World Habitat Day, celebrated each year on the first Monday of October, is observed globally on 6 October with a focus on urban crisis response. The UN uses this day to reflect on the state of cities and the right to adequate shelter for all. This year’s theme addresses urban crisis response, such as climate change, conflict, and inequality. With over 122 million people forcibly displaced, many in urban areas, the Day emphasizes the need for inclusive, sustainable solutions that support urban planning, social cohesion, and resilient local governance. Follow the celebration on UN Web TV.

Less buckets, more blankets: For years, Khawar lived in constant fear of the roof collapsing on her sleeping grandchildren. Widowed in 2015, the 66-year-old grandmother now supports a family of 12 – including her daughter, who struggles with mental illness, and her unemployed son. In Kabul’s crowded Dasht-e Barchi settlement, their shelter, like thousands of others in the settlement, had never been built to withstand the elements. Khawar and her family struggled through many a winters' leaks, sickness, and the haunting possibility of collapse. But she clung to a single wish: a safe home. Today, thanks to UN-Habitat’s Shelter Initiative with support from the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund, that wish has finally come true marking not just the rebuilding of a fragile shelter, but the restoration of dignity and hope for a family determined to survive. Photo: Khawar (right) and Alina (left) sit inside their rehabilitated shelter in Dasht-e Barchi, Kabul, Afghanistan.

The United Nations World Urban Forum (WUF) was established in 2001 to address rapid urbanization and its effects. The first WUF took place in Nairobi in 2002 and has since been held globally. This year, WUF12 (4-8 November) will be co-hosted by the Government of Egypt in Cairo, preceded by Cairo Urban Week which will explore Cairo's cultural heritage and urban dynamics through discussions, workshops, and cultural exhibitions. The week culminates in the launch of a legacy public space initiative in Al-Asmarat neighborhood, aimed at supporting marginalized groups and fostering community growth.

 The world is rapidly urbanizing, and many urban residents these days are young people, especially in some countries in Africa and Asia. Currently, youth in the global South make up 70 per cent or more of cities. The global observance of World Habitat Day, marked on 7 October 2024, aims to address the challenges and opportunities of rapid urbanization by focusing on the active involvement of young people in shaping sustainable cities and communities.

When planned responsibly and based on sound cost/benefit analysis, and when supported by adequate regulations, the financing and development of infrastructure can be used as an engine for the development of institutions, policies, and capacities at all levels and across all sectors of governance. Urban planning is crucial in preparing for the orderly expansion of cities, guiding investment, preparing land subdivisions, and installing skeletal infrastructure before undertaking building projects. On World Cities Day (31 October) let’s finance a sustainable future for everyone.

In Africa, on average, people spend up to 56 minutes walking or cycling for transport daily. The danger lies not just on the road, but in the air too. This report sets out recommendations.

World Cities Report 2022: Envisaging the Future of Cities seeks to provide insights into the future of cities based on existing trends, challenges and opportunities, as well as disruptive conditions, including the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Residents of the Hlaing Thar Yar township and surrounding areas hope a UN-Habitat solid waste management project will prevent deadly fires by lower methane emissions.

Building materials and the construction sector accounts for 11 per cent of annual carbon dioxide emissions. A UN-Habitat project shows how a construction project can help achieve a carbon-free world.

UN-Habitat renews its commitment to furthering the implementation of the SDGs by offering governments practical expertise in urban internal displacement contexts and in durable solutions.

Engaging women and girls to develop safe, inclusive, and accessible public spaces is one of the core principles of UN-Habitat’s global commitment to building better and more resilient cities.

According to a UN-Habitat assessment one year after the Beirut Port explosion, 130 of 175 buildings within two kilometres of the explosion’s epicentre have been rehabilitated.

UN-Habitat has launched a new campaign to inspire action in urban areas to prevent climate change and adjust to its ongoing or anticipated impact.

UN-Habitat is calling for nominations for the Scroll of Honour award. The award recognizes individuals and institutions which have made outstanding contributions to urban development.

UN-Habitat helped launch Her City Toolbox, – an open-source digital platform that guides urban actors and decision makers in strengthening girls' participation in urban planning and design processes.