Short-term aid cycles have long been the traditional way to address human displacement. However, this is not necessarily a long-term, sustainable solution, as the global population of refugees is projected to reach 1.2 billion by 2050. In response to this urgent issue, today (29 October 2026), a group of global architects, humanitarian leaders, and financial strategists has announced the launch of ‘Refugee Cities’, a decadal infrastructure project designed to provide permits and a self-sustaining ‘city’ design, funded by institutional investment rather than relying on finite philanthropy.
Discover BIG's 'Refugee Cities' project
Neighbourhood area in Refugee Cities
Architecture juggernaut BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) partnered with to.org, a platform that delivers infrastructure projects within refugee settlements, including the Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Centre in Uganda, to work together on the project and redefine the economics of human displacement.
A commericial street render in Refugee Cities
The collaboration aims to rethink refugee settlements and turn them into urban economic hubs. So far, the first building prototype comprises a modular structure designed as a ‘single-family base unit’.
Agriculture building render
‘If the average stay in refugee camps is around two decades, then the term temporary cannot be said to suffice. If we start thinking of cities rather than camps, then charity becomes investments into the future, and if companies can be incentivised to locate their production in refugee cities, then the refugees can be given economic opportunities that they currently long for. We have attempted to design a scalable, phaseable, modular blueprint for a new way to accommodate the global flow of refugees,’ says Bjarke Ingels, founder and creative director of BIG.
Ariel view of Refugee Cities
The city is focused on ten design principles. Its foundation is the family unit, clustering homes into neighbourhoods, which evolve into districts that can eventually expand over time. At the core will be shared infrastructure, logistics, and production facilities, such as a food market, a co-working centre, an arts and crafts hall, a football field, technical workshops, a fitness rooftop, a healing garden, a health centre, and training spaces to support the city as it evolves.
The project’s financial modelling is designed to acquire land and develop infrastructure that helps provide sustainable commercial returns over several decades. Named ‘Opportunity Zones,’ these buildings will span manufacturing and agriculture. The project also requires host-nation governments willing to grant regulatory flexibility and legal work rights to refugees.
The first phase of the plan begins immediately, starting with the construction of a single-family base prototype, which will be located at the Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Centre and will present a tangible look at the project's long-term durability. To launch full-scale execution, there is an active call for both host governments to designate land and regulatory zones, and funders to commit early-stage capital.