Promoting innovation and knowledge through the new UCLG Community on Urban Innovation

The UCLG World Council in Haikou agreed with the recommendations of the Liverpool Executive Bureau to establish a Community of Practice on Urban Innovation to promote innovation and the learning agenda, building on the work of the Guangzhou Award.

This new Community aims at enhancing international exchange and cooperation in sustainable development, facilitating research on innovative urban governance to serve as a reference for decision-makers in global cities and ensuring the continued involvement of the Guangzhou International Award’s finalists in the future work of UCLG.

The year 2014 has been remarkable, thanks to the great support of UCLG members, networks and partners. In November, the 2nd Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation (the Guangzhou Award) was successfully concluded, with 259 submissions from 177 cities in 57 countries around the world. After careful deliberation, an independent Jury selected five winners for the 2nd Guangzhou Award, including Antioquia of Colombia, Bristol of the UK, Christchurch of New Zealand, Dakar of Senegal, and Hangzhou of China.

In order to better understand these innovative practices and provide references for urban governance, the UCLG Community on Urban Innovation, together with the Guangzhou Award and the Guangzhou Institute for Urban Innovation, has compiled the publications Learnings from Field Studies for the 1st Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation and A Collection of Shortlisted Initiatives of the 2nd Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation, aiming at offering some insights into the latest trends of urban innovation. The electronic version of these books can be assessed by clicking here.

If you are interested in joining the UCLG Community on Urban Innovation, please fill in the attached Registration Form and send it back to the Secretariat at [email protected], or by fax to 86-20-66289391.

The UCLG Community on Urban Innovation is looking forward to your attention, and to working closely with you to write a new chapter in urban innovation, in 2015!