Alazar Kebede
City beautification projects have long been touted as essential for urban renewal, making cities more attractive to residents, tourists, and investors. From planting trees along boulevards to creating pedestrian zones and modernizing public spaces, these efforts can undoubtedly enhance the aesthetic appeal and liveability of a city.
City beautification initiatives have long been a popular strategy for urban development, aimed at enhancing the aesthetic appeal of public spaces, boosting tourism, and improving the overall quality of life for residents. These efforts typically involve projects like the renovation of parks, the installation of public art, the improvement of infrastructure, and the greening of urban areas. However, the impact of such initiatives on small businesses is multifaceted, with both positive and negative effects observed.
However, when such projects come at the expense of local businesses, they can trigger a host of unintended consequences. This article delves into the complex relationship between city beautification initiatives and their impact on small businesses, highlighting both the potential benefits and the dangers of prioritizing aesthetics over economic vitality.
Urban beautification is often seen as a quick fix for declining city centers. Local governments and city planners invest in these projects with the hope of attracting tourists, boosting real estate values, and fostering a sense of pride among residents. The construction of parks, the renovation of historic buildings, and the development of cultural districts are just a few examples of beautification efforts that can transform a city’s image.
Beautification can also have tangible benefits for businesses. Well-maintained public spaces, clean streets, and aesthetically pleasing environments can attract more foot traffic, encouraging people to spend time and money in these areas. Improved infrastructure, such as better lighting and safer pedestrian crossings, can make it easier for customers to access local shops and restaurants, potentially increasing sales.
Here, the crucial issue is the cost to businesses. The impact of city beautification is not universally positive. In many cases, the very businesses that stand to benefit from these improvements are the ones that suffer the most during the construction phase. The disruption caused by road closures, noise, dust, and limited access can deter customers, leading to a significant drop in revenue. For small businesses with tight margins, this can be devastating, and many are forced to close their doors permanently.
Moreover, the long-term outcomes of beautification projects can sometimes work against the interests of local businesses. The process of beautification can be disruptive to businesses, especially those located in areas undergoing significant renovations. Road closures, noise, and restricted access can deter customers, leading to a temporary or even permanent decline in sales. Small businesses with tight profit margins may struggle to survive during the construction period.
Beautification efforts that lead to increased property values can also result in higher rents and operational costs for businesses. Small businesses may find it difficult to cope with these rising expenses, leading to displacement or closure. This phenomenon, often associated with gentrification, can erode the diversity of local businesses, as independent stores are replaced by larger chains that can afford the higher costs.
Not all beautification projects align with the needs of businesses. For example, pedestrian zones may increase foot traffic for some businesses, but they can also reduce accessibility for customers who rely on cars. Similarly, the focus on aesthetics may overlook practical considerations, such as the need for parking or loading zones, which are critical for certain types of businesses.
As beautification projects change the character of a neighborhood, the demographics of the area may shift as well. This can lead to changes in the customer base, with new, more affluent residents replacing longtime locals. Businesses that cater to the original community may find it challenging to adapt to the changing market, potentially losing their core customer base.
The challenge for city planners is to find a balance between enhancing the city’s aesthetic appeal and supporting the local economy. This requires a thoughtful approach that takes into account the needs and concerns of all stakeholders, including small business owners, residents, and developers.
One strategy is to involve local businesses in the planning process from the outset. By consulting with business owners and seeking their input, city officials can better understand the potential impact of beautification projects and work to mitigate negative effects. For example, scheduling construction during off-peak hours, providing financial assistance to affected businesses, or offering tax incentives can help ease the burden on small enterprises.
Another approach is to prioritize projects that have a direct economic benefit to local businesses. For example, creating pedestrian zones or improving public transportation can make it easier for people to access shops and restaurants, potentially boosting sales. Similarly, investing in public markets, art installations, or cultural events can draw visitors to the area, providing a steady stream of customers for local businesses.
City beautification is a noble goal that can yield significant benefits for urban environments. However, when such projects are pursued without regard for their impact on local businesses, they can do more harm than good. Striking the right balance between beautification and economic vitality is essential for creating cities that are not only beautiful but also vibrant and thriving. By involving all stakeholders in the planning process and taking steps to mitigate negative effects, cities can enhance their aesthetic appeal while also supporting the small businesses that are the lifeblood of their communities.
The tension between beautification and business is a common challenge in urban development. While beautification projects offer numerous benefits, they must be carefully managed to ensure that they do not undermine the economic vitality of local businesses. By engaging business owners, creating multi-functional spaces, offering support to small businesses, promoting inclusivity, and planning for sustainable growth, cities can strike a balance that allows both aesthetics and business to thrive. In this way, urban beautification can become a tool not just for creating beautiful spaces, but for fostering vibrant, economically healthy communities.
Business and City Beautification: A Double-Edged Sword
Tunisia: At least 97 arrested as authorities escalate pre-election crackdown
Tunisian authorities have stepped up their clampdown on the rights to freedom of expression and association ahead of the presidential elections on 6 October 2024, said Amnesty International, escalating their harassment of political opponents, restricting the work of journalists, human rights defenders and NGOS and taking steps to further undermine judicial independence.
In the latest escalation at least 97 members of opposition group Ennahda were arrested between 12 and 13 September. Those detained were denied access to their lawyers for 48 hours and were brought before the anti-terrorism brigade for questioning. They are being investigated for conspiracy charges and other charges under the counter-terrorism law.
Authorities have continued to arbitrarily detain opposition politicians and human rights defenders, sideline presidential candidates and disregard administrative court decisions to reinstate presidential candidates, while the criminal justice system has been weaponized to silence peaceful dissent.
“Tunisian authorities are waging a clear pre-election assault on the pillars of human rights and the rule of law, failing to uphold the country’s international human rights obligations and undermining the fundamental principles of justice and fairness. They must end this egregious backslide on human rights and ensure respect for the rights of everyone in the country before, during and after the forthcoming elections,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.
“As a first step, Tunisian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release those detained solely for peacefully exercising their human rights, including Ennahda party members and imprisoned human rights defenders. They must allow media and civil society organizations to freely carry out their legitimate activities without fear of reprisal and end all interference in the judiciary.”
Undermining the judiciary and rule of law
The Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE), the institution in charge of organizing elections since 2011, but whose members have been nominated by President Kais Saied directly since 2022, approved only three candidates for the presidential elections including the incumbent Kais Saied. Several of the candidates that were not approved challenged the decision with the administrative court, which has exclusive jurisdiction over disputes regarding electoral candidacy. Three of them, all opposition candidates, Imed Daimi, Mondher Znaidi and Abdellatif Al Mekki won their appeal and the court ruled to reinstate them as candidates. However the ISIE on 1 September rejected the binding court ruling and refused to implement it.
The decision of the ISIE to disregard the court ruling was widely criticized by civil society organizations, political parties and the legal community as it is undermines the independence of the judiciary and rule of law.
Harassment of political opponents
On 1 September, Tunisian authorities arrested Ayachi Zammel, one of the candidates initially approved by ISIE, and charged him with “making donations to influence voters” under Article 161 of the electoral law following claims that he paid for endorsements for his candidacy. On 5 September, the court ordered his provisional release, but he was re-arrested as he was about to leave prison later that day. He was taken to Jendouba, a region in the northwest of Tunisia, where he was investigated and put under a new pre-detention warrant following similar accusations. Since then, more complaints have been brought against him and he is now held under five pre-trial detention orders all related to the same accusations.
Other politicians who submitted their candidacies for the presidential race and were not approved by the ISIE continue to face judicial harassment and in some cases prosecutions that lead to their convictions. On 5 August, a Tunis Court of First Instance sentenced five prospective presidential candidates to eight months in prison and a lifetime ban on running for office on the charge of “making donations to influence voters.” On 8 September, the Tunis Court of appeals confirmed the conviction and sentence for two of them, Abdellatif El Mekki and Nizar Chaari.
Stifling criticism and media freedom
The ISIE has been attempting to restrict independent media coverage of the elections. According to the Journalists Union, four private radio stations have received written warning notices from the ISIE about reports and comments aired on their stations in relation to the electoral process since the end of July. The latest was a warning received by Express FM on 6 September about what a guest on a show had said about the elections.
Radio Mosaïque FM received two warning notices from ISIE. On 31 July 2024, ISIE sent a warning notice, which was reviewed by Amnesty International, claiming that comments made by journalists Kaouther Zantour and Assya Atrous on the “Midi Show” on 24 July constituted “insult and mockery” of the ISIE and the electoral process. According to the station, a first warning had already been addressed to them on 26 July about the same subject.
On 20 August 2024, independent journalist Khaoula Boukrim, founder of online media site Tumedia, shared an e-mail that she had received from the ISIE accreditation unit. It informed her that her accreditation had been revoked, which set a new precedent. ISIE’s pretext for revoking Boukrim’s accreditation was that she violated “her duty to ensure a media coverage that is objective, balanced and neutral in regard to the electoral process” and that she had not respected the code of ethics in this regard.
“It is not ISIE’s role to police the work of the media. Accreditations granted to journalists and observers are meant to facilitate access throughout the different stages of elections and not exercise control over coverage of the elections and restrict media freedom,” said Agnès Callamard.
The ISIE also filed several criminal complaints against political opposition members and critics which led to convictions and sentences under Decree Law 54 for “spreading false information.” This includes opposition party president Abir Moussi, who was sentenced to two years in prison in one case and is facing charges in two other cases brought against her by the ISIE.
In a separate development, the magazine Jeune Afrique said on 4 September that Tunisian authorities banned its September issue from being distributed in Tunisia, presumably due to an article criticizing President Kais Saied, entitled “The Hyper President”.
Restricting the work of monitoring groups
The ISIE denied requests for accreditation made by the anti-corruption NGO IWatch and the observation NGO Mourakiboun, two Tunisian organizations that have been monitoring the elections since 2014.
According to the ISIE, “authorities” notified them that the two NGOs received “suspicious foreign funding,” later adding that they had received funding from “states with which Tunisia did not have diplomatic relations.” The ISIE referred these NGOs to for investigation by the prosecution.
According to international human rights standards, associations must have the freedom to seek and receive funding from various sources, both domestic and international, without undue restrictions.
“It is a travesty to witness the erosion of state institutions that were built since 2011. The Independent High Authority for Elections and all state institutions must uphold and respect the rule of law and not become tools to impose restrictions on the work of independent civil society organizations,” said Agnès Callamard.
Background
Since 2022, authorities have carried out successive waves of arrests targeting political opponents and perceived critics of President Saied. Over 70 people, including political opponents, lawyers, journalists, human rights defenders and activists have been subjected to arbitrary detention and/or prosecution since the end of 2022. Tens remain in arbitrary detention in connection with the exercise of their internationally guaranteed rights such as the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Amnesty International.
Natanem Wondwossen
Name: Natanem Wondwossen
Education: Bachelor’s Degree
Company name: Natanem Couture
Title: Founder and Creative Director
Founded in: 2022
What it does: Custom-made and ready to wear clothing
Hq: Addis Ababa
Number of Employees: 4
Startup capital: 150,000 birr
Current Capital: Growing
Reason for starting the Business: Passion
Biggest perk of ownership: Creative allowance
Biggest strength: Willing to take risks in order to grow
Biggest challenge: Raw material sourcing
Plan: Penetrating the global market
First career: Personal assistant
Most interested in meeting: None
Most admired person: My mom
Stress reducer: Praying
Favorite pastime: With family and friends, sketching, traveling, watching movies
Favorite book: The Holy Bible, The Alchemist
Favorite destination: Most of the fashion capitals
Favorite automobile: Mercedes-Benz AMG-G 63
Strategic Planning 6
The past few weeks we have been gathering information to arrive at a SWOT analysis for the business. Internal weaknesses and strengths as well as external opportunities and threats need to be identified and addressed in order to improve the effectiveness of the company and for the business owner to be able to take strategic decisions for the future. What strategic options are available? In the first place it is important to realise that deciding on a strategy is above all deciding on what is practical and possible. An appropriate strategy will be different for each business and change over time as internal and external factors change. The following options are available:
Do nothing. This is only an option if you are convinced that you will continue to be successful, doing exactly what you are doing now.
Improve what you are doing now. For example improving your quality or customer care.
Expand the business. By taking your products and services to new customers or by developing new services to your existing customers.
Diversify or innovate. This means developing new services for new customers.
Whatever decision you make, it will be an appropriate decision only if it will help you gain ground on your competitors, while taking into account the environment in which the business operates and the resources that you have available.
Once you have decided what the strategy will be, it is essential that you communicate this to everybody in the business, as a first step in putting your strategy into action. Next you will need to capture the strategy into a business plan for the coming year. The business plan can be used for instance to find additional financial resources but also to monitor progress in achieving results. A business plan could look like this:
Introduction to the business.
1.1. Details of the business.
1.2. Principle activities of the business.
1.3. Organization of the business. Marketing
2.1.The Overall market for the business.
2.2. Target market segments.
2.3. The competition.
2.4. Your Unique Selling Point (USP). Finances.
3.1. Analysis of costs.
3.2. Cash flow forecast.
3.3. Projected profit and loss account for the current and next year.
3.4. Break even calculations.
The business plan is a route map for the immediate future and a working document, which indicates the core objectives and activities. It is the first step into the next stage of growth of your business.
Below now follows a summary of the main issues we discussed over the past 5 weeks in respect of strategic planning:
Focus. Step back and take time out. While continuing addressing the short-term administrative and operational issues, you ignore the big issues in your business.
Objectives. Make your business objectives explicit and communicate them to all your workers.
Market. Identify your core business activities and key markets.
Customers. Know your customers and provide services that they want. It is easier to keep existing customers than to find new ones.
Finances. Determine and monitor the key financial statistics for your business.
Quality. Only the best is good enough. As owner of the business, be a role model to your workers and demonstrate commitment to delivering high quality services and products.
Workers. Be aware that if you don’t know where the business is going, neither will your workers. Consider personal development and training needs and be aware of the benefits of a simple performance appraisal system.
Communicate. Be approachable and break down communication barriers. Communication is essential for the workers to do what you expect them to do.
Be flexible. Look for new opportunities always. Recognise workers who suggest useful ideas.
Finally, we saw, that to arrive at a strategic business plan, information needs to be gathered and considered in a SWOT analysis. This will take time and energy and may reveal unexpected outcomes. You may be confronted with some real challenges. Don’t let this discourage you. Look at it as an investment. There are long term benefits in working through and resolving what could otherwise be long term and unresolved challenges for you and your business.
Ton Haverkort
