GEO for Cities aims to inform, engage and support dialogue among city decision makers and other actors involved in urban issues. The GEO-6 report, published in 2019, identified urbanization as one of five main drivers of environmental change and also looked at the impact on cities and city residents of related challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.

The GEO for Cities looks at these issues but also presents the types of solutions that can lead to environmentally sustainable and just cities. The GEO for Cities process is led by two co-chairs, guided by an Advisory Committee of organizations focused on urban and environment solutions (ICLEI, C40, Cities Alliance, IIED, ODI, IIHS, GCSE), has been drafted by around 20 expert authors and supported by the GEO Secretariat. The environmental and urban challenges outlined in this report require urgent and sustained attention from everyone involved in building or managing cities.

To achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11, we must make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and environmentally sustainable. UNEP, UN-Habitat, the GEO for Cities Advisory Committee, its co-chairs and the expert authors hope that this report will lead to the urgent action needed for cities to become the beacons of environmental excellence that help their citizens lead productive, prosperous and equitable lives. Enjoy and take action!

Throughout the world, violence, delinquency and fear undermine the basic right of individuals to live in peace and fully benefit from a healthy and sustainable community. These elements make no real distinction between prosperous and poor cities, and impose aconsiderable cost on the population, particularly through the decline of communities, the increase in health and security expenditures and the deterioration of investments. Violence and fear directly threaten life in society, good governance and the sustainable development of the world’s communities and neighbourhoods.

More than half of the World’s population live in cities and that figure is expected to increase to almost 5 billion by 2030. This increase in urban population and changing understandings around how people experience urban living, and thus how planning and governance arrangements must be operationalized, calls on urban policy makers to recognize and respond to the emerging and different needs, concerns and interests of urban women, men, boys and girls.

Urbanisation affects women and men in fundamentally different ways given the social differences or roles allotted to women and to men. Since these roles are not equally valued they further create inequities between women, girls, boys and men. For urban women and girls, these different experiences and ways of experiencing urban life give rise to consequences that undermine their capabilities and aspirations.

This issue guide focuses attention on Urban Legislation, Land and Governance in order to highlight the “where and how” of gender responsive interventions that strengthen gender equality and women’s empowerment in urban development.

What is the Gender Equality Action Plan (GEAP)? The Gender Equality Action Plan (GEAP) is the means to realize the The UN-Habitat Policy and Plan for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women in Urban and Human Settlements (2014-19). The GEAP has been developed through a consultative process inclusive of UN-Habitat Gender Equality Unit (GEU), UN-Habitat Gender Focal Points (GFPs), and the Advisory Group on Gender Issues (AGGI). It was finally presented at the annual AGGI meeting held during the World Urban Forum (WUF-7) for review and feedback.

The GEAP is guided by the findings and recommendations of the Evaluation of Gender mainstreaming at UN-Habitat (2011) and Gender Mainstreaming Audit and GEAP 2008-2013 review (2012).