GPSC City Academy on Green Urban Infrastructure and Nature-Cultural Tourism
01 June 2026 - 03 June 2026,
The Global Platform for Sustainable Cities (GPSC), led by the World Bank and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), serves as a global knowledge platform that connects cities and partners across disciplines. It provides technical expertise, innovative tools, and a convening space to help cities address complex challenges arising from rapid urbanization and climate change.
The City Academy is a core initiative of the GPSC, designed to strengthen the operational capacity of city leaders and urban practitioners. Delivered on a regular basis, the program offers practical, action-oriented learning modules that equip participants with tools to advance sustainable urban development. It fosters peer exchange, facilitates engagement with global experts, and supports cities in developing diagnostic insights and actionable plans to improve urban performance.
The GPSC City Academy in Samarkand is being organized in collaboration with UNESCO and will focus on green urban infrastructure, financing, and nature-based tourism. The Academy will take place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from June 1–3, 2026, in conjunction with the GEF-8 Assembly.
The event will bring together project teams, city representatives, and technical experts from across the GEF Sustainable Cities Integrated Program (SCIP), World Bank operations, and partner institutions for structured technical exchange, peer learning, and practical problem-solving.
Rapid urbanization, climate risks, and increasing infrastructure demands are placing growing pressure on cities to deliver more resilient, inclusive, and resource-efficient urban systems. In this context, green infrastructure (GI) is emerging as a critical component of urban development, offering integrated solutions that enhance resilience, support ecosystem services, and contribute to livability and local economic development. However, in many cities, GI interventions remain fragmented and insufficiently embedded within planning processes and investment frameworks.
The Academy is designed to support cities in moving from conceptual approaches toward integrated, system-level planning and implementation of GI networks. It will provide practical guidance on how to identify, plan, and prioritize GI systems across spatial scales, while strengthening linkages with land use planning, infrastructure investments, and service delivery systems.
Structured around a practical pathway—from planning and prioritization to value creation, financing, and implementation—the Academy will combine targeted technical inputs, case-based learning, and interactive operational clinics. Participating cities will actively engage in identifying priority challenges and developing initial, action-oriented outputs to inform ongoing and future project implementation.
The City Academy is structured around a set of interrelated themes that reflect the key dimensions of advancing green infrastructure systems in cities:
Integrated Planning of Green Infrastructure Systems
Approaches for planning GI as connected, multi-functional networks across spatial scales, and embedding these within land use planning and sectoral systems.
From Planning to Implementation
Translating plans into priority interventions, including sequencing, integration with infrastructure investments, and identification of delivery pathways.
Financing and Investment Pathways
Positioning GI as an investable asset class, including public finance, capital investment planning, and opportunities for private sector engagement and blended finance.
Nature-Based Economic Development and Tourism
Leveraging GI systems to generate economic value, including through nature-based tourism, while supporting local livelihoods and city competitiveness.
Institutional and Governance Frameworks
Strengthening coordination, regulatory frameworks, and institutional arrangements required to deliver and sustain integrated GI systems.
