UBC partners with UN-Habitat to accelerate impactful urban research and honour 50-year legacy
UBC has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with UN-Habitat, the United Nations programme for human settlements and sustainable urban development.
A renewed partnership between UBC and UN-Habitat marks an important evolution of the relationship that began 50 years ago at the first UN Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat I).
Habitat I, held in 1976 in Vancouver, Canada, marked a defining moment in the global urban development agenda. The event was co-organized by UBC School of Community and Regional Planning founder Peter Oberlander and attended by 132 Member States, alongside representatives from civil society, academia and urbanism, in response to mounting concerns regarding urban growth, housing shortages and environmental degradation.
It was then, for the first time, the international community formally recognized housing as a fundamental human right, and housing, urbanization and environmental sustainability as interconnected development priorities.
This new agreement presents a timely and strategic opportunity to celebrate 50 years of transforming cities and to support dialogue and knowledge-exchange on sustainable urban development and housing at local, national and global levels.
“This milestone is not only commemorative, but a platform for strengthened collaboration,” said Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director, UN-Habitat. “Universities play a vital role in generating knowledge and building the capacities of urban leaders and practitioners. Our collaboration with UBC helps ensure that global urban and housing frameworks remain grounded in rigorous research and practical knowledge.”
UBC Faculty of Applied Science and UBC Sauder School of Business researchers aim to support this partnership by sharing their expertise in urban planning and global economic policy.
“At UBC Applied Science we are committed to solving the grand challenges of our time. By signing this LOI, we are providing a global platform for our students, post-doctoral fellows, faculty and researchers to actively engage with UN-Habitat through experiential, educational and professional development opportunities, which will enable them to innovate and drive real-world impact.” - James Olson, Dean, UBC Faculty of Applied Science.
“Addressing complex urban challenges requires collaboration across sectors and borders,” says Dean Darren Dahl, UBC Sauder School of Business. “Our partnership with UN-Habitat strengthens research and evidence-based policymaking for sustainable and inclusive urban development, while preparing future business leaders to address the economic and social challenges shaping cities globally.”
Through this partnership, we will commemorate the past, assess collective progress and reinforce UBC and UN-Habitat's leadership in shaping the future of sustainable urban development.
"Having worked with the United Nations in both New York and Kenya, I have seen firsthand how critical the bridge between academic research and global policy truly is. This partnership helps us ensure that our research on human settlements, including topics like displacement, shelter insecurity, disasters and climate, is directly translated into action for the world’s most vulnerable urban populations." - Michael Hooper, Associate Professor, UBC School of Community and Regional Planning
“Over the last decade, our research and teaching on how cities build resilience has deepened our understanding that achieving urban resilience and inclusive prosperity requires a focused commitment to informal settlements – where housing represents more than shelter, serving as the foundation for livelihoods, resilience, opportunity and dignity. This partnership will catalyze interdisciplinary and collaborative research, empowering communities to plan and design resilient housing solutions in collaboration with both public and private sector partners.” – Murali Chandrashekaran, PhD, Professor, Marketing and Behavioural Sciences, UBC Sauder School of Business
