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Tuesday, January 10, 2012

A New Role for Urban Planning in a Changing Environmental Climate

by Naison D. Mutizwa-Mangiza

Within the United Nations system, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the focal point for the Habitat Agenda, adopted by Governments in 1996 in Istanbul, as well as for the Millennium Development targets on slums, drinking water and sanitation. Sustainable urbanization has been at the core of UN-Habitat’s work for the last two decades or so and the theme of its current Medium-term Strategic and Institutional Plan (2008-2013), as well as its World Urban Campaign, is Sustainable Urbanization.
This presentation focuses on the effectiveness of urban planning as a tool for dealing with the unprecedented challenges facing twenty-first century cities and for enhancing the environmental, social and economic goals of sustainable urbanization. It draws on UN-Habitat’s latest issue of the Global Report on Human Settlements, titled Planning Sustainable Cities1, to be published in September 2009. There is a realization that, in many parts of the world, urban planning systems have to change, as they are now often contributors to urban problems rather than functioning as tools for human and environmental improvement.


more about sustainable urban planning:

Neighbourhood planning and sustainability: mutually exclusive?

Low Carbon Housing for `Young Cities`: Experiences from Hashtgerd New Town, Iran

Urban Form and Sustainability of a Hot Humid City of Kuala Lumpur

Integrated Systems Planning for Energy Efficiency and Conservation

The Human Benefits of Green Building

Pedestrianisation promotes road safety and clean air

Urbanization and Environmental Sustainability

1 comment:

  1. Urban research program seeks to improve understanding of, and develop innovative response to Australias urban challenges and opportunities by conducting research.
    urban planners

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