How could cities be planned and managed to contribute to sustainable development goals? Fred Lee

1. How could cities be planned and managed to contribute to sustainable development goals? Fred Lee Department of Geography The University of Hong Kong March 15, 2012

4. How Cities Help Achieve SD Goals? • Why focus on cities in SD discourse? ~ policies aimed at achieving SD: - greatest leverage at city-level [why?] * rich countries: most people live in cities * production/ consumption: mostly in cities * high urban densities  savings (materials & energy) * local govts: immediately accountable to constituents

5. How Cities Help Achieve SD Goals? • How cities could help achieve SD goals? ~ meet human needs in cities without depleting environmental capital AND ~ improve environmental quality in cities AND ~ reduce transfer of environmental costs: - to other people - to other ecosystems - into the future

6. How Cities Help Achieve SD Goals? • Cities: five environmental actions  SD goals 1. control infectious diseases 2. reduce chemical & physical hazards 3. create a high quality city environment for all 4. minimize transfer of env costs to people/ ecosystems outside city boundary 5. ensure progress toward “sustainable consumption” of world’s natural capital

7. How Cities Help Achieve SD Goals? • Action 1: Control infectious diseases ~ mis-management of public health  diseases - emerging diseases - re-emerging diseases - why emerging and re-emerging diseases? ~ cities: advantages for control of infectious diseases - concentration of people  lower unit costs - concentration of expertise & resources

8. How Cities Help Achieve SD Goals? • Action 2: Reduce chemical & physical hazards ~ industrial production  + road traffic  hazards - home: control indoor air pollution - workplace: control occupational hazards - neighbourhood: reduce risk from floods & landslides - urban: traffic management

9. How Cities Help Achieve SD Goals? • Action 3: Build a high quality city environment ~ provide facilities  pleasant & safe environment - sufficient: on per capita basis - accessible: for all city dwellers - responsive: diverse needs & priorities ~ institutional barriers - middle- & upper-income groups * purchase/ rent: exclusive access to env provisions * reduced pressure for public action

10. How Cities Help Achieve SD Goals? • Action 4: Minimize transfer of env costs to city-region ~ demand for resources & waste generation in cities  impact on ecology of city-region - sewers & drains improve city environment * impact of wastewater on wider region  - tall smokestacks: transfer env costs of power stations * acid rain damages on region’s ecosystems 

11. How Cities Help Achieve SD Goals? • Action 5: Sustainable consumption: global natural capital ~ important distinction between Action 4 & Action 5  Action 5: beyond city-region & into the future ~ consumption  in wealthy cities: consequences? - imports: transfer env costs outside city-regions - GHGs: transfer env costs into the future ~ a North-South issue [why?] - concentration of high consumption HHs in North - much greater historic contribution by North

12. How Cities Help Achieve SD Goals? • Constraints on environmental actions ~ Actions 1, 2 & 3: - whose responsibility? - who oppose such actions? - prospect?

13. How Cities Help Achieve SD Goals? • Constraints on environmental actions ~ Action 4: - whose responsibility? - who oppose such an action? - “environmental racism” - institutional constraints - prospect?

14. How Cities Help Achieve SD Goals? • Constraints on environmental actions ~ Action 5: - whose responsibility? - “green consumerism”/ “eco-labelling” - “fair trade”/ “ethical sourcing” - who oppose such an action? - prospect?

15. How Cities Help Achieve SD Goals?

16. How Cities Help Achieve SD Goals? • How cities could help achieve SD goals? ~ meet human needs in cities without depleting environmental capital AND ~ improve environmental quality in cities AND ~ reduce transfer of environmental costs: - to other people - to other ecosystems - into the future