In a world grappling with crises, cities emerge as pivotal agents of change. UN-Habitat’s 2023 report underscores the urgent need for urban transformation to tackle issues ranging from climate change to inequality, while emphasizing the pivotal role of cities in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

UN-Habitat and the Global Land Tool Network developed this training guide to build awareness among land practitioners on the importance of women’s housing, land and property rights in fragile contexts, helping them understand the specific challenges faced by women and the implications for their well-being and empowerment. The guide seeks to enhance practitioners’ knowledge by providing foundational information on legal frameworks, policies, and best practices related to women’s housing, land…

The Annual Report 2023 of the Policy, Legislation and Governance Section of UN-Habitat showcases the work done in the past year to work towards and support the achievement of the main goal of sustainable urban development.

Much has been achieved by PLGS: more than 44 activities in over 37 countries globally, that consolidated collaboration with donors, development partners and beneficiary countries along the themes of policy, legislation and governance, metropolitan management,…

As countries prepare to revise their NDCs ahead of COP30, the analysis summarized in this technical brief shows: which countries have the biggest potential to work towards stronger integration of urban content in their NDCs; how they can reap co-benefits of sustainable urban development, effective local adaptation measures, and reducing emissions by stronger collaboration with local governments.

This report summarizes the Ministerial Meeting on Urbanization and Climate Change held at COP28 on 6 December 2023. This key event, co-hosted by UN-Habitat, the High-Level Climate Champions, and the COP28 Presidency, brought together over 1,000 people including around 60 ministerial representatives and reflects a collective commitment to tackling climate change's complexities within urban contexts.

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.