Sustainable cities

To address these challenges and support local authorities in sustainable urban development, the members of the French Water Partnership make the following recommendations:

1. Local and regional authorities must become the driving force behind democratic urban governance. Local and regional authorities must be recognized and strengthened if they are to lead sustainable and coherent territorial development strategies, particularly in terms of resource management and access to basic services. This means transferring responsibilities and resources, creating a local tax system and setting up institutional frameworks that foster partnerships;
2. The urban strategic planning process should encourage better integration of services. French stakeholders have a vision of urban development based on the balance between the objectives of a productive city, an inclusive city and the preservation of the environment, in line with the three components of sustainable development. Tomorrow’s urban areas will increasingly rely on short supply chains, combining local needs and resources. Synergies already exist between water, sanitation, waste and energy services, and can be developed within a framework that promotes a circular economy;
3. A change of scale in the financing of sustainable infrastructures is needed. The proportion of vulnerable households in urban areas continues to grow. In order to guarantee the equitable provision of services as a whole, solidarity mechanisms must be placed at the heart of pricing policies. More generally, financing these services cannot be the exclusive responsibility of users. Additional funding (subsidies, solidarity, land appreciation, etc.) is needed to finance infrastructure. Furthermore, if the technology is available to deliver environmentally and socially efficient services that include the participation of the many different users, their financing needs to shift away from a project-based dynamic to the establishment of structural, long-term funds.