CAF and the Resilient Cities Network Exchanged Experiences to Promote Post-pandemic Urban Recovery

While the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities of Latin American cities, it has also shown creativity and commitment to the design and implementation of urban policies by local and national public officials, and the general population to address the effects of this crisis.

In an effort to analyze challenges and provide solutions between the cities of the region in this context, CAF—development bank of Latin America—, through the Cities with a Future initiative and in coordination with the Resilient Cities Network (R-Cities), organized an online forum called URBAN RECOVERY: Resilient Responses to the Crisis, to create and share knowledge and best practices among municipalities and key stakeholders of the regional urban ecosystem, aimed at mitigating or curtailing the effects of the pandemic.

This activity supported the institutional strengthening of local and national governments, as a way to help them devise urban interventions, based on peer support, specialized know-how and shared experiences. The sessions were attended by more than 150 municipal and national officials from 20 cities and 9 countries in the region, addressing various issues related to local management, such as urban mobility, neighborhood development and citizen participation in informal settlements; management of municipal markets and neighborhood fairs; sustainable supply of food among vulnerable groups; digital inclusion and economic revival in Brazilian cities; urban parks and public spaces; and challenges for school reopening.

Pablo López, coordinator of the Cities with a Future initiative, stressed the importance of these forums to discuss ideas and devise concrete solutions to the daily challenges imposed by the pandemic. “These spaces have been highly valued by participants, because, based on a climate of trust and openness to diverse voices and experiences, possible actions could be identified, adapted and replicated in each urban context.”

In addition, Resilient Cities Network Director for Latin America and the Caribbean Eugene Zapata valued the importance of generating resilient urban recovery: “A useful outcome of these exchanges is the systematization of the debate, which helps not only participants but also other stakeholders of the urban environment list a set of concrete steps or topics to take into account in the formulation of urban policies.”