76th World Town Planning Day Statement
With Planning, We Can. Delivering homes, resilient places and bridging social and spatial inequalities for all communities
Today, November 8, the Global Planners Network (GPN)–the largest gathering of national and international planning associations–proudly recognizes the 76th anniversary of World Town Planning Day (WTPD). As dedicated champions of the profession, we take this important occasion to celebrate the achievements of planning.
In a world confronted with a multitude of social, economic, and environmental challenges, the GPN asserts that planning is a central part of the solution. With planning, we can!
We can unlock sustainable, inclusive, equitable, prosperous and resilient places. We can guide the delivery of better outcomes for people in municipalities and regions around the world. We can address climate impacts and facilitate disaster recovery. We can future-proof communities and help build the neighbourhoods of tomorrow.
This World Town Planning Day, GPN proudly joins planners, academics, and municipalities in recognizing how planning empowers others and provides pathways to prosperity. From delivering the right homes in the right locations, linking services and infrastructure, working with nature to address urban challenges, inspiring collective solutions – planning turns ideas into reality. A dynamic and responsive profession, planning creates resilient, just, and thriving cities and communities across the globe.
On World Town Planning Day, planners globally re-affirm that with planning, we can deliver the homes that are needed and inspire solutions so that communities can adapt to a fast-changing world and bridge social and spatial inequalities.
As we are fast approaching 10 years since the adoption of the New Urban Agenda, the GPN re-affirms the vital role of planning in achieving sustainable development. We call for the adequate resourcing of planning systems around the world. Investment in planning, planning education and planners is vital if we are to address the global shortage of professionals. We call for renewed mobilisation of all stakeholders as we believe that political support, financial and human resource investment, community engagement and empowerment are fundamental to delivering homes, resilient places and bridging social and spatial inequalities. Together with planning, we can!
World Town Planning Day takes place every November 8th, bringing planners and communities together to celebrate how good planning improves the lives of people and benefits society at large, creating places to live, work and play. Argentinian professor Carlos María della Paolera started World Town Planning Day in Buenos Aires in 1949, and this week, planners from over 30 countries celebrate the occasion with lectures, school competitions, fundraising, charity events, planning awards, and street festivals. It is an opportunity for associations and institutes representing planners across the world to unite and promote planning as an important tool for global sustainable development and climate action.