From living in a 15 minute city neighbourhood to a global approach to sustainable proximities, The Global Observatory of Sustainable Proximities.

Proximity is at the heart of WU12. The idea that ‘It All Starts at Home: Local Actions for Sustainable Cities and Communities’ highlights how people’s living conditions in the city are crucial for the necessary transition outlined in the Pact for the Future at the Summit for the Future.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides a shared roadmap for peace and prosperity for both people and the planet, articulated through 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At the same time, the Localizing SDGs approach, reminds us that most of the goals will need local implementation.

SDG 17 focuses on revitalising the global partnership for sustainable development. This goal underscores the imperative of collaboration and cooperation among governments, the private sector, civil society, and academia to achieve the broader agenda of sustainable development by 2030. It highlights the urgent requirement to enhance assistance to the least developed countries, acknowledging that fair advancement for all nations is crucial for attaining sustainable development.
For this purpose, the Global Observatory of Sustainable Proximities was launched at the Second United Nations Habitat Assembly, to conceptualize, experiment, evaluate, learn, and scale urban proximity initiatives worldwide. This Observatory brings together academia, industry, governance, cities and societal sectors, following the Triple Helix model of societal innovation. This integrated approach ensures a comprehensive and holistic perspective when addressing urban development challenges in cities and territories worldwide. It is recognized by the Global Taskforce as a High Impact Initiative Coalition to deliver on the SDGs by 2030.

This Observatory serves as the global go-to knowledge and capacity building platform of reference, collecting information about local initiatives while supporting and promoting urban proximities at a global scale with advanced scientific tools. Urban development based on proximity – or the idea that urban dwellers should be able to meet essential needs without venturing far away from home – has been proven to promote social, economic and environmental sustainability.

The four founding partners – the Entrepreneurship, Territory and Innovation Chair of IAE Paris Sorbonne (Chaire ETI), C40 Cities, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) – are jointly leading the work to fulfil these objectives. Together, the Observatory partners have developed a globally applicable concept based on proximity, official measures and indicators, a global centre for knowledge sharing and capacity building, and a global alliance of academic scholars to support implementation. In addition, the Observatory will boost international scientific research in related fields.
"This global joint initiative allows us to drive large-scale change by informing urban strategies in cities worldwide" says Carlos Moreno (Chaire ETI).