The top urban transformation stories of 2024

Cities are not immune to the impact of emerging technologies, such as generative AI. With these technologies come opportunities, but also a responsibility to ensure their use is ethical and that guardrails are in place.

The green transition continues to shape our world in numerous ways, and not just in urban areas, of course. The global rollout of electric vehicles (EV) is driving change in urban areas as infrastructure rushes to keep up with charging demand and mobility choices.

With these changes comes the need for investment, and in September the Forum released a policy roadmap for scaling investment in EV charging.

It cannot come quickly enough, as there is expected to be a 60% increase in the number of delivery vehicles on the world's roads by 2030, according to another Forum report, Transforming Urban Logistics: Sustainable and Efficient Last-Mile Delivery in Cities.

Closely linked to emerging technologies and rising EV uptake in cities are further pushes to improve sustainability - often through nature-based solutions.

A Forum report, released in September, explores the role of local governments in these nature-based solutions, and how local approaches can contribute to tackling global issues.

The Yes San Francisco (Yes SF), Urban Sustainability Challenge took these issues a step further, inviting entrepreneurs to submit revolutionary ideas aimed at the sustainable revival of downtown San Francisco. This initiative was developed in collaboration with the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce as well as Deloitte, Salesforce, World Economic Forum and Citi and other organizations focused on San Francisco's revitalization. Innovators put forth ideas tackling a host of challenges -- sustainable construction, green energy, water conservation, waste management, vertical farming, and urban forest management -- giving a sneak peek into the change possible when communities and changemakers work together.

So what makes a city sustainable? One ranking from the IESE Business School explores just this - and what makes them smart. The criteria include structural and systemic measures like urban planning, mobility and transportation, as well as economic ones like attracting and retaining the best talent and promoting economic development.

Learn more in the article below or the video in section one above.

Part of this drive for sustainability and the implementation of nature-based solutions is to tackle air pollution and improve air quality.

Sadly, this remains a major issue in cities across the globe, although there has been significant improvement over the past two decades, according to data released in 2024. However, 1-in-5 cities worldwide still have 'very unhealthy air quality'.

October's Clean Air Actions in Cities report from the Forum sought to address this challenge and support city leaders on the steps they can take.

All of the challenges and solutions outlined above require collaboration between numerous stakeholders in urban areas.

Events like the Forum's Urban Transformation Summit in San Francisco - which recognized three cities -- Bristol, UK, Monterrey, Mexico and Pittsburgh, USA -- for their efforts to harness the power of public-private collaboration to improve lives, the environment and foster inclusive economic growth. Each received an Award of Distinction for Public Private collaboration in Cities from the Global Partnership for Local Investment, an initiative of the Forum and UN-Habitat.

Coupled with this is the need for cities to adapt and change to meet these challenges. Whether that's to a changing climate - consider the flooding in Dubai - or shifting mobility patterns.