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.
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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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Building connections to support sustainability across the world's cities

The role of cities in addressing environmental challenges is both critical and transformative. By 2050, 75 percent of the global population is expected to live in urban areas, creating immense pressures on resources, infrastructure, and ecosystems. Amid these challenges, the UrbanShift initiative, funded by the Global Environment Facility, links and amplifies the efforts of complementary global programs using an integrated approach to create the sustainable, low-carbon, and nature-positive cities that we need. Decarbonizing cities to mitigate climate change Cities are
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Featured blogs

Riding into a greener future: How widespread use of subways could slash CO₂ emissions The climate crisis is getting worse, with both the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and COP28 in its final agreement emphasizing the urgency of steep greenhouse gas emissions reductions to keep global warming below 1.5°C as overshooting 1.5° C might have a catastrophic impact. Given that urban areas may account for over 70 percent of global CO₂ emissions, many public policy analysts began advocating for public investment in low-carbon mass transit, particularly in countries that are not yet locked
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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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Why Should Asset Managers Care About Biodiversity? Biodiversity loss is set to significantly disrupt the world economy over the next decade. Despite the data and engagement challenges ahead, systematic and discretionary portfolio managers should not be deterred. 1. Introduction In the final days of 2022, a historic UN agreement on protecting nature was reached in Montreal at COP15. 1 Nearly 200 countries signed up for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a deal designed to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. Among the four goals and 23
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This is an example of a description that is: 160 characters. Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia there live the blind texts. Minim Veniam Quis Nostrud
A first-of-its-kind World Bank analysis, of the shape and growth of nearly 10,000 cities between 1990 and 2015, finds that the most successful urban areas are
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Overview Cities are on the frontlines of the global climate emergency. Although cities occupy only 2% of land area, they consume over two-thirds of the world’s
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This project is helping to move China’s emerging megacities off of a high-polluting car-oriented trajectory by applying eight low carbon design principles
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The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way humans inhabit physical spaces since early March 2020. Practices such as social distancing, wearing masks in congested
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The World Bank’s GPSC Global Online Series explores how cities can implement an integrated approach to urban sustainability. Sessions held during 2021 are
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Photo by Fineas Anton on unsplash.com I live in a vibrant, mixed-use community called Shuangjing within walking distance to Beijing’s Central Business District
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Photo by Korie Cull on Unsplash Global urban population is expected to reach six billion by 2045. The world faces the difficult task to meet the rising demands
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This project is helping to move China’s emerging megacities off of a high-polluting car-oriented trajectory by applying eight low carbon design principles
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The ongoing pandemic is threatening cities across the globe in an unprecedented way, impacting not only public health but also the economy and how we interact
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Explore the GPSC Newsletter to discover how cities worldwide are advancing integrated, resilient, and nature-positive urban development through innovation
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