Background

We live in an era of unprecedented, rapid and irreversible urbanization. Making cities “greener” and urban transport and tourism more sustainable will be a prerequisite for poverty eradication, resource efficiency and sustainable development. The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), colloquially better known as “Rio+20”, was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 13-22 June 2012. The Conference was attended by more than 100 Heads of State and Government, and more than 50,000 participants took part in one or more of the many events associated with the Conference. Rio+20 adopted by consensus a comprehensive outcome document under the title “The future we want”, in which sustainable city, transportation and tourism were attached high importance.

The outcome document emphasized the importance of increasing the number of metropolitan regions, cities and towns that are implementing policies for sustainable urban planning and design in order to respond effectively to the expected growth of urban populations in the coming decades. We recognize the important role of municipal governments in setting a vision for sustainable cities, from the initiation of city planning through to revitalization of older cities and neighbourhoods, including by adopting energy efficiency programmes in building management and developing sustainable, locally appropriate transport systems(§136).

We note that transportation and mobility are central to sustainable development. Sustainable transportation can enhance economic growth and improve accessibility. Sustainable transport achieves better integration of the economy while respecting the environment. We recognize the importance of the efficient movement of people and goods, and access to environmentally sound, safe and affordable transportation as a means to improve social equity, health, resilience of cities, urban-rural linkages and productivity of rural areas(§132)..

We emphasize that well-designed and managed tourism can make a significant contribution to the three dimensions of sustainable development, has close linkages to other sectors, and can create decent jobs and generate trade opportunities. We call for enhanced support for sustainable tourism activities and relevant capacity-building in developing countries in order to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development(§130).

The global goals of improving quality of life and sustainable development in cities are rather clear, but practical implementation and the realization of “The future we want” remains a daunting task. How can Rio+20 decisions best be implemented? Each country and each city will have to determine its own needs, and define its own solution, involving all stakeholders concerned. Greater international information exchange and cooperation will be essential to meet the challenges ahead.

As a follow-up event to commemorate the 2nd Anniversary of the Rio+20 Conference and implement the decisions of Rio+20, High-level Dialogue on Sustainable Cities, Transport and Tourism & Global Forum on Human Settlements 2014 (HLD & GFHS 2014) will take place on 10 – 12 August 2014 in Bogota, Colombia. Bogota has some 7.6 million inhabitants and its economy represents almost a quarter of the entire Colombian GDP. Due to Bogota’s central geographic location and its position as the nation’s capital, the city has grown to become not just the political, but also the cultural and economic heart of Colombia. The City of Bogota has implemented a variety of comprehensive projects to enhance the sustainability of the city, to improve public and non-motorized urban transport, and to (re)develop tourism services. The city, therefore, has many best practices to share with the representatives and experts from both national and international cities, and encourage more cities to jointly work towards the sustainable cities and human settlements.