Building upon a successful 2023, the 2024 Annual Report of the Policy, Legislation and Governance Section (PLGS) showcases continued progress towards achieving sustainable urban development. Through a range of impactful activities, PLGS strengthened its collaboration with donors, development partners, and beneficiary countries, advancing UN-Habitat work on policy, legislation, governance, metropolitan management, and urban-rural linkages.
This report highlights key achievements,…

This publication by UN-Habitat provides a comprehensive framework for addressing urban internal displacement. It offers strategic guidance for governments, UN agencies, and partners to develop sustainable, scalable, and transformative solutions, focusing on housing, land, and basic services to support displaced communities in urban areas.

Building on the work of Challenge Works and UN-Habitat, this publication guides local government leaders and innovators on how to apply challenge-driven innovation methods in cities. It offers a step-by-step process and provides real-world examples, useful tips and relevant resources that tackle real challenges identified in cities and communities through innovation.

This report introduces Smart-Inclusive Transition (SIT) as a key driver for building more equitable urban futures by integrating smart technology with inclusive practice. The SIT Analysis is designed to help cities uncover their unique opportunities for SIT by leveraging urban SDGs data and indicators from the Global Urban Monitoring Framework. This approach will create an opportunity for cities worldwide to shape urban spaces that are genuinely designed by, for, and of all citizens.

The report provides groundbreaking insights into the current state of smart city developments globally. By analyzing trends, challenges and opportunities, it offers a robust evidence base to foster inclusive, sustainable and people-centred smart cities. With recommendations for policymakers and other actors, it serves as a global reference for advancing digital transformation and innovation in urban areas while addressing regional disparities and digital divides.

This report captures the catalytic insights and recommendations emerging from the 2024 Innovate4Cities Conference (I4C24). Co-hosted by the Global Covenant of Mayors and UN-Habitat in Montréal, Canada, the conference convened nearly 2,000 participants across 226 sessions, representing urban practitioners, researchers, business leaders, and civil society.

World Cities Report 2024: Cities and Climate Action

This edition of the World Cities Report provides a wide and far-reaching analysis of the current and expected climate impacts on different regions and cities, as well as the differing vulnerabilities urban populations face due to factors such as poverty, inequality, ethnicity, gender, disability and other characteristics. Notwithstanding the acute financial and institutional shortfalls many face, the Report shows that cities are…

As one of the essential public services that supports our society in the 21st century, waste management is a basic human need and a critical infrastructure, especially in urban areas. Waste management is a cross-cutting issue that affects many aspects of society and the economy, closely linked to many other global challenges, including health, climate change, poverty reduction, food and resource security, and sustainable production and consumption. Waste management is a key component of the…

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,…