Baku: There is a serious shortage of qualified urban planning professionals worldwide, as highlighted by Frank Dhondt, a representative of the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP). This statement was made during an event at the World Urban Forum 13 (WUF13), as reported by APA.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Dhondt emphasized that the current number of professional planners is insufficient to implement the New Urban Agenda effectively. He also pointed out the challenge posed by the lack of accurate statistics and comprehensive research, which hinders the ability to assess the true extent of this global issue.

Dhondt shared that ISOCARP is adopting a new approach to address capacity development challenges. He advocated for the creation of not only individual training programs but also more systematic and methodologically grounded mechanisms for capacity development. Furthermore, he stressed that human resource development should be approached with the same phased and planned methodology as urban planning processes.