Future Cities Partnership
UN-Habitat Partnership on the Future of Cities
About the Partnership
The UN-Habitat Partnership on the Future of Cities is a global platform for collaboration, research, and strategic dialogue focused on the future evolution of cities and urban life.
Developed in collaboration with UN-Habitat and Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the initiative brings together urban leaders, mayors, researchers, architects, policymakers, technologists, institutions, and civil society organizations to explore how cities can become more sustainable, intelligent, resilient, and inclusive in the decades ahead.
As urbanization accelerates globally, the Partnership seeks to create a new international framework for interdisciplinary collaboration around the most pressing urban challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.
Mission
Advancing New Models for Urban Futures
The Partnership supports research, dialogue, partnerships, and pilot initiatives focused on the future evolution of cities and metropolitan regions.
It seeks to bridge architecture, urban planning, governance, sustainability, technology, economics, public policy, and culture into a shared international conversation about urban transformation.
Vision
Building More Intelligent, Inclusive, and Resilient Cities
The Partnership envisions cities that are environmentally sustainable, technologically responsible, socially inclusive, culturally vibrant, economically dynamic, and centered around human wellbeing.
Through international cooperation and interdisciplinary collaboration, the initiative aims to help shape the next generation of urban development globally.
Areas of Activity
The Partnership operates through a combination of research, convening, strategic collaboration, public engagement, and international knowledge exchange.
Research & Publications
Development of strategic reports, policy frameworks, urban research initiatives, and collaborative publications addressing emerging urban challenges and opportunities.
Global Dialogues & Events
Organization of international forums, conferences, working sessions, roundtables, and public conversations bringing together global urban leaders and experts.
Strategic Partnerships
Collaboration with cities, universities, international organizations, foundations, research institutions, and private sector partners working on urban innovation and development.
Working Groups
Interdisciplinary thematic groups focused on topics such as AI, governance, mobility, resilience, housing, culture, and future economies.
Technical Missions
Curated international exchanges, urban study visits, and applied knowledge-sharing initiatives between cities and institutions.
Education & Knowledge Exchange
Support for academic collaboration, urban education initiatives, research dissemination, and global learning networks.
Strategic Leadership
The Partnership is co-chaired by leading international voices in sustainable development, urban policy, and future-oriented urban transformation, and operates in collaboration with UN-Habitat and SDSN.
The initiative brings together experts, institutions, cities, universities, and organizations working across architecture, urbanism, governance, sustainability, economics, technology, and public policy.
Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, Co-Chair
President of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and University Professor at Columbia University. Internationally recognized economist and global leader in sustainable development.
Dr. Ivan Shumkov, Co-Chair
Architect, urban designer, educator, and co-chair of the Future Cities Partnership. His work operates at the intersection of architecture, urban futures, public engagement, and international urban collaboration.
Institutional Collaboration
The Partnership is developed in collaboration with leading international institutions working across sustainable development, urban policy, research, and global cooperation.
Initial institutional collaboration includes:
The initiative continues to expand through strategic partnerships with cities, universities, organizations, foundations, and global experts.
Join the Conversation on the Future of Cities
The Partnership welcomes collaboration with cities, universities, institutions, organizations, foundations, companies, and experts committed to advancing sustainable and forward-looking urban futures.