Marmara Municipalities Union Participates in World Urban Forum (WUF13)

The World Urban Forum (WUF), organized by UN-Habitat, is recognized as one of the leading global events focused on sustainable urbanization. Since its inception in Nairobi in 2002, the forum has been held biennially in various host cities worldwide. The 13th edition will take place at the Baku Olympic Stadium.

This year’s theme, "Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities," will guide discussions on critical topics such as the global housing crisis, the transformation of informal settlements, post-crisis reconstruction, the relationship between climate and housing, and housing finance.

MMU is at WUF13

Marmara Municipalities Union will host a booth at the Urban Expo, representing both the Union and the Marmara Urban Forum. The booth will serve as a platform to showcase MMU’s initiatives and MARUF to participants from around the world, while also fostering opportunities for international collaboration. The booth of Marmara Municipalities Union will be located at 11-58.

Sessions Organized by MMU

Marmara Municipalities Union will take part in WUF13 as an organizer, partner, and speaker across a wide range of session formats, actively contributing to global discussions.

In the "Voices from Cities" session titled "Scaling Inclusive Urban Transformation and Redefining the Right to Housing: Practical Insights for Resilient Cities," participants will explore how cities can enhance inclusive urban transformation processes and build socially and climate-resilient communities. This session, organized in collaboration with Metropolis, will feature MMU Secretary General M. Cemil Arslan as a speaker.

MMU will also participate in the “SDGs in Action” session titled "Housing as Care Infrastructure: Reframing Planning, Housing, and Everyday Care." This session will explore the concept of housing not just as shelter but also as a fundamental aspect of care systems and everyday well-being. Organized in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Care and United Cities and Local Governments, the session will feature Görsev Argın Uz, the Director of Training and Projects at MMU.

MMU is one of the organizers of the networking event titled "Why Affordable Housing Needs Fewer Cars," which is being held in collaboration with the Walk21 Foundation and the European Cyclists’ Federation. This event will focus on how reducing dependence on automobiles can help create more accessible and inclusive urban environments.

As part of the forum’s Canada Pavilion program, the session titled "On the Shore of All Possibilities: Reporting on How to Plan and Finance Metropolitan Housing" will present reports developed through MARUF25, the EMA Forum, and UN-Habitat Expert Group Meetings focused on metropolitan housing planning and finance. This session, organized in collaboration with the Barcelona Metropolitan Area and UN-Habitat, will feature Ezgi Küçük Çalışkan, the Urbanism Coordinator at MMU.

Sessions Contributed by MMU

Among the sessions MMU contributes to at WUF13 is the press conference titled “Launching the Barcelona Metropolitan Declaration: Bold Commitments to Tackle the Housing Crisis at Metropolitan Scale.” The session will introduce the declaration adopted within the framework of the EMA Forum and focus on shared metropolitan responses to the housing crisis. MMU Secretary General M. Cemil Arslan will take part in the session as a speaker.

MMU will also contribute to the session “Housing for Freedom: Territorial Pact for the 21st Century Towards a UN Resolution on the Metropolitan Right to Housing.” The discussion will explore more inclusive metropolitan approaches to the right to housing. Organized in partnership with Politecnico di Milano and the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB), the session will feature MMU Secretary General M. Cemil Arslan as a speaker on behalf of MMU.

At the networking event “When Housing Brings Cities Together: Local Cooperation in Practice,” participants will exchange experiences on intercity cooperation in the field of housing. Organized together with the Association of Palestinian Local Authorities (APLA), UCLG-MEWA and CILG-VNG International, the session will include contributions from MMU Urban Policy Center Director İrem Kurtuluş Korkmaz representing MMU.

MMU will further contribute to the networking event “From Global Agendas to Local Action: Leveraging Multi-level Urban Forum for Resilient Housing Systems,” which will focus on translating global urban agendas into local policy action. MMU Director of International Affairs Burcuhan Şener will participate in the session as a speaker on behalf of MMU, alongside partners including the Serbian Spatial and Urban Planning Agency.