A sustainable outcome of the world’s urbanization process is largely dependent on what happens in cities in the developing world. Developing countries will triple their entire built-up urban area by 2030, at astounding speeds and with significant resource constraints. According to the World Bank, developing countries’ newly constructed urban areas in the next thirty years will be equal to the world’s total built area as of 2000.

Under the theme of Sustainable City/Developing World, the 2010 ISOCARP Congress will focus on the agenda of sustainable urbanization where the largest urban transformation process will take place. ISOCARP believes that its uniquely multi-faceted and multi-cultural constituency, which brings together planners in theory, policy and practice from 81 countries, is the right setting to articulate an active dialogue towards harnessing the benefits and mitigating the negative impacts of urbanization.

ISOCARP’s 46th Congress will be first ever to be held in Sub-Saharan Africa.  The host city will be Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, a metropolis of pan-African stature and emerging global significance. The Government of Kenya, through the Ministries of Local Government, Lands, Housing and Nairobi Metropolitan Development, and the city government of Nairobi, have expressed their endorsement and support of the event.

An open, plenary session will be held at UN-Habitat’s Gigiri campus in Nairobi, indicating the emerging partnership with the foremost UN agency dealing with urban matters. In addition, the congress will reflect the need for a multi-stakeholder response to this pressing agenda through the participation of other international organizations, sister societies, and the private sector.