Working Group Overview

About IFHP's Working Groups

IFHP's working groups aim to 'create and promote understanding of human settlement issues in a changing world'. The working groups operate through exchanging experiences and discussion and debate that allows participants to generate new ideas. Working groups investigate specific topics that for example help to solve urgent planning questions. They bring together practitioners and knowledge workers with a diverse cultural background from planning and housing related disciplines. Bringing this variety of content-driven people together has proven to add considerable value to dialogue on contemporary planning issues.

In line with the IFHP’s 2010 - 2013 Strategic Action Plan, three initial working groups are being formed with the purpose of creating and exchanging state-of-the-art knowledge through the expertise of its members. The aim is to equip participants to find the best local solutions to the global challenges facing housing and planning today.

Working groups consist of a chairperson and interested participants and can involve a wide variety of activities depending on interest, theme and opportunity. Examples of possible activities include inspirational study visits, participation in implementation labs, seminars, symposia and/or congresses, and the creation of publications and practitioners guides.

Current Working Groups

IFHP is currently supporting three working groups, and is also soliciting interest in the formation of a fourth (Spanish-language) working group on Mobility and the City. Information on the content and activity of the working groups can be found via the following pages:

• Climate Resilient Cities
  The central question the IFHP Climate Resilient Cities Working Group (CRC) would like to address is how cities and regions can adapt to the effects of climate change such as extreme storm water buffering, rising sea and water levels; or just the opposite, extreme droughts, as well as urban heat islands effects, and other climatological challenges.
   
• The Spontaneous City
  The Spontaneous City Working Group evaluates the central question of how we can create – or perhaps more accurately, allow for – small scale, user-defined development in a planning system that traditionally favours certainty and control.
   
• Housing
  The future content programme for the Housing Working Group is currently under development and more information will be forthcoming. 

If you are interested in participating in IFHP's Working Groups, please inquire via email to info@ifhp.org.