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Habitat III Policy Unit IV

Urban Governance, Capacity and Institutional Development  

LSE Cities co-led jointly with UCLG a group of twenty global experts as part of the preparatory process for the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III).

In 2015 and early 2016, LSE Cities co-led jointly with UCLG a group of twenty global experts as part of the preparatory process for the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III), which took place in Quito, Ecuador, from 17–20 October 2016. A draft policy paper framework was produced in December 2015, before the publication of the final policy paper in March 2016 by the Habitat III Secretariat. The policy paper is now an official UN General Assembly document.

As a co-leading organisation of Policy Unit 4, LSE Cities was responsible for coordinating and presenting the final outcome of the expert group’s deliberations on the challenges, policy priorities and critical issues for the implementation of a renewed political commitment to sustainable urban development: the New Urban Agenda.

Since the Habitat II Conference in 1996, the wider context of urban development has changed considerably and many urban challenges have become more pronounced and evident. The globalisation of economies and value systems, population growth and rapid urbanisation, the threat of climate change and environmental degradation, increasing inequalities, global migration, global health risks and the impact of new technologies have all been reshaping the challenges facing the governance of cities and their societies.

Incorporating the feedback of UN member states and accredited stakeholders on the draft policy paper, Policy Unit 4’s final document begins by arguing that a new urban governance must be based on aspirations for the right to the city, sustainable development and territorial equity. Based on these, the paper outlines its key recommendations. These include the creation of strong multi-level governance frameworks, strengthening of decentralisation processes, promotion of integrated national urban and territorial policies, reinforcing metropolitan governance, promoting a new culture of participation and equity, strengthening capacity-building for urban governance, and enabling digital era governance.

Download the policy paper here.

Project Team

Project co-lead
Philipp Rode (LSE Cities) Emilia Saiz (UCLG)

Project coordinator
Catarina Heeckt (LSE Cities)

LSE Cities staff
Nuno Ferreira da Cruz
Harry Blain

Policy Unit IV experts
Quazi Baby (Bangladesh)
Augusto Barrera (Ecuador)
Ilaria Boniburini (Italy)
Flemming Borreskov (Denmark)
Aliye Celik (Turkey/USA)
Teo Chee Hai (Malaysia)
Doaa El-Sherif (Egypt)
Pablo Cesar Fuentes (Chile)
Martin Grisel (The Netherlands)
Corinne Hermant-de Callatay (Belgium)
Peter Herrle (Germany)
Alcinda Honwana (Mozambique)
Irina Ilina (Russia)
Soo-Jin Kim (France)
Taibat Lawanson (Nigeria) 
Pascal Moloi (South Africa)
Juan Felipe Pinilla (Colombia)
Wicaksonon Sarosa (Indonesia)
Relinda Sosa (Peru)
Luis Aguilar Villanueva (Mexico)

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Project co-lead
Philipp Rode (LSE Cities) Emilia Saiz (UCLG)
 
Project coordinator
Catarina Heeckt (LSE Cities)
 
LSE Cities staff
Nuno Ferreira da Cruz
Harry Blain
 
Co-leading organisation
United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)
 
Policy Unit 4 experts
Quazi Baby (Bangladesh), Augusto Barrera (Ecuador), Ilaria Boniburini (Italy), Flemming Borreskov (Denmark), Aliye Celik (Turkey/USA), Teo Chee Hai (Malaysia), Doaa El-Sherif (Egypt) Pablo Cesar Fuentes (Chile), Martin Grisel (The Netherlands), Corinne Hermant-de Callatay (Belgium), Peter Herrle (Germany), Alcinda Honwana (Mozambique), Irina Ilina (Russia), Soo-Jin Kim (France), Taibat Lawanson (Nigeria) Pascal Moloi (South Africa), Juan Felipe Pinilla (Colombia), Wicaksonon Sarosa (Indonesia), Relinda Sosa (Peru), Luis Aguilar Villanueva (Mexico)
 
Research strand
Urban Governance
 
Duration
2015 - 2016