URBAN

GOVERNANCE
 DEFINITION OF URBAN
GOVERNANCE
 Urban governance is concerned with the processes
through which government is organized and delivered in
urban areas and the relationships between state agencies
and civil society.
 It involves continuous negotiation and contestation over
the allocation of social and material resources and
political power.
 SIGNIFICANCE OF URBAN GOVERNANCE
According to Slack and Cote (2014:7), urban governance:
 plays a critical role in shaping the physical and social character of
urban regions;
 influences the quantity and quality of local services and efficiency
of delivery;
 determines the sharing of costs and distribution of resources
among different groups; and
 affects residents’ ability to access local government and engage in
decision-making, influencing local government accountability and
responsiveness to citizen demands.
 SIGNIFICANCE OF URBAN GOVERNANCE
Managing cities and urban growth is one of the defining
challenges of the twenty-first century. If managed well, cities can act
as engines of growth and provide inhabitants with better job
opportunities and improved healthcare, housing, safety and social
development. Further, cities can contribute to national growth
through increased revenue generation and political stability, as well
as playing a role in post-conflict reconciliation. Conversely, cities
that are poorly planned, managed and governed can become centers
of poverty, inequality and conflict.
 ACTORS AND ROLES IN
URBAN GOVERNANCE
 Urban governance involves a range of actors and institutions; the
relationships among them determine what happens in the city.
 In managing urban transformations, government (at all levels) need to
play a strategic role in forging partnerships with and among key
stakeholders (UNESCAP & UN-Habitat, 2010:211-12;2015)
 While the city government is the largest and most visible urban
governance actor, much of what affects the life chances of the urban
poor lies outside the control of city administrations. Instead, other
actors such as the private sector, central state, or collective voluntary
action of the civil society determine the daily experiences of urban
dwellers.
THREE KEYS TO SUSTAINABLE URBAN
GOVERNANCE

 In an article written by Brittany Lane (2015), she mentioned that it

requires engagement, continuity, and capacity to strengthen the
community and ensure that cities governed equitably and
inclusively. These key components make urban development
responsive to the needs of local communities.
 THREE KEYS TO SUSTAINABLE URBAN
GOVERNANCE
 Citizen Engagement Keeps Decision Making Equitable
 One key aspect of urban governance is engaging and involving the greater
urban governance community in planning and development. Ensuring
sustainability requires engaging citizens and holding local officials
accountable.
 Informal and formal structures for citizen engagement and participation like
petitions or public hearings can help create an environment on which
priorities and objectives for sustainable urban development can be set with
input from the very people who will be impacted by the success of failure of
local decisions.
 THREE KEYS TO SUSTAINABLE URBAN
GOVERNANCE
 Continuity Ensures that Leaders Deliver on Promises
 Many cities and countries often experience a lack of continuity when it comes
to decision making about urban development.
 For example, there are tendencies that elected officials (who face term limits)
prefer easily-implementable projects. However, sustainable urban
development is a continuous process and is not confined to the four or five
year terms common across many city governments.
 Providing continuity could be achieved by keeping citizens, civil society
groups, and the private sector active in decision making processes and
supporting them with the appropriate procedural rights.
 THREE KEYS TO SUSTAINABLE URBAN
GOVERNANCE
 Sustainable Cities Require Strong Capacity
 The success of a policy of or project also relies on the capacity of the local
governments to implement, develop, and maintain projects well. Typically,
cities are responsible for providing a range of services for the public.
 Hiring staff, making planning decisions, interacting with citizens, raising
money, collecting taxes, and negotiating contracts require substantial capacity
so that cities can function sustainably.
 Ensuring that cities have adequate institutional capacity is absolutely vital to
improving quality of life for urban residents and reducing environmental
impact.
REFERENCES
 https://thecityfix.com/blog/three-keys-sustainable-urban-governance-brittany-lane/
#:~:text=Sustainable%20Cities%20Require%20Strong%20Capacity&text=Ensuring%20that
%20cities%20have%20adequate,inclusive%20and%20accountable%20governance
%20processes
 https://gsdrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/UrbanGov_GSDRC.pdf