COP 27 side event discusses sustainable urban regeneration

Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, 25 November 2022—A side event at the just concluded COP 27 discussed sustainable urban regeneration exploring how it mitigate the impact of climate change as well as improve urban resilience in consideration social inclusion and gender equity.

 The event that drew more than 300 participants (in person and remotely) was  co-organised by  UN-Habitat, SUR Lab Bocconi and cambiaMO | changing Mobility.

 Participants delved into sustainable urban regeneration experiences, conceptual ideas and frameworks aiming to advance urban decarbonisation and resilience in different parts of the world. The interventions highlighted the fundamental role that both social inclusion and gender equality have in these processes. 

 The diverse set of panellists presented important preconditions and entry points for urban regeneration for climate action. Edoardo Croci, from Bocconi University, opened the event by introducing the role of urban regeneration in the decarbonisation of cities, including reflections on the role that cities should take in reducing global emissions.

 Tadashi Matsumoto from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) underlined the position that national policies should take to integrate climate action into urban regeneration policies. He also gave several examples, highlighting the pilot project of gas-free neighbourhoods in the Netherlands. 

 UN Habitat's intervention by Ms. Cerin Kizhakkethottam, Programme Management Officer of the City Resilience Global Programme, positioned urban regeneration as an integrated process for social and environmental value creation in cities. She presented this within the framework of Flagship Programme 1 ‘Inclusive and Vibrant Neighbourhoods and Communities’, deploying urban regeneration to address the negative implications of spatial inequality and climate change, whilst promoting social value creation, environmental resilience, and shared economic prosperity.   

 UN-Habitat project ‘Equity Park’ and ‘Nairobi River Life’ were presented as good examples of inclusive and sustainable urban regeneration. Both are ongoing projects with a strong focus ongenerating environmental and social benefits. 

 Federica Ranghieri presented the World Bank's report on climate and development in Egypt. The document summarises how urban development and regeneration should contribute to climate action through adaptation and mitigation policies at national and sub-national levels.

 The next panellist, Ms. Benedetta Lucchitta from SURLab at Bocconi University focused on urban regeneration for climate neutrality at different scales - from the building to the city.  
She underlined the various entry points for sustainable urban regeneration, such as sustainable urban mobility, renewable energy systems, nature-based solutions, and district heating projects that create energy communities. 

 Paolo Bertoldi presented the new EU initiative Climate - Neutral & Smart Cities, which aims to deliver at least 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030. He underlined the importance of national and international coordination and the importance of monitoring and reporting on social and environmental vulnerability.

 In addition, Ms. Ndivile Mokoen, project coordinator at CC South Africa, highlighted the importance of communities and bottom-up approaches for climate action in cities. She also stressed the need for a more accurate breakdown of gender data and the importance of community collaboration in urban climate action.

 Aline Cardoso representing the municipal secretary of Sao Paulo, presented a local urban regeneration project called ‘Green Sampa’ which aims at reducing the inequalities within the city, especially related to housing and employment.

 Overall, it was agreed that the adoption of measures such a scaling up renewable energy, planning sustainable mobility, and integrating circular use of materials and resources, name a few, advance the efforts of urban decarbonisation. Implementing these solutions does not only generate environmental benefits but also has the potential to create a positive social impact, encouraging inclusion, savings, and increased accessibility to resources.