development can play such a ‘care-taker’ role, in urban contexts marked by the kinds of inequalities sketched out earlier, has proven critical. Successful examples highlight the importance of local, regional and even international peer-to-peer networks (such as WIEGO or Slum Dwellers International), along with the role of critical progressive alliances (for example, the Global Platform for the Right to the City), in supporting the functioning of more equitable transition governance mechanisms.
2.5 Conclusion
While many of the challenges and barriers described in this chapter are not new, they take on new urgency in light of growing urbanization, combined with the vulnerabilities and inequalities associated with intensifying environmental and climate crises. This chapter has brought attention to factors that tend to lock a majority of cities in to environmentally unsustainable and unequal urbanisation paths. Many of these factors have become embedded over time and have exacerbated the unsustainable trends described in section 2.2 and further elaborated in chapter 3. Placing cities on environmentally sustainable and just transformation trajectories will require addressing deeply embedded power relations, as well as growth-oriented and extractive economic systems that underpin much of current ‘business as usual’ urban planning practices. It will also mean overcoming what are often fragmented, under-resourced, under-capacitated, and exclusive governance systems.
The challenge is daunting, but breaking up these lock- ins and barriers is still possible. Urban decision makers remain at the forefront of addressing the world’s most complex and interconnected challenges. Many – both inside and outside the (local) state – are making ambitious pledges to address the intertwined challenges of equity, environmental sustainability and the unmet basic needs of urban communities; and taking steps to make it happen. Cities, their networks, urban communities and innovators at the forefront of this trend are inspiring many more to follow in their footsteps. Their commitments and actions show the
formidable potential of urban transformations and provide examples of key practices with the potential to disrupt business-as-usual scenarios and catalyse new pathways for transformative urban action, outlined in chapter 5.
This chapter has highlighted three key governance strategies that have helped catalyze transformative change towards more sustainable and equitable futures: (1) expanding the breadth of city stakeholders involved in decision-making in a more meaningful and effective way; (2) building stronger coalitions and partnerships within and beyond cities; (3) consolidating those changes in institutions and fostering an enabling policy environment for long-term, widespread and lasting change. Chapter 5 elaborates on diverse pathways and strategies for disrupting the status quo and shifting cities towards key environmental sustainability and equity objectives: building net zero, circular, resilient, inclusive and just cities.
Transformation at the necessary scale while maintaining these positive gains requires leadership. This leadership – which needs to come from civil society, business and all levels of government – needs to be nurtured, enabled and supported within cities by city leaders such as mayors. It also requires the support and resources provided by enabling national policies, fiscal allocations, the private sector and the international community at large. Access to finance for cities, and city networks, most urgently needs to be addressed at global level by all role players, notably development banks, global funding mechanism and bilateral and multilateral partnerships. Existing initiatives that enable cities to leapfrog technologies and learn, inspire, commit, act and report together towards meeting national and international goals, ambitions and targets towards sustainability, need to be supported, strengthened and embraced by the international community. As part of these processes, national governments have a critical role to play in supporting a wide range of environmental sustainability and just transformation initiatives, especially by addressing gaps in finance, clarifying local and subnational mandates and full committing to multilevel governance.
Urban Dynamics for Environmental Action
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