The European Urban Agenda in Light of Habitat III and the 2030 Agenda

The Habitat III Agenda, adopted in Quito during the conference that took place in October 2016, establishes a new common framework that must guide European urban policies at different levels of governance. This implies, first of all, that the European institutions must guarantee the adaptation of the Pact of Amsterdam, the European Urban Agenda adopted in May 2016 as a contribution to Habitat III, to the new Agenda. At the same time, both should be framed in the process of localisation of the 2030 Agenda to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This includes the SDG11 “Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”, which is directly linked to the Urban Agenda. But, in addition, the 2030 Agenda as a whole must be translated into policies that reach all citizens to ensure that no one is left behind. This process, called the SDGs’ localisation, is an effort to coordinate and complement the different levels of government and an alignment of the agendas in the implementation of urban development policies.  

This seminar aims to analyse and debate the challenges for European urban development posed by the new framework of international commitments.  

First of all, this session will analyse how the results of the Habitat III Agenda affect the commitments of the Pact of Amsterdam. At the same time, it will see how they are related to the 2030 Agenda regarding its implementation within the EU and how they can contribute to the achievement of the global goals.  

Secondly, speakers will discuss the consequences of the New Urban Agenda for the framework of multi-level governance in Europe and for the implementation of the SDGs localisation process. They will identify policies and best practices for sustainable urban development and its adaptation to the 2030 Agenda. Among these, participatory tools and mechanisms for diagnosis, planning, monitoring and accountability for the Urban Agenda will be identified at different levels of government, including the local level. 

In addition, the seminar is intended to raise awareness among civil society and institutional actors about the challenges of the New Urban Agenda for Sustainable Development and its contribution to the 2030 Agenda.