Rethinking the role of global actors in empowering cities of the global south

ABSTRACT

This piece highlights the changing global urban landscape: that the world is mostly urban and that the global south now houses most of the world’s urban population. In addition to this, it highlights the need for global actors to strategically reconsider their role in working with cities, to tackle new issues that come with this global change. It is through global actors focusing on cities of the global south and facilitating collaborations globally, that cities may be best equipped to face new challenges posed by cities in a rapidly urbanizing world.

KEYWORDS:

• Glocal
• urban health
• global actors
• healthy public policy
• global south
• government

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Michelle M. Amri

Michelle M. Amri is a PhD candidate in Social and Behavioural Health Sciences at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto with a Collaborative Specialization in Global Health. Her research is focused on global policy discourse around urban health and equity. She is funded by the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (2018–2019) and has previously worked as a Consultant for the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for the Western Pacific in Manila, Philippines, and the Lao Country Office in Vientiane, Lao PDR.