International Housing Coalition
Weekly Update
January 8, 2016
In this Update 
"It is time to think urban!"
 

A4
Brookings Foresight Africa Report Highlight on Cities

The Bookings Institution's Africa Growth Initiative publishes an annual report on priorities for promoting successful growth and development in Africa for 2016. This year, a diverse set of experts have discussed 6 themes, including the importance of urbanization and cities. 

The fourth chapter of the publication, titled "Capitalizing on Urbanization: the Importance of Planning, Infrastructure, and Finance for Africa's Growing Cities," and focuses on the challenges and opportunities of urbanization in Africa, including in intermediate cities.  The article references Habitat III's slogan "It is time to think urban" and calls both for an African vision for its cities, and a focus on the importance of Habitat III. It provides background on the pace of urbanization in Africa and suggests that to successfully harness the potential of the New Urban Agenda, the inhabitants of the city must be at the core of any development strategy. 

Read the full report here.
A3
SID-Washington Event: World Humanitarian Summit 

The first ever World Humanitarian Summit will take place in May of this year in Istanbul. The conference aims to set a new vision on how to meet the needs of the millions of people affected by conflicts and disasters, and set new goals and practices for global humanitarian assistance. 

Please join the Society for International Development for a discussion on what commitments will be needed to make the Summit a success. The panel will feature representatives from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, Relief International, the Center for International Disaster Information, and Oxfam America. 

As the world continues to urbanize, and more of the most vulnerable perople migrate to cities, an urban perspective to humanitarian assistance also becomes more important. 

WHEN: Tuesday January 12th 9:00 -10:30 AM (EST)
WHERE: Society for International Development
1101 15th Street NW Washington, DC

Find more information and RSVP here. 
A2
Making Paris Happen - Policy Solutions for Climate Change

One month since the Paris climate agreement, please join the Center for Global Development for a discussion on how nations can maintain momentum to turn the commitments made in Paris into national action. Topics will include carbon markets and taxes, forest conservation, economic tools, and the economics of reducing greenhouse gasses. 

Many of these issues will have a direct consequences for cities and urban residents around the world, ensuring that nations can urbanize in a way that is sustainable and does not exclude of the poor and vulnerable. This is the key challenge that IHC sees for attaining the "resilience" objective of Global Goal 11. 

WHEN: Monday January 11th 11:30 AM
WHERE: Center for Global Development 
2055 L Street NW, Washington D.C.

Find more information and RSVP here.   The event will also be webcast live for remote viewing. 
AL
In the News and Around the Web
  • Read a report on best practices for national urban transportation plans here. 
  • Read a Devex article discussing the importance of security to the development of strong cities here. 

International Housing Coalition
1424 K St NW, Suite 600
Washington, D.C. 20005 
phone: (202) 239-4401
email: info@intlhc.org