To meet SDG 11’s call to create cities that are inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, policymakers need to grapple with problems related to increasing inequality, discrimination, resident physical and mental well-being, the impacts of climate change, as well as the provision of infrastructure, public services and decent work – all of which are also core components of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Against this backdrop, the role of migration has been acknowledged as fundamental: in its internal and international guises, it is radically transforming cities worldwide. Likewise, urbanization is compromising the socioeconomic fabric of cities, including the health and well-being of their citizens. UNESCO is working together with national and local governments, civil society, and the research community to develop policies, research initiatives and operational projects – from rejuvenating public space through sport to exploring large-scale rural-urban migration – that will build inclusive, healthy, and resilient cities, free from all forms of discrimination. Cities are coming to represent an ever-greater share of human experience, but if we do not understand them, we cannot make them work.
Publications
- Cities Welcoming Refugees and Migrants
- Migration, free movement and regional Integration
- The Power of Sport Values