Organization

UN-Habitat

About
Emerging powers, shifting paradigms, known and unknown forces are transforming the face of our planet. Cities are changing.  Cities are also shaping these changes. Models of sustainable development are under threat in the developed world. And yet, the developing world is continuing to apply failed models from the North.

There has never been a greater need to anticipate these changes in order to understand the risks they bring and the opportunities they offer. Urgent efforts are required today to optimize resources and ideas to harness the potentialities of the future. We need to make a focused effort to innovate and transcend traditional models to create truly integrated, inclusive and sustainable solutions.

We need to learn to look to the future to uncover the seeds of the new age which are with us today.

UN-Habitat’s Urban Futures Office will be a central and flexible node of strategic thinking. The center will create and collect new knowledge on possible future impacts of a range of trends affecting the urban economy, planning and legislative and policy issues. It will conduct prospective analysis on new and emerging factors, highlighting opportunities and proposing visionary solutions. By building on a small number of key strategic partners from internationally reputed thought leaders, it will ensure that the agency’s tools and approach are constantly reviewed and updated in line with emerging trends which anticipate possible scenarios of development. Looking ahead, the center will optimize the use of resources, while proving innovative advice to local authorities, central governments, the United Nations system and private sector partners.

Mission

 

“Optimize opportunities, provide innovative responses and anticipate risks about
urban challenges of today and tomorrow. “

 

Goals

  • Integrate prospective analysis in all aspects of UN-Habitat’s work in order to transform the Agency into a SMART organization.
  • Produce strategic knowledge and scenario development, anticipating trends to better harness the potentialities of the future.
  • Help repositioning UN-Habitat as a world player in urban futures analysis.
  • Be recognized as the UN Agency of innovation and creativity.
  • Take a leadership role in the global dialogue on urban futures and prospective analysis.
  • Become one of the most important catalyzers of existing knowledge, transforming into policies in a foreword looking perspective.
  • Develop strategic, dynamic and transformational partnerships to achieve meaningful impact on prospective urban studies.
  • Ensure that UN-Habitat provides state of the art advisory services

Functions

Understand – Guide – Support

  • The Urban Futures Office will assist in crafting BIG IDEAS about UN-Habitat New Vision and the Good City.
  • It will develop critical or strategic projects that can open new horizons for fundraising.

The Office will:

  • Anticipate and conceptualize new and emerging issues on urban development in close collaboration with Urban Research and Capacity Development and the Strategy and Policy Advisor.
  • Encourage the use of futures and foresight in strategic decision making, among key international policy institutions, development partners and professional groups and within UN-Habitat.
  • Connect knowledge, research and development to improve decision-making and implementation.
  • Lead discussions internationally about the future of cities and represent the Agency at vital fora.
  • Develop special projects, publications and ideas upon request of the Executive Director.
  • Advise on strategic issues based on prospective analysis and provide implementation advice to the Project Office.
  • Support the ongoing reform process within UN-Habitat by providing project portfolio managers with innovative strategies and state-of-the art advisory services.

Sustainability

  • The Urban Futures Office will be financially self-sustained in 1 year. It will start making profits in 2 years.
  • It will become an incubator of new ideas creating strategic and innovative projects.

The Office will:

  • Produce tangible meaningful results in a short and medium term (2 to 3 years).
  • Sell services (ad hoc studies, prospective analysis, scenario building plans, etc.)
  • Anticipate demand and inform Regional Offices and Thematic Areas about new potentialities for fund-raising purposes.

Risks

  • Justify the existence of the Urban Futures Office amidst resource constraints and when the organizational structure is downsized.
  • Prove its value added and complementarity with regards to UN-Habitat overall structure.