IHS at WUF13: Key takeaways on housing, climate, and resilient cities

For IHS, participating in this global dialogue was an important opportunity to connect academic knowledge with actionable urban practices at the international level. Our delegation participated in over 20 events, ranging from focused discussions to high-level panels, bringing insights from education, research, and advisory work to the forefront of sustainable urbanisation. 

At the Urban Expo, the joint IHS-Inform2Build booth served as a central meeting point for our delegation throughout the week. The space welcomed many IHS alumni, existing institutional partners, and potential new collaborators. We were pleased to see the engagement from visitors who stopped by to learn about our latest research, education programmes, and capacity-building work. The booth also hosted informal networking opportunities and meet-and-greet sessions, highlighting the Expo as a space for practical dialogue and future collaboration.

Advancing the "5 As" of adequate housing and transforming informal settlements

A central pillar of IHS's engagement focused on translating housing rights and frameworks into practical, community-led realities. Maartje van Eerd and Alonso Ayala, in partnership with the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO), the Indian Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MHUA), and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), implemented a specialised training event where participants applied the "5 As" principles of adequate housing (accessibility, availability, affordability, adaptability, and acceptability) in the Indian context.

This analytical approach complemented discussions at the WUF Academy Dialogue 2, where Anthony Boanada-Fuchs delivered a keynote address on transforming informal settlements. He introduced the Inform2Build initiative as a vital link between data and intervention gaps, emphasising that solutions at scale must empower local communities with data and knowledge.

The human impact of these frameworks were explored further during the Urban Cinema screening of the short documentary "When I Came to Your Door", directed by Antonio Paoletti. A follow-up panel, featuring architect Brook Teklehaimanot Heileselassie and Satya Maia Patchineelam, examined the social impacts of forced evictions and urban displacement in Addis Ababa. Grounding these discussions in long-term data, the IHS team also showcased decades of institutional experience, highlighting longitudinal research in Ismailia to inform future slum upgrading and sites-and-services projects.

Bridging the climate-housing nexus and resilient governance

As climate change accelerates, IHS's contributions consistently highlighted the structural intersection between urban resilience, housing location, and local governance. A major highlight was the launch of the latest UN-Habitat World Cities Report, "Global Housing Crisis: Pathways to Action". IHS General Director David Dodman, who served on the report's Advisory Board, spoke at a roundtable session in the UN-Habitat Arena, emphasising the report's crucial links to climate change, the importance of housing location for emission reduction, and the need to incorporate gender, care, and decent work into urban design.

This systemic perspective was echoed across several regional pavilions. Paul Rabé joined a panel which focused on aligning climate resilience with inclusive infrastructure, while Alonso Ayala addressed the structural friction between housing affordability and environmental resilience at the Pakistan Pavilion. Furthermore, Anthony Boanada-Fuchs brought insights on multi-level governance to the French Pavilion, drawing on examples from Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America to demonstrate how urban data acts as both a technical and political tool. He also moderated a WUF Academy session on the climate-housing nexus, linking diverse research ranging from mobility inequalities in São Paulo to climate-induced migration in Azerbaijan.

High-level housing finance and policy innovation

Financing a sustainable urban future requires moving beyond rigid, traditional banking systems toward frameworks that cater to human realities. Maartje van Eerd moderated a high-level session with AIDHA and HUDCO focused on India’s PMAY-Urban 2.0 programme. Prominent panelists emphasised that loans alone do not transform lives, and financing models must be flexible enough to accommodate informal workers and migrants. Van Eerd also shared these insights at a panel organised by Egypt’s Social Housing and Mortgage Finance Fund (SHMFF), where international experts debated risk management for informal earners and the focus of urban planners on either bankable people or bankable projects.

On a global policy level, a networking event led by UNEP in partnership with IHS, ICLEI, and UN-Habitat focused on the localisation of global environmental agreements ahead of the three Rio Convention COPs. This event marked the official launch of the advance copy of the IHS-authored report, Global Ambition, Local Action, which solidified the role of local governments in driving global targets.

Interactive learning and capacity building

IHS showcased practical educational tools and interactive installations, demonstrating how capacity building can be gamified and scaled. Pamela Durán-Díaz led two interactive sessions at the WUF Academy. The first session, developed in collaboration with UN-Habitat, focused on long-term competency frameworks for climate-responsive governance. The second featured "The Ejido Game", a role-play simulation that explored how power dynamics, land markets, and governance influence land-use decisions. UN Habitat also continued to show its commitment to working with universities and academic institutes, including IHS. David Dodman spoke at the Academia and Research Roundtable, where he identified key evidence and capacity gaps that can be addressed through research and training and that contribute to achieving adequate housing for all. 

At the IHS-Inform2Build booth, we hosted an interactive installation, translating complex structural research into an accessible learning experience that engaged visitors with construction materials and practices used in informal settlements. At the Habitat Village, Satya Patchineelam and Anthony Boanada-Fuchs organised a panel centered on the Rethinking Roofs initiative. In collaboration with Slum Dwellers International and Build Change, this session highlighted locally-led sustainable housing and celebrated recent competition winners, demonstrating that small-scale structural interventions can yield significant community benefits

Strategic partnerships and reconnecting with alumni

WUF13 served as a diplomatic platform for the institute, reinforcing old ties and creating opportunities for future institutional collaboration. The week began with a collaborative breakfast hosted by the Dutch Embassy in Baku, featuring Deputy Ambassador Johannes Kirpestein and a keynote speech by Jan van Zanen, the Mayor of The Hague and Head of the Dutch delegation. Building on this momentum, David Dodman and Dr Debolina Kundu signed a formal Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between IHS and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) in India to enhance joint training, research, and capacity-building initiatives. The delegation also held a productive meeting with long-standing partner UN-Habitat, represented by Edlam Abera Yemeru, Director of the Global Knowledge and Advocacy Division, to align upcoming global activities. Regionally, Alonso Ayala met with representatives from the GIZ Rwanda and the National Land Authority to advance a targeted capacity-building project focused on climate-responsive and gender-sensitive land governance frameworks.

The IHS delegation also hosted an engaging alumni gathering. This reception brought together graduates from different decades, courses, and countries, along with current and former staff, serving as a powerful reminder of the global reach and impact of the IHS network.

Looking ahead

Housing emerged as the definitive priority of the week in Baku. From high-level plenary speeches to roundtables, the global community recognised that housing sits at the core of the urban experience. As noted during the forum, proper housing is vital for: "Providing not only shelter but also a basis for fulfilled lives and decent work for billions of urban residents.” The insights gathered and partnerships strengthened at WUF13 will directly inform the direction of IHS education, advisory, and research agendas in the years to come as we continue to shape equitable, resilient cities worldwide.