This side event offers a platform for exchange and outreach for the Five-Year Programme on Urban–Rural Heritage Conservation and Sustainable Development (2026–2030), "Heritage Hub", launched in Busan, Republic of Korea, on 22 July 2026. The programme was jointly initiated by WHITR-AP Shanghai, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and UN-Habitat. Drawing on urban and rural heritage cases from different regions and at different territorial scales, the programme identifies common challenges and strategies, and promotes exchanges on international experience and emerging approaches. Guided by UNESCO's 2011 Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape and UN-Habitat's New Urban Agenda, it focuses on the links between urban and rural areas. It seeks to integrate these principles into urban planning, regeneration, rural revitalisation and the improvement of human settlements, contributing to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The event will bring together experts from UN-Habitat, UNESCO, WHITR-AP, the Metropolitan Heritage Association and Chinese universities. They will explore how global policy frameworks can be translated into local action, and share experience from China, the Asia-Pacific region and the Global South with a wider audience. The event is also part of the activities marking the 40th anniversary of Shanghai's designation as a National Famous Historical and Cultural City.