Published on: 2026-10-31
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
October 31, 2026 Sustainable Development Goals
Urban environment renewal provides an opportunity to address the housing crisis while simultaneously improving the services and public spaces used by city residents. However, renovation can lead to negative consequences for people: rising prices, gentrification, displacement of residents from neighborhoods where their families have lived for generations. These trends must be countered. This topic is the focus of World Cities Day this year.
“Revitalization is not just about replacing the old with the new. The question is whether people’s lives are getting better,” said Anaclaudia Rossbach, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
The global celebration of World Cities Day, observed on October 31, took place this year in Fuzhou, China, under the motto “City Renewal: Adequate Housing for All.” The event brought together representatives from government bodies, international organizations, the scientific community, the private sector, and urban communities to discuss how improving the environment can enhance living conditions, solve housing issues, and make cities more inclusive, resilient, and environmentally friendly.
Urban Development Risks
The scale of the problem is enormous. Up to 3.4 billion people worldwide live in inadequate housing conditions, including more than 1.1 billion in informal settlements and slums. Aging neighborhoods and infrastructure, rising housing prices, insufficient quality of public utilities, and increasing climate risks create additional burdens for cities. Revitalization helps to use already developed areas more efficiently, but without guarantees of housing affordability and protection of residents’ rights, it can lead to the displacement of people from their own neighborhoods.
“Urban renewal is one of the promising solutions. By breathing new life into existing urbanized areas, we will be able to create more housing, modernize infrastructure, and improve public spaces, making cities more resilient to external impacts, more inclusive, and providing better spatial connectivity,” said the message from UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the occasion of World Cities Day.
The Chairperson of the UN-Habitat Assembly, Malaysian Minister of Housing and Local Government Nga Kor Ming, emphasized that renovation should never be reduced to gentrification, which displaces vulnerable groups of people. Ministers responsible for housing, urban development, and public works, together with the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, discussed approaches to housing policy and urban development at the event.
“Urban October”
At the opening ceremony, the winners of the fourth cycle of the Global Award for Sustainable Urban Development, known as the Shanghai Award, were also announced. It was established by UN-Habitat and the Shanghai government to encourage cities that have made progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. This year, the laureates were Katowice (Poland), Jingdezhen (China), Istanbul (Turkey), Santiago de Cali (Colombia), and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia).
World Cities Day concluded the “Urban October” of UN-Habitat, which began on October 5th with World Habitat Day in Muscat (Oman). Both events were dedicated to adequate housing – its importance both for the future of cities and for the everyday lives of their residents.
Housing and Health
On the occasion of World Health Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) reminded that housing is not just a roof over one’s head. Safe and affordable homes protect the population from health risks, promote the normal development of children, and help elderly people maintain independence. Poor housing conditions and overcrowding, on the contrary, harm health throughout life, as do exposure to heat, cold, air pollution, and other harmful factors. Quality housing helps communities adapt to climate change: it protects against extreme heat and bad weather, contributes to improved energy efficiency, and reduces emissions.
The WHO has urged all sectors involved in housing construction, urban development, and healthcare to work together to ensure that every person, regardless of age, income, or circumstances, has housing that supports their health and dignity. The organization emphasizes that housing policy and urban development decisions are also part of health policy.
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