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

Equity and the Prosperity of CitiesBox 2.4.3Making Progress on the Equity AgendaToday, some cities andnational governments in thedeveloping world arebeginning to prioritize equitythrough concerted actions.They understand that workingtogether maximizes theirpossibilities to make positivechanges in the livingconditions of the urban poor.They also understand thatequity is a fundamental aspectpolicyThere is nosubstitutefor governmentleadership to addressissues of equity,with civil society inadvocacy, support andcomplementary roles.of prosperity. Their interventions are closely linked to propoorprogrammes such as, in Alexandria, the Social Fundfor Development, which focuses on small- and medium-sizebusinesses; in Gaziantep, the Social Solidarity Fund whose cashtransfers are conditional on children being sent to school; inLahore, the Benazir Income Support Programme; in Shenzhen,social equity policies have brought large numbers of migrantworkers and vulnerable groups into the city’s social housing andwelfare system; in Ho Chi Minh City, the ‘Doimoi’ reform processhas reduced inequalities in Vietnam’s capital.Cities are also allocating funds and introducing localprogrammes to promote equity. Some of these interventions arebecoming best practices and good examples that are inspiringother cities, and sometimes national governments. Authoritiesin Chongqing have made social equity a primary goal. Prioritypublic rental housing programmes have improved conditionsand rural migrant workers’ rights are better protected. In Beirut,vulnerable groups are targeted for special social support as partof a scheme that has significantly reduced homelessness andthe number of people (10 per cent in 2009) below the NationalPoverty line 22 ). Faced with very steep income inequality (withGini coefficients as high as 0.75 in 2005), Johannesburg isresponding with pro-poor policies including ‘Cash Social Grants’.Singapore integrates equity in national development policiesand urban planning. According to a local expert, ‘There is roomfor upward social mobility among the poor and lower-middleclass people through adequate opportunities for all in educationand the job market’.Endnotes1 World Bank (2006) World Development Report 2006 - Equity and Development,Oxford University Press ,Oxford2 Gewirth, A. (1996), The Community of Rights, Chicago: University of Chicago Press3 UN-Habitat (2010) State of the World’s Cities Report 2010/2011: Bridging the UrbanDivide, Earthscan, London4 OECD (2011) Divided We Stand: Why Inequality Keeps Rising, OECD Publishing, Paris,pp.225 Ibid.6 Sen, A. (1999) Development as Freedom, Oxford University Press, Oxford7 Shabou, A., N. Soboh, K. Jalouka, and D. A. Thaib (2011) City Report on Amman,Unpublished UN-Habitat background study for “State of the World’s Cities Report2012/2013”8 Belliapa, S.G. (2011) City Report on Bangalore, Unpublished UN-Habitat backgroundstudy for “State of the World’s Cities Report 2012/2013”9 Hampwaye, G. and W. Nchito (2011) City Report on Lusaka, Unpublished UN-Habitatbackground study for “State of the World’s Cities Report 2012/2013”10 UN-Habitat (2010) Op. Cit11 UNICEF(2010) Understanding Urban Inequalities in Bangladesh: A prerequisite forachieving Vision 2021, UNICEF Bangladesh, Dhaka12 Turok, I (2006) ‘The Connection between Social Cohesion and City Competitiveness’,in OECD Territorial Reviews Competitive Cities in the Global Economy, OECDpublishing, Paris.13 UN-Habitat (2010) Op. Cit; UN-Habitat (2008) State of the World’s Cities Report2008/2009: Harmonious cities, Earthscan, London14 OECD (2006) OECD Territorial Reviews Competitive Cities in the Global Economy,OECD publishing, Paris.15 Society for International Development (SID) ( 2012) The State of East Africa Report2012: Deepening Integration, Intensifying Challenges, http://www.sidint.net/docs/SoEAR2012_final.pdf16 SID Programme director Aidan Eyakuze [Mungai, C. (2012) ‘East Africa region’seconomy expands amid deepening levels of poverty and malnutrition’ in The EastAfrican, April 7, http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/A+richer+East+African+Community+with+more+poor+people/-/2558/1381658/-/v2nkg7/-/index.html]17 Urban Age (2009) Cities and Social Equity: Inequality, Territory and Urban Form,Summary report, http://downloads0.cloud.lsecities.net/downloads/2009/09/SouthAmericaReport/CSE_Summary_Report.pdf18 United Nations General Assembly (2011) Accelerating progress towards theMillennium Development Goals: options for sustained and inclusive growth andissues for advancing the United Nations development agenda beyond 2015, Annualreport of the Secretary-General (A/66/126) ,July 201119 Vienna City Administration (n.d) Vienna Charter. Shaping the Future Together, http://www.wien.gv.at/english/living-working/vienna-charter.html20 Dzung, D. D. (2011) City Report on Ho Chi Minh City, Unpublished UN-Habitatbackground study for “State of the World’s Cities Report 2012/2013”21 Admassie, Y. (2011) City Report on Addis Ababa, Unpublished UN-Habitat backgroundstudy for “State of the World’s Cities Report 2012/2013”22 UNDP (2009) Arab Human Development Report: Challenges to Human Security in theArab Countries , UNDP , New York,,p. 113-114.77