The sustainability of Asia-Pacific’s cities will determine the future development pathways for the region and the prospects for shared prosperity for all. Social, environmental, and economic changes are not abstract national issues; they are played out locally in urban areas throughout Asia-Pacific. Actions in cities can lead transitions to a more sustainable future and are key to scaling up implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the region. More strategic approaches to implementation are needed to overcome potential disconnections between short-term planning horizons and long-term environmental change. Cities need to make decisions now about how they want to develop and the means of implementation to do so – how they govern, finance, leverage data and smart technologies, and make planning decisions within the context of competing political, environmental and economic interests locally and regionally. A business-as-usual approach will not enable the transformation required to meet the global agendas. Cities must therefore enhance the effective implementation in the vital thematic areas covered in this consultation.
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in partnership with the United Cities & Local Governments Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC) are providing a space at the 7th UCLG ASPAC Congress for local governments to critically assess and provide knowledge and best practices on innovation which support effective implementation of the SDGs and New Urban Agenda (NUA) across four thematic areas: urban governance and capacity development for resilient cities, municipal finance, smart urban data and technologies, and urban/territorial planning. These four themes are not exhaustive but are based on contemporary interests of urban development stakeholders in Asia-Pacific as some of the key means of implementation towards the SDGs and NUA. By a specific analysis of innovations shared by local governments participating in the Congress on these key means, the consultation aims to provide local government decision-makers and other urban professionals with concrete recommendations of methods to resolve some of the key sustainable development challenges for Asia-Pacific cities.
The consultation will review the practical challenges and future opportunities for local governments in the region, evaluate innovations in effective implementation in the four thematic areas in the region’s cities, and serve as an opportunity for participants to provide examples of case studies and best practices.
The substantial activity during the consultation will be an interactive gallery walk of the four thematic areas populated by innovations in these themes contributed by local governments at the UCLG ASPAC booth over the course of the Congress. There will be a facilitator for each of the four thematic areas and the participants will rotate every 15 minutes to provide inputs into all four thematic areas. Participants will be asked to critically assess, synthesise and comment on the innovations derived from Congress participants, identify convergences and provide additional examples of case studies and innovative practices on post-it notes.
