Welcome to the Urban Youth Research Network!
This is a platform for shaping the global agenda on urbanization and youth, and better informing programs that are developed in and for cities with regards to youth. The Network allows for formalized cooperation and interaction between UN-HABITAT and other interested parties such as researchers and academia, and serves as the portal for insights into the latest developments within research on youth and urbanization. The Urban Youth Research Network thus helps promote an understanding of urban youth challenges and opportunities, both internally within UN-HABITAT as well as externally among partners. 

The Network is open, and we welcome all interested parties to engage with us on this site. As an individual, you join simply by clicking 'join this network' to the right, and create your profile. 

A UN-Habitat SUD-Net Program
As cities grow and densify, access to well designed and pleasant public spaces is becoming an increasingly important asset. Public space in our cities deserves priority attention - because it serves all urban residents, and particularly the ones most in need; and because its quantity and quality is not a given - it requires attention and care. Despite its importance, public space has not been given the attention it deserves in literature and, more importantly, in policy and action at the local level. For this reason, UN-Habitat, in cooperation with institutional partners, has initiated this Global Public Space Toolkit - a user-friendly guide to provide cities, and particularly those with high rates of demographic growth and limited financial resources, with actionable ideas on how to find resources and solutions for improving the availability, quality and distribution of good public spaces. This Toolkit is intended to be a practical reference for cities to concretize principles, policies and development plans on public space.

Urban Legislation, Land and Governance
UrbanLex is a free global database which aims to improve access to the legislation that regulates the urban environment. The database features seven critical areas of urban law that are essential to the sustainability and development of the legal framework in urban areas.

Regional and Metropolitan Planning Unit
The International Conference on National Urban Policy (ICNUP) is organized by UN HABITAT, the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements, and the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology. It is supported by the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and by Incheon Metropolitan City.

Global Housing Strategy
UN-Habitat is promoting a new urban planning paradigm that calls for planning in advance at the scale of expected development of cities with a better integration of urban uses - housing, business, retail, recreation, education, agricultural, social and cultural activities, amongst others, in an environmentally sustainable manner. The aim of this paradigm shift is to achieve adequate urban densities to minimize the impact of urban sprawl, improve mobility and reduce greenhouse emissions and pollution through decreased motorized traffic, increased social interaction, and boosted local economic development. The ultimate goal is to attain the social, economic, environmental and cultural sustainability of cities.