Solutions for sustainable cities
The Global Platform for Sustainable Cities (GPSC) is a global knowledge and partnership platform led by the World Bank and financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). It supports cities around the world in their efforts to become more resilient and liveable through integrated planning, climate-smart solutions, and institutional capacity building.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
GPSC Mayors Round Table and Urban Nature Forum
09 November - 10 November, 2025, 9:00 CET
In the lead-up to COP30, a series of high-level gatherings will take place in Rio de Janeiro from November 3–6, 2025, bringing together mayors and local leaders from around the world. These events will spotlight bold city leadership on climate action, highlight subnational priorities, and mobilize
Xi’an, China
Bridge for Cities: Shaping Sustainable Cities with Technology and Innovation
16 October - 18 October, 2025, 9:00 CET
Background The 2025 edition of UNIDO’s flagship Bridge for Cities event will focus on the vital role of technological advances and inclusive innovation in shaping sustainable urban development. By 2050, over two-thirds of the global population will live in urban areas, requiring bold transformations
Nairobi, Kenya
Green and Resilient Urbanshift Africa Forum
17 February, 2025, 8:00 CET
UrbanShift's forum for Africa gathered leaders from cities and national governments from across the continent to collectively discuss the role of urban planning amidst rapid urbanisation and climate breakdown. Hosted in Nairobi, Kenya, the regional UrbanShift Forum for Africa brought together cities
The City‑Industry‑Climate Nexus: UNIDO white paper on decarbonizing cities
Cities consume most of the world’s energy and generate the majority of greenhouse gas emissions. Yet urban areas - especially in low‑ and middle‑income
GPSC Newsletter - December 2025
Cities around the world are accelerating the shift toward integrated, climate-smart, and nature-positive development—and this month’s GPSC newsletter highlights
Supporting Climate-Smart Infrastructure Projects – Case Studies
This publication presents six case studies—three international and three from Turkey—showcasing climate-smart infrastructure projects that promote green and resilient urban development. These case studies were selected from an extensive list to support the World Bank’s lending initiatives in Turkish cities, aiming to illustrate effective approaches to sustainable urban infrastructure. The publication outlines the key lessons from these examples, categorizing success factors into ‘Policy and Finance,’ ‘Planning and Design,’ and ‘Processes and Partnerships.’ Each section addresses critical aspects of successful project
Combating Heat in Cities: Operationalizing the Urban Heat Agenda at the World Bank
This report stems from growing concern about the threat of extreme heat in urban settings and its adverse impacts on health. The team made use of the TIP—that is, the targeted, integrated, and prepared—framework, introduced in the recent "Healthy Cities" report (Lee et al. 2023), to help World Bank task teams explore pathways toward urban heat investments. This study gathered city responses and investigated existing World Bank initiatives to gain an understanding of what had already been done and the