UNESCO Report Says Culture Makes Cities Safer and Stronger
newsdepo.com
The UNESCO makes a strong case for systematically fostering culture in city planning in its new “Global Report, Culture: Urban Future,” launched on October 18 at the Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III
UNESCO Report Says Culture Makes Cities Safer and Stronger
The UNESCO makes a strong case for systematically fostering culture in city planning in its new “Global Report, Culture: Urban Future,” launched on October 18 at the Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) in Quito, Ecuador.The report complements the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which aims to ensure “inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable human settlements and cities” around the globe.“The world is projected to have 41 mega cities by 2030, each home to at least 10 million people. Massive and rapid urbanization can often exacerbate challenges for cities creating more slums and poor access to public spaces as well as having a negative impact on the environment. This process often leads to a rise in unemployment, social inequality, discrimination and violence,” an official UNESCO statement explains. According to the report’s findings, the best measure to prevent such negative effects, is to fully integrate cultural components into urban strategies from the start.In more than 100 case studies, the report analyzes the situations, risks, and potentials for cities in a number of regional contexts, with a particular interest also in Africa and Asia, where urbanization is expected to continue increasing rapidly in the next decades.“Culture lies at the heart of urban renewal and innovation. This Report provides a wealth of insights and concrete evidence showing the power of culture as a strategic asset for creating cities that are more inclusive, creative and sustainable,’’ Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO noted in a statement, stressing that “culture gives cities social and economic power,” especially with the help of the creative industries.As an example, the report refers to Shanghai, China, which has held the status of a UNESCO Creative City of Design since 2010, and is considered “one of the world’s major creative centers, with more than 7.4% of residents employed in the creative industries.”Cities in conflict and post-conflict situations, such as Samarra, Iraq, which was confronted with the destruction of a number of invaluable sites such as the Al-Askari Shrine in 2006, are also taken into consideration and seem to benefit similarly. “Reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts have demonstrated the ability of culture to restore social cohesion between communities and improve livelihoods, paving the way for dialogue and reconciliation,” the authors explain.The Report identifies three prerequisites for culturally diverse, safe, and thriving cities: that people-centered cities are culture-centered spaces; that quality urban environments are shaped by culture, and that sustainable cities need integrated policy-making that builds on culture.To reach these goals, the report makes 12 recommendations, listed in full length below:· Enhance the liveability of cities and safeguard their identities· Ensure social inclusion in cities through culture· Promote creativity and innovation in urban development through culture· Build on culture for dialogue and peace-building initiatives· Foster human scale and mixed-use cities by drawing on lessons learnt from urban conservation practices· Promote a liveable built and natural environment· Enhance the quality of public spaces through culture· Improve urban resilience through culture-based solutions· Regenerate cities and rural-urban linkages by integrating culture at the core of urban planning· Build on culture as a sustainable resource for inclusive economic and social development· Promote participatory processes through culture and enhance the role of communities in local governance· Develop innovative and sustainable financial models for cultureTo read more about the UNESCO recommendations click here. To view the full “Global Report, Culture: Urban Future”, click here. Find out more about the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals here. Read more
