New Urban Agenda adopted by UN: non-binding document will 'guide' future urbanisation but 'fails to address urgency'

The UN formally has formally adopted a global road map to grapple with rapid urbanisation, capping nearly two years of behind-the-scenes international negotiations aimed at designing development priorities for cities and towns over the long term. The New Urban Agenda (NUA) sets out a host of general goals such as development of sustainable and compact cities that do not harm the environment and redevelopment of informal settlements with the participation of residents.

The 23-page document...