A landmark gathering of more than 57,000 participants – the largest in the history of the World Urban Forum – closed on May 22nd in Baku, Azerbaijan with an urgent call to rethink how the world houses its people, as a new roadmap urges governments, cities and communities to act collectively on a crisis affecting billions.
The Baku Call to Action, shaped by voices from 176 countries, sets out a shared path forward, including:
- Reframing housing as a system, linking homes with land, infrastructure, transport, services and economic opportunity rather than treating construction in isolation.
- Confronting interconnected pressures – from rising costs and land speculation to displacement, weak governance and climate shocks – through integrated, people-centred solutions.
- Recognizing housing and climate justice as inseparable, with the most vulnerable communities facing the greatest exposure to floods, extreme heat and environmental risks.
- Scaling up climate-resilient housing, including through nature-based solutions, retrofitting, upgrading informal settlements and strengthening disaster preparedness.
- Turning commitments into action, with stronger multilevel governance, expanded financing, better data and greater support for locally led, community-driven solutions.
A summary report on the 13th World Urban Forum is available here.
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Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 