The SDGs provide a long-term, non-partisan framework for a more sustainable vision of urban development that provides equal opportunities for all inhabitants, promotes healthy living environments with access to green space, and is resilient in the face of everyday disasters and climatic hazards.
Goal 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Goal 11 is about making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Today, more than half the world’s population live in cities. By 2050, an estimated 7 out of 10 people will likely live in urban areas. Cities are drivers of economic growth and contribute more than 80 per cent of global GDP.
However, they also account for more than 70 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. If well-planned and managed, urban development can be sustainable and can generate inclusive prosperity. The deep inequalities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and other cascading crises highlight the importance of sustainable urban development. Strengthening the preparedness and resilience of cities is crucial in responding to future crises.
Cities and metropolitan areas are hubs of economic growth, contributing around 60% of the world's GDP. However, they also account for about 70% of global carbon emissions and more than 60% of resource use.
Rapid urbanization is resulting in increasing numbers of slum dwellers, inadequate and overburdened infrastructure and services (such as waste collection and water and sanitation systems, roads and transportation), which is worsening air pollution and urban sprawl.
The impact of COVID-19 will be most devastating in poor and densely populated urban areas, especially for the one billion people living in informal settlements and slums around the world, where overcrowding also makes it difficult to comply with recommended measures such as social distancing and self-isolation.
The UN food agency, FAO, warned that hunger and deaths could increase significantly in urban areas that do not have measures in place to ensure that poor and vulnerable residents have access to food.
València, through its Smart City Office, is working to improve the quality of life in urban environments, following the SDG roadmap for a more balanced and equitable urban development.
