World Cities Day: a global campaign for sustainable urban development

The 2023 World Cities Day China Observation is a global campaign, though it is held in Shanghai, China, said Cheng Jian, director of Shanghai Coordination Center of World Cities Day, at the World Cities Day China Observation that kicked off in Shanghai, China on October 28.

“The World Cities Day, observed annually on December 31, originated in Shanghai as part of the Shanghai Declaration unveiled at the Expo 2010 Shanghai China Summit Forum on Oct 31, 2010, and was designated an international day at the 68th United Nations General Assembly in 2013 under the proposal of the Chinese government,” Cheng explained.

Cheng said the World Cities Day was of great significance worldwide, since its aim was to promote sustainable development of global cities and serve as a vital platform for cities worldwide to engage in dialogue and cooperation while intensifying international interest in urban development.

“The United Nations Human Settlements Programme leads the World Cities Day program, and we have provided support for lots of forums, exhibitions and other events under the program. We’ve participated in the research and development of various public products for global cities,” Cheng said.

In China, Cheng said, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development led the work related to the World Cities Day. There is a city picked each year to host the main celebration of the day, and before Shanghai held the event, Xiamen and Fuzhou in Fujian province and Tangshan in Hebei province served as host cities.

Cheng also shared his insights into the theme of this year’s World Cities Day celebration, namely “Financing a Sustainable Urban Future for All”.

“Financing actually refers to financing for sustainable development. It is not just about finance, but also about infrastructure construction, social welfare and many other things. The world has been faced with many difficulties and challenges over the past few years, especially with regard to the developing countries. Through the theme, the United Nations hopes to call on the international community – especially the developed countries – to give more support to development countries, he said.

With regard to the role of Shanghai in the development of sustainable cities, Cheng said Shanghai had done a lot in developing the low-carbon and circular economy, and could do more, such as in urban renewal, new-type infrastructure construction and detail-oriented urban management.

“To achieve the carbon peaking and neutrality goals, we are renovating old buildings using eco-friendly materials. Shanghai is also expected to shift its focus from large-scale construction to urban renewal, during which more concepts for sustainable development will be adopted. At the same time, we are learning experience from other countries through the World Cities Day platform.”

Cheng also revealed that the World Cities Day has gained increasing attention worldwide over the past 10 years, with diverse events held on October 31 each year. And he hoped that it could attract more people in the future to do their bit in making their cities better.