This sourcebook on climate-proof urban development addresses key issues at the interface of climate change and urban development. Its content builds on the knowledge gained in the global project ‘Cities Fit for Climate Change’ (CFCC). It has been elaborated over the project’s three-year course through great contributions by the project partners from Chile, India and South Africa. The sourcebook is divided into three parts:
Part I describes the thematic context and provides a background to the global CFCC project. It introduces the Climate-Proof Urban Development Approach (ClimPUDA), a framework for practitioners to address climate change in the urban context. The considerations entailed in this approach are used throughout the sourcebook and constitute its conceptual foundation.
Part II focuses on good practices of climate-proof urban development. Different case studies from the Global North and the Global South represent the broad range of experiences available. Each case study is analysed based on four Fields of Action (FoA) which are part of ClimPUDA. They are (1) Governance and Management, (2) Policies and Strategies, (3) Measures: From Policy to Action, and (4) Capacity Development.
Part III provides further information in terms of capacity building in the field of climate-proof urban development and also contains all sources on which the sourcebook is based.
Category: Integrated urban development
The 8 Principles of Sidewalks
"Walking is the most democratic way to commute. It is the oldest and most common mode of transport in the world, not to mention being a far healthier option – for both people and cities. The 8 Principles of Sidewalks systematizes the most relevant Brazilian and international references into a single publication about the planning, design and construction of sidewalks that meet the needs of people walking. The goal of this guide is to provide deeper insight into the role of sidewalks in spaces that provide opportunity for social interaction among people."
Mixed reality for public participation in urban and public space design
Mixed reality is a new technology that enables visual experiences where physical environments and digital objects coexist and interact with each other in a realistic way. In practice, this means you can look through a mobile device and see digital objects and models as if they were really there. This report is based on more than two years of research by a team of UN-Habitat urban planners and Ericsson researchers. Mixed reality technology – although still in its infancy – might offer the opportunity to bridge the divide between inhabitants and their cities, making change literally appear before their eyes and giving entire neighborhoods the chance to weigh in on how their future smart city will look, feel and serve their needs.
This new visually realistic blending of reality with virtual imagination can create a more intuitive space for planners, architects, residents and other stakeholders to viscerally experience and re-imagine future environments. Architectural sketches and designs can be made more legible and accessible, thus pulling users into the process of design and strengthening the long-term viability and buy-in of urban projects.
How to Formulate a National Urban Policy
Many governments have difficulty in formulating a NUP due to insufficient capacity, ever changing political contexts, complex relationships between government departments/ministries, and political pressures from interest groups. Consultation is key during the formulation phase to build consensus. Good policy formulation requires political will, visionary leadership, organizational know-how, effective consultative mechanisms, and good negotiating skills on the part of the ministry or department in charge of urban issues. This Guide suggests that before starting the formulation process, it is essential that a thorough diagnosis of the urban sector is carried out, with extensive data collection, review and analysis. It is also advisable to assess the available capacity (human, financial, institutional and technical). Following this, aspects to consider in the formulation of a NUP include the selection of the lead agency, the quality of the data and information that is available, how the various stakeholders will participate, what resources are available, how the process will be coordinated, and what the context is – the needs and issues that will frame the policy.
According to this practical guide, a national urban policy (1) responds to the country’s development priorities, (2) is based on sound evidence, and (3) is focused on outcomes. This handbook provides practical steps and a coordinated process to formulate an urban policy that adheres to five key principles: participation, inclusion, affordability, sustainability and implementability.
Solutions for and by cities
"The Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation is dedicated to decentralised, city-to-city cooperation and sharing lessons learned from experience. Its focus covers the three pillars of sustainability: social, economic and environmental, and two additional domains – governance and technology.
The fourth edition of the Guangzhou Award was a remarkable show of these links between innovation and learning from different stakeholders. This publication is an attempt to extend the prestige of the initiatives that were shortlisted for the award, and to spread their legacy to even broader audiences."
Rethinking the ecosystem of international city networks
Cities have emerged as major players on the international scene in recent years. Yet, their ambition to project themselves internationally and to influence global agendas is not a new phenomenon. Cities have operated through organised networks for decades. The first international organisation of cities was the International Union of Local Authorities, created in 1913. Towards the end of the past century, the regional integration processes of the 1990s engendered a proliferation of city networks, especially in Europe but also in Latin America, Africa and Asia. In 2004, the founding of United Cities and Local Governments as a platform for international municipalism marked a turning point.
Today city networks play a growing role in defining and implementing some of the main global agendas. Their involvement in the United Nations Conference on Climate Change, their success in adding a territorial dimension to the UN 2030 Agenda, and their participation in the Steering Committee of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation, are good examples of how city networks are making their voice heard. But the increasing importance attributed to urbanisation processes on international development agendas has also caused a reconfiguration of the ecosystem of city networks that brings with it both risks and opportunities.
This volume seeks to analyse the changing dynamics of the ecosystem of city networks, focusing on how the main platforms operate, what influence they have on global agendas, what services they provide and how they coordinate their efforts. By zooming in on the strategies networks have been developing to enhance their influence and make their operations more effective, the volume examines the added value they provide.
Municipal action in times of flight, migration and integration
Osnabrück, as a city of peace, lives the guiding principle “peace as a task – committed to peace” and is proud of their lived diversity – immigrants have been part of the citizens for decades. On-going high migration intensities, an increasingly diverse society but also recent refugee movements require a new thinking in the sense of a holistic integration management in which the city council, the city administration, citizenry and institutions work closely together.
Together, equal and self-determined
Citizens of Bonn with disabilities should be fully included in city life in every circumstance, just like everyone else: That is the goal of the Federal City of Bonn. To this end, it has developed the “Disability Policy Participation Plan for the Federal City of Bonn” – participatory and inclusive.
Urban Transitions Alliance Roadmaps
Industrial legacy cities face unique challenges, as they transition towards vibrant, sustainable and equitable urban centers. Cities around the world can learn lessons from where these cities have been, and how they are moving forward. The new report, "Urban Transitions Alliance Roadmaps: Sustainability Transition Pathways from Industrial Legacy Cities" details four transition pathways that eleven post-industrial cities have undertaken, with implementation ideas and best practices for each. These cities are all a part of the Urban Transitions Alliance, which was built on the premise that by connecting industrial legacy cities from the US, Germany, Poland and China through their transition stories and visions of sustainable urban development, common challenges and transition pathways would emerge.
Reflecting the thematic priorities of the Alliance members, the chapters subsequently focus on challenges and solutions in the fields of Infrastructure, Energy, Mobility, and Social Transition. Each topic is explored in terms of background, barriers and opportunities related to the industrial legacy context. Transition priorities and innovative approaches from the different regions are outlined in key pathways and exemplified in case studies from the Alliance cities and districts. Some of the conditions described might apply in various degrees to cities beyond the industrial legacy context – that is why transition experiences and pathways from the Urban Transitions Alliance can be of value to cities around the globe.
Addressing Urban and Human Settlement Issues in National Adaptation Plans
"The Addressing Urban and Human Settlement Issues in National Adaptation Plans Supplementary Guide aims to comprehensively address urban and human settlement issues in National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) at the formulation and implementation stage.
The guide primarily targets decision-makers at the national level working on NAPs, both within and outside UNFCCC focal point ministries, while it also targets a broader set of stakeholders at the national and sub-national levels who are interested in NAPs or who may be involved in their implementation."