Young Commonwealth architects, urbanists advocate for SDG11

As the forthcoming Commonwealth Summit scheduled for April 2018 in the UK draws to a close, young planners, architects and urbanists of the Commonwealth Association of Planners (CAP, RTPI) and Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA, RIBA) in Nigeria have shared their vision on how young people could help achieve Sustainable Development Goal 11, which seeks to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

In a communiqué issued at the end of members of the group’s recent meeting held at the Faculty of Environmental Design, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Nigeria members of the group said it was their obligation as young built-environment professionals to “ensure sustainability in the planning, development and management of cities and human settlements in Nigeria and the Commonwealth.”

Amongst others, the group called for the need to “Encourage youth participation in urban governance, policy formulation and implementation through employment in local, sub-national, national, and regional governments, ministries, and agencies responsible for housing and urban development” adding that there was need to “deliver safe and affordable housing through fostering innovation in research, design and development of locally available materials that are sustainable and resilient.”

The communiqué also advocated for delivering what it called “inclusive and sustainable urbanization by promoting participatory and integrated urban planning involving all key stakeholders in local communities, government, civil societies, academia, professional practice and the private sector through advocacy, research and policy development.”

The group’s statement urged for the need to protect the world’s cultural and natural heritage by promoting practices that integrated conservation and restoration in urban development for buildings of historical significance and natural habitats of ecological importance as well as advocated for the need to reduce the adverse effects of natural disasters by promoting design solutions for resilient housing and infrastructure to protect people in vulnerable situations.

“We emphasize on the need to promote youth-led social entrepreneurship, public/private partnerships, as well as promote national, regional and international development and collaboration in order to successfully deliver the SDG 11 within the commonwealth. We bear a strong optimism and conviction that the journey towards a common future of prosperity, security, fairness, and sustainability can be achieved when we work together to create a better future for all, especially the 1 billion young people in the Commonwealth,” the communiqué concluded.