CSCN 2018 meeting

Kigali, 19 Sept 2018

Inclusive urban economies

'Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.' Jane Jacobs

Leadership is a theme which cuts across all of these and effective urban/municipal leadership is at the heart of the commitments to multi-level governance which all governments have signed up to in their adoption of the Agenda 2030 in September 2015.

Meeting background paper Inclusive Urban Economies 

This  CSCN meeting focused on inclusive urban economies and explored the important role that cities play in planning for and enabling economic development, not just within their own boundaries, but also as nodes in more complex value chains and markets that link the urban with peri-urban and rural authorities. Participants considered the nature of economic development within and between cities, both domestically and internationally, looking particularly at efforts to ensure equitable economic development and enable inclusive access to markets and economic opportunities for women, disadvantaged groups and internally displaced people, with a focus on the role of ICT and mobile technology. The meeting also looked at the challenges of resourcing cities effectively and the need to rethink financing models. They spoke to the needs not just of major urban centres but also secondary cities, many of which are growing more rapidly and have urgent infrastructure and investment needs.

The meeting in Kigali, hosted by the the Rwanda Association of Local Government Authorities and the Ministry of Local Government, Rwanda, enabled the CSCN to reflect on these issues and set a course to strengthen our work to support sustainable city
development across the Commonwealth