What does Goal 11 mean by a sustainable city?

One where housing is adequate and affordable, transport is safe and accessible, planning is participatory, heritage is protected, disaster risk is managed, air quality and waste are controlled, and public green space is available to all.

Why does Goal 11 share indicators with Goals 1 and 13?

Disaster mortality, affected populations, economic loss and local risk-reduction strategies serve poverty, urban resilience and climate adaptation at once. The framework reuses the same measurements rather than creating three parallel ones.

How is access to public space measured?

By the average share of built-up urban area that is open public space, and by the proportion of the population with convenient access to it — measured spatially rather than by whether the space is usable or safe.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities & Communities

11.1

By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums

Measured by

11.1.1Tier 1Proportion of urban population living in slums, informal settlements or inadequate housing

11.2

By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons

Measured by

11.3

By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries

Measured by

11.3.1Tier 1Ratio of land consumption rate to population growth rate
11.3.2Tier 2Proportion of cities with a direct participation structure of civil society in urban planning and management that operate regularly and democratically

11.4

Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world's cultural and natural heritage

Measured by

11.4.1Tier 2Total per capita expenditure on the preservation, protection and conservation of all cultural and natural heritage, by source of funding (public, private), type of heritage (cultural, natural) and level of government (national, regional, and local/municipal)

11.5

By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations

Measured by

11.5.1Tier 1Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population
11.5.2Tier 1Direct economic loss attributed to disasters in relation to global gross domestic product (GDP)
11.5.3Tier 1(a) Damage to critical infrastructure and (b) number of disruptions to basic services, attributed to disasters

11.6

By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management

Measured by

11.6.1Tier 1Proportion of municipal solid waste collected and managed in controlled facilities out of total municipal waste generated, by cities
11.6.2Tier 1Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (e.g. PM2.5 and PM10) in cities (population weighted)

11.7

By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities

Measured by

11.7.1Tier 1Average share of the built-up area of cities that is open space for public use for all, by sex, age and persons with disabilities
11.7.2Tier 2Proportion of persons victim of non-sexual or sexual harassment, by sex, age, disability status and place of occurrence, in the previous 12 months

11.a

Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning

Measured by

11.a.1Tier 1Number of countries that have national urban policies or regional development plans that (a) respond to population dynamics; (b) ensure balanced territorial development; and (c) increase local fiscal space

11.b

By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, holistic disaster risk management at all levels

Measured by

11.b.1Tier 1Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030
11.b.2Tier 2Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategies

11.c

Support least developed countries, including through financial and technical assistance, in building sustainable and resilient buildings utilizing local materials

Measured by

11.c.1Tier 2Total official development assistance and other official flows in support of urban infrastructure or urban infrastructure projects, by sector

Sustainable Cities & Communities

What Goal 11 covers

Missions advancing this goal

The 10 targets, in full

Outcome targets

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Where Goal 11 overlaps

What the data can and cannot tell you

City boundaries are defined nationally and inconsistently

Slum measurement is a composite that undercounts

Air quality monitoring is sparse where pollution is worst

Stories tagged Goal 11

Read the primary sources

Frequently asked questions

All seventeen goals

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Means-of-implementation targets

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Disaster indicators are shared, so progress overlaps