CSUD’s Anna Rubbo Represents at World Urban Forum 12 in Cairo
The Center for Sustainable Urban Development (CSUD) was proud to be represented by Dr. Anna Rubbo at the 12th World Urban Forum (WUF12), held in Cairo, Egypt from November 4–8, 2024. Hosted by UN-Habitat under the theme “It All Starts at Home: Local Actions for Sustainable Cities and Communities,” the event convened over 25,000 delegates—from heads of state to grassroots activists—to share strategies for urban sustainability.
As part of WUF12, Rubbo led a well-attended session on November 5 titled “A Call to Action: the SDGs Local Learning Studio (LLS),” introducing an international initiative set to launch in 2025. With partners from Denmark, Brazil, Bangladesh, and Nigeria, the Local Learning Studio aims to accelerate the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into built environment education globally. The initiative seeks to build capacity for inclusive and participatory urban design through an interactive website, research publications, symposia, and ongoing knowledge sharing—culminating in contributions to future World Urban Forums through 2030.
Rubbo also participated in a November 7 session, “Lifelong Learning in our Digital World,” organized by the Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization, where she spoke on “Learn to Learn how to Learn.” Her remarks underscored the growing importance of adaptive, ongoing education in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
CSUD was one of 45 institutions selected to contribute a short lecture as part of the Habitat UNI Pocket Guide (available here), reflecting the strong presence of academia at the Forum. UN-Habitat Executive Director AnnaClaudia Rossbach emphasized the vital role of universities in tackling urgent urban challenges—especially the global housing crisis, which affects over three billion people.
In addition, Rubbo served as a judge for the UIA-UN Habitat 2030 Award, which recognizes projects that advance the SDGs. She presented the award for the housing category during the official ceremony. Finalist films, praised as excellent learning resources, are available here (UN Web TV Recording), with additional links to finalist content to be shared once available.
The Cairo Call for Action, the Forum’s final declaration, echoed the goals of the Local Learning Studio: a collective, community-driven push to localize the SDGs and address the global housing crisis. CSUD looks forward to continuing its collaboration with Habitat UNI and partners around the world to advance sustainable urban futures.