The Sourcebook on Visioning as Participatory Planning Tool draws from the experience of several successive programmes implemented by UN-Habitat in Kosovo, which used visioning as a participatory planning tool. The publication gives examples of engaging civil society in the visioning exercise and shows how the initial ideas were turned into practical development initiatives and capital projects.

The Sourcebook presents a combination of an analysis of spatial and urban planning in Kosovo, observations and lessons learned from the workshops conducted in Kosovo municipalities, and a collection of planning tools, exercises and ideas for facilitators interested to test this method in their work. This publication is designed to inspire a new generation of Kosovo planners, civil society activists. It is also to help the public at large plan for better, smarter, greener, and safer towns and cities which offer equal opportunities for all citizens.

The aim of this publication is to present UN-Habitat's activities in Mozambique for reducing the vulnerability of local population living in disaster-prone areas which have been implemented since 2002. Particular attention is given to innovative architectural solutions adopted as preventive measures for floods, cyclones and droughts.

The work shows how the aforementioned solutions are the result of a process that starts from the roots of local practices, in terms of materials and building techniques, to improve and make them resistant to environmental conditions where communities live. The concept of living with these different kinds of natural hazards in areas prone to small and moderate events is based on the identification of sustainable architectural alternatives to massive resettlement operations of the population.

This tool provides local policy-makers and major stakeholders with a methodology to plan for climate change. These plans must address both mitigation (e.g., reducing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere) and adaptation (responding to the impacts of climate change). If they are to be effective, local plans for climate change (both adaptation and mitigation) require the involvement of a variety of stakeholders and a specific focus on the most vulnerable groups.

Urban Planning for City Leaders is a valuable source of information, inspiration and ideas on urban planning that is designed for city leaders and decision makers at a critical moment in human history. Predicted human population growth over the next 50 years will have immense consequences for all cities, in particular intermediate cities with populations of up to two million people.

Developed countries will need to double the amount of urban space they have by 2050 to accommodate the expected numbers of people, whereas developing countries will need to expand their urban space by more than 300 per cent.

The publication will provide text and images on the Urban Development process and serve as a guide for designing new layouts or updating existing ones. The book will provide a compilation of different and updated Urban Planning and Development concepts that are currently applied all over the world.

The Publication "Streets as Public Spaces and Drivers of Urban Prosperity" was launched by the UN-Habitat's Executive Director, Dr. Joan Clos, on 12 November 2013 at the UN-Habitat Headquarters, Nairobi.

A key finding of this report is "the expansion of cities has been accompanied by changes in land use, both in terms of form as well as structure. Streets, as public spaces, have lost their importance in terms of their share of land, as well as their prominent role in shaping the culture and history of cities."

Another key finding of this report is "prosperous cities are those that recognize the relevance of public spaces (with proper layouts) and those which have allocated sufficient land to street development, including sufficient crossings along an appropriate lengthy network. Those cities that have failed to integrate the multi-functionality of streets tend to have lesser infrastructure development, lower productivity and a poorer quality of life".

The publication illustrates how practices that are successful in one context can stimulate processes and affirmative action in other settings, through the exchange of lessons learned through a process of careful transfers of local demands.

The eight case studies cover topics ranging from urban mobility, food production, housing, environmental conservation to participatory budgeting. Two of the case studies presented in the publication received the ' Award winner ' Dubai International Award for Best Practices in its ninth cycle in 2012

The present Manual of Frequently Asked Questions intends to respond in a direct and practical way to the general question of how best to implement a Participatory Budget. The Manual is a key entry point to a broader Participatory Budgeting Toolkit, which is based on a collection of four types of useful resources for all those interested in adopting and adapting Participatory Budgeting in a particular context.

These four components are closely interlinked and have been organized in the following form:

1. Digital Library;
2. Set of technical and legal instruments;
3. City Fact Sheets; and
4. Resource Directory of people, organizations, contacts and websites.

Le présent Manuel de questions courantes se propose d’apporter une réponse directe et pratique à la question générale de savoir quel est le meilleur moyen d’exécuter un budget participatif. Le Manuel est un point d’entrée crucial à une trousse à outils plus large sur les budgets participatifs qui est fondée sur une collection de quatre types de ressources utiles conçues pour tous ceux qui désirent adopter et adapter le budget

participatif dans un contexte particulier. Ces quatre composantes sont étroitement liées et ont été organisées comme suit :

a) La bibliothèque numérique;

b) Un ensemble d’instruments techniques et juridiques;

c) 14 fiches d’information sur des villes;

d) L’annuaire des personnes, des organisations, des contacts et des sites Web

El presente Manual forma parte de la Colección de Recursos sobre Presupuesto Participativo. Dicha Colección abre sus puertas a partir de cuatro tipos de herramientas útiles para todos y todas los interesados/as en adoptar y adaptar el Presupuesto Participativo a un contexto particular.

Estos cuatro componentes están estrechamente vinculados entre sí y han sido organizados de la siguiente manera:

a) Una biblioteca digital;

b) Un conjunto de instrumentos técnicos y legales;

c) Una serie de Fichas de Experiencias de 14 Ciudades Ilustrativas; 

d) Un Directorio de personas recurso y sitios web especializados.