How should cities plan for migration? Alumna co-authors in-depth book

Calgary attracts people from all over the world looking for great jobs and quality of life; in fact, we have one of the highest levels of net migration in Canada. Our population is projected to double by 2050, so how are cities like ours planning for sustainable growth from a multitude of perspectives — economic, social, environmental and cultural?

One of our alumni authored a book for the United Nations addressing just that. Three years ago, the UN adopted Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development outlining 17 Sustainable Development Goals — challenging the world to transform by 2030. This book is part of a series of 17 shorts, each examining how to implement one goal. Sustainable Development Goal 11 recognizes the need to make cities and human settlements “inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.” 

Dr. Maha Al-Zu’bi completed her PhD at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Environmental Design in 2016 and is an action planning expert consultant at Global Green Growth Institute. The organization is a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organization dedicated to supporting and promoting strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies.

• International Migrants Day was on Dec. 18, 2018 

Al-Zu’bi co-authored a book with Vesela Radovic, a professor at Belgrade University, Serbia. Addressing Sustainable Development Goal #11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, the book provides an in-depth, integrated assessment of the issue. 

She says, “The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes the contribution of migration to sustainable development. Migration is a cross-cutting issue, relevant to all of the Sustainable Development Goals and in fact, the 2030 agenda’s core principle is to ‘leave no one behind.’ This is the first time migration is recognized as a driving force behind planning and policy.”

Climate change is initiating mass migration. The book guides urban designers and policy-makers on the considerations and approaches for redesigning cities to accommodate sustainable accelerated economic and infrastructure growth — while building a framework for everyone to feel safe and happy. 

Titled SDG11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities: Towards Inclusive, Safe, and Resilient Settlements, the book outlines five barriers to meeting the SDG11 targets and indicators. These challenges are: 

• The requirement for multi-stakeholder, multi-regional collaboration
• Lack of a framework allowing for interdisciplinary solutions
• Lack of ability for all countries to measure progress and success
• Difficulty communicating these goals to a wider audience which would support information exchange and consensus building, and 
• Urban security

The latter is probably the most important when it comes to people who are migrating. The importance of considerations such as public and green spaces, and providing food security and safety is highlighted as factors that foster community health and liveability. 

Dr. Al-Zu’bi addes, “The book sheds light on the connection between SDG11, migration and its impact on social, economic and security on hosting communities, and provides examples from Serbia and Jordan.” Indeed, the book dedicates a full chapter to stories, policies and strategies from the Middle East (Amman City) and Europe (Serbia), and how these cities were able to help decision-makers, planners and policy-makers achieve SDG 11. 

The challenges identified and lessons learned can provide valuable insight as policy-makers worldwide, including those in Calgary, plan for sustainable development and population growth.

This book uses empirical analysis to address challenges associated with the implementation of SDG11. It considers policies, strategies and success stories from various regions, countries and cities, including actions to improve natural resources management, reduce GHG emissions, and develop urban adaptation and resilience strategies and disaster risk management to help decision-makers, planners and practitioners in achieving the 2030 agenda.