World Urban Campaign has released a manifesto, entitled "The City we Need 2.0: Towards a New Urban Paradigm", which aims to guide sustainable development across the globe. It has been prepared using the contributions of more than 7,500 people representing 113 countries and 2,251 organisations.
"How we plan, build and manage our cities today will determine the outcome of our efforts to achieve a sustainable and harmonious development tomorrow" the document states. "Well-planned cities allow all residents the opportunity to have safe, healthy and productive lives. Well-designed cities present nations with major opportunities to promote social inclusion, resilience and prosperity."
The manifesto presents 10 principles to achieve a "new urban paradigm" in response to key challenges and lessons learned from past and current trends. Those things to avoid include poor planning, unsustainable pressure on natural supporting systems, irresponsible land use and construction and loss of urban identity.
However, the city we need can be guided by the principles outlined in the manifesto. These principles outline that the "city we need":
The report goes on to list key drivers of change, stating that "Urban planning and design are cornerstones of The City We Need".
Environment is considered as another key driver - "all producers and users of the city need to find ways to protect and foster the restoration of natural systems from which they draw resources." Amongst the environmental considerations is the need for water security, the implementation of zero waste and green construction and planning.
The City We Need 2.0 manifesto will be presented at the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development in Ecuador in October 2016.
