The New Urban Agenda
After the release of the Surabaya Draft of the New Urban Agenda at the third session of the Preparatory Committee for the Habitat III Conference in Surabaya, Indonesia in July 2016, the New Urban Agenda has finally been agreed on at the Habitat III Informal Intergovernmental Meeting which took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 7 to 10 September 2016, and it will be adopted in Quito, Ecuador, in October 2016.
This draft is the result of the negotiations at the third session of the Preparatory Committee for the Habitat III Conference (PrepCom3), held in Surabaya, Indonesia, 25–27 July 2016. It is the basis for the next round of informal negotiations in New York end of August/beginning of September. The exact date of the informal negotiations will be announced soon.
The Draft New Urban Agenda has been prepared on the basis of inputs and negotiations throughout the Habitat III intersessional process leading toPrepCom3.
This draft will be the basis of negotiations at the third session of the Preparatory Committee for the Habitat III Conference (PrepCom3), to be held in Surabaya, Indonesia, 25–27 July 2016.
The New Urban Agenda aims to be a concise, action-oriented, forward-looking, and universal framework of actions for housing and sustainable urban development.
The first zero draft of the New Urban Agenda—which was prepared on the basis of inputs from broad regional and thematic consultations, as well as the policy recommendations elaborated by the policy units and comments thereon received by participating states and all stakeholders—was submitted on 6 May 2016 by the Bureau of the Preparatory Committee for discussion at the informal intergovernmental negotiations and informal hearings with local authorities associations and civil society organizations in May and June, as decided by the General Assembly resolution A/70/210.
The Transformative Power of Urbanization
Throughout modern history, urbanization has been a major driver of development and poverty reduction. Governments can respond to this key development opportunity through Habitat III by promoting a new model of urban development that is able to integrate all facets of sustainable development to promote equity, welfare and shared prosperity. It is time to think urban: how to mobilise the global community and focus all levels of human settlements, including small rural communities, villages, market towns, intermediate cities and metropolises for demographic and economic growth. Habitat III can help systematise the alignment between cities and towns and national planning objectives in their role as drivers of national economic and social development.
Dr. Joan Clos, the Secretary-General of the Habitat III Conference, talks about the Habitat III process in occasion of the Montreal Thematic Meeting
Urbanization is an unprecedented challenge. By the middle of the century four of every five people might be living in towns and cities. Urbanization and development are inextricably linked and it is necessary to find a way of ensuring the sustainability of growth. Urbanization had become a driving force as well as a source of development with the power to change and improve lives.
Habitat III Conference has the convening power to bring together all actors to achieve these objectives. Solutions for the complex challenge of urbanization can only be found by bringing together Member States, multilateral organizations, local governments, private sector and civil society.
- Embracing urbanization at all levels of human settlements, more appropriate policies can embrace urbanization across physical space, bridging urban, peri-urban and rural areas, and assist governments in addressing challenges through national and local development policy frameworks.
- Integrating equity to the development agenda. Equity becomes an issue of social justice, ensures access to the public sphere, extends opportunities and increases the commons.
- Fostering national urban planning and planned city extensions.
- Deciding how relevant sustainable development goals will be supported through sustainable urbanization.
- Aligning and strengthening institutional arrangements with the substantive outcomes of Habitat III, so as to ensure effective delivery of the new Urban Agenda.
- Urban Rules and Regulations. The outcomes in terms of quality of an urban settlement is dependent on the set of rules and regulations and its implementation. Proper urbanization requires the rule of law.
- Urban Planning and Design. Establishing the adequate provision of common goods, including streets and open spaces, together with an efficient pattern of buildable plots.
- Municipal Finance. For a good management and maintenance of the city, local fiscal systems should redistribute parts of the urban value generated.
With the consideration of:
- National Urban Policies. These establish a connection between the dynamics of urbanization and the overall process of national development.
The Global Context
Cities today occupy approximately only 2% of the total land, however:
