Integrating the SDGs in Urban Project Design: Recommendations from the Global Future Cities Programme

Integrating the SDGs in Urban Project Design: Recommendations from the Global Future Cities Programme” provides a handbook on how to design SDG-oriented urban projects guidance in collaboration between the public sector, private sector and civil society through an iterative method that goes beyond the “business as usual approach” to sustainable urban development. It is based on experiences from the Global Future Cities Programme (GFCP), a three-year 80 million GBP ($106.8 million) multi-partner initiative funded by the United Kingdom. The Programme supports 31 transformative projects that strengthen the enabling environment for sustainable urban development in line with the SDGs in 19 cities across 10 emerging economy countries. The GFCP is a collaboration between the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (UKFCDO), five private sector delivery partners, UN-Habitat, and the UK Built Environment Advisory Group (UKBEAG). This report reviews the experience of teams comprised of the partners named above who worked to integrate the SDGs into the design of 31 projects in a systematic manner by using the SDG Project Assessment Tool. The subsequent analysis is built upon eight key drivers that underpin a total of seven chapters, each of which contains a set of hands-on recommendations to guide project design and draws on the real-world experience of the Global Future Cities Programme.