India invests in city flood mitigation, and other urban transformation stories 

India will invest nearly $300 million over the next two years to mitigate flooding and conserve water in seven cities, including Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru, a government official told Reuters.

The funds will be used to build drains as well as to expand lakes and other water bodies that have been destroyed by rapid urbanization.

India's monsoon season has caused widespread flooding in cities in recent years – and water shortages have also impacted areas like Delhi and Bengaluru.

In July, more than 300mm of rain fell in India's financial capital Mumbai in just six hours.

Krishna S. Vatsa, a member of the National Disaster Management Authority, said: "While the importance of storm water drainage in reducing the runoff cannot be overlooked, they also need to be supplemented by some of the nature-based solutions such as increasing the capacity of rivers and lakes to carry rain water."

More than 40% of major companies, cities and regions have yet to set targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, according to Net Zero Tracker's Net Zero Stocktake 2024.

Researchers examined the net-zero commitments and action plans from 198 countries, 706 sub-national regions, 1,186 cities and almost 2,000 publicly listed companies.

It found that while 1,750 entities out of more than 4,000 had made formal net-zero pledges, around 1,700 had not set any targets at all.

Of the cities covered, more than three-quarters (77%) have yet to set net-zero targets, while only 12 cities (1%) have established them in law.

Indonesia is planning to upgrade the quality of subsidized and polluting fuels and sell them to fewer vehicles in a bid to improve air quality in Jakarta and other major cities.

In August, new home prices in China fell at the fastest pace in more than nine years, according to official data, as supportive measures failed to kick-start recovery in the property sector.

It comes as a Reuters poll of housing experts predicts home prices in India will rise steadily over the next few years, driven by demand for luxury properties.

Portugal will spend $2.22 billion on building around 33,000 homes by 2030 for families in need who face unaffordable house prices and rents.

Rome is considering reducing access to tourist hotspot the Trevi Fountain, ahead of the 2025 Jubilee – a year-long Roman Catholic event expected to attract 32 million tourists and pilgrims.

Madrid is set to ban e-scooters rented through mobile apps after the city's three licensed operators failed to implement limits on their clients' circulation or control their parking, according to Mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida.

Car dependency is a global urban challenge, requiring cultural shifts to implement ambitious solutions for reducing car numbers. Systems thinking approaches can be applied to urban mobility to promote public and active travel, improve air quality and simultaneously address the climate crisis. Highlighting the diverse benefits of car reduction strategies can foster positive public engagement and encourage transformative urban mobility solutions, two experts explain.

The real estate industry is not just about buildings, floorspace and occupancies – it is a business of people and places. A new Social Value Playbook published by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with real estate firm Avison Young highlights six principles for achieving long-term social value goals in urban redevelopment projects. Adhering to these principles from the start of a project greatly improves public-private collaboration, leading to developments that suit the specific needs of local communities while also addressing wider challenges such as the affordable housing crisis.

Urban resilience is important in advancing the long-term viability and quality of life in cities. The challenges cities face today require bolder and more integrated strategies that prioritize a net-zero and nature-positive transition. The Urban Blueprint Session at the World Economic Forum's Sustainable Development Impact Meetings (SDIM) seeks new business models and a joint approach to climate and biodiversity loss, writes Sarah Franklin, the Forum's Lead on Urban Sustainability and Resilience.

The US debuts its first hydrogen-powered train, joining global efforts to decarbonize rail transport. Hydrogen trains offer advantages but face fuel production challenges – both hydrogen and electric technologies are expected to be key to achieving net-zero rail transport. The World Economic Forum’s Advanced Energy Solutions community is working to accelerate large-scale deployment of clean fuels, hydrogen, advanced nuclear, storage and carbon.

By 2050, 2.5 billion more people will live in cities, making local governments pivotal in shaping nature-positive and climate-resilient agendas. Nature Positive: Leaders' Insights for the Transition in Cities is a collection of insights offering practical strategies and examples of urban interventions that have proven to have a positive impact on nature and biodiversity.

Infrastructure is a significant generator of economic and social value, but it is also expensive to design, build, operate and maintain. Implementing a Lifecycle Approach to Infrastructure: A Policy Roadmap for Cities sets out how city leaders working on planning and building infrastructure projects can adopt a whole-of-life-cycle approach – from planning to management to repurposing.

Expanding electric vehicle infrastructure requires collaboration between city governments and the private sector. The Forum's Scaling Investment in EV Charging Infrastructure: A Policy Roadmap for Cities outlines the key steps city governments can take to encourage private-sector investment and create a conducive ecosystem.