strategically sized sites to be offered. In many cases the delivery of relatively large sites will be required in order to support the cost of infrastructure investment and also to provide a critical mass of development appropriate to attracting new large scale investment and occupiers to Northamptonshire. These sites must be of a quality to appeal to the national market and as such need to be specifically targeted to meeting specific market sectors. Such sites will need to be “flagship sites” for the county and beyond with individual site owners being given significant marketing support from the parts of the public sector involved in promotion of Northamptonshire as a whole. The study assessed the Northamptonshire commercial property market, evaluated employment forecasts and current employment land allocations in relation to commercial market demands and strategic priorities and provided an employment land assessment framework for use by local, county and regional partners looking at long term outcomes till 2031. 68 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Implementation Proposals – Aeropuerto Del Cafe Cluster Scope Evidence shows that airports play an important role in the development of cities, particularly highlighting the prospect of zones between the airport and the main city centre, as one of the most consistently growing parts of any metropolitan area. Air connections and strategic position within regional context make the wider airport location one of the most attractive business locations in the city region and the shifting focus from east to west linking with access to Medellin and Pereira. High value/ m2 There is an international trend for airport masterplans to incorporate real estate development close to terminals. This move has been supported by an increasing number of enterprises formerly located in town centres or other peripheral business parks attracted by the impact of airport location and good connections. Examples of uses that can benefit from locating close to an airport are provided in the following table. Core business Airport-related Airport-oriented Benefiting from airport image Terminal services: duty free, IT services etc International logistics headquarters International business activities (headquarters); WTC (international trade centre Shopping Ground handling Post & courier services Hotel Entertainment Conference Science park Restaurants R&D Medical care centre Education Value added logistics (cargo city) Pharmaceutical industry Test and training centres Catering Airport maintenance Flower-fair Distribution centres International exhibition centre ICT-business other offices Freight centres Export centre of regional economy; large-scale, international transport & distribution The location of the new Aeropuerto del Cafe in the municipality of Palestina benefits from proximity to the nearby strategic development site in Rosario. This provides the opportunity to create a large scale mixed uses development that would not Electronic industry Regional transport and distribution companies Recreation, golf course only attract employment and investors in the area but could help to meet the housing needs from Manizales elsewhere in the city region. It would further help stabilise the population of the local area in Palestina which has experienced steady loss of local population over the past 10 years. Key Actions: A number of additional actions would be needed which assess the economic impact and potential which the airport could bring to the region as well as to develop proposals and plans to compliment the investment planned at the airport itself. A proposal for undertaking an economic impact assessment has already been shared. Initiative Description Notes/Next steps Understanding the national and regional aviation market Baseline regional aviation infrastructure profile An assessment of the national and regional aviation market would help identify potential future occupiers and investors for the land use facilities associated with the new airport Identify key drivers of passenger and cargo demand Develop national and regional demand forecasts Identify capacity constraints and opportunities High tech industry Food industry Low value/ m2 In the context of Manizales city region, the proposed Aeropuerto del Cafe could serve a much wider area than just the city region becoming the key airport for the Coffee region. Combined with planned investment in road infrastructure, the area could serve as a key multimodal centre in the region facilitating trade and the increase of commerce. In addition, it would provide a stimulus to the emerging tourism sector in the region, allowing constant access for tourists wishing to visit the area. Impact assessment Demand Assessment for Land Uses Baseline national and regional economic and demographic profile Consultation with key stakeholders such as businesses, and public sector organisations Future development scenarios for Manizales city region Identification of land use requirements The analysis would identify both those uses that could be relocated from elsewhere in the city region and also capture the demand for new uses. Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Initiative Description Notes/Next steps Detailed Master Plan Detailed analysis of the site In most cases a concept master plan would provide a sufficient level of detail to inform a development process, however a detailed master plan would enable to fully understand the potential impacts and estimated costs Development of masterplanning options Development of infrastructure masterplan Development of transport masterplan Urban design and landscaping Environmental impact Assessment Identify and assess environmental impacts, including ecology, socioeconomic, air quality etc Provide mitigation measures Business Plan Phasing of development CAPEX, OPEX Calculation of cashflow and Internal Rate of Return Marketing Preparation of investor information packages Organising trade shows Early start on an Environmental Impact Assessment allows any issues arising and mitigation measures to be taken into consideration in the design phase. Ownership and management of the site Appropriate investment incentives to attract interest from potential occupiers and investors Engaging appropriate communications specialists including advertising in national and international media. 69 Case study Edinburgh Airport Edinburgh is the capital Scotland but is secondary to Glasgow in terms of population and commercial role. To develop Edinburgh airport and the surrounding area as a growth zone a masterplan was developed to enhance the role of the airport to develop it from serving primarily a domestic and short haul European market and to develop the airport in terms of international connectivity and the land close to the airport as a commercial hub and gateway for the city as a whole. The West Edinburgh growth zone, in which the Airport is located, has been designated as an economic development project of importance for Scotland as a whole. The vision for this growth zone includes the development of the International Business Gateway, an area set aside for high value added, headquarters type developments for major international companies. Points for discussion: • • • • Can the existing proposals for PalestinaRosario to include a greater proportion of commercial uses? Is there existing interest in developing the site for mixed uses, particularly investors looking for customised premises? Which stakeholders(regional, national) could be brought on board to create a successful approach? How proposals to address the environmental and surface access issues relating to the airport and expansion area been considered? In 2008 it was estimated that the Airport supported 3,530 ftes (Full time equivalent jobs) directly on-site, a further 290 ftes through direct off-site effects and a further 1,520 ftes in the City Region and 2,370 ftes across Scotland through indirect and induced impacts. In total, Edinburgh Airport contributed around £118.4 million of the gross value added (GVA) to the City Region and £146.2 million across Scotland. The impact of proposed new Master plan which is being taken forward would result to the number of jobs supported in the Edinburgh City Region rising to around 12,790 ftes and to around 16,040 ftes in Scotland by 2030. The Airport will make a corresponding contribution to GVA of around £702.3 million per annum in the Edinburgh City Region and £867.2 million per annum in Scotland as a whole. 70 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Public sector driven knowledge hub linking with ICT and Higher education strengths. Scope The public sector has often played a central role in leveraging added value and private sector investment in cities. This has been particularly important for cities focusing on or aspiring to attract knowledge intensive industries. While knowledge driven occupations increasingly comprise a significant part of employment, few cities have become bright examples of urban economies where the private sector has become a key driver for economic progress and physical development without some public sector investment and in many of these cases the proportion of employment in the public knowledge intensive sectors can sometimes outweigh that of the private knowledge intensive sectors. There are two notable strands which are existing and emerging strengths of Manizales: Higher Education & Research and Development Higher education plays a pivotal role in the economy of a city. The better the reputation of the university cluster and its international linkages with other academic institutes the higher the numbers of students attracted in the city, providing also an impetus for the development of a supporting economy i.e. services. Cities with strong higher education sectors tend to maintain close relationships with businesses. Universities carry out research, advice and consultancy for business and ‘knowledge transfer’ to varying degrees. It is evident in many cities that research carried out by universities has resulted into a number of spin out companies and highly innovative knowledge intensive firms. An important element of this is the co-location of universities and government laboratories that acts as a centre of knowledge capable of supporting high tech private sector activities. Their ability to sustain success of private companies has been attributed to the support provided to grow beyond the incubator state through the provision of appropriate housing and workspace accommodation and services. Cambridge in the UK is a classic example of this approach to economic development where since the 1970s business spin off’s from the university have catalysed private sector opportunities in technology related industries which has now grown to become an internationally significant cluster. Manizales has over the years established a strong educational base with several higher education institutes located in the city and an increasing number of students. Considerable efforts have also been made to link with other reputable international academic institutions. In line with the national government strategy aiming to improve the educational base of the country and provide a robust platform for innovation, Manizales city region could become a key educational centre in Colombia. Public Sector Services Technological advancements are rapidly changing the way things are done across all economic sectors. Manizales could establish itself as a hub for institutions and companies which help to develop and apply ICT related innovations to Colombian companies and government agencies The Colombian public sector has increasingly been adjusting processes to take into account the development of the ICT sector and the potential of e-government. This has the advantage of providing services from a distant locations and has opened the opportunity for governmental services being relocated elsewhere. Public sector relocation has the potential to have a significant impact on the local area in terms of jobs, skills, investment and regeneration, as well as helping to reduce regional disparities. It creates direct employment and indirect through the purchase of goods and services. Secondly, the movement of highly skilled staff can have a direct impact on the local workforce by increasing and widening the skills available in the area. Thirdly, it acts as an incentive for government departments to reduce the invest in infrastructure which can subsequently attract further private sector investment into the area. Consequently, increasing investment can lead to the regeneration of local areas. Support and partnership from the national government for this approach to work would clearly be needed but Manizales has potential to build on existing successes in this area. The market opportunity could be a catalyst to help Manizales develop a business services cluster of ICT related knowledge processing and outsourcing towards the higher end of the value chain by developing a critical mass of companies and capabilities building on the strengths of higher education institutions. As well as targeting the public sector in Colombia targeting of international companies to locate to Manizales as a base for their Latin America operations should be an ambition for Manizales but focusing on particular niches so that companies can draw upon a sufficient pool of specialised skills. Points for discussion • • • Is there a strategy to expand the university offer in Manizales What is the existing relationship between universities and the private sector in the city region What progress has been made in terms of academic networks established with international universities Case Study York is one of the UK’s six Science Cities. Science Cities have been developed as locations with strong science-based assets such as a major university or a centre of research and a well established partnership between local government and universities. In the context of York, the university has a key role in the city as an economic generator through the Science City underpinning the biotechnology and IT and digital clusters. The city’s community strategy focuses on development science and knowledge intensive industries by increasing start-ups, spin outs and growing existing businesses. Manizales City-Region – Development Framework 71 Key Opportunities: Initiative Description Notes/Next steps Initiative Description Notes/Next steps Creating a National Higher Education Nucleus • The aim is to build on the reputation of Manizales in Colombia as a national centre of excellence in education. Public services provision • Potential to host national government ICT related services and functions. • • • • • Private Sector engagement Working with higher education institutions develop a strategy to expand the offer and downstream linkages of existing institutions as well as marketing Manizales as a destination for public and private sector further and higher education institutions. Expand courses offer and increase specialisation Emphasize Research and Development Role Establish long-term partnerships with international academic institutions Provide a state of the art environment and identify investment locations where new facilities could locate Organise national and international academic conferences • Access to work placements for students in local businesses • Invite involvement of leading businesses in research projects • Provide incentives and preferential measures for university spin off businesses, including temporary space. • Targeted strategy to attract a small number of anchor Colombian and international firms to establish operations locate in Manizales. Continue expanding Manizales ICT connectivity and telecommunications infrastructure and networks • Specialised courses and training on e-government and analysis process outsourcing • Engage national institutions to understand their ICT and E-Government plans and how Manizales based institutions and companies can play a role. Case Study It is essential to provide appropriate physical environment and support services Salford Media City – BBC, ITV other media businesses have studios here and Salford University has a campus here – office space, retail space, arts and cultural venues (museums and theatres etc.), residential and hotel accommodation. The City was successful in competing with other cities to attract the BBC to compliment the range of other media higher education and cultural attractions which the city had already established or brought to the area. The vision and competitive offer and strategies which the city developed meant that Salford was successful in outperforming other larger UK cities which may have been perceived to have greater financial resources and political influence. Meteorological office – Exeter. The city of Exeter, UK was successful in attracting the UK government agency for weather and climate change from its location close to London to Exeter a city located in South West England some 200 miles from London. The attraction of a key government agencies to stimulate growth has been pursued by other UK cities for example the city of Leeds and the Health service. The attraction of a large public agency linking with existing higher education and research strengths could be a strategy which Manizales could pursue. 72 Manizales City-Region – Development Framework Next Steps The proposals set out in sections 1-3 represent an overall City Region Development Framework for Manizales building upon and adding to the existing sectoral plans and strategies the city has. A series of meetings and workshops planned for late January in Manizales will be used to discuss and finalise the approach. Section 4 – Includes a series of Implementation proposals to support implementation of plan and link with the POT. During the consultation discussions will take place on should be the focus of Activity 2 of the project and be developed further.