© Unsplash/B. Jacoby Urbanization is developing faster than expected, increasing pressure on land, infrastructure and the environment. The UN headquarters discusses the problem of rapid global urbanization Sustainable Development Goals
Today, 58 percent of the world’s population lives in cities. At the same time, more than 1.13 billion people live in slums and informal settlements – 130 million more than ten years ago, when the UN adopted the New Urban Agenda.
The challenges and complexities of urbanization are at the center of discussion at a two-day high-level meeting on the mid-term review of the New Urban Agenda, which opened at the UN General Assembly on Thursday. The main goal is to accelerate the implementation of global commitments in the field of sustainable urbanization until 2036.
The New Urban Agenda was adopted in 2016 as a roadmap for the development of inclusive and climate-resilient cities. However, as noted in the Secretary-General’s 2026 report, progress remains uneven: urbanization is expanding faster than expected, increasing pressure on land, infrastructure and the environment.
Although some 160 countries have developed or are continually updating national urban strategies, the global housing crisis is deepening, with at least three billion people living in substandard housing conditions. Access to basic services also remains unequal: in the least developed countries, public transport covers only 37 percent of the population, while in rich countries – more than 80. future” comfortable for everyone?
Special attention at the meeting in New York will be paid to climate risks. Cities produce over 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions and are increasingly affected by extreme heat, flooding and rising sea levels. Lack of funding and weak coordination of efforts between branches of government are hindering adaptation and development of sustainable infrastructure.
The meeting at the UN General Assembly includes plenary sessions and four thematic panels: on affordable housing and inclusion, financing urbanization, climate resilience and digital transformation of cities. Forum participants will discuss cooperation options and financing mechanisms needed to accelerate the implementation of the New Urban Agenda.
Following its meeting on Thursday, the General Assembly adopted a Political Declaration on the Recommitment and Acceleration of the New Urban Agenda, which will set the direction for the next ten-year period.