Urbanisation has been one of the fastest growing trends of the 21st century. Data predicts that by 2050, the global urban population may double in size resulting in 7 of 10 people living in cities. However, the infrastructure in cities may not be able to cope with this growth until all countries across the world unite to undertake integrated, inclusive and sustainable development.
The New Urban Agenda (NUA) was adopted at the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) in Quito, Ecuador, on October 20, 2016. In little over four years, the NUA has helped countries across the globe in engaging in planned development which not only betters their urban infrastructure but also fulfils aims of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Paris Agreement, Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, Addis Ababa Action Agenda and several other international frameworks and agreements.
Various programs run by countries across the world have focused time and again on development. A majority of these programs, whether started before or after 2016, contribute greatly to the NUA. These projects can be summed up in three broad categories – city level, regional level and national level.
Development at city level
Various cities across the world, like the Habitat III host city Quito in Ecuador, have begun numerous development programs since the adoption of the NUA. Recently, the city of Quito commenced a mega infrastructure development plan based on the Transit Oriented Development strategy and Land Value Capture plans. The plan will help in maximising residential, commercial and recreational open spaces which are accessible by public transport. This is not only in line with SDG Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) and Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), but it also helps the country in fulfilling the Paris Agreement by ensuring planned, sustainable development which does not harm the environment.
In Madrid, Spain, the introduction of Cuidamos Centro project, or ‘We Take Care of the Centro District’, fulfills Part D of Point 13 of the NUA while also fulfilling SDG Goal 4, 8, 10, 11, 13 and 16. The project works towards ensuring employment opportunities for those who would have otherwise stayed unemployed while also making sure that they promote social cohesion, awareness and initiative. In 2017, a team of formerly-excluded job seekers (including 4 migrants) were engaged as Dynamizers to raise collective awareness in the community around the importance of waste management and environmental protection, thereby contributing to realising goals of the Paris Climate Agreement too.
The New Taipei City Surplus Food Network (NTCSFN) collects vegetables, fruit, and other edible products that have an unattractive appearance from the New Taipei City markets and sends them to the Social Welfare Department for distribution. Other social-welfare and private organisations help the government in implementing similar programs so that resources can be provided flexibly to people in need. Individual donations to facilitate the implementation of such programs are also accepted. This helps Taiwan in realising SDG Goals 2, 10, 11 and 17 and also Part A and H of Point 13 of the NUA. The initiative also eventually helps in reducing hunger and starvation, child stunting and malnutrition. These are only some of the examples that have been implemented at city-level after the introduction of the NUA. As is evident from the analysis, all these initiatives, like countless others, are contributing to fulfilling aims of not just one but various global agreements while still adhering to standard universal frameworks.
Development at regional level
At the regional level, projects like the Urban Agenda for the European Union are making great strides. Not only are they fulfilling various goals, they are also contributing in enhancing coordination and cooperation within and among countries. The Urban Agenda for the European Union is one such project which aims to promote cooperation between member states, cities, the European Commission and other stakeholders, in order to stimulate growth, liveability and innovation in European cities and to identify and successfully tackle social challenges. Another such regional plan is The Regional Action Plan for the Implementation of the New Urban Agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean (RAP) 2016 – 2036. The RAP not only has regional plans for the implementation of the New Urban Agenda but also has sub-regional and city-level plans. This ensures that the development carried out henceforth is universal and inclusive at the same time. Moreover, countries that are part of the RAP meet regularly to discuss future course of action and progress of previous initiatives. For example, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) – the primary author of the RAP, has made plans for improving disaster resilience of cities across the region. The RAP not only helps them in realising this but also encourages every country to take up the issue proactively.
Without a measuring scale, it is extremely difficult for experts to assess and for countries to claim or plan as to what has already been done and what more needs to be done to achieve the NUA goals
Development at national level
At the national level, countries are placing emphasis on engaging local government right from the inception stage to the execution stage. As per recent report findings, more than 50 per cent of the countries that have so far developed progress reports as a part of voluntary national reviews for the SDGs have included local and regional governments in the process. Another set of 33 per cent of countries have included local and regional governments in high-level decision-making and consultation mechanisms. Emphasis is also placed on strengthening the urban governance system, with Argentina, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, Ghana and Kenya providing examples.
Here, one of the key examples comes from India – the National Urban Learning Platform. The platform is basically a tool for facilitating knowledge and experience sharing between urban local bodies (ULBs). This will not only help in promoting equitable growth but also ensuring that ULBs do not end up making the same mistakes as others.
Challenges
Though countries and cities have shown decent improvement in their methods of functioning and their will to realise the goals of the New Urban Agenda, there are still a number of challenges that need to be addressed.
Experts need to ensure the development of a set of universal indicators to measure the progress of various countries in terms of realising the NUA. Without a measuring scale, it is extremely difficult for experts to assess and for countries to claim or plan as to what has already been done and what more needs to be done to achieve the NUA goals. Moreover, the NUA also needs to accommodate capacity building of professionals to carry out such large-scale and meticulously planned development policies. Lastly, one of the biggest shortcomings of the NUA is the lack of private ownership and initiative. Only when governments are able to attract attention and interest of private players can the goals of any agreement be realised in time.
Though many of these policies may have been implemented before the adoption of the NUA, the Agenda has definitely helped countries and stakeholders in realising the importance of not only these initiatives but also of their time durations. The only thing that is left to be seen is how governments manage to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic while still working towards planned and inclusive urban development.