Sustainable Urban Development Act 2010

New legislation sponsored by John Kerry, called the Sustainable Urban Development Act of 2010 (S. 3229), directs the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to focus on urban planning and governance issues because this is a priority of US foreign policy.

The legislation calls for USAID to address common issues in cities of the global south, including growing informal settlements, increasing levels of pollution, overburdened transport systems, and lack of affordable housing, land tenure, gender equality, and basic water and sanitary infrastructure. The legislation calls for updating the Making Cities Work Strategy, and focusing on supporting urban planning and governance strategies, with an emphasis on community participation in decision-making. establishing a senior adviser for urban sustainable development at the agency and launching a 'pilot urban strategies initiative' implemented in select cities in the global south.
Some more commentary on this important legislation from the Cities Alliance and IRIN news.

Read more about the Making Cities Work Strategy here.