Housing beyond its walls: planning for an affordable and sustainable habitat - Puerto Rico

[i]52nd IFHP World Planning Congress [/i] 12/ 15 October 2008 San Juan, Puerto Rico The 52nd IFHP World Congress will be an international meeting-place for decision makers and operators in the field of Housing and Planning: Housing and Environment Ministers, Governors, Mayors, Planners, Architects, Engineers, Developers, Researchers, Academics, Students, Community Groups and Housing Professionals. In other words, a truly multi-disciplinary event not to be missed! Timetable: Abstracts Review July 2008 Request for Papers July 2008 Accepted Papers Submission Deadline August 12 2008 Early Congress Registration Deadline August 12 2008 Film and Video Submission Deadline September 19 2008 On-line / Via Fax Registration October 3 2008 On-Site Registration at Convention Center October 12(11am) 2008 Themes: Housing is one of humanity’s basic needs, unfortunately in Puerto Rico, as in all parts of the world; housing constitutes one of the social problems of the greatest importance”. These words were pronounced during the 25th IFHP WORLD PLANNING AND HOUSING CONGRESS, held in San Juan in 1960. Considering the world’s growing urban population, the international integration of the economy, its regional/urban spatial trends, and socio-economic inequities, “HOUSING, BEYOND ITS WALLS: PLANNING FOR AN AFFORDABLE AND SUSTAINABLE HABITAT” will be the theme of the 52nd IFHP World Planning and Housing Congress to be held in San Juan, Capital of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, from the 12th to the 15th of October 2008. The global proportion of urban population that increased from a mere 13% in 1900 to 29% in 1950, will reach 50% in 2008. For the first time in history, more than half of the world’s population - or 3.3 billion people - will be living in urban areas. Since the world is projected to continue this urbanization trend, 60% of its population is projected to live in cities in the year 2030. Today almost 1 billion, or one third of its urban population, lives in an “inadequate” housing environment. Most of the present supply of housing, by most governments from developing and even from developed economies, cannot mach the increasing demand of urban settlers and housing is in many major cities, presently not affordable even to middle class families, while aggregate statistics hide deep inequalities or underestimate the scale and depth of urban poverty. If present trends continue and effective measures are not implemented, the world’s population, living in inadequate houses, will double its size to 2 billion by the year 2030 and even to 3 billion by the year 2050. The Report “One Planet, Many People” published by the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) illustrates the present state of humanity’s changing environment and the anthropogenic causes of climate change, known as “Global Warming”, with its “inconvenient” yet foreseeable catastrophic effects. The International Federation for Housing and Planning (IFHP) feels it has the professional and even moral responsibility to focus on this major theme. It is a response to the call of the rather somber report published in October 2003 by the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT) on “The Challenge of Slums”, to deal with urban poverty and social inequity in the less developed and developing countries through the provision of a fair and democratic (participatory) planning process in order to achieve a secure, stable, decent and affordable home. The main housing challenge in the “Shadow Cities: A Billion Squatters, A New Urban World” by Robert Neuwirth and the “Planet of Slums” by Mike Davis is defined mainly as a “political” problem. Its solution will be tackled only if humankind has the will to take action and make available, as one of its main priorities, the necessary financial means, transfer of technology, provision of education and most of all, respect for human rights, cultural heritage and dignity of the poor, the homeless and the near-homeless. Where there is a will, there is a way! Visit the official site: http://www.ifhp2008sanjuan.pr