With COVID 19: the need for revisiting the concept of sustainable cities has been escalated to a necessity
In the current global sanitary crisis, cities bear the burden of the tragedy caused by COVID-19.
How to ensure a better urban future for all? That is the question at the core of New Urban Agenda aligned with Sustainable Goals for Development (SDGs) (mostly Goal 11).
In the aftermath of the 10th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF10), Daniel Biau, former Deputy Executive Director of UN-Habitat was interviewed* by the President of “Urbanists without Borders” and Founder of Global Urban-Think Tank, Maggie Cazal, regarding the evolution of ideas on urbanization challenges. The “Urban Gourou” as Daniel is also known gave his views on the outcome of WUF10, on the need to revisit the concept of sustainable cities, to be pragmatic vis-à-vis the adaptation to climate change and the improvement of slums, on the limited impact of new towns and smart cities and on the priorities required to urban finance and infrastructure development in Africa. DB has been kind to share with us the attached links to his interview, in the two UN working languages, that we are pleased to publish for further knowledge sharing and dissemination.
*The Editor notes that – by the time of this interview, COVID 19 was still limited to its originating territory of Wuhan, China.
English : http://www.urbanistes.info/towards-sustainable-african-cities/
French : http://www.urbanistes.info/vers-des-villes-africaines-durables
*Editor: Alckany,
Email: Ackany@gmail.com