Cities and Climate Change Science Conference Helps Set Research Agenda 2018 The CitiesIPCC Cities and Climate Change Science Conference, held in Edmonton, Canada, March 5-7, created enhanced understanding of the impacts of climate change at the urban level, the range of possible responses, and the role of cities in the implementation of the Paris Agreement and other international global agendas. The Conference was co-organized by UN-Habitat, UN Environment, Cities Alliance, C40, ICLEI, Future Earth, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the World Climate Research Programme, the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and United Cities and Local Governments.
Compendium of Inspiring Practices: Health Edition 2018 This collection of 20 case studies gives practical information to those involved in city planning on how to address the issues encountered with an approach that puts peoples’ health at the centre of design. The main purpose of gathering such information is to illustrate concretely what is needed in order to apply the key principles of the International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial Planning that were approved by UN-Habitat’s Governing Council in 2015, and the benefits that will be gained by doing so. The examples in this Health Edition are those that actively contribute to human health through the improvement of the built and natural environment.
Exploring the relationship between health and planning creates opportunities for more integrated planning practices and strengthens both the health and planning disciplines. These inspiring examples, and the lessons learned from them, will motivate all actors to include health into urban policies and city strategies.
Big Blue Book of Habitat UNI Partner Universities 2017-2018 2018 This Big Blue Book is an initiative that provides to the wider public an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with 70 university partners of Habitat UNI. The Book showcases these universities’ achievements in research and education and depicts the urban studies that being undertaken.
Building capacities to address climate change in Myanmar 2018 The Myanmar Climate Change Alliance (MCCA) was launched in 2013 to support the Government of the Union of the Republic of Myanmar in addressing the challenges posed by climate change. MCCA is an initiative of the Environmental Conservation Department (ECD) of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MoNREC). It is funded by the European Union as part of the Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA), and implemented by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment).

As part of its activities the MCCA programme was mandated to support Myanmar produce a focused and well-balanced Capacity Needs Assessment (CNA) to capture the climate change-specific capacity needs of key stakeholders at all levels. It developed this CNA in consultation with local people in vulnerable areas at sub-national level, taking into account the policy, planning and institutional capacity needs of national-level sectoral areas.
Discussion Paper – October 19, 2018: Economic Benefits of the Territorial Strategy in the Zapopan Municipality, Mexico 2018 The Territorial Strategy of Zapopan 2030 (ETZ2030 in Spanish), issued in 2015, is the output of the technical assistance provided by UNHabitat’s office for Mexico and Cuba to the municipal government of Zapopan, Mexico. ETZ’s diagnostics identified three main challenges in the municipality: i) the pressure of urban expansion on areas of high environmental value; ii) the fragmentation of urban areas with the proliferation of closed neighborhoods; and, iii) rising economic and social inequality. A subsequent ETZ Implementation Plan, which is being finalized in 2018, quantified the costs of Zapopan’s urban sprawl and the benefits of controlling expansion as proposed by the ETZ. Key findings are presented in this paper.
Sun Shading Catalogue. Adequate Shading: Sizing Overhangs and Fins 2018 In hot tropical climates, it is necessary to eliminate the penetration of solar radiation into buildings through glazed surfaces through strategies such as appropriate building orientation (along the east – west axis), adequate sizing of openings (window to wall ratio), proper location of openings (facing north and south), careful selection of glazing properties and appropriate solar protection using sun shading devices. This document illustrates how to properly size shading devices for windows on different orientation in different latitudes at selected cut-off times.
Prosperity for all enhancing the informal economy through participatory slum upgrading 2018 The report looks at the intersection of slums and informal settlements and the informal economy, to raise awareness amongst communities, local authorities, NGOs and other urban actors of the potential of the local economy in informal settlements – much of which is also informal – as a key component of participatory slum upgrading, to contribute to economic development and poverty reduction.
Evaluation of World Cities Day (8/2018) 2018
Promoting Synergy Between Cities and Airports for Sustainable Development 2018 This report is a product of a pilot joint study investigating the synergies between aviation and urbanisation in Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa
UN-Habitat background paper on Blue Economy and Cities 2018 The Blue Economy is an emerging concept which encourages better stewardship of our ocean and other blue resources. It provides for an inclusive model in which coastal zones, or those with significant waterbodies – which sometimes lack the capacity to manage their rich water resources – can begin to extend the benefit of those resources to all.