NEWS

         

A month ago, the winners of the 4th edition of the Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation (Guangzhou Award) were announced. Out of more than 200 applications, only 15 local and regional governments from different parts of the world made it to the final stage of the competition, and had the chance to present their initiatives at the International Seminar on Learning from Urban Innovation, which was part of the series of events convened by the People’s Government of Guangzhou Municipality from 6 to December 2018. This seminar, along with the Guangzhou Award ceremony and the Global Mayor’s Forum, were dedicated to highlighting innovation initiatives that improve social, economic and environmental sustainability worldwide.

Now, everyone who did not have the chance to attend this three-in-one major event last December can have a taste of 15 remarkable experiences in urban innovation. We are pleased to present, in first hand, the testimonies of the representatives from the 15 shortlisted governments in the Guangzhou Award, featuring our members eThekwini, Guadalajara, Surabaya, Wuhan and Yiwu. In the video interviews below, they tell us the details of the initiatives that are inspiring examples in the fields of accessibility, cooperation, inclusion and resilience.

A key driver of the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and implementation of the New Urban Agenda, urban innovation is at the core of the Metropolis work on urban diplomacy and metropolitan advocacy. Metropolis Urban Innovation is a program led by the People’s Government of Guangzhou Municipality that encompasses the biennial Guangzhou Award and the Guangzhou Institute for Urban Innovation, and allows cities around the world to learn from each other and solve their problems with local resources and applied global knowledge.