World Habitat Day 2013
By Dr Arvind Kumar
Today (7th October 2013) is World Habitat Day. The first Monday of October every year has been designated by the United Nations as World Habitat Day. The underlying idea is to reflect on the state of towns and cities and the basic right of all, to adequate shelter. It is also intended to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat. This year, the United Nations chose the theme Urban Mobility because mobility and access to goods and services is essential to the efficient functioning of our cities and towns as they expand. Accessible cities encourage a shift towards more sustainable modes of transportation and draw more and more travellers out of cars and onto trains, buses, bike paths, and sidewalks.
But mobility is about more than just the mode of transport we use. Urban planning and design should focus on how to bring people and places together, by creating cities that focus on accessibility, and optimal urban densities, rather than simply increasing the length of urban transport infrastructure
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