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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.

Events
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
Events
In a world where all ecosystems are rapidly deteriorating in the face of expanding urban areas and climate change, The French Development Agency (AFD) is working to protect biodiversity in cities and
Events
MDBs Join Forces to Accelerate Urban Transformation On April 7, 2025, the GPSC hosted a Multilateral Development Banks Engagement Meeting in Paris that brought together multilateral development banks
News & Blogs
The climate crisis is getting worse, with both the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and COP28 in its final agreement emphasizing the urgency of steep greenhouse gas emissions
Events
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
Cities and countries
 
Upcoming Events

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
Latest news & blogs View all

News

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

News

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

Latest Knowledge Products View all

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

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