To highlight the need for innovation in the face of rapid urbanization, UN Environment and UN Habitat collaborated with partners led by the Yale University School of Architecture and the Yale Center for Ecosystems in Architecture (CEA) – in collaboration with Gray Organschi Architecture – on an exhibition of a new eco-housing module. The 22-square-meter Ecological Living Module (ELM) sparked debate and proposed new ideas on how to redesign the way we live, through a Built Environment Ecosystem Framework which addresses the following:

1. Resilient and adaptable construction techniques

2. Renewable, locally-sourced materials and resources

3. Secure on-site solar energy

4. Safe sustainable water capture and purification

5. Indoor air quality remediation

6. Waste management integrated with distributed micro-farming

The first demonstration unit, located on the UN Plaza in New York City, during the 2018 High-Level Political Forum, contained features relevant to the local climate and context of New York.