Shaping Cities of the Future: Inclusive, Safe, Resilient, and Sustainable
March 2025
Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11): Sustainable Cities and Communities envisions a world where urban spaces are inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. With over 56% of the world’s population now living in cities—a number projected to rise to 70% by 2050—cities have become the stage where the future of humanity and the planet will unfold.
Yet in 2025, rapid urbanization continues to bring enormous challenges: rising inequality, pollution, housing shortages, traffic congestion, and growing vulnerability to climate disasters. The question is no longer whether cities will grow—but how they can grow sustainably.
The Urban Divide: Opportunity and Exclusion
Cities are engines of innovation, culture, and economic growth. They provide access to education, healthcare, and jobs. But they are also places of deep inequality.
More than 1 billion people currently live in slums or informal settlements, often without access to clean water, electricity, sanitation, or secure housing. In cities like Lagos, Dhaka, and Rio de Janeiro, urban poverty is growing alongside luxury development—highlighting a stark urban divide.
“Cities should be places where everyone thrives—not just the wealthy,” said Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director of UN-Habitat. “That requires inclusive planning, affordable housing, and investments in public services.”
Affordable Housing: A Basic Right, Still Out of Reach
Affordable housing is at the core of SDG 11. Yet rising land prices, speculative real estate markets, and weak policies have made safe shelter unaffordable for millions. In cities around the world, families are forced to live far from jobs and schools, spend more than half their income on rent, or occupy unsafe and overcrowded dwellings.
Governments are increasingly turning to solutions like rent control, cooperative housing models, public-private partnerships, and green social housing projects to address this growing crisis.
Mobility and Access: Cities Built for People
Urban transportation systems are critical for access to education, employment, and social inclusion. But many cities remain car-centric, with congested roads, unsafe sidewalks, and limited public transit.
Sustainable cities prioritize walkability, cycling infrastructure, electric buses, and accessible public transport for people of all ages and abilities. Cities like Amsterdam, Bogotá, and Seoul are leading the way by designing streets that put people—not cars—first.
Cities and the Climate Crisis
Urban areas are responsible for over 70% of global carbon emissions, yet they are also highly vulnerable to climate risks like heatwaves, floods, and sea-level rise.
From green roofs and floodable parks to climate-resilient buildings and urban forests, cities are adopting nature-based solutions to adapt to climate change and reduce their ecological footprints.
Innovative cities like Copenhagen and Singapore are integrating sustainability into every layer of urban design, offering blueprints for climate-resilient urban futures.
Culture, Community, and Resilience
Sustainable cities are not just smart and efficient—they are vibrant and inclusive. Cultural heritage, public art, community spaces, and social cohesion play essential roles in making cities feel like home.
During times of crisis, it is often community-based networks—not top-down systems—that offer the greatest resilience. Empowering local leaders, respecting informal settlements, and involving citizens in planning processes leads to stronger, more democratic urban governance.
Digital Innovation for Urban Inclusion
Smart city technologies—from real-time data dashboards to digital citizen feedback tools—are helping cities improve services and transparency. However, these tools must be deployed ethically and inclusively.
In 2025, the digital divide still leaves millions without access to information or digital tools. Sustainable cities must ensure that technology is a bridge—not a barrier—to opportunity.
Conclusion: Cities That Work for Everyone
As the world urbanizes at record speed, SDG 11 reminds us that how we build and manage cities today will shape the world of tomorrow. Sustainable cities are places where everyone—regardless of income, background, or ability—can live with dignity, safety, and opportunity.
The path forward is clear: build green, build fair, build together.
As the UN-Habitat motto says:
"Better cities, better lives."
