We live on a rapidly urbanizing planet, but our cities are struggling to provide basic services to their people – from clean air and water to reliable public transport and safe, affordable housing. As a result of this unprecedented urban growth, carbon emissions are on the rise and pressures on vital ecosystems are intensifying.
- 3 in every 5
-
people live in cities
- over 1 billion
-
city dwellers lack access to safe housing
- 70% of GHG emissions
-
are produced by cities
LATEST NEWS & EVENTS

Experts meet in Kigali to discuss future of Green Cities in Africa
The City of Kigali is hosting a three-day workshop that has brought together experts in urban planning from 20 cities in Africa to discuss the future of green cities.

Strategic City Planning with Nature? Assessing Urban Biodiversity in San José, Costa Rica
UrbanShift’s geospatial analysis for the San José metropolitan region will support urban actors to incorporate biodiversity into planning mechanisms and transform decision-making processes toward valuing the benefits of nature.

ICLEI World Congress: Strategies for resilient and healthy communities
At the ICLEI World Congress in Malmö, Sweden, UrbanShift cities from Asia, Africa and Latin America will meet to share knowledge on best practices in local sustainable development and learn firsthand from Malmö’s sustainability initiatives.

OUR FUNDER AND PARTNERS
UrbanShift is the brand name of the Global Environment Facility’s Sustainable Cities Impact Program. It is led by the UN Environment Programme and implemented in partnership with the World Resources Institute, C40 Cities, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, the UN Development Programme, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. UrbanShift builds on the lessons and experiences of the Sustainable Cities Integrated Approach Pilot, facilitated through the Global Platform for Sustainable Cities.