Fuzhou Hosts World Cities Day 31 Oct to 2 Nov 2026 Highlighting Housing Development

Fuzhou City in Fujian Province, China, serves as the host of the 2026 World Cities Day alongside the ceremony for the 4th Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities, or the 4th Shanghai Award, from 31 October to 2 November 2026. The event is a collaboration between the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People's Republic of China, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the People's Government of Fujian Province, and is organised by the Fuzhou Municipal People's Government together with the Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of Fujian Province. Held under the theme Regenerating the City: Adequate Housing for All, meaning urban regeneration for housing accessible to everyone, the event conveys China's people-centred approach to urban development through conferences and on-site visits.

Schedule and Key Information for 2026 World Cities Day

The official opening ceremony took place on 31 October 2026 alongside the 4th Shanghai Award ceremony honouring cities with outstanding achievements in sustainable development. Key information and the main schedule across the three-day event are summarised in the following table.

International Cooperation Forums and Launch of the Urban Development Report

The main conference on the morning of 1 November 2026 brought together more than 100 mayors, representatives of international organisations, academics and experts from China and abroad. Participants exchanged perspectives on new directions in quality urban development and shared practical experiences and lessons of success from around the world to advance the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda. In addition, the event featured the official launch of a report on China's urban development guidelines.

Beyond the main forum, several parallel sessions were held to expand international cooperation in housing and the environment. Key exchange meetings during the event included:

• The Bureau Meeting of the Executive Board of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)
• The China-UK Expert Exchange Meeting on Green and Liveable Urban Development and Expanding International Cooperation
• The China-South Korea Cooperation Meeting on Housing and Urban Development
• The China-Canada Exchange Meeting on Green Buildings and Low-Carbon Approaches
• The 3rd Housing Exchange Meeting between Mainland China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR)

Interactive Exhibition Space and Smart City Model Field Visits

The event featured an interactive exhibition space focusing on urban regeneration and high-quality housing development. This exhibition presented global trends in sustainability, China's new models of urban management, public commitment to improving quality of life, and the development direction of the construction industry for the global community. At the same time, delegates from China and around the world visited sites on the ground to study successful examples of old residential community regeneration, urban flood control systems and smart city development.

News of this event is suited to international conference organisers looking to study a global event format that connects academic conferences with interactive exhibition spaces and off-site visits. Furthermore, hoteliers and property developers can follow trends in green buildings and low-carbon approaches to apply to hospitality businesses, whilst travellers interested in urban exploration can see Fuzhou's direction in conserving and regenerating old communities alongside the development of modern infrastructure.