UN-Habitat: Cities of future to be built in collaboration with active youth

Livable cities of the future will be shaped through close cooperation between governments, young people, civil society, and local communities, Maleyka Taghizade, Senior Advisor to the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) said.

Speaking aat the 2nd Solidarity Forum of NGOs from member states of the Organization of Turkic States, she said the gathering marked the start of deeper cooperation among regional partners and would help strengthen collaboration ahead of the upcoming World Urban Forum (WUF13), one of the largest global platforms on urban development, Caliber.Az reports via local media. 

“Tomorrow, Baku will host the World Urban Forum—one of the largest global platforms on the future of cities. This process is not merely preparation for the event, but an opportunity for long-term urban transformation,” Taghizade said.

She added that UN-Habitat, together with partners, had launched the Azerbaijan Urban Campaign, which aims to place young people at the center of urban policy discussions. According to her, youth are increasingly taking on active roles not only as participants, but also as initiators of projects, event organizers, and contributors of policy solutions.

Taghizade also emphasised the importance of regional cooperation among young people across the Turkic world, noting that cities in the region face similar challenges, including climate change, urban inequality, housing affordability, youth unemployment, public space quality, and inclusivity.

“These include climate challenges, urban inequality, housing affordability, youth employment, the quality of public spaces, and inclusivity,” she said. “Regional cooperation, the exchange of experiences, and joint youth initiatives hold great potential for addressing these issues.”

She concluded that the development of livable cities will depend not only on governments, but also on active engagement from youth, civil society, and local communities working together on shared urban priorities.

By Sabina Mammadli