On June 25, the Release of the Shortlist of the 7th Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation (Guangzhou Award) was held in Tangier, Morocco, announcing the 15 Shortlisted Initiatives.
The ceremony was featured as a key event of the 2026 United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) World Congress. Addresses were delivered by Lu Xiangdong, Vice President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC); Hu Hao, Vice Mayor of Guangzhou; Emilia Sáiz, Secretary General of UCLG; and Jordi Vaquer, Secretary General of the World Association of the Major Metropolises (METROPOLIS). The Chair of the Technical Committee of the 7th Guangzhou Award, Kobie Brand, provided an overview of the evaluation process for this cycle. Representatives from cities and international organizations attending the UCLG World Congress participated in the ceremony.
The 7th Guangzhou Award opened for submissions in September 2025. The 7th Guangzhou Award received 381 urban innovation initiatives from 248 cities in 60 countries, with both the number of participating cities and initiatives reaching record highs among all previous cycles. The participating initiatives span a wide range of fields, including digital governance, artificial intelligence, green and low-carbon development, climate resilience, social inclusion, and public services. The Technical Committee of the 7th Guangzhou Award is composed of nine international experts from diverse professional backgrounds. At the Technical Committee Meeting, the nine experts selected 15 Shortlisted Initiatives, which come from 15 cities, including Bogota, Colombia; Bilecik, Türkiye; Chania, Greece; Gemeente Heerlen, the Netherlands; Istanbul, Türkiye; Kampala, Uganda; Mandaluyong, the Philippines; Neuquén, Argentina; Novy Urengoy, Russia; Ninghe District, Tianjin, China; Qingdao, China; Rabat, Morocco; São Paulo, Brazil; Shinan County, Republic of Korea; Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya. These Shortlisted Initiatives will compete for the five winning places in the final evaluation. The Technical Committee also selected 30 Exemplary Initiatives to further promote the exchange and sharing of outstanding urban innovation practices.
Guests attending the ceremony highly praised the significant role of the Guangzhou Award over the past 14 years in promoting exchanges and cooperation among global cities, facilitating the sharing of innovative governance experiences, and advancing the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They expressed their expectation to further strengthen international cooperation through the Guangzhou Award platform, promote mutual learning and exchange of innovative practices among more cities, jointly address the challenges of global urban development, and contribute urban efforts to building a community with a shared future for mankind and advancing the implementation of the Global Governance Initiative.
The Guangzhou Award was jointly established by the City of Guangzhou, UCLG, and Metropolis in 2012. Its aim is to encourage and promote innovative urban governance practices worldwide and to facilitate the exchange and mutual learning of experiences among cities. Over the seven cycles, the Guangzhou Award has collected a total of 2,016 urban innovation initiatives from 815 cities in 105 countries, becoming an important platform at the local level for advancing the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In December, the 2026 Global Mayors' Forum and the 7th Guangzhou Award Ceremony will be held in Guangzhou. The five winning initiatives will be officially announced and honoured at the Award Ceremony.
Shortlisted Initiatives
Exemplary Initiatives
Source | Guangzhou Award
