The urban squeeze

Representatives of civil society organisations have called for Commonwealth member states and the Commonwealth Consultative Group on Human Settlements to produce a report on the ‘State of the Commonwealth’s cities’.

This request was included in the civil society statement – Realising People’s Potential – presented to Commonwealth Heads of Government at their recent biennial meeting in Kampala, Uganda.

Civil society organisations from across the Commonwealth met at the Commonwealth People’s Forum, which took place from 18 to 22 November 2007.

In their statement, representatives said that the report should be presented at the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2009. They noted that it should assess “opportunities and threats of urban growth in relation to poverty alleviation, sustainable and people-centred development and reducing disparities in living conditions.”

This call for a ‘State of the Commonwealth’s cities’ report was prompted by the fact that in 2007, for the first time, there are more people living in cities than in rural areas.

“Getting people out of poverty depends on how we plan and manage urban areas,” said Christine Platt, President of the Commonwealth Association of Planners. She added: “One reason why many countries are falling behind on their Millennium Development Goals is that they have not managed to harness the full potential of urban growth – or to manage the environmental impacts of such growth.”

Ms Platt warns: “Gridlocked cities are inefficient cities. What will they be like when they double in size, as many will, in the next 20 years?”

Dr Clifford Dann, from the Commonwealth Association of Surveying and Land Economy, stressed the importance of secure land tenure.

“Legal title to land and property is vital to building security and prosperity. Having a proper right to their property can transform people’s lives and prospects. Property can provide security for loans that can then enable development of small business and entrepreneurialism,” he noted.

Dr Dann argued that it is important to have land for new housing in locations that are accessible to jobs and services. “Urban land is worth more than rural land. Cities are growing fast – professional skills and good governance are needed to make best use of land and for good maintenance of essential urban infrastructure.”

The statement from civil society representatives also congratulated the Commonwealth Consultative Group on Human Settlements “for its recognition that the Commonwealth is well placed to take action on the Habitat Agenda and sustainable development, and for its continued support for the Commonwealth goal of ‘demonstrated progress towards adequate shelter for all with secure tenure and access to essential services in every community by 2015’.”