"At Habitat III, GUF’s message was loud and clear: any new commitments must reflect knowledge about the degree of fulfillment of commitments made by governments at Habitat II. Commitments should not only be about the “what,” the report states, but also the “how.” In other words, how can countries and cities, through their national and urban governments, undertake a more focused and successful effort in reaching new urban goals?

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One piece of advice in the HCP stands out: what GUF calls “a New Urban Practice to Achieve a New Urban Agenda.” That watchword points to a more integrated approach that transcends jurisdictional and administrative boundaries, as well as bottom-up solutions emerging from local ecologies, economies, cultures, and institutions.

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The assessments also suggest that, despite conventional wisdom on the subject, “economic growth did not automatically lead to the fulfillment of urban goals,” Simet says.

 

“This suggests that there are non-economic factors driving urban performance,” she adds. “Future research should, therefore, focus on the kinds of institutions, policies, and practices that could better translate progress into urban well-being.”

 

While the HCP gave GUF students the chance to address a real-world issue, it also provided an opportunity to engage in a unique educational experience. Students were challenged to flesh out the meaning behind the Habitat Agenda commitments, determine which data sets to use, and finally, come up with the indicators measuring country performance."