Abstract

Habitat III is the third bi-decennial United Nations conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development to take place in Quito Ecuador, 17- 20 October 2016. The UN General Assembly, adopted a resolution that ‘the objectives of the Conference are to secure renewed political commitment for sustainable urban development, assess accomplishments to date, address poverty and identify and address new and emerging challenges’ (Resolution 67/216).1
At the time of the first Habitat Conference in Vancouver in 1976, the population of New Zealand was 3.1 million, of whom over 2.5 million were living in urban areas.2 Today the population is 4.4 million and due to increase to 5.5million by 2038, if current projections are correct. New Zealand is not alone. As the world population has been increasing, so too has the percentage of the population living in urban areas. The phenomenon is global. The challenge is to ensure that the urbanisation taking place is sustainable.
The State of New Zealand report was produced in the run up to Habitat III in October 2016. The aim of this report is to stimulate debate in Aotearoa New Zealand, amongst researchers and academics as well as the wider community, on our urban issues and the future direction we need to take. The report also aims to initiate discussions about the role of Universities in achieving the new urban agenda and the way in which professionals need to be educated and trained.
The report has been finalised to coincide with the third preparatory committee meeting (Prepcom3) in Surabaya, Indonesia between 25-27th July 2016 at which the revised zero draft of the New Urban Agenda was discussed