In 1976, governments around the world were just beginning to recognize the effects of rapid urbanization. To address challenges and opportunities brought by this changing landscape, the United Nations convened global leaders in Vancouver, Canada to create a plan for supporting human settlements in the midst of rapid urbanization and development. The conference produced the Vancouver Declaration on Human Settlements, established the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT), and would later be known as Habitat I, the first UN conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development. Twenty years later in Istanbul, Turkey, the Habitat II conference would build on this momentum and establish housing as a basic human right.

Habitat III, the third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, will take place in Quito, Ecuador in October 2016. The purpose of Habitat III is to reinvigorate the global commitment to sustainable urbanization with a focus on producing and implementing a “New Urban Agenda.” Just as Habitat I and Habitat II shaped human settlement policies for subsequent decades, the “New Urban Agenda” will define urban priorities for the next 20 years. As one of the first major United Nations’ meetings after the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Habitat III should work to implement these global goals, especially Goal 11 which focuses on cities and human settlements. Habitat III should result in a measurable, forward-looking, and action-oriented document, providing guidance and next steps for cities throughout the world.