1.Cities are here to stay, and the future of humanity is undoubtedly urban, but not exclusively in large metropolitan areas.

2.Urbanization will continue to be a transformative, but uneven process that will require differentiated responses depending on the diversity of the urban context.

3.The worst-case scenario of urban futures will have disastrous consequences for cities; thus, resulting in economic uncertainties, environmental challenges and exacerbate existing vulnerabilities.

4.A business-as-usual approach will result in a pessimistic scenario of urban futures characterized by the systemic discrimination and exclusion of the poor in urban agendas.

5.With concerted policy action, it is possible for cities to avoid either of the high damage or pessimistic scenarios and instead emerge into a more optimistic urban future.

1.Global city population share doubled from 25 per cent in 1950 to about 50 per cent in 2020; it is projected to slowly increase to 58 per cent over the next 50 years.

2.Between 2020 and 2070, the number of cities in low-income countries will increase by 76 per cent, in high-income and lower-middle-income countries by about 20 per cent, and in upper-middle-income countries by 6 per cent.

3.Over the next five decades, growth in city land area will mostly take place in low-income (141 per cent), lower-middle-income (44 per cent) and high-income countries (34 per cent). Changes in upper-middle-income countries are projected to be relatively small (13 per cent).

4.Small cities cover almost half of city land (about 45 per cent) in low-income countries, a trend that will persist over the coming decades.

1.Urban poverty and inequality are highly complex and multidimensional challenges whose manifestation go beyond lack of income.

2.Without concerted action at all levels, poverty and inequality could become the face of the future of cities.

3.Poverty is on the rise in close to one-third of the countries in Sub-Saharan African, and most countries in the region are off-track in ending poverty by 2030.

4.The COVID-19 pandemic has reversed years of remarkable progress made in the fight against poverty and has resulted in the emergence of newly poor people.

5.The level of urban poverty and inequality, coupled with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are clear indicators that governments must act now to create the conditions that nurture equitable urban futures.

1.Future shocks that significantly impact urban economies are imminent. However, there are disparities in cities’ resilience to face such shocks, with some more prepared than others.

2.The informal economy is still and will continue to be vibrant economic force in urban areas of developing countries. The sector must therefore be recognized and supported as a legitimate contributor to urban economies through a wide range of inclusive policies and targeted programmes.

3.Well-planned and managed urbanization is a transformative force towards sustainable and inclusive growth in the future of cities.

4.The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed an unprecedented crisis resulting in massive job losses, shrinking local revenues and contraction of urban economic growth. This experience demonstrates the urgency of building resilient urban economies for the future.

5.Cities in developing countries are experiencing rapid urbanization without structural transformation, thus failing to reap productivity gains, which make them highly vulnerable to future shocks.

1.Climate change has overtaken disease as the foremost urban health threat and risks leading to the high damage urban future scenario.

2.The causes of mortality and ill health in cities have shifted significantly in the past 20 years with the rising toll of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in both low-income and higher-income cities.

3.COVID-19 amplified cities' entrenched health inequities with racial/ethnic minorities, women, displaced populations, residents of informal settlements, precarious workers, and other marginalized groups disproportionately affected.

4.Rising levels of depression, anxiety and other mental health impacts have been linked to COVID-19, particularly for essential workers, those with heightened caring duties (especially women), racial/ethnic minorities and other vulnerable groups.

5.In six of the most disruptive conflicts currently waging in the world today, major cities have been active battlegrounds leading to immediate and long-term devastating impacts on urban health and future development.

1.Through the lens of spatial justice, effective multi-level governance plays a key role in ensuring that global shocks like the pandemic do not disproportionately impact vulnerable groups.

2.The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the digitalization of urban governance, which provides an opportunity to use new data, but also threatens to increase the digital divide.

3.City diplomacy and international city networks provide an emerging opportunity for cities to contribute learning and experience and adapt governance approaches to their own context.

4.Effective decentralization, local fiscal autonomy, adequate local capacity and links between National Urban Policies and cities have not progressed enough.

5.While many cities are engaging in innovative participatory processes, globally, space for civil society is shrinking.