In a rapidly urbanizing world, climate change, and growing social disparities have stranded the built environment at the crossroads of equity, resilience, and sustainability. Within this paradigm, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offer a universal framework for addressing these challenges holistically. Architecture and planning—as disciplines grounded in both creativity and responsibility—are vital to translating this global vision into tangible, human-centered solutions.

Within this premise, the Council of Architecture (COA), in collaboration with Chitkara School of Planning and Architecture, Chitkara University, Punjab through its international platform, launches SHAPE 2026: Sustainable Habitats and Architecture for People and the Earth—a thought-provoking conference that convenes architects, planners, educators, researchers, policymakers, and students to explore how spatial design can advance the UN–SDG agenda. This platform seeks to critically engage the architectural fraternity in dialogues and knowledge exchange centered on the integration of the SDGs into architectural thinking, design, and pedagogy.