Introduction
The Urban Development Initiative (UrDI) presents a thorough analysis and recommended action for land use and sustainable urban development in Canaan I. The development of this product has been done using a participatory approach led by UN-Habitat with the Canaan community and other stakeholders, the process involved people through multiple workshops and participatory activities. The project describes the situation in Canaan and provides a list of proposed spatial interventions developed in collaboration with the Canaan I community. In addition, a future land use plan was drafted in order to introduce and enhance sustainable urban development in Canaan.
Context and background
Canaan, Haiti, is a suburb of Croix-des-Bouquets and Thomazeau in the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. By 2016, in reaction to the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake, many people migrated, occupying the surrounding area of the adjacent Port-au-Prince neighbourhoods. Canaan I appears to have larger houses compared to other neighbourhoods and the distribution of the population is very equal, 50% of the population is male and 50% women. The main challenges in Canaan I are related to environmental issues such as lack of trees and open spaces, floods and waste management, and so on. 
Plan and process
Following the Unité de Construction de Logements et de Bâtiments Publics (UCLBP) initiative in the Canaan-Jerusalem-Onaville-St. Christophe area, UN-Habitat provided technical support on the elaboration of the strategic plans for urban development in order to guide the investments that will lead to the urban restructuring of Canaan, unlocking its development potential.
The participation of all involved stakeholders played a central role in the planning exercise of Canaan. A series of activities had been developed during the different parts of the process in order to ensure that the proposals presented in the plans are adapted to the local context and to the needs and demands of the different actors. This active participation also provided that the decision-making process was developed engaging all the concerned parties. Special attention has been set on fostering the participation of local communities and their visions and proposals for the area. 
Resource for the development of Our City Plans
Canaan I project was strongly based on a participatory approach as the population, in the wake of the earthquake of 2010, has found itself with very varied environmental and social conditions. Applying the Our City Plans Methodology, the participatory process aims to include different stakeholders and is also flexible, which means that it was adapted to Canaan's social, political, economical, and environmental context. This project experience provided clear guidance on how the environmental and political framework can interrelate with the carrying out of participatory activities.
Results
During the Canaan I project has been strengthened the engagement of the involved actors, particularly government institutions and communities. Moreover, the analysis and diagnosis have been validated and a common vision was jointly developed, with a specific focus on the northern area of Port-au-Prince in the appropriate territorial context. The strategic directions for planning have been identified and have drafted the scenarios for territorial development and urban structure. The work developed was validated and the recommendations for the strategic development plan were drafted by the institutions responsible for territorial and urban planning. To involve different stakeholders, several workshops were held with the community representatives in Canaan, discussions with committees formed by the local governments and the national institutions took place as well as validation sessions.
