Urban Content in NDC 3.0 — A snapshot of 128 NDCs 2026 Cities remain central to the climate agenda: they concentrate rising risks, trillions in exposed assets and most future growth. The third round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs 3.0) shows a historic jump in how countries are internalizing this urban reality into their national contributions toward global efforts for climate change mitigation and adaptation.
​​Agenda to Action: Implementation of the New Urban Agenda in Nine Cities Across the Globe​ 2026 ​This report documents how nine cities across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Arab States, Eastern Europe and Latin America have implemented the New Urban Agenda through integrated planning, multi-level governance, and capacity-building. It captures lessons, mind-shifts, and implementation pathways that accelerate SDG 11 and sustainable urban transformation
Planning for Secure Water Futures in Contexts of Drought and Displacement: Evidence from Mafraq, Jordan 2026 This report examines how drought, climate change, and displacement intersect to shape urban water insecurity in Dahiyyat Al-Malik Abdullah, Mafraq. Through a multi-scalar analysis, it highlights infrastructure pressures, governance gaps, and the lived experiences of refugee and host communities, offering evidence-based recommendations for more inclusive and climate-resilient urban water responses.
Participatory Hazards, Vulnerabilities Capacities Assessment (PHVCA) & Community Action Plan (CAP) in Kunduz Afghanistan 2026
10 Gender Gaps in Afghanistan’s Urban Neighborhoods: Emerging Trends 2026
Nature-based Solutions for the Arab Region: A Collection of Case Studies 2026 The Arab region faces multiple converging challenges including rapid urbanization, water scarcity, environmental degradation and, in some contexts, conflict and displacement. Additionally, the increasing risks of climate change impacts, coupled with these interconnected issues, place mounting pressure on already strained urban systems and natural resources. In this context, Nature-based Solutions (NbS) offer a promising pathway to address these challenges. By harnessing ecosystems to enhance resilience and improve quality of life, NbS can deliver multiple co-benefits. These can range from water security and disaster risk reduction to public health, biodiversity protection, and job creation. However, knowledge of locally adapted, scalable practices in the Arab region remains fragmented and under-documented.
Community Waste Bank Guidelines 2026 Thailand generates nearly 27 million tons of municipal solid waste annually. This report, analyses community waste bank models across Thailand and compares them with regional best practices. It offers actionable recommendations to strengthen nationwide implementation, support the circular economy, and advance SDGs 11, 12, and 13.
From event to legacy: Mega-events as catalysts for sustainable urban development 2026 ​​Can mega-events create lasting urban value beyond the global spotlight? This white paper explores how mega events like World Expos, Olympic Games, and FIFA World Cups can become catalysts for sustainable, inclusive, and resilient cities through legacy-driven planning, adaptive design, and community-centered urban transformation.​
​​STILL FAR FROM HOME – A Comparative Review of IDP Housing Solution Policies in Five Crisis Affected Countries​ 2026 ​​Still Far From Home examines how housing policies shape durable solutions for internally displaced persons across five crisis-affected countries. The report argues that lasting solutions require moving beyond housing construction toward strengthening the broader systems—land, services, governance, and livelihoods—that enable displaced communities to achieve long-term stability and inclusion.​
Digital Metropolis - Working Paper: Projects for Metropolitan Digital Transition 2026 Projects for Metropolitan Digital Transition is a Working Paper jointly developed by UN-Habitat’s MetroHUB initiative and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) to guide metropolitan and local authorities, urban experts and practitioners, as well as technology solution developers, in shaping a metropolitan-scale digital transition. The document provides a practical framework to move from standalone initiatives to integrated projects that create public value, strengthen inter-municipal coordination, and build institutional capacity.

Throughout the paper, digital transformation is understood as far more than adopting technology: it requires strengthening capabilities, clarifying institutional arrangements, and improving coordination across jurisdictions to tackle challenges that no single municipality can solve alone.

The paper also brings together a set of pilot project ideas designed to accelerate digital transition from a metropolitan perspective. These proposals are framed as enabling, adaptable projects suited to different institutional and territorial realities, aimed at creating the conditions for inter-municipal integration, shared data use, and better decision-making. Broadly, the proposed lines of work include: artificial intelligence for anticipatory and targeted interventions; IoT and sensor networks for real-time monitoring and management; GIS and 3D visualization for integrated spatial analysis; urban digital twins for scenario simulation and policy testing; and multichannel digital services to expand access to procedures, services, and participation across the metropolitan system.

Overall, the document calls for a step change: from sector-by-sector or municipality-by-municipality digitalization to a metropolitan project agenda that is interoperable, scalable, and public-value driven, strengthening governance, reducing internal gaps, and enabling more coordinated, inclusive, and resilient management.