2030 Agenda for sustainable development : Sustainable cities & Communities

The UN decided to set up, in 2015, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, it contains 17 Sustainable Development Goals for a world free from poverty and hunger, with access to education and health coverage for all, and an end of inequalities and environmental degradation.

By 2030, the UN states that 60 percent of the world’s population will live in cities. In fact, with urban population increasing, building differently is a priority in order to accommodate everyone. To ensure a future for our cities and hinder urban sprawl, future cities need to be green, resilient, and affordable.

For this article, we will focus on the 11th goal:

Sustainable cities & Communities

Being planned to be achieved by 2030, this goal aims to “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”. In fact, to build green cities these are the main points to be applied.

Affordable access to quality living for everyone

• Safe and Affordable Housing:

The first objective is to ensure the access of housing for everyone. In cities to avoid urban sprawl we must build high without reducing comfort or raising the price.

• Affordable and Sustainable transport system:

In the same way, to reduce carbon emission and ensure access to quality transport, the UN states that by 2030 roads must be safer and public transport expanded. In that sense, if you are living in a sustainable city wherever you are you must have access to affordable transport.

• Reduce the adverse effects of natural disasters:

To reduce the number of people killed by natural disasters, we need to provide solutions to protect poor and vulnerable persons.

Living with our nature:

• Protect the world’s cultural and natural heritage:

Even if we build new buildings to accommodate people for the development of sustainable cities, cities must stay nature inclusive in order to protect our world’s heritage.

• Provide access to safe and inclusive green and public spaces:

To continue with being nature inclusive, one of the goals states that sustainable cities should provide green and public spaces with access for persons with disabilities.

• Strong national and regional development planning:

To stop rural-urban migration, we need to maintain the connection between rural and urban areas.

Sustainable Future:

• Inclusive and sustainable urbanization:

In order to be inclusive, the planning and management of urbanization must be participatory, integrated and sustainable.

• Reduce the environmental impact of cities:

One of the main goals of all sectors is to reduce its carbon footprint, the building sector not being an exception, cities must be built thinking about environmental impacts of the construction, air quality and waste management.

Plan the future:

• Implement policies for inclusion, resource efficiency and disaster rick reduction:

To reduce the environmental impacts of cities, the UN decided to set up policies and plans for resources efficiency, mitigation, and adaptation to climate change.

• Support least developed countries in sustainable and resilient building:

When planning the future of cities, all countries should be on an equal footing. In that sense, the UN planned to support least developed countries in their transition to green buildings construction.