The study explores housing affordability challenges and existing policy instruments for improving housing affordability in the regions covered by UNECE and presents examples of "good practices" in improving housing affordability among countries and cities. The study focuses on four topics, namely: housing governance and regulation; access to finance and funding; access and availability of land for housing construction; and Climate-neutral housing construction and renovation.

The Europa Directory of International Organizations 2021 serves as an unequalled one-volume guide to the contemporary international system. Within a clear, unique framework the recent activities of all major international organizations are described in detail. Given alongside extensive background information the reader is able to assess the role and evolving functions of these organizations in today's world. The contact details, key personnel and activities of more than 2,000 international and regional entities have again been thoroughly researched and updated for this 23rd edition. Highlights in this edition include: - a fully revised Who's Who section with biographical details of the key players in the international system. - the response of the international community to crises and conflicts throughout the world. - specially-commissioned introductory essays cover topics including global environmental governance, transboundary water management, and multilateral governance and global action on health.

The Europa Directory of International Organizations 2020 serves as an unequalled one-volume guide to the contemporary international system. Within a clear, unique framework the recent activities of all major international organizations are described in detail. Given alongside extensive background information the reader is able to assess the role and evolving functions of these organizations in today's world. The contact details, key personnel and activities of more than 2,000 international and regional entities have again been thoroughly researched and updated for this 20th edition. Highlights in this edition include: - a fully revised Who's Who section with biographical details of the key players in the international system. - the response of the international community to crises and conflicts throughout the world. - introductory essays, written and updated by experts in their field, which consider topics including global environmental governance, the international criminal justice system, international humanitarian co-operation, and governance of the global economy.

This book examines how contemporary urbanism is influenced by digital and low carbon transitions. From its infancy at the scale of individual buildings, a focus on ‘green’ agenda, energy, and resource efficiency has fostered research and policies for low carbon cities, eco-cities, and increasingly intelligent and smarter urban systems. Cities around the world are getting ‘smarter’ as more advanced technology is integrated into urban planning and design. People are relying more on digital and information and communication technology (ICT) in their daily lives, while cities are adopting more digital technology to monitor and gather information about people and their environment. This leads to Big Data collection, which is used to inform governance and improve urban performance. These transformations, however, raise critical questions, including whether emerging smart sustainable cities are too technocratic, but also with regard to citizen involvement. This brief addresses these important contemporary concerns through a review of literature and existing urban strategies. It should be of interest to everyone involved in advancing sustainable cities and smart cities. It should also be a relevant read for students and researchers in this area.

"This book describes how more than 50 million people in the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) region have come to live in informal settlements and examines the main characteristics of the phenomenon."--Publisher's description.

The purpose of this study is to analyse the city of Voznesensk by using the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Smart Sustainable Cities and support the municipality in setting priorities for action. The KPIs have been developed by the UNECE with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and 14 other UN bodies, as well as other partners in the global United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC) initiative. In 2016, the Ukrainian Ministry of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services appointed Voznesensk as their pilot city for the United Smart Cities programme and requested the UNECE to prepare a Smart Sustainable Cities Profile. The UNECE together with the United Nations Development Programme and a team of international and local experts developed this Profile for Voznesensk based on a research mission and stakeholders’ consultation which took place in Kyiv and Voznesensk in December 2017. This summary provides an overview of the city’s situation, the analysis of its economic, environmental and socio-cultural indicators and policy recommendations.