A new ‘Urban Agenda’ for the 21st Century Habitat III Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development Partners Consultation Paper ‐ 1 10, July 2012 LOOKING BACK, MOVING FORWARD MANDATE It has been 16 years since the adoption of parts, rather than a whole. The inherent the Istanbul Declaration and the “Habitat limitations of this view are all too evident Agenda” – solidifying a global, multi‐ when one considers how overlapping and Sustainable Urbanization stakeholder commitment to a set of conflicting jurisdictions or local, regional principles and plan of action in pursuit of and national authorities result in weak as the key to realizing adequate shelter for all and sustainable urban governance and management. The human settlements development in an results are plain to see; costly inefficiencies, socio‐economic urbanizing world. The 1996 Istanbul poorly defined projects, unsustainable TRANSFORMATION Declaration and its accompanying Habitat development‐ problems cities cannot Agenda, catalogued a myriad of issues afford, especially when undergoing rapid concerning human settlements. More urbanization. On 1 March 2012, the United Nations importantly, it called upon policy makers General Assembly in its resolution 66/207 and leaders to build and reform national Focusing on the essence of the city decided to convene in 2016, in line with policies in accordance with these principles the bi‐decennial cycle (1976, 1996 and and action areas. However, while its This disembodied view of the city has also 2016), a Third United Nations Conference comprehensiveness was its strength, it served to obscure three fundamental on Housing and Sustainable Development principles of the city which are as true today proved to also be a weakness. (Habitat III) to reinvigorate the global as they were when the first cities were commitment to sustainable urbanization A strategic choice: breadth or depth? established along the Euphrates some 6000 years ago – the city is made of people, that should focus on the implementation Highlighting the need for priority attention stones and rules. of a new “Urban Agenda”. to be given to urban conditions and its attendant concerns, such as; slums, Cities are first and foremost about people. In the coming months, Member States housing, land, infrastructure and basic As such they are governed by organic will discuss the preparatory process processes which are constantly in flux services is clearly an important leading to HABITAT III. changing continuously in nature and achievement. Equally significant are the suggested remedies for addressing the character. Tomorrow’s city is the product of Habitat Agenda partners, are invited to identified problems, including: strategic an on‐going struggle between economic, planning, increased domestic/international political, ecological, social and gendered share their thoughts, aspirations and financial investment, and strengthening of interests and forces. Balancing these and innovations on how to make the Habitat local government institutions. It also called creating public goods which all can benefit III process inclusive, engaging and for improved engagement of community from is key to creating a dynamic, transformational. based organizations (including groups of integrated, productive, job creating society. slum dwellers, women and youth), the private sector, professionals, and academia. The first stones laid to build homes, roads, and market places were put in place based However this approach has had the on a basic plan. unfortunate consequence of perpetuating the view that the city is an assembly of HABITAT III – PARTNERS CONSULTATION PAPER NO. ONE 2 It is precisely this kind of thinking which organizing initiatives involving international created the false dichotomy of rural vs. and national NGOs have been multiplied urban, ignoring the fact that the process of through the creation of urban poor urbanization is a virtuous cycle which brings federations and grassroots women’s tangible benefits to all forms of human networks which make serviced land and settlements. Habitat II marked a change, housing accessible by those excluded from whereby the role of cities and the formal housing finance and scarce public consequences of urbanization became a housing programmes. regular feature of both international fora, as is the case most recently at the Over the past two decades, cities have Rio+20Summit. Policy makers and media gained considerable profile and visibility alike are replete with examples of the within international fora on sustainable ingenuity and creativity of urban youth in development, with increasing roles in the informal economy, the resilience of mitigation and adaptation to climate women’s groups in post conflict change. These gains are being made through adoption of more appropriate land‐ The most visible aspects of unplanned rapid reconstruction, and the capacity of slum use planning and new urban patterns, more urbanization has been the spontaneous dwellers and civil society to innovate where efficient urban management and green growth of slums and informality. This others have failed. They emphasize the building practices. This in turn imposes new reflects a cities failure to plan for the growing influence of cities and regions as imperatives for housing policies and urban growth of the city and provide employment, international players in their own right, the planning and design, especially in terms of transport, service and affordability needs of contributions of academia to solving real housing typologies, urban density and people in today’s world. Lastly, beyond the world problems, and the significance of transportation in urban settings. Given that plan, a set of rules is necessary to govern private sector investment in the creation one out of the worlds every three urban the use of land in defined development complex urban global networks of trade, dwellers lives in slums, and one sixth of areas and common space. The nature of ideas and technology which have little humanity lives in sub‐standard housing land use rules has evolved throughout the concern for national boundaries. While we conditions (with the threat of that doubling history of urbanization: from customary may take for granted this shift in in the next 20 years), the issue of access to rules, to autocratic rules and then to perspectives today, by defining cities as serviced land and housing remains one of democratically formed written legislation. another development “challenge” amongst the greatest challenges of cities in the 21st When applied and enforced, rules can other worthy challenges, we have century. unlock enormous wealth for all, not just a fundamentally misjudged the potential and transformative power of urbanization. This few well connected elites. Cities can thrive At home in the city through the judicious allocation of land to power is especially salient in the developing world, where cities have become the basis common goods such as streets and public By widening housing choices and enabling for achieving national, regional and global spaces, allowing for the creation of the provision of housing opportunities at development. Too few countries have firmly integrated developments, promotion of appropriate scale; of affordable price; in a grasped this inherent opportunity. mixed land use, sustainable densities and diversity of sizes, prices and types; and in development planning which ensures This fundamental shift in views on suitable locations vis‐à‐vis access to income resident proximity to employment. urbanization is embedded in the title of the generating opportunities, housing can be central to the development of cities impact Leadership is required, but too few Habitat III conference. In 1996 the Habitat Agenda called for sustainable ‘human on the future of cities. As such, the housing countries have adopted comprehensive sector remains an economic powerhouse by National Urban Policies. These can provide settlements development’. The focus for Habitat III in 2016 is sustainable ‘urban linking key areas of the economy, key policy leavers for maximizing the generating jobs, advancing poverty potential of urbanization working in development’. In short, this entails harnessing the economic potential of reduction efforts and having a direct partnership with all spheres of government. bearing on local economic development. A second critical step is to plan for City urbanization latent in cities through effective, transparent and participatory Enlargements while seeking to optimize the Among the most significant urban urban planning, economic development, use of land, discouraging speculation and challenges that Governments have to legislative processes and management. insuring affordability and compact design address in the next few decades, especially close to employment and existing Certainly, progress has been made in developing countries, is how to respond infrastructure. in the intervening years since Sustainable urbanization: 1996. UN‐Habitat’s Governing Council has sustained momentum Source of national development in the implementation of the A second strength but also limitation of the agreed objectives by adopting Habitat Agenda, is the perception that several resolutions emphasizing human settlements have been a rising elements of the Habitat Agenda development “challenge”, pathology in such as the right to adequate search of cure. Prior to 1996, global housing, guidelines on access to debates regarding sustainability, poverty