Place-based Investment And Urban Healing

The Place-Based Investment and Urban Healing Working Group, focuses the localized deployment of impact capital to address multifaceted challenges in urban settings through principles of place-based impact investing.

Objectives:

  1. Catalysing Urban Healing and Advancement: The primary objective is to catalyse and advance urban healing through targeted impact investments. This involves addressing informal settlements’ needs and promoting residents’ well-being by integrating financial, social, and environmental considerations.
  2. Ecosystem Support and Project Pipeline Development: The working group aims to support the larger ecosystem by identifying, developing, and promoting an attractive project pipeline. This includes scalable solutions that contribute to the broader goals of urban resilience and community well-being.
  3. Collaborative Diversity and Focus: Fostering collective diversity is essential for effective urban healing. The working group seeks to bring together diverse stakeholders,  real estate sector, academia, finance institutions, public bodies, and local authorities, to create a holistic approach to addressing urban challenges.

Key Partners:

  1. Academia: Academic institutions contribute research expertise, ensuring cutting-edge knowledge and innovative solutions are incorporated into the working group’s initiatives.
  2. Finance Institutions: Collaborating with finance institutions to leverage financial resources and expertise, ensuring sustainable and impactful investment strategies.
  3. Public Bodies: Engaging with public bodies to align urban healing initiatives with broader public policy objectives and leverage governmental support.
  4. Local Authorities: Collaborating with local authorities to ensure that place-based impact investing aligns with local communities’ specific needs and aspirations.

Activities:

  1. Thematic Research and Knowledge Hub: Establishing a transparent and action-oriented knowledge hub focused on place-based impact investing. The working group will conduct thematic research to deepen understanding and inform targeted investment strategies.
  2. Project Development and Implementation: Developing a pilot project in collaboration with local communities and stakeholders. It includes pilot initiatives that demonstrate the effectiveness of place-based impact investing in promoting urban healing.
  3. Stakeholder Engagement and Capacity Building: Facilitating dialogues and collaborations among diverse stakeholders, including real estate sector  academia, finance institutions, public bodies, and local authorities. Capacity-building initiatives will ensure that all stakeholders are well-equipped to contribute meaningfully to the urban healing agenda.
  4. Policy Advocacy: Engaging with policymakers to advocate for supportive frameworks and policies encouraging and incentivising place-based impact investing. The working group aims to create an enabling environment for sustainable urban development.

In conclusion, the Place-Based Investment and Urban Healing Working Group is a proactive response to the global call to action outlined in the “Informal Settlements: No Longer Invisible” report. By fostering collaboration among real estate sector , academia, finance institutions, public bodies, and local authorities, the working group aims to contribute significantly to advancing urban healing and the resilience of disadvantaged communities.