By 2050, an additional 2.5 billion people will be living in the world’s towns and cities, with almost 50 per cent of that growth taking place in the Commonwealth. Member States, both large and small, are facing the impacts of climate change and rapid urbanization. The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded these, and progress towards achievement of the SDGs has been eroded in many countries, undermining the first year of the Decade of Action towards Agenda 2030.

Heritage and Metropolis (Heritopolis) is a loose research network established during 2021 to explore how metropolises are being (re-)shaped by heritage redefining their meaning. This largest category of city is growing rapidly in number and their demographic, economic and governance importance globally. Metropolises are also where many of the sustainability and resilience challenges – including potential loss of natural and cultural heritage – are particularly profound.

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In the past six years, UN-Habitat has grown from strength to strength. The World Urban
Forum is now the world’s premier United Nations platform for sustainable urbanization. UN-Habitat is present in all global platforms including at the UN General Assembly where we were selected on the high impact pillar on localization. It is very clear that shelter, housing, and sustainable urbanization cut across all political divides.

Based on a spatially focused and cross-sectoral situational analysis of urban settlements hosting displaced populations, this multi-scale profile allows locals, stakeholders, and readers to develop a comprehensive spatial understanding of the existing situation as a tool dedicated to the decision-making process for urban development strategies and infrastructure investment planning.

The “Future Cities Advisory Outlook 2023: Digital Innovations Empower Urban Net-Zero Carbon Transition” is the third flagship report of UN-Habitat China Future Cities Council. The report summarizes six main scenarios and a roadmap of digital solutions to achieve urban net-zero carbon, and collects 10 good practice cases from Chinese cities and enterprises. Meanwhile, it also calling for the urban net-zero carbon transition through the application of digital solutions.

The 2023 Global Public Space Programme Annual Report showcases impact stories and best practices implemented in 2023 by UN-Habitat and its partners on public space initiatives. This year the report reflects on projects not only from the Global Public Space Programme but also led by our Regional and Country Offices. The intention is to share an agency-wide unified report to underscore UN-Habitat's commitment to collaboration and integrated action.

Land conflicts over natural resources, territorial boundaries, political and administration disputes, as well as rapid urbanization are recurrent in Guinea-Bissau. In collaboration with FAO, UN-Habitat intervened to promote a participatory process for land demarcation, zoning, and interventions for the future development of the community.

The Shanghai Manual was established in 2011 following the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai and serves as a tool to support the efforts of mayors and urban practitioners in advancing sustainable urban development. The ideas and principles of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and New Urban Agenda have been integrated into the Manual, with a focus on challenges such as how to achieve inclusive and liveable cities, innovative and creative cities and sustainable and resilient cities.
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