Behind the Scenes: Initiating National Urban Policy

Thanks to UN Habitat, we know what a national urban policy should be, and why it is "a crucial ingredient for building cities that are sustainable, productive, livable and inclusive. But what do those words really mean, when translated into practice, in different countries?  We know less about how: what are the methods and processes by which governments, municipalities and civil society work together to produce national urban policy?  Our recent experience in Israel leads us to ask: does it really make sense to start by formulating a shared vision, or could it be more effective to focus first on urban policies and through them derive a shared vision? Can a ‘middle-out’ professional approach be sufficient? The session opens with high-level presenters describing the ‘behind the scenes’ look at getting to a National Urban Policy, including responses to questions such as: -          What was the impetus that ignited the formal process?   -          What were the main steps, and how long did they take? -          What were the trickiest challenges you faced? -          What would you do differently, if you were starting over? -          What steps were particularly effective? -          What are the main benefits of promoting a national urban policy? -          Who was involved? What was the balance between politicians and professionals? How did you involve disadvantaged people, and how was the public involved and informed?  In the second hour of the event, participants are invited to join small group discussions sharing questions and insights about National Urban Policy processes in their own countries, in order to meet potential partners and create a better understanding. Participants will receive a summary of the main questions and responses after the session. Following the session, we will distribute a summary of main questions and responses.