Introduction

To advance the sustainable development goals in towns, Collingwood in partnership with the Urban Economy Forum and UN-Habitat is hosting the 3rd annual Collingwood World Summit where town leaders, public and private sector partners, urban activists, academics and civil society will gather to exchange and share best practices pertaining to sustainable development and the advancement of the 2030 Agenda.

In the previous 2020 and 2021 summits, the organizing partners have established a national and global network of stakeholders in towns which has presented great opportunities for collaboration for the realization of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11 – sustainable cities and communities - at the scale of towns and small cities.

The main focus of the 3rd annual summit will be on Sustainable Housing and Finance. The United Nations (UN) estimates the global population will reach 8.5 billion by 2030, with almost 60% of the population living in urban centers. An estimated 3 billion people will need new housing and basic urban infrastructure by 20301. Overall, more people in the world live in urban than in rural settings. In 2020, 56.2 percent of the world population was urban with about half of them living in small cities and towns of less than 500,000 inhabitants2. Against the backdrop of rapid urbanization putting pressure on housing delivery systems, many are not able to afford formal housing without proper housing finance solutions. This puts the issue of housing finance at the forefront of the global development agenda.

During the summit, the participants will engage in a conversation on housing and the concept of sustainable human settlements. As mentioned earlier, the contemporary world is faced with rapid urbanization at tremendous rates. Through migration, populations have moved to metropolitan cities and towns for better opportunities. This has created social, environmental, cultural, and economic challenges around the world. In addition, the process of migration has led to challenges requiring attention for charting a pathway for sustainability. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a migration from urban centers to suburban areas and towns. For example, new population data from Statistics Canada shows that overall the number of Canadians living in rural areas has increased by 0.7 percent between July 2020 and July 2021, with Ontario and Quebec reporting the highest number of city dwellers relocating to smaller cites and towns3. The post Covid-19 recovery needs to recognize the key and significant role towns play in realizing the SDGs.

In other words, in the post pandemic world there have been fundamental changes in lifestyle behaviors and workforce patterns such as remote working. It has been observed that people have moved to towns and suburbs from metropolitan centers as preferable places to live. Further, the post-Covid recovery in the housing sector has also identified the need to expand access to eviction prevention, legal services, and financial advice.

The Summit will also provide an opportunity to examine regional and global connectivity on a wide range of issues as it relates to innovative approaches to housing and post-Covid 19 recovery.

Also of importance is the spatial value that relates to the urban design and architecture which are interlinked with housing. In this regard, it is important to understand how housing and architecture can promote sustainability in the process of building new town neighbourhoods and urban design. In this case sustainable housing not only encompasses social, economic, and environmental components but is also aligned with urban identity, affordable housing and Housing for All. Urban identity is integrating the historical, cultural and contextual factors.

The aim of the third summit will continue the conversation on the criteria of sustainability, urban resources, and architectural spatial values that are related to the quality of space. This will aim to provide better housing solutions or alternative housing that are in alignment with the economic dimensions of towns and small cities. Alternative housing models can provide solutions for not only covering the requirements for housing quantitively but also focusing on the quality of urban space in cities, towns and small cities.

Climate change presents the single biggest threat to sustainable development and its widespread, unprecedented impacts disproportionately burden the poorest and most vulnerable regions and communities. During the past decade climate-fuelled disasters were the primary driver of internal displacement forcing 20 million people a year from their homes4. Those living in homelessness or lacking access to resilient or secure housing are the most adversely affected, as they often live in areas that are vulnerable to floods, hurricanes and cyclones, extreme storms, mudslides, earthquakes and tsunamis. Moreover, countries taking disaster risk management measures often fail to consider their effects on vulnerable communities and their right to housing.

The housing industry also contributes to climate impacts. It has been estimated that the building and construction sector accounts for 39% of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, most of which are concentrated in middle-and high-income countries5. Green building is an innovative solution to combat climate impacts and the housing sector since it transforms the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life for all citizens. Many urban developers are beginning to embed the principles of the environment, social and governance (ESG). These strategies are in the preliminary stages and require support from governments and the international community. The international community as a whole must respond to the climate crisis while also ensuring access to sustainable housing and prioritizing those most in need.

The 3rd Collingwood World Summit will encourage towns and small cities to share their best practices in view of creating spatial projects. This year’s summit will be held on the occasion of World’s Cities Day and will continue it’s main mandate to transform socially, economically, environmentally deprived urban areas into connected, dynamic drivers and vibrant neighbourhoods that achieve increasing equality of outcomes for all. As such, all urban activists, town leaders, economists, finance institutions, architects, academics and civil society are invited to participate in the summit.