With the World Urban Forum just around the corner, we're excited to (re)connect with a talented group of urban professionals. IHS will, once again, host and participate in various events throughout the week-long conference. Our participation in the World Urban Forum (WUF) reiterates the institute's commitment to creating positive societal impact. By translating academic knowledge into real-world actionable outputs and showcasing research that directly informs urban policy and practice, IHS aims to actively address pressing urban issues and help shape the global urban agenda.
In addition to these events, we look forward to greeting you at the exhibition booth, which we shared with our partners - the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) and LEARN. Our staff will happily meet you and inform you about our latest initiatives, education programmes, and global projects. Below is an overview of IHS activities for you to explore.
The IHS delegation at WUF12
Alonso Ayala - Senior Expert in Housing and Human Settlement Planning
Anthony Boanada-Fuchs - Head of Projects and PartnershipsDavid Dodman - General Director
David Dodman - General Director
Jan Fransen - Lead Specialist in Urban Economic Development & Resilience
Maartje van Eerd - Senior Housing and Social Development Specialist
Mihaela Kracholova - Marketing & Communications Officer
IHS Alumni International Network - Board members
Jammy Zhu - President
Dhruv Bahl - Vice-president
Valeria Leyva - Communication Coordinator
Events overview
Grassroots Assembly
The Grassroots Assembly will show that organized grassroots groups have the information, knowledge and skills to work with government and other stakeholders to implement effective, scalable solutions to urban challenges. The assembly will also be a space for exchange between similar organizations and an opportunity to share successful experiences, to discuss priorities and to think of approaches that may best achieve.
Time: 11:00-15:00
Type of event: Assembly
Location: ONE UN room B
Partner/Org: IHS- lead
IHS speaker: Jan Fransen
See event page
Investing in the Nexus of Climate and Biodiversity at the Urban Scale
This event will highlight cooperation among UN agencies in investing in synergies of climate and biodiversity at the urban scale. The first part of the session will include 5 minutes of opening remarks, followed by a keynote speech to explain how these two agendas are connected (15 mins). A panel discussion (60 mins) will follow, featuring representatives of UN agencies that will share their experiences and showcase success stories in scaling and implementing green and inclusive financial systems. This will be followed by a 10-minute Q&A with the audience.
Time: 15:00-16:30
Type of event: Panel
Location: Room A
Partner/Org: UNEP - speaker
IHS speaker: David Dodman
See event page
Rising to the global challenge of finding Somewhere to Live
The event will provide an analysis of the factors generating the current global urban housing crisis and a range of options for change that can provide the basis for a more socially equitable and environmentally sustainable future. It provides the evidence needed to raise public support for progressive change at a time of increasing global demand for adequate and affordable housing.
Time: 18:00-19:00
Type of event: Panel
Location: Urban Library - room B
Partner/Org: GPA - speaker
IHS speaker: David Dodman
See event page
Housing policy practices and tools to enable the supply of affordable housing options and access to housing finance
The training offers well-tested tools and housing practices drawn from case studies from Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe. Participants will get familiar with the housing solutions in different contexts and develop their understanding about the close association between the supply of affordable housing, the availability of housing finance, informality and the urban form of cities. The programme draws on the work carried out by the coordinators for IFC/World Bank, UN-Habitat, IHS & CAHF.
Time: 9:00-11:30
Type of event: Training
Location: Multipurpose Room 10
Partner/Org: IFHP – speaker
IHS speaker: Alonso Ayala
See event page
Tackling Urban Climate Risks. Practical Guidance on Managing Heat Risk and Nature-based Solutions
This workshop will introduce participants to the partners’ ongoing work on developing guidance and solutions on urban heat, and train them to assess heat risk and implement mitigation solutions in their cities. It will also examine how nature-based solutions are vital for addressing climate change and inequality, enabling officials to interact with experts on integrating NbS into urban governance for climate adaptation and sustainable, resilient growth.
Time: 9:00-12:00
Type of event: Training event
Location: Multipurpose Room 08
Partner/Org: OECD/Science Policies
IHS speaker: David Dodman
See event page
World Cities Report 2024 - Cities and Climate Action. Moving from Rhetoric to Implementable Action
This UN-Habitat Arena roundtable is a substantive discussion of the key messages emanating from the World Cities Report 2024: Cities and Climate Action. The World Cities Report 2024 provides a greater understanding of the role that urban areas can play addressing the existential threat posed by climate change. The Report explores how urban areas can be positioned to take effective action towards achieving the Paris Agreement of limiting global warming to 1.5°C and adapting to the impacts of climate change by building resilience across a wide range of dimensions.
Time: 12:45-13:45
Type of event: Training event
Location: UN-Habitat Arena
Partner/Org: UN-Habitat - speaker
IHS speaker: David Dodman
See event page
Empowering women for resilient urban transformation of low-income and peripheral neighbourhoods
In cities, peripheral urban areas and low-income neighbourhoods often lack both infrastructure and resources for urban services, climate resilience, and sustainable development. Further amplified by climate change, these urban challenges exacerbate vulnerabilities in marginalised communities, particularly affecting women and girls. Because a city working for women works better for everyone, gender-inclusive urban development is not only a matter of ethical imperative, it is also a strategic necessity. Women, as informal community leaders, offer untapped expertise for fostering inclusive urban sustainability. It is urgent to empower women to lead in these areas through inclusive, intersectional urban planning. Cities Alliance and GIZ developed gender-sensitive planning methods and tools to improve urban services and encourage women's participation. This training session will include the presentation and discussion of practical tools, case studies, and group discussions to scale up inclusive, intersectional and gender-sensitive policies for inclusive urban development.
Time: 09:00-12:00
Type of event: Training event
Location: Multipurpose room 10
Partner/Org: Cities Alliance – speaker
IHS speaker: Maartje van Eerd
See event page
The challenge of housing in Africa – How to unleash the construction sector, build affordable housing units and reduce the environmental footprint.​
The event’s key objective is to present ongoing research, practical designs, and rollout experiences for the African housing industry. It also aims at creating awareness and a debate around the developed technical solutions and strategic policy interventions to address the affordable housing challenge on the continent. The invited experts shall present findings from ongoing research and applied practical projects to generate a broader debate on technical aspects of the built environment and what promising material solutions and housing types are currently available. The main goal is to show that technically proven and viable solutions exist that can address at the same time the affordable housing challenge and sustainability concerns. Another desired outcome is also to exchange with interested stakeholders ideas on the broader application, wide dissemination, and fast adoption of these solutions in Africa.
Time: 13:00-14:30
Type of event: Networking event
Location: Multipurpose room 07
Partner/Org: EPFL - speaker
IHS speaker: Anthony Boanada-Fuchs
See event page
Sustaining Local Economic Development in Secondary Cities
The event discusses innovative collaborative models to scale and sustain local economic development in secondary cities in the global South. Secondary cities in the global South grow fast, exacerbating un- and underemployment, inequality, and pollution.
Time: 17:00-18:30
Type of event: SDGs in Action
Location: Multipurpose room 08
Partner/Org: IHS - lead
See event page
IHS Alumni Impact Award -
Leveraging inclusive partnerships towards sustainable urban development - Scaling up local initiatives for a higher impact
IHS Alumni International Award is an initiative of IHS Alumni International to identify, recognize and award individuals and/or institutions from around the world who contribute to urban management and development, through outstanding initiatives and innovative practices.
This training showcases three case studies of small-scale urban initiatives. Guided by expert trainers, participants will learn, through theory and practice, to craft collaborative solutions. Participants learn to adapt knowledge across contexts, sectors, and levels of governance while considering influencing factors. The training equips both participants and project representatives with knowledge and skills to adopt collaborative and inclusive approaches in scaling up local projects.
Time: 9:00-12:00
Type of event: Training
Location: Multipurpose room 17
Partner/Org: IHS- lead
See event page
Mobilizing Knowledge and Data for Climate Action
This roundtable will explore how research and data can inform evidence-based strategies to effectively tackle pressing issues such as housing affordability, access to basic services and environmental sustainability. Data are needed to assess progress, provide foresights and inform future investments and decisions to address urban issues. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, knowledge co-production and cross-sector collaboration, research can generate innovative solutions that inform urban planning and policy, ensuring that interventions are tailored to the specific needs of diverse communities.
Time: 10:00-12:00
Type of event: Academia Roundtable
Location: Roundtable room B
Partner/Org: UN-Habitat- speaker
IHS speaker: David Dodman
See event page
Empowering communities through creativity
The event is structured in two parts. The first part introduces the topic and practices with presentations from Egypt, Kenya and the Netherlands. The Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme of UN Habitat relates these to the growing body of international experience, followed by a short discussion. The second part comprises an interactive fish bowl session around the question how to unleash the creativity of marginalized communities through the creative economy and creative community development.
Time: 11:00-12:30
Type of event: Networking event
Location: Room B
Partner/Org: IHS- lead
See event page
Research in Action: Promoting Role of Research-Practice Partnerships in Advancing Sustainable Urbanization
Academic research plays a crucial role in informing sustainable urban development and advancing progress towards the SDGs. By bridging the gap between theory and practice, we can improve the quality of life for citizens and address pressing socioeconomic, environmental, and governance challenges. Interdisciplinary collaboration is vital in this process, fostering dialogue and generating applicable knowledge for sustainable urban practices. Research-Practice Partnerships (RPPs) offer a promising framework for achieving these goals. RPPs bring together researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers as equal partners, fostering urban innovation and strengthening institutional capacities. This collaborative approach allows for the testing, verification, and scaling up of effective solutions to advance local and national sustainable urbanization goals.
Time: 13:00-14:30
Type of event: SDGs in Action
Location: Room A
Partner/Org: Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research
IHS speaker: David Dodman
See event page
For more information about WUF12 and their complete program, visit their website
