state of the world's cities 2012/2013 - United Nations Sustainable ...

State of the World’s Cities 2012/2013policyCities that are committed to quality of life are almostalways committed to enhanced productivity and equity,emphasizing the strong relation between these dimensions.development), but dividing the pie and ensuring that thepoor benefit, too (i.e., equity and quality of life)”. 12 Dubai,as other cities in the Arab Gulf, recognizes quality of life asa key competitive advantage that contributes to promotingcity productivity, attracting and retaining highly qualifiedindividuals and prestigious firms and investors. Priority isgiven to those most easily perceived elements of quality oflife such as parks, clean sidewalks, leisure, art and cultureamenities as well as hospitals. Although not generalizedto all the population, the pursuit of prosperity throughquality of life is an interesting connection and entry pointto development.Box 2.3.1Quality of Life – the ‘Spokes’ and the ‘Hub’ of the Wheel of Urban ProsperityQuality of life and productivityProductivity and quality of life are increasingly associated. Skilledworkers and talented people will flock to, and concentrate in,liveable cities with high quality of life, and firms will follow suit.Consulting firms rank cities based on their ‘good living’ factors tomake informed locational decisions. High human capital, whichis a main ingredient of quality of life, attracts firms that cluster incities to take advantage of common labour pools. Well-plannedand designed urban environments, with pedestrian-friendly areas,bicycle paths, mix-land uses and sufficient public goods, attractpeople and businesses which, in turn, contribute to finance furthersocial amenities and public goods. More and more city leadersare investing in education and the provision of ‘commons’ andpublic goods as part of a quality of life. Inversely, cities that donot invest in quality of life tend to feature poor public health, loweducation, limited mobility, and marginalization of the urban poor,all resulting in low productivity.Quality of life and infrastructure developmentThe prosperity of a city largely depends on infrastructure.Physical facilities like transportation, power and communicationscontribute to economic development, industrialization, trade andmobility of labour. Water supply, sanitation and sewerage, togetherwith education and health facilities, have a direct impact onquality of life. All of these types of infrastructure connect peopleto people, goods to markets, workers to jobs, families to services,and the poor in rural areas to urban centres − a connectivityprocess that is essential to induce economic growth, reducepoverty and increase general well-being. More and more citiestoday are launching into ambitious initiatives to expand/improveinfrastructure to sustain economic growth, prepare for populationdecline, address climate change issues and/or reduce slumincidence. Conversely, under-developed infrastructure makes lifemore difficult and more costly: poor facilities discourage industrialdevelopment, trade and investment and reduce competitiveness,besides generating air pollution, wasted time, fuel and safetycosts, noise and more greenhouse gas emissions.Quality of life and equityQuality of life and equity are constitutive of progress anddevelopment. No city can claim to be prosperous when largesegments of its population are excluded or live in abject poverty,or when large sections of the population are deprived of basicgoods or services while other sections live in affluence. Citiesthat look to more equity in the distribution of resources andopportunities, in law enforcement, in the rules and relationshipsthat govern institutions and in access to public goods will be thosewhere shared prosperity and quality of life are improved. Moreequitable cities enhance the prospects for people to take part indemocratic processes and participate in a more decisive mannerin cultural and political life. The benefits of social participationand political voice extend to other domains such as health,employment and the urban environment.Quality of Life and Environmental SustainabilityEnvironmental conditions have an immediate impact on thequality of people’s lives. They affect human health both directly(air, water pollution, noise) and indirectly (climate change,biodiversity). Well-managed urban commons and public goodscan improve environmental conditions and quality of life.Conversely, the pursuit of short-term quality of life objectives canbe detrimental to the more long-term sustainability objectivesthat collectively affect the lives of the whole population.Indeed, individual short-term aspirations to quality of life, suchas affordable, low-density housing, can act as major factorsbehind urban sprawl, which in turn is detrimental to the naturalenvironment through higher use of land, energy and water, alongwith greenhouse gas emissions.Quality of life and the ‘hub’ of the wheel of prosperityEffective institutions, more appropriate laws and regulations,proper urban planning and new value systems are essentialpower functions and can make sure that policies, actions andsolutions involving any of the ‘spokes’ of prosperity can havepositive effects on the others.Sources: Glaeser, E. and Berry, C. (2005); Gidwani, V. and Baviskar, A. (2011); European Environment Agency (2009); Stiglitz Joseph, Sen Amartya,Fitoussi Jean-Paul (2009); UN-Habitat (2008/9); Jones, Harry (2009); Lalnunmawia H, (2010); AusAid (2009).62