Habitat: 50 Years of Transforming Cities in Canada and the World
Half a century after the Vancouver Declaration first established adequate housing as a basic human right, UBC and UN-Habitat return to the city where it began — to take stock of what cities have become, and to chart what they must become next.
*participation in this event qualifies for 8.75 CPL units from the Planning Institute of British Columbia
About the Symposium
Mother Theresa, one of many international dignitaries, at Habitat I. Photo credit: Mark Osburn. Photo courtesy Lindsay Brown, habitat76.ca
From the Vancouver Declaration to the next 50 years of urban policy.
In 1976, more than 2,000 delegates from 130 countries gathered in Vancouver for the first United Nations Conference on Human Settlements — the largest UN conference of its time. The resulting Vancouver Declaration affirmed adequate shelter as a basic human right, called for state responsibility over land and planning, and laid the foundation for what would become UN-Habitat.
Fifty years later, the world has 2.8 billion inadequately housed people, 1.1 billion living in informal settlements, and a climate emergency reshaping every city on Earth. The 1976 questions are still the right questions. Habitat: 50 Years of Transforming Cities in Canada and the World brings the original conference’s spirit back to where it began — to evaluate the legacy of the Vancouver Declaration and ask what equitable, sustainable urbanism demands of us now.
Keynote from Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach, alongside global NGO leaders, planners, and policymakers — without leaving Vancouver.
Shape the next chapter
2026 launches UN-Habitat’s new Strategic Plan and the New Urban Agenda mid-term review. Decisions made now will shape global urban policy for a decade.
Cross-sector convening
Connect and collaborate with local academics, government, non-profit organizations, and industry — in structured dialogue, in one place.
A landmark Canadian moment
Habitat I was a signature Canadian contribution to global development policy. The 50th anniversary is your chance to be part of how that legacy continues.
Keynote Address
Reaffirming the global urban agenda from where it began.
United nations under-secretary-General & Executive Director, UN-Habitat
Anacláudia Rossbach
An economist with more than 20 years of experience in housing, informal settlements, and urban policy, Anacláudia Rossbach leads the United Nations agency for sustainable urbanization. The keynote conversation will explore how the vision established in Vancouver has evolved through Habitat II, the New Urban Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, while addressing the opportunities and challenges facing cities over the coming decades.
Program Themes
Four themes. Drawn from the Vancouver Declaration. Still the right questions.
Each theme will explored through 7-10 minute panellist provocations, followed by a moderated discussion with the audience.
Adequate & Affordable Housing
The right to adequate housing — including informal settlements and homelessness
Affordability in Vancouver, Canada, and the world
Participatory Planning & Governance
Voices of women, youth, the urban poor, and Indigenous peoples
Soliciting and mobilizing local knowledge
Climate Risk & Resilience
Environmental protection and sustainable resource use
Climate change, migration, and urban vulnerability
Enabling Innovation
Innovative solutions for everyday urban needs
Sustainable housing and energy technologies for local contexts
Inside the Plenary Hall at Habitat Forum, 1976. Photo credit: Alan Clapp, with permission from the Alan Clapp Collection. Photo courtesy Lindsay Brown, habitat76.ca
The symposium anchors a broader set of commemorative events in Canada and around the world.
Day 1
Welcome from UBC, Musqueam, and UN-Habitat leadership
Panels on housing rights, affordability, and participatory planning
Rapid-fire student-led research insights
Keynote discussion with Balakrishnan Rajagopal, former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing (2020-2026)
Day 2
Panels on the legacy of Habitat Forum, urban risk and resilience, and housing policy solutions
Keynote discussion with Anacláudia Rossbach, UN Under-Secretary-General & Executive Director, UN-Habitat
Evening CBC Massey Lecture with Leilani Farha, Global Director of THE SHIFT, at the York Theatre
