The UN-Habitat Global Report on Human Settlements 2009 reviews recent urban planning practices and approaches, discusses their constraints and conflicts, and identifies innovative approaches that are more responsive to current challenges of urbanisation.
The report notes that traditional approaches to urban planning (particularly in developing countries) have largely failed to promote equitable, efficient and sustainable human settlements and to address 21st century challenges, including rapid urbanisation, shrinking cities and ageing, climate change and related disasters, urban sprawl and unplanned peri-urbanisation, as well as urbanisation of poverty and informality.
It concludes that new approaches to planning can only be meaningful, and have a greater chance of succeeding, if they effectively address all of these challenges, are participatory and inclusive, and link to contextual socio-political processes.
*Note: An abridged version of the report is currently available for download. The full text of the report will be available for download in January 2010.
