GANGWON PROVINCE, Republic of Korea, 16 December 2019 - In 2019, the Asia and the Pacific region became majority urban. With more than 2.3 billion city dwellers in the region, the need for a sustainable urban future has never been greater. The challenges of building sustainable cities that meet future needs will require new ways of working.

The International Urban Training Centre, a partnership between UN-Habitat and Gangwon province in the Republic of Korea, trains local government officials on sustainable urbanization. Equipped with the right approaches, the trainings enable decision makers to harness urbanization as a force for good.

The centre delivers training on themes such as urban planning, finance and sustainable urban development policies. UN-Habitat and the Gangwon province of the Republic of Korea work closely in establishing the International Urban Training Centre. The goal is to create a regional centre of excellence in Asia.

The programmes offered by the centre provide opportunities for decision makers to develop their skills, knowledge and tools so that they can plan and manage their cities towards a sustainable urban future.

Since 2007, over 2,500 participants from over 50 countries have been trained. Participants develop actionable skills through immersive lectures, field visits and collaborative exercises.

Urbanization creates both challenges and opportunities for decision makers, who are responsible for making cities sustainable. Through tailored trainings, city leaders build the capacity to tackle the toughest urbanization problems, and embrace the opportunities offered by an urbanizing world.