Resumo

In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly, aiming to ensure a more sustainable future for all nations, established the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. In this project, the United Nations' 2030 Agenda recognizes the pivotal role of cities as centers of economic, social, and cultural life that can simultaneously address multiple sustainability objectives. However, despite widespread recognition of the need to develop integrated approaches for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in cities, limited progress has been achieved thus far.

This article aims to analyze the intersection between the literature on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and sustainable cities to contribute to developing an integrated approach to the SDGs in urban areas.

As cornerstones of sustainable development (WCED, 1987; Castells, 2000), cities balance growth and environmental preservation (Hiremath et al., 2013). The rise of smart sustainable cities highlights environmental and social priorities in urban planning (Bibri & Krogstie, 2017; Ahad et al., 2020). Influenced by the UN's SDGs (del Río Castro et al., 2021), cities address global challenges from poverty to environmental policies (Griggs et al., 2014). As pivotal players, cities must embrace agile governance and innovation to achieve 65% of SDGs (Alliance, 2015; Akuraju et al., 2022).

We conducted a literature scope review, utilizing bibliographic research to identify, map topics, summarize research findings, and extract inferences from the existing literature on the state of research activity

Our research highlights a rising academic focus on sustainable cities and their ties to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Key themes include urban development, governance, and social inequality, especially around SDG 11 (sustainable cities). We emphasize the need for smart governance in achieving SDGs and recognize the link between sustainable cities and social inequality. The importance of precise indicators and refined research methods is also underscored.

The study reveals a growing academic interest in sustainable cities but also recognizes the need for deeper collaboration across various fields and a more holistic approach to address all interconnected SDGs. Thus, besides providing an overview of the literature on the subject and identifying areas of research requiring further attention, it also suggests ongoing efforts by policymakers and academics to promote sustainability at local and global levels, aligned with the objectives of the UN's 2030 Agenda.

Akuraju, V., Pradhan, P., Haase, D., Kropp, J. P., & Rybski, D. (2022). Relating SDG11 indicators and urban scaling – An exploratory study. Sustainable Cities and Society, 52. UN-Habitat. (2022). Tracking Progress Towards Inclusive, Safe, Resilient and Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements SDG 11 SYNTHESIS REPORT HIGH LEVEL POLITICAL FORUM 2018 UN Statistical Division (UNSD) Cultural Organization Educational, Scientific and United Nations. WCED (1987)). Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our common future. United Nations.