ACT portfolio leads have participated in the high-level World Urban Forum 2024 #WUF12 held in #Cairo, Egypt, from November 4-8, 2024.

Event brought together over 25’000 urban professionals, policymakers, and community leaders from 182 countries to Cairo – making it the largest World Urban Forum in history. This year’s Forum underscored the central role of local actions in addressing the challenges of sustainable urban development “It All Starts at Home: Local Actions for Sustainable Cities and Communities”.

Our team engaged in key sessions exploring diverse approaches to urban sustainability, with a particular focus on Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Networking sessions enabled delegates to discuss possibilities for collaboration and knowledge exchange.

One impactful example was the Green Crisis of Cairo, where a film highlighted the city’s diminishing green spaces, sparking discussions on the environmental and social impact of this crisis - a vital reflection point for other cities facing similar challenges.

Session Unlocking the Potential of Local Data to Foster Sustainable and Livable Cities presented the new data-driven strategies and the new OECD Local Data Portal, empowering consulting companies and involved stakeholders with data insights from 234,000 municipalities worldwide, including 100 indicators. This enables involved stakeholders in making informed decisions, community-centered policy options and deliver higher quality evidence-based consultancy.

Likewise, My Neighbourhood session offered a holistic approach to urban planning, connecting global policies to local design with a focus on compact, connected, inclusive, vibrant, and resilient neighborhoods.

ACT is currently undertaking a consultancy within a GIZ project in the Batumi and Zugdidi municipalities. In collaboration, we are developing and implementing an observation methodology to assess how the Urban Labs format can enhance municipal capacity for designing and implementing high-quality, citizen-oriented, and climate-friendly urban projects.

Sessions within the World Urban Forum have deepened our commitment to further apply practical, evidence-based strategies in our urban projects across Eastern Europe and Central Asia, fostering livable and sustainable cities.