The World Urban Forum 13 in Baku brought together global urban leaders to discuss how cities are adapting to climate pressures, digital transformation and inequality. While the discussions were ambitious, the real test remains whether these ideas will translate into practical urban change.
Abdelrahman Ghalib Alzou’bi, an urban planner speaking to AnewZ, said urban resilience is now central to global development discussions.
“WUF is really targeting one of the main themes, which is housing and how it is connected to urban resilience and climate,” he noted.
Housing affordability and inclusive urban growth were also key themes, with a focus on balancing modernisation with social equity. Alzou’bi stressed that cities must function as inclusive spaces for all communities.
Smart cities and digital transformation
Digital transformation and smart city systems emerged as key themes of the forum. Experts discussed how AI, digital governance, and smart mobility are reshaping urban management and public services.
The analyst said digital transformation has become unavoidable in modern city planning.
“It is now shaping the dialogue in urban development agendas across institutions and municipalities,” he said.
Housing affordability and inclusive urban growth were also central topics, with emphasis on balancing modernisation with social equity.
Alzou’bi also highlighted the importance of inclusion in urban design when he said, “Cities must be blending spaces where all communities come together,”.
The forum also emphasised the importance of international collaboration in solving urban challenges. However, experts underlined the need to localise global discussions.
Alzou’bi explained that initiatives like the Arab European and Arab Asian cities dialogues aim to strengthen regional cooperation.
“We want to bring the dialogue closer to local priorities and connect cities, mayors, and development actors in a more targeted way,” he said.
Financing and public-private partnerships were identified as critical tools for future urban development.
Alzou’bi said future cities will depend on more collaborative funding models involving governments and international partners.
As WUF13 concluded in Baku, participants emphasised that its success will ultimately depend on implementation, particularly as the world approaches the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, two people familiar wi...
An Iranian tanker was hit by U.S. forces on Saturday near Iran's key oil export hub, Kharg Island, in the Gulf...
Spanish authorities are preparing a new site in Ceuta to accommodate hundreds of migrants who remain on the str...
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia that he believed there was "a chance of finding a solution," to the conflict.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Russia then Ukraine over the weekend, Russian state news agency TASS has reported, citing an unnamed source. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also said American envoys will visit the capitals of both countries.
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August and 2 September.
The Iranian Army has again struck at U.S. bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates in retaliation for U.S. attacks on southern and western parts of Iran late on Tuesday, which reportedly killed 18 people and injured more than 100 others.
U.S. efforts to squeeze Iran’s economy through an oil blockade and sanctions are becoming increasingly difficult for Tehran to withstand, according to three senior Iranian sources. Washington is escalating pressure in hopes of securing concessions in future negotiations.
A unique architectural monument dating back to the 9th to 12th centuries has been discovered in the village of Gargara, in the Korez village commune in Dangara district in Tajikistan.
Japan and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime have launched a $9.4 million, two-year project across five Afghan provinces to help former poppy-growing families and expand drug prevention and treatment services.
For centuries, Lahore has been shaped by the people, cultures and empires that passed through it. Now, the Pakistani city is preparing to put that rich history before a wider regional audience.
Israel is ready to move Palestinians from Gaza as soon as the U.S. approves, the country’s Defence Minister Israel Katz has said. He told a conference hosted by Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth on Wednesday that there was “no real solution” for Gaza without migration.
Flights between Central Asia and Russia have faced widespread disruption, with aircraft diverted, turned back or cancelled amid restrictions in Russian airspace and conflicting claims from Moscow and Kyiv over aviation safety.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment