Annual Report 2023-2024
In its fourth year, UrbanShift emphasized the importance of scaling up urban climate finance and multi-level collaboration, while continuing its transformative capacity-building activities for its network of 23 cities.
From the UrbanShift Latin America Forum in Belém, Brazil to accelerating urban nature and advocating for transformative finance across our network, the past year for UrbanShift has spanned powerful moments of capacity-building, opportunities for connection across cities, and catalytic dialogues. Our mission is to encourage integrated and resilient approaches to urban development in the 23 cities in our network, and for them to become models of inspiration for urban areas worldwide.
The 2023-2024 UrbanShift Annual Report provides a comprehensive overview of the range of progress over the past year—from capacity-building activities to on-the-ground transformation. Make sure to download and read the report in full, and explore key highlights below.
We hosted 21 events and reached nearly 2,000 people
From the UrbanShift Latin America Forum in Belem, Brazil to a wide-ranging City Academy in Jakarta, Indonesia, UrbanShift’s capacity-building and networking activities continued apace. Check out just a few below:
UrbanShift Latin America Forum
Focusing on the theme of financing for green and resilient cities, this Forum offered capacity-building and networking opportunities for cities across Latin America.
Indonesia City Academy
Hosted for cities from Indonesia, India, and China, this City Academy will focus on Circular Economy, Nature-Based Solutions, and Integrated Climate Action Planning.
UrbanShift Global Peer Exchange on Sustainable Energy Solutions
This peer-to-peer exchange will bring UrbanShift city Pune, India to Ghana to learn about clean cooking, micro grids and waste-to-energy models.
From urban bioeconomies to people-centered climate resilience, we advanced innovative solutions for cities
Creating resilience against climate change will take creativity and collaboration. UrbanShift promotes the sharing of innovative and transformative ideas across borders and across contexts. For just a sample of the integrated planning approaches we’ve elevated over the past year, see below:
How an Urban Bioeconomy can Promote Healthy Ecosystems and Spur Sustainable Economic Prosperity
In Belém, Brazil and other Latin American cities, this concept—which emphasizes circularity, renewable resources, and the development of green infrastructure—is already taking root and reshaping local economies.
Building Resilience from the Community Up: Lessons from Rotterdam's People-Centered Climate Action Strategies
Over a week in Rotterdam, representatives from Latin American cities dove into the city's thoughtful approach to human-centered climate resilience in an UrbanShift-led Peer-to-Peer Exchange.
Navigating Urban Biodiversity and Finance: Insights from UrbanShift's Marrakech City Academy
With Marrakech as the backdrop, participants in this UrbanShift City Academy for Africa engaged with innovative strategies for financing biodiversity and urban challenges like water management.
We highlighted the importance of centering the most vulnerable people in addressing urban challenges, from extreme heat to air pollution
The climate crisis is not gender neutral, and it affects marginalized and vulnerable urban residents the most. Through UrbanShift’s activites, we elevate the importance of data and insights that illuminate disparities in climate impacts and guide cities toward developing equitable solutions. Read more here:
How Cities are Beating the (Urban) Heat
From innovative data analytics to urban greening, cities like Cape Town and Medellín are tackling the growing extreme heat crisis head-on.
ADVANCING GENDER EQUITY THROUGH ACCELERATING CLIMATE FINANCE
The climate crisis is not gender neutral—and the most effective solutions should center the needs and leadership of women and marginalized people.
How data and integrated planning approaches can help cities fight air pollution
Poor air quality threatens wellbeing everywhere. Learn how cities in Latin America are taking a data-driven approach to reducing pollution and promoting livability.
We elevated the importance of urban climate finance and multi-level governance
Our two key advocacy themes for 2023-2024 are interconnected: Cities need more financial resources to implement transformative change, and they need a voice on the global state to be able to access it. Over the past year, UrbanShift has elevated the need for cities to be at the forefront of the global climate movement. See how:
Laying the Foundation for the Green, Resilient Cities of the Future in Latin America
Focusing on how climate finance can evolve to meet the needs of cities and nature, the UrbanShift Latin America Forum united a wide range of stakeholders to build capacity for transformative change.
Unlocking Urban Finance: The Vital Role of Project Preparation for City Projects
As cities work to develop and implement transformative climate projects, access to finance is critical. Project Preparation Facilities (PPFs) can help cities ensure their projects are structured to attract funding.
Local Climate Action at the Forefront: How the UNEA-6 Cities & Regions Summit Elevated the Needs and Potential of Subnational Governments
During this Summit, mayors and regional leaders sounded a powerful call for innovation and collaboration to support and finance climate action on the ground.
As we look toward 2025—UrbanShift's final year—we are excited to continue this progress and elevate the potential of cities to become the sustainable, equitable and livable places we and the planet need to thrive.
