Public spaces to play are important to children's health and development and are a core right. Yet with increasing urbanization, access to public spaces to play is shrinking, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This guide, developed by UN-Habitat, WHO and UNICEF, highlights the importance of public spaces for optimizing children's health and well-being, and realizing their comprehensive rights. It provides support for practitioners in developing and improving public…

2024 marked a transitional year for UN-Habitat’s Global Public Space Programme. The Programme delivered impactful action in 13 countries, benefiting over 70,000 people through initiatives advancing climate resilience, social inclusion, and crisis response. From neighborhood delivery to global platforms, the year reaffirmed public space as a foundation for equitable cities and a key enabler of housing, basic services, and sustainable urban development.

Rapid demographic growth and urban expansion are transforming intermediary cities in Kenya and Mozambique. However, limited governance and planning capacity – along with scarce financial resources – are driving these cities towards car-dependent systems, which lock in carbon emissions, reduce accessibility and undermine quality of life. Without timely intervention, current choices risk embedding high emissions and social inequalities for decades to come.

Building on the OECD…

This playbook provides governments with a practical, people-centred approach to urban digital transformation. It offers a step-by-step guidance, tools, access to relevant resources and case studies to help cities design inclusive, ethical, and resilient smart city strategies grounded in community needs and human rights.

This Toolkit provides planners and city leaders with practical guidance on applying Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI) to urban planning and decision-making. It explains key concepts, applications, risks and benefits, and provides step-by-step guidance, case studies and tools to support responsible, data-driven and inclusive planning for sustainable and resilient urban development.

Public spaces are vital for the dynamic social, environmental and health need functions as part of public life of diverse user groups, as they provide areas for social encounter, civic and political engagement, recreation (including work, play and study), shelter needs and other forms of community engagement. This publication has examined the crucial role that legislation, governance, and financial frameworks play as critical aspects of public space management and development. It has provided a…

The Design Guidelines for Safe and Inclusive Public Spaces in Palestine is a strategic and technical reference developed by UN-Habitat in partnership with the Ministry of Local Government under the HAYA Joint Programme funded by the Government of Canada. This document provides a comprehensive framework for Local Government Units (LGUs) to plan and design public spaces that are safe, inclusive, and accessible for all, particularly women, girls, children, older persons, and persons with…

Global snapshot of spatial inclusion in cities. Using the latest data, this UN-Habitat report distils challenges and solutions across six regions (Africa, Asia–Pacific, Europe, Latin America & the Caribbean, MENA, North America), pairing regional factsheets with urban regeneration case studies to guide inclusive policy and practice. Produced by the Flagship Programme Inclusive Communities, Thriving Cities.

Practical guide to integrating Nature-based Solutions into urban regeneration. It explains what works at basin, city and neighbourhood scales; links NbS to the SDGs; and shows how co-governance, inclusive design and financing deliver resilience, biodiversity and livelihoods, with international case studies.