The World Cities Report – Which Road Will We Take?
Ben Arimah presents UN-Habitat’s World Cities Report 2022, the crossroads we're at, and the options we've got.
Ben Arimah presents UN-Habitat’s World Cities Report 2022, the crossroads we're at, and the options we've got.
Many transitional cities have worked hard to develop planning tools that make a difference in people’s lives. And while Colombia’s “City of Eternal Spring”, Medellín, has made significant progress, it should now take it to the next level to become fully compatible with global sustainability agendas. By Santiago Mejía-Dugand
Localising the global Sustainable Development Goals presents key challenges to policymakers everywhere. An ‘Urban Equality lens’ however, may help navigate some of the tensions, contradictions, and gaps in the Agenda. By KNOW Investigators
The 2019 SDG Summit will mark the first quadrennial review of the 2030 Agenda. It assesses where we are, how far we have come since its adoption – and what needs to be done, as we enter the next decade, to achieve the ambitious global goals to leave no one and no place behind.
Home to an increasing majority of the world’s population, cities are at the forefront of the fight against climate change and rising inequality. While it is recognised that these challenges need to be tackled together, one can also witness a growing awareness of the trade-offs that can occur in cases when urban climate projects insufficiently cater for the needs of vulnerable communities. Mathilde Bouyé and Delfina Grinspan outline how climate projects need to be designed in order to leave no one behind.
As international actors gather for the 2019 High Level Political Forum, cities have to be understood to be key players in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, writes Lennard Kehl, advisor in the GIZ Sector Project "Integrated Implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Cities and City-Regions".
It is important to think locally when implementing the SDGs, argues Christopher Dekki. Countries in Asia-Pacific, such as Laos and Sri Lanka, are examples of this successful approach.
As World Water Day approaches, URBANET interviewed Mathew Kurian of UN University about managing water supplies in secondary cities. Although often overshadowed by megacities, secondary cities face slightly different—but just as significant—water challenges as their larger neighbours. Kurian argues that secondary cities could be important laboratories for innovative financing mechanisms, but that we must first disrupt the entrenched dis-incentives that promote business as usual.
The Ninth Session of the World Urban Forum has been closed today. Gregory Scruggs looks ahead and points out what tracks to follow that started at WUF9, concerning collect city-level data and the follow-up and review processes.
With COP23 now over, it is again up to nation states and local governments to act and implement their agreements. Wrapping up the reporting on the conference, Lou del Bello looks at coordinating climate action, and necessary changes in infrastructure and urban policy.
COP23 continues into its second week: Rising ambition for climate protection is not enough, say mayors as cities, regions and business claim their place at the UN table. Being at the frontline of climate change impacts, island states call for urgent practical actions. Lou del Bello reports from Bonn.
On November 6, the UN Climate Change Conference (COP23) started in Bonn, Germany. Under the presidency of Fiji, for two weeks delegates from around the world are negotiating the implementation of the Paris Agreement with a focus on developing guidelines for transparency, emission reductions, provision of finance, and technology. What role do cities and regions play at COP23, and what is new compared to previous climate conferences? Lou del Bello reports from Bonn.
The UN Climate Change Conference (COP23) starts next week. It is often stated that cities are key for implementing 2030 Agenda and the New Urban Agenda. But what exactly is needed for cities to fulfil this important role? Dirk Messner and Benno Pilardeaux call for better coordination, increased recognition on the global level, and more financial support.
This month, the New Urban Agenda (NUA) celebrates its first anniversary. What has happened since its adoption at Habitat III in Quito? We asked Billy Cobbett (Cities Alliance), Mei Yi (Mayor of Jingdezhen, China), Eugénie L. Birch (Professor at the University of Pennsylvania), Yang Jun (Mayor of Suzhouto), María Alejandra Vicuña Muñoz (Minister of Urban Development and Housing of Ecuador) to take stock of the past 12 months’ implementation actions.
Next week, the two-day high-level meeting of the General Assembly on UN-Habitat will take place in New York. Member states of the United Nations will gather there and discuss future reform steps for UN-Habitat. Franz Marré provides some thought-provoking reflections on the reforms proposed by the high-level panel and says that business as usual is not an option.