The Local Area Development Programme (LADP), funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by UNDP in partnership with UN-Habitat, in close coordination with the Ministries of Planning (MOP) of the Federal and Kurdistan Region governments and Governorate-level authorities, was designed to address the main issues that hinder planning at the local level, the implementation of plans and related delivery of service to citizens of Iraq.

Globally, poverty in urban areas is evident in the proliferation of slums and informal settlements. In 2001, 47% of the world’s population lived in urban areas, and it was expected that the number would reach over 56% within the next two decades,1 with a billion-people living in a slum.2 Moreover, at least 2 million people in the world are forcibly evicted every year, while millions are threatened with forced evictions. These issues continue to persist despite the fact that the right to…

UN-Habitat defines a resilient city as one that is able to absorb, adapt and recover from the shocks and stresses that are likely to happen, transforming itself in a positive way toward sustainability. This guiding document explores the concept and various elements of urban resilience, and explains the various phases of the City Resilience Profiling Tool, which supports local actors to make a plan for resilience-based urban development in their city.

The aim of The State of African Cities 2018: The geography of African investment report is to contribute to development policies that can turn African cities into more attractive, competitive and resilient foreign direct investment (FDI) destinations. Attracting global FDI is highly competitive and crosses various geographic scales, therefore regional cooperation by cities and nations is critical. But FDI is not a panacea since it has both positive and negative effects and careful choices need…

This is the fourth Annual Progress Report on the implementation of the six-year strategic plan (2014-2019). The annual report is meant to communicate, in a transparent and accountable manner, the impact of UN-Habitat’s work as well as the use of resources by the Organization.
The report, has been prepared in response to the Governing Council resolution 25/3 of April 2015, marks the end of the second of the three consecutive biennial work programmes and budgets that implement the six-year…

The Colombian legal-urban framework is a robust and complex structure of tools that seek to meet land’s “social and ecological function”, defined by Colombia’s 1991 Constitution. It has become a renowned example in Latin America, as it introduces many different principles and tools that other countries in the region had not implemented or utilized.
The strengthening of urban development and territorial planning as key elements in the overall development of Colombia has led to the…

In 2015, the Governing Council of UN-Habitat approved the International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial Planning as a set of universal principles for the improvement of policies, plans, designs and implementation processes that lead to more compact, socially inclusive, better integrated and connected cities and territories that foster sustainable urban development and are resilient to climate change. Still, while the Guidelines serve as a compass to guide decision-makers, a practical…

Access to land is a key element that allows women and men to fully play their role in building peaceful, stable and prosperous societies and to enjoy the full range of human rights. Indeed, the social and economic development of communities and societies cannot take place in a sustainable manner without the full contribution of women. This report provides practical and evidence-based guidance on how to improve women’s access to land in the specific context of the Muslim world.