World Bank vice-president: Disseminate Guangzhou’s urban development experience to the world

Chen Guangzhe, vice-president for infrastructure at the World Bank, speaks at the opening ceremony of the Regional City Academy Asia of the Global Platform for Sustainable Cities held between May 12 and 14 in Guangzhou of Guangdong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A senior World Bank official has affirmed that Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, is a model for the transformation and governance of China”s megacities, and its urban innovation practices need to be promoted globally.

Chen Guangzhe, vice-president for infrastructure at the World Bank, said cities are the center of global change and an important engine for promoting global sustainable development.

Delivering a keynote speech during the Global Platform for Sustainable Cities (GPSC) Regional City Academy Asia — an event held between May 12 and 14 in Guangzhou, Chen said the World Bank looks forward to further strengthening cooperation with Guangzhou.

He emphasized that currently, urban development faces many risks, such as global warming, rising sea levels and frequent natural disasters, with urban flooding being one of the serious challenges faced by Asian cities.

The traditional extensive urban expansion model is no longer sustainable, and a new paradigm is needed to fully integrate natural systems into urban development, Chen said.

The World Bank has provided long-term support in nature-positive infrastructure, with investments exceeding $10 billion, Chen said, affirming that the multilateral development institution with significant global influence will continue supporting the global sustainable development agenda and work together to create more resilient, inclusive and livable future cities.

The event, jointly organized by the China Center for Urban Development and the World Bank’s Global Platform for Sustainable Cities, drew representatives from government departments, academic institutions, financial institutions and enterprises of over 20 cities at home and abroad.

Attendees explored the cutting-edge technologies and innovative achievements of sustainable urban development in Asia, promoting the exchange of international advanced concepts and experiences, and enhancing the capacity for sustainable urban development, during the event co-organized by Guangzhou Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau, and supported by Guangzhou Urban Planning and Design Survey Research Institute.

The GPSC is a global interdisciplinary knowledge platform that connects cities and partners, led by the World Bank and funded by the Global Environment Facility, aiming to provide professional technical support, innovative tools, and collaborative cooperation for cities to deal with the complex challenges brought by rapid urbanization and climate change.

As its core regular project, the Regional City Academy provides sustainable development management tools for urban decision-makers and practitioners through modular teaching, promotes international experience exchange, builds a global expert network, and assists in formulating urban diagnostic reports and implementation plans.

It has been learned that this Regional City Academy Asia event is the first regional city academy project carried out by the platform in the Asia region, focusing on the unique needs of Asian urban development, providing a platform for cities to exchange and cooperate, share experiences, and jointly explore urban development strategies for resilience, low carbon, and inclusive development.

The three-day event also included field trips for the participants to gain an in-depth understanding of Guangzhou’s innovative measures and practical experience in urban resilience planning, blue-green infrastructure construction, and urban biodiversity conservation.

Please contact the writer at yinmingyue@chinadaily.com.cn

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