Despite the impact of the Covid pandemic, urbanisation forecasts continue to predict an increasingly urban world. The urban share of the world population is expected to pass from 56.2% to 60.4% between in 2020- 2030.1 Migration is a major contributor to urbanization, whether internal (rural-to urban) or across-borders. International migration accounts for about one-third of urban growth in developed countries. Prior to Covid, more than 1.8 billion people worldwide lack adequate housing; over one billion live in informal settlements; and 150 million are homeless, while millions more suffer from insecurity of tenure.

Urban economies continue to be the engines of economic growth, accounting for approximately 80% of global GDP. Employment in urban areas concentrates 38% of the global workforce, accounting for most Covid-exposed professions, such as food, retail, manufacturing, tourism, and hospitality. Cities generate 70% of global carbon emissions and consume two-thirds of the world’s energy.