Side Event at World Urban Forum Showcases Shanghai Award’s Role in Sustainable Urban Development
(SeaPRwire) - BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 28, 2026 — A side event focused on the Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities (Shanghai Award) took place at the Olympic Stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan, on May 19. A media snippet accompanying this announcement can be accessed by clicking this link. As a special session during the 13th World Urban Forum, the side event centered on the theme "From Adequate Housing to Livable Communities — Advancing a Sustainable Urban Future via Shanghai Award City Practices." Delegates from China and abroad exchanged perspectives on enhancing housing conditions and building livable communities. The side event was co-organized by UN-Habitat, the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Housing, Urban-Rural Development and Management, and the Fuzhou Municipal Bureau of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. Representatives from UN-Habitat, China’s Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Housing, Urban-Rural Development and Management attended and delivered speeches. Li Zhe, Deputy Director General of the Department of Planning, Finance, and Foreign Affairs at China’s Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, noted that China has long been an active participant and steadfast contributor to global sustainable development. China is ready to deepen exchanges and cooperation with other countries under the UN-Habitat framework, support the Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities (Shanghai Award) in better fulfilling its role as a platform, and drive global cities toward safer, more inclusive, greener, and more resilient development. Gao Shiyun, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Housing, Urban-Rural Development and Management and Director of the Shanghai Municipal Housing Administration, stated that global development currently faces multiple risks and challenges, and the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has entered a critical phase. To better leverage the key role of cities in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, UN-Habitat and the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government jointly established the Shanghai Award in 2022 with the support of China’s Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. According to Gao, the Shanghai Award recognizes cities that have made remarkable progress in sustainable development, fostering experience sharing and multilateral cooperation among cities. With the overarching theme of "Building a Sustainable Urban Future for All," the Shanghai Award comprehensively assesses cities’ progress in sustainable development across economic, social, and environmental dimensions. The number of applicant cities has grown from 54 in the first cycle to 85 in the third cycle. The fourth cycle of the Shanghai Award officially launched its call for applications on March 17, with the deadline set for June 12. The Shanghai Award organizing committee will select international judges to conduct independent reviews and evaluations of applications, and the winners will be formally announced and honored at the Global Observance of World Cities Day to be held in Fuzhou, China, on October 31. During the side event, Sahar Attia — an Emeritus Professor from the Faculty of Engineering at Cairo University and a member of the Egyptian Parliament — introduced the background and significance of the Shanghai Award. Shi Nan, Executive Vice President and Secretary-General of the Urban Planning Society of China, presented the award’s selection criteria and process. Delegates from Bogota, Agadir, Medina, Incheon, and Fuzhou shared their practices in sustainable urban development. Originating from the 2010 Shanghai World Expo’s theme "Better City, Better Life," Shanghai has continuously engaged in global urban governance cooperation in recent years through platforms such as World Cities Day, the Shanghai Award, the Shanghai Adapted Index, and the Shanghai Manual. Source: Shanghai Municipal Commission of Housing, Urban-Rural Development and Management CONTACT: Contact person: Ms. Liu, Tel: 86-10-63074558 This article is provided by a third-party content provider. SeaPRwire (https://www.seaprwire.com/) makes no warranties or representations regarding its content. Category: Top News, Daily News SeaPRwire provides global press release distribution services for companies and organizations, covering more than 6,500 media outlets, 86,000 editors and journalists, and over 3.5 million end-user desktop and mobile apps. SeaPRwire supports multilingual press release distribution in English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Russian, Indonesian, Malay, Vietnamese, Chinese, and more.
More