Over 100 City Leaders Gather in Vienna to Address Urban Challenges, Sharing Local Solutions with Global Impact

SINGAPORE, July 4, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The 14th edition of the Mayors Forum of the World Cities Summit is held at Vienna City Hall, Vienna, Austria, from 2 to 4 July 2025. It is hosted by the City of Vienna, the 2020 Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize (LKYWCP) Laureate, recognised for its high-quality public services, inclusive and sustainable urban policies, and commitment to climate neutrality.

The Mayors Forum is a by-invitation global platform for mayors and city leaders to address common urban challenges and contribute lessons from their own city experiences. The event will bring together more than 200 delegates, including mayors and city leaders from more than 50 cities from around the world.

The Mayors Forum 2025 is chaired by Mr Chee Hong Tat, Singapore’s Minister for National Development. Together with Dr Michael Ludwig, Mayor of Vienna, representing the host city, Minister Chee and Mayor Ludwig will deliver the opening and closing addresses on 3 and 4 July 2025.

Minister Chee said, “I am honoured to chair the Mayors Forum for the first time, and I look forward to engaging with fellow city leaders in Vienna. As the 2020 Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize Laureate, Vienna is recognised for its inclusive planning approach, and as a leader in tackling climate change. While every city operates in different contexts, we face many common challenges - from climate change and technological disruption, to aging populations and demographic shifts. Platforms like the Mayors Forum allow us to learn from each other’s experiences and work together to co-create innovative, practical solutions that make our cities more sustainable and liveable for all.”

Mayor Ludwig said, “Cities are at the forefront of addressing the pressing challenges of our time, from climate change to social inclusion. As a city recognised for its innovative urban policies and commitment to sustainability, Vienna serves as a model for others around the globe. This forum is an opportunity for us to share our experiences and learn from one another, demonstrating that local solutions can indeed have a global impact. Together, we can inspire a future where our cities are not only liveable but also thriving centers of progress and cooperation.”

Liveable and Sustainable Cities: Local Solutions, Global Impact

The theme for Mayors Forum 2025 is “Liveable and Sustainable Cities: Local Solutions, Global Impact.” Cities around the world continue to face complex and multi-faceted challenges in urban development. Hence, this year’s theme calls on city leaders to share local solutions, policies, and frameworks so that others may also adapt and transform in order to deliver outcomes that address similar pressing issues in their own cities—bringing about local solutions with a larger global impact.

Participants will engage in a series of interactive sessions structured around five subthemes:
• Delivering Affordable Housing – Ensuring accessibility through innovative policies and funding models.
• Providing Reliable and Efficient Municipal Services – Enhancing good governance, applying technology, and empowering communities.
• Collaborative Cities in Action – Facilitating knowledge sharing, encouraging collaboration and deepening partnerships amongst cities through city networks.
• Rethinking Urban Energy Transition – Accelerating the adoption of alternative energy sources through efficient urban planning.
• Managing Urban Water for Resilience – Applying innovative and technological approaches to urban water management.

Participating Cities and Notable Speakers

As a convening of international Mayors and leaders, this year’s Forum is attended by cities which include:
• From Asia-Pacific: Bintan, Brisbane, Fukuoka, Iskandar Regional Development Authority, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching North, Kuching South, Makassar, Malé, Navotas, Phnom Penh, Seoul, Suzhou, Taipei, Yokohama
• From Europe: Antwerp, Bilbao, Brno, Budapest, Espoo, Geneva, Glasgow, Hamburg, London, Prague, Tallinn, The Hague
• From Middle East & Africa: Algiers, Ankara, Jeddah, Kanifing, Makkah, Muscat, Royal Commission for Riyadh City, Windhoek, Lüderitz
• From the Americas: Athens (Ohio), Boulder, Champaign (Illinois), Caracas, Fort Lauderdale, Medellín, Mexico City, Santiago De Cali, Kingston & St. Andrew, Kitchener (Ontario)

Notable speakers and city representatives include:
• Mr Stjin De Rooster, Vice Mayor, Antwerp (Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize Special Mention City)
• Prof Steve Patterson, Mayor, Athens, Ohio
• Mr Juan Mari Aburto, Mayor, Bilbao (2010 Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize Laureate)
• Mr Scott Smith, Chief Executive Officer of the South East Queensland Council of Mayors, Brisbane
• Mr Soichiro Takashima, Mayor, Fukuoka
• Chief Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of The Council, Glasgow
• Dato’ Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Mayor, Kuala Lumpur
• Mr Tom Copley, Deputy Mayor, London
• Mr Inti Muñoz Santini, Secretary of Housing, Mexico City
• H.E. Vannak Seng, Vice Governor, Phnom Penh
• Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Mayor, Seoul (2018 Lee Kuan Yew World City Laureate)
• Mr Wu Qingwen, Mayor, Suzhou (2014 Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize Prize Laureate)
• Mr Chang Wen-Te, Deputy Mayor, Taipei City
• Councillor Jürgen Czernohorszky, Executive City Councilor for Climate, Environment, Democracy and Personnel, Vienna
• Her Worship Ndeshihafela Larandja, Mayor, Windhoek
• Minister Nga Kor Ming, President, United Nations Habitat Assembly

Programme Highlights

Apart from the Mayors Forum Sessions, the WCS Young Leaders Symposium will bring together emerging changemakers and established leaders in the urban sector to explore and address the key issues shaping the global urban agenda. There will also be a WCS Responsive Cities Session that delves into the complex challenges of rapid urbanisation, from climate change to shifting societal needs. This two-part session will first feature the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize Network Knowledge Forum, followed by the Science of Cities Networking Dialogue which will touch on the science of cities approach to urban governance, including the use of data-smart governance and leveraging technology in citizen engagement. These help cities to deliver evidence-based solutions to create urban environments that are more liveable, resilient, and attuned to the dynamic needs of the citizens.

Delegates will also have the opportunity to experience the City of Vienna through in-person site visits, including: visits to the historic Karl-Marx-Hof public housing complex, a symbol of the city’s enduring commitment to social housing; and Seestadt Aspern, one of Europe’s most ambitious mixed-use smart city developments.

TEAM LEWIS
On behalf of World Cities Summit
wcs@teamlewis.com