On May 10th, the Quality of Life Initiative hosted an online panel discussion, moderated by Fernando Murillo of the University of Buenos Aires to discuss both the theory and practice of existing knowledge and tools to measure and understand quality of life in urban areas. Representatives from several universities and research institutions around the world set out to explore how various recommendations regarding a more holistic, human-centric approach to local policy interventions could be applied to the concrete opportunities and challenges that cities face. This virtual dialogue provided a unique opportunity to discuss how theory and practice intersect.
Claudia Mojica, UN Resident Coordinator of Argentina, opened a fruitful discussion underscoring the importance of advancing towards the achievement of SDG target 11, which aims to ensure access for all as well as inclusive, sustainable urbanization. Representatives from the Quality of Life Initiative provided insights into why a quality of life approach should be more central to policy discussions at both the local and global levels, setting the stage for a panel of academics to share recommendations they developed in a recently released position paper, to understand how they can or cannot be applied to such a context.
Gabriel Mraida, the Minister of Human Development and Habitat from Buenos Aires laid out the progress and challenges faced by the city of Buenos Aires with regards to improving the quality of life for its constituents, especially for the most vulnerable. Margarita Gutman from the University of Buenos Aires discussed the importance of digital inclusion for all people in the face of the technological revolution.
The event demonstrated how bringing together diverse perspectives, using quality of life as a central principle to guide the discussion, enables innovative and inclusive solutions for sustainable urban development.