The Platform

The Platform is a web-based tool developed for the Global Future Cities Programme, and is based on the following endeavours:

1. Promote inclusive and sustainable urban development

As more people continue to move to cities in search of better opportunities, it is crucial to ensure that sustainable urban development is inclusive. According to the United Nations Foundation, 95% of urban expansion in the next decade will take place in developing countries. If such growth is not controlled, existing challenges, such as poverty and inequality, will be exacerbated.

2. Support cities to implement the SDGs and New Urban Agenda: Decade of Action

a. Awareness on SDGs NUA on local level

The New Urban Agenda (NUA) and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 places urbanization at the forefront of development policy. It recognizes sustainable urbanizations' critical role for overall development and prosperity in both developed and developing countries. While the Sustainable Development Goals are often perceived as global frameworks that target national governments, cities, and local governments play an essential role in accomplishing these goals. Through the Platform, governments are empowered to actively seek opportunities to embed SDGs and the New Urban Agenda into their daily activities.

b. SDG Tool

The SDG Project Assessment Tool (referred to as SDG Tool) is developed by UN-Habitat as an offline, digital and user-friendly instrument to guide City Authorities and Delivery Partners in the development of more inclusive, sustainable and effective urban projects. The tool can improve the quality of urban projects, promote an enabling environment to ensure implementation and long-term sustainability of projects while steering a participatory process between the partners. Through the Platform, users can access and explore the tool.

c. Link to Urban Agenda Platform

Since the Platform is developed under the Urban Agenda Platform, which supports the implementation of the New Urban Agenda, users will have increased awareness of the SDGs and NUA. The Urban Agenda Platform will facilitate knowledge-sharing, monitoring, and reporting on progress, and thereby accelerate the implementation of the New Urban Agenda to achieve the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development (referred to as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)).

3. Link global expertise on urbanization with local experiences

The platform will assist in creating and sharing multi-directional knowledge by:

(a) applying global expertise to local contexts,

(b) taking local experience and lessons learned to inform global debates, and

(c) disseminating the knowledge generated across a network of cities, i.e. city-to-city learning.

Through reaching a wider audience, the Platform can enable the scalability and replicability of best practices, as well as integrating operational and normative work.

4. Build a community of urban practitioners

It is essential to build upon the political commitment and network of partners we created and fostered since the inception of the Programme in 2018. The Platform’s Community Forum aims to build on the existing networks established, connecting the partners of the Programme to learn from each other, and building coalitions across cities at the core of the Programme.

5. Offer a variety of resources to support planning and management of cities: tools, stories, best practices, standards and norms

The Platform will act as a repository, offering key resources that can support cities' and urban projects' planning and management. Resources and tools, such as publications, reports articles, webinars, and audio files, developed under the Programme will be shared with the broader public, increasing awareness of the Programme and the lessons learned. The Platform offers the space for partners to upload resources to share with the more general audience, including resources from the Programme partners, the Urban Agenda Platform, and beyond.

6. Work together with you to optimise the knowledge exchange on urban issues

As a registered user, you will be able to use the platform to:

a. Exchange knowledge between the GFCP Programme partners, and all urban professionals, academia, and citizens

b. Discuss, share experiences and practices on key urban issues through the Community forum

c. Follow and give feedback to the design of the projects developed under the Future Cities Programmes.

d. Share best practices with a wider audience, and save your relevant knowledge on your account.

e. Contribute by uploading stories, best practices, resources and tools

f. Access monthly newsletters and updates on the Programme and implementation of projects

We encourage you to make use of the platform so that together we can make our cities inclusive and sustainable. Register now to take part!

7. Update you on the Global Future Cities Programme’s activities, and also key urban events across the world

The Platform will be used to keep users up-to-date with the Programme's activities through newsletters and stories. It will be used as the primary communication channel for the Partners of the Programme's key urban events. Partners can use the Platform to highlight key events and interest stories that are related to the Programme.

8. Provide you with a tailored experience

We aim to optimize your experience on the platform through polls and surveys. We have designed the platform to cater for the needs of the different partners:

a. Governmental bodies can communicate directly with each other through the Community Forum, sharing experiences and best practices.

b. Delivery Partners can keep stakeholders engaged and informed on the progress, reach out to communities and get support for public events, and share resources, best practices and relevant knowledge.

c. Beneficiaries and communities can learn about the progress of the projects in their city and use the platform to tell their stories to a global audience.

d. External visitors who have interest in the Programme can use the platform to learn about the Programme and share relevant experiences, contributing to the discussions on the Community Forum.