World Cities Day

The New Urban Agenda, adopted at Habitat III in Quito, Ecuador, on 20 October 2016, presents a paradigm shift based on the science of cities and lays out standards and principles for the planning, construction, development, management and improvement of urban areas. The New Urban Agenda is intended as a resource for different actors in multiple levels of government and for civil society organizations, the private sector and all who reside in urban spaces of the world. The New Urban Agenda highlights linkages between sustainable urbanization and job creation, livelihood opportunities and improved quality of life, and it insists on incorporation of all these sectors in every urban development or renewal policy and strategy. The New Urban Agenda Illustrated handbook serves as the base for the New Urban Agenda online crash course. The self-paced course in two parts is available for free and accessible at any time. Access the course here (part 1) and here (part 2). The course further brea...

Urbanization provides the potential for new forms of social inclusion, including greater equality, access to services and new opportunities, and engagement and mobilization that reflects the diversity of cities, countries and the globe. Yet too often this is not the shape of urban development . Inequality and exclusion abound, often at rates greater than the national average, at the expense of sustainable development that delivers for all.  Urban October was launched by UN-Habitat in 2014 to emphasize the world’s urban challenges and engage the international community towards the New Urban Agenda.

Until 2009 , more people lived in rural than in urban areas. Today, around 55% of the World's Population lives in towns and cities , with the level of urbanisation projected to reach almost 70% by 2050 . Much of the growth in urban populations will take place in Asia and Africa, especially in China, India and Nigeria where the fertility rates remain high; Learn more on  Demographics & Urban Future .