Humans as social beings have a constant need for association. Cities were formed as a result of this historically continuous process. Cities, that are probably the most complicated and magnificent achievement of men, exist at the expense of others from which they draw resources and energy, and at the same time are the largest producers of waste and all forms of pollution.
The emergence of the first permanent settlements and then of the cities was associated with the discovery of agriculture and the abandonment of the nomadic lifestyle. Moving to the cultivation of plants and animals instead of hunting and gathering that required constant movement, enabled the mass association of people in permanent settlements. The banks of the Nile, the Tigris and the Euphrates were home to the first permanent settlements, and Jericho is one of the first cities to be long held, so it is mentioned in the Bible.
The creation of the first cities is one of the most important historical moments when the relationship between nature and man has changed. The urban lifestyle was a quantum leap in energy and resource consumption over the nomad lifestyle, which had almost no environmental impact. As they developed, cities continued to demand increasing sacrifice in the form of matter and energy required for their functioning, while in turn giving their residents more opportunities as well as greater comfort of life for certain groups.
Today, more than 50% of the total number of people on the planet live in cities. From the former cities of a few thousand people, we have come to a megalopolis of over 30 million inhabitants spanning thousands of square kilometers. Cities occupy about 3% of the total land area while consuming 60-80% of energy produced and contributing to 75% of total carbon dioxide emissions1. Urban population growth is faster than global population growth and it is expected that by 2050, two-thirds of the world's population will live in cities2. This accelerated process of urbanization is already making major changes. It is almost impossible to achieve any sustainability unless there is a major change in the way cities are planned, built, and how cities operate.
Cities are complicated systems whose proper functioning requires good planning and management. All the things that seem normal to us - from having lights in the apartment, to making public transportation work and keeping the streets clean - are the result of the planning and daily work of many people.
Yet there is something wrong with our cities. Cities are not self-sustaining and they need a hinterland to source energy and resources for their operation. The dependency of cities is reflected in the fact that it is necessary to supply food and water from rural parts every day, such as the need for daily garbage collection. The poor functioning of cities is also reflected in the pollution of water, air, land, and high levels of sound pollution, which all together negatively affect the people living in the cities.
Cities have become place for diverse social problems. Modern cities are increasingly segregated between rich and poor, as well as between the center and the outskirts. While a small percentage of the city's richest residents enjoy all the benefits, a large number of poor people who come belly for bread remain on the sidelines. In parts where the poorest live, there is often not even a basic function that the city should provide to everyone. Every fourth inhabitant of cities lives in informal settlements, only 53% have public transport available, while as many as nine in ten urban residents breathe in polluted air3.
Towards sustainable cities and communities: worldwide and here
In order to transform cities into more inclusive, safer and more sustainable places to live, the UN has included the need for sustainable cities and communities in its Sustainable Development Goals. Objective 11 was complemented by 10 targets whose progress was measured by monitoring 15 indicators. Multisectoral co-operation is required for such an extensive objective, and at the level of Serbia, coordination of various ministries, such as construction, transport and infrastructure, the ministry of agriculture, the ministry of agriculture, the environment ministry, the interior ministry and the commissioner for equality protection is required.
Objective 11 predicts that by 2030 everyone will have access to adequate housing, although the percentage of people with access to adequate housing has increased, there are still over one billion people living in slums or informal settlements4. Access to public transport is still not at a satisfactory level, and residents of cities in developing and underdeveloped countries are particularly affected.
The problem of waste generated in cities is one of the priority issues. Globally, about 2 billion people do not have access to waste collection services, and about 3 billion people do not have access to controlled landfills. The amount of waste generated is steadily increasing while recycling is still low. In Serbia, less than 1% of municipal waste is recycled5, while a lot of waste ends up in non-municipal landfills.
Urban air pollution has not yet been effectively addressed, with most residents inhaling polluted air, with PM 2.5 suspended particles being the most common pollutants. Polluted air is common in most cities in Serbia, so daily values have been exceeded in many cities from Belgrade, Valjevo and Uzice, to Bor and Smederevo, while many cities still lack reliable data.
In addition to environmental sustainability, Goal 11 addresses the challenges of inclusion and security. It is reported that the vast majority of cities are struggling to provide accessible and public spaces to their residents. While space design often makes them places inaccessible to marginalized groups.
However, there are positive developments, and some cities have been included in the front lines of the fight for a sustainable and just society. When national states are not already doing enough to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, cities are working much more intensively on this. More and more cities are opting for innovative planning methods, as well as supporting public and low-carbon transportation. Participatory planning and budgeting are just some of the practices that progressive cities are increasingly implementing to engage their citizens in the city's planning process. Good examples of leading cities are Copenhagen (urban mobility), Vienna (social housing policies), Ljubljana (the green capital of Europe), Porto Alegre (participatory budgeting), etc.
To have more examples like these, it is necessary to connect cities at the transnational level with even greater citizen participation in planning their future in changing cities. As one example of good practice in the form of support for energy and climate policy-making, the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy has been recognized. Launched in 2008, the Covenant brings together cities and local governments, not only from the EU, but from around the world, who are ready to work on climate and energy policies.
Predrag Momčilović, Belgrade Open School
Photo source: Belgrade Open School
[1]https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/cities/
[3]https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/E_Infographic_11.pdf
[4]https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg11
[5]https://data.stat.gov.rs/Home/Result/SDGUN11060100?caller=SDGUN&languageCode=sr-Latn