In 2007, for the first time in the history of mankind, the urban population has surpassed the rural population: more than 3 billion individuals now live in cities or urban habitat. This tranformation, also called urbanization, is a complex process which has many consequences for our societies at the social, economic, environmental and cultural levels.

The aim of the Urban Development Programme of UNESCO is to increase the Organization's contribution to urban public policies which respect, protect and promote inclusiveness, social cohesion and local democracy.

Our work is based on the development of multi-disciplinary knowledge, international research, capacity-building of urban professionals and civil society, in cooperation with national and local governments, and in close cooperation with other UN-agencies, such as UN-HABITAT -with whom a Memorandum of Understanding was signed on 18 March 2005.

Our past action

As of 1994, the UNESCO's Management of Social Transformations Programme (MOST) focused on cities as arenas of accelerated social transformations. Since, UNESCO's Urban Development Programme has made a significant contribution to capacity building and transfer of comparative and policy-relevant knowledge on urban development, local democracy and citizenship through international research networks and research-action projects.

It has also supported innovative initiatives concerning the training of urban professionals and promotional activities such as UNESCO Chairs on ‘Urban Management and Sustainable Urban Planning’ (Mexico), on ‘Landscape and Environmental Design’ (Montreal) and 'Urban Policies and Citizenship' (Lyon).