Towards a multiscale and interdisciplinary design of contemporary cities: rethinking the approaches and limitations of Habitat's international agendas

Abstract

Cities represent the highest ecological footprint for the planet, after their accelerated growth
and territorial expansion, especially in the Global South, and after their high demand for
resources and energy. In this context, in recent decades, various international organizations
have developed visions and agendas to promote and direct the actions of the different actors
that affect urban territories towards an integration of built and natural systems. This paper
explores the approach of these international agendas and their concrete application in a case

study in order to reflect on the limitations they face when being adopted - adapted in current
urban contexts. To this, the first text presents an indicative evolution of the main approaches of
urban environmental sustainability. Then, it presents a historical analysis of international urban
agendas, of the visions proposed in the Habitat I (1976), II (1996) and III (2016) forums, from
which the New Urban Agenda (NAU) emerges. Third, cases of contemporary interventions that
seek to promote environmental sustainability in Latin American cities are analyzed. Finally, it
is discussed and concluded that two main limitations in the transition to environmentally
sustainable cities are: promoting inclusive, multiscale and interdisciplinary governance, and
encouraging a paradigm shift in city planning and design, one that observes and makes
interdependence visible. of the human-nature system.