1. Report: Innovation ecosystems are evolving: here’s how to ensure they benefit everyone
A global wave of investment is reshaping cities through innovation districts and ecosystems — physical and social hubs designed to spark collaboration, economic growth and creativity. As cities and companies double down on these efforts, leaders are prioritizing how to ensure that innovation delivers for all residents.
At the World Economic Forum’s Urban Transformation Summit in San Francisco, city and business leaders unveiled a new roadmap, Innovation Ecosystems: A Toolkit of Principles and Best Practice, that distills best practice and tangible lessons from 10 innovation districts drawn from every continent. From human-centric design to community collaboration, these strategies serve as a blueprint for leaders who want to build innovation-driven engines of equitable growth.
The framework focuses on three areas that underpin success:
Examples like Detroit’s Michigan Central and Monterrey’s DistritoTec illustrate how intentional design, co-creation and digital access can help innovation ecosystems become true catalysts for community and economic transformation.
2. Urban Transformation Summit 2025 spotlights local-to-global solutions
To showcase what inclusive and sustainable growth, innovation, and resilience look like in practice, the Urban Transformation Summit 2025 put a spotlight on over 300 leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs who are working together to drive local-to-global action.
The San Francisco gathering served as a platform to launch the inaugural cohort of six “pioneering places” in urban design as part of the Davos Baukultur Alliance, and mobilize commitments to accelerate work across these diverse global cities.
Separately, the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with UN-Habitat, recognized three cities – Harar, Ethiopia, Kigali, Rwanda and Jersey City, US—for their groundbreaking public-private collaborations tackling plastic waste, green housing, and access to healthcare.
The Summit also showcased the Centre's new 24-Hour Economy initiative, championing the growing focus on inclusive and safe night-time economies, a sector worth $35 billion in New York City alone. From essential services and livelihoods to culture and tourism, 24-hour economies are emerging as critical levers for local resilience, inclusion, and growth.
Though a few common misconceptions continue to hold nighttime strategies back, cities across the globe are appointing "night mayors" and establishing offices focused on unlocking nighttime's potential.
3. News in brief: More top city stories
Santiago’s smog fight pays off: After nearly 30 years of anti-pollution efforts, the Chilean capital is seeing cleaner air. In 2025, pollution hours dropped 66% from a decade ago thanks to cleaner transport, car limits and wood-burning bans. But rising summer ozone and the city’s mountain-trapped smog remain challenges.
Egypt launches smart cities strategy: Egypt has unveiled a plan to drive sustainable urban growth. Linking existing and new cities, the strategy tackles urbanization and climate challenges while promoting citizen participation, upgrading infrastructure, redeveloping slums and building people-centred cities aligned with the country's Vision 2030 aims.
UK taskforce charts next-gen new towns: The UK government is advancing plans for new towns, following a report recommending 12 potential sites. Early focus is on Tempsford, Crews Hill and Leeds South Bank, each set to deliver 10,000+ homes with 40% affordable housing. A new New Towns Unit will drive innovation, community engagement and sustainable development.
Local leaders drive climate innovation: Bloomberg Philanthropies has named 26 finalists for the 2025 Local Leaders Awards, showcasing cities and regions with bold solutions in clean energy, sustainable transport, resilient infrastructure, healthy cities, waste reduction and partnerships. The winners - one Brazilian and one global per category - will be announced at COP30, in Belém, highlighting the impact of local action on global climate progress.
LA bets big on global events with Convention Center expansion: Los Angeles has broken ground on a major expansion of its Convention Center, a key project in transforming Downtown LA ahead of the 2028 Olympics. The 190,000 sq ft addition aims to cement the city as a top-tier global convention hub, projected to create 15,000 jobs and significantly boost the local economy.
4. More on urban transformation on Forum Stories
Today's global crises are deeply urban: Conflict, displacement and climate shocks are converging in cities, threatening global stability. Yamila Castro, Communications Lead at Cities Alliance, argues that a resilient future requires three fundamental shifts: moving from short-term aid to long-term, city-led investment; securing predictable finance; and empowering local mayors as first responders.
How does Copenhagen fight floods? By turning its historic parks into giant sponges. Watch this video to see the incredible engineering hidden just beneath the city's green spaces.
The end of the 'Take-Make-Dispose' era? Our linear economic model is no longer fit for purpose, according to Fleming Voetmann of VELUX, with businesses spending twice as much on materials as on labour, creating massive waste and climate challenges. Explore in this article how a shift to a circular economy is now an urgent competitive necessity - and could slash emissions from the built environment by up to 75%.
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