Report on Urban Development Challenges and Sustainable Development Goals in Chicago

Advocacy for Sustainable Urban Mobility Leadership (SDG 10, SDG 11)

Recent advocacy efforts highlight a demand for leadership within the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) that prioritizes equitable and sustainable mobility, aligning with key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): A coalition has called for the appointment of a CDOT leader committed to developing safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable transport systems for all residents.
• SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): The push for equitable mobility underscores the need to reduce inequalities in access to transportation, a critical factor for social and economic inclusion. This follows previous opposition from activists to appointments perceived as not aligning with these sustainability principles.

Public Safety and Urban Infrastructure (SDG 11, SDG 16)

Incidents of violence within the public transit system pose a significant challenge to the city’s sustainability and safety objectives.

• SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions): A reported stabbing of a minor near a major transit station undermines efforts to reduce violence and promote security in public spaces.
• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): Such events directly conflict with the goal of ensuring safe and inclusive access to public transport, which is a cornerstone of a sustainable urban environment.

Addressing Urban Poverty and Housing Insecurity (SDG 1, SDG 11)

The management of homeless encampments has been identified as a critical issue requiring a more coherent and effective municipal strategy, directly impacting goals related to poverty and housing.

• SDG 1 (No Poverty): Calls from city officials for a consistent and effective approach to encampments reflect the urgent need to address the most visible form of extreme poverty.
• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): Developing a straightforward strategy is essential for achieving Target 11.1, which aims to ensure access for all to adequate, safe, and affordable housing and basic services.

Securing Financial Stability for Sustainable Infrastructure (SDG 9, SDG 11)

The long-term viability of the region’s public transportation network is contingent upon securing adequate and stable funding, a matter currently under negotiation at the state level.

• SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure): Ongoing discussions with state leadership, including House Speaker Chris Welch, regarding a transit funding proposal are critical for maintaining and upgrading resilient infrastructure.
• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): A successful funding resolution is fundamental to the continued operation and expansion of sustainable transport systems, which are vital for the economic and environmental health of the city.

Enhancing Public Transit Reliability and Information Systems (SDG 9, SDG 11)

Recent reports have focused on challenges related to the operational reliability and public perception of the Chicago area’s transit systems.

1. Infrastructure Reliability and Public Trust (Metra): Metra is actively working to dispel public misinformation regarding its switch heating systems, a crucial technology for ensuring operational resilience. This effort supports SDG 9 by maintaining trust in critical infrastructure and SDG 11 by ensuring the reliability of the sustainable transport network.
2. Information System Accuracy (CTA): The identification of “ghost buses” in the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) tracking applications highlights a significant failure in the technological infrastructure supporting public transit. This issue directly impedes progress on SDG 11.2 by undermining the accessibility and reliability of the transport system, eroding user trust and creating barriers for residents who depend on accurate information.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 1: No Poverty
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 1: No Poverty

   • Target 1.4: By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services. The article’s mention of “homeless encampments” and the city’s need for a “more straightforward, consistent and effective approach” directly relates to the lack of access to basic services, specifically housing, for a vulnerable population.

2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

   • Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure… with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all. This target is relevant to several points: the “transit funding negotiations” which are essential for maintaining and developing transport infrastructure; the issue of “flaming switch heaters” on Metra tracks, which pertains to infrastructure reliability; and the problem of “‘Ghost buses’ busted in CTA tracking apps,” which highlights a failure in the reliability of the technological infrastructure supporting public transit.

3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

   • Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of… economic or other status. The call for a “CDOT leader focused on equitable and sustainable mobility” directly addresses this target by emphasizing the need for transportation systems that are fair and accessible to all members of the community, thereby promoting social inclusion.

4. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services. This is directly addressed by the Block Club article concerning “three homeless encampments” and the call from alderpeople for a better city response, highlighting the challenge of providing adequate housing for all residents.
   • Target 11.2: By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all. This is a central theme. The call for “equitable and sustainable mobility,” the need for a “transit funding proposal,” and the unreliability shown by “‘Ghost buses'” all point to the challenges and goals of creating a functional and accessible public transport system for the city.
   • Target 11.7: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces. The report of a “16-year-old girl was seriously injured in a stabbing near the Roosevelt Red Line station” underscores the issue of safety in public spaces, particularly within the public transit system, which is a critical public space in a city.

5. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. The stabbing incident at the Red Line station is a direct example of the violence that this target aims to reduce, highlighting a lapse in public safety.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicators for Housing and Poverty (SDG 1 & 11)

   • Existence of homeless encampments: The article’s mention of “three homeless encampments” implies that the number and size of such encampments can be used as a direct, albeit negative, indicator of the lack of adequate housing.
   • City response to homelessness: The call for a “more straightforward, consistent and effective approach” suggests that the existence and quality of a city-wide policy or strategy for addressing homelessness can serve as a policy-level indicator.

2. Indicators for Infrastructure and Transport (SDG 9 & 11)

   • Transit funding levels: The mention of a “transit funding proposal” implies that the amount of funding secured for public transit is a key financial indicator for maintaining and improving the system.
   • Service reliability: The issue of “‘Ghost buses’ busted in CTA tracking apps” points to a direct performance indicator: the accuracy and reliability of the transit authority’s real-time tracking data, or the percentage of scheduled buses that run as planned.

3. Indicators for Safety and Violence (SDG 11 & 16)

   • Crime rates in public spaces: The report of a “stabbing near the Roosevelt Red Line station” implies that the number of violent crimes occurring within or near public transit facilities can be used as a direct indicator to measure progress towards ensuring safe public spaces.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: chi.streetsblog.org