The Urban Planning and Design Lab (UPD-LAB) is an initiative from UN-Habitat to promptly respond to the requests of national and local governments to support sustainable urban development.

The LAB acts as the integrative facility of the Agency in which spatial planning is used as the tool coordinating economic, legal, social and environmental aspects of urban development, translating them into concrete and implementable projects that materialize the normative work of UN-Habitat. These urban strategies generate value, economic development and jobs.

Venice 31 May 2016 — At the recently held Venice ‘Architecture Biennale 2016’ themed ‘Reporting from the Front’,

Quito, 5 May 2016 – In response to the earthquake that affected Ecuador earlier in April, UN-Habitat is gearing-up its assistance to the Latin American country. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake led to the loss of close to 700 lives, with 28,000 people injured and severe damage to infrastructure and property, especially in the coastal town of Pedernales.

Paramaribo 05 May 2016 –During the 6th Caribbean Urban Forum (CUF6) in Paramaribo, Suriname, the capital city of Belize, Belmopan, signed a cooperation agreement with UN-Habitat to tackle the effects of rapid urbanization. The Memorandum of Understanding was the result of a year of deliberations culminating in the first Planning Lab conducted jointly by urban planning and climate change experts from UN-Habitat’s Urban Planning and Design Branch.

Suriname, 29 April 2016 – Participants at a recent workshop have highlighted the need for a mult-stakeholder, participatory approach to urban development. Leading up to the Caribbean Urban Forum 6 (CUF6) in Paramaribo, Suriname, UN-Habitat’s Urban Planning and Design Lab hosted the planning workshop on Sustainable Urban Development in Paramaribo, Suriname.

Gaza, 02 March 2016-- UN-Habitat through a partnership with the Dutch Creative Industries Fund deployed a team of four planning and architectural experts from Belgium, Netherlands, and Germany for a technical exchange with Gazan planners, engineers

Port-au-Prince, 19 November 2015 – UN-Habitat this week held the first of a series of charrettes – an intensive collaborative planning session involving citizens and other stakeholders – to discuss the current situation and the future vision for the suburb of Cannan.

Mexico City, 4 November 2015 – UN-Habitat recently organized an Expert Group Meeting to provide concrete recommendations for the Urban Regeneration process of the City of Mexico.

Nairobi 16 September 2015- On 15 September the Dutch Creative Industries Fund signed an agreement with UN-Habitat’s Global Network of Urban Planning and Design Labs to support cities with urban planning and design.