This paper was initially the input from the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Policy, Governance and Legislation Section to The State of Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture, prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) office for the Near East and North Africa (NENA).

This background paper was meant to contribute to the chapter on “Territorial governance and the urban-rural interface” prepared by FAO. However,…

The National Urban Policy Programme (NUPP) remains a pivotal tool towards the promotion and achievement of transformative, inclusive, green, productive, and resilient urban development. Since 2016, NUP has done this through shared responsibility and deliberate consultation between UN-Habitat and respective countries globally. This joint initiative aims at contributing to the successful implementation of the New Urban Agenda (NUA) to achieve sustainable and prosperous human settlements for all…

Future Cities Advisory Outlook 2022: Building New Urban Resilience is the second flagship report of the UN-Habitat China Future Cities Council. One of the four priority areas for change in the UN-Habitat Strategic Plan 2020-2023 is "effective prevention and response to urban crises". However, traditional response methods often prove inadequate when faced with sudden challenges.

Through smart city initiatives, digital technologies are increasingly applied in cities to modernize city operations and transform service delivery. This report features findings from a systematic literature review and a global online survey completed by approximately 300 respondents, who have reported on the smart city governance practices of more than 250 municipalities in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America.

People living in cities around the world use a wide range of municipal services on a regular basis. Services provided to residents such as garbage collection, the provision of playgrounds, parking spaces, streetlights, affordable housing, social support and public transport all require a local government that is committed to facilitating good quality of life in the city. As city governments undergo digital transformation, the digital and physical aspects of the city become more closely…

Cities for Girls, Cities for All is the report from the Vinnova Innovation for Gender Equality Project. It show cases the results of the Her City toolbox, the implementation of our partnership projects, but also provides guidelines for gender and intersectional sensitive participatory planning, design and implementation.

This paper on the use of artificial intelligence in cities is part of UN-Habitat’s strategy for guiding local authorities in realizing a people-centered digital transformation process in their cities and settlements.

UN-Habitat’s Catalogue of Services provides the current range of ways in which the organization can support national and local governments, partners and stakeholders to address their development challenges and advance sustainable and inclusive urban development using its services, expertise and tools.