World Cities Summit 2018

The 6th World Cities Summit (WCS) was held in Singapore from 8–12 July 2018 and took stock of rising urbanisation under the theme “Liveable & Sustainable Cities: Embracing the Future through Innovation and Collaboration”. These challenges are gaining urgency in the face of disruptive technologies and against the backdrop of global issues, including climate change and ageing populations. Four main themes—Governance, Planning, Resilience and Innovation—framed the sharing of common problems, best practices and policy options.

Cities can work towards tackling urban, water, environment and transport management issues as an integrated whole by implementing circular economy principles such as more intensive reuse and recycling. To pay for all the works that need to be done, cities will also have to be innovative with their financing options.

Delegates highlighted the transformative changes disruptive technologies can bring to almost all aspects of society, including new modes of business, communication and transport, not to mention industry churn and job losses, and the re-skilling of the workforce. Making cities more ‘people-centric’ has been a major recurrent theme of the WCS. This call was further advanced with the proposal to add a fourth “P” (people) to the term “3P” (public-private partnership). Such advocacy for greater people participation is aligned to global trends such as the rise of an increasingly active and vocal citizenry.

Key insights:

To address technological disruptions, cities should enhance their planning and urban governance approaches to meet the urgent need for innovation, and even to reorganise society in some ways.
Citizen participation and collaboration is now more vital than ever to harness the benefits of digitalisation and to implement urban solutions in a more integrated way.
To nurture a societal culture of experimentation and reinvention, city governments should engage, and allow more space to citizens and entrepreneurs.
To enhance resilience, especially social resilience, cities need a new planning paradigm for a more inclusive people-oriented city.
Cities can seek out innovative new ways to extract revenue and value from existing resources, and also look to other cities for ideas to finance infrastructure.
Harnessing a city’s assets, especially culture and nature, can add much to its capacity for resilience and for collaboration to boost sustainability and liveability.

View Highlights of WCS 2018 WCS Reflections 2018 WCS 2018 Highlight Video

MAYORS FORUM

Embracing disruptive innovations and financing infrastructure topped the agenda of the 9th WCS Mayors Forum. Delegates explored how liveable cities could learn and adopt new technologies and find more sources to fund infrastructure projects.

Globally, there is a renewed call to embrace innovation with fresh mindsets ready for experimentation and adaptation; to reimagine the city as a living laboratory to try out new ways of building a city. For cities to nurture and embrace innovation, the mayor’s role must go beyond addressing municipal issues to telling a new and inspiring story about the future of the city, persuading citizens to buy into the benefits of adapting to technological change and participating more in shaping development.

Cities must re-examine their financing options beyond traditional taxation, adapting to marketplace shifts such as the rise of the virtual economy with new players like online taxi services. As city governments and commercial players enter into closer partnerships, they must work harder to win the trust of citizens so that, together, the city can present a more integrated and attractive case for private sector investment.

View Mayors Forum 2018 Report

Check out all of the Participating Cities

View Cities 2018

LEE KUAN YEW WORLD CITY
PRIZE LAUREATE CITY: SEOUL

Seoul was awarded the 2018 Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize. South Korea’s capital is recognised as the role model for megacities with a will to change. Seoul has successfully turned itself around from a bureaucratic top-down city with rising tensions between the government and its people, into one that is inclusive, socially stable and highly innovative.

With its successful and impactful high-quality projects to repurpose urban infrastructure, Seoul has proven itself to be an excellent example of a city where leadership, commitment to citizen engagement, data-supported problem-solving decisions, and creative designs can transform the built environment, add vibrancy and improve quality of life.

YOUNG LEADERS SYMPOSIUM

This year’s Symposium focused on innovation and disruption in the public, private and people sectors. Selected Young Leaders shared how they harnessed innovation in their areas of expertise.

Key observations:

Working with partners not only enables constant innovation, but also innovation at scale. Technology platforms can allow smaller, more agile companies to showcase their capabilities and innovative ideas that larger companies, government agencies and non-governmental organisations can tap.
Working with people is crucial for the success of any plan. Young Leaders discussed a host of methods—from using digital technologies, to creating urban living labs and building cycling facilities as well as skyparks and underground links—for better transportation planning and promoting active mobility.
A light regulatory approach and the creation of “sandboxes” will allow companies to experiment and for people to experience and embrace innovation and disruption.

THEMATIC TRACKS

Urban Governance Session 1: Can Good Governance Prepare Cities for Disruptive Innovations?

Urban Governance Session 2: Let’s Talk About Money: How Will Cities of the Future Be Financed?

Planning Session 1: They Say “Old Is Gold”, But Is It Really? Urban Regeneration Through Integrated Planning

Planning Session 2: Can We Create Inclusive Communities Through Master Planning?

Resilience Session 1: What Does It Take to Be an Environmentally and Economically Resilient City?

Resilience Session 2: Social Resilience: A Critical Component of a Liveable and Sustainable City

Innovation Session 1: Disruptive Innovations: A Bane or Boon for Cities?

Innovation Session 2: Does Public-Private-People Collaboration Yield the Best Social Innovations?

World Cities Summit 2018

Key insights:

To address technological disruptions, cities should enhance their planning and urban governance approaches to meet the urgent need for innovation, and even to reorganise society in some ways.
Citizen participation and collaboration is now more vital than ever to harness the benefits of digitalisation and to implement urban solutions in a more integrated way.
To nurture a societal culture of experimentation and reinvention, city governments should engage, and allow more space to citizens and entrepreneurs.
To enhance resilience, especially social resilience, cities need a new planning paradigm for a more inclusive people-oriented city.
Cities can seek out innovative new ways to extract revenue and value from existing resources, and also look to other cities for ideas to finance infrastructure.
Harnessing a city’s assets, especially culture and nature, can add much to its capacity for resilience and for collaboration to boost sustainability and liveability.

View Highlights of WCS 2018 WCS Reflections 2018 WCS 2018 Highlight Video

World Cities Summit 2018

MAYORS FORUM

Check out all of the Participating Cities

LEE KUAN YEW WORLD CITYPRIZE LAUREATE CITY: SEOUL

YOUNG LEADERS SYMPOSIUM

THEMATIC TRACKS

Urban Governance Session 1: Can Good Governance Prepare Cities for Disruptive Innovations?

Urban Governance Session 2: Let’s Talk About Money: How Will Cities of the Future Be Financed?

Planning Session 1: They Say “Old Is Gold”, But Is It Really? Urban Regeneration Through Integrated Planning

Planning Session 2: Can We Create Inclusive Communities Through Master Planning?

Resilience Session 1: What Does It Take to Be an Environmentally and Economically Resilient City?

Resilience Session 2: Social Resilience: A Critical Component of a Liveable and Sustainable City

Innovation Session 1: Disruptive Innovations: A Bane or Boon for Cities?

Innovation Session 2: Does Public-Private-People Collaboration Yield the Best Social Innovations?

World Cities Summit 2018

MAYORS FORUM

Check out all of the Participating Cities

LEE KUAN YEW WORLD CITYPRIZE LAUREATE CITY: SEOUL

YOUNG LEADERS SYMPOSIUM

THEMATIC TRACKS

Urban Governance Session 1: Can Good Governance Prepare Cities for Disruptive Innovations?

Urban Governance Session 2: Let’s Talk About Money: How Will Cities of the Future Be Financed?

Planning Session 1: They Say “Old Is Gold”, But Is It Really? Urban Regeneration Through Integrated Planning

Planning Session 2: Can We Create Inclusive Communities Through Master Planning?

Resilience Session 1: What Does It Take to Be an Environmentally and Economically Resilient City?

Resilience Session 2: Social Resilience: A Critical Component of a Liveable and Sustainable City

Innovation Session 1: Disruptive Innovations: A Bane or Boon for Cities?

Innovation Session 2: Does Public-Private-People Collaboration Yield the Best Social Innovations?

LEE KUAN YEW WORLD CITY
PRIZE LAUREATE CITY: SEOUL

LEE KUAN YEW WORLD CITY
PRIZE LAUREATE CITY: SEOUL