Africa-Press – Seychelles. Today, October 31, cities around the world join in the celebration of World Cities Day, a day designated by the United Nations to recognise the crucial role urban centres play in global development. The theme for this year’s World Cities Day centres on ‘Financing a Sustainable Urban Future for All’, emphasising the significance of responsible urban planning, collaboration between governments, and the necessity of both investment and institution-building in the development of cities.
When planned responsibly, and based on sound – but not necessarily exhaustive – cost/benefit analysis, and when supported by adequate regulations, the financing and development of infrastructure can be used as an engine for the development of institutions, policies, and capacities at all levels and across all sectors of governance.
This year’s World Cities Day highlights the importance of clear mandates at all levels and sectors of government, ensuring there are no gaps or overlaps in responsibilities. It calls for the active participation of all relevant levels and sectors of government in making decisions on urban investment. This holistic approach is aimed at ensuring that the benefits of urban development are distributed equitably and that no one is left behind.
According to the UN, it is crucial to improve the effectiveness of managing urban development through better collaboration between different levels and sectors of government.
Furthermore, the success of efforts to decentralise responsibilities to subnational levels is highly dependent on existing governance systems and traditions, even if they are supported by fiscal devolution and the authority of sub-sovereign borrowing.
Urban planning is the cornerstone of preparing for the orderly expansion of cities, guiding investment, preparing land subdivisions, and installing essential infrastructure before embarking on large-scale construction projects.
For most countries, responding to the surge in urban population seems to result in either the time-consuming process of building capabilities to harmonise goals and collaborate effectively or a tendency to address the urgency by developing infrastructure without any consideration of the former.
However, infrastructure development cannot be put on hold while perfect policies and institutions are put in place.
UN said these ends need not be mutually exclusive: investment in urban development does not have to be withheld until fully capable institutions are in place, nor do governments need to resort to “non-invasive” planning and building of urban infrastructure regardless of institutions and policies.
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