 "World Cities Day 2023")
With an aim to promote the global community’s interest in the challenges posed by rapid modern urbanisation, the World Cities Day is celebrated every year on October 31. The day serves as a potential chance to empower participation among countries to promote sustainable urban development across the world.
It is important to note that the proliferation and expansion of urban areas or ‘urbanisation’ has existed since the times of the Indus Valley Civilisation. In the modern sense, such development started during the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century. In their constant endeavour to find jobs and better economic opportunities, the rural population began settling around the spots near factories, accelerating the creation of modern cities.
World Cities Day 2023: Theme
World Cities Day is celebrated every year with various themes. This year the day centres around the theme of "Financing sustainable urban future for all".
The theme concentrates on the most proficient method to open up transformative investment in urban planning and accomplish adequate fiscal decentralisation. It should be noted that "Better City, Better Life" has been the general theme of World Cities Day since its origin.
What is the history behind World Cities day?
In its goal 68/239, the United Nations Organisation founded World Cities Day on December 27, 2013. Hence, on October 31, 2014 for the first time, World Cities Day was celebrated. In 1976, it was the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlement that impacted the choice of the UNGA to lay out World Cities Day.
Presently, with a motive to promote the improvement of sustainable cities in accordance with SDG 11 objectives, the UN Habitat program was laid out the next year. It is important to remember this, as later in 2014, UN-Habitat launched Urban October.
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What is the importance of World Cities Day?
The level of urbanisation in a nation signifies its economic development. Nonetheless, such urban prosperity leads to difficulties in social, financial, demographic and ecological structure of a place.
Moreover, uprooting of original inhabitants, deforestation, issues of healthcare, appropriate food supply, contamination and animals losing their living spaces are the most apparent repercussions of rampant urbanisation. This worldwide day helps address the urban development challenges by uniting all local and global stakeholders.
Role of WHO in World Cities Day
On World Urban areas Day, WHO plays an active role in organizing different occasions. These events are intended to design new technical guidance and instruments, disperse advocacy messages, and bring issues to light about urban medical problems. They unite wellbeing specialists and urban professionals to cooperatively address the multifaceted difficulties that urban regions present.
