Une coopération à plusieurs niveaux peut permettre de proposer des logements abordables et durables

En bref…

• Cities are at the forefront of SDG localization. Affordable and sustainable housing shows how municipalities turn global and national commitments into concrete action, supported by effective multi-level governance.
•  As discussions on the post-2030 Agenda will begin next year, local and regional governments should be meaningfully involved in shaping the next global development framework, whose implementation will largely depend on action at the local level.

On 10 July 2026, on the margins of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in New York, the Global Cities Hub moderated an event organized by Switzerland, in collaboration with Brazil and other partners, on “Scaling affordable and sustainable housing in a rapidly urbanizing world.” Bringing together representatives from national and local governments in Switzerland and Brazil, the event explored how cities are turning the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into concrete housing policies, and how effective multi-level governance can support affordable and sustainable urban development.

The exchanges highlighted how national governments can create enabling conditions for SDG localization through legal, financial and institutional support, while municipalities tailor these frameworks to their own contexts and priorities. Although Switzerland and Brazil operate in very different contexts, both are federal countries that have embedded the SDGs into national policies and developed mechanisms to help subnational governments integrate them into local planning. These include SDG indicators, capacity-building programmes, financial support and peer-learning opportunities for municipalities. The event also illustrated how the cities of Basel, Switzerland, and Francisco Morato, Brazil, have integrated the SDGs into municipal governance, through instruments such as Basel’s Voluntary Local Review and Francisco Morato’s municipal legislation on the SDGs.

Housing challenges differ considerably between the two countries. In Switzerland, land scarcity, demographic growth and rising housing demand put pressure on affordability. In Brazil, rapid urbanization, informal settlements and growing climate risks are among the most pressing concerns. Despite these differences, both experiences showed that cities are on the front line of delivering affordable and sustainable housing, adapting national frameworks to local realities, while cooperation across all levels of government remains essential to provide the legal, financial and institutional conditions that make local action possible.

The mayors of Basel and Francisco Morato also highlighted a common challenge: accommodating growing populations while ensuring that housing remains affordable, resilient and sustainable. In Basel, the Basel baut Zukunft initiative illustrates how public authorities can work with private developers to secure affordable housing while promoting urban regeneration. In Francisco Morato, where rapid metropolitan expansion has led to unplanned urban growth, the priority has been to steer development away from flood-prone areas and improve residents’ safety and resilience.

A key message emerging from the discussion was that expanding the housing supply inevitably involves difficult trade-offs. Cities must reconcile the need to build more homes with climate objectives, efficient land use, environmental protection and liveable neighbourhoods. Affordable housing therefore cannot be considered in isolation: it must be planned together with transport, access to services, economic opportunities and climate resilience if it is to contribute to genuinely sustainable urban development.

The event also underscored the importance of multi-level governance. Successfully localizing the SDGs depends on sustained cooperation between national, regional and local authorities, supported by partnerships with civil society, international organizations and the private sector. The discussion also demonstrated the value of learning across contexts. While Switzerland and Brazil face different realities, they are grappling with remarkably similar questions about affordability, sustainability and social inclusion. Sharing experiences across countries and cities can therefore help identify innovative approaches and strengthen collective efforts towards achieving SDG 11.

As discussions on the post-2030 development agenda will begin next year, it will be essential to ensure that LRGs are meaningfully involved in shaping the next global development framework, as its implementation will largely depend on action at the local level. In this regard, the Forum des maires de l'ONU – the only formal UN body in which mayors participate in their own capacity – offers a unique platform for States to engage directly with city leaders and draw on their experience in shaping the future global development agenda.