UN-Habitat requires a consultant to work on public space design and support the work of the Global Public Space Programme.
Remotely
Twelve (12) months with possibility of extension according to performance.
About UN-Habitat
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. The main documents outlining the mandate of the organization are the Vancouver Declaration on Human Settlements, the Habitat Agenda, the Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements, the Declaration on Cities and Other Human Settlements in the New Millennium, and UN General Assembly Resolution A/56/206.
The Global Public Space Programme
Launched in 2011, UN-Habitat’s Global Public Space Programme aims to improve the quality of public spaces worldwide. Public spaces are again being recognized by cities as a key element of inclusion and sustainability. UN-Habitat adopts a definition of public spaces as sites that are accessible and enjoyable by all without a profit motive and take on various spatial forms, including parks, streets, sidewalks, markets and playgrounds. Good public spaces enhance community cohesion and promote health, happiness and well-being for all citizens.
The Programme helps cities become more sustainable by providing policy advice, capacity building, knowledge sharing and support for public space regeneration and improvement. More concretely, it maps public spaces and works with cities to develop city-wide public space strategies and urban development frameworks. Good policies and practices are shared through its global network of around 100 partner organizations.
The overall goal is to support local governments in creating and promoting socially inclusive, integrated, connected, environmentally sustainable and safe streets and public spaces, especially for the most vulnerable.
The objectives of the Global Programme on Public Space are:
• To promote public space as an important element for creating sustainable cities, for improving the quality of life of urban citizens, and as a key lever in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda, continuing the dialogue following Habitat III and for monitoring the implementation of the SDG 11.7.1;
• To consolidate knowledge, good approaches, tools and methodologies on public space and make these accessible, particularly to local government partners;
• To engage the broader network of partners and public space practitioners in the global promotion of good policies and practice on public space;
• To demonstrate, through pilot projects and in partnership with cities, the importance of public spaces in achieving social, economic, environmental and other benefits to cities.
The Consultant will be under the overall leadership of the Leader of Planning, Finance and Economy section and reports to the manager of the Global Public Space Programme (Jose Chong)
Specific Responsibilities
1. Provide planning and design inputs to ongoing planning initiatives, including citywide strategies, and urban transformation plans;
2. Develop clear planning proposals, drawings and related reports for partner cities;
3. Review of proposals and design prepared by local planners for various pilot cities;
4. Provide inputs and develop new innovative participatory processes
5. Review and provide inputs to the urban planning and design component of the Datacenter Microsoft project
6. Review technical architecture proposals and provide urban design inputs to public space implementation projects;
7. Develop communication materials, including layout and design to public space publications and documents including the Annual report of the programme;
8. Develop planning proposals for cities and partners including analysis, drawings and related reports on site-specific public space assessments;
9. Provide inputs into the Global Public Space Programme publications and documents;
10. Develop public space design guidelines for local governments, ensuring the public spaces are inclusive, accessible and safe, especially for people with disabilities; and
11. Facilitate and conduct participatory engagement processes using Minecraft as a tool to understand community’s needs.
12. Provide inputs into PFES publications and documents
Competency: Communication:
• Excellent written and oral presentation skills in English.
• Excellent capacity to produce and manipulate graphic documents and drawings.
• Good presentation skills.
• Ability to communicate complex interventions in a clear language and convincing narratives.
• Sketching capabilities to effectively communicate in workshop settings and teams.
Teamwork:
Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues to achieve agreed goals.
Planning and Organizing:
Ability to prioritize activities and assignments and to easily switch between different projects.
Creativity:
• Strong conceptual thinking. Is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches, takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; thinks "outside the box", and offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs.
• Can easily develop clear plans in contexts with limited information and datasets.
• Finds ways to extract and combine data and information to create base maps. Is both able to reduce complexity as well as sensitive to specific urban form and the landscape.
Skills: Skills:
• Knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to urban planning and design.
• Strong analysis of urban form, urban systems, underlying social, legal and financial mechanisms and the political context.
• Ability to develop strong graphic materials (concept plans, diagrams, street sections) as well as substantive reports.
• Knowledge of urban development issues. Ability to observe deadlines and achieve set goals.
• Ability to work and deliver under pressure.
Academic Qualifications: Advanced University degree in Architecture or Urban Planning, or related field that is relevant for sustainable urban development and urban planning and design IS REQUIRED. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience: Minimum 2-year experience in urban planning and urban design with direct proven experience in drawing and preparing plan graphical material using computer assisted design tools is required. Strong graphic representation skills required and public space design experience. Experience in facilitating participatory workshop including the use of digital engagement tools is an added advantage. The candidate should have a portfolio of plans and designs of which he/she is the author.
Language: Fluency in oral and written English is required. Although not a requirement, knowledge of French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese or Russian will be an advantage
Outputs will be delivered in English
THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.