Cities at a Crossroads: Housing, Land, and the Politics of Urban Inequality

Geneva, Switzerland — As global mayors and ministers convene in Geneva for the UN Forum of Mayors and the Ministerial Meeting on Urban Development, a pressing question hovers over the agenda: Who has the right to the city — and who decides?

As Mayors and Ministers of Housing converge on Geneva, October 6-8, 2025, issues of rising displacement and insecure tenure are expected to be top of the agenda at the UN Forum of Mayors and the Ministerial Meeting on Urban Development. (Photo: UNECE Cities)

Across the world, cities are growing faster than housing systems can handle. Behind skylines and infrastructure lies a more fragile foundation — one of rising displacement, precarious land tenure, and widening inequality. As high-level dialogue unfolds in Geneva, many urban dwellers are still fighting for a stable place to call home.

The Unequal Terrain of Urban Land

In Nairobi, over 60% of the population lives in informal settlements, many of which face recurrent threats of eviction. In Bangkok, land speculation is driving out renters and converting low-income neighborhoods into commercial zones. Medellín’s lauded urban renewal strategies have lifted some residents while displacing others in the name of “transformation.”

“You can’t build inclusive cities on exclusive land systems,” says architect and urban policy expert Juan Miguel Restrepo. “Urban planning that ignores land rights is just spatial injustice in disguise.”

Evictions on the Rise

According to UN-Habitat, more than 15 million people are forcibly evicted every year, often without compensation or legal recourse. While some evictions are triggered by infrastructure or climate adaptation projects, others are tied to opaque land deals and speculative real estate markets.

In Lagos and Manila, new waterfront developments have led to the mass displacement of low-income communities, prompting international scrutiny and legal action from rights groups.

The Push for Local Reform

Some cities are responding with bold land and housing reforms. In São Paulo, a land value capture mechanism funds social housing near transit hubs. In Cape Town, new regulations support the formalisation of backyard rental units to expand affordable housing stock. Barcelona has adopted vacancy taxes to disincentivize speculative ownership and reintroduce underused properties into the housing market.

Governance at the Core

Experts say the challenge is not just technical — it’s political. Land policy is often controlled at the national level, limiting municipal capacity to address urban inequality. The Geneva meetings are expected to call for stronger local powers, integrated land governance, and participatory planning that brings marginalized voices into decision-making.

“Urban inequality is not inevitable,” says Dr. Felicia Wang of the Global Cities Alliance. “It’s a product of who gets to decide, who is included in land systems, and who is left out.”

From Vision to Action

Geneva’s policy dialogues aim to connect high-level commitments to on-the-ground action — from inclusive zoning and tenure recognition to upgrading informal settlements and protecting renters. But success will hinge on political will and financial support for cities to translate rights into reality.

As the global urban population surges past 5 billion, the urgency to democratize land governance — and secure housing as a human right — has never been clearer.