The housing crisis is NOT inevitable. It is the result of decades of underinvestment and policy choices - and therefore can be solved with us making different choices.

Gender-inclusive planning asks a simple question: who benefits, who is excluded, and whose voices are shaping the city?

As the world grapples with a housing deficit affecting billions of people, the construction sector faces another challenge: buildings account for roughly 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

🏆 Nominations are open for the 2026 Scroll of Honour Award — celebrating leadership in adequate housing and sustainable urban development. This year’s theme calls for urgent action on safe, affordable, accessible housing for all. 📅 Nominate today: urbanoctober.unhabitat.org/2026-scroll-...

🏘️ Urban public spaces are essential infrastructure for children's health, development, and rights. Yet only 44% of urban residents live near open public space, and that drops to just 30% in low- and middle-income countries. Read the full guide: unhabitat.org/guide-to-cre...

🌍 The future of humanity will be shaped in cities — and at the centre of that future is housing. The 2025 Annual Report from UN-Habitat shows how housing-led development is becoming central to global action for inclusive and sustainable cities. 🔗 unhabitat.org/annual-repor...

Many women live under a "hidden curfew" - not one imposed by law, but by the need to constantly assess personal safety. It shapes everyday decisions:

Inclusive slum upgrading is more than improving housing and infrastructure. It strengthens resilience by combining community leadership, economic opportunity, social inclusion, and climate action. Resilient cities are built with communities, not for them.

🌍 How nine cities are turning the New Urban Agenda into action. As we reach the critical midpoint of the New Urban Agenda (2016-2036), this groundbreaking report shows what's possible when cities put NUA principles into practice.

🏙️ Cities have moved from the margins to the centre of national climate planning: 80% of NDC 3.0 submissions now include well-developed urban content, up from just 49% in NDC 2.0.

What makes a city truly inclusive? It’s about whether people feel they can belong, participate, move freely, and thrive.

UN-Habitat has officially opened the call for nominations for the 2026 Scroll of Honour Award – one of the world’s most prestigious awards recognizing outstanding contributions to adequate housing and sustainable urban development. Nominations should be submitted by 23 June 2026. The winners of the

As cities confront rising temperatures, flooding, water stress, and rapid urbanisation, the conversation around infrastructure is changing.

🌍 UN-Habitat has launched the call for expressions of interest to host #WUF15 in 2030. Cities and countries interested in hosting can now apply to become part of the next chapter of the global urban agenda. 📍Learn more and apply: unhabitat.org/sites/defaul...

What makes a city truly inclusive? An inclusive city is one where everyone — regardless of income, gender, age, disability, ethnicity, or migration status — has equal access to opportunities, services, and decision-making.

As cities grow, so does the challenge of the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect — where urban areas become significantly hotter than surrounding rural areas due to concrete, asphalt, dense buildings, traffic, and limited green space.

Thank you for being part of #WUF13! Your participation helped advance the conversation on sustainable urban development. Now we’d love to hear from you. Share your feedback and help shape future Forums. ⌚️ It takes 7 minutes. 🗓️ Open until 5 June. 🔗 bit.ly/WUF13survey

The SPLASH! for Swimmable Cities in the Caspian Sea was a highlight of WUF13. With UN-Habitat’s support we’re ready to scale our global mission of mainstreaming ‘swimmability’ in urban planning and integrated water management.

📍From Baku to Mexico City Today, during the Closing Ceremony of #WUF13, the World Urban Forum officially passed the torch from Azerbaijan to Mexico, announcing Mexico City as the host of #WUF14 in 2028.

The thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum has delivered a clear mandate for the future of housing. We unite behind 15 urgent calls to transform how we protect, respect, and fulfil housing as a fundamental human right. Read the Call To Action here: wuf.unhabitat.org/news/baku-ca...

We shape our buildings; therefore, they shape us. But what happens when the system is broken? When finance ignores informal incomes? WUF13 has made it clear: housing is not secondary. It is the foundation of peace, health, and opportunity. We can’t just build walls.

🎯 FINAL DAY of #WUF13: On the agenda: - Roundtable - The Rights of Indigenous Peoples - Roundtable - The Rights of Older Persons Then: 🗞️ WUF13 Official Closing Press Conference 🎤 Closing Ceremony of the Thirteenth Session of the World Urban Forum 🇦🇿 Flag Lowering Ceremony

At #WUF13, critical dialogues tackled the urgent realities shaping the global housing agenda — from the scale of the housing crisis to the growing pressures of climate change on communities worldwide. Read more: 🔗 wuf.unhabitat.org/news/wuf13-e... 🔗 wuf.unhabitat.org/news/wuf13-e...

Cheap to build, expensive to live in: The hidden cost of the "affordability trap." 🏗️💸 Read the daily summary for day 4 at WUF13: enb.iisd.org/world-urban-...

🌱 DAY 5 of #WUF13 - how can we put homes at the centre of reconstruction efforts and find the right funding mechanisms? Still figuring out your schedule? The #WUF13 app is your best friend.

🌍 At #WUF13 global leaders, policymakers, urban practitioners, and stakeholders came together to put housing at the centre of sustainable development — exploring how homes connect to inclusion, resilience, jobs, economic opportunity and health. #HousingTheWorld #RoadToBaku

Is housing an investment or a human right? With 3 billion people lacking adequate sanitation and nearly half of households struggling to pay rent, the status quo isn't working. Read the summary of day 3 of the World Urban Forum: enb.iisd.org/world-urban-...

⚙️ DAY 4 of #WUF13 - delving deeper into how housing overlaps with extreme poverty, climate change and finance. Quick tip: check the #WUF13 app early — overlapping sessions are everywhere today.

Cities are growing, but land remains fixed. Yet, the real challenge isn't just construction, it's allocation. We need to ensure the homes we build actually reach those who need them most, particularly our most vulnerable communities. Video: @enb.iisd.org

Today we launch the new World Cities Report ! New data. New realities. New priorities. This is one of the key global references on urbanisation — shaping how governments, cities and organisations think about: - housing - inequality - climate - urban growth If you want to understand where cities a

Discover (and download!) our curated selection of photos from around the forum with “Spotted! WUF13” - a photo collection from the WUF13 Official Photo Library.

🌍 DAY 2 of #WUF13 with key conversations taking place Use the #WUF13 app to map your sessions (you’ll need it today).

Day 2 of the World Urban Forum brought a stark reality to the forefront: the current international financial architecture is broken.

In DAY 1 of the World Urban Forum, discussions focused on moving beyond "token representation" to concrete action.

Day 2 at #WUF13 starts now. Today’s programme includes the official opening press conference, opening ceremony and leaders statements. 🔗 bit.ly/WUF13DailyPr...#WUF13 #HousingTheWorld #RoadToBaku

Today, we proudly raised the United Nations flag to mark the official start of the World Urban Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan. Leaders, experts, and communities from around the world are gathering to address urgent urban priorities — from housing and climate resilience to social equity and inclusive eco

#WUF13 has officially opened in Baku, bringing together global partners to advance the future of sustainable urban development.

Between 50% and 80% of people in low- and middle-income countries cannot access formal housing finance. At the same time, the global financing gap for adequate housing is estimated at US$16 trillion. 👉 Join us to discuss solutions to the largest urban challenges: lnkd.in/eBAH9Hc6

🏠 Introducing Dialogue 5 at #WUF13 When a crisis strikes, the loss of a home goes far beyond physical damage. It disrupts livelihoods, safety, and the social fabric of entire communities. Join us at the World Urban Forum to discuss solutions to the largest urban challenges: wuf.unhabitat.org/wuf13

Modern architecture assumes that intelligence must be added, rather than inherited.

Before thermostats, buildings could breathe. Courtyards and chhatris create natural air circulation: hot air rises, cool air flows, and the building regulates itself like a living organism. It certainly is beautiful architecture, but it also showcases an elegant understanding of physics.

"You shouldn't have to travel long distances to get your daily, basic everyday needs met - and that's it." - @reenamahajan.bsky.social 👉 Join us at the World Urban Forum to discuss the solutions to the biggest urban challenges: wuf.unhabitat.org/wuf13

“Without a safe home, there is no health, no education, no stable employment.” At #WUF13, UN-Habitat brings together partners including The Gere Foundation, through HOGAR SÍ, to place homelessness at the heart of the global agenda. youtu.be/OUgxcGAdqFY

🏠 Introducing Dialogue 4 at #WUF13. From floods to extreme heat, millions of people, especially the most vulnerable, are increasingly exposed to climate risks. 👉 Join us at the World Urban Forum this month to discuss solutions to the largest urban challenges: wuf.unhabitat.org/wuf13

Affordable housing is not negotiable. We need it for our communities to thrive 🌇 It is the foundation of strong, resilient communities.

Lights, camera, urbanism! 🎬 Urban planners have long turned to film to explore the future of cities, understand complex urban dynamics, and spark conversations about equitable urban development.

Modern buildings react to heat. Traditional materials work with it. Sun-baked bricks, lime plaster, or laterite stone are not primitive choices. They’re thermal batteries, absorbing heat slowly and releasing it when temperatures drop.

Shops, schools and sports facilities. Parks, playgrounds and plazas. High streets, hospitals and healthcare clinics. Post offices, public squares and public transportation hubs All these community favourites we cherish are just empty spaces without housing at the core.

💧 Could our cities handle rain like nature does? Rain shouldn’t be a problem, but in most cities, it is. Concrete streets rush water into drains. Systems overflow. Flooding follows. And we keep building the same way. There’s a smarter approach: Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS).

🏠 Introducing Dialogue 3 at #WUF13. Today, nearly 1.1 billion people live in slums or slum-like conditions. A number expected to grow by 2 billion more in the coming decades. 👉 Join us at the World Urban Forum next month to discuss solutions to the largest urban challenges: wuf.unhabitat.org/wuf13