Housing for All: A Better Urban Future

At present 55% of the world’s population lives in urban areas and United Nations has projected it to touch to 68% by 2050. High density cities are taking most brunt of it. Of the many challenges posed by the urban challenges sustainable and affordable housing for all has been a major concern of most of the governments to reflect better quality of life in the cities. UN Charter on Sustainable Housing seeks to ensure access to decent, adequate, affordable and healthy housing for all. Some of the challenges being faced by the urban world has been ‘1.6 billion people living in inadequate housing, one billion of whom reside in slums and informal settlements’. COVID 19 has raised volumes for housing for all, especially the rental housing, to address the housing challenges and requirements of the migrating population. Safe and affordable housing has always remained a key area of concern for the policy planners, builders and Architects. Post-pandemic world is looking for new housing challenges and new normal housing policies and strategies to overcome them. The United Nations is spotlighting Housing for All: A Better Urban Future on October 5, 2020 at 5.00pm (IST) to commemorate the World Habitat Day, which also marks the official start of Urban October – a month of worldwide celebrations and citizens’ engagement in urban life worldwide. Centre for Sustainable Habitat, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar (India) and Institute of Spatial Planning and Environment Research, Panchkula (India) jointly invite you to the virtual platform to discuss vital housing challenges and policy initiatives facing the world.