At this event, the programme associated with the Call to action on sustainable urbanisation in the Commonwealth was launched, under the leadership of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the Commonwealth Association of Architects, the Commonwealth Association of Planners, and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum, with support from The Prince’s Foundation and the Rwandan Ministry of Infrastructure.
This was the concluding event in the programme and was hosted jointly by the Association of Commonwealth Universities, Commonwealth Association of Architects, Commonwealth Association of Planners and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum, with support from the Government of Rwanda and The Prince’s Foundation. It provided an opportunity to review the key issues emerging from the series and explored how to leverage the Commonwealth and its networks to enable and support sustainable urbanisation.
Chair: Dr Greg Munro, Secretary-General, Commonwealth Local Government Forum
Panellists:
- Mayor Mr Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol City Council, UK
- Dr Nancy Odendaal, School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics, University of Cape Town, South Africa
- Aromar Revi, Director, Indian Institute of Human Settlements
This was followed by a Q&A, and the panel was joined by the following panellists:
- Olafiyin Taiwo, Convenor, Commonwealth Association of Planners, Young Planners Network
- Samantha Cohen CVO, CEO Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council
- Prof Eris Schoburgh, Professor of Public Policy and Management and the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Jamaica
Closing panellists:
- HE Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director of UN Habitat
- Hon Prof Shyaka Anastase, Minister of Local Government, Rwanda
- HE Rt Hon Patricia Scotland, Commonwealth Secretary-General
The event attracted over 348 attendees from 59 countries, with approximately 39 attending via the Vimeo livestream.
Key messages
- Dealing with rapid urbanisation is a central issue for many Commonwealth countries
- Effective planning is essential in preparing for and responding to rapid urbanisation
- City led and empowered leadership with support for decentralisation is key
- The COVID-19 pandemic has brought localisation to the fore
- Aligning with the SDGs and climate responses is key for sustainable urbanisation
- Sustainable urbanisation responses must be fully inclusive
- Local economic development drives local sustainability
- Infrastructure development must support community resilience
- Sustainable urbanisation affects us all, large or small
- The Commonwealth has a pivotal role to play
