Local Strategies and Policies Sessions

SOU-57 | THE CITY WE NEED NOW ! THE ROLE OF INTERMEDIARY CITIES

19 May

19 May

11:00 to 12:30

Venue: Room 9

LEAD ORGANIZER

United Cities and Local Governments of Africa

Tel: +212(0)537 260 062

Email: info@uclga.org

Web: https://www.uclga.org/

PRESENTATION OF THE SESSION

UN-HABITAT WORLD URBAN CAMPAIGN
The City We Need Now! (TCWNN) is a consensus document prepared by the World Urban Campaign, representing more than 200 organizations. It has a series of concise recommendations in ten action areas, summarising the current priorities in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda by a wide range of stakeholders, in relations to the 17 SDGs. TCWNN depart from a statement: We off-track to achieve the SDGs and the future appears increasingly uncertain with the acceleration of crises of different natures, be it environmental, economic, geo-political and societal, widening gaps in cities. Today's reality of climate change, pandemics risks and wars destroying cities, reinforces polcy makers’ drive for correcting actions and urgently puts cities on track to build a better urban life for future generations. TCWNN reaffirms that cities and communities are accelerators of sustainable development in such a context. More than ever, the shared vision of WUC partners is to achieve cities and human settlements where all persons are able to enjoy equal rights and opportunities, as well as their fundamental freedoms, guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, including full respect of international laws. Cities have solutions and are accelerators for the implementation of the SDGs. Cities are where a new social contract can emerge to accelerate climate action, ensure peace and health for all. On the lead to the ninth Edition of the Africities Summit, TCWNN has engaged cities and game changers who can demonstrate that it is possible to accelerate change towards the African Cities We Need by leveraging the right partnerships in intermediary cities. By putting secondary cities at the heart of national urban strategies, national and local leaders will give a second chance to Africa by engaging larger and balanced territories, leaving no one and no place behind. The City We Need Now! Africa campaign won’t stop at Africities, Kisumu. Campaigners will continue spreading the word and raising ambitions for African cities towards the 11th session of the World Urban Forum convened by UN-Habitat in Katowice, Poland, from 26 to 30 June 2022), as well as towards the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) to be held in Sharm El-Sheikh from 7 to 18 November 2022. The campaign will engage regional and local government organizations, civil society and grass roots organizations, urban professionals, researchers and academias, youth and women groups, the media and other relevant groups. SESSION OBJECTIVES The session will discuss The City We Need Now! manifesto launched on 25 April before the United Nations High Level meeting on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda. The session will discuss the African dimension of The City We Need Now! with a specific angle on intermediary cities and present champions in particular local leaders in intermediary cities, CSOs and grassroot leaders, women and youth groups, urban professionals. The session will gather recommendations from African actors and partner organizations to be presented at the World Urban Forum 11 (Katowice, 26-30 June 2022). Guiding Questions: 1.               How is your country/city advancing the key principles of The City We Need Now? 2.               What are the priority actions in your context? Give examples of actions in your countri(es), citi(es)? 3.               How can synergies be strenghtened to better implement The City We Need Now in Africa? What can be the specific role of intermediary cities in achieving the principles of The City We Need Now. Guiding principles of The City We Need Now (TCWNN) to be commented during the session: 1.               Principle 1: The City We Need is healthy and promotes well-being (key words: clean air, water, food supply, green space, resilience, 15 min city) 2.               Principle 2: The City We Need is free from violence, war and fosters a culture of peace (key words: peace, dignity, tolerance, social cohesion, inter-generational dialogue) 3.               Principle 3: The City We Need is resilient, low-carbon and adapts to climate change (key words: circular economy, regeneration, recycling, ecosystem restoration, urban agriculture) 4.               Principle 4: The City We Need is inclusive and promotes gender equality (key words: right to the city for all, collaborative space, socially inclusive, gender equality) 5.               Principle 5: The City We Need is economically vibrant and provides opportunities to all (key words: shared prosperity, decent work, circular economy, urban infrastructure, sustainable innovation) 6.               Principle 6: The City We Need has a strong sense of place and has room for diverse identities (key words: cultural heritage, identity, diversity, indigenous knowledge, sense of place, conservation) 7.               Principle 7: The City We Need is managed through public participation and democratically governed (key words: Community participation, Trust, Living labs, Public space) 8.               Principle 8: The City We Need fosters comprehensive and integrated planning and development (key words: compact integrated city, spatial visioning, strategic planning, plan to anticipate crisis, resilience) 9.               Principle 9: The City We Need ensures access to housing, services and mobility (key words: right to adequate housing, slum upgrading, accessibility, mobility, proximity) 10.            Principle 10: The City We Need learns and innovates (key words: innovation, education, urban labs, art, systems thinking, open data)  

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