(Yicai) Nov. 4 -- The 2026 SDG Cities Global Conference opened in Shanghai yesterday as part of the celebrations marking World Cities Day. Held under the theme “Regenerating the City: Adequate Housing for All,” the two-day event was co-hosted by the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, also known as UN-Habitat.

The Chinese editions of the Shanghai Manual: A Guide for Sustainable Urban Development in the 21st Century - 2026 Annual Report and the UMF-Shanghai Adapted Index Application Report 2026: Various Scenarios & Proposed Solutions in Global Cities , along with a series of reports exploring specific urban development scenarios and their applications were released during the conference. Mayors and representatives of cities recognized in the fourth cycle of Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities (Shanghai Award) also shared their experiences and best practices through in-person and video presentations.

The conference also announced the launch of an initiative to deepen international cooperation on World Cities Day international public goods. China and UN-Habitat will further strengthen their regular cooperation mechanisms, expand collaboration across multiple areas and jointly develop international exchange platforms such as the SDG Cities Global Conference.

This year’s conference runs from Nov. 2 to 3. The plenary session brought together around 400 participants from China and abroad, including government representatives, mayors and city officials as well as experts and academics, business leaders and representatives of international organizations. Nearly 100 international delegates from more than 30 countries and regions attended the event to exchange ideas and explore practical approaches to improving living conditions and enhancing urban functions through urban regeneration.

Editor: Kim Taylor