In 1950, fewer than 800 million people lived in urban areas. Today that number is almost 5 billion, and is expected to surpass 6 billion by 2045,根据联合国世界城市化前景. Urban growth—and its related challenges of poverty, climate change, resilience and consumption—is the defining issue of our time.

全球流程正在解决这些挑战。从即将到来的联合国可持续发展目标（SDG）到今年夏天International Conference on Financing for Development, to theCOP21 climate negotiationsin December, global and local leaders will be busy this year making commitments to build a more sustainable, equitable future.

For cities, this all culminates in2016’s Habitat III conference明年10月在厄瓜多尔的基多举行的城市和人类定居点。为了为这次关键聚会做准备，本周的本地，国家和国际领导人在肯尼亚内罗毕的Habot III聚集在一起second Preparatory Committee. They’ll set priorities for urban development that will shape city actions for decades to come.

While national and global leaders can make commitments, cities have to deliver results. Here are five big opportunities city and national leaders should consider as they prepare for Quito:

1) Take Stock of Local Progress.

下列的栖息地II—hosted by Istanbul in 1996—theUN-HABITAT recommended到2014年6月，每个国家组成国家栖息地委员会。这些委员会将自1996年以来评估进度，并为在栖息地III建立新的城市议程提出建议。国家栖息地委员会已经盘点了全国的进步和机会，但尚未确定这些课程如何帮助城市变得更多connected, compact and coordinated. National governments can take this moment to better understand their own unique challenges and work with city leaders to develop a common agenda.

Additionally,more than 50 cities已经致力于Compact of Mayors—with more come—and will take action to measure, report and reduce their carbon emissions. Habitat III could be an ideal platform for these cities to commit to specific reduction actions.

2) Push for Ambitious National Policies.

在。。之间SDGs, COP and Habitat processes, there are many ways cities can advocate for progressive and sustainable national urban development policies. City governments have an essential role in this process asleading drivers of climate action，但是民族机构需要帮助城市成功并发展良好的实践。

City actors should seek out opportunities to work with their national governments and with development banks to localize national initiatives. For example, India’s100个智慧城市倡议是总理纳伦德拉·莫迪（Narendra Modi）的一项计划，以利用该国最近的城市繁荣并催化印度城市的投资。城市也可以寻求利用国际资金承诺, likethe $175 billion2012年，八家最大的开发银行致力于可持续运输项目。

3）包括国家政府以外的声音。

Global and national commitments must be linked to the real solutions cities need. Municipal governments, city networks, business leaders, local NGOs and other stakeholders can help national and global leaders take into account the challenges cities face in developing sustainably. This helps to ensure that investments and commitments come back to individual citizens and improve quality of life.

4) Seek Out Innovative Financing and Implementation Mechanisms.

在。。之间Green Climate Fund, the aforementioned Financing for Development conference and其他国际融资流程，可持续发展投资的框架很复杂。今年的对话不仅要层次层次，还应该激发一个变革和协作的投资框架，以增加馅饼的规模，而是结合了存在的不同融资机制，并使城市能够朝着低碳发展途径迈进。

Pushing for a better framework also means creating an enabling environment that builds capacity for cities to access these funds and leverage private sector investment.

5) Advocate for a Global Agenda.

Cities can use this historic moment to advocate for and exemplify the fundamental changes needed. By putting into practice the principles of tomorrow’s sustainable and resilient cities, urban leaders can steer the agenda by leading through example.

创新的机会已经成熟。作为国家决策者制定气候行动承诺和可持续性目标，他们应该记住必威官网是真的吗75 percent在2050年将存在的基础设施中尚未建立。当地领导人现在有机会建立降低环境影响并更加公平地为城市人口服务的城市。栖息地III是做出国家和国际承诺的机会，例如Lima and Paris climate talks—real. By linking these global movements with local actions, cities can reclaim the power they need to create the change we want.