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World Cities Summit 2021
World Cities Summit 2021
Postponed by a year in response to the unprecedented global COVID-19 pandemic, the 7th World Cities Summit (WCS) was held in a largely virtual format from 21 to 23 June 2021. With the theme of “Liveable and Sustainable Cities: Adapting to a Disrupted World”, the Summit addressed the urgent need for cities to take action amidst an increasingly volatile world. Discussions took place on how cities can adapt to climate, technological and social disruptions across six domains of urban leadership—governance, planning, real estate, financing, technology and science of cities. The Summit received overwhelming support internationally, with over 4,700 delegates from 556 cities able to participate remotely.
Key highlights of the World Cities Summit 2021
WCS Keynote Sessions, In Conversation with Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister, and Webinar Series
Through 70-min live webinar sessions, high-level speakers from governments, international organisations and industry sectors shared their insights on cross-disciplinary policies, management strategies and best practices. Post Summit, the discussions also continued with a series of monthly webinars from July to November 2021.
WCS Smart Cities Workshop
The inaugural WCS Smart Cities Workshop aimed to advance participating cities’ smart city projects through deep dive webinars with relevant partners such as consultants, funders and solution providers.
WCS Young Leaders Dialogue
WCS Young Leaders convened at this by-invitation-only event for an exclusive dialogue with Tan Kiat How, Minister of State for National Development, Singapore.
Special Addresses
Key leaders shared their thoughts on how cities can adapt to a disrupted world in these 5-min Special Addresses.
Leaders:
- Carrie Lam, Chief Executive, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
- David Malpass, President, World Bank Group
- João Doria, Governor, State of São Paulo, Brazil
- Armin Laschet, Minister-President, State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Federal Republic of Germany
WCS Mayoral Dialogues
Professor Greg Clark CBE, engaged in exclusive 10-min fireside chats with invited mayors of leading cities such as Antwerp, Dubai, Manila, Melbourne, Singapore and Suwon City.
Mayors:
- Bart De Wever, Mayor of Antwerp
- His Excellency Dowoud Abdulrahman Al-Hajri, Director-General, Dubai Municipality
- Benjamin Abalos Jr., Chairman, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority
- Sally Capp, Lord Mayor of Melbourne
- Low Yen Ling, Minister of State for Trade and Industry, and for Culture, Community and Youth; Chairman, Mayors’ Committee; Mayor, South West District, Singapore
- Yeom Tae-Young, Mayor of Suwon City
Partner Events
Partner Events organised along the sidelines of the Summit provided more opportunities to explore topics related to the WCS 2021 theme.
Country Spotlight
In these 30-min sessions, countries such as Belgium, Japan, Korea and the United Kingdom showcased how they were making their cities liveable and sustainable in this era of disruptions.
Virtual Site Visits
In an innovative first, the WCS 2021 saw attendees experiencing Singapore through a series of 2-min virtual site visits, bringing to life stories such as Tiong Bahru’s conservation efforts hosted by Singapore Minister Indranee Rajah and sits such as Tanjong Pagar, Jurong Lake Gardens, Heartbeat@Bedok and Keppel Bay Tower.