Cities that Work for People: Connecting Social Policy and Infrastructure for Resilient Communities.

The 2026 HLPF side event will highlight the value of place-based solutions that integrate social policies and interventions with the built environment – including housing, infrastructure and community design. Recognizing the intersection of these social and physical dimensions of community is at the heart of achieving SDG 11.

The session will feature a discussion on how community resilience depends on social and structural features of communities, with remarks from panelists delving into the ways in which global issues are also reflected at the local level.

It is intended to explore strategies and solutions for confronting various challenges related to mounting pressures and risks facing communities globally, with a focus on ensuring that physical infrastructure investments and social outcomes like inclusion, accessibility, equity and housing stability are considered together. Building resilient communities requires infrastructure planning that takes account of community needs and local realities from the very beginning.

The event will demonstrate that:Infrastructure delivers SDG 11 outcomes most effectively when paired with strong social policies and community-based approaches; and Social programs, in turn, depend on accessible, well-designed infrastructure to succeed.

By convening national and local governments, un agencies, and community level practitioners, the session will showcase people-centred, place-based approaches that integrate housing, transit, accessibility, community services, and social inclusion. It will offer lessons that are transferable across national contexts and applicable to SDG reporting processes.

Related Sites and Documents: Concept note (English) & Note d'information (Français).

Watch Cities that Work for People: Connecting Social Policy and Infrastructure for Resilient Communities (HLPF 2026 Side Event)!

Side Events