Mayors launch global campaign against inequality

Mayors from cities across the world gathered in New York to launch a global campaign to address rising inequalities and foster inclusive growth in their cities.

The Inclusive Growth in Cities Campaign is a joint initiative of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Ford Foundation. A group of 43 Champion Mayors for Inclusive Growth, 19 of whom attended the launch will work together to advance the agenda put forth in the New York Proposal for Inclusive Growth in Cities.

“The New York Proposal is a call to arms and a roadmap for change,” said Angel Gurría, OECD Secretary-General. “In cities, we see even starker inequalities, especially in large cities, where rich and poor people often live segregated in different neighbourhoods. For instance, people living in the highest earning neighbourhood in downtown Melbourne make more than 9 times as much as those in Melbourne’s poorest suburb. We see this pattern repeated in cities across the world, from Mexico City to Tokyo, Santiago to Paris.”

OECD research has shown that inequality has a strong spatial dimension. In many countries, income inequality has risen faster in cities than in other places, and it tends to increase with city size. While the data on inequalities underscore the scale of the challenge faced by mayors, in many countries local governments also have a hand in key investment decisions that can overcome inequalities.

Sub-national governments–states, provinces, counties, and cities–carry out around 40 percent of total public spending in OECD countries, of which 60 percent is directed towards economic affairs and education–key areas for inclusive growth.

As outlined in the New York Proposal for Inclusive Growth, more inclusive cities are those characterised by:

• Education systems that enable people of all ages and backgrounds to improve their life chances.
• Labour markets that promote entrepreneurship, access to quality jobs, and policies that make the most of women, youth, retirees, and foreign-born populations in the workforce.
• Housing markets and urban environments that provide quality, affordable housing, in safe and healthy neighbourhoods and avoid trapping people in segregated areas with few or no opportunities.
• Transport networks that provide access to jobs, services and consumption opportunities for all, as well as affordable and reliable public services, such as water, energy, waste management and high speed Internet.

“As we build stronger, more sustainable, and more resilient cities, we must also create more equitable ones,” said Bill de Blasio, Mayor of New York. “That’s what we’re focused on through OneNYC–and we’re proud to join cities from around the world in signing the New York Proposal as we tackle the challenge of inequality here and across the globe.”

The New York Proposal will serve as a policy roadmap to shape inclusive growth in cities, contribute to the broader debate on inclusive growth at the national level, and inform the global agenda to advance more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient cities.

“We will also use this platform to facilitate coordination between national and local actions and regulation, a key ingredient for successful policy making,” added Gurría. “We will define common measurement tools and share best practices, so that we can see what works and help good ideas spread across the world.”