On October 17-18, 2024, the World Bank Tokyo Development Learning Center (TDLC) will celebrate 20 years of strong partnership between Japan and the World Bank on knowledge sharing, highlighting Japan's leadership and the contributions of Japanese cities, the private sector, and academia in urban development.
Participants and beneficiaries, mostly from the client countries of the World Bank, highly regard TDLC’s knowledge curation, exchange and dissemination activities. Its main knowledge event, the Technical Deep Dives (TDD), a dialogue-based knowledge exchange program for urban development practitioners, held almost every other month, is recognized as a valuable opportunity to learn about advanced urban development cases from Japan to create more livable and sustainable urban environments. Its knowledge exchange activities include Technical Deep Dives (TDDs), operational support, and the publication of knowledge products.
In this feature, we look at the history of the TDD program, highlighting achievements, success stories, and impacts it has created.
TDLC evolved from a primarily distance-learning initiative to a face-to-face training program connecting Japan’s urban development expertise with development projects in client countries. The TDD, TDLC’s flagship program, emerged from this transformation.
Active discussions take place among the participants.
TDD participants listen attentively during the site visit.
The TDD is a week-long, hands-on training program attended mainly by government officials, practitioners, and experts from World Bank client countries. These participants, along with World Bank project officers, visit Japan for a week to explore global and Japanese good practices in urban development. Many participants cite TDD as unique due to its collaborative environment, where participants engage in meaningful dialogue and gain insights from examples in Japan and other countries, enabling them to adopt concrete improvements and new perspectives for their own projects.
Participants listening to the lecture.
TDLC has conducted over 50 TDDs to date, contributing to 430 projects across 87 countries worth $75 billion. These learning events cover a range of topics, including urban flood management, waste management, compact cities, transit-oriented development (TOD), aging society, property tax, and cybersecurity. These training sessions are made possible through collaboration with many stakeholders, including Japanese cities, government agencies, businesses, and academia.
The knowledge gained from TDDs not only contributes to the success of specific projects in various countries, but they also have a wider impact. These learnings are shared through international conferences and global reports, creating opportunities for further collaboration and knowledge exchange. The global impact of these efforts is reflected in the feedback gathered by TDLC from project teams about how TDDs have contributed to their project preparation and implementation work. Here are a few examples:
・Urban development and resilience in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar
The project team participated in the “Urban Flood Risk Management TDD” held in 2016, and found the content to have been highly relevant and helpful in the design of an urban resilience project. With a population of 2.6 million, the city’s development was hindered by annual flooding. The “Madagascar Integrated Urban Development and Resilience Project for Greater Antananarivo (PRODUIR)” was launched in 2018, focusing on flood management, improving low-income areas, and promoting sustainable urban development. In 2023, the city also participated in a TDD focused on “Sustainable and Quality Urban Infrastructure,” that further supported the project in redefining the infrastructure components on flood management.
Participants actively asking questions during site visit.
・Sustainable urban development in Narayanganj, Bangladesh
In 2016, then mayor Salina Hayat Ivy of Narayanganj City, Bangladesh attended the “Compact Cities TDD” held in Tokyo and Toyama. The former mayor said that she was inspired by the canal restoration project in Toyama City. Toyama City has also gained international recognition for its efforts in creating a city that adapts to an aging society. Mayor Ivy initiated a similar project in her own city, removing waste and creating a new recreational space in the city center, transforming it into a place beloved by both residents and tourists. In 2023, Narayanganj City reported its achievements in another TDD held in Toyama, citing how the TDD has contributed to sustainable urban development in Narayanganj.
Participants listen intently to the speaker. Aging society is becoming an increasingly important issue.
・Transit- Oriented Development (TOD) and Land Value Capture in Tanzania
Finally, the urban team in Tanzania shared how the knowledge obtained through the TDD series on Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) and Land Value Capture has greatly contributed to World Bank projects in Tanzania. The Dar es Salaam Urban Transport Improvement Project (DUTP) was inspired by Japan’s TOD approach and focuses on creating business opportunities to support the sustainable operation of transit systems. Additionally, follow-up support provided in 2021 by TDLC (i.e., Japanese experts advice) helped the Tanzania Cities Transforming Infrastructure and Competitiveness Project (TACTIC) learn about land value readjustment, while the Msimbazi Basin Development Project (MBDP) gained insights into flood management.
Active discussions even during the online meeting.
At the 20th Anniversary event, project stories impacted by TDLC activities will be presented by project stakeholders from various countries. Japanese cities that serve as key knowledge resources for TDLC, including Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kitakyushu, Kobe, Kyoto, Toyama, Yokohama will also participate in the event and share their insights on how the collaboration can be expanded and deepened to support cities in other countries pursue sustainable urban development We invite you to join us and be a part of this event.
Last Updated: Oct 25, 2024