Human Settlements:
Are recent trends compatible with sustainable
development?
UNECE Forum on Sustainable
Development to discuss
Human Settlements
Geneva, 15-16 January 2004
Palais des Nations, Conference Room XIX
Geneva, 15 January 2004 - The impact
of human settlements on sustainable development
will be a major topic of discussion at the
first Regional Implementation Forum on Sustainable
Development to be hosted by the United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) on
Thursday, 15 January, and Friday, 16 January.
Privatization
Human settlements in countries in transition have been hugely affected
by the market reforms of the past decade. The wholesale privatization of housing
to the sitting tenants has boosted homeownership - up to 90% in some countries.
However, many new owners are too poor to pay for the upkeep of their homes.
Especially prefabricated high-rise buildings, which house around 40% of the
residents in many large cities of Central and Eastern Europe, will further
deteriorate as a result. Moreover, the stock of social housing has shrunk,
so many socially vulnerable people are not adequately housed.
Homelessness
But it's not only in the poorer countries of our region that people
are sleeping rough. It is estimated that in the European Union and the United
States some 6 million are homeless and another 23 million are inadequately
housed. Economic prosperity has generally improved the standard of living
in these countries, but not everyone is reaping the benefits.
A recent phenomenon in some East European capitals is the
growth of illegal settlements as a result of institutional failures and inefficient
land administration. For instance, on the outskirts of Erevan, Tirana and
Tbilisi, houses are being built without planning permission. These illegal
settlements are not necessarily shanty towns; some of the homes are very comfortable.
But there is no infrastructure: no connection to the electricity grid, no
water supply, no roads, no schools.
Municipal services
Meanwhile local authorities everywhere, but particularly in the countries
in transition, are struggling to cope with their new responsibilities. Unfortunately,
the fact that they have only limited financial and human resources means that
the quality of their services, such as water and sanitation services, household
waste management and public transport, is being eroded.
Unsustainable urbanization
The trend in our region is towards urbanization, with 75% of the
population living in cities. But the urban sprawl that this implies is unsustainable
because it consumes more resources, including land, and causes more pollution,
mainly as a result of increased traffic and commuting.
Urban planning and regeneration
Strategic planning process and urban regeneration can help to overcome
some of the problems facing our cities. The search for effective strategies
to create job opportunities, recycle brownfield sites and improve housing
and infrastructure has promoted new planning models and tools to deal with
physical deprivation, social exclusion and environmental degradation in local
communities. Urban planners also recognize the need for compact city planning,
with higher densities, mixed communities, shorter commuting distances and
better services, including schools, shops and leisure facilities.
Many of these solutions to the ills affecting human settlements
will be discussed at the Forum.
Mrs Elena Szolgayova (Slovakia), Senior Adviser at the Ministry
of Construction and Regional Development, will chair the round table on human
settlements on Thursday morning.
The background documents for the Forum are available on the
UNECE web site: http://www.unece.org
(click on Regional Implementation Forum).
For more information about human settlements, please contact:
Christina von Schweinichen
UNECE Environment and Human Settlements Division
Palais des Nations, office 340
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Phone: +41 (0) 22 917 23 88
Fax: +41 (0) 22 917 01 07
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.unece.org
For more information about the Forum, please contact:
Mary Pat Silveira
UNECE Environment and Human Settlements Division
Palais des Nations, office 338
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Phone: +41 (0) 22 917 13 15
Fax: +41 (0) 22 917 01 07
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.unece.org
Ref: ECE/ENV/04/P03