Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today inaugurated the sixth edition of Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development in New Delhi. <br/> <br/>Speaking on the occasion, Mr Naidu said, urbanization has become irreversible and ensuring disaster resilience in urban area is the key. He said, delivery and execution are the key for success of urban development. He added that housing is one of most important component of civilisation. <br/> <br/>Mr Naidu said, the present government has introduced a new lexicon in urban governance. He said, fostering competition among cities, ranking of cities, comprehensive planning have resulted in a new consciousness. The Minister said, a new urban renaissance is taking place in India. Ministers and senior officials from 60 countries in the region are deliberating on challenges of urban planning and management.<br/> <br/>The conference seeks to address issues ranging from crowded city centres to peripheral expansion, metropolitan based urban population growth, megacities and urban corridors, among others. The conference will come out with a Delhi Declaration and implementation plan for aligning urban development strategies of member countries with the New Urban Agenda adopted at Quito, Eucador for the next 20 years. <br/> <br/>During the conference, five working groups will deliberate on different sub-themes like Integrated Planning, Management and Governance Structures and on ensuring sustainable and natural disaster resilient urban development including climate change. The conference assumes significance considering that Asia Pacific Region region accounts for 60 per cent of the world population and 55 per cent of global urban population.

Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today inaugurated the sixth edition of Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development in New Delhi.<br/> <br/>Speaking on the occasion, Mr Naidu said, urbanization has become irreversible and ensuring disaster resilience in urban area is the key. He said, delivery and execution are the key for success of urban development. He added that housing is one of most important component of civilisation.<br/> <br/>Mr Naidu said, the present government has introduced a new lexicon in urban governance. He said, fostering competition among cities, ranking of cities, comprehensive planning have resulted in a new consciousness. The Minister said, a new urban renaissance is taking place in India. Ministers and senior officials from 60 countries in the region are deliberating on challenges of urban planning and management.<br/> <br/>The conference seeks to address issues ranging from crowded city centres to peripheral expansion, metropolitan based urban population growth, megacities and urban corridors, among others. The conference will come out with a Delhi Declaration and implementation plan for aligning urban development strategies of member countries with the New Urban Agenda adopted at Quito, Eucador for the next 20 years.<br/> <br/>During the conference, five working groups will deliberate on different sub-themes like Integrated Planning, Management and Governance Structures and on ensuring sustainable and natural disaster resilient urban development including climate change. The conference assumes significance considering that Asia Pacific Region region accounts for 60 per cent of the world population and 55 per cent of global urban population.