As it prepares for the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF 13), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) continues its unprecedented engagement process with stakeholders and partners. On November 18, an international team from the International Mayors Communication Centre (IMCC) attended UN-Habitat’s 2nd Global Stakeholder Dialogue with the Executive Director online. They connected with UN Under-Secretary-General and UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach and other senior UN-Habitat leaders, offering policy recommendations on strengthening the linkages between housing and climate action. They also presented the successful experience of upgrading and transforming some residential buildings in Shuiwei Village, Futian District, Shenzhen into apartments for young talent, focusing on emerging forms of financial housing instruments. This signifies the IMCC’s continued deep involvement in policy development and case sharing in the field of global urban habitat governance.

The international team from the IMCC attending the meeting consists of Celestin Chabi (second from right in the first row of the small images), Kirk Lan (first from right among the large images), and Yvette Chen (third from right in the first row of the small images).

WUF 13 will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan in May 2026, with the theme of “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities.” In October 2025, Jin Lan, founder of the IMCC, was invited to attend UN-Habitat’s 1st Global Stakeholder Dialogue with the Executive Director, as well as a kick-off meeting for stakeholder engagement in WUF 13, which were hold online. She offered several suggestions on the implementation path for Sustainable Development Goal 11 and the preparations for WUF 13.

On November 18, UN-Habitat held its second online dialogue between global stakeholders and its executive director, creating space for sharing local actions and strategies based on feedback from partners and stakeholders. The dialogue will help shape the implementation modalities of UN-Habitat’s Strategic Plan 2026–2029, which places housing, land, and basic services, as well as the transformation of informal settlements, at the heart of sustainable urban development. The dialogue outlined several themes for discussion, guiding participants to answer the following questions: Building on the outcomes from the first Global dialogue, stakeholder engagement kick-offs, and UN-Habitat’s new Strategic Plan, what are the key tangible actions, solutions, polIMCCs and strategies to address the most pressing urban challenges in housing, land, and basic services?

Nearly 200 people from around the world participated in the dialogue. The IMCC sent a multinational team, including Celestin Chabi, the Kenya-based executive secretary of the Global Mayors’ Forum, which was initiated by the IMCC, Kirk Lan, the IMCC’s international public relations consultant, and Yvette Chen, the IMCC’s senior communications specialist, with the latter two from IMCC’s office in Shenzhen, China. Kirk Lan spoke on behalf of Jin Lan, founder of the IMCC and the second chairperson of the Open Green City Laboratory (OGCLab), while UN-Habitat Executive Anacláudia Rossbach listened attentively. Following the speech, the IMCC submitted the transcript via Padlet, a digital engagement tool.

Anacláudia Rossbach listens to Kirk Lan’s speech. Representatives from the IMCC also included Celestin Chabi (second from left in the first row of the small images) and Yvette Chen (first from left in the first row of the small images).

On the theme of “strengthening the linkages between housing and climate action,” the IMCC proposed that coastal cities should prioritize low-rise buildings and use materials capable of withstanding these disasters to protect against hurricanes, typhoons, and tsunamis. Given the significant risks of damage to the glass curtain walls of existing high-rise buildings, it is crucial to strengthen the research and development of green, climate-resistant building materials to address and mitigate the risks posed by climate disasters to high-rise buildings.

The IMCC has submitted its recommendations online (center) on “strengthening the linkages between housing and climate action”.

Regarding the theme of “emerging forms of financial housing instruments,” the IMCC pointed out that in big cities, it is very challenging to provide sufficient affordable housing for newcomers in city center. To this end, IMCC shared a case study of the upgrading and renovation of some residential buildings in Shuiwei Village, Futian District, Shenzhen into apartments for young talent.

This pilot project transformed 29 villager buildings into 504 apartments. Upgrades were made to fire safety, municipal facilities, and elevators to create a modern, livable space. The district government initiated the revitalization policy. A comprehensive planning approach was employed to build a functional spatial framework, attracting collective participation from different stakeholders. A state-owned company followed up to rent the villagers’ tower blocks and renovate them into affordable apartments, rented to the housing authority as subsidized units for young starters in Shenzhen.

The IMCC has submitted a case study online (left) of the transformation of some residential buildings in Shuiwei Village, Futian District, Shenzhen into apartments for young talent.

The IMCC pointed out that the cooperative effort of this project resulted in multiple benefits for all parties involved. The villagers have secured stable rental income; corporations have built a positive image of social responsibility and gained centrally located talent housing; the government has resolved safety and fire problems in the old village; young people can afford decent and cozy apartment in city center; community shop owners can operate with low cost at prime location; and the residents have got decent communal facilities and preserved local cultural context.