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November 4, 2008 Planning Organizations Adopt Zhenjiang CommuniqueCHICAGO— Top international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that focus on urban planning convened October 31 through November 2 in Zhenjiang, PRC, for the Global Planners Network (GPN) Congress. The Congress attendees adopted the Zhenjiang Communique to spur planners and governments to work together to solve critical planning issues such as urbanization, poverty and climate change. The Zhenjiang Communique will be presented at the World Urban Forum 4 in Nanjing on November 5.The GPN issued the document to urge governments and NGOs to work toward common goals that address the significant challenges of global urbanization. American Planning Association President Robert Hunter, FAICP, noted that "The Zhenjiang Communique invites the World Urban Forum to re-assert the importance of planning as a tool for improving human settlements and environmental management, and in particular, as a means of slowing the rate of slum formation, mitigating hazards, and building safe and inclusive settlements." According to Paul Farmer, FAICP, executive director and CEO of the American Planning Association, "The communique commits the Global Planners Network to connecting planning associations across the world, broaden its membership and strengthen links with other professionals, politicians and civil society organizations concerned with the condition and future of human settlements." The GPN Congress was hosted and supported by the Government of Zhenjiang City and Jiangsu Province. Speakers included Dr. Anna Tibaijuka, Director of UN-HABITAT; Ms. Xu Jirong, Party Secretary of Zhenjiang; and Chinese officials from various national agencies and Chinese NGOs, including Vice Minister of Land and Resources Wang Shi Yuan, and Director of the State Administration for Cultural Heritage Shan Jishang. About Global Planners NetworkGlobal Planners Network (GPN) comprises national planning organizations that strive to build global capacity to undertake effective planning. The network provides a forum for members to exchange planning ideas, approaches, and planning practices. The American Planning Association was a founding member of GPN. Visit www.globalplannersnetwork.org to learn more about GPN. GPN was established in 2005 prior to the World Planners' Congress. Thirteen national institutes signed the Vancouver Declaration that commits planning professionals around the world to work together to address the challenges of rapid urbanization, the urbanization of poverty, and the hazards posed by climate change and natural disasters. The Vancouver Declaration was presented in 2006 at the World Urban Forum 3 in Vancouver. ContactJeffrey Soule, American Planning Association; jsoule@planning.org | ||
