As part of International Week representatives from the built environment professions met to discuss the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and shared what they were doing in order to support the Sustainable Development Goals – the set of 17 goals to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all.
Chairing the meeting was RIBA Vice President International, Peter Oborn, who noted the following from the proceedings:
“Dr Joan Clos started the discussion by providing an update on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda, stressing the importance of understanding the value of urbanisation as a catalyst for development and noting the need to focus on the value of location and of agglomeration.
“Dr Clos also highlighted UN Habitat's focus on planned city extensions, urban infill and urban regeneration; noting the need for architects and planners to engage more effectively with the political process in order help explain the value of design, and to look beyond buildings to the quality of the places and spaces being created; echoing the message in a recent interview with Lord Foster.
“During the course of the round table, participants shared their work towards supporting the Sustainable Development Goals – the set of 17 goals to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all - and it quickly became apparent that cities and urbanisation are emerging as central themes and that much can be done to better coordinate our collective efforts. To address this concern, participants agreed to map their current activity in order to provide greater visibility and to help identify areas for potential future cooperation.”
RIBA policy roundtable representatives
- Jane Duncan, Royal Institute of British Architects
- Dr Joan Clos, UN Habitat
- Rogier van den Berg, UN Habitat
- Jago Atkinson, Foreign & Commonwealth Office
- Rubinna Karruna, Department for International Development
- Zoe Norgate, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
- Conor Ritchie, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
- Sarah Mann, British Council
- Stephen Stenning, British Council
- Greg Munro, Commonwealth Local Government Forum
- Sir Graham Wynne, Prince's International Sustainability Unit
- Ben Bolgar, Prince's Foundation for Building Community
- Peter Oborn, Royal Institute of British Architects
- Trudi Elliott CBE, Royal Town Planning Institute
- Peter Geraghty, Royal Town Planning Institute
- Professor Mike Cook, Institution of Structural Engineers
- Clare Eriksson, Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors
- Brittany Harris, Institution of Civil Engineers
RIBA policy roundtable joint statement
Built environment professions commit to detailed engagement with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
Representatives from the built environment professions have agreed to better coordinate their engagement with the United Nation’s 2030 Sustainable Development goals (SDG’s)*. The commitment was agreed at a roundtable attended by government, NGO’s and the built environment professions at a Policy Roundtable** at the RIBA yesterday afternoon, as part of the RIBA’s inaugural International Week of events focused on the theme of delivering the UN’s New Urban Agenda.
Hosted by the UK Built Environment Advisory Group, the roundtable included UN Habitat Executive Director, Dr Joan Clos together with representatives from the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the British Council, the Prince’s Foundation for Building Community, the Prince’s International Sustainability Unit, the Commonwealth Local Government Forum, RIBA, RTPI, IStructE, ICE and RICS.[MF1]
Recognising the challenges created by climate change and the predicted growth in the world’s urban population by 2.5bn by 2050 the built environment institutes present agreed the need to better coordinate their response to the SDG's and undertook to review their current activity in order to identify potential areas for future collaboration. It was also agreed to help support foreign governments where possible in implementing the SDGs and the New Urban Agenda.
* On September 25 2015, countries adopted a set of goals to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all as part of a new sustainable agenda new sustainable development agenda. Each goal has specific targets to be achieved over the next 15 years.
www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/
** The Roundtable formed part of the RIBA's international week, focused on the theme of delivering the New Urban Agenda, which was published and agreed to by governments including the UK at Habitat III in Quito towards the end of 2016. The New Urban Agenda seeks to create a framework for achieving sustainable urban development in all countries and provides a vehicle for dialogue between policy makers, built environment professionals and local communities.
