The Urban Dimension: Why Cities Matter

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The Urban Dimension: Why Cities Matter

In the context of international development, urban development has become crucial, as cities constitute both the challenge as well as the potential solution.  Most cities and municipalities in EU’s partner countries lack the expertise, human resources, and organisational administrative capacity for climate-neutral, resilient, and inclusive urban planning and development. At the same time, many municipal administrations still have to establish good governance principles. For example, better transparency and participatory mechanisms in decision-making could prevent inequality in access to urban services and economic opportunities. Cities need to improve how they cater to the specific needs of women and families, who have different mobility patterns and security requirements.  Moreover, urban planning has to react to new kinds of vulnerabilities that are not limited to economically deprived urban settlements - though the poor suffer the most from these - as climate change continues to negatively impact urban areas.

Two-thirds of cities are coastal or situated along riverbanks, making them vulnerable to rising sea levels, flooding, and heavy rainfall. Increasing global temperatures, along with conventional urban planning and construction methods, create urban heat islands. High population and building density, extensive ground sealing, and limited green spaces in cities make them more susceptible to flooding, landslides, and disease outbreaks. Climate change affects clean water and sanitation access, hitting informal settlement residents hard due to their limited safety nets and poor infrastructure. Cities are responsible for 80% of global carbon emissions and consume three-quarters of the world's natural resources. offering significant potential to fight climate change and protect the environment in areas like energy supply, construction, mobility, water supply, and waste management. 

Urban land consumption in urban areas is projected to double by 2060, particularly in Asia and Africa. Continuing conventional construction methods with carbon-intensive materials like concrete would lock in high-emission technologies and structures. it will be mandatory to agree and follow three main objectives to address all these challenges and create opportunities:  

• Promoting sustainable transitions to create vibrant urban environments: urban areas should evolve from their current grey status quo to embrace green solutions and shift from a linear, consumption-driven model to a circular one. 
• Recognising municipalities and urban stakeholders as key actors in achieving sustainable development goals. Studies have shown how critical these are for achieving the SDGs.  
• Ensuring safe and livable cities and socio-economic wellbeing for all.   

At the same time, prioritising urban development does not mean neglecting other important challenges such as climate change, inequality, or infrastructure and economic opportunity. Rather, it underscores the idea that looking at these problems through an urban lens can lead to more effective and regenerative solutions: by focusing on cities and their components, from housing and transportation to the urban environment, we can address multiple challenges simultaneously. Upgrading urban areas is not only about making cities more liveable, but also about creating more sustainable, equitable, and economically vibrant communities. This approach recognises the interconnectedness of urban and other issues and seeks integrated solutions benefitting both urban and rural areas.   

During the month of October the Urban Solutions Network will highlight the urban dimension within EU programmes, documents and papers and its significance for worldwide partnerships.  

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