In October of last year, USAID released their new Sustainable Service Delivery in an Increasingly Urbanized World policy. Driven by a projected near doubling of global urban populations from 3.4 billion people in 2009 to approximately 6.3 billion by 2050, the policy is built upon what the National Intelligence Council describes as a “tectonic shift that will fundamentally “affect how the world works.” My work at the Institute for Sustainable Communities – and an implementation partner for ICMA’s CityLinks program – is dedicated to helping cities across the world adapt to this shift, especially in the face of climate change. This new policy goes a long way in setting the context for our work and helping missions rally around common urban issues around the world.

USAID Administrator, Rajiv Shah set the context for the policy, aptly pointing out that while cities are increasingly the engines of global economic growth, “too often… urban growth is accompanied by increasing urban poverty.” Over one billion people currently live in slums without basic access to clean water, electricity, and health services – this represents roughly 14% of the world’s population who are highly susceptible to disease and hunger and less likely to have a voice in their governments. While the policy recognizes that “urban economies are improving the living standards of millions,” it also warns that if cities don’t plan for new, unprecedented growth, urban poverty will grow dramatically worse, increasing the vulnerability of its people and the fragility of urban systems.

While the challenges of urbanization and poverty are daunting, USAID sees a “window of opportunity” to help subnational governments build more sustainable cities. In particular, they see a chance to offer expanded services in order to create a more inclusive society and close the gaps that affect the most vulnerable: women, youth, the disabled, and refugees and internally displaced persons. Ultimately, USAID argues that, with adequate planning, addressing service gaps will be “much more cost-effective than future corrective measures such as retrofitting or slum upgrading.”

For the policy to be effective, USAID acknowledges that Missions require “new tools and capacity to engage and empower local governments.” We were delighted that they pointed to the CityLinks program as a key platform to enhance local technical capacity. Indeed, the CityLinks team recently returned from a trip to Legazpi, Philippines and Chiang Rai, Thailand, in preparation for a new city exchange between those cities and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Cambridge, Massachusetts, respectively. During the trip, we were introduced to several innovative policies and practices that support the USAID policy’s principle of “Advancing Accountable, Pro-Poor Service Delivery Models."

In Legazpi, local Barrangay Councils conduct annual population surveys to identify vulnerable populations who require additional support during emergency events such as flooding, typhoons and volcanic eruptions. This information is critical to the development of comprehensive and participatory evacuation plans that support the region’s zero casualty” disaster risk management and climate change adaptation policy. The practice supports USAID’s principle of providing “transparent and accurate information” that can help citizens effectively participate in local services and “strengthen institutional capacity, service performance, and accountability.”

In Chiang Rai, informal settlers along the Kok Nai River were engaged by the city government in an effort to restore the waterway to prevent flooding, reduce disease vectors, and provide clean water for fishing and urban agriculture. Citizens participated in a series of “shared learning dialogues” that created a community vision for the river and established local governance mechanisms to ensure its health and safety. Settlers now grow food along the river banks, catch fish, and participate in neighborhood watches to protect the river from dumping and improper use.

The Sustainable Service Delivery in an Increasingly Urbanized World policy is a much needed step toward improving the lives of billions of current and future urban dwellers and creating the capacity for local governments to deal with population growth, poverty, and other stressors such as climate change. The CityLinks team looks forward to supporting USAID in this effort by continuing to lift up innovative and forward-thinking best practices and foster meaningful exchanges between US cities and their counterparts across the globe.

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