Summary:
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With the help of Urban Pathways, a total of 14 pilot projects in 10 cities have been planned and put into action, from an ecozone in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, to electric mobility systems in Kochi, India, Hanoi, Vietnam, and Quito.
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These projects range from a pedestrian zone to a mobility startup acceleration hub and an energy-efficient tiny house in Nairobi, Kenya (Ecuador). Improvements in walkability, fewer emissions and pollutants, improved road safety, and an increase in economic prospects, among other things, are examples of how these measures have had positive effects.
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The Urban Living Lab Center, which emphasizes the role of cities as testbeds for innovation and supports cities through capacity building, policy advice, pilot project implementation, and the development of bankable projects to scale up the tested solutions, is the culmination of this strategy and was launched in May 2022. With more than 30 participants from German Ministries, City Governments, Civil Society, Research Institutions, and Development Partners, the last workshop took place in Berlin from November 8–9. Andre Dzikus, Chief of the Urban Basic Services Section at UN-Habitat, stated in his introductory remarks that “the vital role of cities as the venue for action on climate change has been underscored during the High-Level Meeting on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda in New York earlier this year.
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The Urban Pathways project shows how cross-border cooperation may be important for helping cities make local climate action plans by using multi-stakeholder processes that lead to successful pilot projects that could be expanded in the future.
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Even though the project is coming to an end, actual scale-up plans have been developed in many of the communities that have already committed to making significant investments in urban infrastructure.
Cities have a number of issues due to the speed and extent of urbanization, including how to keep up with the demand for infrastructure and basic services. A lot of the pollution that causes global warming comes from cities, which are also more likely to be affected by natural disasters and climate change.
The project “Urban Pathways: Supporting Low Carbon Plans for Urban Basic Services in the Context of the New Urban Agenda,” coordinated by UN-Habitat and carried out in collaboration with the Wuppertal Institute and the UN Environment Programme, among other partners, has received funding from the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Government for the past five years.
Working on the Urban Pathways project entails collaborating with nations and cities that are highly motivated and have a favorable policy environment. By concentrating on integrated implementation programs in the areas of mobility, waste management, and energy as well as sector coupling, the initiative helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions. With the help of Urban Pathways, a total of 14 pilot projects in 10 cities have been planned and put into action, from an ecozone in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, to electric mobility systems in Kochi, India, Hanoi, Vietnam, and Quito. These projects range from a pedestrian zone to a mobility startup acceleration hub and an energy-efficient tiny house in Nairobi, Kenya (Ecuador).
Improvements in walkability, fewer emissions and pollutants, improved road safety, and an increase in economic prospects, among other things, are examples of how these measures have had positive effects. For instance, the Luthuli Avenue pedestrian zone in Nairobi saw a 29% increase in pedestrian traffic, with a concentration of women and older people who are now able to use the area easily thanks to increased accessibility, safety, and comfort. In a survey run by partners, a total of 83.3 percent of Nairobi’s respondents said they supported the action. Additionally, a lot of business stakeholders made very good comments, reporting company gains of between 41 and 80 percent.
These pilot projects were created through multi-stakeholder partnerships, or so-called “living labs,” which offered forums for interaction among all the stakeholders, including representatives from the public and private sectors, academia, and civil society. These partnerships allowed for highly participative co-development of solutions for climate action.
The Urban Living Lab Center, which emphasizes the role of cities as testbeds for innovation and supports cities through capacity building, policy advice, pilot project implementation, and the development of bankable projects to scale up the tested solutions, is the culmination of this strategy and was launched in May 2022.
With more than 30 participants from German Ministries, City Governments, Civil Society, Research Institutions, and Development Partners, the last workshop took place in Berlin from November 8–9.
Andre Dzikus, Chief of the Urban Basic Services Section at UN-Habitat, stated in his introductory remarks that “the vital role of cities as the venue for action on climate change has been underscored during the High-Level Meeting on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda in New York earlier this year.”
Cities must take the lead in addressing the climate emergency, according to Ms. Christine Krueger, Head of Section, Urban Development, Infrastructure, and Mobility at the Zukunft, Umwelt, Gesellschaft (ZUG) gGmbH, International Climate Initiative. In light of this, the Urban Pathways Project’s delivery of the combined aims and ambitions of the global agendas, such as the Paris Climate Agreement and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, could not have come at a better time.
The International Climate Initiative (IKIVerena )’s Ommer, a policy officer, stated that “cities constitute an important platform to address climate change concerns across the sectors. In areas like transportation, public green spaces, and the control of water and energy in commercial and residential buildings, they are often good examples of how different sectors can work together.
The Urban Pathways project shows how cross-border cooperation may be important for helping cities make local climate action plans by using multi-stakeholder processes that lead to successful pilot projects that could be expanded in the future. Even though the project is coming to an end, actual scale-up plans have been developed in many of the communities that have already committed to making significant investments in urban infrastructure. Five more ecozones are being planned for Belo Horizonte, and Nairobi is continuing to build out its network of bike and pedestrian paths while getting ready for the Nairobi River Regeneration Initiative, which aims to reclaim the Nairobi River as a shared public good that supports improved urban and environmental performance for a higher quality of life in the city.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN-Habitat.
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Analysis by: Advocacy Unified Network
