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 or Guidelines) 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.
In addition, the Guidelines are becoming an increasingly relevant instrument for realizing the New Urban Agenda as explicitly stated in paragraph 93 of the declaration: “We acknowledge the principles and strategies for urban and territorial planning contained in the International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial Planning, adopted by the Governing Council of UN-Habitat at its 25th session in April 2015”. Consequently, the IG-UTP represent a channel for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 11 as well, raising the integrative and territorial dimensions of spatial planning contemplated in this agenda.
The Global Symposium on Urban and Territorial Planning: “Improving Planning for More Sustainable Cities and Territories” is the first event of this kind for the Guidelines, and an opportunity to discuss in an international forum the role of the Guidelines in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda following the 9th session of the World Urban Forum in February 2018. Thus, the symposium intends to be a platform for bringing together existing and potential partners of the Guidelines to debate and exchange knowledge, experiences and tools working for the improvement of urban and territorial planning. Likewise, the event is a chance to strengthen partnerships for the local implementation of the Guidelines, as well as a medium to identify actions to be further taken in this respect both from the UN-Habitat and participants’ perspective.
The symposium will begin by targeting planning practice at the global level, the what and why, placing the Guidelines as the universal framework for city-makers to achieve more sustainable urban development. Afterwards, the focus is on the thematic of the event, “Improving Planning for More Sustainable Cities and Territories”, in order to touch upon the how to bring about change in planning systems by showcasing best practices taking place around the world. Finally, the symposium will move to region-specific work with the launch of the Spatial Planning Platform for Asia and the Pacific, an initiative kick-started by MLIT and Seinan Gakuin University of Fukuoka as their contribution to the regional implementation of the IG-UTP.
The symposium is organized by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (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.
