Goal 11 of 17

Sustainable cities and communities

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

What this goal is about

Goal 11 is about the places where most people now live: cities and towns. It asks whether people can find a safe home they can afford, travel easily and safely, breathe clean air, use parks and public spaces, and recover when floods, heatwaves or earthquakes hit.

Cities are home to 45% of the world's 8.2 billion people, and two-thirds of future population growth to 2050 is expected there, according to the UN's World Urbanization Prospects 2025. They cover a small share of the planet's land but use most of its energy, so how they grow shapes health, jobs and climate for decades.

Progress is mixed. Access to public transport has improved and urban sprawl has slowed, but about 1.16 billion people lived in slums or informal settlements in 2024, air quality has stalled since 2020 and access to open public space is falling.

1.16 billionurban residents living in slums or informal settlementsUN, Sustainable Development Goals Report 2026, 2024

61.5%of urban residents with convenient access to public transportUN, Sustainable Development Goals Report 2026, 2025

45.9%of urban residents within 400 metres of open public spaceUN, Sustainable Development Goals Report 2026, 2025

45%of the world's population living in citiesUN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025, 2025

The main targets

11.1

Make sure everyone has adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services, and upgrade slums, by 2030.

11.2

Give everyone safe, affordable, accessible transport and safer roads, with attention to women, children, older people and people with disabilities.

11.3

Make urban growth inclusive and sustainable, with planning in which residents take part.

11.4

Do more to protect and safeguard the world's cultural and natural heritage.

11.5

Cut deaths, people affected and economic losses from disasters, including floods, protecting poor and vulnerable people.

11.6

Reduce the environmental impact of cities per person, especially air pollution and municipal waste.

11.7

Provide safe, inclusive and accessible green and public spaces for everyone, by 2030.

11.b

Increase the number of cities with integrated plans for inclusion, resource efficiency, climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction.

Summaries in plain English. The full wording of every target and indicator is on the UN Goal 11 page.

What businesses can do

Make commuting easier. Offer transit allowances instead of parking, flexible start times and remote days. Put walking distance to public transport on the list when choosing premises.
Cut the waste you send to the city. Separate recyclables properly, buy fewer single-use supplies and ask your waste contractor what actually gets recycled.
Make premises and websites accessible. Provide step-free access and clear signage, and build your website to the WCAG 2.2 accessibility guidelines so everyone can use your service.
Plan for disruption. Write a one-page plan for floods, heat and power cuts, with cloud backups and a tested remote setup so you can keep trading.
Buy and hire locally. Use competitive local suppliers and offer apprenticeships to nearby residents, which shortens deliveries and spreads opportunity in the neighbourhood.

What you can do

Travel lighter. Walk, cycle or use public transport where it is safe. It cuts traffic and air pollution on the streets you share.
Report local problems. Use your city's reporting app or website for broken lights, drains or rubbish. Students should ask a parent or teacher to help with accounts.
Care for shared spaces. Join park or beach clean-ups and tree planting with your school or a recognised group, never alone at unfamiliar sites.
Have your say. Respond to council consultations, attend public meetings with an adult or join a youth council, and give specific, local feedback.

Where digital tools help

Open maps such as OpenStreetMap, free satellite data such as the Global Human Settlement Layer and open air quality platforms such as OpenAQ help cities see where people live, how they move and what they breathe, including in informal areas missing from official maps. Simple services matter as much: live bus times, reporting portals that show when a fault is fixed and SMS flood alerts that reach basic phones. Technology helps only when someone has the budget and authority to act on the data, and surveillance-heavy designs can cost public trust.

Strategy and go-to-market Mobile apps