Urban Planning for City Leaders

Urban Planning for City Leaders CoverUrban Planning for City Leaders is a valuable source of information, inspiration and ideas on urban planning that is designed for city leaders and decision makers at a critical moment in human history. Predicted human population growth over the next 50 years will have immense consequences for all cities, in particular intermediate cities with populations of up to two million people.

Developed countries will need to double the amount of urban space they have by 2050 to accommodate the expected numbers of people, whereas developing countries will need to expand their urban space by more than 300 per cent. Other issues that affect cities and how we manage them are climate change, depleting resources, environmental degradation and limited budgets – serious problems that will not go away just because they are ignored.

Most cities will simply not be able to cope with the impact of population growth and other issues if they do not start preparing for them now. This means planning, designing, financing and implementing ideas for housing, transport, waste disposal, business areas, parks, security, road systems and much more.

This guide is a start towards making those plans. It focuses on the key role that proactive urban planning can have in shaping the future of a city and it outlines practical ways to create and implement a vision for a city that will better prepare it to cope with growth and change. At the centre of this vision is the creation, protection and enhancement of commons (such as natural resources, the climate, public health, safety) and the development of adequate urban assets (for example, public space, infrastructure, the right mix of activities and people, adequate housing), both of which are needed for people to develop and for businesses to thrive.

This guide includes several “how to” sections on all aspects of urban planning, answers many of the questions that leaders are frequently asked, and features numerous examples of cities where urban planning made a significant, positive difference.

Published by: UN-Habitat Headquarters
Date published: August 2013
Publication type: Guide – Urban Planning for City Leaders (PDF)
Pages: 187

 

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