The document discusses how cities can use the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework for long-term COVID-19 recovery strategies. It notes that many cities are pursuing equitable, climate-focused recoveries aligned with the SDGs. A survey found cities prioritizing enhancing social equity, local economies, and climate action. The SDGs provide value by mainstreaming equity and sustainability, shifting behaviors away from "business as usual", leveraging partnerships, measuring SDG progress, and connecting local to global efforts. Key challenges for cities include maintaining political will, addressing the scale of changes needed, securing necessary resources, enabling stakeholder buy-in, and developing interdependent policies.

1. 0
The SDGs as a framework for
long-term COVID-19 recovery
strategies in cities and
regions
Tony Pipa
Senior Fellow
Center for Sustainable Development
Brookings Institution

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C o mmon Prin c ipl es e xp re s se d b y c itie s with in
C OV ID Re c o very A ge n d a an d p l e d ges
• City leaders are dual-tracking, between immediate measures to ensure
public health and safety— and committing to transformational recovery
• Social and economic equity
• Climate action
• Protection of public services and investments
• Community resilience
• Research and science driven responses
S o u r c e : “UCLG Decalogue for the COVID-19 Aftermath”; the “C40 Mayors Agenda for a Green and Just Recovery”; the “Cities for a
Resilient Recovery” coalition; and the Urban (U20) Communiqué

3. 2
Gl o b a l Re s il ien t C itie s N e two rk ( GRC N) Su rve y
79%
72%
45% 42% 42% 42%
36%
19%
Enhance social
equity
Enhance local
economies
New
infrastructure
Strengthen
public health
Better leverage
recovery funds
Accelerate
climate action
Improve
food/water
security
Not yet defined
yet
What are some of the opportunities that your city is targeting in recovery? (April 2020)
Source: GCRN/Dalberg

4. 3
S D G s : V a l u e P r o p o s i t i o n f o r T r a n s f o r m a t i v e R e c o v e r y
1. Equity & sustainability: Principles mainstreamed by all city actors.
2. Shifting “Business as Usual”: Tools that create behavior change.
3. Governance vs Gov’t: Processes that leverage private sector; other
partners; citizens.
4. SDG Discipline of Development: Measuring SDG-sensitivity of new
decisions.
5. Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRS) & online dashboards: Progress
reporting that is transparent and honest
6. Common Language: Connecting local to global (networks).

5. 4
T h o r ny q ue stio ns
1. Political will: How to maintain political momentum and leadership under
economic pressure to recover quickly and face tough trade -offs?
2. Scale of the challenge: Are cities being transparent enough about the
uncomfortable truth of needing to change current approaches?
3. Resources: How do cities find the capital – financial, human, and social–
to turn ambitions into reality? What role can city diplomacy play?
4. Governance: What models will enable buy-in and true investment/
accountability from the private sector and other stakeholders?
5. Intersectionality: How to create policy and initiatives that truly reflect
interdependence and multi-solve?