Geospatial Intelligence for Resilient Urban Growth Unlocking the Economic Power of Housing

This training event offers the essential instruments and concepts to analyse human settlements and the urbanization process with geospatial and socio-economic data at all levels. The aim is to inspire the audience and transfer practical competences for evidence-based analysis of cities, housing stocks, and economic urban systems, municipalities and regions. In an era where rapid urbanization demands evidence-based policymaking, the JRC, World Bank, and OECD offer a technical deep-dive and practical training to bridge the gap between global data production and local urban action. This training is designed to transfer critical competences for the data-driven monitoring of urban development. With a review of open-source resources information like indicators, maps, and tools, we empower attendees to visualize, quantify and work with indicators on socio-economic characteristics, housing, disaster risk and resilience of cities and regions. The blend of lightning talks on core development and urbanization topics with practical examples visualizing inequality, housing stock dynamics, and urban spatial expansion participants will gain knowledge about how housing location influences access to economic opportunities and services, ensuring no one is left behind. Participants will learn how mapping energy‑inefficient housing, accessibility patterns, and vulnerable communities informs renovation strategies, investment planning and equitable climate action. The target audience ranges from beginners to intermediate analysts, researchers, city practitioners, all will be guided to independently assess city and regional indicators. Participants will master key concepts like the Degree of Urbanisation, will analyze trends by interpreting data to track housing, socio-economic and disaster risk management, and will navigate accessible platforms to extract actionable indicators for local planning and investment monitoring Structure: Moderator starts the event Opening by JRC (5') Lightning talk (15') World Bank Analytical Data on Human Settlements Demo session (3x15’ with Q&A) 1) ESA Urban Geospatial Explorer 2) OECD Local Data Portal 3) JRC-UNDESA World Urbanization Prospects 1950-2100 projections, and Urban Centre Database User perspectives & Q&A (40') Closing