This report documents many effective and equitable examples of sustainable urbanization that are helping to define a new role for urban planning.

إن نظم التخطيط الحضري المتبعة في الوقت الحاضر تفتقر للجاهزية اللازمة للتعامل مع أبرز التحديات الحضرية الناشئة في القرن الحادي والعشرين، بما في ذلك الآثار الناجمة عن ظاهرة تغير المناخ، واستنزاف الموارد، وحالة عدم الاستقرار الاقتصادي، وذلك إلى جانب الوتيرة السريعة لعمليات التحضر وما تنطوي عليه من تأثيرات سلبية كنشوء مظاهر الفقر، والأحياء الفقيرة، والمظاهر غير الرسمية في المناطق الحضرية. إضافة لذلك، فإن هذه النظم قد أخفقت إلى حد كبير في الإدراج الفعلي للأساليب المعيشية للمجتمعات الحضرية وغيرهم من أصحاب المصلحة ضمن عمليات تخطيط المناطق الحضرية، مما ساهم بالتالي في نشوء المشكلات المرتبطة بمظاهر التهميش والإقصاء العمراني. كما تتضح هنا ضرورة إعادة النظر في نظم التخطيط الحضري وتحفيزها لتحقيق المستقبل الحضري المستدام. ويطرح تقرير "تخطيط المدن المستدامة" أبرز التحديات الراهنة في كل من المدن والبلدات في جميع أنحاء العالم، بالإضافة للبحث في نشوء نظم التخطيط الحضري الحديثة وانتشارها، والنظر في مدى فعالية المنهجيات القائمة. والأهم من ذلك، فيتضمن هذا التقرير تحديداً لكل من المنهجيات والممارسات المبتكرة في مجال التخطيط الحضري والتي تشكل استجابة أكبر لكل من التحديات الراهنة والمستقبلية والمرتبطة بعمليات التحضر.

Current urban planning systems are not equipped to deal with the major urban challenges of the 21st century, including effects of climate change, resource depletion and economic instability, plus continued rapid urbanization with its negative consequences such as poverty, slums and urban informality. These planning systems have also, to a large extent, failed to meaningfully involve and accommodate the ways of life of communities and other stakeholders in the planning of urban areas, thus contributing to the problems of spatial marginalization and exclusion.

It is clear that urban planning needs to be reconsidered and revitalized for a sustainable urban future. planning Sustainable Cities reviews the major challenges currently facing cities and towns all over the world, the emergence and spreae of medern urban planning and the effectiveness of current approaches. More importantly, it identifies innovative urban planning approaches and practices that are more responsive to current and future challenges of urbanization.

Current urban planning systems are not equipped to deal with the major urban challenges of the 21st century, including effects of climate change, resource depletion and economic instability, plus continued rapid urbanization with its negative consequences such as poverty, slums and urban informality. These planning systems have also, to a large extent, failed to meaningfully involve and accommodate the ways of life of communities and other stakeholders in the planning of urban areas, thus contributing to the problems of spatial marginalization and exclusion. It is clear that urban planning needs to be reconsidered and revitalized for a sustainable urban future. Planning Sustainable Cities reviews the major challenges currently facing cities and towns all over the world, the emergence and spread of modern urban planning and the effectiveness of current approaches. More importantly, it identifies innovative urban planning approaches and practices that are more responsive to current and future challenges of urbanization.  

The goals of the structure plans are towards achieving environmental sustainability in the context of achieving State and Local Economic Development Strategies, Millennium Development Goals and Habitat Agenda, orderly and healthy development, the contributions of cities to sustained economic growth, poverty reduction, sustainable livelihoods, good governance and gender empowerment.

This Report, which is the structure plan for Nnewi, is a tangible outcome of this cooperative effort.For the next 20 years, the Structure Plan envisions that Nnewi will be planned and developed as ‘the foremost efficient, functional, livable, inclusive and sustainable industrial and commercial centre inAnambra State’. Specifically, to promote Nnewi as an efficient and commercial city, the structure plan is designed to achieve the economies of scale industries located together by attracting the existing diverse industries in family compounds to a well-laid out industrial estate.

The goals of the structure plans are towards achieving environmental sustainability in the context of achieving State and Local Economic Development Strategies, Millennium Development Goals and Habitat Agenda, orderly and healthy development, the contributions of cities to sustained economic growth, poverty reduction, sustainable livelihoods, good governance and gender empowerment.

This Report, which is the structure plan for Onitsha, is a tangible outcome of this cooperative effort.For the next 20 years, the Structure Plan envisions thatOnitsha will be planned and developed as ‘the foremost commercial nerve center of Anambra State, the nation and the West African Sub-region for achieving faster socio-economic growth and sustainable human settlements development and management’.

For more than 25 years, UN-HABITAT has been working with partners in the Somali region to promote sustainable, participatory urban development.

This booklet explains in detail the numerous UN-HABITAT projects that have been implemented, but also examines the evolution of the unique UN-HABITAT approach in the Somali region.

This booklet outlines the basic steps taken towards effective and integrated urban development in the city of Berbera in the northern Somali region (Somaliland).

It discusses the tools and processes used – such as a city profile, a city consultation, a spatial analysis, and action plans – and the results that emerged. Ultimately, the publication acts as a comprehensive methodological tool for strategic urban planning.

Professor Yeh explores the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as a Planning Support System for urban planning. Despite the growing popularity of participatory approaches in favour of computer generated planning models, he argues that GIS remains vital for facilitating informed discussion and decision making in urban planning.

As a computerized system for the storage, retrieval, visualization, analysis and modeling of spatial information, GIS greatly facilitates different stages of the urban planning process. The growing user friendliness, affordability and performance of GIS in recent times, he notes, has further enhanced its utility as an effective planning support system. He maintains that provided constraints in the use of GIS such as data availability and skill limitations can be overcome, GIS can provide excellent support for the planning of harmonious cities.

The publication contains the spatial analysis of Gardho, a town in the Puntland State of Somalia.

This publication presents the results of the urban spatial analysis carried out by UN-HABITAT experts under the guidance of municipal authorities. The analysis gives a basic spatial understanding of the town and highlights concrete challenges and priority areas of intervention. A proposed strategic urban development plan is also presented.