The New Urban Agenda was adopted in October 2016 to align global standards for people-centred urban development and contribute to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. The EU has already delivered on three voluntary commitments. Now, the EU and its member states have pledged three new commitments, announced the European Commission following a high-level meeting on the implementation of the agenda.
Within the first of its three new commitments, the EU will significantly scale up its engagement on integrated sustainable urban development in EU partner countries, including enhancing access to finance, according to the statement. This falls within the framework of the European Green Deal, and will seek greater coordination, scale and impacts.
Secondly, the EU will support 100 European cities to “act as hubs of experimentation and innovation for green, digital and inclusive transformations”, writes the European Commission. In turn, these cities will serve as models for cities worldwide through initiatives such as the Global Covenant of Mayors. Lastly, with the New European Bauhaus, the EU plans to inspire green transformation through the design of sustainable spaces for all.
At the same time, the EU and its Member States have renewed their three existing commitments for which activities are ongoing. These encompass delivering on a renewed Urban Agenda for the EU; promoting the use of the so-called Degree of Urbanisation to aggregate subnational urban data; and extending the International Urban and Regional Cooperation Programme, which supports cooperation between cities and regions globally.
