The World Cities Day global observance will be held this year in Liverpool, United Kingdom, on 31 October.
The announcement was made today by the Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson at the International Business Festival being hosted in the city.
The event will be jointly organized by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), Liverpool City Council and the Shanghai People’s Government.
The United Nations has designated every 31 October as World Cities Day. The aim is to promote the international community’s interest in global urbanization, push forward cooperation among countries in meeting opportunities and addressing challenges of urbanization, and to contribute to sustainable urban development around the world.
The overall theme of World Cities Day is Better City, Better Life, with a different sub-theme being selected each year to either promote successes of urbanization or address specific challenges.
The theme for 2018 World Cities Day is Building Sustainable and Resilient Cities, as announced by the UN-Habitat Executive Director, Ms Maimunah Mohd Sharif, in February during the Ninth session of the World Urban Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson said, “I’m delighted that Liverpool Vision have been able to secure this prestigious event to come to the city. UN-Habitat’s World Cities Day sits perfectly with the ambitions that we have laid out through our Inclusive Growth Strategy, part of which is attracting events that build upon our global city brand and profile.
“Hosting the event will give us the opportunity to showcase Liverpool and the wider region on the world stage, sharing conversations and best practice with other great cities including our sister city Shanghai.”
The UN-Habitat Executive Director, Ms Sharif expressed her gratitude to the city of Liverpool for offering to host this event.
Ms Sharif added: “Liverpool is a great example of urban transformation. The city, which has faced significant challenges in the past, has transformed itself through regeneration and sustainable urban development,” she said. “It is a great example of a truly resilient city and this is a fantastic opportunity for Liverpool to demonstrate its success to the world.”
