The Centre for Liveable Cities spearheaded a Mayors’ Forum at the event, and will partner with the World Bank (WB), UN-HABITAT and Asian Development Bank (ADB) to transform the energy and connections from the forum into a global network. The aim of the group is to create an online community of the world’s urban leaders for networking on shared problems and solutions, and to foster sustainable communities.
“Today, we are facing many issues that we must resolve from a global perspective, such as global warming, poverty, and disaster,” said Ms. Fumiko Hayashi, mayor of Yokohama City Government in Japan. “It is extremely important that we overcome national borders and coordinate regional approaches when dealing with these problems. I have high hopes that this forum will become a model for inter-city collaboration towards the resolutions of these global issues.” Last year was the first time in the history of the world where 50 percent of the Earth’s inhabitants lived in cities. This trend is projected to continue to grow, with an estimated 70 percent of urban dwellers by 2050. The second biennial World Cities Summit focused on practical, scalable and replicable solutions to challenges faced by cities today and tomorrow. The event delivered on its aims to feature model cities and innovative urban solutions that can enhance economic value, while addressing environmental challenges.
