World Habitat Day Conference in Oslo, Monday, October 6th 2008.

Venue: The Nobel Peace Centre from 09:00 to 17:00 (registration from 08:30)

DOWNLOAD THE FULL PROGRAM HERE!

 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

We live in an urban age. Half of the world’s population live in cities – most of them in the South. People come to these cities in search of work and a secure future. Still, there are tremendous social, economic, and environmental challenges that follow from this rapid urbanization.

While we know a lot about how cities in the North function, cities in the South are emerging as completely new and different urbanities. If we are to secure a better urban future, it is crucial that we understand the unfamiliar vocabularies of the cities in the South. These urban landscapes are the Cities of Tomorrow.

Cities are catalysts for development. The United Nations has designated the first Monday in October every year as World Habitat Day, to reflect on the state of human settlements and the basic right to adequate shelter for all. This year, UN-Habitat has chosen the theme of Harmonious Cities to raise awareness about urbanization and poverty.

According to UN-Habitat, Harmonious Cities are inclusive cities where everyone and every culture is at home. But how do we realize such visions of inclusiveness and diversity? Are the concepts and notions underlying mainstream planning and policy strategies appropriate tools for understanding the dynamics of urban spaces in the South, or do we need to rethink how cities are governed in order to construct inclusive and sustainable cities? What roles should various stakeholders play in these processes? How can citizens play an active role in realizing these visions? What place does informality have in visions of the harmonious city?

These are some of the questions that will be addressed at the World Habitat Day conference in Oslo.

A COMPLETE PROGRAM WILL BE ISSUED SHORTLY

The conference is hosted by Habitat Norway in cooperation with The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, The Oslo School of Architecture and Design, as well as the Nobel Peace Center.