WORLD CITIES DAY (WCD): historical reference

UN-Habitat is the United Nations programme for human settlements and sustainable urban development. UN-Habitat was established in 1978.

Its tasks are to to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns through increased awareness, policy formation, nurturing of potential, knowledge accumulation and strengthening of partnerships between governments and citizens.  There are two main areas of focus for the organization: Provision of quality housing and sustainable urban development.

UN-Habitat is the organizing branch and the inspiration source behind annual World Cities Day celebrations. In 2019, World Cities Day will be hosted by Ekaterinburg, Russia on October 31. The event is organized by UN-Habitat, the government of Shanghai and Ekaterinburg.

The goal for World Cities Day is to attract people's attention to urbanization trends, goals for sustainable development and its promises, support of international partnerships and contribution to global efforts in building balanced and flourishing urban environments. And, consequently, to possible improvements in quality of life.

Main goals for World Cities Day 2019:

• Increased awareness about different ways of using digital innovations in urban services provision with the goal of increasing quality of life and improving urban environment; 
• Identification of promising modern approaches with the use of cutting-edge technology that will allow to increase the level of inclusion in cities as well as experience exchange;
• Presentation of possibilities for renewable energy generation in cities;
• Exploration of ways to use modern technology to improve social inclusion in cities including those located in distant territories.