Sustainable Cities and Communities? Practical problems of local implementation of the Agenda 2030 in light of the rehabilitation process of the Oporto 'Ilhas'

Abstract

This article discusses the difficulties in implementing of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda, committed to reducing inequalities and promoting sustainable development. Starting from the concept of urban vulnerability, a specific case study is used - the rehabilitation process of the ilhas of Porto - which is representative of the challenges to be overcome, as well as the tools to be mobilized in achieving the set goals. Analysing the historical causes of vulnerability on the ilhas allows us to identify the implications for the exclusion and health inequities of its residents are identified, as well as the main risk factors, the concrete tools adopted, and the results achieved. It is concluded that intervention in the physical environment can be, in these territories, an effective way to combat urban vulnerability, and that the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 11 - sustainable cities and communities - depends on the ability to articulate a network of actions and stakeholders. The major challenge for public policies is therefore to create an agenda for procedures that, at the local level, guide the action of public and private stakeholders in achieving the desired change.