The city of Buenos Aires has strongly assumed its commitment to the SDGs by embarking on a comprehensive participatory process that led to the SDG prioritization according to the local reality and the Participatory Strategic Plan of Buenos Aires 2035.

Participatory Strategic Plan of Buenos Aires 2035

The Strategic Plan of Buenos Aires has a look, a scope and a metropolitan thought on urban sustainability and the gender perspective that is transversal to the axes, guidelines and action proposals included in the work carried out by the Strategic Planning Council.

The plan is the product of a consensual work among 183 Civil Society Organizations that lasted eight months (January to August 2017) to achieve a document based on five fundamental pillars with the aim of giving an added value to the previous plans:

• Participation and consensus among the actors
• A Plan articulated with the sectoral government plans
• Comprehensive look with long-term vision
• A flexible and open plan that can be updated
• Measurable concrete proposals that can be evaluated and monitored over time

The participatory feature in the generation of the plan was enhanced, knowing that the construction of the plan is different to most of the strategic plans of other municipalities and provinces of Argentina and the world, which arise from an area or government secretary and invite civil society organizations to participate. As a consequence, the name of the Participatory Strategic Plan arises, differentiating itself from the other strategic plans that are usually presented by the different areas of government.

Objectives of the Plan

• Propose a long-term vision for the future with clear guidelines and concrete proposals that guide the performance of the successive government actions.
• Project, with a comprehensive view, the development and improvement of the quality of life of the inhabitants of the City, through participation and consensus among the actors.
• Generate a dynamic and flexible plan, subject to revision, correction and updating, through periodic monitoring.

City Vision

• An autonomous city integrated into the metropolitan region that consolidates processes of democratic governance.
• An open and supportive, inclusive, safe and inclusive city that generates spaces of coexistence for the whole community, with a gender perspective and with respect for diversity.
• A city that promotes equal opportunities, with a focus on universal access to public goods, land and habitat.
• A city committed to sustainable development, taking care of the environment and improving the quality of life, through the strengthening of health, education and citizen participation, co-creating the future city.
• A city that acts as a regional center of innovation, tourism and services, territory of opportunities, axis of productive development and the tasks associated with knowledge, culture and creativity, which bases its growth within a sustainable model.

To access the complete books of the plan and get more details, read them here.

An open government

The plan elaboration has then been followed by the strengthening of a Open Government ecosystem, the elaboration of an integration plan, and the promotion of a cycle of conferences, which counted on the support of the United Nations Development Programme, on Strategic planning and the SDGs targeting officials of the municipalities of the Metropolitan Region (RMBA), municipal authorities and civil society organizations of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires and RMBA.

By doing so, Buenos Aires is making strides to ensure a full ownership of the SDGs by all local actors to build alliances and transform the global goals into local reality for its citizens.