Urban Economy Forum 1 2019 Resolution

October 28th & 29th, 2019

1) We, the participants of the Urban Economy Forum , gathered from 28 to 29 October 2019 in Toronto, Canada , with the participation of subnational and local governments, parliamentarians, UN Habitat, civil society, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, the private sector, professionals and practitioners, the scientific and academic community, the youth, volunteers, students and other relevant stakeholders, to adopt this resolution for enhancing sustainable economic, social and environmental wellbeing in urban areas. 

2) We thank the Federal Government of Canada, Prime Minister of Canada and Lieutenant Governor, the province of Ontario, the city of Toronto and the York University (SDG Global Pioneer Univer-City) for expressing interest in the, providing support, and encouragement during the process, leading up to and during the UEF.

3) We recognize that our work, and the work of many of our partners takes place on traditional Indigenous territories across Ontario and the world.
 
4) We acknowledge that the Urban Economy Forum 2019 met on aboriginal land that has been inhabited by Indigenous People from the beginning. As settlers, we are grateful for the opportunity to meet here and we thank all the generations of people who have taken care of this land; for thousands of years. Long before today, as we gather here, there have been aboriginal peoples who have been the stewards of this place. 

5) We acknowledge Ancestral Traditional Territories of the Ojibway, the Anishnabe and, in particular, the Mississauga’s of the New Credit whose territory we are gathering on today. This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties.” We recognize and deeply appreciate their historic connection to this place. We also recognize the contributions of Métis, Inuit, and other Indigenous peoples have made, both in shaping and strengthening this community in particular, and our province and country as a whole.    

6) We are recommending a four tier approach consisting of academics, city leaders, financial institutions, and urban developers at the international, national and local levels to developing sustainable urban economy and finance models and practices

7) We will develop resilience strategies and find solutions in urban areas regarding environmental challenges and conflicts 

8) We commit ourselves to embracing diversity in cities and human settlements, to strengthening social cohesion, intercultural dialogue and understanding, tolerance, mutual respect, gender equality, innovation, entrepreneurship, inclusion, identity and safety, and the dignity of all people, as well as to fostering livability and a vibrant sustainable urban economy. 

9) Through the establishment of learning and exchange networks: 

a. We will support the establishment of a Regent Park UN Urban Pavilion in Toronto, Canada of urban excellence to show case and facilitate sharing science, research and innovation in urban revitalization, including a focus on social, technological, digital and nature-based innovation, robust science-policy interfaces in urban and territorial planning and policy formulation and institutionalized mechanisms for sharing and exchanging information, knowledge and expertise that is community-collected, high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migration status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant in national, subnational and local contexts; 

b. We will foster the creation, promotion and enhancement of open, user-friendly and participatory data platforms using technological and social tools available to transfer and share knowledge among national, subnational and local governments and relevant stakeholders, including non-state actors and people, to enhance effective urban planning and management, efficiency and transparency through e-governance, approaches assisted by information and communication technologies, and geospatial information management;

c. Creation of an international World Mayoral Pavilion;

d. Creating an interactive global network of city leaders, urban development organizations, academia, financial institutions, and civil society; 

e. Developing collaboration with transnational partners and partnerships within UN Habitat and other UN agencies

f. Engaging with Parliamentarians at all levels including transnational partners

10) We will have an open access to scientific and research repository related to the urban economy and support the preparation of UN-Habitat’s World Cities Report, Urban Economy Global Reports and other major reports dealing with urban development, municipal affairs and real estate on the global scale

11) We will promote, support and monitor the implementation of the New Urban Agenda (NUA) and SDGs at the local level inter alia through the support of the “Collingwood: Urban SDG Pioneer Pilot: Urban Economy and Municipalities”

12) We acknowledge best practice models are generally accepted by industry, government, and civil society leaders and experts as the most superior method to achieve high quality and efficiency in a particular task.

13) We will promote the use of good practices to identify new best practice models in new and current subjects as technology, knowledge, and society progresses.  

14) We will promote housing policies based on the principles of social inclusion, economic effectiveness and environmental protection. We will support the effective use of public and private resources for affordable and sustainable housing, including land in central and consolidated areas of cities with adequate infrastructure, and encourage mixed-income development to promote social inclusion and cohesion

15) We urge comprehensive coordination between transport and urban and territorial planning departments, in mutual understanding of planning and policy frameworks, at the national, subnational and local levels, including through sustainable urban and metropolitan transport and ecomobility plans. Plans should aim to move towards zero carbon transport, which prioritizes public transport and reducing car dependency. We will support subnational and local governments in developing the necessary knowledge and capacity to implement and enforce such plans.

16) We support more comprehensive plans, that take into considerations of urban resources available, to focus on mixed-use developments to reduce the need to travel and increase diversity of activity and vibrancy, through the initiating of a pilot program.

17) We urge better promotion of attracting more private capital for investment in public infrastructure and leveraging innovation in other international municipal markets by promoting the following:

a. Advocate in other international jurisdictions the use of Inter-Governmental Grant systems between Federal/National, Provincial and Local Governments;

b. Advocate for the relaxation of restrictive borrowing requirements imposed by Federal and subnational governments on local governments

c. Advocate for the introduction by Federal and National Governments legislated asset allocation percentages for Banks, Institutional funds and Investors to hold a certain pre-defined percentage in municipal bonds and/or municipal debt;

d. Work with all levels of Government to help put together resources that UEF can leverage to assist Local Governments to develop financial expertise, capacity and skills in Capital Budgeting, and Public-Private-Partnerships;

e. Advocate for the Federal Government to pass tax-exempt status for investing in Municipal Bonds;

f. Advocate for stronger alignment between Development Banks, private sector funding innovation developed to support Municipalities directly accessing the bond market and/or accessing the bond market through PFM-innovations and developments;

g. Advocate for all levels of Government to assist municipalities to access long-term funding that is aimed at the longer dated maturities for the Bond Market

18) We urge new initiatives to promote, assist and help developing infrastructure capacity at the local government level especially in areas where capital budgeting is found to be a challenge

19) We will encourage national, subnational and local governments to develop and expand financing instruments, enabling them to improve their transport and mobility infrastructure and systems, such as mass rapid-transit systems, integrated transport systems, and rail systems, and safe, sufficient and adequate pedestrian and cycling infrastructure and technology-based innovations in transport and transit systems to reduce congestion and pollution while improving efficiency, connectivity, accessibility, health and quality of life.

20) We value the importance of universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services and sustainable energy practices by promoting energy efficiency and sustainable renewable energy and practices and supporting subnational and local efforts to apply them in public buildings, infrastructure and facilities. 

21) We see the importance of including art and culture as a priority component of urban plans and strategies in the adoption of planning instruments, including master plans, zoning guidelines, building codes, coastal management policies and strategic development policies that safeguard a diverse range of tangible and intangible cultural heritage and landscapes, and will protect them from potential disruptive impacts of urban development. Through World Art House, a UEF initiative, these priorities will have the capacity to be explored.   

22) We will support the leveraging of cultural heritage including Indigenous Peoples for sustainable urban development and recognize its role in stimulating participation and responsibility. We will promote innovative and sustainable use of architectural monuments and sites, with the intention of value creation, through respectful restoration and adaptation. We will engage Indigenous Peoples and local communities in the promotion and dissemination of knowledge of tangible and intangible cultural heritage and protection of traditional expressions and languages, including through the use of new technologies and techniques.


23) We urge UN-Habitat to continue its support to UEF with substantive inputs and guidance.

24) We seek support from UN Habitat and sister agencies to promote appropriate policies and capacities that enable subnational and local governments to register and expand their potential revenue base, for example through multipurpose cadasters, local taxes, fees and service charges, in line with national policies, while ensuring that women and girls, children and youth, older persons, persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and low income and poor households are not disproportionately affected.

25) We recognize the need to support the creation of robust legal and regulatory frameworks for sustainable national and municipal borrowing, on the basis of sustainable debt management, supported by adequate revenues and capacities, by means of local creditworthiness as well as expanded sustainable municipal debt markets when appropriate. To balance the needs of future infrastructure developments, including dealing with changes stemming from Climate Change, we encourage a review by all Provincial Governments of current municipal borrowing restrictions.

26) We acknowledge, with great urgency the development of appropriate housing finance products and encourage the participation of a diverse range of multilateral financial institutions, regional development banks and development finance institutions, cooperation agencies, private sector lenders and investors, cooperatives, moneylenders and microfinance banks to invest in affordable and incremental housing in all its forms. Community Land Trust model should also be explored.

27) Providing access to safe and democratic spaces

a. Local Governments need to develop strategies to reduce congestion and make city centres free of personal vehicles

b. Schools and other educational institutions should promote engagement in civil society and lifelong learning

c. Incentivizing the green retrofitting of existing private building stock

d. Develop matrix to measure societal benefits of infrastructure projects

e. Explore diverse options for urban investment funding including from IFIs, private banks, social enterprises and cooperatives. UEF supports the International City Leaders Impact Fund as a joint initiative of UN-Habitat in the work it does to facilitate various funding and investing opportunities for cities and municipalities for development, while encouraging municipalities to collaborate and join the fund. 

f. Promote community led infrastructure projects

g. The pressing needs of housing, urban transport, employment and livelihood are still far from adequately addressing these and other existing and emerging challenges, and there is a need to take advantage of the opportunities presented by urbanization as an engine of sustained and inclusive economic growth, social and cultural development, equity and inclusiveness without the stigma of habitat labeling and environmental protection, and of its potential contributions to the achievement of transformative and sustainable development. UEF supports the development of the Global Re-Thinking Housing Pilot Project to realize the above mentioned criteria. 

28) We recognize that the New Urban Agenda will help to end poverty and hunger in all its forms and dimensions; reduce inequalities; promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth; achieve gender equality, equity and the empowerment of all women and girls in order to fully harness their vital contribution to sustainable development; improve human health and wellbeing; foster resilience; and protect the environment

29) When it comes to Municipal finance, we support the enhancement of technical capacity for effective, innovative and sustainable financing frameworks and instruments enabling strengthened municipal finance and local fiscal systems in order to create, sustain and share the value generated by sustainable urban development in an inclusive manner.


30) We recognize the need for national, subnational and local housing policies that support the progressive realization of the right to adequate housing for all as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, that address all forms of discrimination and violence and prevent arbitrary forced evictions, discriminatory rental practices and that focus on the needs of the homeless, persons in vulnerable situations, low-income groups and persons with disabilities, while enabling the participation and engagement of communities and relevant stakeholders in the planning and implementation of these policies, including supporting the social production of housing, according to national legislation and standards.

31) Municipalities should commit themselves to promoting safe, inclusive, accessible, green and quality public spaces, including streets, sidewalks and cycling lanes, squares, waterfront areas, gardens and parks, that are multifunctional areas for social interaction and inclusion, human health and well-being, economic exchange and cultural expression and dialogue among a wide diversity of people and cultures, and that are designed and managed to ensure human development and build peaceful, inclusive and participatory societies, as well as to promote living together, connectivity and social inclusion. The Biophilic Cities Model (cities that are attuned to nature) should be investigated.

32) We encourage promoting safe, inclusive, accessible, green and quality public spaces as drivers of social and economic development, in order to sustainably leverage their potential to generate increased social and economic value, including property value, and to facilitate business and public and private investments and livelihood opportunities for all.

33) We recognize the need to build resilience, while also ensuring timely and effective local responses to address the immediate needs of inhabitants affected by natural and human-made disasters and conflicts. This should include the need to minimize impact of, and the integration of the “build back better” principles into the post-disaster recovery process to integrate resilience-building and public engagement

34) In the context of SDGs and NUA, UEF should support the capacity building of local governments and communities to support the development of a more efficient, inclusive and sustainable urban economy, in all their spheres of work including the creation of decent jobs, sustainable use and access to clean water and decent sanitation, support slum upgrading and appropriate housing, and food sovereignty and resiliency.

35) UEF will actively foster civic engagement and participation, including co-production, of sustainable urban development and policies

36) We recommend that the second UEF will be held on October, 2020, in conjunction with the World Habitat Day.*

*These resolutions were written and edited during Day 2 of Urban Economy Forum on October 29th 2019 in the presence of all the attendees, including Resolution 36.

i. Resolution from the First Urban Economic Forum, 28-29 October 2019

ii. Taking note of the Quito Declaration on Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements for All 

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