Human Settlements and Urban Life: A United Nations Perspective

Abstract

Since 1978, the United Nations has formally recognized the important role of human settlements in reaching the goals set by the UN Charter. In 1978, following the first HABITAT Conference, held in Vancouver in 1976, the General Assemble established the UN Centre for Human Settlements. With the growing pressure of urbanization, the second and formative conference on Human Settlements was held in Istanbul in 1996. The documents for HABITAT II led, in 2002, to the General Assembly's expansion of UN – HABITAT into the lead UN Agency on issues facing human settlements, both rural and urban, with the clear recognition of the shift from rural to urban life and the increasing number of mega-cities, particularly in developing countries. This article samples the work and transition in the United Nations Centre for Human Settlement (UNCHS) from 1976 to the present.