Cities Programme
Cities are the focus of population, business activity, economic wealth, government, academia, infrastructure and civil society. They represent an extraordinary array of human, material and financial resources that can be used to translate the Global Compact Principles into concrete and positive urban outcomes.
The Global Compact Cities Program, launched in 2003, seeks to harness these resources and facilitate these outcomes by providing an innovative methodology to develop solutions to urbanisation-related social, economic and environmental problems.
The methodology, ‘the Melbourne Model’ , assists participating cities to coordinate and focus the ideas, expertise, energy and experience inherent within government, business and civil society under the umbrella of the Global Compact Principles.
Ten Principles of Melbourne Model
1. Provide a long-term vision for cities based on: sustainability; intergenerational, social, economic and political equity; and their individuality.
2. Achieve long-term economic and social security.
3. Recognize the intrinsic value of biodiversity and natural ecosystems, and protect and restore them.
4. Enable communities to minimize their ecological footprint.
5. Build on the characteristics of ecosystems in the development and nurturing of healthy and sustainable cities.
6. Recognize and build on the distinctive characteristics of cities, including their human and cultural values, history and natural systems.
7. Empower people and foster participation.
8. Expand and enable cooperative networks to work towards a common, sustainable future.
9. Promote sustainable production and consumption, through appropriate use of environmentally sound technologies and effective demand management.
10. Enable continual improvement, based on accountability, transparency and good governance.
Solutions developed within the Cities Program, by way of the Cities Learning Forum, will be made available to other cities facing similar issues to adopt or adapt to their own needs.
More information available at http://www.citiesprogramme.org/