World Habitat Day

The thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) takes place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 17 to 22 May 2026. The theme of WUF13 is: Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities. Housing is deeply and inseparably linked with human and ecosystems health and wellbeing. Across diverse urban contexts, housing policies shape health outcomes not only through living conditions, but also through broader structural factors such as affordability, location, resilience to climate and disaster risks, access to basic services and infrastructure, environmental wellbeing and biodiversity, with corollary impacts on education outcomes, economic productivity, etc. As urbanization continues and housing challenges intensify, improving health outcomes in urban settings increasingly depends on how housing policies are designed, coordinated and implemented. Housing is also an inherently interdisciplinary policy domain. Addressing housing-related challenges requires action across multiple p...

  The thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) takes place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 17 to 22 May 2026. The theme of WUF13 is: Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities. How can cities deliver integrated housing, basic services, and care infrastructure to advance urban health, well-being, and equity? Urban health is increasingly recognized as a defining challenge for cities today. The conditions in which people live — including their home, land, access to basic services, and public space — directly shape physical and mental well-being, resilience, and quality of life. In the context of rapid urbanization, climate risks, and growing inequalities, fragmented approaches are no longer sufficient. Integrated, place-based solutions are required that connect housing, basic services, and social infrastructure with planning, finance, and governance. Several cities have begun operationalizing care as social infrastructure — focusing on proximity, urban access, ...