The Council on Urban Initiatives is a research and advocacy platform supporting international, national and local actors to deliver transformative change towards a green, just and healthy urban future.
Co-organised by UN-Habitat, the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP) and LSE Cities, the Council is comprised of mayors, academics and practitioners, and is co-chaired by Ricky Burdett and Mariana Mazzucato.
The Council’s work is centred on three interrelated themes: environmental sustainability (the green city), health and well-being (the healthy city), and social justice (the just city).
The Council’s work is organised around three objectives:
To highlight the barriers to progressive transformation in cities and to explore new approaches to accelerate the pace and scale of urban change.
To support the international community of urban agencies, practitioners and policymakers to advocate for just, healthy and green cities.
To engage wider audiences in urban debates and promote their active involvement in shaping urban agendas and futures.
The Council participates in key global forums and engages with city governments on urban issues. Read about the Council’s engagements, outputs and events.
On 15 October 2024, Ricky Burdett and Isadora Spillman-Schapell of the Council on Urban Initiatives co-chaired a panel at Healthy City Design 2024 International Congress in Liverpool, UK supported by Impact on Urban Health. Panelists Dan Hill, Sunand Prasad, and Dr. Yonette Thomas provided expert insight on the intersection of homes and neighbourhoods as the foundation of a just, healthy, sustainable city. This blog highlights key themes from the panel that came up again throughout the conference.
Discussing some of the dynamic contributions from two Council on Urban Initiatives council members at the the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 28), and exploring the evolving role of cities in the fight against climate change.
On 16 and 17 October Ricky Burdett, Co-chair of the Council on Urban Initiatives, launched a new case study report "Housing and the City: case studies of integrated urban design" at the Healthy City Design 2023 (HCD 2023) International Congress in Liverpool. The Congress is a global forum for the exchange of knowledge on the research, policy and practice of designing healthy and sustainable cities and communities.
The Council on Urban Initiatives produces a range of resources, including case study reports and working papers, designed to inform green, healthy and just transformation in cities.
Authored by council member Dan Hill and co-chair Mariana Mazzucato, this discussion paper argues that our current housing systems prioritise the needs of investment funds and construction companies over people and the planet. The paper sets forth a bold rethinking of housing as a common good.
This case study report assembles a series of housing initiatives from different cities that are developed to promote inclusive, sustainable and integrated designs. The schemes range in scale and geographic location, but in each case represent a clear commitment on the part of the project sponsors (both public and private) to achieve positive social and environmental outcomes through innovative yet people and planet-focused design.
Authored by Co-Chair Mariana Mazzucato and Council Member Leilani Farha, this working paper brings together human rights and missions to equip all levels of governments to deliver secure, affordable, dignified and sustainable housing for all.
The Council on Urban Initiatives is currently constituted by 18 members. The initial membership will be expanded to ensure wider diversity, as well as regional and professional representation.
The Council on Urban Initiatives is a collaborative partnership established in November 2021 between UN-Habitat, UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose and LSE Cities at the London School of Economics and Political Science. The Council’s work is supported by Impact on Urban Health.