“Wellbeing is a theme that ties together the many individual parts of a city. Ultimately, it is a goal and a defining characteristic of a thriving city. The next edition of the New Cities Summit will be extraordinarily important, not only because we will be in a newly developed city that is a model for sustainable urban development, but also because we aim to redefine what urban development aims to achieve - inclusive, thriving and connected communities”

“Urban Mobility is transforming faster than ever – with revolutionary transport services altering how we move in cities on a daily basis. It is imperative that we prioritise investment and forward thinking in our public transport networks and fuse strong partnerships to ensure that mobility in our cities in the years ahead not only meets changing demand but is equitable, accessible and innovative.”

“Mobility is destiny. How we move through cities defines who we are. To date, the transport revolution triggered by the smartphone has been almost purely the province of private companies. It’s imperative for public transport operators to reassert their essential role in the health and well-being of cities by embracing and extending these same technologies to deliver better and more comprehensive service. Denial and obstruction have failed; this report uses dispatches from four cities to capture various facets of how public transport is coming to grips with this challenge, and offers recommendations collected from their peers on how best to proceed.”

“The Toyota Mobility Foundation partnered with New Cities Foundation on this report to examine the most pressing transport issues facing people in cities today and identify promising paths forward. Among the recommendations, the one calling for greater public-private partnerships is particularly important. At TMF we know that partnerships are critical to addressing global mobility issues so more people can go places and live better lives.”

“Taking the New Cities Summit to Songdo, South Korea is an incredible opportunity for the Foundation to continue to set the global agenda on urban innovation. Songdo is an exceptional new city that not only holds unlimited potential for innovation but is also already setting the standards on progressive urban development. Songdo will propel the New Cities Summit conversation to new heights.”

“I am delighted to host the 2017 New Cities Summit in Incheon IFEZ Songdo. The Summit will provide a great opportunity to foster urban innovation and entrepreneurship as well as establish IFEZ Songdo as a platform for new businesses concerning innovative urban development.

“We created the Toyota Mobility Foundation because we believe that mobility can broaden horizons and empower people to fulfill their potential, no matter where they live. Our expanded partnership with New Cities Foundation will allow us to advance our work by joining a global network of leaders who are focused on solving the most pressing challenges to cities around the world.”

“Developing new financing mechanisms to meet vast and growing infrastructure demands is one of the most urgent challenges for municipal authorities around the world. The Handbook prepared by New Cities Foundation Senior Fellow, Dr. Julie Kim, will be invaluable to city leaders everywhere.”

“The world of infrastructure financing is incredibly complex. This “how-to” guide explains concepts and approaches so that city leaders can understand the many financing models available and make informed choices. To build better infrastructure, our cities must become more self-sustainable in the long run. That will take a collaborative effort to create a new, collective vision for our cities.”

“With the demand for urban infrastructure estimated to be $60 trillion globally in the coming decades, there is a great need for cities to be proactive in implementing solutions that support their growth. Citi is proud to partner with the New Cities Foundation to launch the Handbook on Urban Infrastructure Financing, an invaluable resource that provides cities with innovative tools and strategies to help address the significant infrastructure financing gap and prepare for the future.”

“In an environment of constrained budgets, it is critically important for cities to be able to finance self-sustaining projects. Arup is proud to have supported New Cities Foundation on this important work, sharing our expertise advising cities around the world with successful and creative strategies.”

“Year after year, Montréal demonstrates that innovation is central to urban development. The mission of the New Cities Foundation is to build a better future for cities, in a context where they become engines of sustainable, social economic development for our societies. We are very proud to welcome the New Cities Foundation to Montréal.

“There is no better place than the creative and vibrant city of Montréal to hold this year’s Summit on the possibilities of Urban Technology. Mayor Denis Coderre and the team of innovators the Hôtel de Ville has gathered are truly strategic and forward-thinking. Montréal is a shining example of how cities can succeed if they support local innovation and entrepreneurship.”

“Tourisme Montréal recognizes the combined efforts and contributions of our city’s economic and tourism stakeholders in bringing the New Cities Foundation to Montréal. Thanks to these collaborations, we will host the Summit every two years. This is excellent news for Montréal, which continues to stand out as a leader in innovation, and as a business tourism destination.”

“The success of the Cityquest initiative has positioned King Abdullah Economic City firmly at the center of the global strategic dialogue around new city building. This report emphasizes the imperative to create modern, livable spaces combining intelligent use of technology, affordable residential properties, universal educational opportunities and a robust economic ecosystem, to meet the growing global demand for urban infrastructure.”

“There are unparalleled opportunities for experimentation and innovation in these new cities. New cities everywhere have a lot in common. The Cityquest – KAEC Forum is a unique opportunity for leaders in this field to share knowledge. While building a new city is an enormous challenge and faces many critics, the ongoing conversation from the 2015 Forum strengthens the foundations for the developments to come.”

“The New Cities Foundation is delighted to welcome Thomas to lead the Foundation’s communications from our new headquarters in Montréal. His broad knowledge of communications strategy, traditional and new media and of Montréal, especially its social innovators and startup community, will help the Foundation establish its new home in this dynamic, international city.”

“I’m thrilled to be joining the New Cities Foundation. It is an incredible opportunity to help the Foundation lead the conversation about improving our daily lives through innovation and ingenuity. It is a great pleasure to join this global leader in shaping better urban futures, especially as it establishes in my long-time home city, Montréal.”

“Our decision to come to Montréal is a very important milestone in our global expansion strategy and in our efforts to find and implement real solutions to urban development issues. We could not have chosen a better or more appropriate base for our global activities than Montréal. It is not only Canada’s international city, it is also a city of huge innovation, boldness and youth.”

“The New Cities Foundation is now one of the international organizations that help enhance Greater Montréal’s international profile. Its role will be to define urban planning best practices and reinforce Montréal’s position as a leader in smart and sustainable urban development. What’s more, its presence in the city will help build partnerships that will benefit the entire country.”

“New Cities Foundation’s move to Montréal shows how appealing Québec is to international organizations thanks to its solid business environment and dynamic academic community. We can be proud that we are recognized as a hotbed for innovation and new ideas around the world and that our reputation attracts up-and-coming dynamic organizations like the New Cities Foundation.”

“Cities nowadays are recognized as key drivers of sustainable economic, social and environmental development. That is why Montréalers are proud to welcome the New Cities Foundation to Montréal. This partnership will enhance Montréal’s reputation and appeal, while giving us the opportunity to show how committed we are to making our city a leader in innovation and smart urban solutions.”

“We understand just how strategic international organizations are to Montréal, and we are determined to see them grow and expand in our region. We are thrilled to welcome the head office of NCF, an organization recognized internationally for its leadership and extensive urban development expertise, and we look forward to helping it grow and build partnerships in the region.”

“It has been a remarkable privilege to help lead the New Cities Foundation since its genesis. I know that Max will be bringing an enormous amount of knowledge and insight to the Foundation and will help bring the NCF and its work in the urban field to even greater global prominence.”

“It is a great honor to serve the New Cities Foundation in this new role. The leading attractions in cities are often as not their museums, and over three decades I have devoted much of my time and energy to bolstering the reputation of five great North American cities through arts and culture. I relish the opportunity to deepen my involvement in the Foundation’s four focus areas of urban mobility, urban infrastructure & services, health & wellness and placemaking.”

“The entire team of the New Cities Foundation are delighted that Max Anderson – one of the world’s leading experts on culture and art in an urban context – has agreed to lead the management team of the Foundation,”

“At the same time, we wish to thank outgoing Executive Director Mathieu Lefevre for his dedication and leadership over the past five years.”

“I’m delighted to work with the New Cities Foundation in exploring the future of urban mobility. The smart phone is becoming as significant a technology in transportation as the car. Now that Uber, Lyft, Ola, GrabTaxi, Didi Dache and others have demonstrated the potential of mobility-on-demand, the next step will be to integrate multiple modes of urban transport through information. How that happens and who owns it — will it be a public good, or privately provisioned? — will have a tremendous impact on cities in the years to come.”

“Today, the world’s metropolises are simply not equipped to cope with the sheer numbers of people moving around each day and with changing urban lifestyles. Smart city leaders recognize that now is the time to re-think the modus operandi when it comes to transport options. Our new project, made possible by the Toyota Mobility Foundation, sets out to lead the way in this field, and we are delighted to have Greg Lindsay at the helm.

The Toyota Mobility Foundation is proud to partner with the New Cities Foundation and Greg Lindsay to expand our collective understanding of the dynamics that are shaping the future of urban mobility. This Initiative reflects Toyota’s approach of partnering with others who share our innovative spirit to advance the freedom of mobility for more people everywhere.”

“We are truly inspired by the ingenuity and creativity of the 226 applications we received. It is evident from their detail and vision that young Indonesians are fully engaged with the urbanization challenges faced by their country. We look forward to seeing the three finalist presentations at the New Cities Summit, as well as the five semi-finalists – and to witnessing the impact of these projects in Jakarta in months and years to come.”

“The Jakarta Urban Challenge is an excellent platform to harness local intelligence from young innovators. We were extremely humbled to see the diversity of concepts and thoughtful proposals that tackled mobility within Jakarta. Many of the submissions not only aimed to improve congestion, but also took climate change into consideration, and offered sustainable solutions. We look forward to working with the finalists to help them to realize their ideas.”

Public space and cultural attractions are vital ingredients for thriving, economically vibrant and attractive cities. Now in its third year, the Global Cultural Districts Network has already succeeded in establishing a much-needed network of knowledge sharing for cultural leaders in cities spanning from Hong Kong to Dallas. We are excited to be coming to Jakarta this June to strengthen this network and spark new ideas for the cultural future of cities worldwide.

Jakarta, like much of Asia today, is undergoing rapid transition. Planning the public realm is both more important and more challenging than it has ever been. Intelligent design and appropriate animation strategies are transformative for resident and tourist alike. These are the issues we will be exploring.

Spanning from waste management to cycle safety and participatory urban design, this year’s selection of WhatWorks innovators captures the huge impact that individuals and startups can have on our cities, and society at large. We know they will inspire our Summit audience with their originality and drive to improve cities. In turn, the Summit is an unparalleled platform for WhatWorks projects to be developed, scaled and replicated for the benefit of Jakarta and other cities worldwide.

New cities are one of the most extraordinary phenomena of our time. Wise, forward thinking city leaders know they can be testing grounds for the solutions to the greatest urban challenges. Yet they also recognize that dialogue and constant re-assessment are vital if their ambitious master plans are to stand the test of time. Getting a city right requires astute planning as well as openness to creativity, citizen feedback and disruptive innovations. That’s why we partnered with KAEC to launch Cityquest, and that’s why we published this report today. We hope the analysis and recommendations will be pertinent to those who are building the cities of the future.

The new report is a true indication of the success of Cityquest and highlights the importance of bringing together global leaders of new cities to share common goals, opportunities and challenges where they collectively unlock new growth horizons. The relationships we have formed with other locations are indispensable to KAEC not just during the construction phase but into the future, as well. We are looking forward to engaging with additional new cities and partners in the 2015 edition of Cityquest.

“The Financing Urban Infrastructure Initiative represents a culmination of my work so far in this field, allowing me to implement all the infrastructure knowledge I’ve accumulated over the last 25 years. Also, the field of infrastructure financing is incredibly complex and I welcome the challenge of converting key issues into layman’s terms that could be of some practical use to the mayors and urban thinkers of the world.”

“Across the world, and in particular in fast-developing regions such as the Middle East and Asia, better, smarter solutions are required to bridge the staggering infrastructure investment gap that we face in the short to medium term. We launched the Financing Urban Infrastructure Initiative to tackle this challenge head-on, and we thank our Founding Member Cisco and Member Citi for their support in making it happen. We couldn’t have chosen a better project leader than Dr. Julie Kim, who joins us as our first Senior Fellow, and we look forward to following the development and impact of her research in the months to come.”

“Cisco is excited to join the New Cities Foundation and its fellow member Citi to support an initiative that will outline innovative infrastructure financing models for the public and private sector to scale infrastructure projects in cities.”

“With populations in the world’s leading cities growing at an unprecedented rate, urban communities face a wide range of challenges, including strains on infrastructure, affordable housing and resources. We are excited to commission the Financing Urban Infrastructure Initiative, which will identify and highlight innovative models drawn from all over the globe that have a record of success in helping cities to support their growth – and thrive.”

“Dr. Kim has the experience and forward-thinking perspective to tackle the problems cities face in financing new urban infrastructure. We are excited to help launch this initiative and to partner with the New Cities Foundation in tackling the urban infrastructure development challenges of tomorrow.”

“Jakarta is one of the world’s most dynamic cities and one of Asia’s rising stars. It’s the capital of a great democracy and the fourth most-populous country on earth – and also the epicenter of Indonesia’s rise as a global economic powerhouse. We are excited to be coming to Asia for our next big global conversation on cities. It will be an important opportunity to put an international spotlight on the biggest challenges and opportunities faced by cities in this region. This is truly Jakarta’s moment and Indonesia’s moment.”

“As Indonesia’s capital city, Jakarta is one of the country’s most important tourism destinations for leisure and business events, center of government and commerce. It is a melting pot of culture blending the old tradition and modern lifestyle. It offers historic sites, heritage trails, shopping and dining adventure, entertainment, marine, golf and spa. As gateway to Indonesia and the country’s meeting capital, it has a wide range of state-of-the-art meeting facilities supported by reputable hotels of world class standard. We proudly invite all New Cities Summit delegates to meet in Jakarta. We are excited to be host to all of you and ensure you will have an enjoyable time during your stay. The people of Jakarta and I look forward to welcoming you in 2015.”

Each inspiring and innovative WhatWorks presenter generated lots of excitement from Summit attendees because these great ideas have already been implemented and proven. The unique combination of global government officials, thought leaders, scholars and entrepreneurs united by the New Cities Foundation are helping WhatWorks efforts to be scaled and replicated in cities worldwide.

WhatWorks is a really exciting project. It takes months of research for our team to pick out the enterprising individuals who have each had a great idea to make cities better, and seen it through from start to finish. This year’s speakers drew huge crowds and sparked many animated discussions at the New Cities Summit in Dallas. Now that the videos are all online, even more urban thinkers and doers can have instant access to these pioneering innovations, and be inspired by them.

“The phenomenon of new cities will increase in importance in the coming years. At the first edition of Cityquest in 2013, we witnessed first-hand, the urgent need for sharing best practices among the builders of large new cities around the world. That’s why we’re proud to be developing Cityquest – KAEC Forum into a global community, with the launch of the Strategic Working Group to intensify knowledge exchange, and the Impact KAEC Fellowship to inject young talent and vision into the development of one of the world’s most exciting new city projects.”

“KAEC is pleased to organize and host Cityquest jointly with New Cities Foundation for the second year running and we look forward to welcoming visionaries, thought leaders and city makers from around the world who will contribute their experience of leading practices and exchange knowledge focusing on the main theme of the forum. We also keenly look forward to inaugurating the Impact KAEC Fellowship, an initiative which we believe will have a positive impact by helping to transform KAEC and the region into a knowledge-based driver of the industrial and economic development of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

“Mobile applications are transforming the way we live in cities, allowing us to communicate with each other and our surroundings in new, exciting ways. That’s why we host AppMyCity! each year – to recognize and promote the very best apps that are having a positive impact on our urban lives. Following an amazing line-up of applications last year from across five continents, we look forward to discovering a new selection of apps this year and sharing them with a global audience. The New Cities Summit in the Dallas Arts District will be a fantastic platform for showcasing the three finalists this June, and helping their apps take off.”

“Winning AppMyCity! was a tipping point for us and completely changed our lives. After the contest we had several meetings with the most important city managers in Brazil and we were invited to speak at numerous conferences. We had a surge in the number of new users and we managed to raise venture capital to further develop our app. After the Prize, our ‘project’ became a ‘company’.