Please join us on September 20th for a public event focused on Sustainable Development Goal #11 which aims to increase the inclusivity, sustainability, and accessibility of urban and rural areas.
More than half of the global population now lives in urban areas. This figure is projected to increase to 75 percent by 2050, at a growing rate of 65 million urban dwellers annually. The United Nations recognizes the challenge of urbanization and has made it a priority through Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. This SDG seeks to address the world’s growing urban population and related issues such as lack of public transportation and adequate waste disposal systems, access to public spaces, and environmental sustainability of urban infrastructure. SDG #11 provides a framework to better integrate urban and rural areas through stronger national and regional development planning and economic ties. Additionally, one target is to increase technical and financial assistance to less developed countries for resilient infrastructure.
The United States is no exception to the challenges of urbanization, and efforts are under way to make U.S. communities and cities more sustainable and resilient. Many of the lessons learned from international development initiatives abroad could be applied to urban centers in the US. This event will seek to address how U.S. cities should be thinking about the SDGs, what investments are necessary to create successful U.S. cities and communities, and other efforts to support domestic urban populations.