Inaugural Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization

This lecture examined housing as both a fundamental human right and a cornerstone of social equity, economic resilience, and sustainable development. Framing housing within urgent global debates, the session addressed contemporary challenges and opportunities in relation to international policy agendas, including the UN’s 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the New Urban Agenda, the upcoming Second World Social Summit for Development, and the UN Climate Conference in Brazil.

The event introduced UN-Habitat’s global strategies for addressing housing inequality, exploring regional housing crises, their systemic drivers, and multiscalar policy responses. Case studies highlighted approaches to informal settlement upgrading, governance and policy reform, housing finance mechanisms, and environmental sustainability, encouraging participants to connect global frameworks to their own architectural and urban practices.