What:

UN Habitat 2009 Report, Planning Sustainable Cities

When:

Who:

Details:

Planning Sustainable Cities: Global Report on Human Settlements 2009 is UN Habitat’s new report about the global urbanization crisis stemming from the increased migration to cities and the consequences of global warming. Currently 200,000 new citizens move to cities around the world each day; in one month’s time this equals the number of people living in Santiago. No country is immune from these changes; the U.S., Western Europe, Japan and all other developed countries will be affected socially, economically, and physically. Unless planners receive support from elected officials and are given more opportunities to manage urban development, this massive migration will lead to even greater social inequalities in cities and such possible outcomes as increased urban sprawl, wide-scale violence, greater food and potable water shortages, increased risk of disease, and greater loss of human life in areas vulnerable to catastrophic storms, earthquakes, and other natural disasters.

Participants can either pre-register or log onto the Webcast the morning of the briefing by going to http://www.visualwebcaster.com/event.asp?id=62357

Contact:

Denny Johnson, APA; 202.349.1006; djohnson@planning.org

Sharad Shankardass, UN Habitat; 202.491.5795 or +254-733-760332; sharad.shankardass@unhabitat.org