ABOUT THE EVENT

Cities are home to 45% of the world’s 8.2 billion people, and urban environments will account for two-thirds of total global population growth by 2050. As urbanisation accelerates, the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13) serves as a critical junction for redefining livability—and at its core lies a fundamental yet often overlooked need: clean air. The International Dialogue for Environmental Action (IDEA Public Union) will convene this half-day High-Level Forum to elevate air quality from a niche health concern to a core structural pillar of urban development, to be planned, measured, and delivered through housing policy, infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks.

Building on the principles of the New Urban Agenda, the forum will promote integrated planning approaches that embed air quality alongside housing, green infrastructure, and climate resilience. It will explore emerging concepts such as “aerodynamic urbanism”—designing open pathways for air to naturally disperse urban pollution—and the use of blue-green infrastructure as “natural technology,” including reforestation initiatives to filter polluted air, urban water body management to reduce flood risk, and nature-based solutions to address heat stress and drought. The forum will also examine the potential of advanced digital tools such as AI-supported digital twins, enabling planners to simulate how new housing developments affect air movement and pollution dispersal before construction begins.

The forum will feature the “Bizim Həyət” (Our Yard) project as a case study demonstrating how community-led acupuncture urbanism in high-density housing contexts can improve microclimates, enhance air quality, and strengthen local resilience. It will conclude with the adoption of the Baku Call for Breathable Cities—a formal communiqué calling for air quality to be included as a standing item in future World Urban Forum agendas, for global benchmarks on minimum per capita green space in new developments, and for climate-responsive design to be integrated into housing policy worldwide.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Learn more about WUF13:
https://wuf.unhabitat.org/event/wuf13/breathing-life-new-urban-agenda-integrating-air-quality-and-green-infrastructure