Towards the Greener Cities: A Joint Partnership of UNEP and UN-Habitat

Greener Cities Partnership (GCP) is a joint initiative of UNEP and UN-Habitat that makes a clear consensual reference framework in association with sustainability. The main purpose of this approach is the integration of the environmental considerations and urban policies that shapes the cities as the dominant form of human habitation. The 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and the New Urban Agenda for sustainable urban development can direct and conduct this path. This collaboration emphasizes on a broad range of stakeholders in terms of dialogue and engagement on the priorities in different spatial scales. Resiliency and resource efficiency, low-carbon and non-motorized transport and mobility, and integrated solid waste and waste water management are three appropriate principal dimensions considered through the innovative capacity building and ecosystem-based adaptation approaches in reference to the cities and urban environments. Moreover, focus on a wider green vision for cities including not only environmental but also economic, social, ethical, and political factors, causes the connection of the GCP with the City Prosperity Initiative (CPI). The City Prosperity is a comprehensive multidimensional index that consists of six key factors associated with the city and urban settlements, including productivity, infrastructure, quality of life, equity and social inclusion, environmental sustainability, and governance and legislation. Accordingly, broad framework for monitoring and guiding the urban developments in reference to the sustainability can be established that is adaptive to the contextual and local conditions, issues, and dynamics.

Keywords:

Sustainability , Sustainable Urban Development , Urban Environment , Greener Cities Partnership (GCP) , City Prosperity Initiative (CPI)