Local Pathways Initiative - Bijar City
This project was launched by Shadnaz Azizi as one of the 60 Local Pathways fellows who will champion SDGs in their cities through the Local Pathways Fellowship a program of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network Youth Initiative (SDSN Youth). Shadnaz Azizi with the collaboration of her colleagues in Neginshar Ayandeh Consulting aim to explore how Bijar in kordestan province can achieve SDG 11.3 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (which cited: By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries) to eliminate “blight” from the Bijar city.
– City of Focus: Bijar
– SDG Focal Area: Urban blight
– SDG Target: 11.3
– Secondary Targets: 8.9, 9.1, 11.4, 17.17
– Rationale:
- Inhospitable city land use and landscape with portion of 30% urban decay of built environment;
- Bijar is a historical city with the global handmade carpet brand of “Bidjar Rugs” by virtue of their design and technique but there are no Local economic development strategies to take the cultural economy into account;
- 60% of total population are under 39 years of age;
- Unemployment rate has increased from 15% in 2006 to 19% in 2011;
- The annual growth rate of population saw decrease from 3% in 1996 to 0.8% in 2006 and 0.2% in 2011;
More at localpathways.org and irlocalpathways.org
