Cities Programme Partners
Cities Programme strategic partners are Global Compact participants, have an organisation focus that aligns with the Cities Programme and adds value to the Programme with resources, expertise and capability.
RMIT University
RMIT is a global university of technology and design, Australia’s largest tertiary institution and the Cities Programme’s lead partner and supporter.
The International Secretariat of the Cities Programme is hosted by RMIT’s Global Cities Research Institute, located in its Melbourne city campus. The University’s research focus on solving the critical global problems affecting communities and the environment positions it to support the Cities Programme’s innovating cities with a breadth of expertise and research capability.
RMIT under graduate and post graduate students also contribute to the Cities Programme through projects undertaken in internships at the Melbourne office. They are also available to undertake placements internationally in the Programme’s Innovating Cities through RMIT’s International Industry Research Program.
UN-HABITAT
UNGCCP recently formalised its partnership with United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN Habitat), as a lead partner in the World Urban Campaign . The World Urban Campaign is an advocacy instrument, coordinated by lead partner UN-Habitat, within which partners decide of a common accord on priorities to ensure maximum benefits of synchronizing resources and expertise to advance the objective within the campaign framework. Partners work to promote sustainable development in all spheres of public policy and public and private investment within the World Urban Campaign framework
As a member of the World Urban Campaign Steering Committee, the UNGCCP will be an active player in relevant sub-committees and working groups for setting up policies, priorities and action areas. Through communication and outreach activities and co-branded annual events, the UNGCCP will also facilitate information dissemination.
It will provide further support in developing methodologies and sustainability indicators and facilitate the knowledge sharing process for the six thematic clusters under World Urban Campaign, namely, (i) A Planned City, (ii) A Green City, (iii) A Productive City, (iv) An Inclusive City, (v) A Resilient City, and (vi) A Safe and Healthy City. committees and working groups for setting up policies, priorities and action areas. Through communication and outreach activities and co-branded annual events, the UNGCCP will also facilitate information dissemination. It will provide further support in developing methodologies and sustainability indicators and facilitate the knowledge sharing process for the six thematic clusters under World Urban Campaign, namely, (i) A Planned City, (ii) A Green City, (iii) A Productive City, (iv) An Inclusive City, (v) A Resilient City, and (vi) A Safe and Healthy City.
World Vision Australia
The Cities Programme and World Vision Australia have collaborated in undertaking applied urban-focused research that has positive practical impacts for disadvantaged urban 
communities around the world. World Vision Australia has established a Centre of expertise for Urban Programming (the ‘Urban CoE’) to explore and promote promising urban development practices, informed by local knowledge and field practices. The partnership will facilitate the implementation of joint research projects relevant to practical, applied research on urban issues that benefit disadvantaged communities. RMIT’s Global Cities Research Institute will assist in developing project frameworks based on the ‘Circles of Sustainability’ methodology including self assessment criteria moderated assessment opportunities, city-focused program performance indicators and evaluation frameworks, stakeholder engagement and scenario planning methodologies to facilitate meaningful and inclusive engagement of a diverse range of representative from government, the private sector and civil society in research projects, to aid in the effective design of research projects and to enable transparent monitoring, reporting and evaluation of such projects. Further assistance to World Vision will be provided through identifying researchers to support World Vision Australia’s project development and assessment activities and to participate in or collaborate with World Vision Australia research teams; providing access to wider research networks with expertise relevant to World Vision Australia’s urban research projects, and regular communications about current activities of the Global Cities Research Institute and the Cities Programme to World Vision Australia.
Metropolis
Created in 1985, the Metropolis Association is represented by more than a hundred member cities from across the world and operates as an international forum for exploring issues and concerns common to all big cities. The main goal of the association is to better control the development process of metropolitan areas in order to enhance the wellbeing of their citizens. To do this, Metropolis represents regions and metropolitan areas at the world-wide level. The Global Cities Institute was represented on Metropolis’ Commission 2, Managing Urban Growth which reported in 2011. Since 2012 it acts as the main partner of the Metropolis Initiative : Integrated Strategic Planning and Public Private Partnerships
The UN Global Compact Cities Programme (UNGCCP) and Metropolis, are building on their collaborative partnership in an exciting new initiative that will support Indian cities to build public private-partnerships that support sustainable urban growth and development.
The joint Cities Programme- Metropolis Initiative proposal was approved by the Metropolis World Congress in Porto Alegre, Brazil in November 2011 and has been launched in New Delhi in April 2012.
Techo
Techo is a Latin American youth led non-profit organization working towards poverty eradication in slums and development of sustainable communities through promoting community development, creating social awareness, and political advocacy. Established in Chile in 1997, Techo currently operates in 19 Latin American countries, involving over 500,000 young volunteers. Its recent achievements include building 80,000 transitional houses across Latin America, engaging 8,000 families in social inclusion programs, and creating 148 active community organizing committee.
With the objective of promoting cross-sectoral collaboration in tackling complex urban challenges and knowledge, the UNGCCP and Techo have entered a partnership in August 2012. The partnership will facilitate exchange of experiences, resources, and best practices of each of the partner organizations, as well as undertake joint research initiatives and internship exercises in Latin America Centre for Social Research for RMIT University students and others.
Citymart.com
Citymart and UNGCCP has formed a collaboration to establish on-the-ground, applied urban-focused research that has positive practical impacts for cities and corporations around the world.
Citymart.com connects cities and solution providers to improve lives of citizens around the world. The company’s marketplace currently connects 50 cities and their 200 million citizens with over 1,000 innovative solution providers encompassing businesses, social enterprises and universities.
The objectives of the Citymart and UNGCCP partnership includes implementing joint projects to further the goals of Citymart and UNGCCP, mutually sharing research methodologies, case studies, best practices, and experiences from current and past urban research projects, and most importantly, developing a conceptual framework for Citymart based on UNGCCP’s ‘Circles of Sustainability’ methodology, city-focused indicators and evaluation frameworks, and stakeholder engagement and scenario planning methodologies. Further objectives of the collaboration include establishing a connection between researchers of UNGCCP and Citymart, receiving and providing assistance to visiting delegations with an interest in the activities and projects undertaken, and equally promoting the activities and projects undertaken by the concerned organizations.
The City of Melbourne
The City of Melbourne is a long standing supporter of the Cities Programme. One of the founding members, a lead partner in the original ‘Utility Debt Spiral Project’,
financial supporter and member of the Programme’s Advisory Committee, Melbourne is a champion of the Programme and the methodology it is based on.
The City of Melbourne recently extended its international collaboration with cities to include membership of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group.
