Our pathways, our approach

ICLEI engages at the local to global levels, shaping policy and sparking action to transform urban environments worldwide. We build connections across levels of government, sectors and stakeholder groups, sparking city-to-city, city-to-region, local-to-global and local-to-national connections. By linking subnational, national and global actors, policies, commitments and actions, ICLEI strengthens action at all levels, in support of sustainable urban development.

At the subnational level, ICLEI drives change along five interconnected pathways that cut across sectors and jurisdictional boundaries. This design enables local and regional governments to think and design solutions in a holistic and integrated way, creating change across entire urban systems.

These pathways, outlined below, are part of the ICLEI Malmö Commitment and Strategic Vision 2021-2027, which guides the work of the ICLEI network. The pathways were originally released as part of the ICLEI Montréal Commitment and Strategic Vision 2018-2024.

You can read more about the ICLEI Malmö Commitment and Strategic Vision in ICLEI in the Urban Era.

How the pathways work

Cities are complex systems. The components of urban systems, from food distribution networks and energy grids to transport and greenways, are interconnected and dynamic. Intervening to create change in any one of these components may impact others, creating systemic change. Designing solutions that take these interconnections into account is critical to sustainable development.

The five ICLEI pathways towards low emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient, and circular development are designed to create systemic change.

The pathways provide a framework for designing integrated solutions that balance the patterns of human life and the built and natural environments. They encourage holistic thinking to ensure that ICLEI, as a network of local and regional governments and global experts, optimizes our impact. For instance, we consider how nature-based development contributes to resilience, or how to bring equity into low-emission development. When these pathways guide local and regional development, urban systems become more sustainable.

Local and regional governments use these pathways as a guide for sustainable urban development through systemic change. Often, our activities are guided by a predominant pathway or set of pathways. In any given city or region, multiple activities may be implemented along each pathway. These activities help local and regional governments advance sustainable urban development.

Urban systems are part of a broader city-region territory. Local and regional governments and their urban systems are interconnected. We address city-to-city and rural-urban linkages to create a multiplier effect. Our network of more than 2500 local and regional governments drives sustainable urban development worldwide.