A Global Perspective: How Sister City relationships influence urban planners

Over time, cities worldwide have experienced rapid population growth, making cities a central focal point for leading the world to a more socially, environmentally, and economically conscious future. Cities are critical to sustainable development, which according to the 1983 Brundtland Commission, is the development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising future generations' ability to meet their own needs." According to the United Nations (UN), 2007 marked the year when more people inhabited urban areas than their rural counterparts. The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 11th SDG seeks to "make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable." Sister City relationships are one of the ways cities play a role in an increasingly globalized world. After World War II, the US wanted to develop bonds with cities internationally in a post-war peacemaking effort. In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower introduced the organization Sister Cities International. The relations grant cities an opportunity to learn from each other by exchanging ideas, technology, and information. This research, using content analysis seeks to review, retrospectively, the origin of pairing cities and get a glimpse into how sister city relationships can inform urban planning between each city.