Recognition that sustainable development needs to be the central pillar of urbanisation has become a clear and present concern of stakeholders in the 20 years since Habitat II. The attention of stakeholders to sustainable development in urbanisation has been steadily increasing in the last several years in all regions of the world. In the region covered by United Nations Economic Commission for Europe with its 56 member States, the importance of sustainable urban development and the role of cities is now central to public, political, business and scientific debates. This regional report to Habitat III will not only contribute to the debate among stakeholders in the region but also inform the New Urban Agenda and the negotiations on the outcome document of the Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development that will take place in Quito, Ecuador, in October 2016.
This analysis of urban development in the large and diverse region of UNECE, together with the conference conclusions, will serve a wide range of stakeholders in their efforts to improve the quality of urban development and to use this as a positive force to enable a more sustainable development in their cities and communities. It addresses a wide variety of issues that have a strong regional interconnected urban dimension – from urban structure, through environment and climate change, to job creation, affordable housing and equality. Sustainable urban development can be achieved through regional and sub-regional frameworks which guide the effective translation of sustainable development policies into concrete actions at the national and sub-national levels.
UNECE and UN-Habitat will continue to work in close partnership by joining forces with the Programmes, Funds and Agencies of the United Nations to advance the findings of this Report in implementing the transformative Agenda 2030 and the outcome of Habitat III. We will strengthen joint efforts to promote existing instruments like the Geneva UN Charter on Sustainable Housing to make housing safer, more affordable, resilient, and available while encouraging investment and growth. Or the International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial Planning that provide national governments, local authorities, civil society organizations and planning professionals with a global reference framework promoting more compact, socially inclusive, better integrated and connected cities and territories that foster sustainable urban development. Together, we will support policies and actions and encourage international cooperation at all levels to serve the Member States, their cities, and all stakeholders in their quest for sustainable urban development.

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