UN Review on July 16–17 Says Cities Are Falling Behind on Housing and Infrastructure
The United Nations General Assembly’s midterm review of the New Urban Agenda ended July 17 with a warning that cities are not keeping pace with the pressures created by rapid urban growth. The review called for faster implementation, stronger urban planning and better financing for local governments.
Held at UN Headquarters in New York on July 16 and 17, the review focused on housing affordability, infrastructure, public services, urban resilience and the ability of municipal governments to respond. Secretary-General António Guterres called for better access to finance for cities and stronger cooperation among national, regional and local governments.
The assessment applies globally rather than to one city or country. Its central policy question is how governments can provide housing, transportation, essential services and climate resilience as a growing share of the world’s population lives in urban areas.
A widening urban implementation gap
The UN said more than half of humanity already lives in urban areas. By mid-century, nearly 70 percent of people are expected to live in cities. That shift is increasing the importance of decisions made by municipal and regional authorities, from land-use planning to infrastructure investment and public-service delivery.
Against that backdrop, the review identified several connected problems: housing is becoming less affordable, informal settlements are expanding, and infrastructure and essential services are falling short. The UN also said climate risks and inequality are increasing in cities.
The review linked those pressures to a weakness in local government capacity. Local authorities often lack enough money and authority to respond, according to the UN assessment. Guterres therefore urged governments to improve cities’ access to finance and deepen cooperation across national, regional and local levels.
The General Assembly discussion also addressed transit-oriented development, urban resilience, municipal capacity and infrastructure. Participants recorded national and regional commitments, along with calls for international financing support.
What the review changes—and what it does not
The New Urban Agenda is a framework for integrated planning, resilient infrastructure and more equitable access in urban areas. The midterm review is intended to guide its implementation from 2026 through 2036.
That makes the meeting a global policy marker rather than a city-by-city funding decision. The review did not itself commit a quantified global financing package. It also did not adopt binding new global housing requirements or identify a single implementation deadline beyond the agenda’s 2036 horizon.
Its practical significance is the emphasis it places on implementation and finance. The assessment says that broad urban goals will remain difficult to deliver if local authorities do not have the resources or decision-making authority to address housing, infrastructure, services and climate risks.
The next phase through 2036
The next known step is continued implementation of the New Urban Agenda through 2036. The General Assembly review is meant to guide that period, while the calls recorded in New York point toward stronger urban planning, expanded local-government capacity and improved access to financing.
The UN’s findings provide a common global frame for governments and institutions working on urban development. They also leave the most consequential questions—how much financing will be available, which governments will provide it and how local authorities will gain additional authority—to future policy decisions and implementation.
Sources
- Secretary-General's remarks at the High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Midterm Review of the New Urban Agenda, United Nations
- Midterm Review of the New Urban Agenda, 103rd plenary meeting, United Nations General Assembly
- Human Settlements, United Nations
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