Islamabad (Web Desk): World Cities Day was observed across the globe including Pakistan on Thursday with the aim to address the challenges of urbanization and contributing to sustainable urban development around the globe.
This year, the theme of day is 'Better City, Better Life'.
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) designated October 31 as World Cities Day, by its resolution 68/239. The Day is expected to greatly promote the international community’s interest in global urbanization, push forward cooperation among countries in meeting opportunities addressing challenges of urbanization and contributing to sustainable urban development around the world.
Urbanization provides the potential for new forms of social inclusion, including greater equality, access to services and new opportunities, and engagement and mobilization that reflects the diversity of cities, countries and the globe. Yet too often this is not the shape of urban development.
Inequality and exclusion abound, often at rates greater than the national average, at the expense of sustainable development that delivers for all.
According to the UN, Cities are projected to house 70% of the world's population by 2050, facing unprecedented challenges in the context of climate change. By 2030, an estimated 60% of people will live in urban areas, with up to 60% of urban dwellers under 18.
Despite progress towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), cities, particularly in the Global South, continue to grapple with poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation, necessitating urgent action.