NEWS & INSIGHTSOther

WUF Establishes Housing as One of the Priorities of Sustainable Development

The Medellin Metrocable serves the previously inaccessible, under-served hillside slums.
The Medellin Metrocable serves the previously inaccessible, under-served hillside slums.

The 7th World Urban Forum (WUF) came to a successful end this Monday in Medellin, Colombia. Assembled by UN-HABITAT (UN Human Settlements Program), the WUF occurs every two years in a different city. The forum gathers experts from diverse fields to discuss the most pressing issues in cities including- but not limited to- rapid urbanization and its subsequent effect on communities, economies, policies, and climate change.

The location of the 2014 WUF was a noted choice by organizers. Once the world’s murder capital during the height of the Medellin drug cartel in the 1990’s, the capital of Antioquia has made a drastic transformation. Cable cars rise high above the city, allowing people to travel to and from the once inaccessible hillside slums. The streets are safe, the metro is efficient. From the violence-fueled days of the cartel, the city of ‘eternal spring’ has flourished into a vibrant, cosmopolitan city. The ‘Medellin Miracle’ serves as an example of effective community budgeting, urban planning and design. The locale of the WUF is both a celebration of the success story that is Medellin, as well as base camp for discussing this year’s theme: equity in sustainable urban development.

Populations are continuing to urbanize, and ensuring that cities are able to sustain increased demand for resources in development is essential to the health of the city and its people. Rates of urbanization are on the rise, and the demography of cities is rapidly changing. According to the World Bank 53% of the world’s population is urban(1). In OECD countries alone, 80% of that population is urban(ibid). It should be no surprise then that as populations urbanize, cities will be burdened to meet the growing demands of this growth. The people most vulnerable to strained city resources will be the impoverished. From access to clean water and sanitation, to safe housing, cities need to be structured to meet the most basic needs of all people. The Medellin Declaration of the 7th World Urban Forum recognized this in stating, “…we must take action, collectively and individually, to bring the benefits of sustainable development to all” (2). Cities are the stage where we will see the damaging effects of poverty, climate change, and unsustainable energy use, unless we effectively manage their growth.

HABITAT III (UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development)
HABITAT III (UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development)

As outlined by the Medellin Declaration, the World Urban Forum sets the platform for discussion at HABITAT III (UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development). The Declaration addressed the needs of urban populations to make sustainable housing a priority, as well as the equitable and safe access to public services such as healthcare. The Declaration asserts that a new urban agenda must take precedence in the post-2015 development goals to, “Promote sustainable urban development, based on urban planning…the upgrading and prevention of slums; and provision of housing…and access to safe public spaces and services for all” (ibid). We look forward to seeing these developments in housing. There are many challenges that inadequate housing brings to the urban populations and, as a society, we more often than not overlook the importance that housing has on our health. Something that the Medellin Declaration of the World Urban Forum touched upon, but did not explicitly state, is that housing will affect the health of our cities and their populations. We hope these developments will be equitable, sustainable, and for the better health of all.

-Cleo Stern; Communications Officer