International Real Estate Federation Presents “The City We Need is Affordable” as World Leaders Adopt the New Urban Agenda at Historic UN Conference
FIABCI, the International Real Estate Federation, a business network of real estate professionals worldwide with members in 65 countries, presented solutions for sustainable urban development at the United Nations Habitat III, the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development in Quito, Ecuador, held on October 17 through October 20, 2016. This global policy framework for the future of urbanization was presented by Kirkor Ajderhanyan, World President of FIABCI, along with Farook Mahmood, World President-elect, and Danielle Grossenbacher, Chair of FIABCI’s The City We Need is Affordable Campaign.
With delegations from 193 nations, world leaders across the globe officially adopted the New Urban Agenda at the conclusion of the conference on October 20, which sets a new global standard for sustainable urban development, reimagining how we plan, manage and live in cities, and develop a global strategy around urbanization for the next two decades. The New Urban Agenda also provides guidance for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, the culmination of the 2030 Agenda, which is a global policy framework for assessment of sustainable urban development.
The Global Policy Framework established in 2010 has already been implemented regionally by several European countries, and the next step is to set forth a proposal for policies and guidelines on affordable housing that would be adopted globally.
“The world is undergoing an unprecedented wave of urban growth, with the global urban population projected to double over the next 30 years,” said Ajderhanyan. “With the understanding that every country needs thousands of units of affordable housing, and that no sector can solve the problem alone, FIABCI’s vision is to engage the public and private sector to work together to create transparent markets and attract investment to develop and implement solutions to effect change. We are excited to be a partner in this significant United Nations initiative.”
This historic UN conference was the first in 20 years, and the third in a series that began in 1976, wherein the international community came together to address urban trends and their impact on human development, environmental well-being, and civic and political organizations worldwide. These included measures to support cleaner cities, strengthen resilience in urban centers to reduce the risk and the impact of disasters, improve connectivity and support green initiatives.
FIABCI held a parallel event to the UN Habitat III at the JW Marriott Hotel Quito, Amazonas Ballroom on October 18, attended by world leaders and stakeholders from around the world. At the event FIABCI unveiled several innovative solutions including the FIABCI Cloud Platform, a web-based platform to assess sustainable urban development. The software is designed to enable and facilitate the input of a concerned population to address issues related to climate change, globalization, urbanization and accelerating social change.
FIABCI also launched a book, “The City We Need is Affordable,” featuring the winning entries in its contest for affordable housing solutions in technology, policy, architecture, building materials, public private partnerships, financing, and urban planning. This included a preliminary drawing from a Boston-based architecture firm, Arrowstreet, for development of an approximately seven-acre site in Valle Azul, Ecuador, an initiative to establish a legacy affordable housing program for the people of Ecuador, which was presented to the United Nations.
“Land prices have increased rapidly, and urban centers must adapt to accommodate this influx of people and understand the geopolitical consequences of migrating populations as cities reach saturation points,” said Danielle Grossenbacher. “FIABCI’s mission is to be a hub of information for urban planning in order to create programs for affordable housing, which is at the core of a sustainable urban future.”
About FIABCI
FIABCI, the International Real Estate Federation, is a business network of real estate professionals worldwide that provides access and opportunity for professionals to gain knowledge, share information and conduct international business with each other. Kirkor Ajderhanyan is the current World President of FIABCI.
With members in 65 countries, including 100 professional associations, 65 academic institutions and 2,500 individual members from all professions of the real estate sector, FIABCI is the most representative organization of the real estate industry in the world and holds special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations. FIABCI members represent all real estate disciplines including brokerage, property management, valuation/appraisal, investment, development, consulting, legal, architecture, planning and insurance. Members work in all property sectors, including commercial, residential, luxury, retail, rural, resort and industrial. FIABCI's areas of focus include global networking, international business development, education and advocacy in the global real estate industry.
