International Institute for Environment and Development

The Habitat Village is a collaborative initiative involving a unique consortium of partners, spanning civil society organizations, academic institutions, and grassroots movements, committed to advancing just, equitable, and sustainable cities. Demonstrating the power of collaboration and partnership, this platform will facilitate exchange, networking, and collective reflection on effective strategies for advancing locally-led visions of sustainable urban living and fulfilling the right to housing and a clean environment. The program will build on the success of WUF11’s Habitat Village and the synergies identified there to establish further connections between agendas, places and strategies to advance global goals of sustainability, equity, democratic management and inclusion in cities. Discussions will also delve into the interconnectedness of the different WUF themes, including housing, urban resilience, climate migration and community-led innovation and partnerships.
Habitat Village will showcase the local implementation of solutions to address the global housing crisis as well as the urban services divide and infrastructure gap across the world. Through various activities - from formal panels and workshops to informal exchanges - participants will be able to build links between locally-driven and community-led initiatives and international movements advocating for the right to inclusive and healthy urban environments. The result will be improved coordination between organizations united by a shared narrative grounded in local realities, and stronger visibility of their practices and approaches, opening leeways for new alliances committed to more just, sustainable, diverse, democratic and equitable cities for all.
Habitat Village is convened by IIED in collaboration with other members of the CoHabitat Network: urbaMonde, World Habitat, HIC, Global Platform for the Right to the City, SDI, ACHR, Misereor, Pólis, Catalytic Communities, UrbaSEN, We Effect, & others.