BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 18. The 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF) in Baku can strengthen the international cooperation around sustainable urban development, World President of the FIABCI (International Real Estate Federation) Antonio Campagnoli said in an exclusive interview with Trend on the sidelines of the forum.
He noted that FIABCI’s main priority at WUF13 is to reinforce the role of the real estate sector as a strategic partner in achieving sustainable, inclusive and resilient urban development.
“As a global federation representing professionals and stakeholders from more than 83 countries, FIABCI strongly believes that cities can no longer be developed through isolated approaches. We advocate for integrated collaboration between public institutions, private investors, local communities, academia and international organizations,” noted Campagnoli.
He pointed out that at WUF13, FIABCI will particularly focus on:
- affordable and accessible housing;
- urban regeneration and mixed-use development;
- climate resilience and ESG integration;
- public-private-people partnerships (PPP models) and in particular, public-private-people- policy - people partnerships (5P models);
- sustainable investment frameworks capable of generating both economic and social value.
“We also believe that the implementation phase is now the key global challenge. The world already has many strategies and visions; the next step is transforming them into operational and financially viable projects,” said Campagnoli.
He went on to add that the real estate sector plays a central role because it directly shapes how people live, work, move and interact within cities.
“Real estate is not only about buildings. It is about creating urban ecosystems capable of improving quality of life, social cohesion and economic opportunities. Today, the sector must evolve from a purely transactional perspective toward a long-term stewardship model. This means integrating environmental sustainability, social inclusion, accessibility, energy efficiency and community engagement into development strategies. The private sector can also accelerate innovation by bringing managerial capacity, investment resources and implementation expertise to urban projects that otherwise risk remaining only theoretical ambitions,” Campagnoli explained.
He believes that one of the biggest challenges is the growing imbalance between housing demand and affordability.
“In many countries, middle-income families are increasingly excluded not only from property ownership but also from quality rental markets. At the same time, sustainability requirements are becoming more complex and costly, especially in relation to energy transition and building adaptation. Another major challenge is financing. Sustainable urban transformation requires long-term capital, regulatory clarity and bankable project structures. There is also a need to reduce fragmentation between urban planning, infrastructure, social policies and investment frameworks. Cities must be approached as integrated systems rather than disconnected sectors.
Finally, geopolitical instability, inflation, demographic changes and climate-related risks are significantly impacting investment decisions worldwide,” added Campagnoli.
The World President of FIABCI noted that cooperation requires moving beyond traditional consultation models toward genuine co-creation processes.
“International organizations can provide global frameworks, knowledge-sharing platforms and policy guidance, while the private sector can contribute operational expertise, innovation and implementation capacity. FIABCI strongly supports multi-stakeholder approaches where local authorities, communities, investors and international institutions work together from the earliest stages of project development. We also believe that public-private partnerships must increasingly evolve into “public-private-people partnerships,” ensuring stronger community participation and social legitimacy. In this context, platforms such as WUF are extremely important because they create opportunities for dialogue between actors that do not always interact within traditional institutional structures,” he noted.
Campagnoli believes that emerging markets have a unique opportunity because they can integrate sustainability and innovation directly into their growth models without necessarily repeating the mistakes of older urban systems.
“Countries such as Azerbaijan can position themselves as strategic hubs connecting Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East, while promoting new approaches to urban development, infrastructure and real estate investment.
There is strong international interest in:
- green and resilient urban infrastructure;
- smart cities and digital integration;
- affordable housing models;
- tourism and hospitality regeneration;
- energy-efficient developments;
- mixed-use and community-oriented projects.
The key factor is creating transparent, stable and implementation-oriented ecosystems capable of attracting long-term institutional investment. WUF13 in Baku represents an important opportunity to showcase these ambitions and to strengthen international cooperation around sustainable urban development,” he concluded.
