The Global Report on Human Settlements 2000 came out on Monday 5th October, World Habitat Day. GRHS 2009 Planning Sustainable Cities is a global manifesto for planning, examining how planning must respond to the global challenges of climate change, urban growth, poverty and informal development. The foreword is by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and it includes much useful information about urban settlements around the world.  The Chief Editor is Naison Mutizwa-Mangiza, recently elected to the Institute as an Honorary Member.  UK-based authors contributed significantly to its drafting and the input of RTPI members and staff is prominently credited.  This report is a significant event in planning with far-reaching implications for the Institute in terms of planning education, international policy and research.

 Among its key messages are the ideas that it is planners who are the key to meeting the challenges of climate change and natural disasters (more) and that planners world-wide must be given more opportunity to manage urban development. Otherwise, the Report warns, “we are in for a future of chaotic cities: a world of socially and environmentally unsustainable cities.”   

Speaking at the launch of the report, the Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, Dr Anna Tibaijuka said on the same theme: "As the world grows more and more urban, it is vital that, as governments accept urbanisation as a positive trend, planning fulfils its proper role in guiding urban development when it comes to improving access to services, and economic and social opportunities. Urban planning will therefore have to continue to adapt so it is able to carry out its much-required effective role in shaping a positive urban future."

Setting out a new role for urban planning, the report adds: “Reformed urban planning systems must be shaped by and be responsive to the contexts from which they arise, as there is no single model urban planning system or approach that can be applied in all parts of the world.” (more)  

Together with the Royal Institution of Great Britain, RTPI organised the UK Launch of the Global Report for Tuesday 10th November (chosen as being close to World Town Planning Day) with an afternoon briefing at the House of Commons. The speakers were Geoffrey Clifton Brown MP (Conservative Party spokesman on International Development), Rt. Hon. Malcolm Bruce MP, chair of the House of Commons Committee on International Development, the Chief Editor of the Report, Dr Naison Mutizwa-Mangiza and two of the authors of the Report, Prof. Simin Davoudi and Prof. Carole Rakodi. You can read a report of the meeting here. 

The Global Report on Human Settlements 2009, including detailed press releases, case studies and fact sheets free to download, is on the UN-HABITAT web-site. The publisher, Earthscan, offers RTPI members a 20% additional discount on the special launch price of £25. For details of the discount voucher, please contact RTPI International. 

Author:

Judith Eversley

Publisher:

The Royal Town Planning Institute

Date:

18-Nov-09

Categories:

 

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