Goal 11 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is all about safe, resilient and sustainable cities. In this essay, I will identify and map the key actors that have a crucial influence in achieving movement on the Goal. Therefore, I will start in section two with a short introduction to the goal itself and the specific characteristics that determine which actors are relevant for it. In the third section, I will build up a framework based on different literature to identify and map the most important actors for Goal 11. In the following fourth section, I will use these results to take a closer look at four key actors and their possible contributions, before I will end with a conclusion.
Urbanization is one of the most important developments of human civilization in the 21st century. In the middle of the 20th century, 30 % of people lived in the urban centers of the world. Today, more than half of the world's population lives in cities, with an increase of up to 70 % expected by 2050. Cities are the main drivers of local and national economies and hubs of prosperity. More than 80 % of global economic activity is concentrated in cities. The speed and scale of urbanization, however, also pose enormous challenges. Widening income disparities, increasing ambient air pollution and aging infrastructure are only some of the signs that today's cities are struggling to keep pace with the growing number of urban dwellers and their dreams for a prosperous future.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 SDG 11 and its characteristics
3 Mapping of actors
4 Analyses of key actors
Local government
Private financing institutions
Community and neighborhood organizations
Research institutions and universities
5 Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This essay aims to identify and map the key actors crucial for the realization of Sustainable Development Goal 11. It explores the systemic challenges of rapid urbanization and evaluates how different stakeholder groups—ranging from government bodies to local communities—influence the development of safe, resilient, and sustainable cities.
- The role of local governments in urban policy and governance.
- The intersection of private capital and sustainable urban infrastructure.
- The importance of bottom-up citizen participation and local knowledge.
- The contribution of academic and research institutions to urban innovation.
- A framework for stakeholder analysis and interest/influence mapping.
Excerpt from the Book
Local government
Goal 11 aims at developments and certain changes in cities. If one accepts some kind of primacy of politics, which still seems to be the case for most of the world, although it is challenged by other actors, the changes in the city are most likely vastly dependent on policy making for the city. Because of the nature of most political systems, the local government plays a dominant role in shaping the life in the city. Especially in a world scenario where the nation states become less important, which many scholars see to come (Dasgupta, 2018), the cities and their government can fill this gap and become increasingly important even on a global scale. Examples such as the Global Climate Action Summit in September 2018, where non-state actors aimed to address climate change and many cities took a lead (Arroyo 2018) and the initiative of a group of German cities to welcome refugees directly, while the national government is increasingly sealing itself off from migration and the reception of refugees (Deutscher Städtetag, n.d.) show that this trend is already observable.
Local governments are, however, not only very influential in the development of cities, but they also have a high interest in a sustainable development in the sense of the Goal 11, which leads to their key position with a high value on both scales (see figure 2). One prominent example of a local government acting towards Goal 11 is the city of New York’s initiative One New York: The Plan for a Strong and Just City. This comprehensive plan to "become the most resilient, equitable, and sustainable city in the world" (The City of New York, 2018, p. 3) covers all aims of Goal 11 and underpins them with policy changes and detailed indicators.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Provides an overview of Sustainable Development Goal 11 and outlines the structure of the essay regarding actor identification and mapping.
2 SDG 11 and its characteristics: Discusses the global context of rapid urbanization, its associated environmental and social challenges, and the specific requirements of SDG 11.
3 Mapping of actors: Introduces a stakeholder analysis framework to categorize key actors into four groups and evaluates their interest and influence.
4 Analyses of key actors: Examines the specific roles and contributions of local governments, financial institutions, community organizations, and academic institutions in achieving the goal.
5 Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, emphasizing that while cooperation is essential, local governments serve as the primary coordinators for progress towards Goal 11.
Keywords
Sustainable Development Goal 11, Urbanization, Stakeholder Analysis, Local Government, Private Investment, Citizen Participation, Sustainable Cities, Agenda 2030, Urban Policy, Infrastructure, Climate Change, Governance, Social Resilience, Global Sustainability, Actors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The work focuses on identifying and mapping the key actors who possess the necessary influence to drive progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 11, which concerns creating safe, resilient, and sustainable cities.
What are the central themes of the research?
The central themes include the systemic challenges posed by global urbanization, the necessity of multi-stakeholder involvement, and the power dynamics between different actors in the urban development process.
What is the core research objective?
The objective is to establish which stakeholders are most critical for the successful implementation of SDG 11 and to analyze their relative interest and influence in the transformation of urban environments.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The author utilizes a stakeholder analysis framework—adapted from management and development contexts—to map actors on axes of interest and influence, supplemented by an analysis of urban development literature.
What does the main body of the text cover?
The main body identifies four major groups of actors—Government & Authorities, Businesses & Operators, Communities, and Others—and provides a detailed analysis of their specific roles and potential contributions to urban sustainability.
How are the key actors for SDG 11 categorized?
Actors are categorized into four major groups (Government & Authorities, Businesses & Operators, Communities, and Others) and further evaluated based on their top-down or bottom-up action levels.
Why is the local government considered the key actor for SDG 11?
Local governments are identified as key because they hold the primary responsibility for city-level policy making and, according to the author's analysis, occupy a unique position of having both high influence and a high interest in achieving the objectives of Goal 11.
What role does private financing play in the context of this study?
Private financing is considered crucial because of the massive funding gap for urban infrastructure; however, its role is noted as ambivalent since it is primarily driven by return maximization rather than exclusively by SDG-related targets.
How is the "Keyness" of an actor determined in the graph?
The "keyness" is derived from an actor's position on a graph mapping their interest versus their power/influence. The closer an actor is to the top-right corner, the more pivotal they are for the progress of SDG 11.
What is the role of universities in the transition to sustainable cities?
Universities serve a twofold function: they act as centers for technological and theoretical innovation necessary for SDG targets, and they act as hubs for societal interaction that promote new lifestyles and sustainability awareness within their surrounding environments.
- Quote paper
- Simon Valentin (Author), 2018, Who Makes Cities Sustainable?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/491912
