(Watch the launch event LIVE at 9 am ET on June 2, 2021 on @WBG_Cities or here.)
Please join us for the virtual launch of our flagship report – From Pancakes to Pyramids - City Form to Promote Sustainable Growth – on Wednesday, June 2 at 9:00 am ET.
The report takes an in-depth look at data from almost 10,000 cities between 1990 and 2015 to showcase how the urban economy is intricately linked with how the city is built and managed. When handled well, the physical and economic density of cities can provide the impetus for technological, economic and social transformation and infrastructure investments that support low carbon development.
When cities grow vertically rather than sprawl horizontally, floor space per inhabitant increases, avoiding crowding while offering densities that justify public transport and energy investments, enhance livability and promote sustainability. But such vertical growth and densification will require large investments in upgrading infrastructure and services.
Simply put - as the world continues to urbanize, how cities are built and managed will determine the trajectory of their growth, and the implications of productivity, livability and sustainability.
This will also have a profound effect on jobs, essential services like energy access, sanitation and healthcare and the way more than half of the world’s population will live in coming years. This report comes at an opportune moment, where countries undertaking COVID-19 recovery efforts are also striving to adopt a long-term lens toward a resilient and inclusive recovery.
Join us and a panel of experts for an in-depth discussion on the topic. Our speaker lineup is as follows:
- Anuela Ristani, Deputy Mayor of Tirana, Albania
- Malijeng Ngqaleni, Head of Intergovernmental Relations, National Treasury, South Africa
- Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of Seoul, Korea (TBC)
- Juergen Voegele, Vice President for Sustainable Development, World Bank
- Jesko Hentschel, World Bank Director for the Maghreb and Malta
- Sameh Wahba, Global Director, Urban, Disaster Risk Management, Resilience and Land GP, World Bank (moderator)
- Somik Lall, Lead Urban Economist, World Bank