World Cities Day 2026 highlights people-centred approaches to urban regeneration

Fuzhou, China, 2 November 2026 — How cities can improve existing neighbourhoods while ensuring that the people who live there benefit from the changes was at the centre of this year’s World Cities Day, marked today in Fuzhou, China.

“Regeneration has always been part of how a city stays alive. But regeneration isn't about replacing the old with the new. It's about whether people's lives get better,” said Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), at the global observance.

“More than a billion of us still call informal settlements and slums home, while many more strain under the cost of housing, weak services, and the mounting force of a changing climate,” she added. “Our task is not to reinvent. It is to listen, learn, invest in the work that works – and put the people who live in these places at the heart of the decisions.”

Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, addresses the global observance of World Cities Day 2026 in Fuzhou, China, on 31 October 2026. © UN-Habitat

Speaking at the event, the President of the UN-Habitat Assembly, Malaysia's Minister of Housing and Local Government, Nga Kor Ming, warned against urban renewal that displaces vulnerable residents.

“Urban renewal must never be reduced to a gentrification process that displaces the vulnerable. A true urban transformation must be unreservedly people-centred… No one – no family, no child, no elder – should be left behind in this process,” he said.

In his message for the occasion, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said urban regeneration offers a way to create more housing, upgrade infrastructure and improve public spaces, making cities more resilient, inclusive and connected.

“National and local governments, financial institutions, the private sector and communities must work together to build cities that meet the needs of all residents… I urge cities everywhere to invest in regeneration and adequate housing for all,” he added.

Participants attend the Dialogue ‘Regenerating the city’ at the global observance of World Cities Day 2026 in Fuzhou, China, on 31 October 2026. © UN-Habitat

Housing and urban regeneration

Held under the theme ‘Regenerating the City: Adequate Housing for All,’ this year’s observance addressed the challenge of improving existing urban areas while keeping housing affordable and protecting established communities.

Up to 3.4 billion people worldwide experience some form of housing inadequacy, including more than 1.1 billion living in informal settlements and slums. Rising housing costs, ageing infrastructure and growing climate risks add to the pressures facing cities.

In its World Cities Report 2026, UN-Habitat highlights adequate housing as a foundation of sustainable urban development, influencing access to employment, public services, health and economic opportunity.

The gathering in Fuzhou brought together ministers responsible for housing, urban development and public works, alongside messages by senior UN officials, including Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). Discussions addressed planning and governance for adequate housing, implementation of the New Urban Agenda, and financing for inclusive urban regeneration.

Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), delivers a recorded message during the global observance of World Cities Day 2026 in Fuzhou, China. © UN-Habitat

Shanghai Award

The observance also provided an opportunity to recognize five cities with the 2026 Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities, known as the Shanghai Award. Established by UN-Habitat and the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, the award recognizes cities advancing the Sustainable Development Goals through integrated approaches to sustainable urban development.

The 2026 cycle attracted 92 applications from 34 countries. The five winners were Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Santiago de Cali, Colombia; Istanbul, Türkiye; Jingdezhen, China; and Katowice, Poland.

The five winning cities receive the 2026 Shanghai Award during the global observance of World Cities Day 2026 in Fuzhou, China. © UN-Habitat

Their initiatives covered a range of urban priorities, from housing and habitat upgrading to climate resilience, heritage preservation and inclusive governance. Istanbul, for example, was recognized for its approach to urban regeneration, combining earthquake resilience, affordable housing and heritage preservation while seeking to minimize displacement. Jingdezhen was recognized for building on its porcelain-making heritage to advance urban regeneration and sustainable development.

The ceremony also marked the launch of the Shanghai Manual 2026, featuring case studies from the five winning cities, and the Shanghai Adapted Index Application Report 2026, covering climate resilience, urban regeneration, urban governance, healthy cities and innovation-driven cities.

Global celebrations

Beyond Fuzhou, World Cities Day was marked in several countries. In Asia and the Pacific, activities included an urban planning event in the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Sindh Cities Forum in Karachi, Pakistan, and the Global Conference on Urban Sustainable Development in Shanghai, China.

In East and Horn of Africa, national observances were held in Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania.

World Cities Day brought UN-Habitat's Urban October campaign to a close. The month-long campaign began with World Habitat Day in Muscat, Oman, on 5 October, under the theme ‘Adequate Housing for All.’ Together, the two observances highlighted the importance of adequate housing to people's lives and the future of sustainable cities.

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