|
|
|
Working with eight ambassador cities
across the world – representatives from Barcelona, Belfast,
Colima, Houston, Milano, Montreal, Ramallah and Tbilisi, have
committed to bring visibility and financing options to play-based
solutions as part of the partnership with R-Cities and the Real Play
Coalition. To kick off this
effort, we want to hear from you! Help us to
understand the opportunities and barriers to play in your community
by completing our survey here.
Data and responses from the survey will help us structure the agenda
for future knowledge exchanges, as well as add context to our Pledge
for Play to be launched in early 2022.
|
|
|
ANNOUNCING: A
new Community of Learning and Practice accelerating sustainable
business models to foster urban resilience in Latin America
The Community aims to inspire innovative solutions
through learnings and exchanges on how entrepreneurship can address
social, environmental, and economic resilience challenges.
Participating cities – Quito, Mexico City, Salvador, Buenos Aires,
and Cordoba-, are advancing resilience by creatively solving
their pressing urban issues. Cities, entrepreneurs, and
private sector partners are committed to strengthening sustainable
investments and business practices. This initiative is part of the
Regional Initiative for Resilient Cities, in partnership with Avina
Foundation and IDB-Lab, with the support of Citi Foundation. Learn
more about this initiative here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
David Groisman, Director of
Resilience and General Director of Strategic Management with the City
of Buenos Aires and R-Cities Global Steering Committee member
recently shared five lessons learned from the development of the
city’s climate change strategy. These ideas are useful for any public
policy maker who is today involved in addressing climate change in an
urban context. Like always, when investing in urban resilience,
taking action on climate in cities represents an opportunity to not
only offset the city's environmental footprint, but also to
invest in a better quality of life for all. Review the five lessons
shared and full article here.
|
|
|
|
|
A cross-sector coalition of local
councils, academics, infrastructure bodies, and the NHS recently
published a Climate Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan
for the Glasgow City Region. The report estimates that an increase in
extreme weather events could mean up to 100,000 homes and 18,700
businesses are at risk of flooding by 2080. The plan identifies
11 priority issues that require immediate investment and planning to
protect and prepare Glasgow’s under capitalized communities.
Solutions include specific around land use proposals, early warning
systems, adapting critical infrastructure including homes and
workplaces, habitat restoration, and prioritizing social justice.
Access the full report here.
|
|
Events Accelerating Urban Resilience
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cities on the
Frontline: Building Effective Food Systems for Cities
According to
a 2019 Lloyd’s Register Foundation World Risk Poll, over half of
the world’s population, 60% worldwide, say they are worried about the
food they eat. During our most recent Cities on the Frontline Speaker
Series event Dr. Gayatri Acharya, World Bank and Dr. Steven
Jaffee, University of Maryland, outlined from their new book,
"Rich Food, Smart City” that urban food system performance
matters - and what is more, there is a business case for action.
Cities must do more to address food systems in order to fully realize
related city aspirations, as well as because the performance of urban
food systems is often tied to the delivery of food on a national
scale. However, food is often a missing ingredient in the many
dialogues on sustainable or smart cities – we must work to better
address this shortcoming. Watch the full session here.
|
|
|
|
|
As part of the Making Cities
Resilient 2030 (MCRC 2030) event series, R-Cities joined partners
with the Ocean Conservancy, Diponegoro University, and University of
Georgia to discuss the application of specific tools associated with
the Urban Ocean Program. Presentations during the event provided insights
into the various methodologies applied in cities to address the
interrelated challenges of urban development and ocean plastic waste
using a resilience lens. Specifically, speakers addressed the
application of Circularity Assessment protocol (CAP) tool, as well as
findings from participant cities engaged in the program through
case studies including Semarang, Indonesia where stakeholders have
demonstrated success applying both the CAP and Opportunity
Assessment Tool. Watch the full session here.
|
|
|
|
|
R-Cities Executive Director, Lauren
Sorkin, joined the event marking the official launch of the Cities
Race to Resilience. The Cities Race to Resilience is the official
track for cities to join the UNFCCC Climate Champions Race to
Resilience campaign which launched in January 2021. Several city
networks and organizations are working together through this effort
to raise the profile of urban resilience action. Global city
partners, in addition to R-Cities, include C40 Cities, the Global
Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy, ICLEI – Local
Governments for Sustainability, United Cities and Local Governments,
CDP, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, World Resources
Institute, and Making Cities Resilient 2030. Learn more here.
|
|
|
|
|
In this
article, Dana Omran, Global Director of Strategy & Regional
Director of Africa, R-Cities and Dr. Nazmul Huq, ICLEI argue that if
countries and cities design their economic recovery plans wisely,
they can tackle the pandemic and climate crises in tandem. However,
“green” recovery plans often leave out the key element of building
resilience from an integrated and inclusive perspective. Building
resilience is about recognizing uncertainties, shocks and stresses
are interconnected, and solutions have to be as well. As cities
recover from COVID-19, smart and green investments and policies on
resilience can create multiple benefits: helping cities boost their
economies and create jobs; improving equity and reducing poverty; and
preparing communities for inevitable climate and health threats.
|
|
|
|
|
Jane Gilbert, former Chief
Resilience Officer, City of Miami is the City's newly announce
interim Chief Heat Officer. Jane is very aware and vocal of the
disparities in the way urban heat impacts communities. In this
article, R-Cities Regional Director for North America, Laurian
Farrell, points out that a shift in attitude is taking place in many
cities around the world in the wake of the pandemic. The spread of
COVID-19 in lower-income neighborhoods, where people couldn’t afford
to take time off work to isolate, or where housing was overcrowded or
hygiene infrastructure lacking, showed local governments that at
times of crisis, their failure to invest in the most vulnerable can
put the entire city at risk.
|
|
|
|
|
Even as Indonesia confronts the
significant near-term challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jakarta
and other municipalities should also leverage the opportunity for
reassessment and reinvention as part of longer time moves toward
greater resilience. This point was echoed by R-Cities Executive
Director Lauren Sorkin, "Municipalities must foster more
effective multi-sectoral conversations to generate responsive and
inclusive urban infrastructure investments. This will help create
more resilient cities, bringing together intellectual and financial
capital to revitalize local economies ravaged by the pandemic."
|
|
|
Resilient Cities Network (R-Cities)
carries on the foundational work of 100 Resilient Cities. If you
are interested in receiving more information about our city-led,
regionally-driven, and impact-focused initiatives driving action
around the world, subscribe, follow us on
social media, or share
as deemed appropriate here:
|
|
|
|
|
|
