19 September 2025
Urban7 brings local perspective on housing to G7 Senior Urban Development Officials meeting
Photo: From left to right: Anders Rasmusen, Manager, Policy and Research (FCM), Megan Meaney, Executive Director (ICLEI Canada) and Matthew Bach, Managing Director for Strategy and Policy (ICLEI Europe).
Presenting Urban7 Perspectives on Non-Market Housing: Challenges and Opportunities, the U7 highlighted how cities are delivering innovative, community-led housing solutions, but continue to face barriers such as fragmented governance, outdated regulations, and insufficient financing. It called for a long-term, people-centred approach that empowers municipalities, aligns public and private investments, and safeguards vulnerable groups.
The presentation featured examples from U7 cities and partners, including Freiburg’s climate-conscious Kleineschholz district, Vienna’s rent control framework, Lille’s Circular Building Convert project, Malmö’s Malmö Commitments and Mallbo project and Barcelona’s municipal housing agency. These cases demonstrate how local action, when paired with enabling governance and financing, can offer sustainable and socially inclusive housing solutions.
The discussion in Ottawa is part of the broader U7 engagement in the G7 Sustainable Urban Development track, where local leaders bring forward concrete solutions and underline that sustainability and social equity must go hand in hand.
U7 Secretariat 2025:
The U7 is receiving financial support from the BMWSB.