Housing at the Centre of the New Urban Agenda 2015 The shift towards a predominantly urban world makes the process of urbanization one of the most significant global trends of the 21st century. The significant transformation that has occurred in recent decades has given greater understanding and recognition to the role of urbanization in development. Towards Habitat III, UN-Habitat has concentrated efforts to re-establish the role of housing for the future of sustainable urbanization.
Urban Energy Technical Note 17: Solar Home Systems and Solar Lanterns 2015 Globally, approximately 1.5 billion people do not have access to electricity, often living far from the electricity grid. Household solar systems and lanterns allow those consumers access to electricity and replace costly, harmful kerosene lamps and candles. While solar lanterns play an important role in curbing kerosene usage and providing light to students, more sophisticated solar systems have been developed in recent years that provide a range of functions to customers – from mobile charging to television usage. While solar technology has been promoted in developing countries since the 1970s, it is only recently that falling prices and innovative business models have led to more widespread adoption.
The State of Asian and Pacific Cities 2015: Urban transformations: Shifting from quantity to quality 2015 This report on the state of Asian and Pacific cities is the second in the series first published by UN-Habitat (the United Nations Human Settlements Programme) and ESCAP (the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) in 2010 then 2011.
National Urban Policy: A Guiding Framework 2015 This Guiding Framework is designed to outline key elements and instruments of the policy process through all the five NUP phases: feasibility, diagnosis, formulation, implementation and monitoring, and evaluation. Each phase is the subject of one part of the Framework. For each phase, the Framework will recommend perspectives and approaches that can be productive in the development of NUP.
Urban Planning and Design at UN HABITAT 2015 The Urban Planning and Design Branch supports city, regional and national authorities to implement policies, plans and designs through a participatory process including all different actors, such as civil society and poor people, for more compact, better integrated and connected cities that foster equitable sustainable urban development and are resilient to climate change.
The Role of Cities in Productive Transformation 2015 Productive transformation policies have gained renewed prominence in recent years. In both developed and developing countries, governments and private sector actors have begun planning and implementing programmes and instruments for private sector development; cluster promotion and value chain; as well as supply chain approaches linked to infrastructure provision, innovation and equity.
Guiding Principles for City Climate Action Planning 2015 The Guiding Principles for City Climate Action Planning reviews typical steps in the city-level climate action planning process in light of a proposed set of globally applicable principles. These principles, shown below, developed through a robust and open multi-stakeholder process, support local officials, planners and stakeholders in climate action planning1. Such plans aim to help cities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adopt low emission development trajectories, as well as adapt to the impacts of climate change and build local climate resilience.

These Guiding Principles are intended to be applied flexibly, together with more detailed ‘how to’ manuals, to help cities more effectively play their role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and building climate resilience.
Lignes Directrices Internationales sur la Planification Urbaine et Territoriale 2015 Le besoin de la planification ne peut être davantage accentué. L'urbanisation progresse rapidement et d’ici 2050, sept personnes sur dix vivront dans des villes. Des politiques et des plans inappropriés ont mené à une distribution spatiale non optimale des personnes et des activités, aboutissant à la prolifération de bidonvilles, la congestion, le faible accès aux services de base, la dégradation environnementale, l'injustice sociale et la ségrégation.
Urban Energy Technical Note 07: Energy and Resource Efficiency Checklist 2015 The best opportunities for energy efficiency in buildings are at the design stage. Designing for energy efficiency reduces the overall demand for resources to generate energy. This checklist will help to identify key design issues that will demonstrate whether the proposed design will be energy efficient.
Progrès Effectués Dans la Réalisation de L’agenda Urbain de L’afrique 2015 La présente publication a été réalisée à titre de complément du Rapport d’évaluation régionale de l’Afrique en prélude à laTroisième Conférence des Nations Unies sur le logement et développement durable en milieu urbain - Habitat III.