The World Cities Day celebrated each year on the 31st of October is expected to greatly promote the international community’s interest in global urbanization, push forward cooperation among countries in meeting opportunities and addressing challenges of urbanization, and contribute to sustainable urban development in cities, villages and rural areas around the world. For 2019, the UN-Habitat has selected the theme “Changing the world: innovations and a better life for future generations” to discuss how urbanization can be used to achieve sustainable development.

This year, UN DESA’s Division for Inclusive Social Development and the New York City Mayor’s Office will host the third edition of “Inclusive United Cities for All” with a focus on affordable housing and homelessness. The event aims to provide a platform to share concrete recommendations on addressing homelessness, with a focus on affordable housing measures at the local levels. The event will focus on strategies and measures taken at the local level to address/end homelessness and share good practices and lessons learned to address the specific needs of vulnerable groups and individuals who live on the margins of society, within the context of the 2030 Agenda.