Amsterdam, 6 June 2014: ARCADIS, a global natural and built asset design and consultancy firm, has renewed its support for the World Urban Campaign through signing a two year agreement to continue to be a lead and sponsoring partner. 

The World Urban Campaign is a global partnership coordinated by UN-Habitat and its partners to promote dialogue, sharing and learning about how to improve our urban future. Its goal is to place the urban agenda at the highest level in development policies.   Partners include society organizations, governments, non-governmental and international organizations, the private sector, research and educational institutions, all working together in collaboration to create innovative urban solutions. The World Urban Campaign serves as the partners' platform toward the Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III), to be held in 2016. 

UN Under-Secretary-General and UN-Habitat Executive Director, Dr Joan Clos, said: "As drivers of economic change and leaders in innovation, the private sector can play a key role in confronting the urban challenge ahead by driving investment in design and solutions. But I believe that it must play an even more significant role: it must lead the way in investing in people - especially youth - and in communities on a massive scale."

Neil McArthur, Chief Executive of ARCADIS said: "Rapid urbanisation and the sustainable development of cities is one of the great challenges facing our planet.  It is important that we pool the very best expertise across the globe to develop innovative solutions to meet this challenge which is why we have decided to continue our partnership of the World Urban Campaign. Through the campaign we are able to share our own experiences and skills to the benefit of all and I am looking forward to continuing to work closely with UN-Habitat to make the campaign a success." 

As a main partner ARCADIS supports UN-Habitat in developing the World Urban Campaign as the advocacy and partnership platform for cities in the 21st century.  ARCADIS provides practical experience through its sustainable city development work around the world and is involved in the World Urban Campaign steering committee.  

This builds on ARCADIS' longstanding partnership with UN-Habitat through the Shelter program.  Set up in 2010, the Shelter program enables ARCADIS to support the UN-Habitat mission to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities by providing pro-bono knowledge and expertise on the ground where it is needed. Since it was launched, 50 missions, training events and other activities have been organised in Asia, Africa and Central America in which over 120 ARCADIS experts have shared their expertise to help UN-Habitat meet its goals.   

The contracts were signed at a recent meeting between Neil McArthur and Dr Joan Clos in Amsterdam.