About WUF
Note:
In 2016, the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development was held in Quito, Ecuador, to adopt the New Urban Agenda in lieu of the World Urban Forum.
About
The World Urban Forum (WUF) was established in 2001 by the United Nations to address one of the most pressing issues facing the world today: rapid urbanization and its impact on communities, cities, economies, climate change and policies.
Convened by UN-Habitat, the Forum is a high level, open and inclusive platform for addressing the challenges of sustainable urbanization.
The World Urban Forum has the following objectives:
- Raising awareness of sustainable urbanization among stakeholders and constituencies, including the general public;
- Improving collective knowledge on sustainable urban development through open and inclusive debate, exchange of best practices and policies, and sharing of lessons learnt.
- Promote collaboration and cooperation between different stakeholders and constituencies engaged in the advancement and implementation of sustainable urbanization.
Past sessions
WUF1
2002. Nairobi, Kenya
Sustainable Urbanization
Attendance: 1200
WUF10
2020. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Cities of Opportunities: Connecting Culture and Innovation
Attendance: 13400
WUF11
2022. Katowice, Poland
Transforming our cities for a better urban future
Attendance: 17000
WUF2
2004. Barcelona, Spain
Cities: Crossroads of cultures, inclusiveness and integration
Attendance: 4389
WUF3
2006. Vancouver, Canada
Sustainable Urbanization and Inclusive Cities
Attendance: 10471
WUF4
2008. Nanjing, China
Harmonious Urbanization
Attendance: 7900
WUF5
2010. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
the Right to the City: Bridging the Urban Divide
Attendance: 10634
WUF6
2012. Naples, Italy
The Urban Future
Attendance: 6516
WUF7
2014. Medellin, Colombia
Urban Equity in Development – Cities for Life
Attendance: 18030
WUF9
2018. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Cities 2030, Cities for All: Implementing the New Urban Agenda
Attendance: 19237
Vision
Anacláudia Rossbach
Under Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)
Under Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)
“At the Forum, we will address crucial challenges, such as housing, land use, urban planning, governance and participation. We will listen to diverse stakeholders and tackle key issues: how to ensure affordable housing for all, transform informal settlements, recover and rebuild, and enhance climate resilience. We need to build strong coalitions for better solutions to challenges posed by the global housing crisis.”
The World Urban Forum (WUF) is the premier global conference on sustainable urbanization.
The WUF was established in 2001 by the United Nations to examine one of the most pressing issues facing the world today: rapid urbanisation and its impact on communities, cities, economies, climate change and policies. The first WUF was held in Nairobi, Kenya in 2002 and has been held around the world ever since.