Urban planning and design for local implementation

The objectives of the session are:

• To share experiences and innovations in the area of urban planning and design, in order to deepen the knowledge within UN-Habitat as well as other institutions and stakeholders.
• To identify gaps and needs emerging from the New Urban Agenda from an urban planning and design perspective.

The latter would in turn inform UN-Habitat’s new strategic plan 2020-26. The session also aims to explore the types of data and indicators that could be used to monitor the implementation of the New Urban Agenda from an urban planning and design lens.

The central role of urban planning and design in sustainable urbanization, and by consequence, sustainable development more generally, is firmly established in the Agenda 2030 (Sustainable Development Goal 11 as well as other goals/targets with an urban dimension) and the New Urban Agenda.

Planning and design that is integrated vertically across different spatial scales and levels of governance, and horizontally, across sectors and themes, undertaken and implemented through multi-stakeholder partnership arrangements, can result in compact, socially inclusive, and better integrated and connected cities that foster sustainable urban development and are resilient to climate change. However, a plan or design is only as good as its implementation.

This session aims to explore and deepen the knowledge not only on creative urban planning and design solutions, but also innovative governance arrangements, partnerships, and indicators of success. The discussion will use selected themes to illustrate how creative urban planning and design solutions and effective local implementation mechanisms can change how cities and human settlements are built and managed.

Q1: What are the creative urban planning and design solutions which have emerged in recent years, which support the implementation of the New Urban Agenda?

Q2: What innovations in governance and financing, linked to urban planning and design, will help realize the New Urban Agenda and the SDGs?

Q3: Are new partnerships being explored for the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and the SDGs (in the area of urban planning and design)? What is new about these (types of partners, modalities, financing arrangements etc.)?

Q4: How can the urban planning and design capacities of local and sub-national governments be enhanced? What new skills are required?

Q5: What kind of data and indicators would be useful to monitor progress on all these elements? Who can collect this data? What capacities need to be built?