The construction of sustainable cities via multi-stakeholder networks: mainstreaming non-state actors’ partnerships until 2030

Sustainable cities and communities was recognised as one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September 25^th 2015. The objective of the United Nations (UN) is to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. This landmark agreement constitutes an innovative integrated tool that covers economic, social and environmental challenges essential for a long-term vision for a global sustainable development. Currently, the European Commission is preparing the revision of the EU Consensus for Development to address the challenges for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Urban policy represents one of those shared challenges and it has become of major significance for the management of critical issues related to the growing number of population living in urban areas around the world through the use of domestic resources and of a diversified range of global partnerships. On the context of aid development, these organisations have been working together with public authorities of Third countries to implement and manage urban projects dealing with the existing challenges of cities in terms of congestion, lack of funds to provide basic services, a shortage of adequate housing and declining infrastructures for a growing population. Besides the work of the public authorities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the private sector are engaged in the field of urban development, particularly working to the mobilisation of an effective use of resources and its coherent implementation to provide better services and improved public goods to the populations. 

 

The purpose of this article is to seek an answer to the following research question: ‘To which extent multi-stakeholder networks can contribute to the implementation of a sustainable urban development in the cities outside Europe?’. Starting with a focus on the problems associated with urban development in Third countries, our analysis aims to present the perspective of Non-state actors (NSAs), in particular, NGOs and private sector working together on policy networks in the field of aid development to reach a sustainable and inclusive urban development.

Urban development as a basic need to Third countries

One essential sector to secure the delivery of basic needs to the local populations is urban development, which aims to shift towards a more sustainable planning of the cities “to mitigate climate change and adapt to new environmental patterns” (Latendresse, 2009, p. 368). An overpopulated city generates traffic congestions, inadequate infrastructures and more difficulties in the management and the delivery of basic services, in terms of sanitation, distribution of water and viable energy networks, with slums representing as much as the size and the population of a city. The rehabilitation of slums requires regulatory and economic instruments, the provision of basic infrastructures and social services, and upgrading programmes for housing, waste and floods. These represent complex issues and the activities of the civil society in the field are very important in order to address the population, mediate and find solutions between them, and in the collection of data to be shared with local authorities. Moreover, the impact of degraded urban areas in a whole region is evident because as cities maintain an interdependent connection with surrounding areas. If the city represents an opportunity for more trade and employment, these damaging consequences affect also rural areas, resulting in an increase of extreme poverty, more slums, and unsustainable social, environmental and territorial development patterns to a part of the population already living in extreme poverty. 

For example, the widespread concept of smart cities in Europe and in other developed countries is a concept based on sustainable development that allows not only to tackle some immediate issues but to build a concrete path for future generations. Some of the constraints for the use of new technologies in developing countries are the lack of infrastructures well-adapted that generate side-effects in terms of safety, health and urban congestion, the institutional weaknesses of local governments and the lack of political will, the financial constraints of developing countries dealing with other social problems, the lack of awareness from the populations on the use of new technologies, and, finally, the lack of trained experts. If the concept of smart cities is not usually perceived as adaptable to these countries, this perspective may change in the following years because developing countries in collaboration with all stakeholders in the field, in particular the mobilisation of investment by the private sector, could be able to create sustainable alternatives and inclusive strategies on urban planning.

Though, "the success of this relies on willing and competent institutions, political support at the highest level, a community of citizens who understand the rationale for integration, and the need for infrastructure investment and private-sector partners who come to the table with greater ambitions than simply the ‘large profit’ motive” (Wentworth, 2013, p. 1). A multi-stakeholder approach, promoting a shared vision about sustainable development, is crucial to this policy at the same time as the adoption of minimum standards for sustainable cities should be the final goal. After the contextualisation of the policy sector of this paper, it is relevant to examine, subsequently, the actors involved in the EU Development policy. The projects at the European level on urban development is increasing in developing countries, and the emergence of specialised policy networks is required due to the technicality of the topic. 

Globalisation allowed the establishment of global networks of NSAs that use the “opening of markets and borders, deregulation, transnational capital flows, and the spread of mass media, and information and communication technologies” (Tibbett, 2009, p. 10), which results on a shared supply chain at the global level. The global governance has put the emphasis on the notions of accountability and legitimacy at the national level, using transnational networks and internet campaigns to disseminate its information. Besides, the European Commission promotes the effective impact of the EU Development Cooperation policy through an active participation of the populations which allows the improvement of cities. Consequently, more participation from the local population means more governance and ownership for the results achieved during the programmes.

 

From the analysis made, it seems possible to conclude that, to the purpose of urban development in Third countries, the dissemination of the use of networks of NSAs is an effective instrument, once lessen the linked constraints of coordination, to accomplish a positive impact in the planning of sustainable and innovative urban policies for developing countries. For this reason, the definition of the EU strategy to implement the Agenda 2030 will be an essential step towards a consensus on the priorities and stakeholders involved in the process.

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