An Integrated Approach to Urban Planning and Management

Highlighting the linkage between integrated urban planning and SDG 11. Spatial planning is an important integrator of social, economic and environmental issues, particularly in the context of SDG 11, to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.” In fact, SDG 11 gives legitimacy to integrated urban planning as a transformational approach. Its unprecedented focus on urban planning, public space and national/regional development planning makes SDG 11 uniquely spatial compared to all other SDGs. The implementation of SDB 11 will also bring co-benefits to IAP cities. For example, by addressing the drivers of biodiversity loss through urban planning that reduces sprawl, SDG 11 would incentivize the protection of peri urban agricultural land and natural habitat, and thereby support the achievement of the SDGs on food and biodiversity. This also synergize with the transportation goal well. Leveraging and upscaling UN-Habitat’s and GEF’s ongoing work. UN-Habitat has been invited to contribute to the GEF SC IAP child projects in South African and India respectively by the City of Joburg and UNIDO. UN-Habitat’s continuous urban planning expertise would ultimately help Jo-burg and Indian IAP cities realize the holistic vision they set out.