News & blogs
Featuring voices from cities, experts, and partners, these stories of innovation and impact are drawn from across the GPSC’s global network. News and blogs showcase progress, lessons, and thought leadership on sustainable urban development.
Featured blogs
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The Wetland Advantage: Nature-Based Solutions Power Rwanda’s Urban Future
STORY HIGHLIGHTS Kigali is bringing nearly 500 hectares of urban wetlands back to life—the largest city-wide urban wetland rehabilitation in Africa and one of the largest in the world. This “living infrastructure” has new spaces for tourism, education and recreation, improves water quality and biodiversity, and enhances the usability of adjacent land while bolstering the city’s frontline defense against floods. Through RUDPII, 220,500 people in flood-prone neighborhoods will directly benefit from reduced flooding and a healthier environment. That’s roughly a
Blog
Transforming our cities: a collective path to sustainability
What do sustainable cities mean to you? For many, it is about more than just green spaces and clean air. Sustainable cities are the nexus where innovative solutions converge to create resilient communities, fostering a delicate balance between economic prosperity, ecological integrity, and social equity. With urban sprawl encroaching upon natural habitats and climate change-induced disasters becoming more frequent, which pose threats to ecosystems, biodiversity, human health, and overall well-being, the need for building sustainable cities has never been more
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Featured news
Inception Workshop Launches Sustainable City Project in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region
The inception workshop for the Sustainable City Project for the Coordinated Development of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) Region marked the formal launch of an ambitious initiative under the GEF-8 Sustainable Cities Integrated Program (SCIP) . Jointly organized by UNIDO and the China Society of Automotive Engineers, the event brought together approximately 100 representatives from national ministries, municipal governments, international organizations, and technical institutions to align on a shared vision for low-carbon, resilient urban development. Participants included the Ministry of Finance, serving
News
The World Bank and the GEF launch next phase of Sustainable Cities Integrated Program
The World Bank and the GEF expand support to 40 additional cities with targeted grants and co-financing pathways to drive sustainable urban development Mayors and city leaders from 23 cities met in Rio de Janeiro ahead of COP30 alongside representatives from major multilateral development banks to launch the next phase of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Sustainable Cities Integrated Program. “Cities are at the forefront of sustainability, leadership and innovation,” said GEF CEO Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, opening the event. “Complex
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Today, more than 162 million people in Indonesia live in cities, more than 10 times the number when the country became independent in 1945. Rapid urbanization
Blog
The latest edition of the GPSC newsletter highlights new milestones and knowledge emerging from the Global Platform for Sustainable Cities and its partners as
News
The inception workshop for the Sustainable City Project for the Coordinated Development of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) Region marked the formal launch of an
News
As the UrbanShift Global Platform concludes, the next phase of the GEF Sustainable Cities Impact Program will build on the momentum and progress for sustainable
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Every winter, visitors to Sapporo, Japan can watch a public square evolve from one use to another. In December, the square serves residents: seniors chat on
Blog
STORY HIGHLIGHTS Kigali is bringing nearly 500 hectares of urban wetlands back to life—the largest city-wide urban wetland rehabilitation in Africa and one of
Blog
The City of Cape Town is investing in nature-based infrastructure (NBI) to restore its degraded rivers and wetlands. When funding was under pressure, the
Blog
The World Bank and the GEF expand support to 40 additional cities with targeted grants and co-financing pathways to drive sustainable urban development Mayors
News
Cities consume most of the world’s energy and generate the majority of greenhouse gas emissions. Yet urban areas - especially in low‑ and middle‑income
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Cities around the world are accelerating the shift toward integrated, climate-smart, and nature-positive development—and this month’s GPSC newsletter highlights
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