Introducing Healthy Cities in the SDG Era

11/16/20 • 6 min

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A projected 5 billion people, or 60% of the world’s population will live in cities by 2030, which makes urban health a matter of global health. In September 2015, Canada and 192 fellow countries adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a global framework for action for people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership. It outlines 17 Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the SDGs, all with a guiding principle of leaving no one behind. We have ten years to meet these goals, and there are a number of areas where Canada is lagging behind, and in some cases, moving backwards.

This is Healthy Cities in the SDG Era, a podcast about the SDGs, and how research conducted by faculty and students at the University of Toronto is helping to achieve them. This podcast will explore research and policy topics related to SDG3: Good Health and Well-being, and SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, and the ways in which they intersect with the other SDGs - for example, areas like poverty, hunger, gender equality, decent work and economic growth, reduced inequalities, and climate action. Our goal is to give context to the ongoing research and progress towards achieving the SDGs at U of T, as it relates to Canada’s actions, and to add new perspectives to national discussions about the SDGs. Our conversations will be evidence-based and focus on highlighting actionable ways that people can make an impact in achieving the SDGs.

CREDITS: This podcast is co-hosted by Dr. Erica Di Ruggiero, Director of the Centre for Global Health, and Ophelia Michaelides, Manager of the Centre for Global Health, at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, and produced by Elizabeth Loftus. Audio editing is by Anwaar Baobeid. Music is produced by Julien Fortier and Patrick May. It is made with the support of the School of Cities at the University of Toronto.

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1. What are the SDGs, and why is a Canadian university talking about them?

In September 2015, Canada and 192 other countries adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a global framework that is described as a “shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet.”

In the first episode of Healthy Cities in the SDG Era, Dr. Erica Di Ruggiero will speak to two experts who are working towards achieving these goals about what the SDGs are, why they matter to Canada, and how work at the University of Toronto is helping to achieve them.

Margaret Biggs is Matthews Fellow in Global Public Policy at Queen’s University, Chairperson of the Board of Governors for the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and Vice Chair of the Canadian Partnership on Women’s and Children’s Health (CanWaCH). Ms. Biggs previously served as President of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and was responsible for overseeing Canada’s international development and humanitarian assistance efforts worldwide, including Canada’s G8 Muskoka Initiative on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health. She is an active contributor on issues related to Canada and global sustainable development. In 2018 she co-authored “A Canadian North Star: Crafting an advanced economy approach to the Sustainable Development Goals” at the Brookings Institution. Ms. Biggs is Board Chair of World University Services Canada and member of the Advisory Council for FinDevCanada.

Dr. Joseph Wong is the Vice-President, International for the University of Toronto. He is the Ralph and Roz Halbert Professor of Innovation at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, and a Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto. He formerly held the Canada Research Chair in health, development and democracy for two terms. His research focuses on poverty and innovation, and he has an extensive background of working with the World Bank and the United Nations, and has advised governments around the world on matters of public policy.

Healthy Cities in the SDG Era - Introducing Healthy Cities in the SDG Era

Transcript

Erica Di Ruggiero [00:00:05] Hello, everyone. My name is Erica Di Ruggiero

Ophelia Michaelides [00:00:08] And I'm Ophelia Michaelides from the Centre for Global Health at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto.

Erica Di Ruggiero [00:00:17] And we have a question for you. What does a healthy and sustainable city look like to you? And what could this possibly have to do with global health? Well, it turns out q