Columbia's Center for Urban Research and Policy (CURP) and the International Research Foundation for Development Inc. will co-host an international forum, "Urbanizing World and U.N. Human Habitat II" June 4 to 6, on the Columbia campus. The conference is being organized in conjunction with the United Nations Special Session of the Habitat II-Istanbul + 5, which will be convening June 6 to 8 at the U.N. headquarters in New York.

The forum will be held June 4 and 5 (8:15 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and June 6 (8:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) in the Kellogg Conference Center, located on the 15th floor of International Affairs Building, 420 W. 118th St. (118th & Amsterdam Ave.).

Attendees must pre-register for the conference. For more information, contact Jennifer Bryan, or call 212-854-2020.

Currently, more than half of the world's population lives or works in cities. Over the next 25 years, another quarter of the world's population will migrate to these urban centers, while those living outside will become increasingly dependent upon cities and the global market for their economic survival. Trends in environmental degradation, overcrowding, social disruption, underemployment and poor housing continue to threaten cities' vitality. In an effort to merge existing research and policy initiatives in these areas, the conference will provide a window of opportunity for interaction among academics, policy makers and practitioners from diverse backgrounds, disciplines and countries to engage in an open dialogue on a variety of urban issues. Discussion topics will include the following: the alleviation of urban poverty, the privatization of service delivery in cities, urban governance and community building, the urban environment and the impact of globalization on cities and governance.

Columbia University's Center for Urban Research and Policy (CURP) is dedicated to addressing the nation's urban problems through research on public policy, encouraging urban residents to engage in policy determination and providing public officials and community leaders with new tools for management and policy analysis. CURP is part of the Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy(ISERP). For more information, call 212-854-2072.