Can we measure citizen's well-being? — by Anneli Simm
By
Business Development Manager at the FinEst Centre for Smart Cities
Why (and how) should we bring trees back to the urban landscape?— by Felix Finkbeiner
By
Founder of Plant-for-the-Planet
How cities can future-proof the EU: 3 core challenges — and some ways forward
By
Consulting Director at Anteverti
The EU is investing over €100 billion through 2027 to transform the places where its future will unfold—its cities. But how can municipalities turn high-level EU ambitions into meaningful, tangible outcomes that create a better future?
Why is preserving heritage important in contemporary cities? — by May al-Ibrashy
By
Founder and chair of Megawra-Built Environment Collective
How can we retain talent in lower status communities? — by Majora Carter
By
Urban Revitalization Consultant at the Majora Carter Group
«Yes to renovation! No to demolition!»: A (European) way forward for better cities
By
Head of Communications at Anteverti & CitiesToBe Executive Editor
Across Europe, voices are growing louder demanding that our cities prioritize renovation over demolition. The HouseEurope! initiative, recently awarded the 2025 OBEL Award, is leading the debate to turn this vision into law at the EU level.
How can smart city networks empower medium-sized and small cities? — by José de la Uz
By
President of the Spanish Network of Smart Cities & Mayor of Las Rozas de Madrid
How can cities spark innovation? — by Aparna Ramanan
By
Senior Program Manager for Bloomberg Philanthropies' Government Innovation program
30 key books on urban innovation to shape better cities for all
By
Anteverti Team
Explore our curated selection of books on urban innovation, offering insights from a variety of perspectives—handpicked by our expert team.
How are urban form and urban performance linked? — by Ramon Gras
By
Co-founder of Aretian and researcher at Harvard University
How do we create inclusive communities? — by Shawyn Patterson-Howard
By
President of the African American Mayor's Association
15 key terms redefining urban mobility today
By
Consultant at Anteverti & Expert in Mobility, Urban Innovation & Citizen Participation
Urban mobility is advancing rapidly, adapting to the myriad challenges contemporary cities face—from decarbonization to urban inequities—driven by innovation, sustainability, and the compounded needs of all urban stakeholders.
Unlocking urban futures: our 10 trends for cities in 2025
By
Senior Consultant at Anteverti & Expert in Creative Urban Solutions, Eco-innovation, Environmental Resilience & Circularity
What transformations and challenges will shape cities in 2025? Here is the Anteverti team's forecast on the trends that are expected to dominate the global debate on cities in 2025.
What is urban resilience about? — by Lauren Sorkin
By
Executive Director of the Resilient Cities Network
How can data science optimize the urban environment? — by Carlo Ratti
By
Director of the MIT Senseable City Lab & founding partner of design and innovation office CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati
Diving into the Blue Economy: what it is about and how it can transform coastal cities
By
Senior Consultant at Anteverti & Expert in Creative Urban Solutions, Eco-innovation, Environmental Resilience & Circularity
The Blue Economy has emerged as a buzzword in conversations surrounding cities, economies, and sustainability, sparking curiosity about its potential. Leveraging our expertise, we dive deep into the core benefits and opportunities this concept offers for coastal cities.
Susan HayesCulleton: «Teenagers will be longer on the planet than those who tell them what they should think»
By
Managing Director at the HayesCulleton Group
Siphelele Ngobese: «If cities work for the most vulnerable, they can work for everyone»
By
Senior Researcher at the South African Cities Network
City Digital Twins: the future of urban management
By
Consulting Director at Anteverti
At a time when tech maturity is breaking barriers, City Digital Twins are proving to be a real game-changer for simulating and testing new policy scenarios for cities.
Orna Rosenfeld: «Vienna and Singapore address housing affordability in the most efficient manner»
By
Independent advisor in Housing and Urban Affairs
Inés Sánchez de Madariaga: «Investment in transportation systems must include the concept of care»
By
UNESCO Chair on Gender in Science, Technology and Innovation
Cities shaping AI (and vice-versa): where are we?
By
Deputy Director General of Anteverti & Expert in Urban Innovation and Public Policies
In our increasingly urbanized world, the rise of AI and algorithms will lead to more automation. Let's delve into how cities and governments are defining their roles through a collaborative and transparent approach to safeguard public interest and individual rights.
Arturo Bris: «Second cities are becoming attractive for people and resources»
By
Professor of Finance and Director of the IMD World Competitiveness Center
Find out the winner and the honorable mentions of the CitiesToBe Photo Award 2023!
By
Head of Communications at Anteverti & CitiesToBe Executive Editor
Flowing forward: 5 strategies for cities to become water-wise
By
Senior Consultant at Anteverti & Expert in Urban Innovation and Design of Spaces
At this critical juncture of growing water uncertainty and increasing global consumption due to urbanization trends and development models, cities have no choice but to adapt and prepare.
Cecilia Tham: «Autonomous vehicles and AI will help us to optimize urban metabolism»
By
CEO & Co-Founder of Futurity Systems
Claudio Orrego: «Metropolitan challenges cannot be solved at the national nor local level»
By
Governor of the Metropolitan Region of Santiago de Chile
The arena revolution: trends shaping the new era of entertainment venues
By
Consulting Director at Anteverti
From AI and digital twins taking the stage to multisensory experiences with moving seats, entertainment venues are facing a moment of disruption that will propel the industry to the next level.
Jung-hoon Lee: «Smart cities differ from one continent to another»
By
Professor of Technology & Innovation Management at Yonsei University and Member of National Smart City Committee of the Republic of Korea
Martha Thorne: «Public space has to enable the idea of community»
By
Dean of IE School of Architecture and Design & Advisor to the Pritzker Architecture Prize
25 key contemporary women pioneering the path to design better cities
By
Anteverti Team
Explore our team-curated selection of 25 remarkable contemporary women who have played pivotal roles in improving cities for all.
Elkin Velásquez: «Latin American cities face one main challenge: inequality»
By
UN-Habitat Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean
Janette Sadik-Khan: "Urban innovation takes just some imagination and political courage"
By
Former New York City Transportation Commissioner and Principal at Bloomberg Associates
Navigating change: our 10 trends for cities in 2024
By
Senior Consultant at Anteverti & Expert in Creative Urban Solutions, Eco-innovation, Environmental Resilience & Circularity
This is Anteverti team's forecast on the trends that will shape the global debate on cities in 2024
Sameh Wahba: "Urban resilience is the ability of cities to become stronger"
By
Global Director of Resilience at the World Bank
Catherine D'Ignazio: «Cities don't think about gender enough»
By
Professor of Urban Science and Planning at Massachussets Institute of Technology
What is Smart City branding? 4 successful examples
By
CEO of Anteverti & Director of CitiesToBe
Amid fierce global competition for opportunities, investment, and talent, Smart City Branding can be the key for cities to stand out. Discover 4 top-performing global cities embracing this trend with our experts.
Martin Brynskov: "The way cities are organized is 200 years old"
By
Chair of Open & Agile Smart Cities and associate professor in interaction technologies at Aarhus University
Pontus Westerberg: how video games can push community-led urban planning
By
Programme Management Officer at UN-Habitat & Block by Block programme Special Advisor
Smart Buildings: 7 keys to build better cities for all
By
Deputy Director General of Anteverti & Expert in Urban Innovation and Public Policies
What are we talking about when we talk about smart buildings? Our team shares seven practical guidelines to improve our cities through architecture.
Climate change | Laura Tenenbaum: «Scientists and city planners cannot stay siloed»
By
Science communicator · former senior Science Editor of NASA’s Global Climate Change website
Natalia Olson-Urtecho: "Disruption means deciding outside the box"
By
Co-Founder and Innovation Officer of The Disruptive Factory and expert in public policies and public engagement
Roman Demyanenko: «Documentary photography can be a powerful weapon of social justice»
By
Documentary photographer & Winner of the CitiesToBe Photo Award 2020
We speak with the CitiesToBe Photo Award 2020 winner about the social role of documentary photography and his work on cities in the post-Soviet setting.
Tatiana Gallego: "Financing urban infrastructure is a real challenge for Latin American cities"
By
Division Chief for Housing and Urban Development at the Climate Change and Sustainable Development Sector of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
Gender Balance in Conferences: Challenging? Yes, but doable too
By
CEO of Anteverti & Director of CitiesToBe
Why are women still underrepresented at most major world conferences? Anteverti experts explain how it is possible not only to reverse this situation, but also to create a much enriching global conversation on our cities' future.
Juliet Schor: "We see a '99% to 1%' inequality in many cities"
By
Professor of Sociology at Boston College and researcher
Alice Charles: «Mayors look for solutions with the greatest cost-benefit»
By
Cities and Urban Development Lead at the World Economic Forum
Cities moving into the Metaverse: an augmented, but better reality?
By
CEO of Anteverti & Director of CitiesToBe
Can the Metaverse be useful to improve people's lives? As its boom raises questions, our experts explore how cities are already tapping into its potential today.
Kilian Kleinschmidt: “All cities are refugee camps”
By
Entrepreneur and advisor. Former UNHCR official.
Mikael Colville-Andersen: “We need to create a space for cycling in cities”
By
Urbanist, designer, author & inspirational speaker
The call of the CitiesToBe Photo Award 2023 is now open!
By
Head of Communications at Anteverti & CitiesToBe Executive Editor
The second edition of Anteverti's international urban photography contest will receive entries until February 12, 2023.
Emilia Saiz: "Cooperation should be at the core of cities”
By
Secretary General of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)
What will 2023 bring for cities? Our 10 predictions
By
Senior Consultant at Anteverti & Expert in Creative Urban Solutions, Eco-innovation, Environmental Resilience & Circularity
This is Anteverti team's prediction on the topics that will shape the conversation on cities in 2023.
Sladjana Mijatovic: “Cities are a great opportunity to change systems”
By
Program Manager Circular Economy & Innovation at City of Amsterdam
A new generation of Urban Agendas: 3 keys to make them a vector of global transformation
By
Former Consulting Director at Anteverti & Expert in Urban Sustainability, Public Policies and Citizen Engagement
How can the New Urban Agendas help to overcome siloed urban management and adapt it to today's digital reality? Anteverti team highlights 3 keys.
Jeff Merritt: “Data-driven cities bring benefits and vulnerabilities”
By
Director of Innovation, new head of IoT at WEF4IR
10 Years, 10 Urban Ideas: Pilar Conesa
By
President of Anteverti & Curator of the Smart City Expo World Congress
We interview Pilar Conesa, CEO of Anteverti and Curator of the Smart City Expo World Congress.
Maya Wiley: "We see the challenges of a society in cities"
By
Civil rights activist and board chair of the NYC Civilian Complaint Review Board
10 Years, 10 Urban Ideas: Maria Galindo Garcia-Delgado
By
Director-general for Digital Nation & Urban Agenda of the Government of Catalonia
Maria Galindo, Director General of Digital Nation & Urban Agenda of the Government of Catalonia, answers to our 10-item questionnaire.
Linda Weiss: “Global issues need to start from a city level”
By
Professor of political science at the University of Sydney
Joan Clos: «Good urbanisation requires a collective effort»
By
Former Executive Director of UN-Habitat
10 Years, 10 Urban Ideas: Agustí Fernández de Losada
By
Senior Research Fellow & Director of the Global Cities Programme at CIDOB
Agustí Fernández de Losada, CIDOB’s Senior Research Fellow & Director of the Global Cities Programme, answers to our 10-item questionnaire.
Raquel Rolnik: «We need the right to the city more than ever»
By
Prof. at the School of Architecture and Urbanism at University of São Paulo
Gabriella Gómez-Mont: «Cities are the best vehicle for ideas to travel»
By
Chief Creativity Officer at Laboratorio para la Ciudad. México City
10 Years, 10 Urban Ideas: Pedro Vidal Matamala
By
Executive Secretary of the Coordination of Intelligent Transport Systems of the Ministry of Transport & Telecommunications of Chile
We interview Pedro Vidal, Executive Secretary of the National Program for the Traffic Control Operational Unit of Chile.
Parvati Nair: "Urbanisation wouldn't happen without migration"
By
Director of the United Nations University Institute on Globalization, Culture and Mobility
Darko Radovic: "The city is a special projection of society on the ground"
By
Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at Keio University
10 Years, 10 Urban Ideas: Dr. Hila Oren
By
CEO of The Tel Aviv Foundation
Dr. Hila Oren, CEO of The Tel Aviv Foundation, answers to our 10-item questionnaire about urban innovation and the future of cities.
Inazio Martínez de Arano: «Forests belong to the urban domain»
By
Head of Office in European Forest Institute Mediterranean Regional Office
Kumaresh Mishra: «Urban development is a fact»
By
Former Deputy Secretary General Habitat III Conference. United Nations
10 Years, 10 Urban Ideas: Esteve Almirall
By
Professor of Innovation & Director of Center for Innovation in Cities at Esade Business Law School
What is the most innovative city in the world? Esteve Almirall, Professor of Innovation at Esade, answers to our 10-item questionnaire.
Amador Ferrer: "One challenge for urbanists is demographic growth"
By
Architect and Professor at Universitat Ramón Llull
Bahaaeddin Alhaddad: "Happines in cities is not a new subject"
By
Space Business Development and Urban Remote Sensing at Starlab Ltd
10 Years, 10 Urban Ideas: Diego Fernández
By
Secretary of Innovation & Digital Transformation of the Government of the City of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires' Secretary of Innovation & Digital Transformation Diego Fernández answers to our 10-item questionnaire.
Dan Lewis: "We need to look at the immigration flows as flows of assets"
By
President, Westcoast International. Forrmer Chief Urban Risk Reduction, UN Habitat
10 Years, 10 Urban Ideas: Vicente Guallart
By
Founder of the Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia & Director of Valldaura Labs
Vicente Guallart, the founder of the Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, answers to our 10-item questionnaire about cities.
10 Years, 10 Urban Ideas: Anna Gener
By
CEO of Savills Aguirre Newman Barcelona
Anna Gener, CEO of Savills Aguirre Newman Barcelona, answers to our 10-item questionnaire about urban innovation.
10 Years, 10 Urban Ideas: Sameh Wahba
By
Global Director of Resilience at the World Bank
World Bank's Sameh Wahba answers to our 10-item questionnaire about urban innovation.
Lacina Koné: "The Covid-19 pandemic provided African cities with an opportunity to shift the mindset"
By
Director General of Smart Africa
We talk with Lacina Koné, CEO of Smart Africa, about how technology is helping African cities cope with their demographic boom while facing Covid-19.
Emilia Sáiz: "During the pandemic, local governments have engaged not just in collaboration, but in collective learning"
By
Secretary General of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)
To UCLG's Secretary General Emilia Sáiz, "During the pandemic, local governments have engaged not just in collaboration, but in collective learning".
A year of hyper-accelerated digital transformation: what our cities and societies have learned
By
President of Anteverti & Curator of the Smart City Expo World Congress
What have we learned from the intersection between this pandemic year, life in cities and digital transformation? Our team has identified four areas and trends where the way forward is clearer today than it was a year ago.
Turning a year of pandemic into inclusive growth: 4 keys for cities
By
Consultant at Anteverti & Expert in Local and Regional Economic Development
The pandemic has been a system-wide shock - but also an opportunity to definitely update our cities’ economic model to the digital age and to the ecological transition while putting people at the core.
The indispensability of urban innovation: 5 examples on how it has proven crucial for cities to face the Covid-19 crisis
By
CEO of Anteverti & Director of CitiesToBe
From more human-centered urban spaces to new housing concepts, let's hope the disruptive period unleashed by the pandemic to be an igniter to start making things better in our cities.
Cities and internationalization: 4 trends that are shaping a new scenario of opportunities
By
Research Fellow at CIDOB
Cities and peri-urban territories must see today’s situation – and recent digital hyper-acceleration– as an opportunity to reposition themselves on the global map.
A decarbonized recovery against climate emergency: 3 lessons cities have learned during the pandemic
By
Former Consulting Director at Anteverti & Expert in Urban Sustainability, Public Policies and Citizen Engagement
During the pandemic, cities found that they could contain the virus while fighting the climate emergency through quick and low-cost solutions. Now, how can we translate these learnings – and the European Green Deal – into zero-carbon cities?
5 reasons why metropolitan cooperation and city alliances are key for a resilient post-pandemic future
By
President of Anteverti & Curator of the Smart City Expo World Congress
Our expert analysis | No city is big enough to face this pandemic alone, and multi-level and-stakeholder alliances can and should be an accelerator of global urban resilience.
Technology and innovation in post-pandemic cities: How will priorities change? | A conversation with global experts (II)
By
President of Anteverti & Curator of the Smart City Expo World Congress
What are the urban challenges prompted by Covid-19 where technology and innovation can make a difference – and how? Global experts talk.
How will Covid-19 change the way cities work? | A conversation with global experts (I)
By
Professor at the Sorbonne University & Mayor of Paris’ Special Representative for Smart Cities
Carlos Moreno, Catherine D'Ignazio, Elkin Velásquez, Emilia Sáiz and Laura Faye Tenembaum share their views on the future of cities after Covid-19.
Covid-19 and the future of cities: 6 trends that will change urban economies
By
Public Sector Innovation Business Development Consultant at i2CAT Foundation and Expert in Digital Transition
Our expert analysis | From virtual experiences to Covid-free certificates – what are the trends that will dominate the future evolution of urban economy?
Covid-19 and the future of cities: 5 keys to keep moving towards local sustainability
By
Former Consulting Director at Anteverti & Expert in Urban Sustainability, Public Policies and Citizen Engagement
Our analysis | How can cities mitigate the socio-economic impact of Covid-19 while preserving the positive environmental side effects of the quarantine?
Covid-19 and the future of cities: How are public space and social life going to change?
By
CEO of Anteverti & Director of CitiesToBe
Our expert analysis | The pandemic has made visible a series of pre-existing socio-economic issues of contemporary cities.
Covid-19 and the future of cities: 9 emerging trends in digital transformation
By
Deputy Director General of Anteverti & Expert in Urban Innovation and Public Policies
Our expert analysis | The pandemic has accelerated many digitalization processes that were predicted to be more gradual – and urban management has been no exception.
Here is the winner of the CitiesToBe Photo Award – and the 10 Honorary Mentions
By
Head of Communications at Anteverti & CitiesToBe Executive Editor
The Jury reviewed 533 photographs from 60 countries.
2019 in Urban Challenges: CitiesToBe review of the Year
By
Head of Communications at Anteverti & CitiesToBe Executive Editor
Feminist urbanism, creativity for sustainability, radical inclusion and growing inequalities: we list this year's most popular topics according to the visitors of this blog, as 2019 comes to an end and we welcome a new decade.
Finding inspiration in urban complexity: 1st edition of the CitiesToBe Photo Award launched!
By
Head of Communications at Anteverti & CitiesToBe Executive Editor
If you love cities as much as photography, submit your entry for the CitiesToBe Photo Award before 16th February 2020!
Urban innovation matters: 10 articles and resources to highlight why
By
Head of Communications at Anteverti & CitiesToBe Executive Editor
The importance of data, research and experiment; thinking outside of the box; a human-centered digitalization approach; putting people at the core: these are some of the keys to foster smarter cities, according to our team's expertise.
Emilia Sáiz: "Competition among cities is not an impediment for cooperation"
By
Secretary General of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)
«Think globally, act locally.» The world has changed a lot since the first decades of the 20th century, when the Scottish
Creativity is boosting urban sustainability – and here are 10 examples
By
Senior Consultant at Anteverti & Expert in Creative Urban Solutions, Eco-innovation, Environmental Resilience & Circularity
Art and Science are probably not two disciplines you would think about merging when approaching the fight against climate change.
How can feminist urbanism help build more equal cities? Lessons from Latin America
By
Advisor for the Women and Inclusive Growth at Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and researcher
Urban spaces still often mirror gender inequality, but feminist urbanism-activism can be a powerful vector to move towards more equal, inclusive and safe cities – as it is happening in Latin America.
Cities leading the fight against climate change
By
Senior Consultant at Anteverti & Expert in Creative Urban Solutions, Eco-innovation, Environmental Resilience & Circularity
Cities hold the key to tackling climate change given that they are responsible for 80% of global emissions.
Our cities in 2017: the technologies that matter
By
Author and consultant
A review of what’s moving, to better understand where to act.
A glimpse into global challenges through global experts
By
Consultant & Urban Expert
The world we live in is bringing a picture of global challenges when we try to discern between risks and opportunities.
Public Spaces in African cities
By
Urbanist and Director of Our Future Cities
African public spaces are complex, especially so against the backdrop of fast urbanising cities and increasing socio-economic volatility.
Youth engagement in politics
By
Head of Knowledge & Policy at Climate Infrastructure Partnership
Youth engagement in politics encourages youth to become actors rather than subjects.
Jane Jacobs, Eyes on the street
By
CEO of Anteverti & Director of CitiesToBe
On the 100th anniversary of Jane Jacobs, her new perspective to urbanism is remembered.
What Makes A Thriving And Interesting City? Something Called Collision Density
By
Professor of Entrepreneurship
Boyd Cohen states that the growth of collision density results in urban entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Smart City 2.0: Cities of and for the people
By
Professor of Innovation & Director of Center for Innovation in Cities at Esade Business Law School
We are witnessing a transition point, a moment of change in the understanding of what a Smart City is.
Manu Fernández: "Smart city projects need contextualization"
By
Deputy Director General of Anteverti & Expert in Urban Innovation and Public Policies
To Manu Fernández the smart city as urban proposal seeks to provide a framework to explain and sort out the digital presence in the city that is becoming normal in the urban realm.
