By Faridat Salifu
Bogotá has been selected to host the global observance of World Cities Day 2025 on October 31, with the theme “People-centred smart cities.”
The United Nations event, led by UN-Habitat, highlights how cities can address environmental, social, and technological challenges through inclusive urban development.
By 2050, nearly 70 per cent of the world’s population will live in urban areas, intensifying pressure on housing, infrastructure, public services, and climate resilience.
The 2025 celebration will focus on how smart city technologies and urban innovation can improve quality of life while supporting climate adaptation, low-carbon development, and sustainable mobility.
Speaking at a press briefing in Bogotá, UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach said the event would recognise cities driving environmental and social transformation.
She described Bogotá as a model of urban innovation that integrates sustainability, community participation, and digital solutions in its planning.
Elkin Velásquez, UN-Habitat’s Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, said the global event will promote dialogue on how data and technology can strengthen climate resilience and equitable service delivery.
Bogotá was selected in part for its environmental policies promoting clean transport, green spaces, circular economy practices, and community-based climate action.
Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán said the city is committed to showing that urban resilience, sustainability, and inclusion are achievable through public trust and citizen engagement.
The 2025 edition marks only the second time World Cities Day will be globally commemorated in Latin America, following its 2016 observance in Quito.
Past host cities include Shanghai, Ekaterinburg, Liverpool, Luxor, and Alexandria.
The Bogotá celebration will draw national and local government representatives, UN agencies, researchers, civil society groups, and private sector leaders to share best practices for sustainable urban development.
World Cities Day concludes Urban October, a UN-Habitat campaign aimed at advancing resilient, inclusive, and environmentally sustainable cities through global dialogue and action.
