Commonwealth Association of Planners

The discount codes for the CAP book, Planning, Sustainable Urbanisation and the Commonwealth: The Commonwealth Association of Planners, Past, Present and Future, have been extended and can now be used on the Routledge website until 31 December 2023.

CAP members can use code PSUC30 for 30% off your purchase.
Non-members can use code PSUC20 for 20% off your purchase.

Don’t forget to register for the MIP National Planning Congress and CAP General Assembly Meeting that are taking place 8-10 November in Putrajaya, Malaysia. The theme for the event is “Planning for Malaysia MADANI to Accelerate SDG2030.” This theme encapsulates the collective commitment to crafting a sustainable and inclusive future for the nation, guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

You can find information about registration, the program for the event, and the speakers who will be in attendance at the link below.

The date of the 3rd International Conference on Urban & Regional Planning has been updated to 23-25 September 2023. The conference will be taking place at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka.

CAP recently celebrated the southern hemisphere launch of "Planning, Sustainable Urbanisation and the Commonwealth: The Commonwealth Association of Planners, Past, Present and Future". The second event was held with Te Kokiringa Taumata – New Zealand Planning Institute (NZPI) and took place on 29 August in Tāmaki Makaurau-Auckland. The event was hosted at Beca House by the NZPI Deputy Chair Megan Couture who acted as the master of ceremonies and facilitator. It followed a similar format to the London launch with a seminar first on "Resilience and Sustainable Urbanization" followed by a reception and panel discussion for the book launch.

The speakers at the seminar were:

Dy Currie, AM, Chief Planner for Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and also the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Host City Office Lead. A former CAP President and Co-Chair of UN Habitat Stakeholder Advisory Group, Dy presented on Living with Resilience in a River City and shared some of the stories about the extreme weather events the city experienced in 2022 and outlined some of the successful planning and other responses developed to improve resilience and move the city towards a more sustainable future.

Tom Mansell, Head of Sustainable Outcomes, Healthy Waters for Auckland, New Zealand. Tom provided an update on Auckland Council's plans to help Tāmaki Makaurau recover from the extreme weather events and consequential flooding that took a major toll on the region earlier this year. The Council are currently consulting with the public on its Making Space for Water initiative which Tom was able to share with the seminar attendees.

The participants, hosts, and organizers of the 6th Pacific Urban Forum (PUF6), held in Suva, Fiji, have come together to reaffirm the vital role of the Pacific Island Forum in fostering regional cooperation for sustainable and climate resilient urban development, commit to fostering sustainable risk-informed urban development practices, and acknowledge and strengthen the pivotal role of cities, towns, and local communities in paving the way for a brighter future.

The entire outcome statement for PUF6 can be found at the link below.

CAP, along with the Eastern Regional Organisation for Planning and Human Settlements (EAROPH) International, EAROPH Australia, and with the support of the New Zealand Planning Institute (NZPI), has agreed to extend the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) originally signed at the Fifth UN Pacific Urban Forum on 3 July, 2019.

The goal of the MoU is to record an understanding between the parties to renew a Pacific Island Planners Association (PIPA) and to cooperate in establishing closer links that may involve the exchange of expertise and knowledge, enhanced cultural and historical understanding, the pursuit of collaborative sustainable development projects, and planning for partnerships with government and academic bodies on issues of common concern.

The document was re-signed at the Sixth UN Pacific Urban Forum in Suva, Fiji, on 7 September, 2023 and will be extended for another year.

Doing the honours are (left to right) Mazrina Abdul Khalid - Secretary General EAROPH International, Peter Cuming - President EAROPH Australia, and Mere Naulumatua - President Fiji Planners Association & VP CAP.

On Thursday 20th July 2023 CAP members gathered alongside members of the Royal Town Planning Institute to celebrate the launch of the CAP book “Planning, Sustainable Urbanisation and the Commonwealth”.

The launch was preceded by a seminar hosted by the RTPI to discuss issues raised in the book. Chaired by Harry Burchill, co-Chair of RTPI London, the speakers were Christine Platt (past President and Honorary Vice President of CAP), Professor Barbara Norman, Sue Bridge (President of the RTPI) and Olafiyin Taiwo (convenor of the CAP Young Planners Network).

Anne T Gallagher, Director-General of the Commonwealth Foundation, welcomed guests to the launch itself, introducing a video message from CAP President Eleanor Mohammed. Cliff Hague (Past President of the RTPI and of CAP) gave the keynote speech on behalf of the Editors. Two of the book sponsors, Atkins and Beca made short presentations: Will Steel spoke in person on behalf of Atkins, while Bryce Julyan (one of the Editors) and colleagues appeared by video from New Zealand on behalf of Beca.

Four of the book Editors, Clive Harridge, Cliff Hague, Ruiz Nik and Ian Tant, were able to meet in person.

Copies of the book, which is published by Routledge, can be ordered. Read our BLOG to learn how you can get 30% off the purchase price if you are belong to a CAP member organisation. (If you don't belong to a member, read the blog to find a code for 20% off.)

An MoU between the Commonwealth Legal Association (CLA), the Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA), UN Habitat (UNH), and CAP was signed today as an agreement to collaborate towards a joint research agenda, advocacy, human rights, and climate justice. The collaboration will contribute to strengthening SDGs in cities and build capacities of national and local governments in promoting climate-smart and rights-based laws. There is a specific focus on addressing urban vulnerabilities and positively impacting resource-poor communities.

You can read the entire MoU by clicking the link below.

Planning, Sustainable Urbanisation and the Commonwealth: The Commonwealth Association of Planners, Past, Present and Future is now available for purchase. And for a limited time, there is a discount.

To a great extent, the future of the planet hangs on how cities and human settlements are managed. Food security, water, basic services, migration, shelter, jobs, environment: sustainable urbanisation is about changing direction to strive for a fairer and less environmentally damaging future. This well-illustrated book by authors from around the globe tells how the Commonwealth Association of Planners across five decades has campaigned to make a difference. It also looks ahead, scoping the urgent, practical action that is now required.

If you belong to a CAP Member institution, read our BLOG to learn how you can get 30% off the purchase price. (If you don't belong to a member, read the blog to find a code for 20% off.)

As the world’s population rapidly shifts to cities, unchecked and unplanned urban sprawl present major challenges. Many local and national government institutions are inadequately equipped to cope with demographic pressures and the ever-increasing demand for land, housing, infrastructure and basic urban services.

Members of the Commonwealth Sustainable Cities Initiative signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with UN-Habitat on 5 June 2023 at the second session of the UN-Habitat Assembly. The aim is to address the capacity gaps affecting local and national governments, urban professionals and academia, as well as other urban stakeholders. The focus will be on Commonwealth countries that are facing the most urgent challenges. UN-Habitat estimates that nearly 50% of the projected growth in the world’s urban population will be in Commonwealth countries, many of which are among the most vulnerable to climate change impacts.