Partner Events

Cities on the Frontline: Playful Cities, Why Cities Need Play and Placemaking to Foster Children's Wellbeing and City Resilience

21 January 2021
08:00 am
 / 
Online
 
Play and leisure are central to ensuring that children grow up happy and healthy. More time playing outside links to higher levels of happiness, however, our cities often lack opportunities or a city-wide approach to play. Covid-19 associated stresses faced by children and their families are a reminder to reclaim and integrate places to play in everyday life beyond the playground.
 
The first session of 2021 Cities on the Frontline Speaker Series, jointly organized by Resilient Cities Network and the World Bank, focused on “PLAYFUL CITIES - Why cities need play and placemaking to foster children’s wellbeing and city resilience”. This special session is organized in partnership with the Real Play Coalition. The session showcased the City of Tirana, winner of the Real Play Challenge. Anuela Ristani, Deputy Mayor for Foreign Affairs, explained how playful placemaking interventions are enabling the city to build back better from the impacts of COVID-19. We will also were joined by Louise Thivant Johannsen, Child Friendly Cities Initiative Advisor, UNICEF and representative of the Real Play Coalition, and Hans Karssenberg from Placemaking.
 
Cities on the Frontline Speaker Series was a weekly speaker series co-organized by the Global Resilient Cities Network and the World Bank City Resilience Program from March to December 2020. The purpose of the series was to share knowledge to help cities respond to the pandemic crisis and plan towards recovery with resilience. Questions about the Speaker’s Series can be directed to media@resilientcitiesnetwork.org.
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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

GPSC Mayors Round Table and Urban Nature Forum

19 November - 20 November, 2025, 9:00 CET

In the lead-up to COP30, a series of high-level gatherings will take place in Rio de Janeiro from November 3–6, 2025, bringing together mayors and local leaders from around the world. These events will spotlight bold city leadership on climate action, highlight subnational priorities, and mobilize

Xi’an, China

Bridge for Cities: Shaping Sustainable Cities with Technology and Innovation

16 October - 18 October, 2025, 9:00 CET

Background The 2025 edition of UNIDO’s flagship Bridge for Cities event will focus on the vital role of technological advances and inclusive innovation in shaping sustainable urban development. By 2050, over two-thirds of the global population will live in urban areas, requiring bold transformations

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