Autor*innen: Pascale Hofmann, Lourenço Capriglione, Tathiana Chicarino und Elcires Pimenta

Veröffentlicht: 9. Juli 2025

Abstract: Research shows that improving sanitation brings wide‐ranging benefits across multiple sectors, contributing not only to the success of UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6—focused on clean water and sanitation—but also to the broader objectives of the 2030 Agenda. However, many people living in Brazil’s urban areas still lack adequate sanitation and essential services, with these deficiencies being especially prevalent in informal settlements. This article is an output from a participatory research project that explored the links between sanitation and the SDGs, which focused on the municipality of Campinas in São Paulo state with an emphasis on informal settlements because they are disproportionately affected by service provision inadequacies. Findings highlight multiple synergies between sanitation action and the achievement of targets across SDGs, whereby residents are likely to experience wide‐ranging benefits from adequate sanitation. They further point to the need for multi‐sectoral, participatory, and context‐specific policies, plans, and interventions to overcome interconnected risks associated with inadequate sanitation. The authors advocate for a transdisciplinary approach to dealing with complex societal problems and conclude by presenting opportunities for integrated policies and action across key stakeholders. The article further offers valuable reflections and lessons learned for how we approach development and engage with complex challenges post‐2030.

Autor*in: Lena Partzsch

Veröffentlicht: 28. August 2025

Abstract: While some scholars see the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as an example of environmentally friendly development approaches that reconnect development with biospheric preconditions, others argue that they mask ongoing contestation. This article begins with a multi‐level governance perspective on the “green goals” of the 2030 Agenda and the importance of local action for their implementation. The focus is on Europe, where municipal sustainability governance was found to be concentrated and where the environment is most likely prioritized. Against this backdrop, I analyze which policy measures the European Union, nation states, regions, and municipalities in Europe name in the reviews submitted to the UN High‐Level Political Forum to achieve environmental targets. I show that although the environment is not a priority of SDG implementation at any policy level, municipalities are occasionally leading the way in environmental action both horizontally, with site‐specific measures, and vertically, with multi‐level measures.

Autor*innen: Sigrid Busch, Marlene Franck und Astrid Ley

Veröffentlicht: 26. August 2025

Abstract: Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) presents a unique opportunity for collective action across various spatial scales. At the local level, programs to revitalize vulnerable neighborhoods offer significant potential to contribute to the SDGs. In Germany, the “Soziale Stadt/Sozialer Zusammenhalt” (Social City/Social Cohesion) funding program supports municipalities in promoting sustainable development in these areas. However, there is currently no direct linkage between this funding program and the SDGs. This raises questions as to how the instruments of the Social City/Social Cohesion program could support the SDGs and their monitoring processes and vice versa and what adjustments could be recommended to enhance this relationship. The research presented in this article is based on a case study conducted in the urban renewal district of Stuttgart‐Münster, Germany. Students and scholars from the University of Stuttgart collaborated with municipal staff and civil society members to explore the funding program’s instruments and assess their potential for monitoring the SDGs. Based on the municipal indicator set developed with the assistance of SDG coordinators at the City of Stuttgart—Germany’s first city to pilot this indicator set in 2019—the transdisciplinary team adapted specific indicators to the neighborhood level. They also investigated the inclusion of qualitative indicators for assessing SDGs and tested a collaborative approach to gathering data for these localized indicators with input from residents. Based on the findings of this case study, this contribution reflects on recommendations for integrating the SDGs into the initial stages of urban renewal practices and related instruments.

Autor*innen: Ilaria Beretta und Caterina Bracchi

Veröffentlicht: 17. September 2025

Abstract: The role of cities in sustainable development has gained increasing importance since the adoption of the Rio Declaration and Agenda 21, culminating in SDG 11 of the 2015 UN 2030 Agenda. Among the challenges of urban sustainable development, climate change has been recognized as a central one, positioning cities as fundamental actors in mitigation and adaptation efforts. In parallel with discourse on sustainable cities, the concept of smart cities has been presented as a tool aimed at improving urban resilience through technology and data‐driven decision‐making. The article investigates whether climate neutrality is becoming the new imaginary of sustainable cities, by analysing the emergence, development, and future perspectives of the dominant sustainable and smart city imaginary in the governance of sustainable development, both at the international and European levels. We review the main scholarly literature and policy documents by tracing the evolution of ideas, practices, and policies that have shaped the modern concept of the sustainable city. We then examine how this concept has expanded to include concerns about climate change adaptation and mitigation through smartness, often overlooking the issue of social inclusion for the most vulnerable.

Autor*innen: Francisco Vergara-Perucich und Martín Arias-Loyola

Veröffentlicht: 28. August 2025

Abstract: This article examines the grassroots urbanism of Los Arenales, a large informal settlement in Antofagasta, Chile, within the theoretical framework of Henri Lefebvre’s right to the city and its application under neoliberal constraints. It critiques the limitations of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly their top‐down implementation and neoliberal tendencies, by juxtaposing them with community‐driven approaches rooted in spatial justice, participatory governance, and collective agency. Employing a mixed‐methods, embedded case study approach, the study draws on data collected between 2017 and 2023, including participatory mapping, 14 semi‐structured interviews, and engaged research initiatives. Two key projects—Chile’s first cooperative bakery in an informal settlement and the Know Your City initiative—serve as focal points for analysing grassroots strategies. Findings highlight how these initiatives foster economic autonomy, social solidarity, and political advocacy, advancing residents’ right to the city. However, challenges such as reliance on external support and systemic barriers underscore the limitations of grassroots efforts under neoliberal governance. The article concludes that Los Arenales exemplifies the transformative potential of grassroots urbanism, while advocating for structural reforms and inclusive policies to enable equitable urban development. It underscores the importance of integrating lived experiences into urban planning to achieve justice and sustainability within the Global South.

Autor*in: Francesca Ferlicca

Veröffentlicht: 12. November 2025

Abstract:

Autor*innen: Oliver Peters und Valeska Liedloff

Veröffentlicht: 10. November 2025

Abstract: