By Aliye Pekin Celik, Chair of CSU Board of Directors

The onslaught of the pandemic has left in its wake a worldwide wave of despair and death. It has also transformed the world. Despite the pandemic worldwide urbanization will continue, particularly in the developing world. The promise of wealth creation, innovation, creativity, and culture will continue to act as a magnet for cities.

The year 2020 showed that in a crisis many ingrained habits of mind can be put aside. A spirit of can-do and why not has made the impossible possible. As former President of Ireland and High Commissioner of Human Rights United Nations Mary Robinson so aptly put it, this pandemic has proven three things: health matters, science matters and government matters.

The Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization flagship conference on Cities Matter; Resilient Cities after Covid-19 consisted of a plenary session, a keynote speech and three panels focusing on health, science, and government. The panelists examined the residue of the pandemic on the cities of today and world of tomorrow and addressed the question of where to from here? A range of prominent speakers from the United Nations, public health, science, governance, and the design professions discussed their perspective on this important issue.

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Edited by Aliye P. Celik & H. Oner Yurtseven

The projected increase of 2.5 billion people moving to cities over the next 30 years with the impact of climate change and new threat of pandemics constitutes an unprecedented challenge facing the world today. The World Habitat Day 2020 theme was Housing for All: A better Urban Future. The purpose of the theme was to reflect on the state of our towns and cities, and on the basic right of all for adequate shelter and a better life.This book is a collection of presentations that was held virtually on the occasion of World Habitat Day 2020. The contributors are experts who represent a wide range of fields and specializations.

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By Aliye Pekin Celik, Chair of CSU Board of Directors

This publication has the objective of introducing the impressive work done by the United Nations in the area of sustainable urbanization, to architects, planners and design professionals. They are and will be playing a fundamental role in shaping the cities, that will absorb in the two and a half billion people moving into them in the next 30 years, while giving them a chance to flourish.

On the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, its efforts, to achieve sustainable urbanization and development over the years are told. The final products of the United Nations’ efforts in the area of human settlements and sustainable urbanization, the Sustainable Development Goal 11 and the New Urban Agenda are introduced.

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By Aliye Pekin Celik, Chair of CSU Board of Directors

This publication has the objective of introducing the impressive work done by the United Nations in the area of sustainable urbanization, to architects, planners and design professionals. They are and will be playing a fundamental role in shaping the cities, that will absorb in the two and a half billion people moving into them in the next 30 years, while giving them a chance to flourish.

On the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, its efforts, to achieve sustainable urbanization and development over the years are told.
The final products of the United Nations’ efforts in the area of human settlements and sustainable urbanization, the Sustainable Development Goal 11 and the New Urban Agenda are introduced.

E-book / Paperback

Edited by Aliye P. Celik, Ashley Simone, H. Oner Yurtseven

Public space is the heart of any community. The physical, mental and spiritual well being of a community’s residents is impacted by the presence, allocation, design and respectful use of public space by citizens. The concept of ‘public space’ has been a topic of discussion and planning since the formation of the very first community. Public space is a critical and essential requirement for sustainable urbanization. As communities grow to become large urban centers, the complexity of making successful public spaces also grows and demands a heightened awareness of designers, planners and policy makers. This book is a collection of presentations and panel discussions that took place at a conference held at UN Headquarters in New York City on 15 November 2015. The contributors are experts who represent a wide range of fields and specializations in the area of sustainable urbanization.
E-book / Paperback

Edited by Aliye P. Celik, Ashley Simone, H. Oner Yurtseven

This book is the result of an event which took place at the UN Headquarters in New York on 18 May 2016 to bring a positive narrative to the on going large movements of refugees and migrants all over from the perspective of sustainable urbanization.
The idea is to look at the challenges and opportunities, and to solve problems through efforts in humanity, technology, planning, designing, organizing, financing, and maintaining. This book is only an introduction of a vast amount of solutions that can be shared and is expected to be a catalyst for partnerships in the service of migrants, refugees, as well as sustainable urbanization.
Published: September 12, 2016 / 136 Pages
E-book / Paperback

Edited by Aliye P. Celik, Maxinne Rhea Leighton, H. Oner Yurtseven

This book is an effort to look at practical ways to achieve an integrated and cross-sectoral approach to sustainable urbanization. Its objective is to give examples of the best practices that are being used to achieve the UN policies in the area of an integrated approach in the development of cities by the local authorities and the planners as well as designers and managers of cities.
This is a very ambitious objective, and the book hopes to engage stakeholders in a global conversation on the implementation aspects of sustainable urban design and where innovative technologies, including information, communication technologies, and systems are used.
Published: September 13, 2016 / 104 Pages
E-book / Paperback

Edited by Aliye P. Celik, Roxana Zyman and Rafat Mahdi

Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA)
Division for Public Administration and Development Management
United Nations, New York, NY 2009
Published: 2009 / 188 Pages
Download: Sustainable Urbanization in the Information Age