Urbanization is a mega trend that is shaping our future. By 2050, two thirds of the world population will live in cities. Both the potential as well as the challenges of global development will be decided in urban areas. The current preparations for Habitat III, the Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development to take place in 2016, are thus of utmost importance.

As one of the first global conferences after the post-2015 agenda, Habitat III will be an opportunity to chart new pathways in response to the challenges of urbanization and the opportunities it offers for the implementation of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Habitat III will bring together diverse urban actors to review urban and housing policies affecting the future of cities within an international governance architecture and with a view to generating a “New Urban Agenda” for the 21st century.

The panellists discussed the fundamental role of urbanization as a potential driver or dead end for sustainable development as a well as their expectations and next steps on the ways towards Habitat III.

Welcome:

• Dirk Messner, Director, German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) and Co-Chair, German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU)
• Jürgen Nimptsch, Lord Mayor of the Federal City of Bonn

Key Note:

• Joan Clos, Executive Director, UN-Habitat

Panel Discussion:

• Dirk Messner, Director, German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) and Co-Chair, German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU)
• Raf Tuts, Coordinator, Urban Planning and Design Branch, UN-Habitat
• Monika Zimmermann, Deputy Secretary General, Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI)
• Clara Brandi (Moderator), German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)