Tatyana Naumova: 70% of world's population to live in cities by 2050

Global urbanization is fundamentally reshaping the structure of international relations and increasing the role of cities, Tatiana Naumova, Deputy Head of the Department of Foreign Economic and International Relations of Moscow, during the event Bridges for Cooperation: In Search of Best Solutions for Sustainable Housing and Resilient Cities – Voices from Cities held within the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Report informs.

According to her, by the mid-21st century, nearly 70% of the world's population will live in cities: "Currently, this figure stands at 55%. Cities are no longer just administrative units; they have become global centers of economic growth, technological innovation, and humanitarian cooperation."

Naumova emphasized that Moscow cooperates with other cities through concrete and practical solutions: "At present, Moscow actively collaborates with nearly 150 foreign countries and regions, implementing more than 200 bilateral agreements and programs. These cover industry, investment, transport, urban planning, science, information technology, culture, and education."

She added that Moscow attaches special importance to cooperation with UN-Habitat, presenting its urban sustainability projects on international platforms: "Moscow showcases its major sustainable urban development projects – the housing renovation program, expansion of the transport system, and application of smart technologies – at the global level. Sustainable development is one of the core principles of Moscow's city governance. In 2023, 97% of Moscow's program budget expenditures were directly related to sustainable development. Over the past five years, this figure has averaged more than 90%. Sustainable housing policy is a top priority both for UN-Habitat and for Moscow."