Weekly Urban News Update
In This Update
HabIIIHabitat III: The New Urban Agenda Has Been Adopted!

After negotiations at Habitat III this week in Quito, Ecuador, the United Nations adopted the New Urban Agenda at the closing plenary session on Thursday, October 20. The Habitat III secretariat released a press release praising the agenda as a resonating commitment of governments, stakeholders and all Habitat III citizens. IHC Global is committed to supporting and advocating its implementation across the globe. 
OneIHC Global and Habitat III

The IHC Global team has been at Habitat III this week, and have enjoyed watching history in the making while promoting equitable urban sustainability and Goal 11 of the SDGs. We have had an incredibly full schedule, hosting three events and participating in and attending many more. Our time in Quito has been covered on our twitter, and we will have a recap of the conference on our website soon.
A  IHC Global CEO Judith Hermanson at Habitat III

IHC Global President and CEO Judith Hermanson has participated on several panels this week at Habitat III, including the FIABCI-led panel, The City We Need is Affordable. Watch this video to see Judith Hermanson and IHC Global in action. IHC Global's part starts at 1:38:40.

FIABCI Panel
FIABCI Panel
CHabitat for Humanity Pledges Commitments to Habitat III

Habitat for Humanity reaffirmed their commitments to the New Urban Agenda on the second day of Habitat III. At a jam-packed meeting on the Urban Stage, Habitat for Humanity committed to promoting more sustainable cities through their Solid Ground campaign and Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter, and pledged increased access to housing for 40 million people worldwide. Habitat for Humanity also introduced their new urban approach, based on the premise that there are eight principles that are universal and essential for good urban and housing development, which can be implemented through various contextually adapted practices. View the video of the event  here
 DUSAID Looks Beyond Habitat III

Carrie Thompson, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Economic Growth, Education and the Environment at USAID, has written a reflection of USAID's commitments at Habitat III, and how the international community will go forward. USAID wants to spur on the New Urban Agenda  by "supporting integrated approaches to urban development that focus on investing in poverty reduction and inclusive economic growth; improving resilience and adapting to climate change; leveraging partnerships, science, technology, data, and innovation; and helping local governments mobilize resources- public and private, foreign and domestic- to finance critical urban infrastructure and municipal services." But USAID cannot do it alone. Habitat III has served as an opportunity for corporations, organizations and governments to meet from across the world with the chance to collaborate. The challenge now is to maintain collaboration.

To read the full article, click here.
NewsIn the News and Around the Web
  • Commitments to the New Urban Agenda are off to a slow start. Read Citiscope's take here.
  • Citiscope also asks, what is the most innovative, transformative idea in the New Urban Agenda? IHC Global CEO Judith Hermanson's answer is quoted. Read it here.
  • A monopoly tournament in Nigeria eerily resembled the chaos of the real-life property market. Read more here.
 
Migrant workers wait on the floor of the Beijing West Railway Station. China's migrant population is estimated at 278 million, and the challenges they face every day in crowded cities like Beijing are numerous and devastating. Source: Washington Post
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