Publications

For publications on the Rapid Urbanism approach please check out these resources, including multiple lectures and case studies.

Please find a list of publications by Matthias Nohn alias Rapid Urbanism here:

  • The World Bank (draft). Social Protection and Housing: How to Use Housing Benefits for Harnessing a Just and Green Urban Transition. Washington DC: Social Protection & Jobs Global Practice, The World Bank
  • FCB Studios, Rapid Urbanism alias Matt Nohn, Grant Associates. (2024) Green City Kigali Kinyinya Sub-Area Masterplan (Final Draft). Green City Kigali Corporation & City of Kigali. Latest draft accessible online.
  • Nohn, Matt, Zhang, Y, Das, A (2024). Improving Access to Adequate Land for Affordable Housing. Chapter in: Access to Land in South Asia. Guidance Note. Washington DC: The World Bank
  • Nohn & IAUAI (2023). RUE 0.5: Rapid Urbanism Explorer: Smart City Software Prototype.
    Public release accessible online at: www.RapidUrbanism.com/Explorer-AI
  • Nohn, Matt (2022). Kosovo Adequate Housing Programme. Project Concept developed for Council of Europe Development Bank. Pristina: UN-Habitat. (grey literature)
  • IAUAI & NUS (2022). RUE 0.3: Rapid Urbanism Explorer: Smart City Software Prototype.
  • IAUAI & DFKI (2021). Rapid Urbanism Explorer: Feasibility Study. (Grey Literature).
  • Nohn, Matt & Swati Janu (2021). Study on Urban Housing in India and Partner States (Odisha, Kerala, Tamil Nadu). New Delhi: GIZ. Accessible online.
  • Nohn, Matt, Tommaso Bassetti (2021). Beyond Climate: Integrating Benefits in Sustainable Infrastructure. C40 Cities Finance Facility. Accessible online.
  • Nohn, Matt (2019). Preventive Resettlement in Accra, Ghana. Washington, DC: The World Bank (draft). Extract accessible online.
  • UN-Habitat (2018). Financial Strategy for the Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme PSUP. Nairobi: UN-Habitat. (peer reviewed; grey literature)
  • GIZ India (2018). Demystifying urban land tenure issues: A case study from Odisha. Inclusive Cities Partnership Programme. New Delhi: GIZ. Accessible online.
  • Nohn, Matt (2017), with Adele Vosper. Community-Based Enterprises for Solid Waste Management, and the transformative role of city-community partnerships in the fight against Ebola. (Derived from Post-Program Evaluation.) Brussels: Cities Alliance. Accessible online.
  • Nohn, Matt & with Mahila Housing SEWA Trust and GIZ India (2017). Roadmap for including semi-formal housing and land in the ambit of the ongoing national and state PMAY missions. New Delhi: GIZ India. (grey literature)
  • Nohn, Matt, with Evandro Holz, Samuel Senesie & Marco Kamiya (2017, peer reviewed). 
    A Political Economy Approach to Expanding Access to Adequate and Affordable Urbanization and Housing. Working Paper Series: Integrated Policy Paper (Vol 1); Urban Land (Vol 2); Neighborhoods (Vol 3); Housing (Vol 4). Nairobi: UN-Habitat. (Grey literature)
  • Nohn, Matt & Reinhard Goethert (2017). Growing Up! The Search for High-Density Multi-Story Incremental Housing. Cambridge, MA: The SIGUS Group/Massachusetts Institute of Technology & Department of Architecture/TU Darmstadt. Accessible online.
  • Nohn, Matt (2016). The Habitat Economy and Finance Programme. Draft Concept Note. Nairobi: UN-Habitat. (grey literature)
  • Nohn, Matt, Reinhard Goethert & Evandro Holz (2016). Leaving No-One Behind: How to access land, design shelter and deliver finance to the urban poor. Habitat III Training Session. Berlin: Rapid Urbanism & Cambridge, MA: SIGUS/MIT. Accessible online.
  • Nohn, Matt (2016). Guidelines for the Development of Training Material on UN-Habitat’s Three-Pronged Approach (3PA) towards Planned Urbanization. Consulting Report. Nairobi: UN-Habitat. (Grey literature)
  • The World Bank (2015). Affordable Housing: A Way Forward. Hanoi: The World Bank. Accessible online.
  • Nohn, Matt (2015). Collective strength by global networks of the urban poor: policy implications of affordable housing and co-development strategies. Chapter in: From Local Action to Global Networks: Housing the Urban Poor eds. Herrle, Peter; Ley, Astrid & Fokdal, Josefine (Farnham: Ashgate), pp. 175–193. Published version accessible online; unedited copy accessible here.
  • The World Bank (2015). Roadmap for Housing Policy Reform in Indonesia. Jakarta: The World Bank / Bappenas / Ministry of Public Works and Housing. Accessible online.
  • Nohn, Matt (2015). Self-Built Housing in Vietnam: Sector Assessment and Considerations for Policy Reform. In: Roadmap for Affordable Housing for All Policy Note Series. Hanoi: The World Bank. (Grey literature)
  • Nohn, Matt (2014). Designing, Financing and Regulating Incremental Housing. Capacity Building Workshop. Colombo, Sri Lanka: UN-Habitat/UNOPS, European Union, Government of Australia and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. Accessible online.
  • Nohn, Matt & Bijal Bhatt (2014). How to Assess Security of Tenure and Emulate Mortgages for Financing Semi-Formal Homes: Lessons from Mahila Housing SEWA Trust. Technical Brief Series. Cambridge, MA: WIEGO. Accessible online.
  • Goethert, Reinhard, Matt Nohn & Deidre Schmidt (2014). Leaving No-One Behind: How to access land, design shelter and deliver finance to the urban poor. Training Session. UN World Urban Forum 7. Medellin, Colombia: UN-Habitat. Accessible online.
  • Nohn, Matt (2013). Mortgage emulators: pro-poor housing finance innovations. AHI Blog. Accessible online.
  • Nohn, Matt (2013). Proposal for a dedicated Urban Sustainable Development Goal: The dominance of urbanization and the strategic relevance of cities for achieving any post-2015 global development and sustainability agenda. “Nohn Report”. Eschborn: GIZ. (Grey literature)
  • Nohn, Matt (2012). Effectively Improving the Lives of Urban Poor Workers by Investing in Member-Based Organizations. Seattle, WA: Gates Foundation. Accessible online.
  • Kost, Chris & Matt Nohn (2011). Better Streets Better Cities – A Street Design Manual for Urban India. Ahmedabad and New York: Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP). Accessible online.
  • Nohn, Matt, Deidre Schmidt & David Smith (2011). Home Improvement Finance Entity (HIFE). Business Plan prepared for Ashoka. Boston, MA: Affordable Housing Institute. (Grey literature)
  • Nohn, Matt (2011). Making Land Use Zoning Work for the Urban Poor: Policy Options for Including Home-based Workers in India. Technical Brief Series, No.3. Cambridge, MA: WIEGO. Accessible online.
  • Patel, Bimal, Rajendra Joshi, Shirley Ballaney & Matt Nohn (2011). Slum Planning Schemes: A Statutory Framework for Establishing Secure Tenure and Improving Living Conditions in Indian Slums. In Environment and Urbanization Asia Vol 2(1): 45-75. London: Sage. Accessible online.
  • Nohn, Matt (2011). Das Streben nach Glück. Vom Ringen indischer Slumbewohner um ein glücklicheres Leben. (English: Progress towards Happiness: Initiatives by Indian Slum Dwellers for a Better Life.) In ad hoc international, Vol 5(1). Berlin: Nefia.
  • Tandon, Rajesh, Kaustuv Bandyopadhyay, Sohela Nazneen, Matt Nohn (2010) Review of the Urban Poor Fund International. Submitted to Gates Foundation, SIDA, Norway and Slum Dwellers International. Accessible online.
  • Nohn, Matt, Deidre Schmidt & David Smith (2009). SEWA Housing Finance. Business Plan prepared for SEWA Bank and Mahila Housing Trust. Boston: Affordable Housing Institute (grey literature).
  • Patel, Bimal, Shirley Ballaney, CK Koshi & Matt Nohn (2009). Reforming Urban Land Management in Gujarat. In Indian Infrastructure Report (pp. 176-189). New Delhi: Oxford University Press. Accessible online.
  • Nohn, Matt (2008) Market-based Affordable Housing in Urban India. Award Winning Policy Analysis Exercise Series. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Accessible online.
  • Bhatt, Bijal; Rushank Metha; Matt Nohn; Falguni Patel & Tara Sinha (2008) Urban Poverty Reduction Strategy for the City of Ahmedabad. Policy Analysis. New Delhi: National Institute for Urban Affairs & Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Government of India (in cooperation with UNDP). Accessible online. Extract of Task II on community-driven urban services is accessible here.
  • Buckley, Robert, Gerald J Lynch & Matt Nohn. (2006) UN-Habitat’s Measuring of MDG Target 11 on Improving the Life of Slum Dwellers. Peer Review. Washington, DC: The World Bank & Cities Alliance. (Grey literature)
  • Nohn, Matt (2004). Viver no Porto: Rio 365+. Master’s thesis in architecture and urban design/planning. Darmstadt: TUD.
  • Nohn, Matthias (2001). Feuchteschutz. Chapter in: Technologie der Gebäudehülle: Seminar WS 01/02, Volume 1. Hülsmeier, Frank (editor). Darmstadt: TUD
  • Nohn, Matthias (2001). Federal Center; IBM Building; Sears Tower. Architectural reviews in: Chicago 2001 (pp. 226, 355, 357). Excursion reader. Darmstadt: TUD
  • Nohn, Matthias & Rauh, Katharina (2000). Sixpack: timber construction project. In Sichten mm: annual exhibition of the School of Architecture. Darmstadt: TUD
  • sichten99. Contributor to the annual exhibition of the School of Architecture. Darmstadt: TUD