[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3229 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3229

      To direct the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
 International Development to develop a strategy to foster sustainable 
   urban development in developing countries that updates the Making 
                      Cities Work Urban Strategy.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 20, 2010

  Mr. Kerry (for himself, Mr. Cardin, and Mr. Durbin) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                           Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To direct the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
 International Development to develop a strategy to foster sustainable 
   urban development in developing countries that updates the Making 
                      Cities Work Urban Strategy.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Sustainable Urban Development Act of 
2010''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Approximately 51 percent of the world's population 
        lives in cities of various sizes and produce the majority of 
        the world's economic output.
            (2) It is estimated that by 2030--
                    (A) almost 4,000,000,000 people will live in cities 
                in the developing world;
                    (B) urban populations in Africa and Asia will 
                double; and
                    (C) the number of people living in slums will 
                double.
            (3) Of the approximately 1,000,000,000 people worldwide who 
        live in slums, more than 50 percent are younger than 25 years 
        of age.
            (4) In most countries, the largest urban areas account for 
        significant shares of gross domestic product and, due to the 
        economic advantages of large integrated markets for skills, 
        inputs and outputs are often drivers of national economic 
        growth.
            (5) More than 1,100,000,000 people lack adequate access to 
        safe water and nearly 2,500,000,000 lack access to sanitation 
        services. These problems may become more severe with rapid 
        urbanization.
            (6) The costs of diseases and productivity losses linked to 
        water and sanitation amount to--
                    (A) 2 percent of gross domestic product in less 
                developed countries; and
                    (B) up to 5 percent of gross domestic product in 
                sub-Saharan Africa.
            (7) Insecure lease and real property ownership tenure often 
        subject slum dwellers to arbitrary, often supra-market rents, 
        forced evictions, threats, and harassment, particularly 
        affecting women who are often heads of households.
            (8) Insecurity of tenure--
                    (A) severely inhibits economic development by 
                undermining investment incentives and constraining the 
                growth of credit markets;
                    (B) imperils the ability of families to achieve 
                sustainable livelihoods and assured access to shelter; 
                and
                    (C) often contributes to conflict over property 
                rights.
            (9) Although women constitute 66 percent of the world's 
        work force, they own less than 15 percent of the world's 
        private property. This disparity is particularly damaging in 
        cities and towns in which women are disproportionately affected 
        by forced evictions and insecure tenure as a result of 
        discrimination, gender-biased laws, and customs that--
                    (A) define women as legal minors or otherwise 
                prevent women from acquiring and securing property, 
                housing leases, or ownership rights; and
                    (B) increase the vulnerability of women to poverty, 
                violence, and sexual abuse.
            (10) Cities can play an important role in economic growth 
        only if--
                    (A) there is appropriate infrastructure, 
                institutions, and policies; and
                    (B) basic services are extended to everyone.
            (11) Connective infrastructure, such as roads and 
        telecommunications--
                    (A) plays a critical role linking cities and their 
                markets to rural production, to hinterlands, and to the 
                global economy;
                    (B) reduces economic distances; and
                    (C) strengthens the ability of cities to take 
                advantage of the resulting market opportunities and 
                ensures that urban and rural development policies are 
                integrated into a holistic approach that promotes 
                economic growth throughout the country.
            (12) The 2006 National Security Strategy states, 
        ``America's national interests and moral values drive us in the 
        same direction: to assist the world's poor citizens and least 
        developed nations and help integrate them into the global 
        economy.''.
            (13) In his October 2009 remarks for World Habitat Day, 
        President Obama stated, ``My administration is committed to . . 
        . bolstering our metropolitan areas, the cities, suburban and 
        rural areas that are the engines of our economic growth. We are 
        investing in a clean energy sector that will generate new green 
        jobs, building affordable, energy efficient homes and promoting 
        more sustainable development so that we can meet the needs of 
        the present, for securing the future for our children and 
        grandchildren . . . That is why we are committed to working 
        with the United Nations and our partners around the world to 
        help more families find a safe and secure place to live.''.
            (14) Target 11 of Goal 7 of the Millennium Development 
        Goals states, ``By 2020, to have achieved a significant 
        improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum-
        dwellers.''.

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    It is the policy of the United States--
            (1) to recognize urban development, as an objective of 
        United States foreign policy, and overseas development 
        assistance, particularly programs that--
                    (A) foster improved urban governance, management, 
                and planning;
                    (B) increase land and real property tenure;
                    (C) promote the formal provision of, and access to, 
                essential urban services and infrastructure;
                    (D) expand access to basic shelter, affordable 
                urban housing;
                    (E) economically empower women and youth;
                    (F) promote civic participation and social 
                cohesion;
                    (G) respond to, and proactively prepare for, 
                environmental and climatic challenges;
                    (H) promote economic growth and alleviate poverty; 
                and
                    (I) expand the availability of financing for urban 
                housing and infrastructure;
            (2) to prevent waste and duplication in the use of United 
        States overseas development assistance with respect to the 
        programs described in paragraph (1);
            (3) to foster cooperative relations with foreign 
        governments, intergovernmental organizations, private 
        businesses, and nonprofit and community-based organizations 
        that support or implement programs similar to those described 
        in paragraph (1);
            (4) to support innovative international mechanisms designed 
        to increase coordination and mutual complementarity in the 
        planning, financing, and implementation of sustainable urban 
        development policies and programs implemented by the United 
        States and other donors described in this section;
            (5) to ensure access to--
                    (A) basic shelter and affordable housing, 
                particularly by residents of slums and informal 
                settlements and similar densely populated, impoverished 
                urban areas; and
                    (B) safe water and sanitation;
            (6) to promote--
                    (A) the security of land and other real property 
                use, lease, and ownership rights;
                    (B) the legal recognition and protections of such 
                rights by all income groups;
                    (C) equitable and sustainable national land 
                policies; and
                    (D) enhanced land administration services, 
                including services for groups that--
                            (i) are socioeconomically vulnerable or 
                        institutionally marginalized; or
                            (ii) are subject to discrimination, 
                        including women, children, the poor, and people 
                        living in urban slums and informal settlements; 
                        and
            (7) to support efforts to enhance the technical and 
        financial capacity of developing country governments, including 
        regional and municipal governments, to plan and manage urban 
        growth in transparent, participatory, and accountable manner.

SEC. 4. SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator of the United States Agency for 
International Development (referred to in this section as the 
``USAID'') shall develop a strategy to foster sustainable urban 
development in developing countries that updates the Making Cities Work 
Urban Strategy.
    (b) Consultation.--The strategy required under subsection (a)--
            (1) shall be developed in consultation with other United 
        States Government agencies with relevant technical expertise or 
        policy mandates pertaining to urban development in foreign 
        countries; and
            (2) shall draw upon best practices and successful models of 
        urban development undertaken or developed by international 
        intergovernmental organizations, international finance 
        institutions, recipient countries, United States and 
        international nongovernmental organizations, private sector 
        actors, and other appropriate entities.
    (c) Content.--The strategy required under subsection (a) shall--
            (1) review and assess existing or past United States 
        programs and foreign assistance strategies for developing 
        countries designed to improve urban development, including--
                    (A) increasing access to basic shelter, affordable 
                housing, and shared communal infrastructure;
                    (B) enhancing land tenure security;
                    (C) promoting environmentally sound urban 
                infrastructure and services;
                    (D) building capacity for municipal planning, 
                management, and governance;
                    (E) leveraging innovative financing for urban 
                investments;
                    (F) promoting gender equality and women's 
                empowerment; and
                    (G) promoting active participation of urban 
                dwellers in the planning and execution of urban 
                governance and social services programs;
            (2) define short- and long-term objectives and performance 
        measures by which progress in urban development in foreign 
        countries should be measured;
            (3) integrate United States programs and foreign assistance 
        strategies that address urban development and slums in 
        developing countries;
            (4) integrate into the broader strategic foreign assistance 
        plans of the Department of State and the programs and 
        objectives of the United Stated Agency for International 
        Development related to urban development and slums;
            (5) assess the feasibility of establishing, in the USAID, a 
        senior advisor for urban sustainable development, who would--
                    (A) provide--
                            (i) leadership for coordinated programming;
                            (ii) technical support for urban 
                        development; and
                            (iii) dissemination of best practices with 
                        policy and technical staff with experience and 
                        expertise in urban planning and development;
                    (B) guide urban programming;
                    (C) help build the capacity of government officials 
                in developing countries to more effectively manage 
                urbanization; and
                    (D) encourage the organization and involvement of 
                local civil society, including collective and municipal 
                associations;
            (6) evaluate options to leverage private sector 
        partnerships on issues related to housing, slum improvement, 
        and finance though--
                    (A) the Global Development Alliance of USAID and 
                the Global Partnerships Initiative of the Department of 
                State;
                    (B) the Overseas Private Investment Corporation;
                    (C) the Development Credit Authority;
                    (D) the Millennium Challenge Corporation; and
                    (E) other relevant initiatives;
            (7) support a policy of United States Government 
        collaboration and coordination with other donors towards urban 
        development issues, including--
                    (A) working to achieve Target 4 of Goal 7 of the 
                Millennium Development Goals;
                    (B) supporting local development plans and 
                strategies;
                    (C) reviewing technical assistance and financial 
                resource needs for urban development programming;
                    (D) fostering greater program coordination among 
                donors; and
                    (E) disseminating best practices in urban planning 
                and development;
            (8) assess the feasibility of establishing a pilot urban 
        strategies initiative that would--
                    (A) support, through technical and financial 
                assistance, a select number of cities in developing 
                countries by identifying, developing, and implementing 
                long-term sustainable urban development strategies to 
                provide a framework for future growth and development 
                in identified countries;
                    (B) provide support for such urban development 
                strategies through a variety of approaches, including 
                direct financial support, innovative financial 
                mechanisms, and private sector investment;
                    (C) raise critical global awareness of urban 
                development issues, including the emergence of mega-
                cities and the increasing burdens placed on secondary 
                cities in developing countries; and
                    (D) fully integrate the needs of women, who are 
                often heads of households, yet do not have equitable 
                access to land, resources, or services;
            (9) analyze approaches to improve environmental 
        sustainability in urban areas, while recognizing that 
        developing cities are facing severe environmental stress as a 
        result of the difficulties of expanding facilities fast enough 
        to keep up with rapidly growing populations and industrial 
        activity; and
            (10) develop a plan for providing long-term United States 
        support for sustainable urban growth and development 
        initiatives in developing countries that--
                    (A) includes regular coordination between United 
                States Government agencies that have relevant technical 
                expertise or policy responsibilities, as appropriate, 
                including--
                            (i) the United States Agency for 
                        International Development;
                            (ii) the Department of State;
                            (iii) the Millennium Challenge Corporation;
                            (iv) the Department of Housing and Urban 
                        Development;
                            (v) the Department of the Treasury; and
                            (vi) the Overseas Private Investment 
                        Corporation; and
                    (B) draws upon the available expertise of United 
                States-based city and regional elected officials and 
                professionals in--
                            (i) community, real estate, and banking 
                        sectors;
                            (ii) major United States private 
                        foundations, nongovernmental organizations, and 
                        policy, education, and research organizations;
                            (iii) United Nations organizations; and
                            (iv) multilateral development banks.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 12 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit a report to 
Congress that includes the strategy required under this section.
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