A key finding during UN-HABITAT's work after the earthquake in Haiti is that Port-au-Prince is at the epicenter of several challenges and stresses. These include not only earthquakes but also other natural disasters, poverty, weak governance, and the absence of urban planning. In this context, communities and civil society organisations are key players. Similarly, coordinating multiple urban actors becomes essential. UN-Habitat's situational analysis of metropolitan Port-au-Prince provides a thorough background to the city's situation in terms of urban development and planning, and presents a way forward for future planning of the metropolitan area.
This publication makes a case for a participatory approach engaging all key stakeholders in urban development. Another key area is the need for institutional capacity building to better enable municipalities and their partners to deliver basic urban services to the city's residents. The Citywide Strategic Planning approach presents the key steps for initiating and implementing a strategic planning process in support of sustainable urban development. The publication also covers the wider aspects of housing and urban infrastructure as well as the socio-economic situation which constitute key components for achieving sustainable urbanization. It is our hope that all the urban stakeholders working in Haiti and in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area will find this publication useful in theirongoing attempts at recovery and reconstruction