Planning and Design for Sustainable Urban Mobility argues that the development of sustainable urban transport systems requires a conceptual leap. The purpose 'transportation' and 'mobility' is to gain access to destinations, activities, services and goods. Thus access is the ultimate objective of transportation.

As a result, urban planning and design should focus on how to bring people and places together, by creating cities that focus on accessibility, rather than simply increasing the length of urban transport infrastructure or increasing the movement of people or gods. Urban form and the functionality of the city are therefore a major focus of this report, which highlights the importance of integrated land-use and transport planning.

As a UN institution, UN-HABITAT was able yet again in 2008 to influence national government policies and help align these on the international agenda, it worked hard during the year to help central and local governments to strengthen their abilities in every aspect of urban life – legislation, policy-making and decentralization, along with the building of administrative, managerial, operational and financial capacities.