Foreword

It is our pleasure to present the members’ report of the Twelfth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF12), held in Cairo from 4 to 8 November 2024. It captures the contributions and presence of ISOCARP and its members at WUF12. While some time has passed since the event, the ideas, reflections, and exchanges documented here remain highly relevant – especially as we look ahead to WUF13, set to take place in Baku, Azerbaijan from 18 to 22 May 2026.

For example, the members’ reflections served as inputs for discussions at the UN-Habitat Global Stakeholder Forum (22-23 May), and last week’s UN-Habitat Assembly in Nairobi and launchpad encouraging early input to WUF13.
This WUF report also serves as a bridge and input to our upcoming 61st World Planning Congress “Cities and Regions in Action – Planning Pathways to Resilience and Quality of Life”, to be held in Riyadh from 1 to 4 December 2025. It offers an opportunity to reflect, reconnect, and continue shaping our contribution to WUF13 and other global urban agendas.

This publication showcases a selection of ISOCARP members’ engagements, what they have contributed to and taken away from WUF12, both on-site and online. We thank all contributors for their commitment and ideas. A special thank you goes to ‘City Space Architecture’ for the successful co-hosting of a booth at the WUF12 Expo, together with ISOCARP, RTPI, APA and UPSC.

ISOCARP extends its deep gratitude to the Society members Olga Chepelianskaia, Martina Juvara, Vera Marin, Tathagata Chatterji, Dorota Kamrowska-Zaluska, Apostolos Kyriazis and event coordinators Tijana Tufek Memisevic and Wafa Al-Daily, for their contributions to this report.