Metropolitan Diplomacy 2026 Metropolises are at the forefront of many global crises, such as climate change, food security, and migration. For this reason, they are increasingly assuming a proactive role within the international ecosystem. Their international engagement is becoming ever more necessary to formulate policies aimed at strengthening the management of metropolitan territories, particularly beyond the current cycle of global agendas concluding in 2030 and in anticipation of new international contexts that may arise in the future.

The “Metropolitan Diplomacy" report, published by UN-Habitat in collaboration with the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB), establishes a strategic framework for metropolitan areas to serve as decisive actors in global governance. It defines metropolitan diplomacy as the actions and strategies used by metropolitan regions to influence international spheres and cooperate beyond municipal boundaries to address systemic challenges such as climate change, migration, and inequality.

The report emphasizes that while city diplomacy focuses on bilateral municipal cooperation, metropolitan diplomacy addresses a broader range of issues - like regional mobility and territorial planning - that require collective solutions across entire metropolitan territories. It details a decade of diplomatic evolution, from the Montreal Declaration (2015) to the Barcelona Metropolitan Declaration (2025), the latter of which calls for the formal recognition of metropolitan areas as full partners in global governance.

The report provides a roadmap for the future, recommending the institutionalization of diplomacy within metropolitan structures and the development of Voluntary Metropolitan Reports (VMRs) to monitor SDG progress. By aligning metropolitan actions with emerging global frameworks such as the Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact, this document provides a comprehensive guidance for advancing inclusive, resilient, and multi-level governance in the post-2030 agenda.
World Cities Report 2026: The Global Housing Crisis: Pathways to Action 2026 The current global housing crisis is the outcome of decades of insufficient investment, rapid urbanization, economic instability, and displacement caused by conflict and disasters. Recent global estimates indicate that up to 3.4 billion people lack access to secure, safe, and adequate housing, including more than 1 billion people living in informal settlements and slums under conditions characterized by insecure tenure, overcrowding, exposure to environmental hazards, and limited access to basic services. Despite the universal recognition of housing as a human right, progress remains inadequate.

Global housing deficits increased from 251 million units in 2010 to 288 million in 2023, while forced displacement continues to rise due to conflict, violence, human rights violations, and climate-related disasters. Research conducted by UN-Habitat estimates that approximately 64 million people were evicted globally between 2003 and 2023, with severe consequences for livelihoods, security, and social well-being.

The World Cities Report 2026 highlights adequate housing as a fundamental pillar of sustainable urban development and human well-being, extending far beyond the provision of shelter. Housing influences access to employment, public services, health, and economic opportunity, making it central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The report highlights the importance of safe, affordable, and well-located housing in reducing poverty, improving quality of life, and transforming informal settlements and slums.

The report also positions housing as a critical driver of climate action and urban resilience, noting the need for energy-efficient, low-carbon housing solutions and resilient urban infrastructure. It calls for inclusive and participatory approaches that support community-led upgrading initiatives and recognize informal settlements as integral parts of cities. Ultimately, the report urges governments and stakeholders to recommit to housing as a human right and a foundation for greener, more equitable, and resilient urban futures.
​​Executive Summary of the State of African Cities Report 2026: Harnessing the Value of Urban Land for Socioeconomic Transformation in African cities​ 2026 ​​The State of African Cities Report 2026 highlights how Africa’s rapid urbanization presents a unique opportunity to drive inclusive growth. It emphasizes the transformative role of urban land and shows how improved land governance and financing can support sustainable, resilient, and prosperous cities across the continent.
Activating food-tech ecosystems in intermediary cities for sustainable food security 2026 Transforming agro-food to advance food security while promoting sustainable industrialisation in developing countries is an urgent priority. Intermediary cities, as vital connectors between urban and rural areas, are piloting innovative solutions to drive this transformation through food-tech. This policy brief examines how innovation ecosystems in intermediary cities can contribute to achieving net-zero emissions and zero hunger and presents key recommendations for development policy. It has been prepared within the framework of the G20 Platform on SDG Localisation and Intermediary Cities (PLIC) under the South African G20 Presidency.
Guide to creating urban public SPACES for children 2026 Public spaces to play are important to children's health and development and are a core right. Yet with increasing urbanization, access to public spaces to play is shrinking, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This guide, developed by UN-Habitat, WHO and UNICEF, highlights the importance of public spaces for optimizing children's health and well-being, and realizing their comprehensive rights. It provides support for practitioners in developing and improving public spaces for children in planned urban contexts, informal contexts as well as in crisis/resilience-building settings.
​​Metropolitan Planning and Finance for Adequate Housing ​Experts Group Meeting Report​ 2026 UN-Habitat presents the report Metropolitan Planning and Finance for Adequate Housing, developed from the Expert Group Meeting held in Istanbul, Türkiye, from 1 to 3 October 2025, within the framework of MARUF25 and in collaboration with the Marmara Municipalities Union. The meeting brought together 26 experts and representatives from governments, academia, international organizations and civil society.

The report argues that adequate housing must be addressed through a metropolitan lens, as the dynamics that determine access to housing, including land, transport, basic services, employment, infrastructure, risks and financing, go beyond municipal administrative boundaries. Addressing housing only through isolated local projects limits the capacity to respond to the real scale of demand and to reduce territorial inequalities.

The report therefore calls for strengthening metropolitan housing systems that integrate territorial planning, land management, financing and multi-level governance. This scale enables better coordination of affordable housing provision, the rehabilitation of existing housing stock, the transformation of informal settlements and the connection of households to urban opportunities.

The report emphasizes that adequate housing is a human right, a basic social infrastructure and a metropolitan public good, and identifies key instruments such as metropolitan housing councils, regional funds, land banks, land value capture mechanisms, housing observatories, and spaces for participation and accountability.
The Spatial Development Plan for Karak Governorate (2024–2028) 2026 The Spatial Development Plan for Karak Governorate (2024–2028) provides a strategic roadmap for sustainable development, grounded in comprehensive spatial analysis and a participatory visioning process. It defines development priorities, identifies key growth sectors, and outlines priority investment projects to enhance socio-economic progress over the next five years.
​2024-2025 Annual Report: National Urban Policy Programme, Phase Two 2026 National Urban Policies (NUPs) serves as a key guiding frameworks towards the realization of the New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Urbanization. The Korea-funded National Urban Policy Programme contributes to this by not only supporting countries in developing and implementing NUPs but also strengthening the capacity of relevant stakeholders. The 2024-2025 Annual Report shows the progress of the programme implementation at global and local scale among the eight participating countries of Phase 2. It showcases the commitment of UN-Habitat in collaboration with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MOLIT) of Korea to support programme implementation in Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Egypt, Mozambique, Paraguay, I.R. Iran, Myanmar, and Niger State of Nigeria. In line with the four expected programme accomplishments, the report details progress made in relation to implementation of demonstration projects, capacity development, advocacy, and knowledge improvement on matters urban policy and peoplecentered smart cities. In addition, it also highlights the programme’s contribution to SDGs, UNHabitat strategic, and planned activities for 2026.

This report is a co-creation of the Republic of Korea, UN-Habitat, Republic of Azerbaijan, Kingdom of Cambodia, Arab Republic of Egypt, Republic of Mozambique, Republic of Paraguay
Building resilience through disaster risk management in intermediary cities 2026 Natural disasters and extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and intensity globally. Local governments, including intermediary cities, are on the frontline of disaster risk management. Increasing their resilience is critical to protect lives and support economic development. This is particularly true in developing countries where local governments, especially in intermediary cities, lack financing and management capacities to prevent, react and rebuild in an inclusive and sustainable way. Drawing on the OECD Compendium of Good Practices for Quality Infrastructure 2024, this policy brief provides an overview of good practices to ensure infrastructure resilience and shares recommendations for development partners to embed disaster risk management as a foundation for safer, more equitable, and resilient societies. It has been prepared within the framework of the G20 Platform on SDG Localisation and Intermediary Cities (PLIC) under the South African G20 Presidency.
​​Global Trends and Insights on Urban Rural Linkages – Key Highlights Booklet​ 2026 This Key Highlights Booklet is a summarized version of the Global Trends and Insights on Urban-Rural Linkages Report. The booklet provides a concise overview of the evolving relationship between urban and rural areas, emphasizing their growing importance in sustainable development. It also explores global events, frameworks and processes that have contributed to strengthening urban-rural linkages (URLs), while highlighting emerging issues in urban-rural linkages.

Drawing on survey responses from Member States, the booklet synthesizes how URLs are incorporated into national and subnational frameworks and showcases diverse global actions aimed at enhancing these connections.

This resource not only serves as a quick source of knowledge on the state of urban-rural linkages but also proposes actionable recommendations for advancing integrated and inclusive development across urban and rural landscapes.