​​Beyond the City: Global Trends and Insights on Urban-Rural Linkages​ 2026 As rapid urbanization blurs the lines between the urban and the rural, the Beyond the City: Global Trends and Insights on Urban-Rural Linkages report challenges the traditional development dichotomy, arguing that sustainable prosperity depends on the health of the entire territory. By exploring the critical interconnections between urban and rural areas, it analyzes how these linkages are essential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda (NUA). Drawing on insights from global partners like UN-Habitat, FAO, IIED, IFAD, and the OECD, the report examines the economic flows, migration patterns, and environmental impacts that bind our communities together.
Sahab City-Wide Public Space Assessment 2026 The Sahab City-Wide Public Space Assessment provides a comprehensive, GIS-based analysis of the city's public spaces, evaluating environmental quality, inclusivity, and accessibility. It offers an evidence-based foundation to guide urban greening, inform investments, and support more resilient, inclusive city planning.
​​Smart Inclusive Transitions for an Equitable Urban Future in Suwon​ 2026 ​​Suwon is the first city to apply the Smart Inclusive Transition (SIT) framework, an implementation adaptation of the Global Urban Monitoring Framework (UMF). This report tracks the city’s progress across five SIT pillars, identifies critical strengths and gaps, and demonstrates how SIT is operationalized into practice through co-production of basic urban services and platforms. It provides a practical monitoring framework to pursue people-centred smart and equitable cities; enabling cities worldwide to respond more effectively to resident needs.
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.
Annual Report 2025 2026 The 2025 Annual Report highlights how UN-Habitat advanced housing-led sustainable urban development as a pathway to more inclusive, resilient and sustainable cities. The report outlines major global milestones, including the endorsement of UN-Habitat’s Strategic Plan 2026–2029 by 105 Member States, growing international recognition of adequate housing as a human right and climate priority, and renewed political momentum to transform informal settlements and slums. It also showcases tangible results delivered between 2020 and 2025, including millions of people gaining improved living conditions, access to water and sanitation, and secure land tenure – demonstrating the impact of coordinated action toward achieving SDG 11 and the New Urban Agenda.
​UN-Habitat Lebanon Rapid Municipal Assessment Report 2026 ​​Rapid Municipal Assessment of conflict-affected areas in Lebanon, presenting key findings on service delivery, infrastructure damage, and municipal capacities to support evidence-based recovery and humanitarian planning.​
​​Reducing Food Loss and Waste in Cities: Legal Pathways for Sustainable and Inclusive Urban Development​ 2026 This brief examines how legal and governance frameworks can reduce food loss and waste in cities. Drawing on case studies from Milan, Singapore, Vienna, South Korea, France, Rwanda, Brazil, and India, it offers practical legal pathways for policymakers, urban planners, and legal practitioners.
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.
SDG 11 Global Report 2026: Housing at the Centre of Sustainable Cities and Communities 2026 Housing is fundamental to achieving SDG 11’s vision of inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and communities. Yet, despite this central role, the interlinkages between adequate housing and progress across the ten targets of Goal 11 have received limited systematic attention.