The Undergraduate Program in Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Sumatera Utara (FT USU), organized a guest lecture for the ARS3109 Urban Planning course entitled “UN-Habitat and the SDGs: From Global Goals to Local Urban Action.” The lecture was held online via Zoom Meeting on October 2, 2026.

The guest lecture was opened by Dr. Ar. Wahyuni Zahrah, S.T., M.S., IAI, Head of the Undergraduate Program in Architecture, and moderated by Aulia Malik Affif, S.Ars., MUP.

The lecture featured Elena Boni, Urban Development Expert and Knowledge Management Coordinator at the UN-Habitat Multi-Country Programme Office in Bangkok. Her professional experience includes urban planning, sustainable development, urban design, environmental capacity building, child-friendly cities, and accelerating sustainable urbanization in secondary cities across ASEAN. The event also featured Mula Pralampita, Local Project Officer at UN-Habitat.

The presentation introduced UN-Habitat and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11 on inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities and human settlements. Students were also introduced to the Urban Monitoring Framework and the New Urban Agenda as frameworks for measuring urban performance and translating global goals into local action.

The discussion also covered urbanization trends in ASEAN, including urban growth, city autonomy, digital transformation, inequality, urban expansion, increasing resource footprints, and environmental vulnerability. ASEAN's sustainable urbanization strategies and the role of secondary cities were discussed to broaden students' understanding of the challenges and opportunities in urban planning across the region.

This activity primarily supports SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities. SDG 4 – Quality Education is reflected in the enrichment of students' learning experiences, while SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals is strengthened through the involvement of UN-Habitat experts in academic activities at FT USU.