The summit brought together more than 100 leaders from 23 countries, including mayors, ministers, CEOs, investors and civil society representatives, to lay the foundation for new partnerships and an integrated approach to long-term growth.
“Through the Pioneering Places initiative, cities across the globe are demonstrating how human connection, innovation and infrastructure together shape how people live, work and play,” says Ramya Krishnaswamy, Head of the Centre for Experience Economy and Cities. “By investing in high-quality built environments that foster a sense of belonging and well-being, cities can strengthen communities, attract businesses and talent, and unlock new pathways to economic opportunity.”
Pioneering Places is an initiative of the Davos Baukultur Alliance, a global community launched by Switzerland in cooperation with the WEF, to advance the quality, inclusiveness and long-term value of the built environment. It brings together cities and their public, private and civic partners to explore how better design, stronger local economies and more meaningful experiences can reinforce one another.
The second Pioneering Places cohort includes:
“Baukultur is a concept gaining wider recognition. It encompasses how we shape the places we share, from buildings and infrastructure to public spaces and landscapes,” said Oliver Martin, Chair of the Davos Baukultur Alliance and Vice-Director, Head of Cultural Heritage and Baukultur Directorate. “High-quality Baukultur supports everyday wellbeing and helps places remain liveable, resilient and competitive. Through Pioneering Places, cities are examining how to bring these qualities into planning and investment decisions, and account for their long-term benefits.”
The five new cities join Kuala Lumpur, Medellín, Montreal, Nairobi, San Francisco and Utrecht, the inaugural Pioneering Places cohort, which today announced commitments shaped by the programme’s learning to translate the principles of Baukultur into policy, investment and delivery priorities.
Ahead of the Annual Meeting 2027, the WEF convened more than 100 executive leaders from the built environment, infrastructure, finance and investment sectors to tackle one joint challenge: how to improve investment, delivery and value creation in urban development.
Two forthcoming reports, drawing on summit dialogues, insights from senior leaders across the WEF’s Built Environment and Infrastructure community, and more than 60 members of the Davos Baukultur Alliance, will set out a practical agenda for improving how key city projects are financed and delivered. They will explore how a broader understanding of value and more collaborative delivery models can translate capital into more liveable places.
The WEF today announced the forthcoming launch of Yes/Detroit, a local initiative of Yes/Cities, channelling the city's storied manufacturing legacy into the next wave of innovation in infrastructure and resilience. Developed with a cross-sector coalition, and anchored locally by innovation hub Michigan Central, Yes/Detroit joins the WEF's expanding Yes/Cities Global Network. Its local Innovation Challenge will launch on 10 November, focused on innovation in infrastructure.
Together, these developments reflect growing awareness that a place's long-term social and economic depends on cooperation across sectors. Infrastructure and innovation may create the conditions for growth, but purpose, experience and belonging help determine whether people choose to live, work, invest and participate in a place.
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