From 17-20 October 2016, representatives from almost 200 UN member states gathered in Quito on the occasion of Habitat III. They adopted the New Urban Agenda (NUA), a non-binding global framework connecting the dots between urbanization and sustainable development. Even though the NUA falls short of expectations as a clear implementation agenda, Michael Woodbridge and Monika Zimmermann argue that it can be of relevance to local and regional governments. In Global Governance Spotlight 7|2016, they furthermore explain how local actors can contribute to sustainable development irrespective of the further development of NUA.