PLANNING SUSTAINABLE CITIES: POLICY DIRECTIONS GLOBAL REPORT ON HUMAN SETTLEMENTS 2009
UN HABITAT, 2009by: United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT)
Planning Sustainable Cities: Global Report on Human Settlements 2009 assesses the effectiveness of urban planning as a
tool for dealing with the unprecedented challenges facing 21st-century cities and for enhancing sustainable urbanization.
There is now a realization that, in many parts of the world, urban planning systems have changed very little and are
often contributors to urban problems rather than functioning as tools for human and environmental improvement. Against
this background, the Global Reportís central argument is that, in most parts of the world, current approaches to planning
must change and that a new role for urban planning in sustainable urban development has to be found.