In the future, the majority of urban expansion will be in Asia and Africa. How can we facilitate the development of sustainable cities in these regions? O.R. : The countries of the Global South have a real opportunity to plan the growth of their cities in a much more sustainable way than was done in the North. They have the skills, the desire and the ideas to succeed. The key to success is to think local. The new buildings in these cities of the future will need to be designed in accordance with the climate and culture of their location. This will require the use of traditional techniques and solutions, but also a renewable and locally produced energy supply, such as solar energy, for example.. I.A. : In Asia, we are already seeing real progress. The situation in Africa is more complicated. But the African Alliance and the Africa Manifesto for Sustainable Cities and the Built Environment, launched by the World Green Building Council at COP27, aim to adapt the principles of sustainable construction to the realities of this vast continent. This must be achieved through the creation of a training plan for the populations, to ensure that the sector has a workforce specializing in sustainable construction techniques, and through the development of local material production capacities. The good news is that a whole new generation of professionals is emerging in Africa. They are best placed to come up with the most relevant solutions. What are the mistakes to avoid? I.A. : The first mistake is to think that Europeans could devise solutions capable of solving all of Africa's problems. O.R. : Indeed, the biggest mistake would be to copy what has been done by Western nations in the past decades. Urban development in the 21st century will have to be very different than in the last century. The countries of the Global South have a great deal of knowledge and ideas adapted to their own territory. We must ask ourselves what we can do to support them in sustainable urban development. Is hyperlocal the key to creating the sustainable future city of the future? I.A. : The key is "glocal", a mixture of global and local. Cutting-edge solutions shared with those who need them and transfers of skills. It is not a question of doing things for those who do not yet know how. It’s about helping them to gain the ability to solve the problems themselves, using local answers and expertise, in a way that is adapted to local cultural, climate and societal contexts. And on this subject, the industries of the Global North have a role to play in terms of knowledge and technology transfer. O.R. : For me, education is key. And it is clearly a question of political will. Each country needs to ensure that it has trained professionals who run a well-equipped construction sector capable of renovating or designing affordable and sustainable buildings accessible to all, that will withstand the test of time while meeting the needs of the inhabitants. 38 SAINT-GOBAIN
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