World Cities Day: how 7 leaders are balancing the nexus between urban growth and equity

The continued global trend of urbanization is a significant and complex challenge. As more people move into towns and cities, it becomes crucial to ensure that urban areas are expanded in a way that is equitable, sustainable and inclusive. The United Nations World Cities Report 2022 projected a substantial increase of 2.2 billion urban residents, particularly in Asian and African cities, by 2050. To address the challenges and opportunities posed by this trend, it's essential to discuss the types of leadership needed to create a better urban future.

To celebrate World Cities Day, 31 October 2023, we invited seven Young Global Leaders from architecture, urban planning, local government and civil society to share how they lead practices in designing and building cities, while unlocking the engine of growth through collaboration, innovation and the arts.

Professor Sumayya Vally, Principal, Counterspace

"In my practice, I view architecture as a site of consciousness, a site for the regeneration of history and a means to give a voice to the voiceless. I am interested in looking at all the things architecture has to say and how we can start saying them - we will never reach equity with the status quo.

"For an upcoming project, the Asiat-Darse Bridge in Vilvoorde, Belgium, I looked at the life of one of the city’s most impactful - yet least acknowledged - individuals. Through my research, I discovered Paul Panda Farnana, a Congolese horticulturist, Pan Africanist and political advocate who was brought to Belgium as a child and went on to become the country’s first black university graduate and later, a major force in shaping the country’s history. Through referencing water architectures from the Congo and propagating species from his research, this project not only honours Farnana’s life and legacy but also those who were left unnamed and unknown over the centuries."

Francesca Colombo, Managing Cultural Director, Biblioteca degli Alberi Milano, Italy

"Drawing from my experience as a cultural entrepreneur, I have witnessed the profound significance of preserving public and cultural spaces to ensure that cities thrive while safeguarding the intergenerational well-being of communities. Public-private partnerships can be a powerful tool for financing and delivering infrastructure projects while ensuring that the public interest is protected.

"Furthermore, accessible culture and community engagement are pivotal facets in harmonizing urban growth with equity. The rich tapestry of arts and culture serves as a multifaceted and universal language that raises awareness of collective responsibilities, fosters connections between people and places, combats educational disparities and contributes to a shared and egalitarian cultural welfare."

Shireen Shelleh, Partner and Managing Director, Center for Engineering and Planning, Palestinian Territories

"As an urban planner operating in a complex and challenging environment like occupied Palestine, and especially in what is called Area C, I am committed to using design to foster normal urban growth. We focus on empowering marginalized communities to resist displacement, ensuring their rights to their lands and homes are protected.

"Our approach combines community engagement, sustainable infrastructure and land-use planning to create spaces that enhance well-being and preserve their lands and cultural identity. By advocating for Palestinian communities and leveraging design as a tool for resilience and social justice, we aim to develop cities and villages that prioritize human dignity and justice."

Juan José Pocaterra, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, ViKua, Venezuela

"In the age of AI, leaders need a new playbook centred on mastering data for informed decision-making. Old yardsticks of value and productivity are being replaced by AI's capabilities. Leaders must shift their focus to swift decision-making processes backed by AI-generated insights. A practical approach includes creating an accessible data repository, using fast-processing tools for real-time insights and training staff in data literacy. This tech-savvy leadership style is not just an option but a necessity for building inclusive and sustainable urban environments."

Daniel Feldman, Founder and Architect, Zona Industrial Taller de Arquitectura

"As an architect I am using architectural and urban design to advocate for urban growth with equity by creating paths to maximize the embedded multi-layered potential that the subsidized reshoring of the digital reindustrialization revolution contains and the role that architecture, urban design, landscape design and urban planning will have to maximize the potential of this historic shift.

"As the fields best equipped to offer the tools required to make the cohabitation of industry, nature, and humans a harmonious, ethical and productive one, architects must demonstrate how reindustrialization is not only an economic opportunity within the factories, but also one capable of deconstructing the use-based segregated city it created outside."

Delfina Irazusta, Founder and Executive Director, Asociacion Civil Red de Innovacion Local

"Latin America is one of the most unequal regions in the world. It is imperative that decision-makers in local governments feel deeply challenged to take action to generate sustainable and inclusive urban growth.

"We need empathetic leaders who are willing to listen actively to the community. By connecting to their own humanity and their communities, leaders gain new perspectives of citizens, of their dreams, obstacles, fears and desires, to better craft citizen-centred solutions that can truly transform lives."

James K. Mensah, Senior Lecturer, University of Ghana and Former Chief Resilience Advisor to Mayor of Accra, Ghana

"From a one billion population, informal settlements are projected to be three billion by 2050. These populations serve as labour to several menial and unskilled jobs in the cities of the global south. However, trust and accountability are the biggest challenges, especially in Ghana.

"Generally, informal settlement workers have not been accountable and trusted for whatever work has been assigned to them. Going forward, it is extremely important to train them, not only professionally, but the training should concentrate on accountability and professional ethics."