UN-Habitat Selected 2026 Scroll of Honour Winners
The international agency recognized five global projects for their contributions to sustainable urban development.
Updated on Oct. 9, 2026 in Civic Engagement
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UN-Habitat has named five recipients for the 2026 Scroll of Honour Award from a pool of 101 nominations. The global awards recognize organizations and individuals working to provide adequate housing and improve urban life.
Why it matters
The recognition highlights critical initiatives amidst a global crisis where up to 3.4 billion people currently lack adequate housing. These projects offer scalable solutions to urban challenges and the rapid growth of informal settlements.
The awards honor work across Brazil, Myanmar, Pakistan, Tunisia, and the United Kingdom. These efforts address a global population of 1.1 billion people living in slums, a figure that has risen by 130 million since 2015.
The players
UN-Habitat
This United Nations agency promotes socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities.
Sadiq Khan
He serves as the Mayor of London and has overseen initiatives to expand rent-controlled housing in the city.
Abdelmalek Ghannem
He is a construction specialist based in Bizerte, Tunisia, who developed specific building methods.
The details
Awardees include the Indigenous village Aldeia do Espraiado - Tekoa Ara Hovy in Brazil, the Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency in Pakistan, and housing projects in Myanmar and Tunisia. Mayor Sadiq Khan of London is also recognized for efforts to increase the supply of rent-controlled homes.
Timeline
1989: The UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award was launched.
2015: Baseline year for global slum population increase tracking.
2026: UN-Habitat announced the five award recipients.
Political Context
The awards highlight regional efforts to address the global housing shortage, following the established precedents of the UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award. Opposition groups often argue that such awards focus too heavily on symbolic gestures rather than addressing the underlying systemic failures in urban planning and financing.
These awards spotlight specific programs that may eventually impact the availability of affordable housing in various regions. Residents in participating cities should monitor local policy developments to see if these recognized methods are implemented in their own communities.
The takeaway
The selection of these diverse winners illustrates that there is no singular solution to the global housing crisis. Effective urban development requires a combination of localized construction methods, government programs, and intentional policy planning.
What happens next
London aims to initiate the development of at least 6,000 rent-controlled homes by 2030, while the Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency plans to facilitate 100,000 affordable units in the coming years.
Further reading
Find more information on global Civic Engagement initiatives and awards.
Source note: This article includes information reported by ArchDaily.
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