Open the gateway for high density and tall buildings with the City Advocacy Forum.
As cities worldwide face the unprecedented demands of rapid urbanization, the need for bold, forward-thinking solutions has never been greater. We are rising to this challenge through the development of the City Advocacy Forum—a collaborative and data-driven platform designed to champion sustainable, resilient, and inclusive high-density urbanism.
Thanks to our 2026 Cities for People Premier Program Partner: Talls Solutions | FG
The future is dense.
Preparing cities for unprecedented levels of density is one of the world’s most pressing—but least publicized—challenges. Founded as a space for both ideation and action, the Council on Vertical Urbanism’s City Advocacy Forum brings together leaders from across the planning sector to share groundbreaking ideas and craft impactful policies that meaningfully address the problem.
Nearly 70% of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050.
Built for cities, designed for action.
The City Advocacy Forum is more than a data platform—it’s a tool for change. By leveraging Council on Vertical Urbanism conferences and chapter events to exchange ideas and forge partnerships, we produce:
Moderated workshops
From density and urbanization to climate resilience, social equity, and housing, we identify and prioritize the key issues that define the future of global cities.
Public panel discussions
The Forum serves as a dynamic platform for collaboration, bringing together government leaders, policymakers, urban planners, private developers, and investors to exchange ideas, forge partnerships, and drive change.
Comprehensive work outputs
By gathering best practices and groundbreaking case studies, we empower cities with actionable insights and strategies to overcome their most significant challenges.
Vertical Urbanism Index
The Vertical Urbanism Index (VUI), the flagship data product of the City Advocacy Forum, was developed to examine how cities respond to modern challenges through vertical development. The VUI is a comparative, data-driven framework that evaluates the intersection of vertical construction, population distribution, and livability outcomes.
Click below to explore the components of the Index, including social, economic, environmental, density, and vertical development data across the world’s megacities.
Explore the data
Annual Report
The 2025 Vertical Urbanism Index Report summarizes the data collected for 83 urban agglomerations, including every area with over 5 million residents as of 2025. Read the latest report to see how tall buildings and density produce different livability outcomes across the world’s largest cities.
Read the 2025 Report
Be part of the solution.
Become a member of the Council on Vertical Urbanism and participate in the discussion via ENGAGE, our robust online community.
Log in to ENGAGE
