Background and Objectives: 

Under the joint management of a national project manager from the Urban Planning Agency (UPA) and an international project coordinator from UN-HABITAT, Libyan planners and technicians are engaged, trained and guided to perform their duties.

This project focuses on the institutional development and capacity building of the Urban Planning Agency. The objectives of the project are to: (1) Support the process of implementation of the 3rd planning phase (3rd Generation); (2) Support the creation of Information Centres (Knowledge Management); and (3) Develop the institutional capacity of the UPA and undergo the training of its staff.

Activities:
The following activities have been implemented:

• Evaluating the 1996–2020 draft National Physical Perspective Plan (NPPP), and production final 2000–2020 NPPP;
• Setting-up operational geographic information management systems (GIS) in the UPA main office and familiarizing the staff with the operation of the equipment;
• Supporting the launch of the 3rd Generation Planning;
• Updating urban planning approaches utilizing participatory decision making and planning techniques.

Results: 

Progress in all activities is proceeding as per the project document. UN-HABITAT is providing the necessary support to UPA in managing the Third Generation project, capacity building of the institution, and training of staff. Training includes substantive areas such as regional planning, GIS and mapping in addition to basic computer and administration skills as needed. Several UPA staff members are currently being trained in ITI in Egypt. During 2007, UPA, in collaboration with UN-HABITAT, will organize an international conference on Urban Planning and launch a new post-graduate, multi-sectoral diploma course in collaboration with international universities. This will strengthen capacities in Libya and ensure sustainability of training.