Urban Civic Spaces and the Youth:Transformative Pathways towards Liveable Cities

Dr. Bharat Dahiya, Senior AdvisorEnvironment, Development and Sustainability (EDS) ProgramChulalongkorn University, Bangkok

Youth at the Heart of the 2030 Agenda: The Case for SpaceCivic space in urban settings: Trends and impact on youth Thematic Breakout Session – Wednesday, 30 November 2016, 15:30 to 17:15

Key Points

1. Urban Civic Spaces and the Youth

2. Problems and Development Agendas

3. Transformative Pathways towards Liveable Cities and the Role of Youth

1. Urban Civic Spaces and the Youth

Urban Civic Spaces

What are these?

❖ All places publicly owned or of public use

❖ Accessible and enjoyable by all

❖ Available for free and without profit motive

❖ Includes streets, open spaces, and public amenities and facilities

Character of a city…

… is defined by?

❖ Urban civic space →

◆ A stage for the urban drama◆ Social setting → community life◆ Green spaces → human and environmental wellbeing◆ Economic activities → especially livelihoods of the urban poor◆ Cultural events → expression, festivals, etc. ◆ Political activities → demonstrations, in favour or against policies, etc.

◆ Youth are often central to these urban activities and more

Character of a city…

… is defined by: ❖ Urban civic space → Streets and public spaces

How do they fit within the urban space?

❖ “The connective matrix of streets and public spaces forms the skeleton of the city upon which all else rests” (Habitat III, 2015)

Connective matrix of public space in different urban settings

Urban Liveability, Civic Spaces and the Youth

❖ Urban civic space is an arena of collective experience

❖ Collective experience◆ Builds social cohesion → including for the youth◆ Strengthens mutual understanding among social groups◆ Enriches social, economic and environmental activities

❖ Collective experience supports urban place making◆ Gives character to a place◆ Youth play an important role in it

Civic Spaces, Urban Memory and Intergenerational Liveablity

❖ Making of vibrant civic spaces ◆ → builds and enriches urban memory

❖ Collective urban memory ◆ → leads to harmonious civic spaces

❖ Transfer of urban memory of harmonious civic spaces between generations ◆ → supports intergenerational liveability in urban settings

Civic Spaces, Urban Memory and Intergenerational Liveablity

Youth in an essential – intergenerational – connecting link in:

❖ Creating and leading socio-cultural, economic and political activities:◆ In line with their aspirations◆ Aligned with the emerging needs of the society◆ What is needed for our planet and sustainable development

❖ Helping build urban memory

❖ Transferring urban memory to the next generation

❖ Thus, making vibrant civic spaces, now and in the future

2. Problems and Agendas

Often result in…

❖ A divided city →◆ As people are unable to meet and get to know each other◆ Youth – one of the most affected groups

❖ A segregated city, with various tensions related to →◆ Social groups: Religion, ethnicity, gender, (dis)ability, age (children, youth, older persons)

❖ An environment of mutual distrust in the city →◆ Continuing conflicts between social and political groups◆ Building and perpetuation of bad urban memory

Inadequate, poorly designed, or privatised urban spaces

Inadequate, poorly designed, or privatised urban spaces

Often result in…

❖ An unequal city →◆ Economic status: low-income, middle class, higher-income groups◆ Geographical areas: gated communities, slums, liveable or non-liveable areas, etc.

❖ A disempowered city →◆ Political suppression of social, ethnic, income or other groups◆ Lack of public participation → in parts or all areas of a city

❖ Environmentally degraded city →◆ Concrete jungles, heat island syndrome◆ Poor urban resilience to natural disasters and climate change◆ Poor urban ecology

Public Green Spaces in Asia’s capital cities

City Green spaces per capita (sq. m.) YearBeijing 88.4 2005

Singapore 66.2 2009

Kuala Lumpur 43.9 2004

Seoul 23.4 2008

Delhi 18.8 2005

Hanoi 11.2 2008

Tokyo 10.6 2005

Manila 4.5 2007

Jakarta 2.3 2008

Bangkok 2.3 2007

Source: Asian Green City Index (2011) Commissioned by Siemens AG; conducted by Economist Intelligence Unit

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Goal 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

❖ By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities

Habitat III → New Urban Agenda, Quito Declaration, Oct. 2016

Our Shared Vision:

13. (b) We envisage cities and human settlements that:❖ are participatory, ❖ promote civic engagement, ❖ engender a sense of belonging and ownership among all their inhabitants, ❖ prioritize safe, inclusive, accessible, green, and quality public spaces, friendly for families, ❖ enhance social and intergenerational interactions, cultural expressions, and political

participation, as appropriate, and ❖ foster social cohesion, inclusion, and safety in peaceful and pluralistic societies, where the

needs of all inhabitants are met, recognizing the specific needs of those in vulnerable situations

Quito Implementation Plan for the New Urban Agenda

A. The Transformative Commitments for Sustainable Urban Development Perspective → Sustainable Urban Development for Social Inclusion and Ending Poverty

Para 37.❖ We commit to promote safe, inclusive, accessible, green, and quality public spaces,

including streets, sidewalks, and cycling lanes, squares, waterfront areas, gardens, and parks

❖ that are multi-functional 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

❖ which are designed and managed to ensure human development, to build peaceful, inclusive, and participatory societies, as well as to promote living together, connectivity, and social inclusion.

Quito Implementation Plan for the New Urban Agenda

A. The Transformative Commitments for Sustainable Urban Development Perspective → Sustainable and Inclusive Urban Prosperity and Opportunities For All

Para 53.❖ We commit to promote safe, inclusive, accessible, green, and quality public spaces ❖ as drivers of social and economic development, ❖ sustainably leveraging their potential…

◆ to generate increased social and economic value, including property value, and◆ to facilitate business, public and private investments, and livelihood opportunities for

all.

Quito Implementation Plan for the New Urban Agenda

A. The Transformative Commitments for Sustainable Urban Development Perspective → Environmentally Sustainable and Resilient Urban Development

Para 67.❖ We commit to promote the creation and maintenance of well-connected and well-distributed

networks of open, multi-purpose, safe, inclusive, accessible, green, and quality public spaces

❖ to improve the resilience of cities to disasters and climate change, ❖ reducing flood and drought risks and heat waves, ❖ improving food security and nutrition, physical and mental health, household and ambient

air quality, reducing noise, and ❖ promoting attractive and livable cities and human settlements and urban landscapes,

prioritizing the conservation of endemic species.

3. Transformative Pathways towards Liveable Cities and the Role of Youth

Quito Implementation Plan for the New Urban Agenda

A. Implementation Plan→ Planning and Managing Urban Spatial Development

Para 100.❖ We will support the provision of well-designed networks of safe, inclusive for all

inhabitants, accessible, green, and quality public spaces and streets, ❖ free from crime and violence, including sexual harassment and gender-based violence,

◆ considering the human-scale and measures that allow for the best possible commercial use of street-level floors,

◆ fostering local markets and commerce, both formal and informal, as well as not-for-profit community initiatives,

◆ bringing people into the public spaces, ◆ promoting walkability and cycling towards ◆ improving health and well-being.

Urban and Territorial Planning

❖ Urban and territorial planning is a technical and political process concerned with:

◆ the welfare of people, ◆ control of the use of land, ◆ design of the urban environment, including green and public spaces,

transportation and communication networks, and ◆ protection and enhancement of the natural environment (including the concerns

for natural disasters and climate change)

Role of Youth in Urban Policy and Planning

What kind of role the youth play in urban policy and planning?Currently, youth play a limited role, if at all, in:

❖ Urban policy making → ◆ Related to the sustainable development of cities

❖ Overall process of urban and territorial planning → ◆ Allocation of land for urban uses◆ Such as, residential and commercial areas, green and public spaces, and streets

❖ Planning and design of green and public spaces →◆ How these spaces are designed in view of the needs of the various social groups: ◆ women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities (as in SDG 11)◆ And the youth

Why do the youth play a limited role in urban policy and planning? Role of Youth in

Urban Policy and Planning

Sharing of Limited

Information by local

governments Limited Knowledge of

this field among the

youth

Limited channels of participation for the youth

Limited opportunities and exposure for the youthLimited

participation experience in urban policy and planning

Limited impact on urban

policy and planning process

Resulting in the existing

situation (e.g., of urban civic

spaces)

Limited recognition of the potential

role of the youth in these

processes