World Cities Day

On October 31st , 2025, the Global Observance of World Cities Day , will be linked to people-centred smart cities. It will showcase how data-driven decision making, technology, and AI can be used to improve urban life and recover from current shocks and crises. It will also focus on promoting smart city initiatives centered on people. Closing Remarks: • Ms. Anacláudia Rossbach, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat Related Documents:  Website - World Cities Day  &  Concept Note  &  Programme . Watch the Closing Ceremony - World Cities Day 2025! Conferences

On 31 October 2025, the Global Observance of World Cities Day, will be linked to people-centred smart cities. It will showcase how data-driven decision making, technology, and AI can be used to improve urban life and recover from current shocks and crises. It will also focus on promoting smart city initiatives centered on people. Moderator: Mr. Juan Ricardo Ortega, President of Energy Group of Bogotá. Setting the scene: Transforming urban governance through digital innovation Keynote speaker:  Mr. Carlo Ratti, MIT Senseable Cities Lab Panelists: Mr. Luis Lota, Director of the Bogotá, Cundinamarca Metropolitan Region, Colombia Prof. Carlos Moreno, ETI Chair, Sorbonne University, France Ms. Emilia Saiz, Secretary General, UCLG Ms. Zoe Elena Trohanis, Global Lead for Disaster Risk Management, World Bank Q&A session. Related Sites and Documents:  Website - World Cities Day  &  Concept Note  &  Programme Watch the roundtable 2: Digital innovation ...

On October 31st , the Global Observance of World Cities Day , will be linked to people-centred smart cities. It will showcase how data-driven decision making, technology, and AI can be used to improve urban life and recover from current shocks and crises. It will also focus on promoting smart city initiatives centered on people. Moderator: Ms. Vanessa Velasco, Habitat Chief Secretary, City of Bogotá Setting the scene: Access to housing, informal settlements, and urban basic services: how can smart city initiatives and strategies help achieve these goals? Keynote speaker: Mr. Jeroen Klink, Director, Center for Favela Studies (CEFAVELA) Panelists: Mr. Manuel de Araújo, Mayor of Quelimane, Mozambique Ms. Hélène Chartier, Director of Urban Planning, C40 Cities Ms. Oreoluwa Finnih, Special Adviser on Sustainable Development Goals, Lagos State, Nigeria Mr. Ramiro López-Ghio, Colombia Country Representative, Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) Ms. Nevana Srikissoon, Project Manager,...

On October 31st , 2025, the Global Observance of World Cities Day , will be linked to people-centred smart cities. It will showcase how data-driven decision making, technology, and AI can be used to improve urban life and recover from current shocks and crises. It will also focus on promoting smart city initiatives centered on people. Moderator: Mr. Elkin Velásquez Monsalve, Director, Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, UN-Habitat. Panelists: Mr. Carlos Fernando Galán, Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia Ms. Ndeshihafela Larandja, Mayor of Windhoek, Namibia Mr. Claudio Orrego, Governor of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile Mr. Lars Weiss, Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, Denmark Global Awards for Sustainable Development in Cities ceremony • Video message by Mr. Gong Zheng, Mayor of Shanghai, China • Presentation of Awards Related Sites and Documents:  UN-Habitat World Cities Day ,  Concept Note ,  Agenda Programme . Watch the High-level Panel: Localizing the peop...

On October 31st ,  2025, the Global Observance of World Cities Day , will be linked to people-centred smart cities. It will showcase how data-driven decision making, technology, and AI can be used to improve urban life and recover from current shocks and crises . It will also focus on promoting smart city initiatives centered on people . Bogotá video World Cities Day 2025 video Welcome Notes: Opening address by Mr. Carlos Fernando Galán, Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia Welcome remarks by Ms. Helga Rivas, Minister of Housing, Cities, and Territory, Colombia Message by Mr. António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General read by Ms. Anacláudia Rossbach, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat Video message by Mr. Nga Kor Ming, President of the United Nations Habitat Assembly, and Minister of Housing and Local Government, Malaysia Statement by Ms. Anacláudia Rossbach, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat Mi...

Ny Increasing global awareness about the role of technology and innovation in advancing improved access to adequate housing and achieving urban development, the goal is to foster and encourage international cooperation and collaboration among all societal sectors on People-Centred Smart Cities .

  Watch the Video Message of UN-Habitat Executive Director, Anacláudia Rossbach message on World Cities Day 2025 .

Waych the Video message of the President of the UN Habitat Assembly Y.B. Nga Kor Ming on World Cities Day 2025 .

  Watch the Video Message of Mr. Gong Zheng on World Cities Day 2025 .

Watch the  Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach & OHCHR Chief Volker  Video message

In Bogota, Colombia,   On 31 October 2025, the Global Observance of World Cities Day, will be linked to people-centred smart cities. It will showcase how data-driven decision making, technology, and AI can be used to improve urban life and recover from current shocks and crises . It will also focus on promoting smart city initiatives centered on people. Concept Note in  English | Chinese | French | Russian | Spanish | Arabic Information for Participants in  English | Spanish Agenda Programme in  English Roundtables  Location Principal room  ÁGORA  07:15 – 08:15 Registration.  08:00 – 08:30: OPENING. PANELLISTS • Carlos Fernando Galán, Mayor of Bogotá. • Elkin Velásquez, Regional Director ROLAC, UN Habitat.  08:30 – 09:00 PLENARY TALK #1: Habitat and Inclusion  Designing Cities for Living  Keynote Speaker: Craig Dykers, Director of Snøhetta, USA/Norway • Claudia Magalhaes, Expert in Housing Policy and Housing Finance (TBC)...

  From 13:30 to14:30 (UTC -05:00) in Bogota, Colombia. Roundtable 1: “ Achieving adequate housing through people-centred smart cities ”. In the context of rapid urbanization and accelerated technological change , cities around the world face increasingly complex challenges at the intersection of inclusion, sustainability, and digital transformation. While digital technologies offer powerful tools for enhancing urban governance , public service delivery and civicparticipation , their potential in tackling the global housing crisis is yet to be explored fully. Adequate housing and access to urban basic services are fundamental human rights and key components of sustainable urbandevelopment . Yet, the global housing crisis remains one of the most pressing challenges of our time: over 2.8 billion people worldwide lack access to adequate housing, while millions more live in informal settlements or face barriers in accessing housing and other essential services such as water, san...

From 14:45 to 15-15 in Bogota, Colombia. Roundtable 2: “ Digital innovation to enhance urban infrastructure, land use and basic service provision ”. With urban populations projected to exceed 6.7 billion by 2050, cities are under growing pressure to expand and modernize infrastructure, optimize land use, and ensure equitable access to basic services. These challenges are particularly acute in the Global South, where rapid urbanization outpaces the capacity of local governments to plan and manage urban growth in a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient manner . Digital innovation offers transformative potential to address these challenges, enhancing how infrastructure is planned, monitored, and maintained; enabling real-time tracking of service needs and delivery; improving land management and mobility systems ; and strengthening participatory planning and data-driven decision-making . However, many cities still face structural barriers such as limited institutional capacity, insuf...

In line with this year’s theme, “ People-centred Smart Cities ,” the WHO South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO) , together with the Regional Laboratory for Urban Governance for Health and Wellbeing (RL-UGHW) and the WHO Healthy Cities Network, is promoting approaches that place people at the heart of urban digital transformation . Through capacity-building and city-to-city learning, SEARO supports local governments to harness smart technologies for healthier, more resilient, and inclusive cities . You can explore SEARO’s key insights and examples of city actions here.

The Urban Health Training Course equips practitioners and policymakers with the knowledge, skills, and networks to improve urban health and well-being through a holistic, integrated approach. It focuses on foundational knowledge, collaborative practice, effective engagement, and diagnostic and problem-solving competencies. The course targets those influencing health determinants within and beyond the health sector, including actors shaping physical and social environments. On World Cities Day 2025 , the WHO launches the first two of nine modules as a preview of what learners can expect. These modules can be taken individually or discussed in local cross-sector teams, offering a shared opportunity to explore how health can be improved through coordinated action. Module 1 – Introduction to urban health :
Introduces key concepts defining the urban environment — such as neighbourhoods, density, and land use —and how they shape health. It explores urban health inequities and the structura...

Building on decades of WHO’s work on urban health, this new guide offers governments and partners a roadmap for acting strategically to link health with major policy priorities such as climate change, health emergencies, digital transformation, and migration . It highlights the shared responsibility across sectors and levels of government to create coherent urban health strategies that make cities and communities more equitable, sustainable, and resilient.  On October 31st, frol 13:00 – 14:00 CET a hybrid event will be held. The guide for decision-m  =akers  will be officially launched during the celebration of the  World Cities Day ( October 31st ) in a hybrid event . Get More details of the event . Launch of "Taking a strategic approach to urban health: a guide for decision-makers" 31 October 2025 13:00 – 14:00 CET.

World Cities Day , designated by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 68/239 , is celebrated annually on October 31st . It serves as an opportunity to promote the international community’s interest in global urbanization , advance cooperation among countries in addressing urban challenges and contribute to sustainable urban development around the world. This year’s World Cities Day 2025 focuses on promoting smart city initiatives that put people at the centre . The concept of a people-centred smart city goes beyond technological advancements and digital innovation . It emphasizes evidence-driven decision-making , integrated urban systems , and participatory governance to make urban areas more inclusive and sustainable . The World Health Organization (WHO) joins UN partners and global stakeholders in commemorating WCD 2025 by highlighting the critical role of urban health in putting people’s health at the centre of smart transition in cities around the world. To mark the...

On 31 October 2025, the Global Observance of World Cities Day will take place in Bogotá, Colombia , under the topic of people-centred smart cities. It will showcase how data-driven decision making, technology, and AI can be used to improve urban life and recover from current shocks and crises . It will also focus on promoting smart city initiatives centered on people . This year's theme reflects the growing recognition that the transformative power of digital technologies is reshaping urban life globally, offering profound opportunities to enhance how cities and human settlements are designed, planned, managed and governed. In an era marked by both urban and digital transitions, cities are increasingly adopting digital technology solutions and data to deliver better services for residents and address critical urban challenges and opportunities. The aim of this year's theme is to promote people-centred smart cities and demonstrate how crucial it is for smart cities to prioriti...