Sustainable cities and towns

Ensuring openness, security, resilience and sustainability of cities and settlements.

Facts and figures Tasks useful links 204 projects

Today, more than half of the world’s population — 4.4 billion people — live in cities. By 2030, this figure is projected to reach 5 billion.
In the coming decades, about 95 percent of urban growth will take place in developing countries.
In 2022, 1.12 billion people (24.8% of the urban population) lived in slums, with the highest share found in Sub-Saharan Africa (53.6%), as well as in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia.
Although cities occupy only 3 percent of the Earth’s land, they account for 60–80 percent of energy consumption and 75 percent of carbon dioxide emissions.
The rapid pace of urbanization negatively affects freshwater supplies, sewage systems, living environments, and public health systems.
In 2016, 90 percent of city dwellers breathed air that did not meet the WHO’s safety standards, leading to the deaths of 4.2 million people. More than half of the world’s urban population breathes air that exceeds WHO limits by 2.5 times.

11.1 By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums.

11.2 By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons.

11.3 By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries.

11.4 Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage.

11.5 By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations.

11.6 By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.

11.7 By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities.

11.a Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning.

11.b By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, holistic disaster risk management at all levels.

11.c Support least developed countries, including through financial and technical assistance, in building sustainable and resilient buildings utilizing local materials.

UN-Habitat

Sustainable Cities and Communities

World Health Organization (WHO)