2. Localizing the SDGs in Baltimore: Challenges and Opportunities of the USA Sustainable Cities Initiative

As one of the oldest cities in the USA, Baltimore is a vibrant and diverse community that nevertheless faces significant development challenges, such as depopulation, inequality, poverty, unemployment, and infrastructure degradation. In the same year that the member countries of the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the city of Baltimore was in the grips of civil and racial unrest at a level not seen in many US cities since 1968. With this backdrop, when the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) selected Baltimore as one of the first three cities to participate in the launch of the USA Sustainable Cities Initiative (USA-SCI) to localize the SDGs, it was clear that there would be many challenges to overcome to take advantage of a yet-unknown set of potential benefits. One of the key partners for the localization effort was the Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance (BNIA) at the University of Baltimore, and having the local community indicators project be a part of the localization process became critical to ensuring Baltimore saw the effort to fruition. Over the course of a year, the USA-SCI effort in Baltimore yielded a wealth of insights and ideas for furthering inclusive, coordinated sustainable development efforts for other cities. Key lessons include the need for leadership at all levels of government, the focus on raising awareness in the USA about the benefits of SDG localization among local civil society stakeholders engaged in sustainability efforts, and the value of local data integration to track progress toward the global goals.