Urbanization and Cities: Trends of a New Global Force

The year 2020 marks a turning point in the global battle for sustainable development, with cities once again at the centre as home to a growing majority of the world’s population. On the one hand, the world is entering the Decade of Action, the ten-year period during which national and local governments, the private sector and civil society must accelerate their efforts to deliver on the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for accelerating sustainable solutions to the world’s biggest challenges—ranging from poverty and genderbased discrimination to climate change, inequality and closing the finance gap. By 2030, countless local actions, the vast majority taken in cities or by city leaders, must collectively add up to a global shift toward a more sustainable future that reduces poverty, improves health outcomes, expands access to education and reduces carbon emissions, among other societal challenges.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Good Health and Well-Being

Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Sustainable Cities and Communities