Build Solid Ground

By 2050, the world’s urban population is expected to double, making urbanization one of the most transformative trends of the 21st century. If managed well, it can be a powerful tool for economic development. To talk about urban issues is a goal of 14 partners and one project – Build Solid Ground funded by the European Union. It will run for three years at least in eleven European countries, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom, as well as in some countries outside of Europe. 

Visibility leads to accountability

Hence, we want to hold governments accountable to the commitments they made with the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda – two global frameworks that form a collective blueprint for sustainable urban development for decades to come. We want to inform Europeans about these commitments, engage them to support global housing and land issues and show how our social, economic and environmental well-being depends on prosperity in the rest of the world.

What are the critical issues for people in cities?

Land rights: millions of people live in fear of losing a home since their rights to the land are not documented.

Gender equality: major gaps exist between law and practice on women's land rights; closing these are crucial to eliminate extreme poverty.

Urbanization and slum upgrading: people move to cities for work, one out of seven lives in a slum; property rights and technology could be one of the first steps to improve urban environments.

Some partners will talk about migration and climate change as people are increasingly forced to leave their countries in search of new homes. And affected host communities are under pressure to provide decent housing solutions.