New Urban Agenda adopted with focus on safe and sustainable urban mobility
United Nations member states have adopted the New Urban Agenda, recognising the role safe and sustainable mobility has to play in meeting the global challenges posed by rapidly growing cities.
The New Urban Agenda is a framework document that will guide how countries, city and regional leaders, international development funders, UN programmes and civil society will address urbanisation over the next 20 years.
Adopted yesterday at the Habitat III conference in Quito (Ecuador), it includes a strong focus on mobility and envisages cities and human settlements that promote age- and gender-responsive planning and investment for sustainable, safe and accessible urban mobility for all.
The document emphasises integrating transport and mobility plans into overall urban and territorial plans. It also encourages developing sustainable urban transport and mobility policies, expanding financing instruments and urban-rural interactions and connectivity to strengthen sustainable transport and mobility.
Reflected in the New Urban Agenda is also the importance of improving road safety and integrating safety elements into sustainable mobility and transport infrastructure planning and design. As part of this, member states committed to promoting a safe system approach called for in the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety.
National governments agreed to adopt, implement, and enforce policies and measures to actively protect and promote pedestrian and cyclist safety – and to prioritise promoting safe and healthy journeys to school for children. This approach will improve the health of citizens, and prevent injuries and non-communicable diseases.
Delegates at Habitat III who attended various mobility-related sessions also heard how the CIVITAS Initiative provides a platform for cities to learn from each other – an important element in helping cities introduce more sustainable urban mobility policies and measures.
Image copyright: CLAUSURA HÁBITAT III (image on Flickr) by "Agencia de Noticias ANDES", licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
