future pathways for cities - unescap.org

FUTURE PATHWAYS FOR CITIES

Chief, Sustainable Urban Development Section, Environment and Development Division,United Nations Economic and Social Commissions for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)

Curt Garrigan

In Building Sustainable Urban Future

ENVIRONMENT AND

DEVELOPMENT

Contextual Timeline for Regional Partners Forum @Quito+5

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Habitat IIIQuito, Ecuador

RPF@Quito+1November 2017

1st Quadrennial Report on NUA

Development of FoAPC Report

(sub-regional and thematic consultations)

2nd Quadrennial Report on NUA

HLM April 2022

9th APFSD March 2022

Preparations for APUF (publication, normative

guidance?)

RPF@Quito+528-29 October 2021

WUF June 2022

APUF Voluntary Commitments

Regional VLR Guidelines

co-produced

Penang Platform launched

AP Mayors Academy launched

APUF-8

VLRs (e.g. Subang Jaya,

Naga and Surabaya)

APUF-7Ongoing Agency and

Partner Projects/Initiatives and compilation of

best practices

Visit https://urbangateway.unescap.org/

Launched at the Asia Pacific Urban Forum 2019, the Future of Asian & Pacific Cities (FoAPC) provides:

• a regional consensus on transformative

pathways for cities to take towards sustainable

urban development.

• Across four thematic areas, there are 15 policy

pathways.

Policy Pathways for Sustainable Urban Development

Getting these essentials right in cities today is vital to adapt to the demands of

tomorrow.

The future of urban and territorial planningCities must adopt inclusive planning processes that consider

urban growth, quality-of-life goals, and resource implications.

The future of urban resilienceResilience strategies that break down governance siloes, scale up nature-

based solutions, and engage the urban poor must be a priority.

The future of smart and inclusive citiesWe need people-centred smart cities; urban environments that

capture the innovation of teach entrepreneurs, bridging the digital

divide while ensuring everyones’ safety.

The future of urban financeFinancing a sustainable urban future means leveraging urban land value, co-

creating innovations with the private sector and promoting polluter-pay solutions,

to create long-term value for citizens, business and the environment.

Policy Pathways for Sustainable Urban Development

URBAN & TERRITORIAL PLANNING


Curt Garrigan

Policy Pathways for Sustainable Cities

Integrate sustainability and quality-of-life targets into urban

planning to future-proof public and private investment in cities

Co-produce with citizens urban planning solutions that align

technological investment with adequate local government

Capacities

Identify specific urban regeneration and growth strategies that

optimize urban-rural and city region collaborations that spur

sustainability and investment

1

2

3

The Future of Urban & Territorial Planning

Future of Urban and Territorial Planning

Integrate sustainability and quality-of-life targets into urban

planning to future-proof public and private investment in cities1


Urban Sustainability Assessment Framework (USAF) in India

• USAF is developed by UN-Habitat

(India) and designed as a decision

support tool for sustainable and

resilient urban planning, while

prioritizing climate adaptation and

mitigation at all stages.

• The framework builds in a

monitoring process across

standardized indicators, across

twelve sectors. This helps cities to

set their own trajectory

Co-produce with citizens urban planning solutions that align

technological investment with adequate local government capacities


2

Case - Managing the transition from an industrial to

an environment-focused city in Liuzhou, China.

Key, integrated strategies for transformation include:

• Ecological restoration of the Liujiang river;

• Investment in green infrastructure;

• Improvement of mobility and accessibility with affordable public transport;

• Optimization of a ‘15-minute community life circle’ in spatial planning

• Regeneration of the old city district

Key enablers:

• Cross-sectoral governance with PPP and citizen participation, &

• Inclusive development, supported by multiple stakeholder consultations and advice

from external experts (including IOs and NGOs).

Identify specific urban regeneration and growth strategies that

optimize urban-rural and city region collaborations that spur

sustainability and investment 3

The Xiamen Model as an example of Integrated Coastal Management (ICM), China

Marine Functional Zoning (MFZ) has been established as a

low-cost and effective way of dealing with the conflicts over

the use of marine resources. It support reduction of

negative impacts of large-scale sea dredging and

aquaculture rehabilitation and beach restoration, as well

as alternative employment options for local

communities.


Many Innovative ideas have emerged. For example,

Yuanboyuan Expo Garden which was constructed

in a way to help deal with local flooding and drainage

issues

URBAN RESILIENCE


Curt Garrigan


Utilise big data sources to connect communities, cities, and regions

and to improve local government technological literacy.

Scale up the use of nature-based solutions and resilient

infrastructure in integrated urban and climate change planning.

Understand the informal economy and support urban poor groups to

be change agents for implementing city-resilience actions.

Create and strengthen partnerships to bring more attention and

resources to long-term urban resilience strategies that break siloes

between national, state, and local actors.

1

2

3

4

The Future of Urban Resilience

Future of Urban Resilience

Scale up the use of nature-based solutions and resilient

infrastructure in integrated urban and climate change planning.1

Nature-based Solutions for Resilience in Ormoc City, Philippines


Example: Ormoc Waterscape

Project1. The Lower Malbasag Park as a buffer zone for flood.

2. Redesigning residential areas for better adaptation.

3. Upgrading of informal settlement in safer location and better living

environment.

In October 2018, Ormoc initiated Local Climate Action Plan,

emphasising

• Capturing the increasing rainfall through harnessing water

• Addressing urban heat through introducing nature-based

solutions

• Urban redesign projects.

Understand the informal economy and support urban poor groups

to be change agents for implementing city-resilience actions.2


Fiji Resilient Informal Settlements (FRIS) Program

key learning points

UN-Habitat and Fiji are working to support the most vulnerable

communities to build adaptive capacity against climate change

and disaster risk. 16 communities from 4 local councils (Lautoka,

Sigatoka, Nadi & Lami) are selected. The assessments were

carried out to detail climate action plan for each community.

• Participatory approaches are crucial for community buy-in and

relevance.

• When dealing with informal settlements upgrading, land tenure and legal

frameworks are a key aspect as responsibilities and accountabilities vary

according to land tenure

• Data collection and management on informal settlements is

significantly lacking and needs to be further supported.

3Create and strengthen partnerships to bring more attention and

resources to long-term urban resilience strategies that break siloes

between national, state, and local actors.

Without meaningful decentralisation, cities have difficulties to create new

opportunities for resilience.

The potential pathways to decentralization include

• building capacities step by step and prioritizing economic diversification, and;

• attracting initial capital projects that build a tax base and enable local

governments to exercise more authority from the central Government.

PARTNERSHIPS

DECENTRALISATION

Penang Platform for

Sustainable Urbanisation

Policy Pathways for the Future of Urban Resilience

4Utilise big data sources to connect communities, cities, and regions

and to improve local government technological literacy.

Potential solutions for cities include:

- Crowdsourcing

- Track and Trace through Blockchains

- Use of data to improve public procurement

Access to immediate, visualized data enable parsing and accessing the

same data and make shared decisions about complex problems

overlapping various administrative functions.

Policy Pathways for the Future of Urban Resilience

However, cities need to understand a key enabler:

Technological Literacy is

necessary to interpret the data.

SMART & INCLUSIVE CITIES

Economic Affairs Officers, Sustainable Urban Development Section, Environment and Development Division,United Nations Economic and Social Commissions for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)

Matthew Perkins


Develop smart mobility investment plans that

prioritize sustainable urban mobility options for citizens

Improve smart city governance across urban systems,

institutions and actors to overcome inequalities and make

more informed and integrated planning decisions

Encourage technology firms to become more civic

minded and create sustainable smart city solutions

with social enterprises

Adopt cybersecurity safeguards in both digital and

physical urban infrastructure development planning

1

2

3

4

5Expand viable smart city funding mechanisms by enabling

cross-sector partnerships and business matching

platforms

The Future of Smart & Inclusive Cities

Policy Pathways for the Future of Smart & Inclusive Cities

Sihanoukville for all: promoting a Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive City, Cambodia

1. People-focused Smart Planning & e-governance through

Innovative digital Participation

2. Smart services through crowdsourced data and

information

3. Digital empowerment to reduce the digital divide and

foster human rights

Through using tools such as Block by Block, Her city toolbox, etc.

1Improve smart city governance across urban systems,

institutions and actors to overcome inequalities and make

more informed and integrated planning decisions


A comprehensive assessment was conducted to launch Sihanoukville as a smart

sustainable and inclusive city. The initiative embraces “leaving no one behind” and the

philosophy that “if we plan a city for girls, it will work for everyone.”, positioning the

“people” at the heart of the smart city vision. It promotes a Novel Alliance between

Citizens and Local Authorities through 13 initiatives, grouped in 3 pillars:

2Encourage technology firms to become more civic minded

and create sustainable smart city solutions with social

enterprises


Crowdsourced data can provides insight on traffic and air pollution

3Adopt cybersecurity safeguards in both digital and physical

urban infrastructure development planning

A people-centred approach via the Smart City Guideline for Chengdu High-

Tech Development Zone (CDHT) , China


CDHT will:

Reach a new agreement on data to expand the use of

data beneficial to society while safeguarding the

sovereignty, ethics and privacy of data.

Use the guideline to guide smart development and use of

technology and data to increase affordability of services

and transparency of the government.1

2

4Develop smart mobility investment plans that prioritize

sustainable urban mobility options for citizens

Because the night bus (Owl Bus) was inadequately responding to the

travel patterns of residents in Seoul, especially low-income groups, the

Seoul Metropolitan Government decided in 2012 to use cell phone

data to chart night-time travel patterns along with taxi ride data to

understand the pattern of traffic demands and plan the new night bus

routes.

in taxi fares over three years since its launch.Saved $1.2

million

with 7,000 people using the buses nightly.

Reduced 2.3 million Car Trips

Annually

Case Study – Seoul

Impact


5Expand viable smart city funding mechanisms by enabling

cross-sector partnerships and business matching

platforms

ADB financed project “Asia-Pacific Remote Broadband

Internet Satellite Project” worked with Kacific Broadband

Satellites International Limited (Kacific) in Singapore to

provide access to the internet in remote areas in Southeast

Asia and the Pacific at the affordable cost with reliable

connection.

Providing internets across all pacific

countries Connected 68 health clinics and education institutions in Timor-

Leste

Case Study –

Impact


URBAN FINANCE

Asian Development Bank

Sanjay Grover


Scale up public-private partnerships and community schemes to

transition to localized housing finance solutions

Adopt land-linked financing mechanisms that leverage urban

growth to build people-centred urban infrastructure

Introduce congestion-charging and environmental

user fees to improve urban air quality

1

2

3

The Future of Urban Finance

Policy Pathways for the Future of Urban Finance

Scale up public-private partnerships and community schemes to

transition to localized housing finance solutions1

ADB’s Financing support to the M Squared Affordable Housing Project in Georgia

Features

The proceeds of the ADB loan will partially finance the two

affordable residential complexes development in Tbilisi, being

developed by M Squared and Optima, two private developers,

who have taken over a failed project by another private developer.

This will be ADB’s first non-sovereign financing of the housing

sector in the Central and West Asia.

• Focus on developing accessible affordable housing, including for persons with

disabilities and the elderly.

• An accessibility audit was conducted by experts, and their recommendations will be

incorporated into the design and construction of the buildings.

• Enhanced energy efficiency was incorporated into the design to demonstrate what is

possible in the Georgian market.

ADB assistance – up to $ 10

million


Adopt land-linked financing mechanisms that leverage urban

growth to build people-centred urban infrastructure2

Case Study – Kathmandu

Impact

Land pooling and readjustment were effective for Nepal where the Government has little control

over private land and informal settlements with minimal capability to improve urban

infrastructure services at local levels. The Naya Bazar land pooling project involved different

levels of government and international organizations (e.g. ADB). Kathmandu’s Municipality

Infrastructure Improvement Project was chaired by the mayor of Kathmandu Municipality

City (KMC) along with a user’s committee representing the interest of all landowners and

tenants.

A total of 50% of the project cost was covered through land pooling, and approximately 95% of

the land was privately owned by farmers. At project completion, road infrastructure covered

21.5% of the area, compared with 1.6% previously and the value of the 40 hectares of land

also doubled.

The land value of 40 Hectares

doubled


Introduce congestion-charging and environmental

user fees to improve urban air quality3

The Breathe Better Bond is

a debt instrument for local

governments to finance air

pollution reduction projects in

emerging market cities.

It uses a blended capital

structure to provide credit

enhancement, and a results-

based payment mechanism

to ensure cities receive

tangible near-term benefits if

targets are achieved.

Breathe Better Bond for climate smart infrastructure investment


future pathways for cities - unescap.org

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