RELEASE: Grassroots Coalition in the Philippines Wins Global Cities Prize for Transport Reform

Winner of the 2025-2026 WRI Ross Center Prize for Cities, the Move As One Coalition unites commuters and workers to drive safer, more inclusive transport in Manila, reshaping how the city moves

NEW YORK, NY (April 20, 2026) — World Resources Institute (WRI) today announced that the Move As One Coalition — a grassroots, youth-led movement advancing transport reform in the Philippines — has been awarded the $250,000 grand prize for the 2025–2026 WRI Ross Center Prize for Cities. Presented at the historic Morgan Library & Museum in New York, the Prize recognizes transformative projects that improve health, sustainability and equity in cities.  

This year's winner is recognized for turning everyday frustration into collective action — bringing together commuters and transport workers to push for changes that are making daily journeys safer, more reliable and less uncertain for millions. What began in Manila has grown into a national movement, now gaining traction in cities across the Philippines. At a time of rising costs and economic pressure, its work shows how better transport can open access to jobs, strengthen urban economies and improve everyday life.  

The Move As One Coalition was named Grand Prize Winner by businessman and philanthropist Stephen M. Ross, Chairman of the independent Prize Jury. “The most powerful way to move cities forward is to elevate solutions that are already proving what is possible,” said Ross. “This cycle’s finalists show that healthier urban futures are being built every day — led locally, built collectively and focused on improving how people move, access services and experience their cities.”

In the Philippines, only 6% of residents own cars. Yet transport systems remain heavily oriented toward private vehicles. For millions of people, that means long, unpredictable and often unsafe journeys each day — with little say in the policies that shape them.

“What sets the Move As One Coalition apart is how communities and young people have come together to shape public policy and investment at an enormous scale,” said Ani Dasgupta, President and CEO of WRI. “This is a powerful example from one of the most densely populated cities in the world. When people organize, they can shift resources toward safer, more inclusive mobility, improve health and deliver real change in their cities.”

The coalition was born out of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when many jeepney drivers lost income and essential workers struggled to reach hospitals. Since then, it has helped improve pay and working conditions for more than 100,000 transport workers, and helped channel billions into safer, more reliable transport systems. It has also supported the expansion of hundreds of kilometers of protected bike lanes, making it easier for people to get to work, school and essential services.

“This recognition affirms something we have always believed: when people come together, they can shape the future of their cities,” said Reycel Hyacenth Nacario Bendaña, National Coordinator of the Move As One Coalition. “The award belongs not only to our coalition, but to every commuter, worker and community member who has spoken up, organized and pushed for a safer, more humane and more inclusive transport system.”

“Too often, city reform is treated as a top-down exercise,” said Rogier van den Berg, Global Director of WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. “The Move As One Coalition shows what it looks like to rebalance that, with a new generation of transport leaders channeling civic energy into real influence. That's how protest becomes durable reform.”

Centered on the theme “Catalyzing Healthy Cities,” the 2025–2026 Prize recognized projects that improve health and well-being by strengthening access to nature, mobility and essential services. It drew a record 334 submissions from 230 cities across 77 countries, underscoring the global demand for new approaches to urban challenges.  

Four other finalists each received $25,000:

• Atlanta Beltline (Atlanta, United States): A 22-mile loop built from former rail corridors that expands access to trails and parks while reconnecting neighborhoods long divided by infrastructure.
• Sistema Verde Urbano (Loja, Ecuador): A citywide green infrastructure network linking parks and river corridors with mobility and watershed protection, helping residents access nature and public space as the city grows.
• Revitalizing Informal Settlements and Environments (RISE) (Makassar, Indonesia): A community-designed initiative that improves sanitation and drainage in informal settlements using nature-based solutions, making neighborhoods healthier and more resilient to flooding.  
• Book Bunk (Nairobi, Kenya): A partnership restoring public libraries as free “Palaces for the People,” transforming long-neglected buildings into trusted civic hubs for learning, culture and community services.  

“What stands out across this cycle’s Grand Prize Winner and finalists is how deeply rooted they are in everyday life,” said Jen Shin, Global Lead for the Prize. “Collectively, they demonstrate the power of designing for people first. In doing so, they lay the groundwork for cities that are stronger, healthier and more resilient.”

The awards ceremony also marked the debut of HOW TO MAKE A CITY, a retrospective exhibition presented with the Yale Hixon Center for Urban Sustainability, featuring lessons on urban transformation from 25 finalists across five Prize cycles.

The Move As One Coalition joins previous Grand Prize Winners Re-Ciclo (Fortaleza, Brazil); Todos al Parque (Barranquilla, Colombia); Sustainable Food Production for a Resilient Rosario (Rosario, Argentina); and School Area Road Safety and Improvements (SARSAI) (Dar es Salaam, Tanzania).

Read more about how the Move As One Coalition pushed for — and won — safer streets here.

About World Resources Institute (WRI) 
WRI works to improve people’s lives, protect and restore nature and stabilize the climate. As an independent research organization, we leverage our data, expertise and global reach to influence policy and catalyze change across systems like food, land and water; energy; and cities. Our 2,000+ staff work on the ground in more than a dozen focus countries and with partners in over 50 nations.

About WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities 
WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities is World Resources Institute’s program dedicated to shaping a future where cities work better for everyone. Together with partners around the world, we help create resilient, inclusive, low-carbon places that are better for people and the planet. Our network of more than 500 experts working from Brazil, China, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, the Netherlands, Mexico, Türkiye and the United States combines research excellence with on-the-ground impact to make cities around the world better places to live. More information at  wri.org/cities or on social @WRIRossCities.