The Annual Report 2023 of the Policy, Legislation and Governance Section of UN-Habitat showcases the work done in the past year to work towards and support the achievement of the main goal of sustainable urban development.

Much has been achieved by PLGS: more than 44 activities in over 37 countries globally, that consolidated collaboration with donors, development partners and beneficiary countries along the themes of policy, legislation and governance, metropolitan management,…

The Jordan National Urban Policy follows a proactive approach, viewing urbanization not as a burden but as a chance to enhance the economy, address climate change, and improve the overall quality of life. Prioritizing principles of participation, efficiency, human rights, and resilience, it envisions inclusive, sustainable communities through strategically planned growth in diverse locations.

Migration and urbanization are increasingly two sides of the same coin: migration is in many countries a primary driver of urban growth, while cities in turn are serving as magnets for this movement. The connection between these processes is therefore central to the well-being of refugees, migrants and IDPs and the cities hosting them. With this in mind, this Guide has been developed to support national, sub-national and local governments in the management of migration and displacement in urban…

In this report, the transformation of 100 cities across India as part of Smart Cities Mission (SCM) is examined through the lens of SDGs. The mission has reached the lives of more than 100 million urban dwellers in India. The 100 Smart Cities are representative of India’s urban geography. SCM offers a unique scale for SDG localization: the mission has undertaken over 7,800 projects across 100 cities since its inception in 2015 and directed an investment of over USD 22 billion. SDGs have…

The third edition of the Compendium of Inspiring Practices on Urban-Rural Linkages showcases 17 case studies from Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. These cases highlight the application of the Urban-Rural Linkages Guiding Principles and Framework for Action (URL-GP) and emphasize the importance of an integrated territorial approach.

The cases cover a range of dimensions, including design, spatial planning, project implementation, strategy,…

The UN-Habitat Regional Office for the Arab States, located in Cairo, supports 18 countries in the region to promote socially and environmentally sustainable cities. In a rapidly urbanising region, UN-Habitat envisions well-planned and well-governed cities through focusing on adequate housing, urban recovery, access to basic services, public spaces, policy and governance, housing, land and property rights, localisation of the Sustainable Development Goals and climate action.

MY Neighbourhood’ provides an extensive ‘check list’ of urban design principles that are applicable in diverse cultural and geographical contexts at the neighbourhood scale. This checklist ensures an integrated approach to neighbourhood design by integrating principles across five key city objectives, across sectors (transport, housing, public space, utilities etc), and across design dimensions (neighbourhood, street, open public space, and building unit).

The NUP constitutes a framework and reference for the implementation of public interventions in urban areas in Palestine by the ministries and service-providing institutions of the State of Palestine, in addition to being an awareness tool focusing on the promotion of sustainable urban development.

In Palestine, urbanization exceeds the global average given the particularity of its complex geopolitical situation, standing at 77 per cent (71 per cent in the West Bank and 87 per…