Set in the desert and with large numbers of unregistered citizens, water justice is a major concern in Lima, Peru. Fenna Imara Hoefsloot outlines how the city's digital water infrastructure excludes parts of the population from reliable water supply.
With children spending their days at their parents' market stalls, how can we turn markets into safe places for them, where they are free to learn and play? Amowi Phillips from the Mmofra Foundation shares an inspiring example of community engagement in Accra, Ghana.
The world is at a turning point. The COVID-19 pandemic has acted as an accelerator of technological disruption and inequalities, interlocked with the existential threat of the climate crisis. The only way forward is to transform our future. This is no less than a universal educational project to empower every person from the earliest age and throughout life with the knowledge, competences, and attitudes to live in dignity and act for the common good. Since more than half of humanity lives in urban areas, cities have a major role to play in realising the right to education for citizens throughout the world.
Teaching and learning global citizenship may be a powerful answer to some of the most pressing challenges of our time. But how can cities approach this in their policies? Michelle Diederichs and Werner Wintersteiner on the potential of ‘local’ Global Citizenship Education.
While online learning may not be the panacea for problems caused and amplified by COVID-19, it’s certainly a great place to start, writes Lindiwe Matlali, Founder and CEO of Africa Teen Geeks.
Playing is learning – and a way to teach young children the principles of sustainable urban development. The Toy Library Association of Kenya wants every child and every educational facility to have access to tools for playful education for sustainable development. By Lilian A. Oloo
Many diseases are caused by environmental risks – and it is our youngest and most vulnerable who need utmost protection. Yet, they are not getting what they deserve, says Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, Director of Air Pollution and Urban Environment at ISGlobal. A plea for urgent change.
How can cities include refugees and foster their civil participation? Access to education plays a key role. The Refugees in Towns project draws examples of best practices from around the world. By Jacob Ewing
When thinking about political activism in urban settings, feminist strategies for increasing access to safe abortion provide important insights into how different kinds of spaces can be used for political action — particularly when it comes to issues that cannot be fully addressed through public protest. Discussing strategies of abortion activism in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Lea Happ illustrates why we have to think about private and digital spaces as important for political action.
The global debate on agriculture under urbanisation has often focused a priori on the replacement of agricultural uses by built-up space. It thereby often overlooks new opportunities for agriculture at the urban periphery.
The pandemic has been especially challenging for the agricultural sector. But a new farmer-owned online marketplace puts sustainable produce on the table and creates jobs for rural communities. By Rosa Rodriguez
A fresh perspective on urban-rural linkages allows us to re-envision urban fringe areas as zones for innovative businesses, growth, and prosperity. By Kaustubh Das
Country-wide sustainable solutions can be assured only if regional connectivity and urban-rural linkages that support livelihoods in rural communities, towns, and smaller cities are considered alongside urban and regional growth strategies. Vassiliki Kravva and Ben Smith present an example from the UK-funded Sustainable Urban Economic Programme (SUED) in Kenya.
On the 20th anniversary of the City Statute, it is essential to reflect on its legacy of social inclusion in Brazilian cities, recognise its strategic role within national urban frameworks throughout the world and understand how a more radical transformation of our cities can be inspired by mechanisms that this legislation offers.
Good governance is key for achieving the national CO2 emission reductions, known as Nationally Determined Contributions. But the “how-to” remains undescribed. Scott A. Muller presents us with local experiences to close this gap.
