The rapid urbanization of landscapes across the globe has presented policymakers and planners with unprecedented challenges to address and direct the situation. Dramatic urban sprawl, informal urban production, climate change vulnerability, and inefficient infrastructure present considerable demands for the future of city planning. In the Arab region, where 56 percent of the population reside in urban settings,1 this challenge becomes all the more crucial. Recognizing the need for a coordinated and dynamic response, the NUP Programme was launched by UN-Habitat in the Arab region in 2017 to address these trends through a progressive vision. The aim of the programme is to guide the urban policy development in four selected countries in the Arab region – Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia and Sudan – through the promotion of sustainable, inclusive and evidence-based NUPs. The programme pilots an approach to urbanization that puts effective cross-sector policymaking at the forefront of urban development and management. It aims to increase knowledge and strengthen the capacities of policymakers and relevant stakeholders.
NUP is a substantial tool for addressing contemporary planning obstacles. It manages to capitalize on the opportunities of rapid urbanization, while accommodating for its inevitable stresses. This entails cultivating local economies and safeguarding social and basic urban services. Steering urbanization towards inclusive sustainable growth requires strengthening policy and planning capacities at regional, national and subnational levels. Through this practice, NUPs manage to empower stakeholders at every level, including members of government, field experts, academic institutions and members of civil society. As a result, NUPs have had a proven effectiveness that has qualified them as an indicator for monitoring progress towards achieving global agendas, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda (NUA).