13 May 2022
As we approach the thirtieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family (1994), to be observed in 2024, the Division for Inclusive Social Development of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DISD/UNDESA) has been exploring megatrends, including changes in technology, migration and urbanization, as well as demographic shifts and climate change, to analyse their impacts on families and recommend responsive, family-oriented policies. Sustainable urbanization with affordable housing, featured in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11, is foundational to family formation and family life, impacting the health and well-being of family members. In this context, the 2022 observance of the International Day of Families on 15 May focuses on urbanization and aims to raise awareness of the importance of making cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable for families.
Challenges
According to the UNDESA report World Urbanization Prospects: The 2018 Revision, half of the global population now lives in urban areas. By 2050, two thirds of the worlds people will be city dwellers. The movement of people into urban areas has been driven by better employment and education prospects as well as cultural and entertainment opportunities. Yet, rapid, unsustainable urbanization has often resulted in growing urban poverty disproportionately affecting families and children. At the extreme, an estimated 300 million of the global population of slum dwellers are children. Education, food and health services are often unaffordable and inaccessible to families, particularly for those living in poverty or with elderly family members or those with disabilities; most are employed in the informal economy without social safety nets. Notwithstanding efforts at the local and national levels, affordable housing is rapidly becoming less accessible to low-and-middle income families. Globally, an estimated 70 per cent of households live with precarious tenure. In fact, housing itself has become a commodity rather than a human right.
Solutions, Including UN Action and Highlighting the Role of DISD
This year’s International Day of Families observance reminds us to come together and focus on sustainable urbanization so that families can afford decent housing and enjoy public spaces where all generations can interact. Wouldn’t a family perspective help in designing cities for residents of all ages and providing for their needs? And families do need access to adequate housing, clean drinking water, sanitation, pollution-free living environments, public transportation, health, education, culture, safety, and green and public spaces.
The United Nations system supports sustainable urban development that benefits families worldwide. The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitiat) is working towards a better urban future. Its mission is to promote socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements development and the achievement of adequate shelter for all. The United Nations System-Wide Strategy on Sustainable Urban Development seeks to assist Member States in investing in sustainable urban development in order to realize the 2030 Agenda through collaborative implementation of the New Urban Agenda, an action-oriented document that mobilizes Member States and other stakeholders to drive sustainable urban development at the local level. It envisages cities and human settlements that are participatory, promote civic engagement, and prioritizes green and quality public spaces that are friendly to families and foster social cohesion.
For its part, DISD supports the New Urban Agenda and advocates for including an intergenerational perspective in designing family-friendly cities. Children and youth need secure urban environments to go to school safely and access safe playgrounds and recreation opportunities, including sports facilities. All generations, including older persons and young people, as well as persons with disabilities and families with children, need accessible means of transportation and mobility. New intergenerational approaches to urban planning have been gaining ground, with city planners, backed by local communities, design intergenerational sites, including schools and retirement homes built in close proximity of each other, so that generations can interact and feel part of a larger community.
We also emphasize the importance of grass-roots efforts, especially locally sustainable initiatives. In this case, participatory budgeting is key, which would allow city dwellers to vote for projects that improve urban living, such as the construction of playgrounds, public libraries and public utility infrastructure. It is encouraging that, so far, 96 cities have used participatory planning methodologies and have collected spatial data to increase social cohesion between migrant, displaced and host communities.
The Division that I lead supports research and offers policy recommendations in support of the New Urban Agenda. On this year’s observance of the International Day of Families, we will launch a background paper titled “Migration, Urbanization, and the Family Dimension”, which will offer a family perspective on urbanization along with policy recommendations. The paper argues that families should be at the centre of housing policies. Long-term solutions to the crisis of affordable housing for families should focus on increasing affordable housing opportunities for low-income families, revitalization of distressed neighbourhoods and promotion of job growth.
DISD also supports civil societal initiatives, such as the Venice Declaration on Inclusive Cities for Sustainable Families, which is aimed at mobilizing local projects and calls for, inter alia, developing intergenerational living arrangements with shared services and addressing the needs of those in vulnerable situations, including single-parent, large and migrant families. The signatories committed to submitting a monitoring report with information on progress in the implementation of the Declaration. Since the launch of the project in 2018, 86 cities and 42 regions and territories have joined in.
Conclusion
Sustainable, inclusive and green recovery is the way forward from the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The United Nations, through its New Urban Agenda, envisions cities with green and quality public spaces that are friendly to families and enhance social and intergenerational interactions. Families as defined by indigenous communities, and the impact of urbanization on their lifestyle and their lands, are topics to which DISD pays special attention. The Division will continue its support for this broad vision of the United Nations system and will continue to raise the awareness of the public and policymakers so that they do not lose sight of the needs of families and people of all generations in sustainable urban development. In observance of the International Day of Families, we call for action to make cities more livable, green and sustainable for all generations. To that end, we also call for long-term private-public partnerships to invest in affordable housing, infrastructure and public green spaces for all urban families around the world.
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