Sustainable cities and communities

By 2030, 60 per cent of the global population will reside in cities. As dense hubs of global activity, cities present some of the greatest challenges among the Sustainable Development Goals. From housing, public health, and employment, to natural resource consumption and transportation, achieving the SDGs will hinge on urban planning initiated now.

UNU research on sustainable urbanisation seeks to overcome the tendency to treat urban issues (such as governance, water, waste, health, economic development, or vulnerability to natural hazards) as discrete problems and instead find integrated, interdisciplinary solutions.

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Media Coverage

What Gabon's Rating Downgrade Tells Us About How Sovereign Credit Worthiness Is Judged

In The Conversation, Daniel Cash examines how Gabon's credit rating downgrade highlights the impact of sovereign ratings on development finance.

04 Aug 2026

News

In Memoriam: Dr. Roland J. Fuchs, Former UNU Vice-Rector

Born in New York in 1933, Dr. Fuchs passed away on 2 July 2026 in Oregon.

21 Jul 2026

Journal Article

Evaluation of gaps in life cycle sustainability assessments of 3D concrete printing: A systematic literature review and recommendations

This publication was released as part of the UNU Resource Nexus focus area Sustainable Buildings and Construction.

08 Jul 2026