Bogotá has been selected to host the global celebration of World Cities Day on October 31, 2025 – a United Nations observance that highlights the role of cities in advancing sustainable development. This year’s theme is “People centred smart cities”. The announcement was made at a press conference in the Colombian capital, with representatives from the city and UN-Habitat.
World Cities Day is marked each year to celebrate the achievement of cities in addressing pressing global challenges. By 2050, nearly 70 per cent of the world’s population is expected to live in urban areas, placing increased demands on housing, services, infrastructure, and climate resilience, while raising questions about social equity and inclusion.
“We are proud to celebrate World Cities Day 2025 in Bogotá, a city that exemplifies how innovation can serve people and communities. This is a moment to come together, recognise urban progress, and reaffirm our shared commitment to inclusive, sustainable, and people-centred cities,” highlighted Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-Habitat.
“The global celebration in Bogotá will be a unique opportunity to foster international dialogue on people-centered smart cities, where technology and data serve to enhance quality of life, strengthen citizen participation, and bring communities closer to adequate housing,” said Elkin Velásquez, Regional Director for UN-Habitat in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Bogotá was selected for its efforts to integrate inclusion, resilience, and sustainability into urban development. The city has implemented policies promoting social inclusion, housing access, sustainable mobility, and climate action, while adopting approaches that use data and citizen participation to improve public services and quality of life.
“For Bogotá, hosting World Cities Day is both an honour and a great responsibility. We’ll welcome the world with a city that puts people at the centre and shows it’s possible to build resilience, sustainability, and inclusion through trust and citizen participation,” said Carlos Fernando Galán, Mayor of Bogotá.
The 2025 edition of World Cities Day will be the second tme the global celebration takes place in Latin America, following its 2016 commemoration in Quito during Habitat III. Previous host cities include Shanghai, Ekaterinburg, Liverpool, Luxor, and Alexandria.
The event will bring together representatives from national and local governments, United Nations agencies, development partners, civil society, academia, and the private sector. Participants will share lessons, best practices, and practical approaches to strengthening the role of cities as engines of sustainable development.
World Cities Day concludes Urban October, a month-long UN-Habitat campaign that mobilises people and organisations worldwide to promote dialogue and action for more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient cities.