The thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) takes place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 17 to 22 May 2026. The theme of WUF13 is: Housing the world: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities.
How can research and education close the gap between knowledge and housing solutions at scale? Academic and research institutions play a central role in shaping how cities understand and respond to the housing challenge. They generate evidence, analysis, and locally grounded data on complex, systemic challenges that inform sustainable responses to housing affordability, tenure security, and access to basic services. They also play a central role in challenging rigid visions of housing, educating urban practitioners and decision-makers, and advancing the tools and methods that translate knowledge into action. The WUF13 Academia and Research roundtable will therefore serve as a platform to further mobilize academic knowledge and innovations to build actionable solutions to address the global housing crisis, within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 11) and the New Urban Agenda. The session will focus on opportunities to leverage the roles of academic and research institutions to address critical knowledge and capacity gaps and effectively deliver housing solutions that realize the right to adequate housing for all. For this, the two-hour roundtable will be organized into two complementary panels, each examining innovative and scalable mechanisms to address capacity gaps for effective and systemic housing solutions from distinct yet interconnected perspectives. The Roundtable shall provide the opportunity to set forward a shared Research and Capacity Development agenda for UN-Habitat's Strategic 2026-2029 Plan, informed by experts' perspectives from diverse regions. Finally, it will result in concrete recommendations from the academia and research community to be integrated into the WUF13 outcome document. As all WUF13 stakeholder-led sessions, this Roundtable is developed through a participatory process driven by the global academia and research community, seeking to ensure representation and diversity. Guiding questions How can research outcomes, co-produced data, case studies and knowledge better empower practitioners and city leaders address how housing access and adequacy fundamentally fluctuate across groups (race, gender, age and disability) and spaces (formal, informal)? Which partnerships, programmes or financing models have proven most effective in translating research into effective policies and institutional practices on a scale? What "adequate housing" capacity gaps are most pressing, and how can these be better addressed through innovations, partnerships and educational programmes? How can universities and partners co-create innovation platforms that lower barriers to participation, recognize diverse forms of knowledge, and embed these actors meaningfully in real housing strategies, policies, and projects? Expected outcomes Clear and practical recommendations for priorities and actions from both panels on how research and education can bridge capacity gaps for city leaders and practitioners to address adequate housing. Expanded visibility of outstanding applied research programmes, innovative teaching practices, and youth/Global South perspectives. Strengthened commitments and partnerships between universities, practitioners, and policymakers. Objectives The Roundtable will aim to collectively define operational pathways for accelerated research, education and capacity development agendas towards the WUF13theme: Applied research for capacity development: Demonstrate how research, co-produced data, case studies, and knowledge partnerships can generate tools and evidence that address urgent capacity gaps for city leaders and practitioners to advance adequate housing. The Panel will identify research priorities and co-develop a collective research agenda for housing. Education and training for urban capabilities: Debate how training institutions and educational systems can enhance the skills and long-term institutional capabilities necessary for adequate housing and sustainable urban development, including through city leadership initiatives, professional training, innovative teaching models, and youth-led initiatives.
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