Collaborative Policy Goals for Urban Settlements

The article emphasizes the necessity of an epistemic community focusing on human settlements’ public policy, addressing four key areas: co-creating context-specific goals, studying interventions and pathways, understanding and addressing enabling factors and barriers, and involving a broad spectrum of stakeholders.
Co-creating Goals:
Municipalities aim to align with the Paris Climate Agreement by setting net-zero emission targets and improving adaptation and resilience to extreme weather. Goals must be specific to local contexts and involve various local actors. Example targets include deploying heat pumps to decarbonize heating, promoting active and public transport, and increasing urban green coverage to mitigate heat waves. Addressing resistant elements like the rise of SUVs and considering broader societal needs are crucial for effective climate action.
Interventions and Pathways:
Pathways analysis helps identify robust interventions adaptable to local conditions while engaging citizens. Effective interventions include retrofitting buildings, vehicle electrification, and urban greening. Stakeholder involvement ensures pathways address social dynamics and equity concerns, leveraging technological and bottom-up insights. Pathways also highlight the importance of health equity and avoiding adverse outcomes like gentrification.
Stakeholders:
Urban governance involves multiple levels and actors, including national frameworks, municipal leadership, civil society, businesses, and skilled trades. Effective coordination across government levels and sectors is essential. Data governance, involving transparent and democratic processes, is increasingly important for urban climate governance, enabling better policy-making and citizen participation.
Enabling Factors:
Enabling factors encompass infrastructure, data, education, finance, and legal frameworks. Physical and digital infrastructures support climate action, while education and skills training are vital for deploying new technologies. Financial support from national levels is crucial for municipal climate initiatives. Legal alignment between national and city regulations is necessary to facilitate local action.
Overall, the article advocates for integrated, context-specific, and stakeholder-inclusive approaches to urban climate governance, emphasizing the importance of co-creation, robust pathways, multi-level stakeholder engagement, and enabling infrastructures and policies.