Today we celebrate World Cities Day

The Latin American Post Staff October 30, 2018

57 2 minutes read

Here we tell you everything you should know about this commemoration

Since 2014, the UN established that today, October 31, World Cities Day is celebrated with the objective of highlighting the challenges cities face. This year, the motto of this commemoration is "Building sustainable and resilient cities" and seeks to establish tools that allow cities to empower their inhabitants and strengthen public administrations.

Leer en español: ¡Hoy celebramos el Día Mundial de las Ciudades!

According to the UN, "in 2015, about 4 billion people (54% of the world's population) lived in cities and, according to projections, that number will increase to approximately 5,000 million by 2030". So analyzing the challenges that cities and citizens face is fundamental.

The truth is that much of the development of nations takes place in cities. For this reason, this international day aims to promote international cooperation in urban planning and create better social, cultural, economic opportunities, among others, for the inhabitants. These opportunities, of course, must be sustainable strategies that mitigate the environmental impact as well as the use of natural resources.

Also read: 5 movies teach us to take care of the environment

To celebrate this day, LatinAmerican Post compiled a list of the most intelligent and innovative cities in Latin America according to the Index of Cities in Motion, which analyzes urban life in cities according to 10 indicators.

Santiago de Chile occupies the first position in Latin America, zoom in on the map and find out what position your country is in.

There are many aspects in which we must work to achieve that cities become spaces of equity and development of ideas that promote social and economic progress. The UN emphasizes that "planned urbanization maximizes the capacity of cities to generate employment and wealth, and to promote diversity and social cohesion among different classes, cultures, ethnicities and religions. Cities must be designed to live together, create opportunities, allow connection and interaction, and facilitate the sustainable use of shared resources".

What can we do to make our cities better?

There are many small actions that we can carry out as citizens that will have a great impact on our cities

Let's take care of public infrastructure: do not damage the public goods that are at our service such as parks, urban transport service, among others. On the contrary, let's try to keep them in good condition.
Do not throw garbage in the streets: try to use the cans that are in the streets or keep the garbage until you reach your home.
Civic culture: respect the rules of citizen behavior so that everything flows better. For example, in public transport let people reach the exit before going up. Let's give the chair to those people who need it, such as elder people, pregnant women, among others. Additionally, let’s pay the ticket to use the transport.
Promote initiatives in our governments: support and encourage public and private projects that seek to improve our cities and make them progress. Let's actively participate in the decisions of our political leaders.

LatinAmerican Post | Marcela Peñaloza
Translated from “¡Hoy celebramos el Día Mundial de las Ciudades!”