São Paulo is fixing school food waste. Here's how. Through a partnership between two city departments, Management and Education, São Paulo set out to answer a simple question: what if better communication, not more food, was the fix for waste in public schools? 🔹 Using simple, low-cost nudges (not new spending or infrastructure) to change how students choose and engage with school meals 🔹 Improving how meals are presented and communicated, making healthy options more appealing 🔹 Built to be a permanent part of how the city runs and designed as a model other cities can copy The results: 🔹 More students participating in school meals 🔹 Significantly less food thrown away Proof that evidence and behavioral design can be as powerful a lever as budget when it comes to improving public services. "Innovating is not just about creating new solutions, but about transforming the way government works." — Marcela Arruda, Municipal Secretary of Management, São Paulo City Hall What's one small nudge your city could test to cut waste or improve a public service? Celebrating urban innovations shortlisted by the 2026 Guangzhou Award. The Metropolis network partners with @uclg_org and the City of Guangzhou on the @GuangzhouAward to showcase the creative initiatives changing cities across the globe. This year, we're celebrating the innovations shortlisted for the 7th Guangzhou Award. @prefsp #GuangzhouAward #CelebratingUrbanInnovation #7thGuangzhouAward #FoodWaste

Bogotá is fixing its housing-and-heritage paradox. Here's how. Bogotá faces a dual challenge: a housing deficit affecting thousands of households, alongside a growing stock of vacant, underused buildings sitting empty in the city's central areas. Instead of building outward, Bogotá is looking inward. Reúsa y Revitaliza, launched in July 2024, turns dormant buildings into housing, heritage, and climate action without direct public subsidy: 🔹Led by Renobo, in partnership with Mayor Galán's administration, it’s the first program of its kind in Colombia 🔹Connecting building owners, private developers, and the city so empty buildings actually get put back to use 🔹Helping to cover the risk for private investors, so they're willing to fund the work without the city having to pay for it directly The results: 🔹On track to deliver around 450 homes — 5% of the 9,000 the city is targeting by 2027 🔹 Cuts the carbon footprint of construction by 50–75% compared to building new, while keeping up to 90% of the original materials 🔹 A model for how public institutions can catalyze private investment through coordination and early-stage risk reduction, rather than subsidy. "By repurposing existing buildings, we're creating new housing opportunities while also delivering significant environmental benefits." — Jimena Niño, International Relations Advisor, @Bogota What would your city do with its vacant buildings? 🔗 Learn more about @RenoBo_Bogota 's initiative: zurl.co/bHNpz Celebrating urban innovations shortlisted by the 2026 Guangzhou Award. The Metropolis network partners with @uclg_org and the City of Guangzhou on the @GuangzhouAward to showcase the creative initiatives changing cities across the globe. This summer, we're celebrating the innovations shortlisted for the 7th Guangzhou Award. #GuangzhouAward #CelebratingUrbanInnovation #7thGuangzhouAward #Housing

Rabat is fixing fragmented governance — the real blocker to sustainable urban growth. Here's how. The Moroccan capital's departments were overlapping, slow and hard to hold accountable. Adding more rules on top wasn't fixing it. So, the city changed who was actually in charge of getting things done: 🔹 Creating 4 specialized local development companies, each responsible for one thing: infrastructure, green space, culture and sport, or public transport, so nothing would fall through the cracks between departments 🔹 Giving each company the authority to act on its own, instead of waiting on approval from multiple overlapping offices 🔹 Building in digital tools, transparency, and citizen participation from the start, not as an add-on The results, since the program began in 2014, show how urban regeneration is possible when governance challenges are solved: 🔹 4,800 hectares of green space (75 m² per resident) across a city of 578,000 people 🔹 175 community sports grounds logged nearly 100,000 hours of use in 2024, with 75% youth participation 🔹 Over 500,000 people visited the city's public pools last summer, with women making up almost 39% of visitors Proof that sustainability outcomes often start as a governance question, not a spending one. What would it take to restructure, not just fund, your city's infrastructure? Celebrating urban innovations shortlisted by the 2026 Guangzhou Award. The Metropolis network partners with @uclg_org and the City of Guangzhou on the @GuangzhouAward to showcase the creative initiatives changing cities across the globe. This summer, we're celebrating the innovations shortlisted for the 7th Guangzhou Award. #GuangzhouAward #CelebratingUrbanInnovation #7thGuangzhouAward #UrbanGovernance

Tianjin is fixing wetland loss without displacing the people who depend on it. Here's how. In 2017, one district in Tianjin faced a hard choice: protect the wetlands, or protect the thousands of residents who make a living from them. It chose to do both. Facing environmental damage and threats to local livelihoods, Tianjin built a new approach that: 🔹 Brings together government, local farmers, and communities instead of leaving decisions to one agency alone 🔹 Is designed so the people who depend on the land the most are also the ones who benefit most from protecting it 🔹 Pairs the restoration of the wetlands with new ways for local farmers and communities to earn a living The results: 🔹 Over 26,000 residents' livelihoods protected through the shift 🔹 A model now being looked at by other regions facing the same trade-off between conservation and community Tianjin is proving that protecting nature and protecting people don't have to be a trade-off. How could your city make conservation work for the people who live closest to it? Celebrating urban innovations shortlisted by the 2026 Guangzhou Award. The Metropolis network partners with @uclg_org and the City of Guangzhou on the @GuangzhouAward to showcase the creative initiatives changing cities across the globe. This September, we're celebrating the innovations shortlisted for the 7th Guangzhou Award. #GuangzhouAward #CelebratingUrbanInnovation #7thGuangzhouAward #Conservation

Qingdao is fixing "blindfolded" transport planning. Here's how. In eight years, Qingdao took its transport system from guesswork to real-time data — and cut transport carbon intensity by 30% doing it. Facing worsening congestion and rising emissions, Qingdao built a carbon-monitoring platform that: 🔹 Integrates sensors, tools, and more to track real-time emissions from buses, metro trains, and taxis 🔹 Builds on a four-party collaboration model — government, research institutions, enterprises, and citizens 🔹 Combines unified data standards with tangible incentives: free energy diagnostics for bus companies, and rewards for green travel through an app The results: 🔹 Green-travel share rose from under 60% to 70% 🔹 More than 8 million citizens took part in carbon-reduction activities, cutting over 200,000 tonnes of CO₂ Qingdao is proving that data infrastructure can be effective climate infrastructure. How could real-time data change your city? 👉 Get inspired — explore the Guangzhou Award's full case study repository: zurl.co/TxOje (7th edition best practices will be added once the review process is complete) Celebrating urban innovations shortlisted by the 2026 Guangzhou Award. The Metropolis network partners with @uclg_org and the City of Guangzhou on the @GuangzhouAward to showcase the creative initiatives changing cities across the globe. This summer, we're celebrating the innovations shortlisted for the 7th Guangzhou Award. #GuangzhouAward #CelebratingUrbanInnovation #7thGuangzhouAward #ClimateAction

Celebrate urban innovation and get inspired👇 The @GuangzhouAward brought together a team of experts to select the 15 most inspiring initiatives from cities around the globe for the 7th time it the award's history. This shortlist of 15 cities was announced at @uclg_org's World Congress this June. From Bogotá to Qingdao and Rabat to São Paulo, the shortlisted cities list spans both the globe and the Metropolis network. See the full list of shortlisted cities in the photo below and get more information about both the shortlist and the 30 additional exemplary initiatives on the Award website: zurl.co/NBOND Congratulations to our members and all the cities included on the shortlist and exemplary initiatives list ✨ #7thGuangzhouAward #UrbanInnovation #ExemplaryCities #SDGs #CityToCityLearning

Tangier. "A city open to the world, situated between continents and cultures, and shaped by dialogue, cooperation and innovation." — Mounir Lymouri, Mayor of Tangier There is no better place for the world's largest cities and metropolitan areas to shape a shared future, together. Next week, our member city Tangier is hosting both the UCLG World Congress and the Metropolis General Assembly. The Congress convenes around a new generation of local public services — and on Friday, the conversation shifts from services to strategy, from the local to the metropolitan, as Metropolis holds its General Assembly. 160+ cities and metropolitan areas. Close to one billion people. One agenda: collective priorities to guide the world's largest cities through 2029. Urban leaders shaping a future for all in Tangier. 📰 Read the full interview with Mayor Lymouri in the Municipal Times (pg. 4): lnkd.in/e-mfhwhk Metropolis members interested in attending should contact our Institutional Relations team: [email protected] #MetropolisAFutureForAll | #UCLGCongress | @uclg_org

The best ideas are already out there. Cities are where the solutions are. From around the world, cities submitted their most ambitious ideas for inclusive, resilient and sustainable development. On 25 June 2026, ahead of the Metropolis General Assembly, we announce 15 shortlisted and 30 exemplary initiatives at the UCLG World Congress in Tangier, Morocco. Since 2012, the Guangzhou Award has been the space where cities come to share what works. Because when one city solves a problem, every city learns. Watch this space for this year's shortlisted initiatives, and explore what previous editions have produced at zurl.co/BpZmi. #7thGuangzhouAward #MetropolisAFutureForAll #UrbanInnovation #Tangier2026 #GuangzhouAward #UCLGCongress | @uclg_org , @GuangzhouAward

UCLG unites local governments worldwide. Metropolis is where the world's largest cities find their collective voice. 🗣️ This June in Tangier, both convene. On 26 June, 160+ cities gather for the Metropolis General Assembly: from local action to metropolitan strategy. Urban leaders shaping a future for all. #MetropolisAFutureForAll #UCLGCongress #Tangier2026 #UCLGmeets #Listen2Cities

381 submissions. 248 cities. 60 countries. The 7th Guangzhou Award shortlist is almost here. On 25 June 2026, the day before the Metropolis General Assembly 2026, we will announce 15 shortlisted and 30 exemplary urban innovation initiatives at the UCLG World Congress in Tangier, Morocco. Since 2012, the Guangzhou Award has championed cities leading the way on inclusive, resilient and sustainable urban development. This edition is no different. Cities are where the solutions are. #7thGuangzhouAward #MetropolisAFutureForAll #UrbanInnovation #Cities #Tangier2026 #7thGuangzhouAward | @uclg_org , @GuangzhouAward

Nearly one billion people live in Metropolis member cities. On 26 June in Tangier, the leaders of those cities come together for the Metropolis General Assembly. 160+ city and metropolitan governments, one agenda: setting the collective priorities that will guide the world's largest cities through 2029. The UCLG World Congress convenes around a new generation of local public services. On 26 June, the conversation shifts from services to strategy, from the local to the metropolitan. Urban leaders shaping a future for all. Metropolis members interested in attending should contact our Institutional Relations team: [email protected]. #MetropolisAFutureForAll | @uclg_org

🌍 Cities advance when they learn from one another. Across mobility, housing, climate action and digital transformation, hashtag#UrbanSolutions are increasingly shaped through exchange between cities, not in isolation. The @GuangzhouAward exists to support and accelerate this process by recognizing cities that develop proven, practical and innovative solutions that are adaptable to different urban contexts. Why apply? ⚫ Present your city’s tested urban solutions on a global platform ⚫ Compete for recognition and a USD 20,000 award ⚫ Contribute to scaling effective urban practice across cities 📅 Final deadline: 30 April, 2026 Learn more and apply: zurl.co/ZzZoN Metropolis celebrates urban innovation. That's why the network has partnered with the City of Guangzhou and Urban Cities and Local Governments (@uclg_org) to bring the 7th edition of the Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation to fruition this year. #GuangzhouAward #UrbanInnovation #Award

🚨 31 March is the early-bird deadline for $20,000 award for innovative urban initiatives The 7th Guangzhou Award celebrates cities turning bold ideas into real solutions for urban governance and sustainable development. Why it matters: Cities are where innovation becomes action — shaping inclusive, resilient, and sustainable futures. The Award is open to local governments worldwide: • Early submission: tomorrow, 31 March 2026 (get feedback to strengthen your application) • Final deadline: 30 April 2026 Selected initiatives will be shared globally and featured at the Global Mayors’ Forum in Guangzhou this December. 👉 Explore how to apply: zurl.co/mAQOA #UrbanInnovation #GuangzhouAward #SustainableCities

⏳ Only 2 weeks left! Submit your city’s innovative solution by 31 March to receive expert feedback. The 7th Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation is calling cities worldwide to showcase bold solutions that make urban life inclusive, resilient, and sustainable. Early submissions get organizer feedback to strengthen your application — and your city could win USD 20,000. 👉 Submit now: zurl.co/7A6Si @GuangzhouAward #GuangzhouAward #UrbanInnovation #SustainableCities #CityToCityLearning

🚨 Early-bird deadline alert! Submit your city's innovative solution by 31 March to receive expert feedback. The 7th Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation is calling cities worldwide to share bold solutions that make urban life more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable. Early submissions get organizer feedback to strengthen your city's application. Your ideas could inspire cities globally and your city could be awarded 20,000 USD in the process. 💡 Don’t wait. Make 2026 the year your city’s innovation goes global. 👉 Submit now: zurl.co/7A6Si @GuangzhouAward #GuangzhouAward #UrbanInnovation #SustainableCities #CityToCityLearning

A powerful idea can travel far with the right support 🚀 The 2026 Pattis Family Foundation Global Cities Book Award offers a $25,000 prize to recognize outstanding nonfiction that helps cities address global challenges. Nominations are now open. 🗓 Submissions: 1 January to 24 March 2026 ✍️ Nonfiction in English or translated Nominate a book: zurl.co/5NbLV Learn more: zurl.co/S2YMZ #PattisAward #GlobalCitiesBookAward #OpenCall #Award