Issue 21: Emerging Stronger

Generating 80% of the world’s economy and home to half its population, cities are at the frontline of the climate crisis, and womb to the innovations and resources needed to spawn solutions. How then can cities create sustainable futures fast enough, while emerging stronger in the process? What paradigm shifts would pave the way for this vision, changing the way cities are designed, built, financed and operated?

Featuring interviews and guest articles by city leaders and experts, this World Cities Summit special issue of Urban Solutions explores the vision of a stronger and sustainable urban future through various themes. I wish to highlight three key insights that have emerged:

Sustainable financing is the missing piece.

Accelerating sustainable financing to create and enable green solutions is critical. Minister Indranee Rajah’s reflection on Singapore’s progress in sustainable development and green financing highlights this. Likewise, in his essay Sameh N. Wahba explores how investing in nature, people, institutions and resilience are cost-effective and have long-term payoffs.

Multi-stakeholder ecosystems play a key role in future urban development.

A strong ecosystem comprising the community, institutions, and the private and public sectors is crucial and forms the bedrock of future urban development. In his essay, Professor Zhu Dajian notes the importance of public-private partnerships in urban infrastructure development, and shares an analytical framework based on finance, governance and policy. Lim Eng Hwee examines how collaborations can help usher in a new era of urban logistics.

We need a paradigm shift in the way we think about cities.

Today’s cities need to start thinking differently. Sarah Mineko Ichioka argues we should reconsider cities as places we contribute to making and caring for—rather than consume. The New Urban Kampung Research Programme offers us a glimpse into a future neighbourhood built with the help of data, while the Incredible Edible Todmorden and the Loveability Project explore cities thriving on kindness and emotions. Mayor Peter Manuel Feldmann also shares how diversity has been key to the success of Frankfurt so far, and will likely stay so in the future.

Also featured is Vienna, the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize 2020 Laureate. Austria’s capital is a leader in adapting to climate change. Its groundbreaking initiatives include managing flood risks and an eco-friendly mobility that slashes carbon emissions while improving residents’ quality of life. The Special Mentions of the Prize also offer inspiration and insights into a stronger and sustainable urban future.

This special issue of Urban Solutions for the 8th World Cities Summit (2022) expresses hope for the future of our cities. I hope it leaves you optimistic too, so we can—and will—emerge stronger.

Hugh Lim
Executive Director
Centre for Liveable Cities