Euronews: Hundreds of urban planning experts converge in Khankendi ahead of WUF13 VIDEO

Azerbaijan’s third National Urban Forum has brought together more than 400 experts from 64 countries to discuss sustainable, climate-resilient cities, ahead of the 13th World Urban Forum in 2026, Euronews reports.

Organised in partnership with UN-Habitat, the three-day event focused on innovative urban planning, climate-resilient design and housing solutions.

Delegates explored ways to make cities more sustainable, resilient and inclusive, with discussions covering densification, heritage preservation and youth engagement.

“These whole urbanisation patterns that we observed in the past, they are just not sustainable in the future,” Anacláudia Rossbach, the Executive Director of UN-Habitat, told Euronews.

“We have to look at how cities are growing, we have to plan and design smart strategies such as densification.”

Participants underlined the importance of collaboration between local and international stakeholders to prepare cities for future social and environmental challenges. The forum is seen as a key step in Azerbaijan’s preparations to host WUF 2026, a major global gathering of urban experts.

The III National Urban Forum of Azerbaijan (NUFA3) was held in Khankendi from October 15–17, 2025, bringing together over 400 participants from 64 countries, with additional sessions in Baku.

The forum focused on climate-resilient and healthy cities, covering topics such as housing, post-conflict recovery, sustainable construction, inclusive governance, digital innovation, and nature-based solutions.

NUFA3 highlighted the role of governments, communities, academia, and the private sector in advancing sustainable urban development and served as a preparatory stage for the WUF13.

By Aghakazim Guliyev