State of the World's Cities 2008/2009

This report adopts the concept of Harmonious Cities as a
theoretical framework in order to understand today’s urban
world, and also as an operational tool to confront the most
important challenges facing urban areas and their development
processes. It recognizes that tolerance, fairness, social justice
and good governance, all of which are inter-related, are as
important to sustainable urban development as physical
planning. It addresses national concerns by searching for
solutions at the city level. For that purpose, it focuses on three
key areas: spatial or regional harmony; social harmony; and
environmental harmony. The report also assesses the various
intangible assets within cities that contribute to harmony,
such as cultural heritage, sense of place and memory and the
complex set of social and symbolic relationships that give
cities meaning. It argues that these intangible assets represent
the “soul of the city” and are as important for harmonious
urban development as tangible assets.