Implementation is on track for the Colombia Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) NAMA, funded by the NAMA Facility, with financial support from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Safety (BMUB) and the UK’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).The ultimate goal of the TOD NAMA is to transform Colombia’s urban development model from automobile-oriented urban sprawl to Transit Oriented Development that maximizes GHG reductions and the sustainable development co-benefits of investments in public transport and housing.
CIUDAT, the NAMA implementing agency (housed within the FINDETER national development bank), has started to hire full time staff, and is making steady progress on a number of fronts:
Catalytic TOD Projects
The CIUDAT Board selected four cities for technical and financial support on catalytic TOD projects: Cali, Manizales, Medellin and Pasto. CIUDAT is currently working with the four cities to refine the scope of the catalytic interventions for potential financial support. Pre-feasibility studies will commence in the spring.
National Policies for Replication
CIUDAT and the national policy staff on the CIUDAT Advisory Committee have identified several opportunities to integrate TOD into national policies to foster replication of best TOD practices across Colombian cities. These include pursuing strategies to promote TOD in Colombia’s next National Development Plan (2019-2023) and in the POT Modernos effort to update hundreds of municipal land use plans. FINDETER, the Ministry of Transport and the Department of National Planning (DNP) are integrating TOD concepts into guidelines for the development of Master Mobility Plans for municipalities. FINDETER is also working with DNP on technical CONPES documents (for the National Council for Economic and Social Policy) on sustainable mobility that emphasize the importance of TOD for maintaining transport system sustainability.
Monitoring & Evaluation
As Delivery Organization for Technical Cooperation, CCAP is guiding CIUDAT on the development of the Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) plan for the NAMA. CCAP conducted a mission to Bogota in December 2016 to work closely with CIUDAT and the Ministry of Transport on the M&E plan. The resulting draft plan includes a variety of indicators that measure progress on the catalytic projects, policy replication, greenhouse gas emission reductions and mobilization of public and private finance.
CCAP and CIUDAT are investigating best practices and practical approaches and technologies for comprehensive measurement of TOD. CIUDAT will reflect this research in new guidance for supported cities on key data that needs to be collected around the catalytic projects (e.g., on travel and land use), as well as opportunities for longer-term monitoring of benefits (economic and social) and transformation.
Collaboration and Financial Leverage
CIUDAT is becoming a focal point for TOD and sustainable urban mobility in Colombia. The profile of the TOD NAMA has risen among national and international stakeholders and interest is spreading among cities.FINDETER is working to mainstream TOD into their various programs and credit lines. With funding from the French Global Environmental Fund (FFEM), CIUDAT is conducting a study on land value capture as a financial mechanism of TOD projects. FFEM has also provided financial assistance to Cali for planning of its Green Corridor. With funding from Citi Foundation within the Financing Sustainable Cities Initiative (FSCI), the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities is coordinating with CIUDAT to provide technical support in Cali on structuring the financial business model for the Green Corridor TOD project and its implementation. GIZ has been developing the TAnDem NAMA on active transport and demand management, for which CIUDAT would be the implementing entity if/when it is funded. Finally, FINDETER is in discussions with the Ministries of Environment, Transport and Housing about related NAMAs that could be integrated into the CIUDAT umbrella for further financial leverage.
CCAP welcomes input on best practices in TOD implementation and evaluation, and thoughts on collaboration opportunities. Please share your ideas with Steve Winkelman, swinkelman@ccap.org or Chuck Kooshian, ckooshian@ccap.org.
