UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme)

💧 At #WorldWaterWeek in Stockholm, UN-Habitat underlined that: ✅ Utilities are frontline climate actors - delivering safe water and sanitation under growing shocks of droughts, floods and rising seas ✅ The new UN-Habitat Strategic Plan (2026-2029) puts water and sanitation at the heart of sustainable urbanization and climate resilience ✅ Peer-to-peer learning is proven to foster innovation - through 470+ Water Operators’ Partnerships (WOPs), over 750 utilities in 117 countries have strengthened their resilience, reaching 58 million people But the message was clear: utilities need stronger platforms, policies and financing to lead transformative change. UN-Habitat is calling on governments, donors and partners to: 🔹 Invest in utility capacity, climate-smart infrastructure & skills 🔹 Foster enabling environments with fair regulation & financing 🔹 Expand peer-to-peer learning through WOPs and national platforms 🌍 The State of the World’s Water and Sanitation Utilities Report, to be launched in October at the 6th Global WOPs Congress in Bonn, will provide the evidence to accelerate action and ensure utilities have the voice, support and recognition they deserve. Utilities may lack representation in global debates, but their work continues to make cities liveable, homes dignified, and communities resilient. Strengthening them is not only technical, but also a moral imperative. 🔗Be a part of the launch of the upcoming Global Report, register for the 6th Global WOPs Congress: https://lnkd.in/eQMGtzAS

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Young people are at the forefront of #ClimateAction, showing the world how we can build more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive urban futures. That's why the UN Secretary-General has expanded his Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change from 7 to 14 members. This diverse cohort will provide bold ideas and practical advice, ensuring climate solutions reflect the realities of communities everywhere — from small islands to megacities. At UN-Habitat, we see youth not just as participants but as partners in shaping the future of our cities. From leading innovation in slums and informal settlements to advocating for housing, governance, and climate resilience, young leaders are already driving change on the ground. With new national plans due this year under the Paris Agreement, youth leadership is more vital than ever. 👉 Meet the members: https://loom.ly/SxMTjUI

What if traffic deaths weren’t accidents but design failures? Most road collisions involving children aren’t just about behaviour. They’re about design. About speed limits that go ignored. About cycle paths that don’t exist. About crossings that don’t give kids enough time to cross. And somehow, when a child steps into the road too soon, we call them the cause of the accident. An analysis of 859 children's drawings of 3-6 year olds on the theme of traffic clearly demonstrated that "the street divides." (M. Hüttenmoser) 23% of the drawings illustrate that children have problems when they want to cross the street to meet their needs (i.e. to visit friends, to go to a playground, to make contact with trusted adults, to observe animals and plants, etc.). We talk about teaching road safety – but when are we going to start designing it? This isn’t just about getting from A to B. It’s about creating public spaces where children can move freely, safely, and independently. Every road death is preventable - yet we treat them as unavoidable. Because a society where a child can ride their bike to school without fear? That’s a better society for everyone. SOURCES: Multiple studies by Marco Hüttenmoser throughout the 1990s and 2000s, such as: - HÜTTENMOSER, Marco (1995): Children and Their Living Surroundings: Empirical Investigations into the Significance of Living Surroundings for the Everday Life and Development of Children. In: Children’s Environments, Vol. 12 - SAUTER, Daniel and HÜTTENMOSER, Marco (2008): Liveable streets and social inclusion. In: Urban Design International, 13, pp. 67-79

Exciting News! UN-Habitat is partnering with the Dubai Municipality for the 14th cycle of the Dubai International Best Practices Award for Sustainable Development. Winners will: 🏆 Share a prize fund of USD 1 million 🎤 Present at the World Governments Summit 2026 📚 Be featured in the Urban Best Practices Database Submissions are open in five categories: 1️⃣ Urban Regeneration & Public Spaces 2️⃣ Most Beautiful, Innovative & Iconic Building 3️⃣ Sustaining Urban Food Systems 4️⃣ Addressing Climate Change & Reducing Pollution 5️⃣ Urban Infrastructure Planning & Management Apply now: https://loom.ly/ORViV4I

🚧 Ever wondered why traffic never gets better, no matter how many roads we build? That's because more roads don’t reduce traffic. They create it. It's what happens when billions in public funds vanish into endless road projects... with little to show for it. More roads don’t mean less traffic, they often just invite more cars. That’s a phenomenon now recognise as "Induced Demand". City planner Jeff Speck has called induced demand "the great intellectual black hole in city planning, the one professional certainty that every thoughtful person seems to acknowledge, yet almost no one is willing to act upon." Meanwhile, better solutions like public transport or walkable cities go underfunded. We’re missing the chance to build places that are cleaner, fairer, and actually work for more people. Highways also leave a trail: more emissions, more sprawl, and deeper divides in our communities — especially in low-income areas. So why are governments still hooked on highways? Outdated planning. Political pressure. Inertia. It’s time to rethink where our money goes. Our 2024 Global State of National Urban Policy report is clear: if we’re serious about climate-smart, equitable cities, the old highway playbook has to go. Sources: - 2024 Global State of National Urban Policy - Bron: D.A. Plane, 'Urban transportation: policy alternatives. In: Hanson e Giuliano (red.), The Geography of Urban Transportation (tweede editie), Guilford Press (1995), p. 439.

Unplanned urban growth reshapes societies—often at a cost. ➡️ Agricultural land disappears, threatening food security and rural livelihoods. ➡️ Traditional skills are lost as labor shifts to informal, low-wage jobs. ➡️ Essential services struggle to keep pace, deepening inequality. We must rethink land use to create resilient, inclusive cities. 🌾 👨🌾 👩🌾 🌾 👨🌾 👩🌾 🌾 👨🌾 👩🌾 🌾 👨🌾 👩🌾 Hear more from Samson Olanrewaju (PhD), Osun State University in episode 4 of #GlobalUrbanLectures. Quality of Life Initiative

The next crisis is a matter of when, not if. Urban resilience helps you get ready for it. Over 1 billion people live in informal urban settlements, often perched on floodplains, hillsides or coasts — exactly where climate disasters strike hardest. And it’s already happening: 🌊 70% of cities are dealing with rising floods, deadly heatwaves and water stress. 🦠 During COVID-19, 90% of cases were in urban areas. 💸 In 2023 alone, city-based climate disasters caused $250 billion in damage. Resilience is not an optional, "nice to have" anymore. Here's what it really takes for a city to withstand shocks — and thrive: 🌱 Environmental resilience - Adapt to climate stress like droughts and sea-level rise - Protect green infrastructure to keep air clean and cities cool 🤝 Social resilience - Prioritise vulnerable communities in planning - Build strong networks that help people cope and recover 💼 Economic resilience - Diversify livelihoods to survive shocks - Prevent losses — because every £1 spent on resilience saves £4 in damages 🏗️ Infrastructure & governance resilience - Invest in durable systems (housing, transport, water) - Enable rapid, flexible responses to crises 📉 Without this kind of resilience, projected annual losses could hit $314 billion by 2030. 🌆 Informal settlements face the steepest risks — residents are up to 10x more likely to lose homes or income during a disaster. And by 2050, heat-related deaths could double unless cities invest in green infrastructure and ventilation. ☘️ Nature-based solutions help too: - Reduce peak city temperatures by up to 4°C - Improve stormwater absorption by 30–70% - Cut respiratory illness by 20–30% thanks to cleaner air Urban resilience isn’t just about survival — it’s about future-proofing our cities, reducing inequality, and ensuring no one gets left behind. Sources: - World Cities Report 2024, UN-Habitat - Global State of National Urban Policy 2024, UN-Habitat

🌍 Have a housing solution that’s making a difference? UN-Habitat is calling on Member States and stakeholders worldwide to submit proven, impactful housing practices for global recognition at #WUF13! 🏠 As the global housing crisis grows, practical, scalable solutions are urgently needed to advance the New Urban Agenda and SDG 11. ✅ Why submit? 🔹 Gain global visibility 🔹 Influence policy discussions 🔹 Showcase your expertise 🔹 Connect with global practitioners & policymakers Selected practices may be featured at: ✨ WUF13 Practices Hub ✨ World Cities Report 2026 ✨ Regional State of Cities Reports ✨ The Housing Knowledge Platform 📅 Deadline: 31 August 2025 🔗 Submit your practice today: https://loom.ly/UOuyRlM #WUF13 #HousingForAll #SustainableCities #UrbanTransformation #SDG11 #NewUrbanAgenda

🌍 The Global Urban Data Coalition convened today, bringing together global partners to strengthen collaboration on housing & urban data. Key outcomes: ✅ Connected global actors on urban & housing data challenges ✅ Sustained collaboration & knowledge exchange ✅ Mapped global data initiatives for scaling & impact ✅ Advanced specific joint initiatives ✅ Reaffirmed commitment to open, ethical & interoperable data frameworks 📊 Why it matters: Robust, timely, and inclusive data is the foundation for tackling today’s housing and urban challenges. Through the Strategic Plan (2026–2029), UN-Habitat is catalyzing the monitoring of global challenges via the Global Urban Data Coalition—ensuring evidence drives action toward adequate housing for all. #UrbanData #HousingForAll #SDG11 #GlobalGoals