The 15th Asia Pacific Cities Summit & Mayors’ Forum (2025APC) hosted by Expo City Dubai (recently crowned most sustainable destination) wrapped up on Wednesday, proving that mayors are the unsung rock stars of global problem-solving. The big takeaway? Cities need to stop being shy and start being friends and collaborating to deliver a spectacular future for everyone.
The billion-dollar handshake
Mind you, this wasn’t a chinwag over coffee. The global cities summit saw the announcement of more than USD $9 billion worth of projects, all “investment-ready” and deployable before the year’s out. That’s not loose change, that’s serious urban upgrade money!
Even better, over 150 mayors clearly got the memo – and a shiny pen – to sign the Mayors’ Accord, committing their cities to championing innovation, inclusivity, and climate resilience. Representing more than 300 cities across six continents, it seems everyone agreed that if you want something done, ask a mayor. There were even a few city-to-city agreements signed. Sounds a bit like speed-dating for municipalities!
Setting the tone with a bang, Camille Joseph Varlack, Deputy Mayor for Administration, Chief of Staff and Special Counsel to the Mayor, New York, summed up the “we’re all in this together” vibe:
“I believe that our path is clear. The next era of global leadership will be written by cities that see one another as allies, by leaders who value foresight over fear, and by communities that refuse to leave anyone behind. Let us continue to build cities that are prepared, equitable and full of promise. Cities where innovation uplifts people, where compassion forms policy and where resilience gives rise to hope… I call this concept ‘multi-city lateralism’ – cities learning from each other’s strengths to accelerate solutions to shared challenges.”
Show me the money!
With cities generating a jaw-dropping 80 per cent of global GDP, Anna Bjerde, Managing Director of Operations, World Bank Group offered a gentle nudge to national governments and the private sector to “think boldly” about investment.
“Our goal is simple: to help cities become engines of job creation and opportunity… Imagine cities around the world as centres of connection, innovation and resilience, where investments in infrastructure and services translate into jobs and better lives. The World Bank Group stands ready to work with you, to help build cities that truly work for people.”
More than 20 entities unveiled their portfolios of shovel-ready urban infrastructure, worth that delicious USD $9 billion, part of a project pipeline exceeding a whopping USD $65 billion! Highlights included the procurement programme for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games (keeping things sporty!), and investment fun in Armenia’s downtown Yerevan and Sherbo Island City, Sierra Leone, a project so cool it’s co-founded by actor Idris Elba. Seriously!
Dubai’s big hug: partnerships galore
The collaborative spirit was infectious. The Government of Dubai signed a swanky deal with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to be friends on everything from infrastructure to digital transformation. They also shook hands with the City of Brisbane to exchange know-how on major events, tourism, and attracting top talent.
Not stopping there, the Ministry of Economy and Tourism and Expo City Dubai teamed up to launch the UAE’s very first Green Innovation District, a landmark initiative that basically says, “We can grow the economy and be nice to the environment.” Meanwhile, Dubai Municipality launched Circle Dubai, a bold new initiative that will reshape waste management by reducing daily waste from 2.2kg to 1.76kg per person. Less rubbish, more happiness!
Mayors’ accord: making promises that stick
The Mayors’ Forum culminated in the signing of the 2025 Mayors’ Accord: The Dubai Declaration on the Future of Urban Governance. This is essentially a giant “pinky promise” to accelerate measurable progress in sustainable development, calling for cities to build partnerships, harness technology, and tackle climate change. Oh, and they committed to piloting collaborative projects spanning green mobility, renewable energy, and affordable housing.
As the curtain fell, the mayors reflected on turning ideas into actual progress:
Idalio Juvane, Deputy Mayor of Maputo, kept it straight and punchy:
“Government sets the rules; the private sector brings vigour. Public-private partnerships are how we turn big urban challenges into bankable, scalable projects.”
Francesco Senese, Representative of the Mayor for Foreign Affairs, Naples, Italy, waxed lyrical:
“City diplomacy is not only about building bridges from point A to point B, it’s about opening the world to shared futures, shared visions, and creating things with us, not without us. When national governments face challenges to connect or cooperate, local diplomacy can step in — helping humanity act with greater vision and unity.”
And Councillor Adrian Schrinner, Lord Mayor of Brisbane, captured the summit’s delightful simplicity:
“I’ve found that often cities get along better than countries because they look for commonalities. They look for common problems, common solutions, and in the end, a friendship between two mayors that can develop in a place like this Summit can be an incredibly powerful thing.”
Held at Expo City Dubai, the 2025APCS proved that when mayors get together, great things, including billions of dollars, happen!
