Today, more than 56% of the world’s population lives in cities. By 2050, this figure is expected to exceed 70%, Erfan Ali, Director of the UN-Habitat Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, said during the High-Level Urban Dialogue of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) held within the framework of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, APA reports.
He noted that UN-Habitat’s Strategic Plan for 2026–2029 places housing, land, and basic urban services at the center of its activities:
“This plan identifies climate action, prosperity and poverty reduction, crisis prevention, response measures, and recovery processes as key impact areas. The plan also considers the following areas as priorities: integrated urban and territorial planning, participatory multilevel governance, data and knowledge base, partnerships, and resource mobilization. These priorities are extremely relevant for the cities and settlements of the Organization of Turkic States region. Urbanization shapes economic competitiveness, regional integration, and social cohesion. However, at the same time, it also increases problems related to housing shortages, climate vulnerability, infrastructure pressures, and the preservation of cultural heritage.”
He stated that UN-Habitat’s regional roadmap for Eastern Europe and Central Asia transforms these priorities into practical areas of activity:
“These areas include strong urban governance, strengthening local institutions, affordable housing, basic services, social inclusivity, climate resilience, sustainable urban infrastructure, and post-crisis recovery.”
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