3
Locally focused – Local achievements in sustainable development and the SDGs require support, action, and coordination from
communities and local governments. In this
respect, cities are critical centers of sustainable change due to their population density
and economic needs and output. For this reason, piloting the agenda in cities like Baltimore
will not only provide benefits to the community, but the bottom-up approach can also
inform national-level policy, and it will serve
as an example for other cities around the world
that seek ways to participate in the SDG
initiative.
5
1.3
Why the SDGs Are Useful
for Cities
“Cities are where the battle for sustainable development will be won or lost”.
6
This is a salient
point, as the SDGs have come into effect in a
world that is increasingly urban. A little over half
the global population currently resides in cities,
and by 2050 this statistic is expected to grow to
two-thirds of the global population.
7
Urbanization
has created some of the world’s most complex
development challenges. This trend of urbanization, however, also yields the opportunity to create high-impact solutions, as a result of the
agglomeration of people and business activity.
The imperative for innovation and change is
spurring wide interest and investment in twentyfirst- century urban development.
Mayors and local leaders who are tasked with
the responsibility to manage and improve the
5 “Getting Started with the Sustainable Development
Goals – A Guide for Stakeholders,” (New York: SDSN,
2016), 10–11. Available at: http://unsdsn.org/wp-content/
uploads/2015/12/151211-getting-started-guide-FINALPDF-.pdf
6 High Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015
Development Agenda, 2013. http://www.post2015hlp.
org/the-report/
7 UNDESA, “World Urbanization Prospects-The 2014
Revision,” United Nations, New York, 2014. Available at:
https://esa.un.org/unpd/wup/Publications/Files/
WUP2014-Highlights.pdf
quality of life in urban environments recognize
that the SDGs provide a road map for balanced
and equitable urban development.
8
Additionally,
the quest to build sustainable cities that advance
global progress is putting mayors and local government leaders at the forefront of change. This
trajectory is triggering broad interest and investment in urban development. The SDGs provide a
set of integrated objectives that comprise a more
complete and sustainable vision of urban development, which provides equal living and working opportunities to all inhabitants, to promote
healthy living environments and resilience
against the array of everyday challenges and risks
that we face today. As UN Secretary General Ban
Ki Moon described it, the SDGs are a “people’s
agenda.” Utilizing the SDG framework therefore
helps to show responsivity to what local residents
want, the world over.
1.4
How This Volume Is
Organized
Chapters 1, 2 and 3 of the book describes the
uptake and performance of the SDGs in three US
cities. Baltimore had been among the first cities
to attempt the exercise at a time when very little
was known about the global Goals among local
leadership and multi-sector civil society stakeholders involved in sustainable development. Dr.
Seema Iyer describes how leveraging the expertise of the local community indicators project
(Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance)
helped fill in gaps in measures of equity and justice and how the SDGs remained relevant during
the city’s update to the Sustainability Plan in
2019. In contrast, the next case from Los Angeles
demonstrates that even with strong leadership
from Mayor Garcetti, alignment with the global
goals can only happen alongside internal alignment of agencies, policies, and data. Tony Pipa
8 “Getting Started with the Sustainable Development
Goals – A Guide for Stakeholders,” (New York: SDSN,
2016), 10–11. Available at: http://unsdsn.org/wp-content/
uploads/2015/12/151211-getting-started-guide-FINALPDF-.pdf
1 Introduction: Localizing SDGs and Empowering Cities and Communities in North Americ…
Locally focused – Local achievements in sustainable development and the SDGs require support, action, and coordination from
communities and local governments. In this
respect, cities are critical centers of sustainable change due to their population density
and economic needs and output. For this reason, piloting the agenda in cities like Baltimore
will not only provide benefits to the community, but the bottom-up approach can also
inform national-level policy, and it will serve
as an example for other cities around the world
that seek ways to participate in the SDG
initiative.
5
1.3
Why the SDGs Are Useful
for Cities
“Cities are where the battle for sustainable development will be won or lost”.
6
This is a salient
point, as the SDGs have come into effect in a
world that is increasingly urban. A little over half
the global population currently resides in cities,
and by 2050 this statistic is expected to grow to
two-thirds of the global population.
7
Urbanization
has created some of the world’s most complex
development challenges. This trend of urbanization, however, also yields the opportunity to create high-impact solutions, as a result of the
agglomeration of people and business activity.
The imperative for innovation and change is
spurring wide interest and investment in twentyfirst- century urban development.
Mayors and local leaders who are tasked with
the responsibility to manage and improve the
5 “Getting Started with the Sustainable Development
Goals – A Guide for Stakeholders,” (New York: SDSN,
2016), 10–11. Available at: http://unsdsn.org/wp-content/
uploads/2015/12/151211-getting-started-guide-FINALPDF-.pdf
6 High Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015
Development Agenda, 2013. http://www.post2015hlp.
org/the-report/
7 UNDESA, “World Urbanization Prospects-The 2014
Revision,” United Nations, New York, 2014. Available at:
https://esa.un.org/unpd/wup/Publications/Files/
WUP2014-Highlights.pdf
quality of life in urban environments recognize
that the SDGs provide a road map for balanced
and equitable urban development.
8
Additionally,
the quest to build sustainable cities that advance
global progress is putting mayors and local government leaders at the forefront of change. This
trajectory is triggering broad interest and investment in urban development. The SDGs provide a
set of integrated objectives that comprise a more
complete and sustainable vision of urban development, which provides equal living and working opportunities to all inhabitants, to promote
healthy living environments and resilience
against the array of everyday challenges and risks
that we face today. As UN Secretary General Ban
Ki Moon described it, the SDGs are a “people’s
agenda.” Utilizing the SDG framework therefore
helps to show responsivity to what local residents
want, the world over.
1.4
How This Volume Is
Organized
Chapters 1, 2 and 3 of the book describes the
uptake and performance of the SDGs in three US
cities. Baltimore had been among the first cities
to attempt the exercise at a time when very little
was known about the global Goals among local
leadership and multi-sector civil society stakeholders involved in sustainable development. Dr.
Seema Iyer describes how leveraging the expertise of the local community indicators project
(Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance)
helped fill in gaps in measures of equity and justice and how the SDGs remained relevant during
the city’s update to the Sustainability Plan in
2019. In contrast, the next case from Los Angeles
demonstrates that even with strong leadership
from Mayor Garcetti, alignment with the global
goals can only happen alongside internal alignment of agencies, policies, and data. Tony Pipa
8 “Getting Started with the Sustainable Development
Goals – A Guide for Stakeholders,” (New York: SDSN,
2016), 10–11. Available at: http://unsdsn.org/wp-content/
uploads/2015/12/151211-getting-started-guide-FINALPDF-.pdf
1 Introduction: Localizing SDGs and Empowering Cities and Communities in North Americ…