Dialogue 6: The loss of home

Urban areas around the world are being reshaped by global crises that have led to large-scale population displacements. As both epicentres of these crises and as spaces of refuge for the displaced, cities are central to discussions about the loss and recovery of home. The loss of home encompasses more than the destruction of buildings and property; it includes the uprooting of families and the loss of community and belonging.

This dialogue invites us to look beyond physical damage and focus on the loss of homes—places filled with memories and community connections. It will explore how localization can enhance the impact of urban crisis response to protect livelihoods and promote sustainable cities. Participants will hear directly from those who have experienced this profound loss, alongside insights from government officials, thought leaders and policy experts.

Through a keynote address, a performance, and two panels, the session will reflect on the thousands of homes recently lost in places like Gaza, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Somalia and Ukraine. We will consider how localization can strengthen urban crisis response and encourage a rethinking of the concept of home, particularly at the neighbourhood level, in transitional contexts of displacement and when returning home is not possible. 

We will examine the role of local involvement, highlighting both shortcomings and success stories to inform future policy and practice. These stories will inform a discussion of innovative approaches to urban crisis response, underscoring the importance of people over numbers, the value of fostering social cohesion and the need to build trust with government entities as part of “building back better.” 

By emphasising the critical role of local actors and placing the loss of home at the centre of crisis response, this dialogue underscores the transformative potential of localization in rebuilding not just houses, but resilient communities that contribute to sustainable urban development.

Guiding questions

• How have local and regional governments, and their associations and networks, effectively responded to urban crises, and how can these practices be scaled?  
• How can multilevel approaches be strengthened in international urban crisis response and recovery? 
• What are successful examples of how localization has empowered communities affected by urban crises as architects of their own recovery and as central to rebuilding processes?  
• How can people and communities that face displacement (re)create a home away from home until return is possible?   
• What does localizing crisis response involve? What are the concrete steps that localization efforts can take to ensure greater impact in responding to urban crises, while placing the issue of loss of home at the centre?  
• What are examples of crises where the loss of home was at the centre of response efforts vs. ones where it was not?

Key objectives

The session will inspire a renewed understanding of urban crisis response that foregrounds home, and the social fabric that encompasses it, as a foundation of our cities, communities and neighbourhoods. Participants will leave with concrete strategies for how local action can prevent, mitigate, and respond to the loss of home.

Key messages

• There are 117.3 million displaced people worldwide2 and cities are increasingly becoming both epicentres of global crises and places of refuge for displaced populations, creating an urgent need for rethinking urban crisis response. (#ItAllStartsNow)
• The loss of home involves more than the loss of houses; it impacts community bonds, cultural identity, and social fabric, challenging us to redefine our approach to crisis response. (#ItAllStartsAtHome)
• Cities are increasingly becoming both epicentres of global crises and places of refuge for displaced populations, creating an urgent need for rethinking urban crisis response. (#ItAllStartsLocally)
• Empowering local actors can enable creative, scalable and transferable solutions to prevent or mitigate the loss of home and aid in the creation of new ones. (#ItAllStartsLocally)
• Localizing crisis response offers substantial opportunities to emphasize prevention and ensure rebuilding goes beyond recovery to fundamentally transform territories, cities and communities for the better. (#ItAllStartsTogether)