ONLINE thematic workshop “Improving Urban Resilience in Informal Settlements”

9.30 a.m. – 12 p.m. CET

Organizers: UNECE and Global Environmental Policy Programme, University of Geneva

The COVID-19 crisis has accelerated the need for cities to improve their resilience capacities against present and future risks. Cities must reconsider their responses to demands for access to opportunities, quality of life, environmental sustainability, as well as fair distribution of goods and services. In this context, the current crisis has further brought to light informal settlements as highly impactful with respect to the urban and peri-urban fabric. They are at the forefront of containing and monitoring of transmissions, and need to be better integrated into cities’ resilience strategies. However, this integration of informal settlements is hindered by weak infrastructure and spatial planning, limited access to goods and services, and a lack of adequate data on dwellings and inhabitants.

To understand how resilience strategies can be practically utilized in informal settlements, UNECE, the UNECE nexus on Smart Sustainable Cities for All Ages, and the University of Geneva organize jointly this thematic workshop on “Improving Urban Resilience in Informal Settlements.”

This event brought together leading experts and policymakers with the objective of discussing best practices, policies and monitoring frameworks.

The workshop focused on how to improve the inclusion of informal settlements into the urban fabric through: