• Project Introduction

    Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and Hong Kong America Center

    Participants in the SDG Asia project should gain knowledge and insight about the four SDG sectors, and find examples and stories in their own communities.  This would both demonstrate their knowledge, and communicate it to other young people in the SA and SEA regions. The project will encourage young people to envision what development could look like in the four SDG sectors at three geographic levels, as if in three concentric circles:

    • in their local communities
    • in their nation
    • in the wider Asian region

    This project will help young participants to find their voice in development and tell stories of how development has worked, or not worked, or could work, in their communities.  They will tell these stories using digital means of sharing with peers across the developing world.    


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Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11)

  • Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11)

    Sustainable Cities and Communities
    Goal 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
    Cities are hubs for ideas, commerce, culture, science, productivity, social development and much more. At their best, cities have enabled people to advance socially and economically. However, many challenges exist to maintaining cities in a way that continues to create jobs and prosperity while not straining land and resources. Common urban challenges include congestion, lack of funds to provide basic services, a shortage of adequate housing and declining infrastructure.
    • Background URL

      Today, more than half the world’s population lives in cities. By 2030, it is projected that 6 in 10 people will be urban dwellers. Despite numerous planning challenges, cities offer more efficient economies of scale on many levels, including the provision of goods, services and transportation. With sound, risk-informed planning and management, cities can become incubators for innovation and growth and drivers of sustainable development.

      Some figures and facts about urban realm:


      • Almost a third of the urban population in developing regions still live in slums

      In 2014, an estimated 880 million urban residents lived in slum conditions, compared to 792 million urban residents in 2000.

      • Urban sprawl is found in many cities around the world

      From 2000 to 2015, in all regions of the world, the expansion of urban land outpaced the growth of urban populations. 

      • Cities in every part of the world have dangerously high levels of air pollution

      In 2014, 9 of 10 people who live in cities were breathing air that did not comply with the safety standard set by WHO.

      • Nearly three-quarters of countries have implemented or are working to implement national-level urban policies

      As of 2015, 142 countries had a national urban policy in place or under development. Those countries are home to 75 per cent of the world’s urban population.

      The challenges cities face can be overcome in ways that allow them to continue to thrive and grow, while improving resource use and reducing pollution and poverty. The future we want includes cities of opportunities for all, with access to basic services, energy, housing, transportation and more.



    • Human settlements URL

      City has always been the focal point in many discussions on sustainability for a long time

      • The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development tackles this challenge through its Sustainable Development Goal 11, which aims to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”.
      • Both the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (Chapter II - Poverty Eradication, paragraph 11) and MDG 7, in its target 11, call for efforts to achieve "a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers", by 2020.
      • Sustainable human settlements development was also discussed by CSD at its second and third sessions. "Promoting sustainable human settlements development" is the subject of Chapter 7 of Agenda 21, which calls for:

      1. providing adequate shelter for all; 
      2. improving human settlements management; 
      3. promoting sustainable land-use planning and management; 
      4. promoting the integrated provision of environmental infrastructure: water, sanitation, drainage and solid waste management;
      5. promoting sustainable energy and transport systems in human settlements; 
      6. promoting human settlements planning and management in disaster-prone areas; 
      7. promoting sustainable construction industry activities; and 
      8. promoting human resource development and capacity-building for human settlements development.


    • The New Urban Agenda: goes beyond SDG11 URL

      • The New Urban Agenda (NUA), the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III), focuses on what needs to be done to ensure that cities and human settlements, as vehicles of development, are themselves planned, developed and managed in sustainable ways. 
      • The NUA also addresses a range of actions necessary for making cities effective spatial or locational frameworks for sustainable development. It goes beyond Sustainable Development Goal 11, “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable” by detailing strategic actions necessary for ensuring that cities and human settlements, as the location of many development efforts, support and facilitate effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
      • Habitat III is the first major UN conference to be held following the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. The NUA will thus be the first internationally agreed document detailing implementation of the urban dimension of the SDGs. It builds on SDG 11, but addresses a wider range of urbanization and human settlements issues.


    • The New Urban Agenda: goes beyond SDG11 URL

      PRINCIPLES (p.3)

      (a) Leave no one behind, by ending poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including the eradication of extreme poverty, by ensuring equal rights and opportunities, socio-economic and cultural diversity, integration in the urban space, enhancing liveability, education, food security and nutrition, health and well-being; including by ending the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, promoting safety and eliminating discrimination and all forms of violence; ensuring public participation providing safe and equal access for all; and providing equal access for all to physical and social infrastructure and basic services as well as adequate and affordable housing.

      (b) Sustainable and inclusive urban economies, by leveraging the agglomeration benefits of well-planned urbanization, high productivity, competitiveness, and innovation; promoting full and productive employment and decent work for all, ensuring decent job creation and equal access for all to economic and productive resources and opportunities; preventing land speculation; and promoting secure land tenure and managing urban shrinking where appropriate.

      (c) Environmental sustainability, by promoting clean energy, sustainable use of land and resources in urban development as well as protecting ecosystems and biodiversity, including adopting healthy lifestyles in harmony with nature; promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns; building urban resilience; reducing disaster risks; and mitigating and adapting to climate change.


      COMMITMENT (pp.3-4)

      (a) readdress the way we plan, finance, develop, govern, and manage cities and human settlements, recognizing sustainable urban and territorial development as essential to the achievement of sustainable development and prosperity for all;

      (b) recognize the leading role of national governments, as appropriate, in the definition and implementation of inclusive and effective urban policies and legislation for sustainable urban development, and the equally important contributions of sub-national and local governments, as well as civil society and other relevant stakeholders, in a transparent and accountable manner;

      (c) adopt sustainable, people-centered, age- and gender-responsive and integrated approaches to urban and territorial development by implementing policies, strategies, capacity development, and actions at all levels, based on fundamental drivers of change including


    • The New Urban Agenda: goes beyond SDG11 (Con't) URL

      Means of implementation (pp.17-21)

      • An enabling environment and a wide range of means of implementation including access to science, technology, and innovation and enhanced knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, capacity development, and mobilization of financial resources, taking into account the commitment of developed countries and developing countries, tapping into all available traditional and innovative sources at the global, regional, national, sub-national, and local levels as well as enhanced international cooperation and partnerships among governments at all levels, the private sector, civil society, the United Nations system, and other actors, based on the principles of equality, non-discrimination, accountability, respect for human rights, and solidarity, especially with those who are the poorest and most vulnerable.
      • Encourage UN-Habitat, other United Nations programmes and agencies and other relevant stakeholders to generate evidence-based and practical guidance for the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and the urban dimension of the Sustainable Development Goals
      • Promote best practices to capture and share the increase in land and property value generated as a result of urban development processes, infrastructure projects, and public investments.

      Means of implementation (pp.17-21)

      • Systematic use of multi-stakeholder partnerships in urban development processes, as appropriate, establishing clear and transparent policies, financial and administrative frameworks and procedures, as well as planning guidelines for multi-stakeholder partnerships.
      • Contribution of voluntary collaborative initiatives, partnerships and coalitions that plan to initiate and enhance the implementation of the New Urban Agenda.
      • Capacity development initiatives to empower and strengthen skills and abilities of women and girls, children and youth, older persons and persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and local communities, as well as persons in vulnerable situations for shaping governance processes, engaging in dialogue, and promoting and protecting human rights and anti-discrimination, to ensure their effective participation in urban and territorial development decision-making.
      • The development of national information and communications technology policies and e-government strategies as well as citizen-centric digital governance tools, tapping into technological innovations, including capacity development programmes, in order to make information and communications technologies accessible to the public, including women and girls, children and youth, persons with disabilities, older persons and persons in vulnerable situations, to enable them to develop and exercise civic responsibility, broadening participation and fostering responsible governance, as well as increasing efficiency.
      • Strengthen the data and statistical capacities…
      • Foster the creation, promotion, and enhancement of open, user-friendly, and participatory data platforms using technological and social tools available to transfer and share knowledge among national, sub-national, and local governments and relevant stakeholders, including non-state actors and people, to enhance effective urban planning and management, efficiency, and transparency through e-governance, information and communications technologies assisted approaches, and geospatial information management.

    • Subnational Leaders Adopt Bonn-Fiji Commitment on Climate Action URL

      • The Bonn-Fiji Commitment aims to advance sustainable urban development as a critical component of climate action and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, specifically SDG 11.
      • UN Habitat Executive Director Joan Clos said a new framework of cooperation among national, regional and local governments is required.
      1. 12 November 2017: Signaling the growing importance of subnational actors in the climate process, hundreds of local and regional leaders adopted the ‘Bonn-Fiji Commitment of Local and Regional Leaders to Deliver the Paris Agreement At All Levels.’ The Bonn-Fiji Commitment highlights the critical role that local and regional governments play in enacting programmes to combat climate change and implement the Paris Agreement on climate change.
      2. Cities, states and regions are “laboratories of reform, engines of innovation and where the action is,” said Arnold Schwarzenegger, former governor of California.
      3. The Bonn-Fiji Commitment aims to advance sustainable urban development as a critical component of climate action and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, specifically SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities). It describes commitments, ambitions and actions of local and regional government, such as implementing the Paris Agreement in local jurisdictions, and enhancing engagement of local authorities in the UNFCCC negotiating process. 
      4. The Bonn-Fiji Commitment also details 19 initiatives undertaken by local and regional leaders, including: the newly created Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy; the Urban Leadership Council to build high-level political commitment to sustainable urban development; the African Sub-national Climate Fund to bridge the gap between infrastructure demands and the low number of bankable projects reaching investors; the Front-Line Cities and Islands, a coalition of coastal cities and islands on the front lines of climate change; the City Climate Planner programme to raise the global talent base of city climate planning professionals; the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa; the Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative to support the construction and expansion of sustainable mobility systems in developing and newly industrialized countries; and the Climate Reporting Partnership to build a robust database of self-reported climate commitments, actions and performance tracking

    • NYC Mayor Links SDGs to Blueprint for City’s Future URL
      ‘A City with Global Goals,’ produced by the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs, illustrates the connections between the SDGs and the visions, goals, initiatives and targets of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s ‘One New York: The Plan for a Just and Strong City'.

      The New York City Mayor’s Office introduced UN Member States to two initiatives, a publication on harmonizing the SDGs with local development in New York City, and ‘One New York,’ the blueprint for NYC’s future. The Plan (OneNYC), which was launched in April 2015, focuses on four interdependent visions: growth, equity, sustainability and resiliency. The representatives also introduced ‘A City with Global Goals,’ which illustrates the connections between the SDGs and the visions, goals, initiatives and targets of ‘One New York.’

      • Vision 1 of OneNYC says that NYC will “continue to be the world’s most dynamic urban economy, where families, businesses, and neighborhoods thrive.” The Office noted that the related initiatives and programmes address SDGs 1 (no poverty), 2 (zero hunger), 3 (good health and well-being), 4 (quality education), 5 (gender equality), 7 (affordable and clean energy), 8, 9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure), 10 (reduced inequalities), 11 (sustainable cities and communities) and 13 (climate action).
      • Vision 2 (‘New York City will have an inclusive, equitable economy that offers well-paying jobs and opportunity for all New Yorkers to live with dignity and security’) includes the City’s initiatives and programs on : Early Childhood; Integrated Government and Social Services; Healthy Neighborhoods, Active Living; Healthcare Access; Criminal Justice Reform; and Vision Zero. Vision 2 addresses targets under SDGs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, and 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions).
      • Vision 3 (‘New York City will be the most sustainable big city in the world and a global leader in the fight against climate change’) is comprised of initiatives and programs related to: Zero Waste; Air Quality Brownfields; Water Management; and Parks and Natural Resources. Vision 3 is paired with SDGs 1, 2, 3, 6 (clean water and sanitation), 7, 10, 11, 12 (responsible consumption and production), 13, 14 (life below water), and 15 (life on land).
      • Vision 4 (‘Our neighborhoods, economy, and public services will be ready to withstand and emerge stronger from the impacts of climate change and other 21st century threats’) includes programs and initiatives for: Neighborhoods; Buildings; Infrastructure; and Coastal Defense. Vision 4 is paired with SDGs 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13 and 14.



    • Sustainable social housing in EI Rama, Nicaragua URL

      • In Nicaragua, houses are often made of concrete and corrugated steel, materials not really suitable for the hot and humid climate. At the same time, bamboo is abundant and could serve as a local and renewable building material. Therefore, a group of students created Bambú Social to support local communities with the opportunity to use bamboo as a construction material. 
      • In addition, the local population is dependent on unreliable systems for building, electricity, clean drinking water and food. In El Rama, BAMBÚ SOCIAL set up a ‘Sustainable Construction’ course, together with the local university and the municipality, to create a sustainable and dignified alternative to social housing. This building method can be practiced in a completely local manner, with the integration of a decentralised, low-tech, natural water purification and storage system in order to provide clean drinking water for the inhabitants of the house. The constructed model house is the base for the design of an affordable social home and the manual ‘Un manual de construcción sostenible’, which explains the entire process with step by step drawings. The model house has been donated to the local university and currently functions as a library.

      Local social support for the project was created by means of the following activities:

      1. Clean up campaigns for a desolated communal building in the middle of the city to meet the locals in an informal manner.
      2. A kick off meeting where the goals of the projects were explained and where more than 100 people from El Rama could discuss with us what they wanted the project to tackle.
      3. Open interviews with low income families to acquire enough information about the wishes the design of a social house.
      4. Free workshops about, water filters, basics and possibilities of bamboo construction. All the steps regarding the preparation and execution of the house were made with the students from the sustainable construction course and locals from the communities of Esperanza and El Recreo.
      5. The approach of local and national media to highlight the importance of the challenges and the possible solutions.


    • Synergies and Challenges Ahead URL

      Localizing the SDGs: Role of Local and Regional Governments


      • Cities are test-beds for implementation of the SDGs, and a successful New Urban Agenda will create an opportunity to enhance the Goals’ effectiveness. Though the 17 SDGs and their 169 targets are often described as aspirational, cities are where they become tangible to regular citizens. SDG 11 aims to make “cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.” Hence, achieving this Goal depends in part on the level of engagement of local stakeholders, regional governments, community-based organizations, academia and the business sector, as well as on adequate synergies between national and local policies. The linkages between the SDGs and the New Urban Agenda may seem apparent, but there are open questions regarding: implementation and monitoring at the local level; the importance of “localization” and the connections between political leadership and technical solutions; and the means by which local governments can find solutions at the nexus of the New Urban Agenda and the SDGs.
      • Some argue that “localizing” the SDGs is a good way forward. Localizing refers to accounting for subnational contexts in order to achieve the 2030 Agenda, as well as prioritizing a bottom-up approach to urban development. That is, the SDGs and the New Urban Agenda provide a policy framework within which bottom-up action from local authorities can provide support. United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), an organization representing the interests of local governments on the world stage, has advocated for localization, arguing that successful implementation of the SDGs depends on the strong involvement of local and regional governments. All SDGs have targets that are directly related to the delivery of basic services, which means that all SDGs have implications for the responsibilities of local governments. Among the areas of relevance for the average citizen’s quality of life in an urban setting, the SDGs aspire to overcome poverty, gender inequality, combat climate change and insecurity, and provide high quality public goods, including education, health care, water, energy, clean air, housing and the conservation of natural resources. While the SDGs are global, their implementation is local.
      • Localizing the SDGs is a political process, as well as a technical one. Local governments can be held accountable by citizens if they fail to lead local development, and such democratic accountability could become a powerful driver of achieving the SDGs at local level.

    • As cities are always the place where many SDGs will be achieved, how to achieve various goals in urban realm? URL

      Energy Efficiency for Sustainable Cities: Achieving SDGs 7 and 11 

      For cities, energy efficiency is both a long-term necessity and an opportunity. Cities are uniquely placed to encourage and deploy energy efficiency measures, given their multifaceted nature as energy consumers, managers of energy networks, and potential energy producers. City administrators can be effective communicators vis-à-vis their citizens, since they are the closest level of government to the people. To enable municipal authorities to deliver on energy efficiency’s vast potential, several elements are required:


      • City governments must develop the right policy framework for implementation. This means integrating energy efficiency into local priorities and strategies, including implementing national energy efficiency policies and programmes at the local level and ensuring that such measures are part of the long-term urban development plan. Multiple stakeholders should be consulted to maximize buy-in and create a shared sense of ownership. Energy efficiency is cross-cutting and involves a range of actors, from policymakers and investors to service providers and consumers. 
      • Energy efficiency needs investment. Local budgets must be set aside or reallocated towards energy efficiency projects to support implementation. For cities this could be renovating public buildings or putting in place more efficient public transport. Municipal budgets however are often limited. Other sources of finance need to complement the gaps. These can come from central government, multilateral development banks, or the private sector. 
      • Municipalities do not always have the capacity, awareness, or knowledge to identify energy efficiency opportunities, shape policies, and leverage investments. Local capacity building is therefore key to successfully deploying and scaling-up urban energy efficiency. To this end, city authorities should use inter-municipal collaboration networks to share tools and experiences, such as:  C40 Cities, the OECD Inclusive Growth in Cities Campaign, etc. 
      • Finally, awareness-raising is critical to improving energy efficiency in cities. From creating multi-stakeholder partnerships to financing and citizen behavior in the local context, the municipal community must be made aware of the opportunity energy efficiency represents. Local governments have a vital role to play in educating these numerous actors. At the level of citizens, communication campaigns and education programmes could establish the basis for long-term transformation towards an energy efficient society.



    • Right to the city and Cities for All URL

      • The “right to the city,” an umbrella term that encompasses political power relationships, land appropriation and social justice within the context of globalized “world cities” that are undergoing rapid transformation.


      The Rationale behind the Right to the City Approach

      • The concept of the Right to the City originates within the human rights agenda and gained force with the creation of the Global Platform for the Right to the City, a civil society initiative established at the International Meeting on the Right to the City, in São Paulo, Brazil, in November 2014. From the perspective of this initiative, the Right to the City means the “right of all inhabitants, present and future, permanent and temporary to use, occupy and produce just, inclusive and sustainable cities, defined as a common good essential to a full and decent life.” Although the Right to the City is a fuzzy concept, it has been relates to the idea that as global integration progresses and cities are reorganized as hubs for capital, it is often the most vulnerable populations that suffer. While social and economic inequality results from a complex set of factors, the Right to the City recalls the need to maximize the participation of city dwellers in local governance to avoid further marginalization. For advocates of the Right to the City, access is crucial, as gentrification, increasing density, economic shifts and the physical restructuring of cities all have the potential to exacerbate inequality, one result being that long-time residents can be forced out of the city core. Proponents underscore the centrality of thinking about land tenure and urban land use within the Right to the City concept, and routinely note that urbanization is a fractious process that creates tension among different groups inhabiting cities.


      Local practices in Latin American and Europe, are they applicable in Asia?

      • Local and regional governments as well as some Latin American and European countries have supported the inclusion of the Right to the City concept in the New Urban Agenda. They have argued that the concept provides a way to answer the call of communities to be part of decision making and to bridge the growing detachment between citizens and their institutions. Examples of Right to the City concepts being included in policy making come from places like Belgium, Kenya and New Zealand, where community land trusts were created to democratically manage and administer urban zones. Colombia implemented legislation to redistribute “socially created land value,” and Brazil has created the 2001 City Statute, a development law regulating urban policy and ensuring that the Right to the City has legal value.

    • SDG 11 - Team Discussion Forum

      This forum will host the team discussion where they develop their ideas and plans for SDG 11.

      Interaction and feedback both within the team, and between the teams, should help further develop proposed ideas.

      Topic questions

      1. Share your understanding of SDG 11, how the global and universal SDGs and corresponding targets are localized in your city?
        What are the targets your city or community going to pursue?
        .
      2. The controversies and consensus between different sectors.
        Who are the leading actors in the localized process of achieving an inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable city?
        What’s the new opportunities and challenges in this big-data era?
        With the enormous development and applications of information and communication technologies, how would data platforms and statistical tools help with processes of knowledge sharing, management, public engagement, and so on…
        .
      3. Achieving SDGs in urban realm is a political process as well as a technical one. 
        As many Asia cities are adopting “world city” strategy for the sake of certain interest groups, is there any power struggle of rights in your surroundings?
        Please share and discuss.
        .

      NOTE: this discussion forum activity will close automatically on June 9, so get your contributions posted before that date!

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