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The City We Need Now!

The City We Need Now! is an advocacy campaign led by UN-Habitat and the +200 partner organizations of the World Urban Campaign to call for urgent action as the world is off-track to achieve the SDGs by 2030.
date June 28, 2022 | 17:00 - 19:00
place
Special Session Room 1
language
Polish, Spanish, English, French, Russian, Chinese, Arabic, Portuguese + ISL [Polish + English]

Summary

The City We Need Now! is an advocacy campaign led by UN-Habitat and more than 220 partner organizations of the World Urban Campaign, calling for urgent action because the world is not on course to achieve the SDGs by 2030.

The campaign demonstrates how cities can become accelerators of the New Urban Agenda and the 2030 Development Agenda. It does so in six regions: Africa, the Middle East and Arab States, Asia-Pacific, Europe and the CIS, North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean. The campaign focuses on ten action areas to accelerate change to yield big results through effective partnerships and innovation.

The session will call upon key partners of The City We Need Now! to explain actions areas towards the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and address gaps in SDGs achievements. Participants in the room will be encouraged to share their views in the ten action areas of The City We Need Now! Campaign.

Sub Title

The World Urban Campaign in action towards the implementation of the New Urban Agenda

Guiding Questions for discussions

  1. What is the city we need now to address today's reality of climate change, pandemic risks and wars destroying cities?  
  2. What are the most effective solutions and game changers for the city we need now?
  3. How can we harness commitments and ensure key deliverables on a comprehensive road map of all players of the city we need now?

Background

Today's reality of climate change, pandemic risks and wars destroying cities, reinforces the coalition’s drive for correcting actions and urgently put cities on track to build a better urban life for future generations. 

The campaign helps demonstrate how cities can become accelerators of the New Urban Agenda and the 2030 Development Agenda. It does so in six regions: Africa, the Middle East and Arab States, Asia-Pacific, Europe and the CIS, North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean. The campaign focuses on ten action areas to accelerate change to yield big results through effective partnerships and innovation. It is an opportunity to engage a variety of stakeholders from civil society and grassroots organizations, local and regional governments, urban professionals, researchers and Academias, youth and women groups, businesses and industries, to review the priorities of the New Urban Agenda.

The Urban Thinkers Campuses (UTCs) constitute the main platforms for partners to exchange during the campaign. More than 40 UTCs are planned in 2022, expected to attract more than 5,000 people.

What will happen during the session?

The session will call upon key partners of The City We Need Now! to explain actions areas towards the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and address gaps in SDGs achievements.

Participants in the room will be encouraged to share their views in the ten action areas of The City We Need Now!

  1. health and well-being;
  2. peace and safety;
  3. climate adaptation and resilience;
  4. inclusion and gender equality;
  5. economic opportunities for all;
  6. culture and identity;
  7. local governance;
  8. urban planning and design;
  9. housing, services and mobility, and
  10. leaning and innovation.

Concept Note:

Eleanor Mohammed

Habitat Professionals Forum | Co-Chair

Jane Anyango

Polycom Development Project | Director

Eric Huybrechts

Institut d'aménagement et urbanisme Ile-de-France | Manager of International affairs

Lance Jay Brown

Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization (CSU) | President

Tanya Huizer

Arcadis | Global Shelter Program Manager

Didier Vancutsem

IFLA Europe | Vice-President

Sri Husnaini Sofjan

Huairou Commission: women, homes & community | Senior Progtam Advisor and Strategist

Xavier Crépin

SciencesPo Rennes | Co-Director

Tristan Morel

ADP Villes en Développement | President

Mahmoud AlBurai

Middle East Cities Center at American University in Dubai | Director

Aline Rahbany

World Vision International | Technical Director, Urban Programming

Christian Hübel

City of Mannheim | Head, Department of Strategic Governance 

Limota Goroso Giwa

Huairou Commission | Membership Committee Chair & Facilitating NGO Representative

Thomas George

UNICEF | Global Lead, Urban

Bert Smolders

World Urban Campaign | Honorary Chair

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