Fukuoka City hosted the 13th Asian-Pacific City Summit (APCS) on July 27-28, 2022, with the theme of "New Values - New Cities."
COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the way we think about, design, and plan for our cities. The priorities of our cities are changing – there are new values such as pandemic safety, while existing concepts such as livability and inclusion have become increasingly relevant to our cities. This Summit was held with the aim of sharing knowledge and emerging practices on how to build back better and incorporate new values into city planning as our cities slowly emerge out of the pandemic.
One of this year's Summit themes is "Actions Toward ‘New Normal’ City Planning." In these uncertain times, as we cautiously tread out of the pandemic, there is an urgent need to reexamine urban infrastructure and public services that allow people to live safely and securely while ensuring that existing urban assets such as public facilities, public spaces, and transportation networks are productive.
As part of the ongoing collaboration with Fukuoka City under the City Partnership Program, the World Bank Tokyo Development Learning Center held on July 28, 2022 a side event for APCS – a panel discussion on Healthy Cities in Action: Maximizing Health Co-benefits of Inclusive Urban Investments. Health has traditionally been associated with concepts of physical health and welfare. However, a more comprehensive approach to health would include the physical, mental, and social health of citizens. In addition, it is also necessary to consider health in the context of the environment, economy, and community development. This panel discussion introduced relevant domestic and international local government policies and private sector initiatives that promote healthy and inclusive community development.