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 433-444 of 445 results

Project

Resource Nexus Approaches to Sustainability Transformations in Plastic and Packaging Material Use, Reuse and Reduction (TRANS-PLAST)

This project examines plastics and packaging through the lens of the Resource Nexus, focusing on materials and waste.

06 Nov 2024

Project

Urban Resilience in Africa (Knowledge Series on African Urban Resilience)

A continent-wide urban resilience review to generate evidence and insights to strengthen resilience across Africa’s diverse cities

07 Apr 2026

Project

VerFarming Weisswasser

This project explores innovative approaches to local food production through vertical farming in the Lusatian region.

06 Nov 2024

Project

UN Portugal Digital Fellowship “Capacity Building Programme on Digital Innovation and Transformation”

Building digital governance skills for inclusive, secure, and citizen-centred transformation in developing countries.

04 Nov 2024

Project

Greenovations Africa 2

The project empowers women-led green businesses in Africa and Latin America by addressing unpaid care work and improving access to climate finance.

06 May 2026

Project

Understanding the Resource Nexus between Urban Sprawl, Landscape Fragmentation and Habitat Network Connectivity in Sierra Leone

This study explores how urban sprawl, fragmentation and habitat connectivity affect resource management in Sierra Leone using the Resource Nexus lens.

06 Nov 2025

Project

A Resource Nexus perspective on data-driven management of waste (Data4Waste)

This project places data at the heart of the transition to circular waste systems.

01 May 2025

Project

City Action Plan Beira (CAP-Beira)

Based on participatory assessments of the current situation the project proposes pathways for Beira, Mozambique, to become more resilient.

27 Jul 2026

Project

Ecosystem‑Based Flood Risk Management for Urban Resilience in Central Viet Nam

FloodAdaptVN supports resilient urban development in central Viet Nam by integrating EbA as part of comprehensive flood risk management strategies.

05 May 2026

Project

Risks for Urban Migrants and Refugees

Based on seven case studies, the ARRIVE project develops recommendations to reduce the risk of refugees and urban migrants in secondary cities.

20 May 2026

Project

Sustainable Forests Management for Climate Resilience in the Himalayas

TRANSMIT aims to enhance understanding of forests, climate and disasters dynamics in the Himalayas to strengthen resilience and reduce disaster risks.

27 Jul 2026

Project

CARE - Climate-Neutral and Resource-Efficient Construction

The project runs as a Cluster of Excellence led by Technische Universität Dresden and RWTH Aachen University, with participation from international partners including UNU Resource Nexus.

25 Feb 2026