Selected resources on Continuing Urbanisation

Strategic Foresight

UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Urbanisation data, reports and forecasts;
UN-HABITAT - the United Nations programme working towards a better urban future;
UNISDR - UN Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction;
UNFPA United Nations Population Fund, State of the World Population, (2017);
UN-HABITAT
- World cities report 2016, (2016);
- State of the world cities 2012/2013, (2013)
UN, World urbanization prospects, (2014);
The New Urban Agenda, setting the urbanisation agenda to 2030;
The World Bank - Urban Development;
Arcadis - Design & Consultancy for natural and built assets, Sustainable Cities Index;
PwC Megatrends: Rapid urbanisation;
GEO - Group on Earth Observations, GEO Human Planet Initiative: Spatial Modelling of Impact, Exposure and Access to Resources, (2017-2019);
URBACHINA (Sustainable Urbanisation in China: Historical and Comparative Perspectives, Report Summary, (2015); - (Mega-trends towards 2050) (Funded under EC FP7-SSH);
EEA - European Environment Agency:
- Stronger measures needed to tackle harm from air pollution, (2016);
- Living in an urban world, (2014);
GCEC - Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, Unlocking the Power of Urban Transport Systems for Better Growth and a Better Climate (PDF), (2016);
OECD - Organisation for EconomicCo-operation and Development, The Metropolitan Century; Understanding Urbanization and its Consequences, (2015);
Bloomberg, A $6.8 Trillion Price Tag for China's Urbanization, (2014);
The World Bank, World Development Report 2009 - Reshaping Economic Geography (PDF), (2009).

New report: Ecological characterisation of peatlands and coastal lagoons in Europe

In July, the Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity ( KCBD) published the report " Ecological characterisation of peatlands and coastal lagoons in Europe". The report responds to a policy request submitted...

NEWS | 15 Jul 2026

EU law on nitrates pollution remains effective, with scope for smarter implementation

The European Commission today published the first comprehensive evaluation of the Nitrates Directive since its adoption in 1991. Covering more than 30 years of implementation, the evaluation shows that EU...

NEWS | 14 Jul 2026

OBSERVER: ESOTC 2025 — Record heat, melting ice, and a continent under pressure

Europe faced another year of exceptional climate extremes in 2025, with almost the entire continent recording above-average annual temperatures. The European State of the Climate (ESOTC) 2025...

Originally Published \| Last Updated	25 Jul 2018 \| 02 Oct 2018
Knowledge service \| Metadata	Strategic Foresight \| The Megatrends Hub \| Continuing urbanisation
Digital Europa Thesaurus (DET)	climate change degradation of the environment economic growth pollution poverty quality of life smart city urbanisation collaborative economy

Competence Centre on Foresight

Selected resources on Continuing Urbanisation

New report: Ecological characterisation of peatlands and coastal lagoons in Europe

EU law on nitrates pollution remains effective, with scope for smarter implementation

OBSERVER: ESOTC 2025 — Record heat, melting ice, and a continent under pressure