This report summarizes a pivotal knowledge-sharing event, focused on Korea National Urban Policy Programme and its impact on people-centered smart cities, held in Cairo, Egypt, during the twelfth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF12). This event was a key activity within the Korea National Urban Policy Programme (K-NUPP), highlighting the crucial intersection of people-centered smart cities and their effective integration into National Urban Policies (NUPs). This focus aligns perfectly with…

The WUF12 Report provides an overview of the programme, participation and strategic highlights from the twelfth session of the World Urban Forum, held in Cairo, Egypt. It showcases the sustainability, inclusivity and diversity of the Forum, reflecting the collective efforts to advance sustainable urban development and implement the New Urban Agenda.

Many development practitioners have, until recently, viewed urban and rural areas as two mutually exclusive territories. However, this does not reflect the realities of the spatial and sectoral linkages between urban and rural areas. The two territories are two ends of a continuum of human settlements which are spatially and functionally interconnected and interdependent through physical, social, economic and environmental linkages that are continuously changing in time and space. During the…

Globally, urbanization has increased significantly, with the world’s urban population expected to reach 68.5% by 2045. Although urbanization brings economic opportunities and improved living conditions, if not well managed, it can also present urban and social challenges such as slums, poverty, and environmental degradation. While many countries around the world have formulated National Urban Policy (NUP) to manage their urbanization, associated implementation challenges such as institutional…