UN-Habitat and RTPI agreement puts planning capacity at the heart of sustainable development
UN-Habitat and the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) have announced a new partnership to strengthen planning capacity as governments grapple with climate change, inequality, rapid urbanisation and housing shortages.
The two organisations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at building the planning skills and institutional capacity needed to manage fast-growing cities and communities in a way that is fair, resilient and environmentally sustainable.
Under the agreement, UN-Habitat and the RTPI will promote planning-led responses to global challenges and make the case for properly resourced planning systems core to the UN’s New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals.
The partnership will focus on the promotion and dissemination of planning skills, knowledge-sharing and practical action, including work in priority regions where planning capacity is most needed. Closing the skills gap and supporting institutional capacity are critical to achieving sustainable development.
The organisations said effective planning is a key/essential public function that can help societies navigate economic, environmental and social change and bring fairer outcomes for communities, if it is taken seriously and given the resources it needs.
Jan Bessell, RTPI President, said: “We look forward to working hand in hand with UN-Habitat to foster global progress, bringing together our shared expertise, drawn from diverse experiences, to amplify our impact, so that no community is left behind.”
Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director, UN-Habitat, said: “As cities face accelerating challenges—from climate change and rapid urbanization to inequality; and we address the critical global housing crisis—the role of planning as a core public function has never been more critical. UN-Habitat brings a global mandate, normative leadership and country-level experience. RTPI brings professional expertise and a global community of planners. Together, we can better connect global policy with professional practice and support building planning capacities where it is needed most.”