Building Resilient Cities through Urban Crisis Response

Each year, on the first Monday of October, the world comes together to observe World Habitat Day, a time to reflect on the state of our towns and cities, and on the fundamental right to adequate shelter for all. This year’s observance falls today, 6 October, with the United Nations placing special emphasis on strengthening urban crisis responses. 

The 2025 theme highlights the growing challenges cities face in the context of climate change, conflict, and inequality. With more than 122 million people forcibly displaced, many of whom reside in urban areas, World Habitat Day calls for inclusive and sustainable solutions that advance urban planning, social cohesion, and resilient local governance. 

This year’s observance will spotlight sustainable, scalable, and transformative approaches to urban displacement—initiatives that not only stabilize populations but also foster prosperity and social harmony. It underscores the vital role of urban and territorial planning, inclusive governance, and empowered local authorities in crafting lasting, sustainable solutions for displaced communities. 

The message of World Habitat Day 2025 strongly resonates with the vision of the upcoming Second World Summit for Social Development (4–6 November 2025, Doha, Qatar). Both underscore the need for integrated solutions that place people and communities at the centre of sustainable development.  

World Habitat Day thus serves as a reminder that the path to inclusive and resilient societies begins in the places we live. By strengthening urban systems and investing in the well-being of all city dwellers, especially the displaced and marginalized, the world can move closer to realizing the shared vision of the Summit: a more inclusive, just, and sustainable future for all. 

World Habitat Day was first celebrated in 1986 under the theme “Shelter is My Right,” with Nairobi serving as the host city. Over the decades, the observance has explored themes such as “Shelter for the Homeless” (1987, New York), “Shelter and Urbanization” (1990, London), “Future Cities” (1997, Bonn), “Safer Cities” (1998, Dubai), “Women in Urban Governance” (2000, Jamaica), “Cities without Slums” (2001, Fukuoka), “Water and Sanitation for Cities” (2003, Rio de Janeiro), “Planning our Urban Future” (2009, Washington, D.C.), “Better City, Better Life” (2010, Shanghai), and “Cities and Climate Change” (2011, Aguascalientes). 

To learn more about this day and follow the event, please visit UN Web TV.