The UfM-UNESCO webinar on 15 July 2020 seeks to reach out to public authorities in charge of policy-making and planning for sustainable urban development and affordable housing in UfM countries, universities and students, representatives of intergovernmental organizations and NGOs, international financial institutions and donors, and the public at large.

Cities in the Euro-Mediterranean Basin have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and have accumulated a significant number of deaths. The virus has attacked the core of what makes cities vibrant and successful: busy streets. Will these cities ever come back to be the same? But this is not the only crisis the region currently faces. Recent accelerated climate change has exacerbated existing environmental problems in the Mediterranean Basin that are caused by a combination of changes in land use, increasing pollution and declining biodiversity. Actions and policies must help alleviate existing and emerging risks due to Climate Change and promote sustainable urban development in the region.

The rich cultural heritage of the Euro-Mediterranean cities are expressions of the region’s identity as well as of its incredible cultural diversity. The historic urban centres are important repositories of memories and knowledge of previous epochs where previous pandemics have all left marks on urban architecture. Cultural heritage is also an important resource that offers solutions and alternative models for sustainable urban development. The webinar will reflect upon what marks this pandemic could possibly leave on Euro-Mediterranean cities that need to be taken into account in building a common vision for sustainable urban development in the area of action of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in the coming decades. The pandemic also challenges urbanists to rethink the architecture of density and reimagine cities that are walkable, have open green spaces, and recognize the power of local communities.