21
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
D. B. Abraham, S. D. Iyer (eds.), Promoting the Sustainable Development Goals in North American
Cities, Sustainable Development Goals Series, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59173-1_3
Los Angeles: Measuring Its
Ambition to Achieve the SDGs
Tony Pipa
3.1
Introduction
On February 15, 2018, in a speech at Occidental
College, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced in a
public speech that the city of Los Angeles would
pursue achievement of the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs).
Mayor Garcetti’s pronouncement was unusual
for several reasons. The SDGs, a set of 17 ambitious
goals to end poverty and promote equity, strengthen
peace and security, and enhance environmental sustainability, were agreed by countries at the United
Nations as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development.
1
While the agreement is voluntary,
with no legal force of compliance, the expectation
of leadership and accountability clearly rests with
the federal government. Los Angeles city government has no specially designated role and was not
party to the agreement.
One of the goals, SDG 11, focuses on the
importance of cities to sustainable development, committing to “make cities and human
settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.” The targets from this goal include
adequate and affordable housing, accessible
1 Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development, A/Res/70/1, UNGAOR, 70th
Session (2015)
transportation,
participatory
planning,
improved resilience against catastrophe, protection of cultural heritage, and reduction in
environmental impact of cities. The main intent
of this goal is to focus the attention of national
governments on the implications of urbanization and the importance of managing it well in
order to achieve sustainable development. It
also provides the basis for a discourse between
the different levels of government in managing
that growth sustainably.
Mayor Garcetti’s vision for Los Angeles,
however, extends beyond the dimensions outlined in SDG 11. It commits Los Angeles to
implementing the SDG agenda in total and places
the city in the central role of protagonist – prioritizing, managing, and measuring the social, economic, and environmental progress its leadership
can deliver for its neighborhoods and citizens.
The targets and metrics of the SDGs agreed
upon at the UN are set at the national level.
Applying them to Los Angeles thus requires
adaptation and judgment. The time frame –
achievement of the goals is to occur by 2030 –
extends beyond the electoral cycle. The Los
Angeles commitment could extend through the
tenure of three more mayors.
2
Mayor Garcetti’s commitment placed Los
Angeles in rare company nationally. Such a pub2 Mayor Garcetti is term-limited to two terms and started
serving his second 4-year term in 2017.
T. Pipa (*)
Brookings Institution, Washington, DC, USA
e-mail: TPipa@brookings.edu
3
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
D. B. Abraham, S. D. Iyer (eds.), Promoting the Sustainable Development Goals in North American
Cities, Sustainable Development Goals Series, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59173-1_3
Los Angeles: Measuring Its
Ambition to Achieve the SDGs
Tony Pipa
3.1
Introduction
On February 15, 2018, in a speech at Occidental
College, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced in a
public speech that the city of Los Angeles would
pursue achievement of the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs).
Mayor Garcetti’s pronouncement was unusual
for several reasons. The SDGs, a set of 17 ambitious
goals to end poverty and promote equity, strengthen
peace and security, and enhance environmental sustainability, were agreed by countries at the United
Nations as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development.
1
While the agreement is voluntary,
with no legal force of compliance, the expectation
of leadership and accountability clearly rests with
the federal government. Los Angeles city government has no specially designated role and was not
party to the agreement.
One of the goals, SDG 11, focuses on the
importance of cities to sustainable development, committing to “make cities and human
settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.” The targets from this goal include
adequate and affordable housing, accessible
1 Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development, A/Res/70/1, UNGAOR, 70th
Session (2015)
transportation,
participatory
planning,
improved resilience against catastrophe, protection of cultural heritage, and reduction in
environmental impact of cities. The main intent
of this goal is to focus the attention of national
governments on the implications of urbanization and the importance of managing it well in
order to achieve sustainable development. It
also provides the basis for a discourse between
the different levels of government in managing
that growth sustainably.
Mayor Garcetti’s vision for Los Angeles,
however, extends beyond the dimensions outlined in SDG 11. It commits Los Angeles to
implementing the SDG agenda in total and places
the city in the central role of protagonist – prioritizing, managing, and measuring the social, economic, and environmental progress its leadership
can deliver for its neighborhoods and citizens.
The targets and metrics of the SDGs agreed
upon at the UN are set at the national level.
Applying them to Los Angeles thus requires
adaptation and judgment. The time frame –
achievement of the goals is to occur by 2030 –
extends beyond the electoral cycle. The Los
Angeles commitment could extend through the
tenure of three more mayors.
2
Mayor Garcetti’s commitment placed Los
Angeles in rare company nationally. Such a pub2 Mayor Garcetti is term-limited to two terms and started
serving his second 4-year term in 2017.
T. Pipa (*)
Brookings Institution, Washington, DC, USA
e-mail: TPipa@brookings.edu
3