Pre Forum Activities
Opening Night
Ivo Daalder, President, Chicago Council on Global AffairsGillian Tett, US Managing Editor, Financial Times
Michael Nutter, former Mayor of PhiladelphiaIn conversation with Caroline Daniel, Partner, Brunswick
How can cities ensure that growth is inclusive?
Jozias van Aartsen, Acting Mayor, AmsterdamIsher Judge Ahluwalia, Chairperson, India Council for Research on International Economic Relations Michael Berkowitz, President, 100 Resilient Cities Helene Gayle, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Chicago Community Trust Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol Moderated by Edward Luce, Washington Correspondent, Financial Times
Thursday Morning Session
Are there new ways to restore economic vitality and financial stability in cities through recognizing untapped assets and improved balance sheets? Dag Detter, Industrial Advisor, Boston Consulting Group
How can a city become the next London, New York, or Tokyo - cities that command the global economy - and do they even want to be?
Olukonyinsola Ajayi, Managing Partner, Olaniwun Ajayi LPCharles Bowman, Lord Mayor of LondonPeter Fatelnig, Minister-Counsellor for Digital Economy Policy, Delegation of the European Union to the United States of AmericaHanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, Mayor of WarsawWang Huiyao, President, Center for China and GlobalizationWill McWilliams, Partner, Grant ThorntonModerated by Gillian Tett, US Managing Editor, Financial Times
What does metropolitan governance look like as urban areas increasingly cluster? Octavi de la Varga, Secretary General, Metropolis Paul Fletcher, Minister, Urban Infrastructure, Australia Claudio Orrego Larrain, Former Governor, Santiago Metropolitan RegionCorine Mauch, Mayor of ZurichModerated by Juliana Kerr, Director, Global Cities, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Concurrent Workshops
From all sectors and in various sizes and styles, buildings shape the city. They also steer the city’s energy and carbon profile. Energy used in buildings stemming from heating, cooling, and operations is responsible for approximately one-third of global energy use and almost 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. This session will identify key policy recommendations, anchored in effective building codes and standards, to ensure healthy, sustainable buildings and thriving cities.
Co-Sponsor: USG Corporation
Cities are more connected than ever on a global scale, yet local governments are often not equipped to meet the demands of effective global engagement and citywide coordination. City diplomacy is and must be a strategic activity for cities if they are to remain relevant in the global economy. This session will review how cities should prioritize engagement with global networks, build operational capacity, and coordinate local stakeholders to improve local outcomes. This workshop is made possible with the generous support of the Chicago Community Trust.
Partner: Melbourne School of Design at the University of Melbourne
Cities are turning to technology to spark resident engagement and improve city services. While today’s digital tools can address urban challenges faster and better than ever before, there are limitations to fulfilling the promise of civic technologies - especially in the context of structural inequity around education, access, and the inclusion in the technology ecosystem. This session will address how cities and city stakeholders can unlock the promise of civic technology and ensure that the creation, deployment, and use of technologies and digital platforms reliably serve stakeholder interests.
Partner: UI LABS
Rural-to-urban migration is a global phenomenon, but its effects are most keenly felt in the burgeoning cities of the Global South where rapid urbanization provides an unrelenting test of infrastructure and resources. This workshop will examine creative design interventions to help cities absorb this growth efficiently, sustainably, and in a manner that supports the quality of life of residents old and new.
Partner: The Graham Foundation
In most global cities, investments in the economy and gains from its growth have been unevenly distributed - both spatially and socioeconomically. This session will explore strategies to build growth directly in neighborhoods and identify creative policies that move assets from bustling centers to broaden the range of people and places contributing to and benefiting from urban growth.
Partner: World Business Chicago
Successful cities attract talent and foster entrepreneurship. In an age when educated and creative workers are highly mobile, attracting and retaining talent is an ongoing challenge for cities. This workshop will explore the elements of effective business and innovation accelerators and how cities can leverage their respective strengths to create jobs and attract growth industries.* This tour includes a tour of mHUB, Chicago's first innovation center focused on physical product development and manufacturing.
Partner: UL
Redeveloping long-neglected urban waterways can bring a city economic, environmental, and social benefits. This session discusses the tools cities can use to ensure that waterway development projects promote inclusion and economic equity, improve the environment, and avoid displacing communities.
Partner: Metropolitan Planning Council
Cities face numerous security threats, yet the political systems of nation-states are lagging behind the ability to prepare and respond effectively. Intelligence communities are not set up to communicate easily with municipal forces, and local agencies typically do not have the security clearances they need to stay abreast of transnational threats. Cities are creating their own counter-terrorism and security agencies given the problems associated with coordination across levels of governments. How should nation-state level agencies work with the local level to better protect cities?
Partner: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
Friday Morning Session