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Logos: United Nations
Urban October is an opportunity to be part of the conversation about sustainable urbanization. Everyone – from national and local governments to universities, NGOs and communities – is encouraged to take part in virtual or physical activities, events, and discussions. This year #UrbanOctober focuses on the climate crisis which is also the theme of UN-Habitat’s campaign ClimateAction4Cities.
The month begins with #WorldHabitatDay on 4 October 2021. This year the theme is Accelerating urban action for a carbon-free world. Cities are responsible for 70 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, so the focus is on creating sustainable, carbon-neutral, inclusive cities and towns.
The Innovate4Cities 2021 Conference runs from 11 – 15 October and brings people together to advance pragmatic, action-oriented research to help cities reduce their carbon footprint and increase resilience to climate change.
Urban October ends with #WorldCitiesDay on 31 October 2021. This will be the eighth global celebration since it was launched in 2014. The theme for 2021 is ‘Adapting Cities for Climate Resilience, focusing on creating more sustainable, climate-resilient societies.’
Find out more about Urban October, World Habitat Day and World Cities Day on the UN-Habitat Urban October website.
Tool / This toolkit provides insights and recommendations for urban planners to help them adopt more inclusive and gender-sensitive approaches to smart urbanization.
Journal article / The authors propose a “circular innovation studies” agenda, focusing on the circular economy–eco-innovation nexus that has recently attracted attention.
Journal article / The authors present 15 indicator-based frameworks to measure circularity at the city level to fill a gap in mapping and assessing circular economy transitions.
Feature / For World Habitat Day 2021, SEI researchers reflect on the roles that cities and the circular economy play in accelerating urban action for a carbon-free world.
The United Nation’s Agenda for Sustainable Development, and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 'to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable' puts sustainable urbanization at the centre of the global agendas for development.
Urban October / UN-Habitat
Past event / In this webinar, experts discussed the social impacts of a transition to a circular economy in cities.
Past event / In this INTALInC webinar, experts explore promising approaches aimed at overcoming exclusion in East African urban transport planning.
Past event / This webinar will share preliminary findings of ongoing SEI studies on equitable mobility and inclusive climate resilient transport planning in Africa.
Past event / In this session at the Innovate4Cities conference, experts discuss benefits and challenges that cities face when joining research and innovation projects.
Feature / SEI talks about how cities in Asia are approaching climate governance with Dr Danny Marks in the new SEI Asia podcast series "Environment and Policy in Asia".
Other publication / Understanding the challenges of inclusivity and climate resilience in transport planning in Africa: results of a needs assessment in 4 countries.
Feature / There's no lack of sustainable solutions for climate neutral cities, but challenges remain in terms of implementation and upscaling in city structures.
Project / PURE supports development of just and representative climate resilient urban strategies in dryland Namibia, to enhance future health, wellbeing and development.
Perspective / This perspective highlights three major solutions to address the challenges faced by low-income and vulnerable transport users in African cities.
SEI working paper / This paper explores gender issues in East African public transport systems and gender mainstreaming as a way to build more sustainable and inclusive cities.
Feature / At the Eastern Africa Women in Transportation Conference, SEI joined employees and policy-makers to discuss how to create an inclusive public transport sector.
Journal article / Using creative engagement methods can transform city planning and widen inclusion.
Feature / Citizen participation methods can foster a transparent democratic process, while at the same time benefitting municipalities by finding sustainable solutions.
Journal article / This paper addresses challenges faced by LMICs using citizen science to enhance official data monitoring of SDGs.
Perspective / What do practitioners need to be aware of when planning urban green infrastructure using digital tools to engage stakeholders?
Feature / SEI is partnering with local people in the city of Udon Thani in northeast Thailand to find creative ways to improve the urban environment.
Other publication / This brief summarises the current research on the impact of urban air pollution on children in low- and middle-income countries.
Feature / SEI is working with partners to develop policy instruments for air quality management informed by scientific assessments and air quality monitoring in Kenya.
SEI brief / SEI and partners are producing a first-of-its-kind guide for businesses to develop air pollutant emission inventories to track and reduce such emissions.
Feature / SEI Africa has embarked on a plan to deploy air quality sensors in the town of Nakuru in Kenya's Rift Valley to measure the quality of health for residents.
Feature / SEI's Initiative on City Health and Wellbeing uses novel approaches to understand how growing cities can impact wellbeing.
Journal article / This exploratory study applies a standardized analysis framework to health and wellbeing metrics of cities in the UK, Sweden, Estonia, Kenya and Thailand.
Feature / In cities, congestion increases automobile emissions, which ultimately degrades ambient air quality.
Journal article / A systematic review of the evidence for outdoor nature-based interventions to improve adult mental health, identifying effective types, format and dose.
Feature / This fact sheet provides insights into the importance of sustainable cities and gives some practical examples of what cities can do to become more sustainable.
Feature / In this fact sheet, we provide an overview of public-private partnerships (PPPs).
Feature / This factsheet offers some introductory insights into how Swedish municipal governments are financed and what their budgets entail.
Other publication / Read the results of a scoping study on sustainable city bonds.
Feature / Poop is a sustainable alternative source of energy that could help reduce emissions that lead to climate change.
Journal article / How can the circular economy potential of urban waste streams in low- and middle-income countries be realized?
Feature / The interlinkages between the waste management sector and social equity must be recognized and considered in waste policy.
SEI brief / Waste management is a pressing environmental policy concern for Thailand.
Journal article / More cities are embarking on transitions to circular economies as a solution to climate change. Social impacts must be considered for effective transformations.
Feature / Cities can jump-start the transition to a circular economy. The Urban Circularity Assessment Framework project addresses three gaps to facilitate this.
Feature / Circular procurement is a powerful tool for reducing environmental impacts, but implementing it at a city level presents a number of challenges.
Feature / For World Habitat Day 2021, SEI researchers reflect on the roles that cities and the circular economy play in accelerating urban action for a carbon-free world.
Past event / SEI's Johan Kuylenstierna will speak at a panel discussion about the performance and challenges of air quality policy in the Seoul Metropolitan Area.
Past event / Join us to co-create a tangible visualization tool to enable more holistic urban water management and advocate for the human right to water and sanitation.
Past event / Video and poster presented at the ClimateExp0 conference for researchers showcasing recent international research relevant to decisions being made at COP26.
Past event / Join this free webinar to learn how nudging and communication campaigns can be used in environmental policymaking.
Team Leader: Cities, Communities and Consumption; Senior Research Fellow
SEI Headquarters
SEI brief / This initiative investigates how rapidly growing cities affect residents' wellbeing and how this interacts with the overall health of city systems.
Project / Understanding health and wellbeing impacts of mobility and co-designing mobility infrastructure improvements.
Project / This project explored linkages between sustainable urban planning, public transport, mobility, and gender in East Africa.
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