Key messages

The key messages are:

• The influence of SDG 11 on planning systems and practices is often implicit: Although most planners report that SDG 11 informs their daily work, it is rarely referenced explicitly in plans or policies.
• Cases of explicit application andlinking of the SDGs to spatial development and planning systems also exist: Despite the strong prevalence of implicit application in many global settings, there are also cases where the SDGs and other elements of the global agenda have been more directly incorporated into planning systems and their goals and instruments. Developing countries are often more reliant on the SDGs to inform their planning policies.

• Capacity for data collection and monitoring is strong in many places but does not always translate into application on the ground: Even where SDG monitoring is sophisticated and well-resourced, implementation remains the biggest challenge.
• Engagement with the SDGs is driven by different motivations including concerns with image and reputation: The report includes examples of different motivations in  places such as Brazil, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States.
• Application can reflect a combination of top down and domestic bottom up and horizontal approaches: Application often takes place through a complicated multilevel and multi actor process that can include global agencies, national governments, regional and local governments, and demands from citizens.