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…

​​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.​

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…

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.

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…

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…

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…

Urban Content in NDC 3.0: Cities at the Centre is the most comprehensive global analysis to date of how cities feature in national climate plans. Drawing on 142 third-generation Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs 3.0) submitted by mid-April 2026, the report delivers findings across sectors, regions, income groups, and NDC revision cycles, at a scale and depth not previously possible.

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.