The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted an opportunity and the potential for national urban policy (NUP) to shape more resilient, green and inclusive cities as part of countries recovery packages. The scale and urgency of pressing and emerging urban challenges has become evident and has given prominence to NUP as a tool to build back better. NUP is increasingly used as an instrument that facilitates achieving sustainable urban development as a shared responsibility across levels of government.
The Global State of National Urban Policy 2021 report reviews the NUPs of 162 countries across the world. Building on the first edition launched in 2018, the report takes stock and provides analysis of form, scope, and stage of development of NUP for policymakers and urban professionals. As such, this global monitoring aims to unpack how and in what forms NUPs have been developed, implemented and assessed globally.
The report assists national governments in advancing NUP processes, especially in improving links with Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda, and mainstreaming climate action into NUP. The report is a collaborative project of the OECD, UN-Habitat and Cities Alliance, and an outcome of the National Urban Policy Programme, a global partnership launched in 2016 at the Habitat III Conference.
Synthesis Brochure (PDF)