Sustainable development from the perspective of public green spaces planning and usage in the cities of São Paulo (Brazil) and Medellín (Colombia)

This event shall deepen the dialogue and cooperation between representatives of the cities of São Paulo and Medellin’s environmental conservation agencies. Additionally, it shall be organized with the support of the UN-Habitat Brazil and the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) whose assistance is based on the South-South Cooperation paradigm for sustainable development. Hence, the event shall be framed with the purpose of advancing urban development with a specific regard to green public spaces. Coordinated by three different governance agencies, the event will shed light on practical experiences based on evidence toward a more responsible and inclusive urban development in face of climate change. Historically, São Paulo and Medellín have experienced an intense process of urban sprawling and encroachment toward their remaining green areas. Their urbanization levels have reached staggering thresholds despite lacking a concomitant suitable economic and social progress, in a process that has led to precarious settlements and deforestation. Nonetheless, as one of the measures taken to revert this trend, the two cities have resorted to and relied on urban development planning. Illustratively, a cohort of Cities Master Plans and Sectoral Plans have been put in place, in accordance with United Nations guidelines and tenets, such as the Rio and UN-Habitat Istanbul Declarations. Recently, in São Paulo, the UN-Habitat Brazil and the City’s Green and Environment Affairs Bureau (SVMA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to foster the United Nations Development Agenda Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) to enhance city’s assessment and management of its green public spaces. Likewise, UN-Habitat Brazil and the Government of Brazil, through ABC, have signed a Trilateral South-South Cooperation project that can contribute to strengthening policies and institutional frameworks for sustainable urban development, by expanding equitable access to urban basic services in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The initiative is at an initial stage, but has a great potential to promote South-South cooperation at city level, leveraging São Paulo and Medellin's efforts. Moreover, The Metropolitan Area of Aburrá Valley, is an institution that brings together 10 municipalities of which Medellín is its main city. Its 2020-2023 Management Plan called "Sustainable Future" makes a great commitment to smart cities designed for the well-being of the inhabitants and where planning, mobility and environmental sustainability are the structuring axes of its plans. The AMVA has also been consolidating itself internationally as an exemplary metropolitan area in governance, which has been recognized by UN-Habitat in its most recent publications. Therefore, bringing about a convergence of initiatives and ideas between these two cities can undoubtedly contribute to sustainable development for millions of people in its three main dimensions: social, economic and environment