United Nations observes October 31 (2020) as World Cities Day
--
#UN; #WorldCitiesDay; #EconomicalValue; #InnovationValue; #EnvironmentalValue
United Nations, Nov 1 (Canadian-Media): The observance of World Cities Day on 31st of October was designated by the United Nations General Assembly by its resolution 68/239, UN reports said.
Expected to greatly promote the international community’s interest in global urbanization, the day with its 2020 Theme: Valuing Our Communities and Cities pushes forward cooperation among countries in meeting opportunities and addressing challenges of urbanization, and contributing to sustainable urban development around the world.
People who live in cities are just as willing to help strangers as people who live in small towns.
Urbanization provides the potential for new forms of social inclusion, including greater equality, access to services and new opportunities, and engagement and mobilization that reflects the diversity of cities, countries, and the globe. Yet too often this is not the shape of urban development. Inequality and exclusion abound, often at rates greater than the national average, at the expense of sustainable development that delivers for all.
“When urban communities are engaged in policy and decision making and empowered with financial resources, the results are more inclusive and durable. Let’s put our communities at the heart of the cities of the future,” said António Guterres.
The impact of COVID-19 has re-shaped urban life around the world. Local communities have played a key role in contributing to keeping people safe and maintaining some economic activities.
Community value encompasses local volunteering and people organizing in their own neighborhoods as well as social movements that challenge poverty, systemic discrimination, and racism. In informal settlements and slums, in particular, communities are making a significant contribution while individual households in urban areas are providing an enabling environment for work and study in the home.
UN-Habitat’s latest World Cities Report reinforces the benefits of cities that engage all stakeholders, including local communities to foster sustainable cities. The Secretary-General has identified cities…
