Nairobi-based UN-Habitat says Fuzhou, China, will host World Cities Day 2026 from 31 October

The Chinese city of Fuzhou, in Fujian Province, will host the global observance of World Cities Day 2026 on 31 October at the Fuzhou Strait International Conference and Exhibition Center, the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) said in a statement issued in Nairobi on 14 October, as reported by Xinhua.

The theme is "Regenerating the City: Adequate Housing for All". The observance closes Urban October, UN-Habitat's month-long campaign promoting sustainable urban development and adequate housing.

UN-Habitat said the commemoration will look at how urban regeneration can help address the global housing crisis. Discussions will cover reviving existing urban spaces, widening access to adequate housing and building inclusive, resilient and sustainable cities, and are linked to Sustainable Development Goal 11 (sustainable cities and communities) and the New Urban Agenda.

The programme runs for three days, from 31 October to 2 November. It includes a high-level opening ceremony, thematic forums, side events, specialised exhibitions and guided city tours.

The fourth cycle of the Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities, known as the Shanghai Award, will be presented at the opening ceremony, where the 2026 edition of the Shanghai Manual will also be released. The award was set up in 2022, and three cycles have been held.

Xinhua reported on 22 September that China's Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, UN-Habitat and the Fujian provincial government are co-hosting the event, with the Fuzhou municipal government and the Fujian provincial housing and urban-rural development department undertaking the organisation. The event will combine online and in-person sessions. At a press conference in Beijing, Vice Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Chen Shaowang described the aims as sharing the idea of people-centred cities, exchanging experience in urban renewal and exploring sustainable paths.

UN-Habitat said senior UN officials and representatives of national governments, local authorities, international organisations, academia, the private sector and community networks are expected to attend. The list given at the Beijing briefing also includes housing and urban development ministers from some countries, representatives of embassies and consulates in China, representatives of Chinese provinces and cities, experts and company representatives. An exhibition zone will focus on urban renewal and the construction of what the ministry calls "good houses".

The UN General Assembly established World Cities Day in 2013, and it was first observed in 2014. Xinhua describes it as the UN's first international day on cities and the first international day the Chinese government initiated at the UN.

Fuzhou was announced as the October 2026 host at a networking event of the 13th World Urban Forum in Baku in May, People's Daily Online reported on 22 May. UN-Habitat Executive Director Anaclaudia Rossbach told Xinhua in a written interview, published on 22 May, that UN-Habitat was ready to deepen cooperation with China on inclusive, climate-resilient urban development.