Editor and co-author of Rethinking sustainable cities, which publishes today, David Simon offers his thoughts on the aims and ambitions of the UN’s forthcoming meeting to discuss Housing and Sustainable Development, known as Habitat III.
In today’s guest post he shares what he hopes Habitat III can do to secure renewed political commitment for sustainable urban development that addresses issues around poverty and climate change.

David Simon, Director of Mistra Urban Futures
The Third UN Summit on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) in Quito in mid-October will formally adopt the New Urban Agenda (NUA) as the basis for the UN System’s urban engagements over the next 20 years.
Following the precedent set during the negotiations over Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the NUA has been hammered out over the last couple of years through a complex and often inclusive process. Important in this has been the Global Assembly of Partners as an umbrella for civil society, academia and ‘major groups’ such as regional and national governments. Continue reading ‘How can Habitat III help to make the vision of sustainable and resilient cities become a reality?’