The World Urban Forum (WUF) tries to be a forum for the good. For advancing mankind. For addressing some of the most pressing issues the world is facing today: “rapid urbanization and its impact on communities, cities, economies, climate change and policies” as it says on UN Habitat’s website, the official organizer of the World Urban Forum conference series. 57,000 participants followed the invitation to discuss the 2026 theme: Housing the world. Safe and resilient cities and communities.
A very timely and emergent topic at European and global level, with the European Commission publishing its first Affordable Housing Plan in December last year. The link to active mobility and sustainable urban mobility planning are manifold and reach from parking policies for both cars and bicycles over accessibility to neighbourhoods to constructing attractive and coherent cycle route networks. Proximity, mixed-use developments, the 15-minute city are some of the headlines. Read ECF’s analysis here.
What did the supposedly 57,000 attendants, including myself, get to see and experience in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan and host city of this year’s WUF?
A walkable city centre with beautiful Belle Epoque Architecture and carefully planned and maintained greenery; a number of segregated cycle tracks – unfortunately with (still?) very few users; a performing Bus Rapid Transport system bringing the participants to and from the Baku Stadium, the venue of the conference. And an extensive road network with enormous capacity, enabling the dominance of the car in the mobility system – and interlinks with the Dubai-style new urban developments.
Baku is a rapidly growing city. And the vision for the kind of growth became nowhere clearer than in the Expo Hall of the conference where a multitude of developers promoted their projects under fancy names like “Sea Breeze” or “White City” – latter with an 80-meter-wide new arterial road. Try cross that canyon as a person walking, in a wheelchair or as elderly.
This contrasted with most content sessions I attended. The 15-minute city concept was well represented; a session on the Vienna social housing modal and the mobility planning for Seestadt Aspern drew much attendance.
Together with the Marmara Municipalities Union, Walk21, UN Habitat, the Barcelona Metropolitan Area and others, I spoke in the session on “Why affordable housing needs fewer cars”. Substituting minimum car parking norms with maximums and stop subsidizing car parking were some of my messages. Car parking management does kill two birds with one stone: making housing construction more affordable while encouraging tenants and owners to use other and cheaper modes of transport than the car.
The dream that developers sold also contrasted with messages voiced at a high-level plenary session where the former mayor of Kuala Lumpur and previous Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Maimunah Mohd Sharif, claimed: “We know the 5 W’s (Who, What, When, Where, and Why). We struggle with the How,” i.e. implying that implementation is the true bottleneck. She was seconded by Anacláudia Rossbach, her successor in that function who said we need to bridge the gap between what politicians want and the need for more expert capacity to do the right thing. A very optimistic claim that leaders have understood.
In the non-binding Baku Call to Action, the sub-call “Home as the catalyst for integration” spells out all the right words:
“Housing is too often located in isolation from infrastructure, essential services and economic opportunities, with urban sprawl, spatial segregation and poorly coordinated land-use planning pushing low-income households into peripheral and exclusionary areas far from jobs, services and opportunities. We call for an integrated and participatory spatial planning approach, with a gender lens, that connects housing with transport, services, livelihoods, and natural and cultural heritage, while promoting mixed, inclusive and well-serviced intergenerational neighbourhoods. We call upon professionals, academia and research institutions to develop a shared vision with government and civil society calling for integrated urban planning and targeted subsidies that include housing, economic opportunities and transport.”
Jordi Bosch (UN-Habitat), Fabian Küster (European Cyclists' Federation), Saba Mousa Ali Aloudat (Ministry of Public Works and Housing of Jordan), Larissa Menescal (Instituto de Pesquisa e Planejamento - IPPLAN Fortaleza), Jordi Castellana Gamisans (Area Metropolitana De Barcelona), Bronwen Thornton (Walk21 Foundation), Görsev Argin Uz (Marmara Municipalities Union)
As far as Europe is concerned, it is clear that billions of Euros from EU funds will be invested in the housing sector in the years to come. Affordability is one of the topics that wins or loses elections. But it is critical that the housing we provide in the future will be prioritising walking, cycling, public transport and shared mobility options. The use of the individual private car has to be the last option. Urban planning, zoning, building codes all need to be fit for purpose.
For ECF, who attended WUF 13 also on behalf of The Partnership for Active Travel and Health (PATH) and JustStreets, this is a good time to reach out to stakeholders from the housing sector we have not reached out to before.
Curious whether the 2028 World Urban Forum in Mexico City will live the 21st century dream.
A very timely and emergent topic at European and global level, with the European Commission publishing its first Affordable Housing Plan in December last year. The link to active mobility and sustainable urban mobility planning are manifold and reach from parking policies for both cars and bicycles over accessibility to neighbourhoods to constructing attractive and coherent cycle route networks. Proximity, mixed-use developments, the 15-minute city are some of the headlines. Read ECF’s analysis here.
What did the supposedly 57,000 attendants, including myself, get to see and experience in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan and host city of this year’s WUF?
A walkable city centre with beautiful Belle Epoque Architecture and carefully planned and maintained greenery; a number of segregated cycle tracks – unfortunately with (still?) very few users; a performing Bus Rapid Transport system bringing the participants to and from the Baku Stadium, the venue of the conference. And an extensive road network with enormous capacity, enabling the dominance of the car in the mobility system – and interlinks with the Dubai-style new urban developments.
A bicycle track in Baku
Inner city road in Baku
Baku is a rapidly growing city. And the vision for the kind of growth became nowhere clearer than in the Expo Hall of the conference where a multitude of developers promoted their projects under fancy names like “Sea Breeze” or “White City” – latter with an 80-meter-wide new arterial road. Try cross that canyon as a person walking, in a wheelchair or as elderly.
"We build your dreams" — car-centred housing project
This contrasted with most content sessions I attended. The 15-minute city concept was well represented; a session on the Vienna social housing modal and the mobility planning for Seestadt Aspern drew much attendance.
Together with the Marmara Municipalities Union, Walk21, UN Habitat, the Barcelona Metropolitan Area and others, I spoke in the session on “Why affordable housing needs fewer cars”. Substituting minimum car parking norms with maximums and stop subsidizing car parking were some of my messages. Car parking management does kill two birds with one stone: making housing construction more affordable while encouraging tenants and owners to use other and cheaper modes of transport than the car.
The dream that developers sold also contrasted with messages voiced at a high-level plenary session where the former mayor of Kuala Lumpur and previous Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Maimunah Mohd Sharif, claimed: “We know the 5 W’s (Who, What, When, Where, and Why). We struggle with the How,” i.e. implying that implementation is the true bottleneck. She was seconded by Anacláudia Rossbach, her successor in that function who said we need to bridge the gap between what politicians want and the need for more expert capacity to do the right thing. A very optimistic claim that leaders have understood.
Centre: Maimunah Mohd Sharif; Right: Anacláudia Rossbach
In the non-binding Baku Call to Action, the sub-call “Home as the catalyst for integration” spells out all the right words:
“Housing is too often located in isolation from infrastructure, essential services and economic opportunities, with urban sprawl, spatial segregation and poorly coordinated land-use planning pushing low-income households into peripheral and exclusionary areas far from jobs, services and opportunities. We call for an integrated and participatory spatial planning approach, with a gender lens, that connects housing with transport, services, livelihoods, and natural and cultural heritage, while promoting mixed, inclusive and well-serviced intergenerational neighbourhoods. We call upon professionals, academia and research institutions to develop a shared vision with government and civil society calling for integrated urban planning and targeted subsidies that include housing, economic opportunities and transport.”
Jordi Bosch (UN-Habitat), Fabian Küster (European Cyclists' Federation), Saba Mousa Ali Aloudat (Ministry of Public Works and Housing of Jordan), Larissa Menescal (Instituto de Pesquisa e Planejamento - IPPLAN Fortaleza), Jordi Castellana Gamisans (Area Metropolitana De Barcelona), Bronwen Thornton (Walk21 Foundation), Görsev Argin Uz (Marmara Municipalities Union)
As far as Europe is concerned, it is clear that billions of Euros from EU funds will be invested in the housing sector in the years to come. Affordability is one of the topics that wins or loses elections. But it is critical that the housing we provide in the future will be prioritising walking, cycling, public transport and shared mobility options. The use of the individual private car has to be the last option. Urban planning, zoning, building codes all need to be fit for purpose.
For ECF, who attended WUF 13 also on behalf of The Partnership for Active Travel and Health (PATH) and JustStreets, this is a good time to reach out to stakeholders from the housing sector we have not reached out to before.
Curious whether the 2028 World Urban Forum in Mexico City will live the 21st century dream.
