Centre for Urban Transformation Throughout history, cities have been at the forefront of change. They are engines of progress, powerhouses of the global economy and proving grounds for bold, innovative ideas. As businesses and governments confront new challenges, the centre helps open doors to new opportunities – forging partnerships, unlocking markets and supporting a more resilient future. Jeff Merritt, Head, Centre for Urban Transformation The centre helps businesses and governments navigate an era of accelerating change and complexity by harnessing the power of cities as engines of innovation, talent and long-term competitiveness. Its initiatives and communities unite leaders across 25 industries and more than 100 national and subnational governments to facilitate local testbeds that reimagine how people live and work, while seeding and scaling up the businesses of tomorrow. The centre focuses on four key areas of economic opportunity and resilience, advancing public-private collaboration to unlock new growth through the innovation ecosystems, experience economies, place-based strategies and next- generation infrastructure. The centre’s work with innovation ecosystems accelerates ground-breaking solutions, unlocks new markets and builds engines of inclusive economic opportunity. Through cross- sector partnerships, the centre is reimagining tourism, events and consumer experiences to drive sustainable growth and enhance quality of life. As part of its efforts on place-based strategies, it partners with global and local leaders to advance high-quality, resilient communities that honour local culture and history, attract investment and talent and promote well-being. Finally, the centre helps mobilize investment in innovative physical, digital and social infrastructure to support future-ready communities and economies. During the reporting period, leading retail, e-commerce, mobility and logistics companies announced new commitments and a shared ambition for more sustainable and efficient urban deliveries, while also working with governments to embrace new solutions and models that benefit consumers, couriers, companies and cities. These outcomes were enabled by a Forum-led process to convene and align industry leaders around a common ambition and facilitate collaboration with city governments to drive implementation.Progress was also recorded in the travel and tourism sector, which employs more than 330 million people worldwide. To help sustain rapid growth in the sector, leading companies and experts outlined a vision to reimagine it as a transformative force for good. The Forum convened a broad, global coalition of stakeholders to begin charting a new, more inclusive and sustainable path forward for the industry. The Davos Baukultur Alliance reached a milestone, having secured the involvement of more than 80 member organizations with operations in over 140 countries, all committing to support a shared vision for advancing more inclusive, sustainable and vibrant communities. Members of the Global Commission on Nature-Positive Cities released a new strategy blueprint, insight report and a collection of city profiles aimed at informing and accelerating the transition to a nature-positive economy. The Global Innovation and Impact Council released Shaping Tomorrow: Responsible Innovation for a Brighter Future, promoting a responsible innovation framework, which the Innovation Impact Alliance will use to support a community of pioneer cities working to establish a new model for aligning economic development with urban transformation strategies. Annual Report 2024-2025 Our Organization34

Annual Report 2024 2025