Charting urban futures: lessons from WUF12 on the journey to thriving cities

In the heart of a city steeped in history, the twelfth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF12) became a crucible for shaping the future of urbanization. UN-Habitat’s Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach led an intergenerational dialogue with her predecessors, Maimunah Mohd Sharif and Anna Tibaijuka, in a powerful roundtable titled “The New Urban Agenda: Where are we, how to get there?”

With the New Urban Agenda (NUA) approaching its ten-year milestone in 2026, this gathering was not just a moment of reflection—it was a call to arms for cities worldwide to renew their commitment to sustainable urban development. The leaders, joined by an audience of policymakers, urban experts, and grassroots stakeholders, explored the successes and unfinished business of the NUA, igniting a shared vision of resilient, inclusive, and thriving cities.

A Vision Anchored in the New Urban Agenda

The NUA, born at Habitat III in Quito in 2016, represents humanity’s collective aspiration for better urban living. More than a document, it is a roadmap connecting cities with solutions to global challenges—climate change, poverty, inequality—while championing SDG 11: Making cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

Rossbach opened the session with a sober truth: “We haven’t overcome poverty and structural inequality.” While celebrating the NUA’s vision, she challenged the audience to distill its complexity into actionable principles that could resonate across diverse contexts.

Financing the Urban Dream

Former Executive Director Anna Tibaijuka’s words rang with urgency: “The main challenge is financing.” Cities are the epicenter of opportunity and growth, yet too often lack the resources to fulfill their potential.

Housing, she argued, must shift from a policy debate to an investment priority. “Governments must create environments where people can thrive,” she asserted, framing the ‘right to the city’ as a promise to the youth who will inherit urban futures. Measuring progress, she emphasized, is essential to bridging the gaps between aspiration and achievement.

Resilience and Lessons from the Pandemic

Maimunah Mohd Sharif, who steered UN-Habitat through the turbulence of the COVID-19 pandemic, offered poignant insights. The crisis exposed the fragility of urban systems and the urgency of building resilience into their DNA.

“The pandemic showed us what’s possible—emergency safety nets, infrastructure pivots—but why must a crisis compel action?” she asked, urging cities to integrate climate change and urbanization as a unified challenge.

UN-Habitat’s pandemic response, which reached over 11 million people across 64 countries, was a testament to adaptability and solidarity. Yet Sharif made it clear: “The future is urban, and urbanization is unstoppable. We must do better.”

Beyond Declarations: Bridging Policy with Action

Sharif’s rallying cry—“Enough declarations; we need action”—underscored the perennial gap between vision and implementation. Housing must be more than a policy aspiration; it must be accessible, affordable, and adequate.

To achieve this, cities need both “software”—governance, policies, leadership—and “hardware”—funding, technology, and infrastructure. Sharif highlighted the Cities Investment Facility, a bold UN-Habitat initiative to mobilize over USD 250 million for projects in housing, clean energy, and public spaces.

A Legacy to Build On

Tibaijuka reflected on the birth of the World Urban Forum in 2002, noting its role in raising awareness of rapid, often unplanned, urbanization. “Urbanization is not optional—it is happening,” she declared, cautioning that without preparation, cities risk becoming sites of struggle rather than opportunity.

The intergenerational dialogue bridged decades of leadership, connecting lessons of the past with strategies for the future. From the pandemic to climate crises, the NUA remains a beacon for tackling urban challenges head-on.

A Call for Partnerships and Optimism

As the dialogue concluded, the message was clear: cities cannot succeed alone. From grassroots movements to global philanthropies, every stakeholder has a role in shaping the urban future.

“Strategic partnerships are essential,” Tibaijuka emphasized. Sharif added an optimistic note: “Cities are the engines of innovation and change. Together, we can achieve the SDGs and the New Urban Agenda.”

Towards 2026: Reimagining Urbanization

As WUF12 closed, the urgency to unlock financing, build capacity, and foster partnerships reverberated through its halls. Insights from this forum will shape the 2026 quadrennial report, a critical juncture to recalibrate global urban priorities.

The journey toward the NUA’s vision of sustainable, inclusive urban development is far from over. But with renewed commitment and collective action, WUF12 reaffirmed that the path forward is not just possible it is within reach.

source :

https://unhabitat.org/news/06-nov-2024/how-do-we-get-there-insights-from-wuf12-on-urban-futures