As one of 200 experts and the sole American on the National Urban Policies unit, I was in Paris last week to meet with my group. I flew to France filled with unbridled optimism about the future of sustainable urbanization.

Then, just hours after our meeting on November 13th, Paris was attacked. Subsequent actions by world leaders have me thinking about the implications of war on urbanization. Remembering the tragic events of 9/11 and the U.S. government’s reactions, I am deeply concerned that resources desperately needed for urbanization will be re-allocated to defense. What could the trillions of dollars the U.S. has spent on wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have done to improve cities, especially those that experienced decline over the last few decades?

While we certainly need to ensure the safety of citizens, urbanization is unlikely to be slowed by such attacks. We must dedicate resources to other fundamental quality-of-life issues that will be pressing as city populations rise. Projections for growth are staggering. In 1950, 746 million, or 30 percent of the world’s population, lived in cities. Today, 54 percent are urban-dwellers, and by 2050, over 66 percent (or 3.9 billion people) will call a city home.

Fortunately, Habitat III offers a far-reaching opportunity to discuss how best to plan and manage cities, towns and villages. HIII can also help shape future global development and climate change goals — by securing renewed political commitment for sustainable urban development, assessing accomplishments to date, addressing poverty, and identifying and addressing new and emerging challenges.