“Right to the City” and the Sustainable Development Goals

In recent decades, conflict and crises in the Arab region have forced millions to flee their homes, resulting in a large population of displaced persons. The ability of urban centres to manage unprecedented levels of population growth is critical to the development of a healthy public sphere, and varies widely across the world.  Many Arab cities have struggled to handle the negative effects of rapid urbanization, including overburdened infrastructure, insufficient housing and increased air pollution. Vulnerable groups, such as women, children, elderly persons and persons with disabilities, are often unable to integrate into the formal economy and public sphere, which limits their ability to realize their “right to the city”.

The concept of the “right to the city”, first advanced by French sociologist Henri Lefebvre, highlights the city as a democratic and pluralist space where all inhabitants enjoy equal rights, opportunities and provisions.[1] It is described in the New Urban Agenda as a “vision of cities for all, referring to the equal use and enjoyment of cities and human settlements, seeking to promote inclusivity and ensure that all inhabitants, of present and future generations, without discrimination of any kind, are able to inhabit and produce just, safe, healthy, accessible, affordable, resilient and sustainable cities and human settlements to foster prosperity and quality of life for all”. The vision further delineates the responsibility of Governments to ensure basic provisions, namely adequate, non-discriminatory housing; universal access to quality sanitation; and equal access to public goods and quality services, such as health, education and infrastructure.[2] The right to the city is critical because it concerns marginalized populations, who are both underrepresented in local decision-making bodies and underserved by public services and utilities, such as persons with disabilities who face physical, social and psychological obstacles to public participation.

Adopted in 2015, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is “a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity” intended to further human progress and development in social, economic and environmental spheres, facilitating the transition to an inclusive and vibrant future. Consisting of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets, the 2030 Agenda addresses issues critical to urban centres, including education, environment, housing, poverty, energy, human rights and health. SDG 11 aims to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”.

Within SDG 11, targets 11.2 and 11.7 are specifically intended to address the issues of urban accessibility for vulnerable populations. Target 11.2 focuses on providing “safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons”, while target 11.7 aims to “provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities”. Those targets aim to enhance social cohesion and secure equal opportunity for all inhabitants, allowing them to realize their full human potential by making two critical elements of the public sphere, transportation and communal spaces, safe and accessible.