Special Session: Urban Recovery Frameworks - World…

Special Session: Urban Recovery Frameworks - World Urban Forum 11th Session (WUF11, 26–30 June 2022, Katowice, Poland)

Crises unfolding in cities have to be understood and responded to by addressing the suspension in access to livelihoods, protection mechanisms, services, housing and more, for large population shares at the local levels, and by the critical impact such events have on systems and economic activities at regional and national levels, and on countries' overall abilities to respond and bounce back from crises.

In an urbanizing world, the impact of climate change, natural disasters, pandemics, conflict and war is increasingly urban. Urban crises result in the destruction of neighbourhoods, infrastructure and urban economies, which goes hand in hand with massive displacement of populations both within cities, across territories and national boundaries.

Urban recovery requires not just a focus on places suffering physical damage but also on places hosting the displaced. Work at different levels is needed from the neighbourhood, to city-level and sub-regions. The session will draw on practices from a wide range of countries and reflect on what will be key elements to urban recovery in Ukraine, in complement to national level reconstruction plans.

Making the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus Work

· Why is a focus on the urban dimensions of crises so important? What had we learnt from Haiti and other crises? · What are key components in a framework for urban recovery and how does this relate to nationally led recovery and reconstruction plans. · What kind of analysis is needed to shape urban recovery? · What financing instruments do we need to support interventions at the city level? · What does a people-centered approach entail? · How can local governments be empowered and supported to drive urban recovery? · What is the role of culture and identities in urban crisis response and recovery? · How can urban recovery frameworks help to align humanitarian, development and peace focused outcomes? · What does this mean in the context of urban crisis response and recovery in Ukraine?