The 2026 Innovate4Cities Conference (I4C26) opened in Nairobi using a community street art initiative to engage residents in discussions on climate action and urban development.

• The conference, hosted in Africa for the first time, centers on housing, infrastructure, and inclusive urban planning for global climate discussions.
• UN-Habitat Executive Director Anaclaudia Rossbach highlighted that informal settlements often stem from planning systems that exclude low- and middle-income residents and fail to recognize land's social and ecological functions.
• Nairobi, where an estimated 60% of residents live in informal settlements vulnerable to climate impacts, aims for tangible housing and slum-upgrading projects to demonstrate climate commitment, moving beyond mere dialogue.