Urban October is an opportunity for everyone to be part of the conversation about the challenges and opportunities created by the fast rate of change in our cities and towns. Each October, everyone interested in sustainable urbanization from national and local governments to universities, NGOs and communities is encouraged to hold or participate in virtual or physical activities, events, and discussions.

In 2019, as part of Afghanistan Urban Safety and Security Programme (AUSSP) the first Public Space Safety Audit was undertaken in the country to enable better consideration of safety and security issues through more evidence-based policy planning and implementations. The Audit was done to understand gaps in distribution, quality, safety, accessibility, inclusivity of public spaces, to celebrate and support ongoing initiatives and programmes of the National Government and UN-Habitat.

UN-Habitat developed the Spatial Development Framework (SDF) methodology with tools like the Matrix of Functions, to assist national, regional and local governments to make spatially informed strategic decisions to achieve policies, plans or strategies, based on the empirical understanding of the territorial dynamics. UN-Habitat implemented the MoF in Maputo Metropolitan Area to support an integrated territorial development for the area and prepared this report to present the results.

COVID-19 pandemic is affecting urban areas all around the world, especially high-density public spaces and informal settlements. Despite the willingness to act, local Municipalities in Mozambique often lack technical and financial capacities. To support them, UN-Habitat in the context of the Urban Task Force for COVID-19, prepared this manual for markets’ spatial adaptation for COVID-19 prevention.

Final report of the global Expert Group Meeting “Global Urban Safety Indicators and Monitoring Tool” held 26, 27 and 28 October 2020, organized by UN-Habitat with the support of Madrid City Council (Spain).

This Analysis Report uses the Index of Multiple Deprivations as an effective diagnostic tool for measuring relative deprivation and inequalities in small areas, such as secondary cities and towns. The analysis shows that by 2050, 6 out 10 people in Africa will live in urban areas and 70 per cent of them will be children and youth.

Urban profiling is a methodology implemented in various conflict-affected countries in the region. Through urban profiles, UN-Habitat seeks to provide up to date, holistic documentation and analysis of the impact of the crisis in key cities, synthesising information and insight from existing sources and priority sectors, supplemented by direct field research by UN-Habitat teams based in each city.

UN-Habitat seeks to provide up to date, holistic documentation and analysis of the impact of the crisis in key cities, through City Profiles, synthesising information and insight from existing sources and priority sectors, supplemented by direct field research by UN-Habitat teams based in each city. This urban profile of Sinjar is part of a regional urban profiling exercise that aims to develop urban profiles for the cities of Basra, Sinjar, Derna (Libya), Mareb (Yemen) and Dara’a (Syria).

This profile is part of a regional urban profiling exercise that aims to develop urban profiles for the cities of Basra, Sinjar, Derna (Libya), Mareb (Yemen) and Dara’a (Syria). UN- Habitat’s expertise in urban analysis, community approaches and crisis contexts have informed the development of the City Profiling process. All City Profiles are developed in close association with the concerned governorates and municipalities.