This is an account of the 3rd Un Habitat Conference in Quito and an analysis of the New Urban Agenda, made by Roberto Rocco and Ana Maria Fernandez-Maldonado (TU Delft)

1. WHAT HAPPENED IN QUITO?
Presentation by
Ana Maria Fernandez-Maldonado & Roberto Rocco
Delft University of Technology
Department of Urbanism
Chair Spatial Planning and Strategy
Delft University of
Technology
U
URBANISM
SPS

2. Contents
New Urban Agenda
– What for? Character
– By whom?
– How?
– What it contains?
The Habitat III meeting itself
The critique:
- Habitat Alternativo
- Resistance to Habitat

3. Disclaimer
All photos contained in this presentation are taken by Roberto and Ana Maria.
This presentation is based on our own experience as participants of Habitat
III. Information comes mainly from:
Habitat III website: https://habitat3.org
Citiscope: http://citiscope.org
Habitat Alternativo: https://www.flacso.edu.ec/portal/contenido/eventos/
habitat-3-alternativo.1696
The logo, colours and illustrations are official designs for Habitat III. No
reproduction rights infringement was intended.

4. Download the New Urban Agenda
In English
Click here to download

5. Introduction
Watch the movie
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umZedR_8XH8
Main points in the movie:
• By addressing urbanisation problems, we will be addressing
several of the main problems faced by humanity
• Implementation is the key word
• Many countries have to catch up, after rapid and not sustainable
urbanisation processes

6. Process

14. Who were the Habitat III major players?
Coordination: Habitat III Secretariat
• received and analyzed reports
• prepared for major events
• organised preparatory committees
• liaised with civil society and other U. N. agencies
Adapted from Citiscope, 2016

15. Who were the Habitat III major players?
Adapted from Citiscope, 2016
Habitat III Bureau:
• Chad, Chile, Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, Germany, Indonesia, Senegal, Slovakia, and Arab
Emirates.
PrepComs:
• Indonesia, Sweden and Singapore.
• Barcelona, Guadalajara, Johannesburg, Mexico City, Montréal and Tel Aviv
U. N. agencies:
• UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) UN Development Programme (UNDP) International Organization
of Migration (IOM)
General Assembly of Partners
• 16 constituent groups (also post-Quito) (AESOP, Polism NGOs, other stakeholders)
Universities and research centres:
• U. of Pennsylvania, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, U from Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso, UCL, HIS, U
Federal de Pernambuco,.

16. Issue papers:
Adapted from Citiscope, 2016
Habitat III published
22 issue papers in
May 2015, authored
by UN agencies and
other researchers.
http://unhabitat.org/issue-
papers-and-policy-units/

27. Types of events
https://habitat3.org/programme/

32. • The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), officially known as Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development is a set of seventeen aspirational "Global Goals" with 169 targets between
them, was enacted in Dec 2014.

34. A summary of the NUA
• The New Urban Agenda must be forward
looking, and focused on problem solving with
clear means of implementation.
• It should adopt a city-wide approach to
development with concrete strategies and
actions, introducing clear funding mechanisms
and effective means of monitoring.

35. • 2 The agenda conveys a sense of urgency in
the implementation of policies and actions
that cannot depend on political schedules or
opportunistic moments, but in clear and
well-defined implementation plans.

36. • 3 The new agenda will seek to create a
mutually reinforcing relationship between
urbanisation and development, with the aim
that they become parallel vehicles for
sustainable development.

37. • 4 The New Urban Agenda should establish
links to other global agreements and
agendas and to be clearly connected to the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

38. • 5 The vision of the New Urban agenda can
be steered to induce transformative
change promoting a new urbanisation
model that is universal and adaptable to
different national circumstances.

39. Points of discussion
• Implementation and follow up
• Levels of implementation (local level is crucial)
• Inclusivity and sustainability are key concepts
• Progressive agenda, but shaped and worded so that all
UN State members could sign
• Commitment from state members to implement
• Need for capacity building programmes
• Need for local tools and instruments

40. Points of discussion
• No mention to LGBT rights
• No mention to the concept of Right to the City (but articles
11 to 13 spell out the right to the city and participation is
emphasised
• ‘Sanitised document’ (result of consensus among very
different nations)
• But… progressive document that includes the social
function of urban property and value capture mechanisms
as a tool for local adms.
• Follow up and events

41. Implementation!!!

42. Break out of sections
Quito Declaration on Sustainable Cities and
Human Settlements for All
Shared Vision; Principles and Commitments
Call for Action
Quito Implementation Plan for the New Urban Agenda
The Transformative Commitments for Sustainable Urban Development
Effective Implementation
Follow-up and Review

43. EXAMPLE PRINCIPLES EXPLAINED
Focus on Urban Design and Planning
Sub-National and Local Governments
The Role of Participatory and “Bottom-Up” Practices
Innovation, Data and Technology

45. HABITAT ALTERNATIVO
A complementary and parallel event to Habitat III .”This alternative
proposal is born from reflection done by local authorities, social
movements, academics and specialists on urban topics. It proposes a
critical take on the New Urban Agenda and it is a propositional and
inclusive answer to it. It gathers different voices and visions from
citizens who produce the city collectively”.
To know more: follow the link: https://www.flacso.edu.ec/portal/
contenido/eventos/habitat-3-alternativo.1696
Most articles are in Spanish.

46. HABITAT ALTERNATIVO
Main critiques:
• not inclusive enough (no direct participation)
• no mention to the right to the city
• no mention to LGBT rights
• does not address the causes of inequality, injustice and unbalanced
development.

47. Thanks for watching
For questions, please write to
r.c.rocco@tudelft.nl