As planners and urban advocates across the world marked the 76th World Town Planning Day (WTPD), the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) has called for stronger implementation of the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Law to guide the country’s rapid urbanisation and ensure sustainable city growth.
Established in 1949 by Argentinian professor Carlos Paolera, WTPD is observed every November 8 in more than 30 countries through lectures, school competitions, conferences, awards, and community events. The yearly observance highlights how sound planning improves lives by creating places to live, work, and play.
This year’s celebration, themed “With Planning, We Can!”, underscores how effective planning empowers communities and provides pathways to prosperity, inclusion, and resilience.
In his commemorative message, NITP President, Dr Chime Ogbonna, said the theme captures the power of planning to transform communities and improve the quality of life of citizens. He noted that by 2050, over 60 per cent of Africa’s population will live in urban areas, stressing that this demographic shift demands effective planning, administration, governance, and management.
“With planning, we can lead this transformation, starting with the implementation and domestication of the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Law across all states of the federation,” Ogbonna said. “This will provide the structure and framework to guide urban growth and ensure our towns, cities, and regions blossom sustainably.”
The NITP president emphasised that planning remains central to building sustainable communities, fostering economic growth, and strengthening governance at all levels.
“Yes, with planning we can build sustainable places, create opportunities for economic prosperity, and make our cities resilient and inclusive. We are agents of change,” he said.
Ogbonna restated the institute’s commitment to planning together for a sustainable future and sufficient homes for all communities, urging governments and professionals to work collectively to advance urban reforms that align with global best practices.
Meanwhile, the Global Planners Network (GPN) has called for renewed investment in planning systems and professionals worldwide.
The group said the theme, “With Planning, We Can – Delivering Homes, Resilient Places and Bridging Social and Spatial Inequalities for All Communities,” underscores the transformative potential of effective planning in addressing today’s social, economic, and environmental challenges.
GPN described planning as “a central part of the solution” to many of the world’s pressing issues, including housing shortages, climate change, and inequality. “With planning, we can unlock sustainable, inclusive, equitable, prosperous, and resilient places. We can guide the delivery of better outcomes for people in municipalities and regions around the world,” the statement read.
“We can address climate impacts, facilitate disaster recovery, future-proof communities, and help build the neighbourhoods of tomorrow.”
The GPN noted that planning empowers societies by linking housing delivery, infrastructure, and environmental management in ways that foster prosperity and inclusion.
The network emphasised that planning turns ideas into reality by inspiring collective solutions and driving the development of just, resilient, and thriving cities across the globe.
As the world nears the tenth anniversary of the New Urban Agenda, the GPN reaffirmed the critical role of planning in achieving sustainable development goals. It also called for adequate resourcing of planning systems, including investment in planning education and human capacity to address the global shortage of professionals.
“We call for renewed mobilisation of all stakeholders, governments, private sector, and communities, because political support, financial and human resource investment, community engagement, and empowerment are fundamental to delivering homes, resilient places, and bridging inequalities,” the statement added.
The network urged global leaders to recognise that investment in planning is an investment in people and the planet, asserting that the discipline remains indispensable to sustainable urbanisation and climate action.
GPN said it remains committed to promoting planning as a cornerstone of sustainable development and a tool for tackling the urgent challenges of housing, urban resilience, and social equity.
