Innovations in learning from urban best practices to implement the New Urban Agenda

The event aims to identify and discuss innovative ways for analysing and learning from existing urban best practices which organizations can use to support the development of strategies and inform policy-making for the successful implementation of the New Urban Agenda and the urban SDGs. The event will bring together various actors including the private sector, city decision-makers, non-governmental organizations, grassroots-led organisations and researchers. The panel will include concrete examples of innovations, including an initiative led by the University of South Australia on data analytics, which has been piloted utilising UN-Habitat's Best Practices Database along key City Prosperity Index indicators. It will also feature the work of the new Urban Housing Practitioners' Hub from Latin America and the Caribbean. An innovative and comprehensive regional platform for exchange of knowledge and practices focused on practitioners from the public, civil society and private sector. This initiative has been led by UN-Habitat, Habitat for Humanity and Cities Alliance with support from over 30 organizations.

The event will, amongst others, address the following questions:

1. How can big data analytics enhance knowledge sharing from urban best practices?

2. How can platforms combine digital space with face-to-face interactions so that people can connect and access information on urban best practices?

3. How can peer-to-peer learning models, often utilised by grassroots groups, be applied to design and use urban data analytic tools and platforms?

4. How can best practices awards and databases be best taken advantage of for local leaders and decision makers?

The expected outcome of this event is to establish new partnerships around best practice driven knowledge and to increase the direct link between such knowledge and policy making. This may include joint initiatives for developing urban best practices analytic tools using state of the art knowledge sharing methods and big data technologies. Ultimately, these tools intend to be valuable instruments that inform policy making and assist in developing urban development strategies conducive to implementing the New Urban Agenda and contribute to meeting the urban SDGs.