C40 Cities, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and the Entrepreneurship, Technology and Innovation Chair of the IAE Paris Sorbonne Business School (Chaire ETI) have launched the Global Observatory of Sustainable Proximities. According to the founding partners, urban development based on proximity – or the idea that citizens should be able to meet essential needs without travelling far – has been proven to promote social, economic and environmental sustainability.
The Observatory, launched during the Second United Nations Habitat Assembly in June, will collect information about local initiatives while supporting and promoting urban proximities. The partners will develop a concept based on official measures and indicators that focus on “ensuring an equitable distribution of all essential social functions of the city, freeing both time from constrained mobility and space from vehicular traffic”. They will also boost international scientific research in related fields.
“This is a pivotal moment in urban planning – the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said that compact cities can help cut urban emissions by around 25 per cent,” commented C40 Executive Director Mark Watts in the statement. “The Observatory will be key to enabling the transformation of global cities, improving quality of life for urban dwellers and reducing emissions.” ce/em
