Improving Planning for More Sustainable Cities and Territories
30 July – 1 August 2018 | Fukuoka, Japan
The need for urban and territorial planning cannot be over-emphasized. Urbanization is progressing rapidly, particularly in developing countries, and by the year 2050, it is estimated that seven out of ten people will be living in cities. At first glance, it may seem as though urbanization presents multiple challenges for ensuring the well-being of citizens and the surrounding natural environment. However, several milestones over the last few years, including the establishment of the Sustainable Development Goals with the so-called “cities goal” (Goal 11) in 2015 and the New Urban Agenda during the Habitat III conference in 2016, have showcased the key role of urbanization in the economic and social progress of countries.
The International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial Planning (IG-UTP) were approved by UN-Habitat’s Governing Council in 2015 as a key part of this movement, serving as a global reference framework for improving policies, plans, designs and implementation processes which will lead to more compact, socially inclusive, better integrated and connected, and climate resilient cities and territories.
The IG-UTP consist of 12 key principles and 114 action-oriented recommendations targeted at four stakeholder groups: national governments, local authorities, planning professionals and their associations, and civil society organizations.
This inaugural event for the International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial Planning (IG-UTP) of UN-Habitat will hold the Guidelines as the main topic, serving as a next step in consolidating the progress made on their implementation since their release in 2015. Moreover, the Symposium will be a platform to foster evidence-based discussion and to facilitate peer-to-peer learning on planning principles and practices by bringing together representatives of the four stakeholder groups of the IG-UTP: national governments, local authorities, planning professionals and their associations, and civil society and its organizations.
The symposium is organized by UN-Habitat)in partnership with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) of the Government of Japan, the City of Fukuoka and Seinan Gakuin University.
More information on the Symposium
