The Cities Alliance welcomes a new legislation aimed at addressing the challenges of urban development that was introduced in the U.S. Senate 20 April 2010. The bill, titled the Sustainable Urban Development Act of 2010, was introduced by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. John Kerry (D-Massachusetts), Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) and Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-Maryland).
The new bill calls on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to craft better strategies for sustainable urban development. It also urges the agency to help ease the burden on developing nations through a sound policy framework aimed at their future growth and development. In addition, USAID is encouraged to establish a senior advisor position for sustainable urban development and to conduct an urban strategies initiative as a pilot programme.
Cities Alliance Programme Manager William Cobbett welcomed the bill as internationally significant. “This is an extremely welcome initiative, which recognises the potential of urbanisation to contribute to economic growth, and poverty reduction in urban and rural areas alike,” he said. “In many developing countries, cities will double their population in the next 15 years. This legislation is designed to help governments turn challenge into opportunity and ensure that future urban growth is both equitable and efficient”. Cobbett also said that Cities Alliance members would particularly welcome the attention given in the bill to property rights of women.
