SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 11 is made up of 7 targets and three means of implementation that focus on making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
According to the UN, the world is becoming increasingly urbanized. Today, more than half of the global population lives in urban areas, this is up from one-third in 1950 and is expected to reach around two-thirds by 2050.
I wanted to share some absolutely crazy stats from the blog Morphocode about urbanization just to show you how incredibly important it is for us to get urbanization right:
Urban centres currently occupy less than 5% of the world’s landmass but yet account for around 70% of both global energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
The number of mega-cities has nearly tripled since 1990.
Continuing population growth and urbanization are projected to add 2.5 billion people to the world’s urban population by 2050.
Just three countries — India, China and Nigeria – together are expected to account for 37 per cent of the projected growth of the world’s urban population between 2014 and 2050. India is projected to add 404 million urban dwellers, China 292 million and Nigeria 212 million.
The expected increase in urban land cover during the first three decades of the 21st century will be greater than the cumulative urban expansion in all of human history.
Target 11.1
By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums
What it means
To understand this target, we must understand what exactly adequate housing entails. For housing to be adequate, it must have four walls and a roof, and at a minimum, meet the following criteria :
Have legal security of tenure, which guarantees legal protection against forced evictions, harassment and other threats;
Have basic availability of services, materials, facilities and infrastructure, including safe drinking water, adequate sanitation, energy for cooking, heating, lighting, food storage or refuse disposal;
Be affordable meaning that its cost does not threaten or compromise the occupants’ enjoyment of other human rights;
Be habitable and guarantee physical safety, provide adequate space, and give protection against the cold, damp, heat, rain, wind, other threats to health and structural hazards;
Be accessible, meaning it considers the specific needs of disadvantaged and marginalized groups such as the poor, people facing discrimination; persons with disabilities, victims of natural disasters;
Have a suitable location and not be cut off from employment opportunities, health-care services, schools, childcare centres and other social facilities, or if located in dangerous or polluted sites or in immediate proximity to pollution sources; and
Provide cultural adequacy, and respects and takes into account the expression of cultural identity and ways of life. (UN Habitat)
The agreed definition of a ‘slum household’ is one in which the inhabitants suffer one or more of the following ‘household deprivations’: lack of access to improved water source or sanitation facilities, see my SDG 6 for more detail on the, lack of sufficient living area, lack of housing durability, and lack of security of tenure. By extension, a ‘slum dweller’ is a person living in a household that lacks any of the above attributes. Informal settlements are synonymous with slums but with more of a focus on the status of land, structure and services - for example, lack of tenure, being cut off from basic services, or not complying with current planning and building regulations. Slums form for a variety of reasons: rapid urbanization; ineffective planning; lack of affordable housing options for low-income households; dysfunctional urban, land and housing policies; a dearth of housing finance; and poverty.
This target is measured by an indicator on the proportion of the urban population living in slums, informal settlements or inadequate housing.
Where we are currently
In 2020, about one in four urban dwellers lived in slums or informal settlements. This translates into more than 1 billion people, 85 percent of whom live in three regions – Central and Southern Asia (359 million), Eastern and South-Eastern Asia (306 million), and subSaharan Africa (230 million). (UN Stats)
The number of people living in slums has been rising every year. In 2000, 894 million lived in slums in 2020 the number was 1.05 billion. However, this is the absolute number and as the population has been growing as well the proportion actually has been decreasing in many countries. (Statista) So a bit of a mix on the progress front.
Target 11.2
By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons
What it means
Public transport is a fundamental service as it plays key roles in economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability within cities. How cities are built and spatially organized is key to reaping urban productivity benefits and increase efficient use of resources. In addition, strong public transport systems have the potential to reduce traffic congestion and noise and air pollution. (UN Stats)
This target is measured be the proportion of population that has convenient access to public transport, by sex, age and persons with disabilities. Convenient access is defined as being within a walking distance if a stop for low-capacity public transportation (for example busses) is within 500 m from a reference point such as a home, school, work place, market, etc. and/or a stop for a high-capacity system (such as rail, metro, ferry) is within 1 km.
Where we are currently
According to 2020 data from 1,510 cities around the world, only about 37 percent of urban areas are served by public transport and are within convenient reach of a public transport stop. If we look at population, the numbers are a bit stronger. 52% of the world population has convenient access to public transport, but this varies widely depending on which part of the world you are in. For example, in Sub-Saharan Africa only 30.7% of the population has access to transport whereas Europe and North America that number is nearly triple, with 90.6% having access. (UN Stats)
Target 11.3
By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries.
What it means
This target ultimately boils down to enhancing sustainable and participatory urbanization. It is measured by two indicators, the first of which is the ratio of land consumption rate to population growth rate. This assesses if cities are developing appropriately for their population growth, which includes births vs. deaths as well as migration to the urban area being assessed. The second indicator is the proportion of cities with a direct participation structure of civil society in urban planning and management that operate regularly and democratically. I will quickly break down the keywords within that definition. Direct means engaging in decision-making without intermediaries. Regular means participation every six months. And Democratically refers to equal representation of all members of the community with equal rights for participation and voting.
Where we are currently
When it comes to the land consumption rate to population growth rate ration. On average, all the sub-regions other than Sub-Saharan Africa and Eastern and South-Eastern Asia recorded a consistent increase in the built-up area per capita, with Australia and New Zealand recording the highest values. However, even though there is a decrease in Subsaharan Africa and South-Easter Asia, they still score higher overall than Central and Southern Asia, Western Asia and Northern Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean. (UN Stats)
On direct, regular, and democratic participation, recent data collected in 143 cities worldwide provides a preliminary understanding of the extent to which cities engage their civil societies in urban planning, urban decision making and evaluation of urban management performance through formal participatory processes. In terms of urban planning, at least 50% of experts indicate that their cities offer structures for civil society participation. However, there is much less participation when it comes to budget decision-making and evaluation of performance, which scored a maximum of 40%. (UN Stats)
Target 11.4
Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage
What it means
This target addresses the need for bigger efforts to protect the world’s cultural and natural heritage. IT is one of the most explicit references to cultural aspects in the 2030 Agenda. It is measured by the total per capita expenditure on the preservation, protection and conservation of all cultural and natural heritage, by source of funding (public, private), type of heritage (cultural, natural) and level of government (national, regional, and local/municipal).
Cultural heritage includes artefacts, monuments, a group of buildings and sites, museums that have a diversity of values including symbolic, historic, artistic, aesthetic, ethnological or anthropological, scientific and social significance. It includes tangible heritage (movable, immobile and underwater), intangible heritage (ICH) embedded into cultural, and natural heritage artefacts, sites or monuments.
Natural heritage refers to natural features, geological and physiographical formations and delineated areas that constitute the habitat of threatened species of animals and plants and natural sites of value from the point of view of science, conservation or natural beauty. It includes private and publicly protected natural areas, zoos, aquaria and botanical gardens, natural habitat, marine ecosystems, sanctuaries and reservoirs. (UN Stats)
Where we are currently
It is a little difficult to know where we stand on this one as only 29 countries have sufficiently robust data.
Target 11.5
By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations.
What it means
This target is pretty self-explanatory, reducing death and damage from disasters is increasingly important as the the number and severity of natural disasters increases due to climate change. In 2015, The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 was adopted in March 2015 by 187 UN Member States and provided formal mechanisms for risk reduction, preparedness and resilience.
This target is measured by three indicators. First, the number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population. Second, the direct economic loss attributed to disasters in relation to global domestic product (GDP). And third, damage to critical infrastructure and the number of disruptions to basic services, attributed to disasters.
I think most of the terms within these indicators are pretty clear - death, missing, economic loss, and damage but there is one term I want to further define and that is “directly affected persons.” This term refers to people who have suffered injury, illness or other health effects; who were evacuated, displaced, relocated or have suffered direct damage to their livelihoods, economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets. (UN Stats)
Where we are currently
Now there are a lot of numbers we can cover to point to how we are doing on disaster risk reduction. Between 2005 and 2015, more than 1.5 billion people were affected by disasters; with women, children, youth and other vulnerable populations disproportionately impacted. From 1990 to 2013, almost 90 per cent of mortality attributed to internationally reported disasters occurred in low and middle-income countries, many of which have seen rapid urban expansion in recent years. Unplanned and rapid urbanization and poor land management, together with non-risk informed policies and investments are major underlying risk drivers of disaster mortality.
In 2017, economic losses attributed to natural hazards were the highest on record, conservatively estimated at $314 billion versus an annual average of $153 billion over the previous decade (UN). Low-income households and small businesses are affected more frequently than middle- and high-income households. This is a result of high exposure to hazards, vulnerable conditions and lower coping capacity. (UN Stats)
To save lives, prevent and reduce losses, and strengthen the resilience of cities, it is essential to promote public and private investments that take disaster risk reduction into consideration. There is some promising progress on this front. In 2021, a total of 98 countries had reported having local governments with disaster risk reduction strategies, an increase from only 51 countries in 2015. (UN Stats)
Target 11.6
By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management
What it means
There are two main dimensions of this target air quality and waste management. Let’s break those down.
Municipal Solid Waste includes waste generated from: households, commerce and trade, small businesses, office buildings and institutions (schools, hospitals, government buildings). It also includes bulky waste (e.g. white goods, old furniture, mattresses) and waste from selected municipal services, e.g. waste from park and garden maintenance, waste from street cleaning services (street sweepings, the content of litter containers, market cleansing waste), if managed as waste. The definition excludes waste from municipal sewage network and treatment, municipal construction and demolition waste. As urbanization increases, the world’s cities and metropolises are struggling to cope with the mounting problem of municipal solid waste. When such waste is not collected and managed responsibly, it can become an incubator for infection and a source of plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Evidence shows that municipal solid waste collection coverage is higher in high-income countries than in middle and low income countries. (UN Habitat)
Air pollution is measured by the mean annual concentration of fine suspended particles of less than 2.5 microns in diameters referred to as PM2.5. Air pollution poses a significant threat to human health worldwide by increasing risk of stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and lower respiratory infections. (UN Stats)
Where we are currently
In 2022, the global average municipal solid waste collection rate in cities is at 82 percent and the global average rate of municipal solid waste management in controlled facilities in cities is at 55 per cent. The municipal solid waste collection rates in sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania are less than 60 per cent. In Asia and in Latin America and the Caribbean, cities have relatively higher collection rates, ranging from 70 to 85 per cent. Global data shows that cities everywhere are making progress in solid waste management; this includes relatively small cities with limited resources. (UN Stats)
Global PM2.5 concentrations have steadily decreased, with an 11 per cent reduction over a decade. Despite this progress, 99 percent of the world’s urban population live in areas that exceed WHO guidelines on air quality. According to data from 2017–2019, which measured three-year annual averages, cities in Central and Southern Asia have the worst air pollution in the world, more than two times the global average. (UN Stats) In 2019, ambient air pollution from traffic, industry, power generation, waste burning and residential fuel combustion resulted in 4.2 million deaths.
Target 11.7
By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities
What it means
Public spaces are defined as all places that are publicly owned or of public use, accessible and enjoyable by all, for free and without a profit motive, categorized into streets, open spaces and public facilities. They are associated with benefits such as enhanced safety and social cohesion, higher equality and improved health and wellbeing. They increase property values, retail activity multiplication and city attractiveness.
This target is measured by two indicators - first, the average share of the built-up area of cities that is open space for public use for all, by sex, age and persons with disabilities and second, the proportion of persons victim of physical or sexual harassment, by sex, age, disability status and place of occurrence, in the previous 12 months.
This second indicator points to the growing violence and feeling of insecurity that city dwellers are facing in many public spaces across the world. This is a major urban challenge. In some countries, crime and violence have been exacerbated by the proliferation of weapons, substance abuse, increasing disparities, and youth unemployment. (UN Habitat)
Where we are currently
For the first indicator, only about 37.8 per cent of urban residential neighbourhoods are conveniently located within 400 metres walking distance to an open public space. That translates to about 45.2 per cent of the urban population having access to open, public space. Data on a sample of 911 cities from 114 countries and territories indicate that the share of urban area allocated to streets and open public spaces averaged only about 16 per cent globally in 2020, well below the allocation recommended by UN-Habitat of 30 per cent for streets and an additional 10 to 15 per cent for open public spaces. (UN Stats)
For the second indicator, global studies show that 60 per cent of all urban residents in developing countries have been victims of crime, at least once over the past five years, 70 percent of them in America and Caribbean region, and Africa. But this is not solely a developing country problem, especially when it comes to women. For example, a 2014 survey conducted by the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency (AFR, 2014) suggested that more than half of women in the European Union had experienced sexual harassment in their lifetime and every fifth woman had been sexually harassed in the preceding 12 months. (UN Habitat)
Means of Implementation
Target 11.A : Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning
Target 11.B : By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, holistic disaster risk management at all levels
Target 11.C : Support least developed countries, including through financial and technical assistance, in building sustainable and resilient buildings utilizing local materials
Keep Learning
Here are a few great resources for further reading and learning:
Goal 11 Overview (2023, United Nations)
SDG Tracker (2023, Our World in Data)
UN-Habitat (2023, United Nations)