World Town Planning Day – a Message from the Presidents
At its heart, planning is about equity: it serves to balance the competing demands and needs of all people and of the built and natural environment. Planning seeks to act in the public interest to ensure fairness in the use of land and resources between those in need of housing, of jobs, of services and of infrastructure and those who lives, property or outlooks might be harmed by such development. And it serves to strike a fair balance in meeting the needs of the present generation with the future needs and quality of life of generations to come, applying the Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by world leaders at an historic UN summit in New York in 2015.
That is why planning is central to humankind’s efforts to address climate change and take decisive action to safeguard our land, homes, economies and natural habitats so that future generations might share the benefits that present generations enjoy.
In seeking equity, planning must also recognise diversity. If we are to plan properly for the needs of all people, we must recognise their diverse lifestyles and requirements – not just those of city dwellers, rich and poor, but of those living in our rural areas and of different ethnic groups, genders, sexual orientations, religions, and social status. There is a specific need to reconcile with indigenous peoples whose languages, cultures, histories and land management practices must be understood and respected.
To recognise diversity and to plan for all peoples, planners must also become more inclusive. We need to encompass people from all backgrounds, all ethnicities, and all sections of society – and we must include these diverse backgrounds, cultures and requirements in all aspects of our work, in our understanding and in our profession.
On World Town Planning Day 2019 – the 70th Anniversary of the first World Town Planning Day – we, the Presidents and Chairpersons of Planning Institutes, Councils and Associations representing over 100,000 planners across the world, salute all planners and call on you to keep up your great efforts and to champion the causes of equity, diversity and inclusivity in your work.