WRI Ross Center at World Urban Forum 12

The Twelfth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF12), convened by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), will take place in Cairo, Egypt, from November 4-8, 2024, returning to the African continent after more than 20 years after its inception in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2002.

WRI Ross Center experts will be leading and taking part in events covering many topics, from nature-based solutions to housing, gender, social inclusion, resilience and sustainable mobility.

This page will be continuously updated.

Monday, November 4

EBRD Green City Action Plan Methodology Discussion at WUF12 (RSVP REQUIRED)

• Time: 10:45-11:45am
• Location: Bilateral Hub – Hall 5, Room 13
• Description: The EBRD will convene urban experts to launch updated methodology for their Green City Action Plan (GCAP). In order to attend, advance registration is required. RSVP now.  
• Convenors: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

• WRI contact: Adriana Kocornik-Mina, Senior Urban and Regional Economist, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

   

Tuesday, November 5

Cities for Adolescents: The NexGen Agenda

• Time: 9:00-10:00am
• Location: Urban Library – Room B
• Description: As cities grapple with the growing impacts of climate change, it's clear that the future belongs to those who will inherit them — our young residents. Yet, adolescents are often overlooked in urban planning and their unique needs remain unmet. But what if they were given a voice in shaping the cities they live in? In Jaipur (Rajasthan) and Bhubaneshwar (Odisha), India, the Healthy City for Adolescents (HCA) initiative is flipping the narrative. We are working to connect adolescents with communities and government bodies, empowering them to co-create public spaces that reflect their needs. To spotlight this power of collaboration, we will be presenting our Public Space Assessment Framework (PSAF) that has been co-created with 400+ adolescents across diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. We will dive into how this unique model of collaboration is shaping inclusive and accessible public spaces while fostering stronger partnerships between adolescents, local governments, and civil society. Join us to explore how adolescent voices can shape urban futures, one public space at a time.
• Convenors: WRI India, Ecorys UK Ltd.

• WRI contact: Prerna Mehta, Associate Program Director - Urban Development, Sustainable Cities & Transport, WRI India

   

Navigating the Polycrisis: Evidence-Based Policy for Resilient Cities

• Time: 11:00-12:30am
• Location: SDGs in Action – Room A
• Description: Whether it's the devastating floods in Dubai, the drought crisis in the Mediterranean area or deadly heatwaves across the Middle East, climate change keeps capturing headlines. Cities are both highly vulnerable and major contributors to climate change. Rising inequality, conflicts and political division adds layers to their current "polycrisis" reality. Over the past years, cities have been breaking silos, assessing their urban systems and co-creating resilience strategies with their communities. The challenges we face today, however, demand an even bolder approach. This event will showcase four innovative models developed by participant organizations. These models, embedded at the local and national levels, are supporting cities to integrate climate action and risk reduction plans into their strategic planning. One of the models showcased, UrbanShift's new Climate Action Guide for Urban Planners, will be launched on this day. WRI's John-Rob will attend and speak about the UrbanShift project and model. 
• Convenors: C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, Community Jameel, Global Resilient Cities Network

• WRI contact: John-Rob Pool, Senior Manager - UrbanShift & Nature-Positive Urban Development, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

   

Scaling Access to Climate-Resilient Housing and Urban Services in Informal Settlements

• Time: 11:00-12:30am
• Location: SDGs in Action – Room B
• Description: Two in three residents in cities of low-income countries live in informal settlements with insecure housing and inadequate urban services that puts them on the frontlines of climate risks. This event, hosted by the Resilient, Equitable Housing, Opportunities and Urban Services (REHOUSE) partnership, will explore successful, scalable solutions in policy and practice to advance access to climate-resilient housing and urban services, and the need for a more targeted approach to climate financing so that it reaches the most vulnerable communities.
• Convenors: Habitat for Humanity International, BRAC, Slum Dwellers International, Mahila Housing Trust, Build Change, World Resources Institute

• WRI contact: Maeve Weston, Research and Engagement Manager, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

   

Empowering Park Cities: Harnessing NbS, Parks & Urban Forestry for Climate Intelligence and Socio-Economic Growth

• Time: 1:00-2:30pm
• Location: Multipurpose Room 6
• Description: Originating in China, the “park city” is a new model for urban transformation and development under the global sustainable development framework. Park cities aim to integrate ecological values and environmental conservation into urban development, harmoniously integrating people, residential areas, the natural environment and socio-economic aspects. This approach aims to provide citizens with a higher quality of life characterized by a sense of accomplishment, happiness and security. RCPCI and UN-Habitat plan to bring the park city concept to the world, and this networking event aims to support this effort by bringing together leading experts to share valuable experiences of localizing SDGs around the world and building a park city network.
• Convenors: Research Centre of Park City Index (RCPCI), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, City of Sao Paolo, UN-Habitat, World Resources Institute

• WRI contact: Hellen Wanjohi-Opil, Climate and Engagement Lead, Cities, WRI Africa

   

Green and Resilient Buildings: From Multilateral Cooperation to Local Implementation

• Time: 1:00-2:30pm
• Location: Multipurpose Room 21
• Description: This event will take stock of multilateral initiatives focused on the decarbonization and resilience of the built environment. Two initiatives were recently launched to strengthen urban climate actions in the sector. SURGe (Sustainable Urban Resilience for the next Generation), developed in collaboration with UN-Habitat and facilitated by ICLEI, brings together non-state actors to enhance local and urban climate action through multi-level governance. CHAMP (Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships) represents a commitment taken by national governments to collaborate with their subnational counterparts for implementing their next NDCs and of local-level actions. WRI’s Rogier van den Berg will join the panel discussion and discuss a third initiative, the Subnational Climate Action Leaders' Exchange (SCALE) and its Zero Emissions and Resilient Buildings Accelerator.
• Convenors: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC), Ministry of Ecological Transition of France, World Resources Institute

• WRI contact: Roxana Slavcheva, Global Lead for Built Environment, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

   

Planning and Investing in Cities for Nature and Nature for Cities

• Time: 1:00-2:30pm
• Location: Voices from Cities – Room F
• Description: Convened jointly by the GEF and World Bank through the Global Platform for Sustainable Cities in collaboration with UNEP and other partners, this high-level event will explore the ways in which cities, with the appropriate level of planning and investment, are increasing urban biodiversity and are the key to accelerating the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). This session will feature insights from WRI's UrbanShift project which is supported by the GEF Trust Fund (GEF-7). 
• Convenors: Global Environment Facility (GEF), World Bank, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 

• WRI contact: John-Rob Pool, Senior Manager - UrbanShift & Nature-Positive Urban Development, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

   

Building a (Happy, Healthy & Safe) Cycle-Friendly Future for Children

• Time: 2:00-2:45pm
• Location: Urban Cinema
• Description: What if every child could cycle safely and joyfully in cities built for them? The Dutch Cycling Embassy's new documentary, "Building a Cycle-Friendly Future for Children," shows how creating cycle-friendly urban spaces empowers children, inspiring happier, healthier and safer communities. An accompanying panel discussion focused on sustainable urban mobility will highlight the importance of creating child-friendly and healthy urban environments and the need to overcome social challenges like improving poor cycling infrastructure, overcoming parents' fears around traffic safety and ensuring equitable access to cycling opportunities for all children.
• Convenors: Dutch Cycling Embassy

• WRI contact: Ana Maria Navia, Healthy Cities Manager, WRI Colombia

   

Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities: Sparking Global System Transformation Locally

• Time: 2:00-3:30pm
• Location: Multipurpose Room 12
• Description: This interactive networking event will focus on how a new instrument, “system demonstrators," can go beyond pilots to scaling system transformation in cities and help achieve the mission of climate-neutral and smart cities globally. Experiences from urban system demonstrator efforts focused on mobility, housing and energy from across Africa, Latin America, North America, Asia and Europe will be presented.
• Convenors: Vinnova, UN-Habitat, Climate Policy Initiative, Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance, NetZeroCities, Vital Cities  

• WRI contact: Steven Bland, Chief of Party - Clean Air Catalyst, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

   

Gender and Social Inclusion in African Cities: Gamechangers for Urban Sustainability

• Time: 3:00-4:30pm
• Location: Voices from Cities – Room D
• Description: Women and other vulnerable groups play a pivotal role in the making of inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities. Co-hosted by the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs & CHANGE Cities, this event will feature a coalition of stakeholders making the case for a deeper and sustained engagement of women and local communities in urban governance and climate adaptation. Grassroots groups will share stories of the catalytic power of gender sensitive and social inclusion (GESI)-responsive and nature-based solutions that are owned by local communities. City leaders will be invited to discuss their efforts to empower and drive the meaningful involvement of women in building sustainable and inclusive cities in Africa. WRI Ross Center Director Rogier van den Berg will moderate.
• Convenors: World Resources Institute, French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, CHANGE Cities

• WRI contact: Hellen Wanjohi-Opil, Climate and Engagement Lead, Cities, WRI Africa

   

Inclusive Data and Digital Tools for Informal Settlements

• Time: 3:00-4:30pm
• Location: Multipurpose Room 9
• Description: The global community urgently needs localized data that can be produced at scale so that local action can be taken to address the needs of neglected and vulnerable populations in slums and informal settlements. Presently, many methods and tools are developed within the research community to effectively monitor the dynamics of informal settlements and slums and spatial inequalities. However, there are two major challenges in this space: First, there is insufficient cooperation between different research groups working on methods and tools; and second, the research community is insufficiently engaging with community groups and policymakers to understand local information needs. Through three core sections: lighting talks, panel discussion and open forum, this session will primarily reflect on ways to improve the landscape of tools that combine geospatial and citizen-generated data for monitoring SDG 11.1 and, more generally, housing and environmental conditions. WRI Ross Center's Adriana Kocornik-Mina is a panelist. 
• Convenors: University of Glasgow

• WRI contact: Anjali Mahendra, Director of Global Research, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

   

Reducing the Housing Deficit in Latin America and the Caribbean Through Statistical Information Sources (RSVP REQUIRED)

• Time: 5:00-6:30pm
• Location: Multipurpose Room 10
• Description: About 45% of households in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have a housing deficit. During 2023, the IADB, OECD and the UN's ECLAC collaborated to prepare a regional information repository to improve housing deficit analysis and provide loans and technical support to improve and create sustainable housing for vulnerable populations. This session will explore the regional information repository and explore how it can support public policy, reduce information asymmetry, and provide relevant, country-specific data to reduce the housing deficit across LAC.
• Convenors: Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)

• WRI contact: Pablo Lazo, Director of Urban Development, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

   

Technology and Digitalization as Tools to Accelerate a Just Transition to a Sustainable Future for Cities

• Time: 5:00-6:30pm
• Location: SDGs in Action – Room D
• Description: This session will facilitate a dialogue between development agencies, donors, academia, authorities and the private sector on the role of technology and digitalization in promoting a just transition in urban development. Using examples from projects like EcoZones and SOLUTIONSplus in Asia, Africa and Latin America, panelists will discuss strategies to prioritize vulnerable communities, exploring how gender equality and social inclusion can be better integrated into development cooperation and policies, followed by a discussion and Q&A to deepen the conversation.
• Convenors: The International Climate Initiative (IKI)

• WRI contact: Andrea Villasís, Analyst of Engagement and Capacity Building, WRI México

   

Understanding Climate Risks to the Urban Poor

• Time: 5:00-6:30pm
• Location: SDGs in Action – Room B
• Description: This session presents the results of a new global "urban climate adaptation opportunity analysis" conducted for over 4,000 cities in USAID partner countries. This global analysis with city-scale results allows for a comparative understanding of underlying social and environmental vulnerabilities and projected climate change risks across cities of different sizes and locations. Together with USAID staff and partners working to advance urban climate programming, the session will convene a panel of human geography and data science experts to explore the limitations and possibilities of this analysis, as well as how it can be utilized to inform investments and scale up financing for action on urban adaptation.
• Convenors: US Agency for International Development (USAID)

• WRI contact: Eric Mackres, Senior Manager of Data and Tools, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

   

Wednesday, November 6

Donors' Meeting for Innovation and Action in Intermediary African Cities 

• Time: 8:00-9:30am
• Location: Egypt International Exhibition Center – Executive Director's Board Room
• Description: There is growing consensus that intermediary cities in Africa present critical opportunities to lead the world in novel practices that demonstrate how current advances in geospatial technologies and data, coupled with a willingness to experiment with new institutional structures and planning practices, can manage the pressures on urban growth in ways that are fiscally, environmentally and politically sustainable. These opportunities, however, need to be acknowledged and embraced quickly by local and national authorities, along with donor agencies, so that existing patterns of informal and exclusionary urban development and planning are forestalled. This session will convene representatives of major development agencies and private philanthropists to catalyze and streamline financial and technical support in intermediary cities in Africa that are positioned to innovate planning, governance, and technological practices and tools in pursuit of sustainable urban development. 
• Convenors: Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Commonwealth Association of Architects, Challenge Works

• WRI contact: Eric Mackres, Senior Manager of Data and Tools, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

   

Scorching Cities: Local Solutions to Combat Extreme Heat

• Time: 9:00-10:30am
• Location: SDGs in Action – Room B
• Description: As of April 2024, the world has seen 11 consecutive months of record-high global average temperatures. Global warming and rapid urbanization are exacerbating dangerously high daytime and nighttime temperatures – and complicating efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in cities around the world. The UN Secretary-General's recent Call to Action on Extreme Heat highlights the urgent need for action. Traversing the SDGs, the Call underscores the need to protect at-risk communities, safeguard workers, boost resilience and limit global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees C. This session discusses the local and global initiatives that are driving answers to this Call. It features efforts that blend indigenous wisdom with technological advancements, and it highlights the partnerships that meld technical expertise with locally relevant and effective heat risk management strategies and techniques. WRI Ross Center Global Director Rogier van den Berg will speak on WRI research findings and projects. 
• Convenors: UN-Habitat, Perry World House - University of Pennsylvania, Group on Earth Observation 

• WRI contact: Eric Mackres, Senior Manager of Data and Tools, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

   

Sustainable Mobility for Future Cities Innovations, Partnerships, and Collaborative Frameworks

• Time: 9:00-10:30am
• Location: SDGs in Action – Room C
• Description: Approximately half of the world's urban population lacks convenient access to public transport, hindering their ability to meet basic needs and access essential services like employment, healthcare and education. Inadequate and unsafe mobility services also present significant barriers to women's participation in the labor market. The session will showcase the pivotal role of data, technology and partnerships in promoting sustainable mobility. Exploring the transformative journey towards sustainable urban mobility, the session will feature projects considered to showcase best practices in employing a consolidated data and tech-driven approach to improve the availability and service levels of public transport as well as first-and last-mile connectivity including e-mobility solutions. Drawing on global insights from projects in Kigali, Addis Ababa, Manila and Cairo, as well as global projects such as Strength_M, e-BRT 2030, SOLUTIONSplus and GIANTS, the event highlights both challenges and success stories.
• Convenors: Urban Electric Mobility Initiative, Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative (TUMI), Transport for Cairo, World Resources Institute

• WRI contact: Esthelyne Dusabe, Project Specialist, Urban Mobility, WRI Africa

   

The How of Urban Transformations - Unveiling Successful Models of Inclusive Climate Action and a Toolbox for Replication

• Time: 10:30-11:30am
• Location: Urban Library – Room A
• Description: In this event, UNU-EHS, WRI and partners will unveil groundbreaking insights and tools for urban sustainability developed under the Transformative Urban Coalitions (TUC) project. We will showcase diverse transformation journeys of cities through two new publications: TUC's Urban Lab Profiles and Frontrunner Cities. WRI's Andrea Villasís will present the TUC Urban Labs experience in Mexico. Additionally, we will launch a toolbox designed to catalyze inclusive climate action, ready for adoption by cities worldwide.
• Convenors: United Nations University - Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), World Resources Institute

• WRI contact: Clare Blackwell, Urban Development Research Analyst, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

   

EcoZones: Co-Designing Inclusive Climate Action at the Local Level

• Time: 11:00-11:40am
• Location: German Pavilion
• Description: In this session, the Wuppertal Institute and WRI México will present a digital toolkit designed to help communities tackle climate vulnerability in their neighborhoods. This includes a mobile app for collaborative mapping and surveys, a results dashboard and a "Sustainable Urban Solutions" catalogue. The panel will showcase two pilot projects in Mexican cities, highlighting the feasibility of low-cost, inclusive, low-carbon solutions. The session will combine a workshop and presentation format, where participants will learn to use the tools on-site, and results from existing community mappings will also be shared.
• Convenors: The International Climate Initiative (IKI)

• WRI contact: Andrea Villasís, Analyst of Engagement and Capacity Building, WRI México

   

Planning in Crisis: A Food-Water-Energy Nexus Approach to Resilience

• Time: 1:00-5:00pm
• Location: Helnan Landmark Hotel
• Description: Local government practitioners around the Global South are facing similar challenges in their food, water and energy systems, including system inefficiencies, resource scarcity and insecurity. These challenges are exacerbated by the limited coordination between sectors, and in some instances, the absence of dedicated units to build strategic portfolios. In this session, city practitioners working on food, water, energy, waste, urban planning and resilience portfolios in local and metropolitan municipalities will be brought together to learn how a Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus approach can benefit resilience initiatives in cities and share unique perspectives on how their cities have sought to address similar challenges. The session will focus on guiding how local government practitioners can leverage mechanisms to achieve the WEF Nexus and share valuable insights on how crises are approached in their regions.
• Convenors: ICLEI-Africa, Utrecht University, Resilient Cities Network, World Resources Institute
• WRI contact: Hellen Wanjohi-Opil, Climate and Engagement Lead, Cities, WRI Africa

Scaling-up Financing for an Urban Shift towards Nature-Positive and Climate-Resilient Cities

• Time: 3:00-4:30pm
• Location: One UN – Room B
• Description: This dynamic discussion will highlight the need to scale up financing for the localization of the SDGs and other global environmental goals. Drawing on the experiences of UrbanShift cities, countries and partners, and the recommendations of the Urban SDG Finance Commission, the event will explore how national governments can unlock financing for local governments to implement sustainability activities. Building on the findings of the UNSDSN Global Commission for Urban SDG Finance, the first part of the session will set the scene and outline key challenges cities face in financing their sustainable transitions and how national governments and the international community can help increase financing flows toward cities. A panel discussion featuring local and national government representatives will follow; partners from across the UrbanShift network will also share their experiences and recommendations. The event will conclude with audience Q&A and reflections from leaders.
• Convenors: Global Environment Facility (GEF), World Resources Institute

• WRI contact: John-Rob Pool, Senior Manager - UrbanShift & Nature-Positive Urban Development, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

   

DeCODE: Nature-based Solutions for Climate Resilience

• Time: 3:30-4:15pm
• Location: India Pavilion
• Description: This session will highlight the significance of nature-based solutions (NbS) in enhancing climate resilience in cities, with a Pecha Kucha presentation format. John-Rob will represent WRI and present an overview of the financial challenges that need to be overcome by cities to scale implementation of NbS. The presentations will be followed by a discussion that aims to identify three actionable steps to overcome key barriers limiting the widespread uptake of NbS in cities.
• Convenors: India's National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), India Forum for Nature-based Solutions

• WRI contact: John-Rob Pool, Senior Manager - UrbanShift & Nature-Positive Urban Development, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

   

The Role of Cities in Decarbonizing the Built Environment and Construction Sector

• Time: 5:00-6:30pm
• Location: Multipurpose Room 21
• Description: This session will focus on creating awareness of the importance and role of cities and national-level decisions on circularity in decarbonizing the built environment objectives by 2025, 2030 and 2050. It will provide a forum for information exchange on roadmaps and action to decarbonize the buildings and construction sector across short-, medium- and long-term considerations, with the goal of discussing next steps towards implementation of roadmaps and the role of cities in implementing them. Roxana Slavcheva will join the session’s panel presenting the work of WRI teams on buildings sector decarbonization roadmaps and action plans from a multilevel governance perspective.
• Convenors: Ministry of Housing and Public Works of Bangladesh, Ministry of Works and Housing of Ghana, Ministry of Urbanism and Housing of Senegal, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction's (GlobalABC) Materials Hub and Circular Built Environment Group, Habitati for Humanity International, World Resources Institute
• WRI contact: Roxana Slavcheva, Global Lead for Built Environment, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

PEARLS 2: The Value of People-Led Urban River Regeneration Towards Climate Justice

• Time: 5:00-6:30pm
• Location: Multipurpose Room 13
• Description: Urban Rivers play a special role in restoring the environment while also promoting environmental and climate justice. The People Centered and Resilient Spaces related to Urban Rivers (PEARLS), an NTNU-led initiative launched at WUF11, has gained considerable momentum since then. The initiative’s central assumption is that social and environmental sustainability are closely intertwined, and therefore the success of urban transformation will depend on social justice and resilience, with rivers as essential points of sustainable urban change. The aim of this networking event is to promote local action for sustainable cities and communities towards more inclusive, livable, prosperous and climate-friendly cities. The event will consolidate and grow the outputs and outcomes achieved so far by the PEARLS initiative, helping to promote a new community of knowledge and practice.
• Convenors: Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), UN-Habitat, World Resources Institute
• WRI contact: Hellen Wanjohi-Opil, Climate and Engagement Lead - Cities, WRI Africa

Thursday, November 7

Towards a Global Coalition for Urban Data

• Time: 12:00-1:15pm
• Location: International Convention Centre – Executive Director's Board Room 
• Description: This session will discuss and explore ongoing global efforts and initiatives on urban data with a view to strengthening innovative partnerships for transformative impact, including the areas of urban expansion and densification opportunities, housing, slums and informal settlements data. It aims to provide insights and best practices to inspire partners and countries to leverage partnerships, technology and innovation to produce timely, accessibly and quality data that can tackle key urban development challenges faced by cities and countries, and ultimately improve people's lives. In particular, this session responds to the urgent need to tackle the global housing crisis, whereby 2.8 million people face various forms of housing inadequacy, driven and exacerbated by multiple other crises including the climate crisis.
• Convenors: UN-Habitat

• WRI contact: Eric Mackres, Senior Manager of Data and Tools, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

   

Thriving Cities - Can the Private Sector Help Create Sustainable Urban Environments?

• Time: 3:00-4:00pm
• Location: Urban Library – Room A
• Description: This session will bring experiences and concrete cases where companies are shaping urban environments and will critically inquire on their role and impact at the local level on both the city and its communities. One perspective that we will weave into the discussion is the connection between the local - to global - to local. The primary objective of this session is to foment and inform multi-stakeholder dialogues on the role of private actors and companies in shaping urban environments, based on key findings and insights from WBA’s 2024 Urban Benchmark and Takween's Tadamun initiative, as well as the recent publications and experiences of participant organizations.
• Convenors: World Benchmarking Alliance, Takween Integrated Community Development, Transport for Cairo, C40, World Resources Institute

• WRI contact: Roxana Slavcheva, Global Lead for Built Environment, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

   

Road to Trillions - Actionable Strategies to Close the Urban Finance Gap

• Time: 3:00-4:30pm
• Location: SDGs in Action – Room D
• Description: This event aims to showcase and discuss the key findings of the new, flagship 2024 State of Cities Climate Finance report by the Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance. The event will bring together urban climate finance experts to discuss the report’s key recommendations. Representatives from the UN's Sustainable Development Solutions Network Global Commission for Urban SDG Finance – including current Commissioner and WRI Ross Center Global Director Rogier van den Berg – and key partner organizations including the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance, the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean and PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, will discuss key UNSDSN Global Commission for Urban SDG Finance initiatives and proposals including the creation of a Green Cities Guarantee Fund, supporting contributions related to subnational and urban finance to inform the IPCC Special Report on Cities and CHAMP, the development of a city project portfolio approach to foster SDG finance, and alignment with multilateral development bank reforms to include the perspective of cities’ financial needs.
• Convenors: Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance, Climate Policy Initiative, GIZ, University of Pennsylvania's Institute for Urban Research

• WRI contact: Adriana Kocornik-Mina, Senior Urban and Regional Economist, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

   

Sustainable Urban Development Goals and the Formulation of National Urban Development Policy: Establishing Relationships with the Location of SDGs, the New Urban Agenda and Other International Agendas in Brazilian Cities

• Time: 5:00-6:30pm
• Location: SDGs in Action – Room C
• Description: In line with concerns raised by the sixth edition of Brazil's National Cities Conference and Council of Cities, and with concerns around the environment, climate change, sustainability and social justice increasing at the global level, the technical team from Brazil's Ministry of Cities organized and prepared Brazil's new National Urban Development Policy (PNDU). Modeled after the formulation of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the New Urban Agenda (NAU) and the Paris Agreement, Brazil's Ministry of Cities is in the process of consolidating 16 urban SDGs and finalizing the PNDU ahead of Brazil's seventh annual National Cities Conference later this month. WRI Ross Center Global Director Rogier van den Berg will attend and serve as a panelist at the session. 
• Convenors: Brazil's Ministry of Cities, Brazil's National Secretariat of Urban and Metropolitan Development
• WRI contact: Henrique Evers, Urban Development Manager, WRI Brasil

Friday, November 8

Enhancing Public Participation in Urban Design Through Digital Tools and Community Engagement: The cases of Vivo mi Calle and OSMOSI

• Time: 9:00am-12:00pm
• Location: Multipurpose Room 11
• Description: This interactive training session will combine the Vivo mi Calle (VMC) methodology for community engagement with cutting-edge digital tools from the European Commission's Research Projects of National Relevance (PRIN) project, OSMOSI. Participants will learn to empower youth and utilize AI and metaverse platforms to support public participation in urban planning. Additionally, this session will provide practical insights and hands-on experience in creating inclusive, healthy and sustainable urban environments through both physical activities and digital platforms.
• Convenors: Botnar Foundation, EAFIT University, Ecorys UK Ltd., Fundacio Despacio, Polytechnic University of Milan, World Resources Institute

• WRI contact: Ana Maria Navia, Healthy Cities Manager, WRI Colombia

   

Blueprints for Resilience: Crafting Accessible Solutions for Climate-Resilient Housing and Communities 

• Time: 11:00am-12:30pm
• Location: SDGs in Action – Room D
• Description: Miyamoto International and the Global Resilience Partnership's panel discussion will focus on two key innovations: 1) Miyamoto International's new Guide for Climate Resilient Retrofits and 2) a new "Living Repository," an innovative online platform that aggregates a vast collection of case studies. Together, these resources and insights aim to spark a global dialogue on scalable, cost-effective strategies for climate-resilient housing, fostering a collective push towards creating safer, more sustainable living environments. 
• Convenors: Global Resilience Partnership, Miyamoto International

• WRI contact: Shrimoyee Bhattacharya, Urban Development Program Head - Sustainable Cities & Transport, WRI India

   

Advancing Nature-Based Solutions in Cities: Lessons from the State of Finance for Nature in Cities Report 2024

• Time: 1:30-2:30pm
• Location: Urban Library – Room A
• Description: This event will discuss the second edition of the State of Finance for Nature in Cities report, drawing on insights gained from the UrbanShift project and building on key findings from the 2023 report. WRI Ross Center's John-Rob will join the roundtable discussion on the implications of this analysis, presenting his views on how additional finance for urban nature-based solutions (NbS) can be achieved and support global and local sustainable development goals.  
• Convenors: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), University of Pennsylvania's Institute for Urban Research
• WRI contact: John-Rob Pool, Senior Manager - UrbanShift & Nature-Positive Urban Development, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities