Urban October 2025: Building sustainable and fair cities

Each year, UN-Habitat and numerous partners celebrate Urban October, a month-long campaign to spotlight the challenges and opportunities facing cities worldwide.

Running from World Habitat Day on 6 October to World Cities Day on 31 October, the initiative promotes dialogue, cooperation, and innovation in pursuit of a sustainable urban future.

Cities are at the frontline of today’s crises and tomorrow’s solutions. Urban October unites governments, civil society, academia, and communities to deliver a better urban future. The initiative brings people together to explore how cities can respond to climate, social, and demographic pressures while driving innovation and inclusive growth.

Urbanisation today is a pressing global issue. While cities are engines of economic growth, they also face mounting demographic, environmental, and social challenges. More than half the world’s population lives in cities and towns, with numbers rising daily. This has huge environmental consequences, with urban areas accounting for around 70% of global CO2 emissions, due primarily to transport, buildings, energy, and waste, and unmanaged growth risks worsening pollution, congestion, inequality, and the spread of informal settlements. To remain livable, cities must prioritise safe, affordable, resilient, and culturally vibrant environments for all.

Urban October is therefore a necessary reminder to governments, planners, communities, and individuals of the collective responsibility to build resilient, inclusive, and human environments. Cities must have the capacity, capability, and tools to address the challenges posed by urbanisation. During this month, everyone interested in sustainable urbanisation, from national and local governments to universities, NGOs, and communities, is encouraged to hold or participate in activities, events, and discussions.

As Europe’s leading network of cities and regions on sustainable mobility, POLIS is excited to contribute to the initiative by showcasing how affordable, inclusive, and sustainable transport systems contribute to better and fairer cities.

World Habitat Day 2025

Urban October begins with World Habitat Day, held on the first Monday of October each year. This international day is dedicated to reflecting on the state of towns and cities and reaffirming that having safe and decent living conditions is a fundamental human right.

This year’s theme centres on urban crisis response. It highlights the need for sustainable, scalable, and transformative solutions to crises affecting urban areas, such as climate and conflicts, which are deepening inequalities. The day underscores the importance of urban and territorial planning, inclusive governance, and the critical role of local authorities in addressing displacement and ensuring sustainable recovery.

POLIS' contribution

This month, POLIS is taking part in many events to spread awareness on the role of sustainable and inclusive mobility in creating a sustainable future:

Busworld Europe 2025 (Brussels, 4–9 October): The world’s largest bus and coach fair explores the multiple facets of the sector, including public transport innovation, safety, digital mobility, and the European Zero Emissions Bus (ZEB) Conference. Our Secretary General Karen Vancluysen and Director of Policy and Project Ivo Cré will participate in the sessions, and also many POLIS members, such as Stockholm, Barcelona, Rome, London, Catalonia, Breda University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam Vervoerregio, Île-de-France Mobilités, Helsinki, and Leuven, will join the programme events.
ZEB Conference 2025 (Brussels, 7–9 October): This event brings together over 400 professionals to shape the future of zero-emissions fleets at scale, with contributions from members London, Ruter, Île-de-France Mobilités, and Amsterdam Vervoerregio.
European Week of Regions and Cities 2025 (Brussels, 13–15 October): The EU’s flagship event on regional development and cohesion will focus on the theme 'Shaping tomorrow, together', exploring challenges and opportunities for cities and regions. On 15 October, from 9:30 to 10:30, POLIS will host the workshop 'Driving Change: Bridging Sustainable Mobility and Urban Planning' to explore the integration of electromobility, housing, and public space. Lille Métropole will also host the Brussels Urban Talks on the same day, from 11:30 to 14:00, dedicated to innovative mobility ideas and projects.
- For members: The Regions Working Group and Urban Nodes Taskforce will be organising a joint in-person event on 'Regional SUMP support and TEN-T obligations' on 13 October, from 14:00 to 18:00
Young people and transport jobs: Making transport careers more attractive (Brussels, 15 October): The European Commission is organising a conference to bring together young people and representatives from the transport sector across the EU. The event aims to make transport careers more attractive to young people, fostering inclusion, innovation, and a future-oriented workforce. This unique gathering offers young participants the chance to share their ideas directly with transport companies and organisations, discussing their career aspirations, challenges, and expectations across all modes — including road, urban public transport, rail, maritime, inland waterways, and air transport. POLIS Communications Lead and Just Transition Co-coordinator Alessia Giorgiutti will participate in an interactive session with young participants (aged 18–30), and co-moderate the dialogue with DG MOVE Director-General Magda Kopczyńska.
Just Transition Webinar 'Breaking Free—Reducing car reliance in Small and Medium-sized Cities' (online, 23 October): The second session of this new webinar series by the Just Transition Taskforce will focus on transport poverty and mobility justice. This session will feature the Small and Medium-sized Cities Platform and the Active Travel & Health Working Group, which will bring practical strategies for reducing private car dependence while improving equity, health, and accessibility in small and mid-sized cities.