United Nations and World Bank Unite for Sustainable Urban Development

The United Nations agency for urban development, UN-Habitat, has announced a partnership with the World Bank to implement several Sustainable Development Goals focusing on urban sustainability, safety, inclusiveness, and resilience.

1 minute read

October 13, 2015, 12:00 PM PDT

By lwnagel


In light of the United Nations's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, policymakers and development experts are searching for ways to work towards equitable and sustainable development far into the 21st Century. One focus area, sustainable urban development, has found renewed support at the World Bank-IMF Annual Meetings in Lima, Peru. UN-Habitat—the United Nations agency on human settlements and urban development—announced on Saturday a partnership with the World Bank to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) identified as crucial to international development. The organizations will focus in particular on Goal 11, which targets city sustainability, inclusiveness, safety, and resilience.

According to UN-Habitat, cities are very important to international development. With challenges such as employment, housing, transport, and an estimated 70 percent of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, the agency is focusing on urban areas thanks in large part to the rapidly-increasing population of cities in the developing world.

With the COP21 Climate Summit at the end of November and the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development – Habitat III in 2016, UN-Habitat and the World Bank will have plenty of chances to work out the details of achieving the SDGs. Both agencies stress the need for public-private partnerships, and the potential for sustainable urbanization to have a "transformative" effect on global development.

Monday, October 12, 2015 in United Nations-Habitat

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 25, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Western U.S. indicating public lands that would be for sale under a Senate plan in yellow and green.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands

For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

June 19, 2025 - Outdoor Life

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1 - Honolulu Civil Beat

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1 - KQED

Tents inhabited by unhoused people lined up on sidewalk in Los Angeles, California in front of industrial building.

California Homeless Arrests, Citations Spike After Ruling

An investigation reveals that anti-homeless actions increased up to 500% after Grants Pass v. Johnson — even in cities claiming no policy change.

July 1 - Times of San Diego

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.