World Cities Day 2026 in Fuzhou

The 2026 Global Observance of World Cities Day is currently being hosted in Fuzhou, China, from October 31 to November 2. Co-hosted by UN-Habitat and the Chinese Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the event concludes the UN-Habitat “Urban October” campaign.

Under the theme “Regenerating the city: adequate housing for all,” the observance addresses the global housing crisis, noting that up to 3.4 billion people lack access to adequate housing, secure tenure, or affordable living conditions. The program features a main forum with over 100 mayors and international experts discussing high-quality urban development trends.

A central component of the event is the 4th cycle of the Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities, also known as the Shanghai Award. The winners for this cycle include Jingdezhen, China, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Santiago de Cali, Colombia, Istanbul, Turkey, and Katowice, Poland.

Side events include technical exchanges and cooperation conferences involving the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Canada, with discussions centered on green, livable, and low-carbon buildings.