BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 20. Current urban master
plans often fail to address future housing needs or how housing
will be distributed across city territories, Anaclaudia Rossbach,
Executive Director of UN-Habitat, made the remarks during a
parliamentary roundtable on “How Can National Legislation Translate
Global Housing Commitments into Real Results?” at the 13th World
Urban Forum (WUF13), Trend reports.
Rossbach said that existing financial flows to cities often fail
to serve all citizens and, in some cases, exacerbate social
inequality and spatial segregation.
“Existing subsidies are sometimes inconsistent with local plans.
City master plans do not account for future housing needs or their
placement within territories. As a result, subsidies are directed
to city outskirts, uncontrolled urban sprawl occurs, and socially
unsustainable urbanization develops. Low-income residents are
forced to live far from city centers, spending more time and money
on transportation and losing access to opportunities. Children are
also deprived of opportunities. This creates additional
infrastructure costs and places further burdens on the
environment,” she said.
Rossbach emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach:
“Legislation and regulations that properly guide urban development
and housing policy at national, regional, and local levels are
essential to ensure balanced development and meet real needs. Even
with political will in the executive branch, results will be
limited if parliaments are not actively involved in the process,
and vice versa.”
She noted that at the conclusion of WUF13, the “Baku Call to
Action,” the final document of the ministerial meeting under
Azerbaijani chairmanship, and the “World Cities Report” will be
presented.
Today marks the fourth day of WUF13 in Baku.
The first day included a ministerial meeting dedicated to the
New Urban Agenda, a ministerial roundtable, assemblies for women
and civil society, business sessions, and discussions on urban
prosperity. An official ceremony marking the raising of the UN and
Azerbaijani flags also took place.
The second day stood out for the inaugural Leaders' Summit,
featuring high-level discussions on the global housing crisis,
urbanization policy, and urban resilience. Concurrently, the
opening of the Mexico City pavilion took place, serving as a
significant platform for expanding cooperation with the Latin
American region and preparing for WUF14.
The third day of WUF13 featured a comprehensive program of
events covering the global housing crisis, the formation of safe
and inclusive cities, climate resilience, artificial intelligence
and urban governance, green urbanization, social equity, and
sustainable transport.
WUF13, which has attracted more than 40,000 registered
participants from 182 countries, will continue until May 22. Held
under the theme “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and
communities,” the forum brings together governments, international
organizations, experts, and representatives of civil society to
strengthen global cooperation in the field of sustainable urban
development.
