World Cities Day

The United Nations has designated every 31st of October as World Cities Day. The Day is expected to promote the international community’s interest in global urbanization, push forward cooperation among countries in meeting urban opportunities, addressing urban challenges and contributing to sustainable urban development around the world.

World Cities Day was established on 27 December 2013 by the General Assembly in its resolution 68/239. The first global celebration of World Cities Day took place in Shanghai on 31 October 2014.

Cities are playing an increasing role in the world economy, generating more than 75% of the GDP in many countries.  They are also the places of social and cultural development, of education and political progress, of international exchanges and technological innovations.  Cities are therefore attracting more and more attention from journalists, writers, photographers and film-makers.  They are becoming subjects and objects of arts and literature in all regions of the world.  It has therefore been suggested to establish a Cities Day Award which would highlight and recognize the most interesting novels, articles, pictures, movies devoted to cities and to city life.  National and local governments are expected to bring this idea forward as a follow-up to the Habitat III Summit (Quito, October 2016).