The  world  has  changed  remarkably  since  the  Habitat  II  Conference  took  place  in  Istanbul  in  1996.  The  way  cities  are  shaped,  their  form  and  functionality  have  also  been  transformed  over  these  years.    The  growth  of  the  world’s  cities, from the north to the south, and from the east to the west, is ingrained in a culture of short-term economic benefit  and  often  unbridled  consumption  and  production  practices  that  compromise  the  sustainability  of  the  environment. Urbanization is at the same time a positive force underpinning profound social, political and economic transformation.  Urbanization  and  growth  go  hand  in  hand,  and  no  one  can  deny  that  urbanization  is  essential  for  socio-economic transformation, wealth generation, prosperity and development.