UNITED NATIONS: Every year on October 31, World Cities Day, which was first observed in 2014, ends Urban October which is a month-long series of event highlighting the urban transformation and its challenges. Similar to World Habitat Day, a worldwide celebration is conducted in a different city every year, and the day is centred on a particular subject. This year Shanghai, China is hosting the events on October 31, 2022.
António Guterres, Secretary General of United Nations has said, “On this World Cities Day, we recognize the critical role of urban areas in achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Next year marks the mid-point to the deadline to reach the SDGs. Yet an honest look reveals a bleak picture. […] this year’s theme of World Cities Day highlights how: ‘Act Local to Go Global.’ The goals are global in scope, but implementation is local. And that means implementation happens largely in cities: Today, more than half of all people live in urban areas by 2050, and over two-thirds will do so.”
After the global event was launched in the city, in 2014 to showcase the theme of the World Expo 2010 – Better City, Better Life – Shanghai is once again hosing the Global Observance of 2022 World Cities Day. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter on Monday to the Global Observance of World Cities Day 2022 and the Second Sustainable Development Goals Cities Global Conference, held simultaneously in Shanghai.
Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the forums will be held both online and offline. They will centre on green transformation, urban governance, city cultures, and the idea of ‘people-oriented’ city development. Shanghai’s urban development best practices, the city’s three-decade-long drive to renovate ancient residential homes, and an exhibition showcasing Shanghai’s international city and architecture are the subjects of the three exhibitions. With urban development instances chosen from around the world, the most recent version of ‘Shanghai Manual – A Guide for Sustainable Urban Development in the 21st Century’ will be published. The Shanghai Index and Shanghai Award will be presented during this year’s event as a highlight.
The overarching topic of World Cities Day has been ‘Better City, Better Life,’ although a sub-theme is also revealed every year. In this year’s sub-theme, ‘Act Local to Go Global,’ Local action is essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 11 of the United Nations by 2030. Making cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable is the goal of SDG 11. To create cities that are greener and more fair, local and regional governments must have more power.
On the occasion, Maimunah Mohamed Sharif, Executive Director, UN Habitat spoke about the urgency to implement our SDGs. She said,” We have only about 87 months, 380 weeks or 2600 days left to implement the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The best way to do so is by ensuring our cities and communities are sustainable. These are big words. What I mean to say is that sometimes the solution to the challenges we are facing such as the Covid-19 pandemic, on-going conflicts and climate disasters is starring us in the face.”