As the world’s population continues to grow and to urbanize, creating and maintaining sustainable cities is becoming increasingly vital. According to the UN, by 2050, an estimated 7 out of 10 people are likely to live in urban areas. Cities are significant catalysts for economic growth but are also responsible for over 70% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. This fact highlights the importance of sustainable cities in global development and experts explain why.
Key Takeaways:
- While cities cover only 3% of the Earth’s land area, they contribute to 60-80% of global energy consumption and are responsible for 75% of carbon emissions
- In 2020, over one billion individuals resided in slums or informal settlements, with Central and Southern Asia, Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa comprising 85% of this population
- By embracing eco-friendly technologies, proper city planning, transitioning to renewable energy, implementing effective waste management strategies, etc., city administrations can work towards a sustainable future that benefits both the environment and the well-being of residents
- According to experts, cities face various challenges when transitioning to more sustainable systems because of the limited participation of the private sector
DevelopmentAid: What are smart cities? Can you provide some real examples?
“The concept of ‘smart sustainable cities’, as defined by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), calls for cities to “engage with sustainability in an inclusive, collaborative and equitable way.” We live in an urban world. Cities account for over 80% of global GDP and energy consumption and more than 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Without ‘localizing’ SDGs at the urban level, few SDGs – as well as other global agendas such as the Paris Agreement – will be effectively addressed. Indeed, 65% of the SDGs require cities’ involvement. Worldwide, cities are taking the initiative to achieve the SDGs, as assessed yearly in their report to the United Nations. For example, they are improving access to adequate housing and essential services – ranging from slum upgrading programmes (e.g., Gobabis, Namibia; Harare, Zimbabwe) to land tenancy regulation (e.g., Odisha, India) for setting affordable housing quotas or stabilizing rent (e.g., Barcelona, New York, Paris, Tokyo). They are decoupling urban development from extractive approaches and promoting circular cities (e.g., Amsterdam), building caring and healthy urban systems (e.g., Bogotá’s care blocks) and protecting human rights and diversity (e.g., Montevideo’s neighborhood organizations). Promoting more integrated and participatory planning is critical to foster resilient cities and communities.”
“Smart cities prioritize urban development by utilizing technology, data, and other sustainable solutions to improve elements such as public transport and waste management. By doing so, these cities aim to improve the quality of life for residents and their surrounding ecosystems. Smart cities are a focus of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG 11. One important aspect of sustainable cities is using alternative power and energy solutions to reduce pollution. Renewable energy is becoming increasingly affordable and accessible, making it an effective tool for managing climate change. Sweden’s Stockholm and Germany’s Frankfurt are examples of smart cities that successfully implement sustainable development practices, including waste and emissions management, infrastructure improvements, and sustainable engineering.”
DevelopmentAid: How do sustainable cities contribute to overall global development and why is their importance increasing in today’s world?
“If ‘business-as-usual’ development continues, the current trend of urban development will irreversibly deplete natural resources and biodiversity, increasing inequalities and vulnerabilities to extreme natural events. As underlined by the most recent UN Global Sustainable Development Reports (2019 and 2023), urban and peri-urban development is one of the six entry points to achieve the necessary transformation to a sustainable future – jointly with human well-being, sustainable and just economies, food systems, energy decarburization and the global environmental commons. A shift in urban development patterns can reduce cities’ impact on the environment and improve people’s health and well-being. Critical levers to build sustainable cities include redesigning cities to improve social inclusion, valuing diversity and human rights, shifting to low-carbon transport, incentivizing green development and renewable energies, deploying circular economy solutions, conserving ecosystems and improving food systems. More than 12,000 cities across all regions have adopted commitments to reduce CO2 emissions and promote pathways to renewable energies. As of September 2022, 1,136 cities and 52 states and regions had joined the UN’s Race to Zero Campaign, with some adopting more ambitious targets than their nations (e.g., Copenhagen, Adelaide, Mumbai, Liverpool). More than 1,500 cities are participating in the UNDRR Making Cities Resilient 2030 initiative.”
“Understanding the impact of sustainable cities on global development requires considering their contributions to the world’s various regions. As more cities adopt smart infrastructure and operational processes, economic development is increasing across various regions worldwide. This trend promotes entrepreneurial activities, raises awareness of sustainable development services, and increases demand for public-private partnership projects. For example, the renewable energy industry in Africa is experiencing increased business participation and enterprise as households embrace alternative sources of power to reduce non-renewable usage and carbon emissions. Although the development of smart cities in Africa is still in its early stages, individuals’ adoption of sustainable city elements promotes conversation at higher levels to mitigate the effects of climate change. This proactive response is a positive contribution to global conversations and trends.”
“I believe that sustainable cities contribute to overall global development, exemplified by their city climate action efforts. Seventy percent of global greenhouse gas emissions comes from cities, so city climate action by Urban Local Bodies contributes to the implementation of national and global visions and strategies. The ways cities implement sustainability measures may also influence the visions and strategies prepared at national and global levels.”
DevelopmentAid: In your opinion, what are the main challenges that cities face when transitioning to sustainability, and how can these challenges be overcome?
“Across all regions, there is a critical mismatch between the increasing challenges that cities face and the resources allocated to local governments. Cities contribute around 80% to the global GDP, but many rapidly growing cities fail to capture the wealth created. They continue to struggle with insufficient budgets and accumulate infrastructure deficits. Rapid urbanization has led to the emergence of different urban spatial patterns – expanded city regions, metropolitan areas, peri-urban growth, intermediary cities – that require new governance models. Key reforms to support a just sustainable transition in cities include increasing the powers, capacities and resources assigned to local governments, strengthening decentralization and local capacities, and establishing a more collaborative framework between the different spheres of government (i.e., multilevel governance). Furthermore, creating an enabling environment for integrated urban planning and the flow of finance to cities can ensure a more inclusive and sustainable urban future. This includes strengthening fiscal autonomy, facilitating access to borrowing, de-risking climate investments, creating specialized funding mechanisms to boost the provision of affordable housing and basic services, supporting the creation of decent work opportunities and increasing access for all to the new technologies.”
“Cities face various challenges when transitioning to more sustainable systems. One of the main obstacles is the limited participation of the private sector due to the high costs involved in sustainable infrastructure development. However, scaling up sustainable infrastructure can create more value, and more players can participate with sufficient financial intervention and favorable policies. Many countries’ current urban planning schemes require a complete shift towards sustainable practices, and legislators may need more time to implement sustainable infrastructure. Additionally, functional systems are already in place, and limited resources make estimating the opportunity costs of adopting sustainable practices challenging. Cultural values and lifestyle trends can also pose challenges to sustainable development but, with proper education and awareness, individuals can be encouraged to adopt sustainable systems and policies. Cities must also collect data to check their patterns against global trends and implement strategies that reduce climate, housing, and economic risks. This approach can alleviate issues within niches and encourage stakeholders to adopt more sustainable practices on a larger scale. With these efforts, cities can successfully transition to more sustainable systems.”
DevelopmentAid: How can international collaboration and knowledge sharing contribute to the advancement of sustainable cities globally?
“Cities face enormous challenges yet they possess important creativity and serve as hubs for knowledge sharing, experimentation and innovation. They have a long tradition of international exchange and cooperation. Dozens of international and regional local governments’ networks (e.g., UCLG, C40, ICLEI, Metropolis, Regions4) – as well as international organizations involved in development (e.g., the EU, UN-Habitat, OECD), universities and think tanks (e.g., Brooklyn Institute, CIDOB, IIED, UCL-The Bartlett) – facilitate knowledge exchange and city-to-city cooperation on sustainable experiences and policies. Hundreds of cities participate in regular dialogues, conferences, training, peer-to-peer exchanges and communities of practice. For example, UCLG developed “live learning experiences” during the COVID-19 pandemic for local governments to share and resolve challenges. Inspired by international exchanges, more than 250 local and regional governments in 81 countries developed Voluntary Local Reviews and Voluntary Subnational Reviews to monitor their contribution to the SDGs. International organizations and local government associations have created knowledge hubs (e.g., C40 Knowledge Hub, UCLG’s Global Observatory on Local Democracy and Decentralization, Interlace Hub), good practices databases (e.g., UN-Habitat’s Urban Best Practices, Metropolis’s Urban Sustainability Exchange) and awards (e.g., Guangzhou Award, Agenda 21 for Culture awards, IOPD Award for Citizen Participation) documenting good practices from all regions.”
“International collaboration and knowledge sharing are essential for cities to overcome political boundaries and embrace change. This approach reduces the risks of misallocating resources and establishes geopolitical synergy to achieve global goals. Furthermore, it offers an excellent opportunity to boost tourism in different regions and enable countries to leverage their strengths in international trade. Such collaboration promotes reliable development through the exchange of resources, creating a pathway for nations to thrive and grow together.”
“International collaboration and knowledge sharing play a crucial role in driving the progress of sustainable cities on a global scale. Through the exchange of best practices, sharing common challenges, and acknowledging that finding and implementing solutions requires time, we can foster the development of innovative and smart sustainable cities. Furthermore, such collaborative efforts allow us to draw from both traditional and contemporary approaches, leading to the creation of novel solutions for the betterment of urban environments.”
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