This guidebook on integrating climate change into city development strategies (CDS) attempts to provide a modest input into the effort of unifying two key thematic areas, Climate Change and City Development Strategies. This attempt of climate proofing city development strategies is an ongoing process and requires additional effort by governments, academia, and city development partners worldwide.

The World Bank, the United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) collaborated in a Joint Work Programme (JWP) to help cities address challenges related to climate change, aiming to facilitate a coordinated, focused effort targeting cities and climate change.

The JWP captured current knowledge, and supported local and national decision-makers incorporate climate change adaptation and mitigation into their urban planning policies and practices.

A number of deliverables have been produced during this collaboration, including: an online catalogue to facilitate access to knowledge on cities and climate change, various tools for incorporating climate change into urban policies and practices, analytic and assessment guides, handbook for mayors on climate change adaptation and mitigation in cities.y also be useful for professionals in the urban development field in cities where local governments lack specific personnel working on town planning.

The need for planning cannot be over-emphasized. Urbanization is progressing rapidly and by 2050, seven out of ten people will be living in cities. Inappropriate policies, plans and designs have led to inadequate spatial distribution of people and activities, resulting in proliferation of slums, congestion, poor access to basic services, environmental degradation, and social inequity and segregation.

The International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial Planning serve both as a source of inspiration and a compass for decision makers and urban professionals when reviewing urban and territorial planning systems. The Guidelines provide national governments, local authorities, civil society organizations and planning professionals with a global reference framework that promotes more compact, socially inclusive, better integrated and connected cities and territories that foster sustainable urban development and are resilient to climate change.

El planeamiento urbano es una herramienta fundamental para ayudar a los mandatarios municipales a alcanzar el objetivo establecido para una ciudad. Una guía que ofrezca lecciones e ideas sobre la planificación urbana es importante para los alcaldes y otros dirigentes locales. A partir de nuestra experiencia en Medellín, Colombia, hemos aprendido la importancia de la planificación urbana para un buen desarrollo.

Tenemos instrumentos de planeamiento urbanístico aprobados por el Consejo con la participación de los residentes, siendo además obligatorio para los líderes locales elaborar planes.

Aunque a menudo se consideren como un requisito burocrático, los planes urbanísticos, incluso aquellos que tienen un corto periodo de validez de cuatro años, pueden llegar a tener gran impacto en una ciudad para los próximos 20 años y más si están bien concebidos y ejecutados de manera sistemática.

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