Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Cities: A Roadmap for Eco-City Development

Cities are where the future of sustainable development will be won or lost. With over half the global population already living in urban areas – and projections showing that figure will reach 70 per cent by 2050 – the way we plan, build, and manage cities directly shapes our ability to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 2030 Agenda recognises this urban reality, and several of its 17 goals carry deep implications for how cities function. From clean water access to resilient infrastructure, the SDGs offer a structured roadmap for transforming urban spaces into inclusive, sustainable, and livable environments.

The role of SDGs in urban planning 🔗

The United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals were adopted in 2015 as a universal framework to address poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation by 2030. While all 17 goals are interconnected, a handful are especially critical for cities. Goals 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) form the backbone of sustainable urban planning.

Cities occupy just 3 per cent of the Earth’s land, yet they consume 60 to 80 per cent of global energy and produce at least 70 per cent of carbon emissions. They also generate roughly 80 per cent of the world’s GDP. This dual role – as both engines of growth and hotspots of environmental impact – makes them central to achieving the SDGs. Urban planners, policymakers, and city governments must integrate these goals into local development strategies, zoning laws, transport networks, water systems, and energy grids.

SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation in cities 🔗

Access to safe water and sanitation is a foundational need. According to the United Nations, 2.2 billion people still lacked safely managed drinking water services, and 3.4 billion lacked safely managed sanitation as of 2024. While the unserved population in rural areas has been declining, the number of people without adequate water and sanitation in urban areas is stagnating or even increasing due to rapid urbanisation.

The urban dimension of SDG 6 is especially pressing. The global urban population facing water scarcity is projected to double from 930 million in 2016 to as many as 2.4 billion by 2050. Cities need to invest in water infrastructure, wastewater treatment, and recycling systems. Ensuring equitable access – particularly in informal settlements where services are often absent – is both a technical and governance challenge.

SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy for urban areas 🔗

Energy is the lifeblood of cities. It powers transport, buildings, industry, and essential services. SDG 7 aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all by 2030. Cities have a unique role to play here: they are both the largest consumers of energy and ideal testing grounds for clean energy solutions such as rooftop solar, district heating, and energy-efficient building codes.

Global electricity access has risen from 84 per cent in 2010 to 92 per cent in 2023. Renewable energy’s share of total final energy consumption grew from 15.6 per cent in 2015 to 17.9 per cent in 2022. However, progress on energy efficiency has slowed, and annual improvement rates need to roughly quadruple to meet the 2030 target. For cities, this means accelerating the transition to clean energy in public transport, adopting green building standards, and expanding renewable energy infrastructure.

SDG 9: Resilient infrastructure and innovation 🔗

SDG 9 focuses on building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive industrialisation, and fostering innovation. In urban contexts, this translates to reliable transport networks, digital connectivity, climate-resilient buildings, and smart city technologies. As the UNDP notes, sustainable urban development involves investment in public transport, green public spaces, and participatory urban planning and management.

Infrastructure gaps are especially severe in developing countries. Rapid urbanisation often outpaces the construction of roads, drainage systems, public transit, and digital networks. Bridging these gaps requires both increased investment and smarter planning – integrating climate resilience into infrastructure design from the outset, rather than treating it as an afterthought.

Making cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable (SDG 11) 🔗

SDG 11 is the dedicated “urban goal.” Its official mission is to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. It contains 10 targets covering housing, transport, urban planning, cultural heritage, disaster resilience, environmental impact, and public space access.

Key targets and their significance 🔗

Safe and affordable housing (Target 11.1): As of 2022, nearly 1.1 billion people lived in slums or slum-like conditions, with an additional 2 billion expected to join them in the coming decades. The three regions with the highest slum populations are Central and Southern Asia, Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. Addressing this requires massive investment in affordable housing, upgrading of informal settlements, and inclusive land-use policies.

Sustainable transport (Target 11.2): In 2022, only half the world’s urban population had convenient access to public transportation. Expanding affordable, safe, and low-carbon transit systems – especially for women, children, older persons, and persons with disabilities – is central to making cities work for everyone.

Inclusive urbanisation (Target 11.3): Between 2000 and 2014, the areas occupied by cities grew 1.28 times faster than their populations, indicating sprawl and declining density. This pattern undermines efficient service delivery and increases commuting times and emissions. Participatory and integrated urban planning is needed to reverse this trend.

Disaster risk reduction (Target 11.5): By 2023, 106 countries reported having local disaster risk reduction strategies aligned with national plans – more than double the figure from 2015. However, with climate change intensifying urban flood risk and heat exposure, much more progress is needed.

Environmental impact and air quality (Target 11.6): According to UNEP, approximately 99 per cent of the global population breathes air that does not meet WHO quality guidelines. Cities are hotspots for air pollution, and reducing urban environmental impact requires attention to waste management, vehicle emissions, industrial controls, and green space expansion.

Access to green and public spaces (Target 11.7): Data from over 1,300 cities shows that in the least developed countries, fewer than 3 in 10 people have convenient access to open public spaces. In contrast, 6 to 7 out of 10 urban residents in regions like North America and Europe enjoy such access. Closing this gap is essential for physical health, mental well-being, and social cohesion.

Gender equality, clean energy, and infrastructure 🔗

Sustainable cities cannot be built without addressing gender equity. Women and girls experience urban spaces differently – they face greater safety concerns in public areas and on public transport, unequal access to sanitation, and disproportionate burdens from energy poverty.

Gender-responsive urban policies 🔗

A 2022 joint survey by Arup and UNDP across 43 countries found that more than half of women feel unsafe in public places and when using public transportation. This has direct consequences for women’s participation in economic and social life. Gender-responsive urban design means well-lit streets, safe transit stops, accessible sanitation facilities, and public spaces that account for the needs of women and caregivers.

SDG 6 also has a gender dimension. The UN emphasises paying special attention to the needs of women and girls regarding sanitation and hygiene, as lack of adequate facilities can keep girls out of school and restrict women’s mobility and economic participation.

Linking clean energy and gender 🔗

Energy access is closely tied to gender equality. Women in many developing regions spend significantly more time collecting fuel and water and preparing meals using polluting fuels. Access to clean, affordable energy frees up time for education and paid work. Energy interventions designed with women’s needs in mind can simultaneously reduce energy poverty and promote gender equity – a clear case of synergy between SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 7, and SDG 11.

Infrastructure for all 🔗

Resilient infrastructure must be designed for universal access. This means transport systems that are accessible to persons with disabilities, digital infrastructure that reaches underserved communities, and utility networks that serve informal settlements alongside formal ones. When infrastructure planning includes diverse voices – especially those of marginalised groups – the resulting systems are more equitable and more effective.

Challenges in implementing SDGs at the city level 🔗

Despite the clear relevance of the SDGs to urban life, turning these goals into local action is far from straightforward. Cities face a range of structural, financial, and political barriers.

Resource and financing constraints 🔗

Most city governments – particularly in developing countries – lack the financial resources to invest in the infrastructure, housing, and services that the SDGs demand. The UNDP has reported that local authorities saw 15 to 25 per cent fewer revenues during the COVID-19 period, severely impacting their ability to invest in sustainable urban development. Access to finance remains a major constraint for municipal and regional governments worldwide.

International financial flows for clean energy in developing countries, while rising, remain well below what is needed. In 2022, public financial flows reached $15.4 billion – a 25 per cent increase from the previous year but still just half of the 2016 peak.

Governance and institutional fragmentation 🔗

The SDGs were designed for adoption at the national level. Translating them to city-scale action is complicated by overlapping jurisdictions, fragmented governance, and limited institutional capacity at the local level. As research in urban policy highlights, effective decentralisation, subnational empowerment, adequate financing, and improved cooperation across government levels are all prerequisites for successful SDG localisation – yet these conditions are frequently absent.

Municipal governments worldwide have varied mandates over issues within their boundaries. Some cities control transport and housing policy; others do not. This patchwork of authority makes integrated planning difficult. Between 2016 and 2018, out of roughly 100 countries that submitted Voluntary National Reviews to the UN, only 45 had involved local governments in the process, and just 39 had engaged them in national coordination mechanisms.

Rapid and unplanned urbanisation 🔗

The pace of urbanisation itself is a barrier. Most urban growth is happening in small and intermediate cities in the Global South, where planning capacity is often weakest. New residents frequently settle in informal areas without basic services – creating demand that existing infrastructure cannot meet. By 2040, more than 2 billion urban residents could face an additional temperature rise of at least 0.5°C, and 36 per cent of the global urban population may experience mean annual temperatures of 29°C or higher.

Flood risk is also escalating. In 2025, approximately 1 billion people live in areas prone to severe riverine flooding, and half of them are in cities. Addressing these risks requires proactive planning, climate-resilient infrastructure investment, and land-use policies that prevent construction in high-risk zones.

Inertia in planning systems 🔗

Urban development trajectories are characterised by institutional inertia and vested interests. Existing planning systems, zoning regulations, and economic incentives often favour business-as-usual development over sustainable alternatives. Shifting these deeply entrenched patterns requires political will, public engagement, and long-term commitment – all of which are difficult to sustain amid competing short-term priorities.

A path forward: integrating SDGs into eco-city development 🔗

Despite these challenges, cities are also proving to be centres of innovation and leadership on sustainability. More than 156 countries have developed national urban policies, with roughly half already in the implementation stage. Networks like the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments and city coalitions like C40 are helping municipalities share knowledge, set targets, and mobilise resources.

The eco-city concept – urban areas deliberately designed to minimise environmental impact while maximising livability – provides a practical framework for integrating SDGs 6, 7, 9, and 11 into a coherent development strategy. Eco-cities prioritise compact development, renewable energy, water recycling, green transport, and inclusive governance. They demonstrate that sustainability is not a trade-off against economic growth, but a foundation for long-term prosperity.

For this integration to succeed, city governments need stronger mandates, more predictable funding, better data systems for tracking progress, and genuine participation from residents – especially those most affected by poor planning. The SDGs provide the targets; local leadership and innovation must provide the pathways.

What do you think? Can cities in the Global South – where urbanisation is fastest and resources are most stretched – realistically achieve the SDGs by 2030, or do we need a longer horizon? And in your own city, which SDG do you think deserves the most urgent attention?

References

1. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/cities/
2. https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal11
3. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/water-and-sanitation/
4. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/energy/
5. https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals/sustainable-cities-and-communities
6. https://www.unep.org/topics/sustainable-development-goals/why-do-sustainable-development-goals-matter/goal-11-0
7. https://www.undp.org/blog/three-breakthroughs-cities-urgently-need-achieve-sdgs
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_Development_Goal_7
9. https://www.2030spotlight.org/en/book/1883/chapter/sdg-11-tackling-challenges-global-urbanization-flagship-local-government
10. https://www.undp.org/asia-pacific/sdg-localization-local-governance-and-urbanization