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.

Showing 1-12 of 349 results

News

Session Highlights How Learning Can Drive Climate Action

UNU-IAS held an online session of the Climate Classroom @COP30 exploring how meaningful learning can be a catalyst for climate action.

13 Nov 2025

Article

The 2025 Okayama Declaration: RCEs' Collective Commitment for Sustainable Futures

The Declaration reflects the renewed commitment of RCEs to harness education for advancing sustainability.

12 Nov 2025

Media Coverage

Nikkei Shimbun Highlights UNU-IAS Contributions to Noto Peninsula Recovery

An article discusses multi-stakeholder efforts to rebuild and revitalize local communities in the aftermath of the 2024 Noto Earthquake.

31 Oct 2025