Fantasy world

The United Nations has designated the first Monday in October (this year, 6th October) each year as World Habitat Day. The idea is to reflect on the state of our towns and cities and the basic right to adequate shelter for all. It is also intended to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat.

The United Nations chose the theme of Harmonious Cities for 2008 to raise awareness about the problems of rapid urbanization, its impact on the environment, the growth of slums, and the urbanization of poverty as more and more people teem into towns and cities looking for a better life.

In an age where for the first time half of humanity is now living in towns and cities, the quest for adequate shelter for all along with basic services such as water, sanitation, electricity, decent health care, safe streets, etc., is more urgent than ever, especially in developing countries. There should also be no illusion that cities have the greatest impact on the environment and climate change. And where they are poorly managed, with weak governance structures, it is their citizens and their surrounds that suffer most.

Urgent action is thus needed to foster widespread use of new energy efficient and environmentally friendly technologies to reduce urban pollution.

Harmonious Cities are inclusive cities where everyone and every culture is at home.

Indeed, such is the importance of all these aspects of Harmonious Cities that UN-HABITAT’s main flagship report in 2008 and the fourth session of the World Urban Forum in Nanjing, China from 3-7 November will also focus on Harmonious Cities to reinforce the World Habitat Day message.

The Secretary-General's message on World Habitat Day 2008


Many of the world’s most pressing challenges – poverty, natural disasters, escalating prices for food and fuel – have important links with rapid urbanization.

Urbanization changes forever the way we use land, water and energy. Done well, it can bring people choices and help them thrive. Done poorly, it reduces safety, despoils the environment and exacerbates the marginalization of those who are already suffering and excluded.

The theme of this year’s World Habitat Day is “harmonious cities”. Our rapidly urbanizing world cannot claim to be harmonious if slum-dwellers do not enjoy opportunities to find jobs and improve their living conditions. Nor will it be harmonious if the growth and expansion of urban areas comes at the expense of the natural environment. The Millennium Development Goals call for a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020. As of 2005, slightly more than one third of the urban population in developing regions lived in slum conditions. In sub-Saharan Africa, the proportion was over 60 percent, meaning that large investments will be necessary, for example to provide access to water, sanitation, durable housing or sufficient living space. But even in that region, and in others where deprivation is not as acute, simple, low-cost interventions could go a long way.

Cities have tremendous potential to be places where balanced development prevails, where diverse people live in harmony, and where healthy living conditions coexist with low levels of energy consumption, resource-use and waste. As we observe World Habitat Day, I call on all partners and stakeholders to do our utmost to realize this potential, and to build decent living conditions for all women, men and children in a way that also preserves our natural heritage and promotes greener and smarter growth.