Habitat III

Cities account for more than 50 percent of the world’s population, and are expected to continue to grow rapidly over the coming decades. It is critical that this growth follows a path that is economically productive, environmentally sustainable and socially equitable.

The United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III), a conference that occurs once every 20 years, is an opportunity to set the agenda for global urban development for decades to come. From October 17-20, 2016, key decision makers and stakeholders from around the world will come together in Quito, Ecuador to formally adopt the New Urban Agenda—the outcome declaration of the conference—and make plans for its implementation.

WRI has contributed to Habitat III by leading informative working sessions for key negotiators, providing inputs to drafts of the New Urban Agenda and Issue Papers and working with partners and other stakeholders to shift the discourse around implementation. Finally, WRI will launch the World Resources Report (WRR) on sustainable cities at Habitat III, a series of papers focused on cities’ most urgent priorities for avoiding lock-in.