As Wars Rage, Cities Face a Dark New Era of Urban Destruction
At the 12th edition of UN-Habitat’s World Urban Forum in Cairo, delegates grappled with the toll of conflict-driven devastation in Gaza, Lebanon and Ukraine.
A resident walks through the rubble of a damaged building after a Russian attack on Kostiantynivka, Ukraine, on November 22, 2024.
Photographer: Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images
Not far from the pyramids of Giza, symbols of the endurance of civilization, a global group of urban planners and scholars recently gathered to confront the myriad threats afflicting the physical city.
Calamity associated with climate change continued to be top of mind at UN-Habitat’s World Urban Forum 12, a summit to promote equitable and sustainable global cities held in Cairo in November. But another driver of urban devastation loomed especially large: intensifying military conflict.