The challenge
Challenges:
- By 2050 approximately two thirds of the world’s population will be living in urban areas, bringing a distinct set of challenges and opportunities to the area of urban development.
- The challenges of rapid urbanization include growing vulnerability to climate change, spatial inequalities, pressures of migration and conflict, and difficulties to promote inclusive prosperity and economic development.
Solutions:
To address the multifaceted challenges of urbanization and make the most of the ‘urban advantage’, UN-Habitat’s urban planning and design work creates spatial strategies and plans, alongside inclusive processes that consider human rights, gender, age and other identity categories, that enable urban managers and other stakeholders set a proactive framework for sustainable urbanization in both developed and developing country contexts. This is achieved by adopting:
- an integrative approach to urban planning and employing a variety of people-centered tools and methodologies - such as participatory planning, frontier technology implementation, international collaboration and cross-sectoral partnerships and
- focusing urban planning efforts on key elements that can leverage the urban advantage for many - such as prioritizing public space within a framework of urban density, mixed land use and social mix, equitable access to land and tenure security and the integration of the formal and informal spaces and systems.
Through these approaches, UN-Habitat supports stakeholders to create safe, inclusive, and resilient cities.
Impact
“I have often seen appeals by many agencies to address the problems of arid and semi-arid areas. Spatial planning modalities and development of adequate infrastructure is our way of contributing to mitigating such problems and I am sure it will help the people of Kalobeyei, Kenya to move to a better future. The Government of Japan is happy to be part of this noble project. We are also happy and wish to congratulate all those who collaborated to deliver this and we will continue to support you in your endeavours. I am happy to see that UN-Habitat and partners are working hard to see that refugees and the local people work hand in hand.”
Yo Ito, First Secretary of Japan to the Republic of Kenya, Government of Japan at the certification Ceremony for Japanese Innovation Technologies in Kalobeyei New Settlement in Kenya, a settlement for refugees and host communities
Leaving no one and no place behind
Hover over or click the icons to learn about UN-Habitat's work on social inclusion here.
Sustainable, inclusive and safe cities and communities are essential to a dignified life with all human rights protected. UN-Habitat’s work focuses on promoting urban areas that comprehensively meet and safeguard human rights through specific design principles as well as inclusive planning and design processes that leave no one behind.
How women experience the city significantly shapes how they can lead their lives, yet urban planning and design often fails to accommodate women’s specific needs and preferences. UN-Habitat actively works towards gender-inclusive cities by applying a gender lens and empowering women to shape the cities they live in by engaging in planning and design processes.
UN-Habitat’s work aims to achieve inclusive planning and design that considers the needs and preferences of all urban dwellers, particularly vulnerable groups such as children, youth and the elderly. Participatory approaches to urban planning and design, for example in the form of planning charettes and workshops that allow different target groups to work together at eye-level, allow for a better understanding of how cities can cater for all populations.
Planning and especially design play a crucial role in ensuring accessibility and accommodating the needs and preferences of persons with disabilities. Participatory processes and awareness raising support planning and design solutions that improve the urban realm accordingly, making cities and communities more equal and inclusive.
Global Public Space Toolkit
The toolkit will be a practical reference for local governments to frame and implement principles, policy recommendations and development initiatives on public space and for central governments to aid their efforts with material support and enabling legislation.
+ DOWNLOAD
United Nations System-wide Guidelines on Safer Cities and Human Settlements
Providing local governments with a standard in responding, in collaboration with national and subnational governments, to the challenges of delivering urban safety and security in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda.
+ DOWNLOAD
International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial 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,…
+ DOWNLOAD
Urban Planning and Design at UN HABITAT
The Urban Planning and Design Branch supports city, regional and national authorities to implement policies, plans and designs through a participatory process including all different actors, such as civil society and poor people, for more compact, better integrated and connected cities that foster…
+ DOWNLOAD
United Nations System-wide Guidelines on Safer Cities and Human Settlements
Providing local governments with a standard in responding, in collaboration with national and subnational governments, to the challenges of delivering urban safety and security in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda.
+ DOWNLOAD
United Nations System-wide Guidelines on Safer Cities and Human Settlements
Providing local governments with a standard in responding, in collaboration with national and subnational governments, to the challenges of delivering urban safety and security in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda.
+ DOWNLOAD
Urban Planning for City Leaders
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.
+ DOWNLOAD
International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial 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,…
+ DOWNLOAD
Urban Planning for City Leaders
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.
+ DOWNLOAD
United Nations System-wide Guidelines on Safer Cities and Human Settlements
Providing local governments with a standard in responding, in collaboration with national and subnational governments, to the challenges of delivering urban safety and security in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda.
+ DOWNLOAD
United Nations System-wide Guidelines on Safer Cities and Human Settlements
Providing local governments with a standard in responding, in collaboration with national and subnational governments, to the challenges of delivering urban safety and security in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda.
+ DOWNLOAD
United Nations System-wide Guidelines on Safer Cities and Human Settlements
Providing local governments with a standard in responding, in collaboration with national and subnational governments, to the challenges of delivering urban safety and security in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda.
+ DOWNLOAD
United Nations System-wide Guidelines on Safer Cities and Human Settlements
Providing local governments with a standard in responding, in collaboration with national and subnational governments, to the challenges of delivering urban safety and security in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda.
+ DOWNLOAD
United Nations System-wide Guidelines on Safer Cities and Human Settlements
Providing local governments with a standard in responding, in collaboration with national and subnational governments, to the challenges of delivering urban safety and security in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda.
+ DOWNLOAD
United Nations System-wide Guidelines on Safer Cities and Human Settlements
Providing local governments with a standard in responding, in collaboration with national and subnational governments, to the challenges of delivering urban safety and security in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda.
+ DOWNLOAD
The Implementation of the Principles of Planned Urbanization: a UN-Habitat Approach to Sustainable Urban Development
The paper elaborates on the conceptual and practical framework of the principles of planned urbanization, characteristic of the integrated approach adopted by UN-Habitat to address the challenges of rapid urbanization in the developing world, namely (1) Rules and Regulations, (2) Urban Design, and…
+ DOWNLOAD
United Nations System-wide Guidelines on Safer Cities and Human Settlements
Providing local governments with a standard in responding, in collaboration with national and subnational governments, to the challenges of delivering urban safety and security in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda.
+ DOWNLOAD
United Nations System-wide Guidelines on Safer Cities and Human Settlements
Providing local governments with a standard in responding, in collaboration with national and subnational governments, to the challenges of delivering urban safety and security in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda.
+ DOWNLOAD
United Nations System-wide Guidelines on Safer Cities and Human Settlements
Providing local governments with a standard in responding, in collaboration with national and subnational governments, to the challenges of delivering urban safety and security in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda.
+ DOWNLOAD
Urban Planning and Design Labs: tools for integrated and participatory urban planning
This publication discusses three themes: key challenges that urban planning faces today, how a Planning Lab can address these and help local or national governments, and straightforward step-by-step guidelines on how to set up a Planning Lab.
+ DOWNLOAD
Five principles of Neighbourhood Design
UN-Habitat supports countries to develop urban planning methods and systems to address current urbanization challenges such as population growth, urban sprawl, poverty, inequality, pollution, congestion, as well as urban biodiversity, urban mobility and energy. The 5 principles support the 3 key…
+ DOWNLOAD
Integrating Climate Change into City Development Strategies
This guide takes as a starting reference the three phases of the City Development Strategy process as highlighted in the Cities Alliance conceptual framework (Cities Alliance, 2011) and, for each phase, details the relevant steps to undertake in order to ensure that climate change concerns are…
+ DOWNLOAD
Urban Planning in Kenya: A Survey of Urban Planning Practices in the Counties
UN-Habitat and Urban Development Department (UDD) initiated this survey to provide deeper understanding of the prevailing urban planning practice in the counties to inform better ways through which capacity development for urban planning and urban development can be delivered in the counties.
+ DOWNLOAD
Laying the Foundations for Transformative Urban Interventions in Emerging Economies
This report highlights the core contributions of the Strategic Development Phase of The Global Future Cities Programme, headed by lead agency UN-Habitat, to explain the process and tools used, illustrate its value as a foundation for guiding intervention development, and to help enhance the…
+ DOWNLOAD
Mixed Reality for Public Participation in Urban and Public Space Design: Towards a New Way of Crowdsourcing More Inclusive Smart Cities
The contemporary world is both urban and digital. More than half the world’s population live in cities and more than half of the world’s population is connected to the internet. There are nearly as many mobile phones as people in the world and the gap is rapidly narrowing. These two mega trends of…
+ DOWNLOAD
United Nations System-wide Guidelines on Safer Cities and Human Settlements
Providing local governments with a standard in responding, in collaboration with national and subnational governments, to the challenges of delivering urban safety and security in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda.
+ DOWNLOADRelated Sustainable Development Goals
Donors and partners
Successful urban planning and design builds on partnerships with and between complex sets of stakeholders. UN-Habitat nurtures ad hoc as well as long-term partnerships with other UN agencies, local and national governments, the private sector, civil society, and funding partners to facilitate collaborative action for urban transformation. Through expert consultation, co-production and participatory processes, we develop global norms and guidelines and trigger innovation. Together with our partners, we build capacity on the job as well as in the form of carefully designed training events and materials and thereby reach both global and local experts and decision-makers.
