Ethical Cities: Locking in Liveability Urban Thinkers Campus, February 16

Monday, February 15, 2016

World Vision International and the UN Global Compact – Cities Programme will co-host the first Australian Urban Thinkers Campus, themed “Ethical Cities: Locking in Liveability”, at RMIT University in Melbourne on February 16.

The Campus is part of UN-Habitat’s global campaign on “The City We Need” designed to inform the New Urban Agenda – a set of guidelines on sustainable urban development for the next 20 years - to be launched at the UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development in Ecuador, October 2016.

With 54% of the world’s population living in cities, projected to reach 64% by 2050, it is time to think urban. As cities continue to grow, urban inequality is becoming an endemic and worsening phenomenon placing marginalised groups more vulnerable to social, economic, and physical exclusion, inadequate housing, lack of access to services, health and safety risks, and crime and violence.

The  “Ethical Cities: Locking in Liveability” Urban Thinkers Campus will focus on principles, policies and action planning aimed at bringing ethics and values to the forefront of city planning and urban governance. It will explore the ethics of the city under three themes: inclusion and right to the city, ethical urban development, and urban resilience.

Featuring Tim Costello, CEO of World Vision Australia, and Robert Doyle, the Lord Mayor of Melbourne as keynote speakers, the Campus will propose key recommendations on creating shared value in the city for all its citizens. Mayor Steve Chadwick from Rotorua, New Zealand, will also share her insights on ethical cities.

Tim Costello states, “There is no development approach more effective than one that involves the most marginalised and vulnerable as critical players. Ethical cities provide opportunities for social and economic inclusion for all city dwellers, including children and youth. Everyone has the right to the city.” 

RMIT University’s Professor Ralph Horne, Director of UN Global Compact – Cities Programme says, “We need to tackle the key ethical challenges in city development and living, and draw out new thinking, approaches and partnerships for sustainable urban development. We need to look at what ethical frameworks can guide city-shaping actions to lock in livability for our future cities.”