Urban development is more than just buildings. The Walas approach is urban development through international platforms and policy making, access to innovations and in practice.
1. International platforms and policy making
We share our vision in making urban development socially, financially and environmentally sustainable. The world stage gives us an opportunity to share our experience through keynote speaking and participation in the Earth Charter SDG development, the New Urban Agenda and UN national, city and local policy development. We continue to work at national, city and local levels on policy development and regular participate in high level conferences such as Habitat III, trade missions and shows. We also directly engage with governments on policies and solutions for the future of cities, and partner with other organizations including Resilence Brokers and Climate Reality.
2. Access to innovations
World of Walas believes sustainable innovations should be easily accessible and, when brought together in the right combinations, can create the exponential improvements we need for true sustainability. We incubate our own innovations and partner with others to offer new technologies and new ideas for sustainable buildings.
3. Practice
We start with creative concepts that let people live and work in our communities as the community grows around them. By committing to being First In, Last Out, and staying with our communities, we can introduce gradual development and financing, and host of other solutions that can't be found in traditional developments. We provide, with our partners, advice and research, design, process management and community development and we are unique in the programming, realization and branding of activities and concepts.
Our ethical base is our most important guidance for the vision and practice of the World of Walas approach. We start with 'Why'. Why would we design this project? Why would we pursue this opportunity? Once we understand why, we can define what should be done and what we can do for our clients, users and partners. We can then determine how to achieve solutions that are comprehensive and integrated. It may be more work upfront, but the results are worth it.
The Why, How and What of Walas is linked to our integrative chain development, with 6 different elements: prepare design care – venture brand perform. In this figure we show how the chain develops from core values out to result.
prepare - design - care ||venture - brand – perform
Walas is used to working in complex, heterogenic projects with diverse stakeholders and interests, and we know how to build these interests into strong, dynamic and marketable offerings. Walas focuses on results, with multiple value development in our projects. We have proven methods to optimize economic, ecological, social and/or cultural activities using sustainable technical and financial solutions. Our approach can considerably accelerate the run through rate, with increased efficiency and feasibility.
The Walas approach accelerates the process of urban redevelopment. There are six phases, with different service and product offerings in every phase. We are proud to be one of the few organizations that can offer comprehensive solutions every step of the way.
"Where people live and work, they require diversity. The city requires diversity everywhere. To be sure, any use of the land needs to be supplemented by other primary uses (dwellings, work, cultural, entertainment or whatever) in order to perform an intensive interacted use of the place. If they simply take up physical room and involve few uses or people, they will do little or nothing for the city's effectiveness nor its liveliness. I think it is hardly necessary to belabor that point."
- Jane Jacobs -
We believe the world problems can be solved. - Jeffrey Sachs
We believe cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because and only when they are created by everybody. - Jane Jacobs
We believe people should feel ownership in their communities. - Hernando de Soto
We believe in the values and principles defined in the Earth Charter and Earth Charter Cities.
We believe in the Tinbergen rule, that every policy needs a tool and continue to develop tools through: international platforms and policy making, 'access to innovation' and in practice.
The Earth Charter is an ethical framework for building a just, sustainable and peaceful global society. It is centrally concerned with the transition to sustainable ways of living and human development. The Earth Charter recognizes that ecological protection, the eradication of poverty, equitable economic development, respect for human rights, democracy and peace are interdependent.
World of Walas is driven by values and principles of the Earth Charter, and many of us in Walas are involved with the Earth Charter in different ways. Gerben van Staaten has been a friend and supporter of the Earth Charter since its launch in 2000, and is author of the Earth Charter Cities Manifesto. Walas supports initiatives for the Earth Charter including Earth Charter Cities, Earth Charter Friends Canada, keynote speaking and events.