Future Cities

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Today, 55% of the world's population lives in urban areas, a proportion expected to reach 68% by 2050. This unprecedented urbanisation megatrend will strain existing infrastructure and create new challenges for cities. As cities compete and expand into greenfield sites, the pressure to urbanise intensifies. 

This closing plenary explores how cities can develop more thoughtfully, prioritising residents’ wellbeing over assumed expansion, while considering the vital role of regional towns and districts in our collective future.

This session explores how cities are reimagining neighbourhoods to achieve health, equity, and sustainability. The focus is on a hyperlocal, human-scaled planning approach that makes essential services and amenities accessible within short distances. 

This three-dimensional, mixed-use model has gained urgency post-pandemic to address changing work patterns, aging populations, and the need for climate resilience. The main challenge is the growing complexity of urban demands, requiring planners to balance:

• Increasing density with liveability
• Economic viability with affordability
• Demographic shifts and technological advancements with climate adaptation

Through city case studies, the session will identify opportunities and challenges in planning and development, discussing critical parameters like density, walkability, economic models, and digital infrastructure integration.

Led by the Housing Development Board, Singapore

As cities worldwide contend with ageing infrastructure, the need to revitalise, rejuvenate, and reimagine urban estates becomes imperative – especially amidst rising climate threats, increasing density, and demographic shifts. This session addresses the multifaceted challenges of ageing infrastructure. From the physical degradation of buildings to the evolving needs of diverse and ageing populations, we explore how cities are tackling infrastructure renewal through innovative approaches. 

Discussions will cover strategies for rejuvenating estates for energy efficiency, climate resilience and accessibility, the use of digital tools for predictive maintenance and estate renewal, and holistic approaches that integrate sustainable design with community wellbeing. Through case studies from Singapore and other leading cities, speakers will share practical insights on transforming existing estates and neighbourhoods into inclusive, resilient, sustainable and liveable communities for all ages and abilities.

Led by United Nations Development Programme

A dedicated session on female leaders by UNDP will spotlight how female mayors and women city leaders are advancing safer, more inclusive cities through gender-responsive urban governance. While fewer than one in seven women hold mayoral positions globally, evidence shows that with female leadership, greater attention to safety, care services, and participatory decision-making comes to the fore.

The session focuses on measurable urban outcomes, with female mayors sharing practical innovations spanning policy reforms, urban design, service delivery, and financing that address women's safety, improving mobility, and strengthening care-sensitive systems. The discussion will explore how cities are using data, digital tools, and citizen-generated inputs to make the female lived experiences visible and actionable in planning and budgeting processes. It will conclude with concrete takeaways for scaling gender-responsive solutions across cities.