SPECIAL FEATURE
Urban population (% of total population), 1960–2023
companies, taking into account the specific and very diverse features of the territory.” That focus on how climate change affects urban housing is particularly important. According to UN-Habitat, the United Nations program for human settlements and sustainable development, cities need up to US$5.4 trillion annually for climate resilient infrastructure. To put this into perspective: “In 2021-2022, cities only secured US$831 billion per year for climate action,” a UN-Habitat report noted. Richard Bellingham, Director of the University of Strathclyde’s Institute for Future Cities in Scotland, said that urban sustainability needs to be socially and economically acceptable. In addition to sustainable housing, ensuring adequate healthcare, jobs and safety is critical, he argued. “How are they going to deliver? By doing what citizens care about,” he said. A century of progress It has been nearly 100 years since the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair where the House of Tomorrow was presented. UNIDO’s “Bridge for Cities” conference presented a video of what the urban landscape might look like in the future: Glittering, impossibly high high-rises, skyscrapers overflowing with greenery, technology blending with everyday life and e-mobile transportation offering greater connection. One hundred years from now, that vision may be as quaintly anachronistic as the House of Tomorrow’s octagonal glass walls and “iceless” refrigerators. Yet one thing is unlikely to change: The homes and cities of the next century will need to be sustainably built, climate friendly and safe and enjoyable places for the people who live there.
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
Source: United Nations Population Division
0
Western Africa
World
Botswana
cities that are able to tackle today’s challenges, in particular climate change.” He outlined his country’s three-point plan, which includes implementing an overarching urban planning scheme across dozens of regional capitals, while creating building and construction rules to ensure compliance. “The third component is facilitating access to housing and accommodation which is essential, above all, in countries where you have some 30-40 percent of the population living below the poverty threshold,” Koné said. In countries around the world, the price of housing compared to income has been steadily increasing. For large cities housing affordability is often the main policy challenge, with zoning changes, rent control, housing vouchers and tax credits being some of the tools leaders can use to address the issue. Needless to say, there are many side benefits that come from getting people into better places to live. According to a 2017 study in the journal Lancet Planet Health , an innovative new home design using modern building materials reduced the number of mosquitoes indoors, which reduced the instances (and spread) of malaria. Built to last Cities need to contend with many problems and climate change has only added to the complexities. “Our country is particularly vulnerable to extreme climate events, which is why
we need to take urgent measures in order to protect our population and our environment,” said Panama’s Deputy Minister of Territorial Planning Frank Osorio Abadía at the conference. “We are grappling with pressing challenges such as rising housing costs, water scarcity, growing urban inequality, the effects of climate change and inadequate transport infrastructure.” Like Côte d’Ivoire, Panama is implementing policies promoting land use planning and access to housing. Minister Abadía added that a holistic approach to urban planning and sustainable infrastructure can stimulate private investment. “We have set up contacts with a number of private sector
“We need to take urgent measures to protect our population and our environment.” Frank Osorio Abadía, Deputy Minister of Territorial Planning, Panama
17
Photo: MIVIOT, Panama
Powered by FlippingBook