UIA establishes permanent Habitat Commission to advance housing and human settlements

The UIA has established a permanent Habitat Commission, approved by the UIA Council on 11 September 2026. Bringing together expertise developed through three UIA Work Programmes – Social Habitat, Community Architecture & Human Rights and Informal Settlements – the Commission will strengthen the architectural profession’s contribution to research, international dialogue and public policy on housing and human settlements.

The new Commission provides a common framework for examining the relationship between housing, communities and their built and natural environments. It will also support the UIA’s engagement with UN-Habitat and the international agenda on housing and human settlements.

The Commission’s approach recognises that adequate housing cannot be considered in isolation from the wider urban context. Access to transport, water, essential services, public space and civic life is fundamental to creating inclusive and sustainable communities. Without these connections, housing development risks reinforcing spatial and social segregation.

Guided by the right to adequate housing, the Habitat Commission will address the social, economic and environmental dimensions of human settlements, recognising the interdependence of the built environment and its natural surroundings.

Zhang Li, President of the UIA, stated:

“Architecture has a responsibility to look beyond individual buildings. The right to adequate housing is closely connected to the quality of the places and communities in which people live. Through the Habitat Commission, we want to strengthen the profession’s contribution to creating more inclusive, equitable and sustainable human settlements.”

Connecting architectural expertise with public policy

The Habitat Commission will examine how people inhabit space, the relationship between communities and their environments, and the social, economic and environmental challenges associated with human settlements.

Through research and collaboration, it will make knowledge drawn from architectural practice available to public institutions and other stakeholders working to improve living conditions.

Teresa Táboas, Secretary General of the UIA, added:

“Housing and urban challenges require sustained engagement, not isolated responses. By establishing a permanent Habitat Commission, the UIA is creating a framework through which architectural research and professional experience can contribute to public policy over time.”

Habitat as a permanent priority

The establishment of the Habitat Commission recognises habitat as an enduring priority for the architectural profession. As a permanent body, the Commission will strengthen the UIA’s contribution to advancing the right to adequate housing and more equitable and sustainable human settlements.