Global Future Council on the Future of Cities

Global Future Council on the Future of Cities

Council Description

Cities are the engine of the global economy and home to a growing majority of the world’s population. In the face of increasing global challenges, from inequality to climate change, how can cities advance and inform more inclusive and sustainable models of urban development?

The Global Future Council on Cities 2023-2024 will focus on the urban affordability crisis – a widespread and multifaceted global challenge that highlights systemic injustices and deepens inequities. The Council will curate and advance promising interventions that catalyse impact and action to address this crisis and can be used by public, private, and civil society stakeholders to drive change.

Co-Chair
Carlo Ratti, Director, SENSEable City Laboratory, MIT - Department of Urban Studies and Planning

Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Undersecretary‐General of the United Nations; Executive Director, UN Habitat

Council Manager
Kristy Henrich Klein, Specialist, Urban Transformation, World Economic Forum

Latest publications

Podcast series

Mobilizing thought leadership for impact

The Global Future Councils serve as a brain trust for leaders from government, business and civil society, and support the Forum’s mission by bringing together experts bound by a shared mission to discuss the most critical issues, generate insights and analysis, and collaborate in shaping agendas.

Explore the network of Global Future Councils

Fairer Economies

Informal settlements are growing worldwide — here's what we need to do

Nearly 1.1 billion people now live in slums of informal settlements. Solving that problem could be a major opportunity — but doing so won't be simple.

Jonathan T.M. Reckford and Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr 22 Aug 2023

Cities and Urbanization

These outdated mindsets and regulations are holding back urban mobility: Experts

Urban mobility options like e-scooters and ride-sharing are growing, but some rules and attitudes still hold the sector back. Two experts identify what's needed.

Chris Hamill-Stewart 14 Apr 2023

Davos Agenda

Nature-based solutions in cities are the future of the fight against climate change. Here's how to fund them

Cities are on the frontline of the fight against climate change — and nature-based solutions are a key tool in this struggle. Here's how to make sure they get the funding they need.

Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, Luis Donaldo Colosio, and Lord Sally Capp 17 Jan 2023

Data Policy

Open data is a game changer for cities worldwide — here's how to use it best

COVID-19 showed just how important open data can be. As the world faces down more societal crises, here's how cities everywhere can use it effectively.

Andrew Collinge, Yasunori Mochizuki, and Shefali Rai 10 Nov 2022

Net Zero Carbon Cities

To create net-zero cities, we need to look hard at our older buildings

In urban areas, buildings contribute 60% of overall carbon emissions. We must begin retrofitting our old buildings for net zero cities and reduced global temperatures.

Guy Grainger 08 Nov 2022

Mobility

3 tips for how cities can be more entrepreneurial

Many cities have made their public transport more progressive thanks to the pandemic. Shared electric scooters are now common and are highly regulated.

Katie Fehrenbacher · GreenBiz 10 Oct 2022

Explore strategic insights and contextual intelligence on cities and urbanization from the World Economic Forum

The World Economic Forum developed Strategic Intelligence to help you understand the global forces at play and make more informed decisions. Explore and monitor the issues and forces driving transformational change across more than 250 areas, including economies, industries and global issues, and identify the most relevant publications, videos, data, events, initiatives and stakeholders in those areas.

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