Global crises call for local innovation.

The pandemic has hit local communities around the globe and compounded many of the challenges that cities were already facing – overcoming economic and social distress, mitigating and adapting to climate change, and fighting the rise of populism and the polarisation of societies.

Despite its many disastrous implications, this pandemic also presents a historic opportunity to transform the way we live and work together and address the problems at hand. The growing consensus that economic recovery needs to go hand in hand with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is just one positive example. While the pandemic is global, its impact is primarily felt at the local level. But at this level we can also tap into our greatest resources. As the world faces unprecedented challenges, local innovation has proved to be its greatest asset. Municipalities are drivers of innovation. They are best placed to identify the needs of the community, free to experiment with a range of solutions, and can respond quickly and flexibly to unexpected developments.

To take advantage of this window of opportunity, we need to act now. This is why our Conference and Local Labs are designed to unlock this immense local potential and create tangible solutions.