Photo by Jesus Kiteque on Unsplash
The COVID-19 crisis introduced new challenges to the already complex urban management tasks. Faced with the emergence of the virus and the lock-down measures, local and regional authorities are looking for solutions to, among other challenges, meet the pressing needs of the most vulnerable communities, ensure a safe return to social and economic life, protect the culture sector and address rising unemployment, poverty and inequality.
UCLG, in its role as a binder of local and regional governments, have stimulated the debate to leverage the collective power of its network to share ideas, resources and knowledge.
As a continuity of the platform #Beyondtheoutbreak Knowledge hub, new debates have taken place this year to translate the first responses to the crisis to structural solutions to urban challenges.
#CitiesAreListening Experiences gather all these exchanges in a coherent window of dialogue, collective knowledge and participation.
GlobalCAD is supporting UCLG in creating a knowledge platform to publish and organize the outcomes of these sessions. The #CitiesAreListening Experiences Knowledge Hub will systematize the main conclusions and present actionable takeaways from 20 debates celebrated so far.
The platform makes accessible and presents the main lessons learned and resources that have been shared by hundreds of participants during the sessions.
The result will be a powerful source of information and knowledge available to decision-makers, professionals and citizens, with a coherent and engaging narrative that allows these sessions to be revived.
These sessions explore issues such as the future of tourism, the access to public space and how to develop healthy cities, the relationship between culture and sustainable development, and the relationship between climate change and our food systems.
The #CitiesAreListening Experience marks the way towards the implementation of the UCLG Decalogue for the COVID-19 aftermath, inspired by the lessons learned during the outbreak and local and regional leaders’ visions of the future.
They also contribute to a far-reaching Pact that deepens the democratic processes and contributes to the transformation of cities and territories.
The Pact for the Future of Humanity will include a set of necessary actions that political and social key actors will take to ensure the future of the next generations.
