The GHSL Urban Centre Database and WUP Projections contributing to a Global Data Coalition for Cities

Globally consistent datasets are essential for urban climate action. We present two European Commission JRC products the GHSL Urban Centre Database (GHS-UCDB 2025) and GHSL World Urbanisation Prospects (GHS-WUP 2025) as open digital infrastructures for climate action at city level.

Methodology: GHS-UCDB uses the UN-endorsed Degree of Urbanisation method, merging Earth Observation and population data to delineate 11,422 urban centres. It provides 473 indicators for climate, emissions, and hazard exposure from 1975–2030 combining data from partner organisations and open geospatial data. GHS-WUP extends this to 2100 via the CRISP model, supplying 1km gridded projections as the data backbone for UNDESA’s World Urbanization Prospects 2025.

These tools empower policymakers to benchmark exposure, model climate risks, and prioritise investments aligned with NDCs, SDG 11, and the Sendai Framework. Their open architecture democratises digital urban intelligence for underserved cities.

- World Urbanization Prospects: https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/world-urbanization-prospects-2025

- GHSL Urban Centre Database: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-023-02691-1