Leaving No U.S. City Behind: The 2018 U.S. Cities SDGs Index

Who’s behind it? – Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)

How can it help? –  This is the 2nd annual report from SDSN ranking the 100 most populous metropolitan areas in the U.S. against the SDGs. The Index report analyzes 44 indicators for each city to provide a comprehensive assessment of sustainable development challenges related to environmental, social, and economic objectives.  It is intended as a planning tool for cities, highlighting areas of strength and weakness and where opportunities exist to learn from other cities.  It includes a quick-reference dashboard that rates each city’s performance on 15 of the 17 SDGs, as well as a series of maps showing relative performance in different parts of the country.

The best performing city is only 68% of the way towards fully achieving the SDGs, and about two-thirds of the cities are less than half-way there.  The study highlights widespread inequality in urban areas and that gender, age, race and income all impact a person’s likelihood of realizing education, healthcare and economic opportunities.