What Makes a Sustainable City?

A discussion with government leaders about how to support cities in becoming more socially, environmentally, and fiscally sustainable.

With most of the global population and capital goods nowconcentrated in urban areas, cities are key to social development and economic prosperity. Urbanization, globalization, and climate change are interacting in a way that is unprecedented, and urban service delivery systems are becoming increasingly interlinked. This session explores the challenges and innovative approaches across multiple dimensions of sustainability at the city level – economic, environmental and social – and how they contribute to shared prosperity.

The session will illustrate opportunities offered by cities in terms of access to jobs, services, overall economic gains, and overall positive impacts on the environment. It will also explore the significant challenges and trade-offs that policy makers face in ensuring that these gains are socially inclusive, resilient, and that they are achieved in an environmentally sustainable manner.