ISD Foundation partners to design and deliver integrated urban models and strategies that connect local needs with sustainable development objectives in under-resourced communities.
We aim to build the capacity and resilience of local actors and policy makers, as well as mobilize effective international working coalitions of technical experts, innovators, and investors.
Bridging disciplines and possibilities to drive sustainable change
Transformative projects through sustainable and inclusive community infrastructure
By 2050, two-thirds of the world's population will reside in urban areas. Already today, 1 billion people live in inadequate housing and 2 billion lack access to basic sanitation, the majority in urban areas.
Against this backdrop, many rapidly developing cities lack the necessary infrastructure and resources to adapt to the escalating impacts of climate change, leading to service disruptions, food insecurity, public health impacts, and increased pressure on already stretched resources.
UN Sustainable Development Goal 11 aims to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable by 2030. Despite good intentions, progress towards this goal has been slow due to a lack of political will, insufficient investment, ineffective policies, and an absence of scalable models for inclusive and sustainable urban growth.
ETH Zürich and founder of atelier masōmī
Sustainability is not just about the environment. It is about supporting people, their lives, economies, and cultures.