FOSTERING METROPOLITAN COOPERATION FOR SUSTAINABLE...

FOSTERING METROPOLITAN COOPERATION FOR

SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT

TOWARDS THE MONTRÉAL DECLARATION IN SUPPORT OF THE NEW

URBAN AGENDA TO BE ADOPTED AT HABITAT III IN QUITO IN 2016

DRAFT DECLARATION

OCTOBER 1, 2015

(This document has not been officially revised / proofread)

DRAFT DECLARATION, October 1, 2015

2

Fostering metropolitan cooperation for

sustainable urban development

TOWARDS THE MONTRÉAL DECLARATION IN SUPPORT OF THE

NEW URBAN AGENDA TO BE ADOPTED AT HABITAT III IN QUITO

IN 2016

Global metropolization

An increasingly urban

world1. We live in an increasingly urban world. For the first time in history,

more than half of the world's population lives in cities. By 2050, thisproportion will reach nearly 70%. At the time of Habitat II, which tookplace in Istanbul in 1996, the world had 2.6 billion urban residents. It isestimated that by the time the global community meets in Quito forHabitat III in 2016, that number will have risen to 4 billion. Accordingto the OECD, by the end of this “metropolitan century”, most of theurbanization on our planet will likely be completed, with around 85%of the world's population living in cities by 2100. This rapid urbangrowth will be especially dramatic in the Sub-Saharan and Asiancountries.

The rise of metropolitan

areas

Socio-spatial

inequalities

2. Amid growing urbanization and suburbanization, cities are now oftenpart of larger metropolitan areas with high population densities andwhere the development of transportation infrastructure has boostedtrade, as well as commuting distances. Metropolitan areas are usuallymade up of one or more central cities with high population densitiesand large pools of jobs. These areas form a large labour pool wheremost of the population lives and works. Relatively autonomous, theynevertheless interact with other metropolitan areas and othercommunities. The population living in these areas is continuouslygrowing. According to the latest UN population estimate, 50% ofurban residents live in agglomerations of 500,000 people or more.

3. The emergence of metropolitan areas is transforming our landscapesand is taking different forms depending on the areas. Growingurbanization sometimes leads to socio-spatial inequalities, notablybecause of the absence of well-planned urban development as well asinadequate investments, which sometimes causes an imbalancebetween city centers and the periphery.


3

Hubs of the globalized

economy and Culture4. Now more than ever, metropolitan areas play a key role, due to the

concentration of population and activities, in the social, cultural,environmental and economic development of nations. In mostcountries, metropolitan areas have become the main hubs ofglobalized economy and culture, as well as key drivers of economicgrowth and innovation. Accounting for a high share of the grossdomestic product (GDP), they also attract qualified workers andmigrants seeking better job opportunities. In most cases, higher-leveleconomic functions are concentrated in metropolitan areas..

Metropolitan challenges

Significant challenges 5. The wave of urbanization in the 21st century stands to benefitindividual residents, communities, countries and the planet as awhole. At the same time, however, significant challenges will have tobe addressed.

Challenges facing

metropolitan areas6. More than ever, the challenges facing cities around the world in

terms of urban planning, transportation, social cohesion andenvironmental protection are extending beyond local boundaries andare challenging production and consumption patterns in view of ourlimited resources. As more people move into the metropolitan areassurrounding central cities, local governments must innovate in supra-local governance matters and develop new interterritorialcoordination strategies and mechanisms in order to facemetropolitan wide challenges and to enhance attractiveness andcompetitiveness.

Disparities of urban

growth

Revising funding models

7. The accelerated pace of urban growth can magnify economic, socialand territorial disparities and, in certain areas, exacerbate shortagesof basic goods and services essential for urban life, accelerateenvironmental degradation and result in significant cost increases. Indeveloping countries, rapid urban growth hinders mobility and canlead to increasingly precarious housing as people migrate massivelyto urban centres or the outskirts of big cities seeking better jobopportunities.

8. Globalization and financialization of the economy, particularly urbaneconomies, challenge established funding models in many largecities. The investments required in urban areas could triple over thenext decade. The funding of metropolitan areas should be adapted tothis reality in order to mobilize the massive investment needed tomeet metropolitan challenges


4

Transforming our metropolitan world

Goal 11 of the 2030

Agenda for Sustainable

Development

9. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has identified aseries of goals related to the challenges facing cities. Goal 11 seeks tomake cities and other human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient andsustainable. Among other things, the targets for 2030 address accessto affordable housing; safe, affordable and sustainable transportsystems; open green and public spaces; good water quality and cleanand renewable energy. They also focus on protecting of cultural andnatural heritage and fostering balanced economic, social, cultural andenvironmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas bystrengthening national and regional development planning.

Metropolitan planning in

support of sustainable

communities

10. If metropolitan areas are well planned and developed, e.g. throughintegrated planning and management approaches, they can helppromote local, regional and national communities that areeconomically, socially, culturally and environmentally viable.

Holistic approach 11. In this regard, we need to take a holistic approach to metropolitandevelopment and human settlements that provides for affordablehousing, social services and infrastructure and prioritizes slumupgrading and urban regeneration.

Therefore:

Promoting sustainable

metropolitan

development policies

Responding effectively

to growth

12. We undertake to promote sustainable development policies thatsupport inclusive housing, social services, cultural heritage and asafe and healthy living environment for all (particularly children,youth, women, the elderly and the disabled), green spaces, clean airand water, a wide range of employment opportunities as well asaffordable and sustainable transportation and energy policies.

13. We recognize the importance of increasing the number ofmetropolitan areas that implement policies for sustainable urbanplanning and development in order to meet effectively the expectedgrowth of urban populations in the coming decades.

Sustainable mobility 14. We recognize that transportation and mobility are central to thesustainable development of metropolitan areas. Sustainable mobilitycan enhance economic growth, improve accessibility, stimulaterevitalization and foster better economic integration while respectingthe environment. Therefore, we must work to facilitate the freemovement of people and goods, along with access toenvironmentally sound, safe and affordable transportationinfrastructure with a view to improving social equity, health, cityresilience, urban-rural linkages and productivity of rural areas.Furthermore, we must promote active transportation that helpsreduce contributes to reducing congestion and increase communitywell-being.


5

Compact and mixed-

use development15. We recognize that compact and mixed-use cities foster sustainable

urban development, notably by creating jobs, reducing infrastructurespending, increasing equity in access to public services, improvingair quality and reducing congestion.

Waste management 16. We support the sustainable and cooperative management of wastethrough the application of the “3 Rs” (reduce, reuse and recycle) inorder to meet spatial, technical, and economic waste managementchallenges.

Disaster risk

Climate change

17. We recognize the importance of integrating natural and man-madedisaster risk reduction in metropolitan planning and management, inorder to increase community resilience to such events.

18. We recognize the key role of metropolitan areas in the fight againstclimate change and in policies put in place to adapt to the impacts ofglobal warming and to embark on the road to a low carbon urbandevelopment.

Rural/urban balance 19. We recognize the role of metropolitan areas in achieving a balancebetween urban and rural regions and in promoting equitabledevelopment.

Eradicating poverty 20. We undertake to work towards improving the quality of humansettlements, including living and working conditions with a view toeradicating poverty so that all people have access to basic services,housing and mobility.

Conserving biodiversity,

and natural, cultural

and landscape heritage

Promoting diversity and

creativity

21. We recognize the important role that biodiversity and natural,cultural and landscape heritage play on the identity of humansettlements as well as the need to protect,, to rehabilitate and topromote them.

22. We recognize the importance of diversity and are committed toproviding resources and opportunities for the development ofcreativity

Integrated planning

approach23. We undertake to promote an integrated approach to planning and

building sustainable cities and metropolitan areas, e.g. by supportinglocal, regional and metropolitan authorities, increasing publicawareness and enhancing the participation of urban residents,including the poor, in decision-making through the use ofcollaborative processes accessible to the whole community and thecontribution of academia.


6

Citizen participation

Involving multiple

stakeholders

24. We recognize the importance of citizen participation in the decision-making process that leads to investment choices and in urban andmetropolitan planning as well as the contribution of public andinstitutional spaces of participation to foster a commonunderstanding of local and metropolitan issues.

25. We recognize that urban and metropolitan planning benefits fromthe involvement of multiple stakeholders, as well as from the full useof sex-disaggregated data on demographic trends, incomedistribution, etc.

The right to the city26. We recognize the importance of placing the right to the city for all in

the center of metropolitan policies, to combine citizen participationwith the right to education, health, housing and work, and therecognition and respect of differences in order to promotecohabitation, conviviality, a strong metropolitan identity and a strongsense of belonging

Role of municipalities

and national

governments

27. We recognize the important role of municipalities and higher-levelsgovernments, within their jurisdictional boundaries, in setting out acoherent vision for implementing metropolitan areas.

Metropolitan

cooperation through

partnerships

28. We recognize that partnerships among cities, communities andnational governments play an important role in promotingsustainable metropolitan development. In this regard, we underscorethe need to strengthen existing cooperation mechanisms andplatforms, such as partnership arrangements and other tools thatadvance coordinated implementation of metropolitan cooperation, inaccordance with the Habitat Agenda. This will be achieved with theactive involvement of all United Nations partners and with theoverall aim of achieving sustainable urban development and abalance between urban and rural regions.

Suitable financing 29. We recognize the importance of promoting financing suited to the

challenges of metropolitan areas, encouraging better sharing of

available resources between local communities and other levels of

government and, in view of our limited resources, improving

management efficiency.

Implementing metropolitan mechanisms

Metropolitan areas

contributing to Goal 1130. The Habitat II Declaration recognized local authorities as key

partners for sustainable urbanization. Therefore, the New UrbanAgenda to be discussed at Habitat III must reiterate the importanceof decentralizing powers to local authorities and now take intoaccount metropolitan areas and the mechanisms required to meetmetropolitan challenges.


7

Metropolitan

governance and

cooperation

31. Amid increasing urbanization, metropolitan cooperation may help toaddress issues extending over local boundaries in several strategicareas with a view to ensuring the competitiveness and attractivenessof the entire metropolitan area, in keeping with sustainabledevelopment principles.

Metropolitan governance requires a clear legal and institutional

framework, based on principles of democracy, respect for local

autonomy and subsidiarity. This framework must be provided with

appropriate funding, which involves coordination mechanisms and

sectorial policies (infrastructure, economic development,

environmental, social and cultural policies). Cooperation at the

metropolitan level should be based on the representation of all

citizens and stakeholders.

This framework and cooperation would facilitate the construction

and operation of public transit, reduce disparities in public service

provision, help manage urban growth, facilitate land use coordination

with transportation projects and protect and enhance natural assets.

Metropolitan policy and

resource distribution

Metropolitan financing

32. Therefore, metropolitan policy must become the cornerstone ofinternational and national macroeconomic policy since metropolitanareas are the drivers of innovation and productivity worldwide.Metropolitan areas can also produce and distribute resources so asto foster better livelihoods for urban and rural residents alike.

33. To achieve the full potential of the planning process, metropolitanfinancing mechanisms must also be implemented, particularly fortransportation, social housing and other related amenities.

New partnerships 34. National governments, together with local, regional and metropolitanofficials, must develop cooperation mechanisms to meet theurbanization and sustainable development challenges they face.Such partnerships may include metropolitan governancemechanisms aimed at reinforcing metropolitan managementcapacity, managing sustainable urban growth, coordinating land useand transportation projects, strengthening the control of land andtenure, promoting economic development, supporting social andcultural diversity, fighting against social exclusion, fosteringresilience to disasters and protecting and enhancing naturalenvironment and heritage , for example. This will entail higher levelsof democracy, public participation and decentralization policies.


8

Effective leadership for

metropolitan prosperity35. The success of metropolitan areas depends on effective public,

private and civic leadership. Local, regional and metropolitaninstitutions, together with elected officials from cities and nationalgovernments, must be committed to coordinated action andembrace a shared vision aimed at accommodating divergingviewpoints. A strong framework is required to support urban areasand concerted action is needed from all levels of government.

A new multilevel metropolitancooperation partnership

Metropolitan

cooperation36. The Montréal Thematic Meeting on Metropolitan Areas recognizes

the importance of increasing the number of metropolitan areas thatimplement policies for sustainable urban planning and developmentin order to meet effectively the expected growth of urbanpopulations in the coming decades. Sustainable urban planningbenefits from the involvement of multiple stakeholders. Metropolitancooperation plays an important role in setting out a vision forsustainable urban regions, from the very outset of the metropolitanplanning process through to the revitalization of older cities andneighbourhoods, e.g. by adopting energy efficiency programs forbuilding management and developing sustainable and locallyappropriate transportation systems. We further recognize theimportance of mixed-use planning and of encouraging non-motorized mobility, e.g. by promoting pedestrian and cyclinginfrastructure.

Statement for the New

Urban Agenda37. The Montréal Thematic Meeting on Metropolitan Areas proposes

that the following statement be included in the New Urban Agendato be adopted at the Habitat III Conference in Quito in 2016:

Shared vision and

multi-level

collaboration

38. The Montréal Thematic Meeting on Metropolitan Areas recognizesthat, to meet challenges and opportunities of global urbanization, alllevels of government will have to share a common vision in order toestablish coherent strategies aimed at improving the quality of life inurban and rural areas.

Relationship with all

levels of government39. If we are to meet these many challenges, we must step up our

relationships with all levels of government. This is a necessitybecause economic, social, cultural and environmental developmentis governed by interdependent public policies. Metropolitan areasthus require concerted action from all levels of government.


9

Comprehensive

partnership agreements 40. The Montréal Thematic Meeting on Metropolitan Areas recognizesthat multi-level metropolitan cooperation partnerships (MMCPs)should be implemented to promote the benefits of metropolitancooperation. MMCPs are intended to improve the standard of livingand quality of life of metropolitan residents. They also aim to:

a) Role of metropolitan

areas

Recognize the role of metropolitan areas in the sustainableeconomic, social, cultural and environmental development ofurban areas and countries.

b) Importance of

business, labour and

community stakeholders

Recognize the importance of business, labour and communitystakeholders, particularly from the education, social, culturaland environmental sectors, as partners in implementingMMCPs.

c) Effective metropolitan

governance

Local democracy and

international cooperation

Implement effective metropolitan governance structures,mechanisms and arrangements aimed at facilitating theadoption of successful policies that meet the challenges ofsustainable urbanization and at monitoring theirimplementation.

These multi-stakeholder partnerships should be based on principlesof local democracy that focus on citizen participation, access toinformation, transparency and accountability. They must also be partof a commitment to international cooperation between metropolitanareas to ensure better sharing of expertise, to promote socialinnovation and access to new technology, to strengthen theirmanagement capacity and to increase solidarity.

Follow-up, monitoring and research

Follow-up committee

and international

observatory for the

advancement of

metropolitan

cooperation

41. Following the Montréal Thematic Meeting on Metropolitan Areas itis recommended that a committee, consisting of representativesfrom all levels of government and civil society, be created to follow-up and monitor the progress of this declaration. Moreover, thiscommittee would be mandated to assess the opportunity of settingup an international observatory and a technological platform forinformation exchange and for the advancement and promotion ofmetropolitan cooperation to support the implementation ofsustainable metropolitan development policies that meet effectivelythe expected growth of urban populations in the coming decades.The committee will report its findings to the Habitat III Secretariat.


10

FOSTERING METROPOLITAN COOPERATION FOR SUSTAINABLE...

Documents

Transcript of FOSTERING METROPOLITAN COOPERATION FOR SUSTAINABLE...