On March 19, the first contributions to the GOLD VII report, to which the Guangzhou Award and the Guangzhou Institute for Urban Innovation (GIUI) are key contributors among others, were officially released under the theme “Economies of Equality and Care.”

What is the GOLD Report?

First published in 2008, the report has been widely cited by UN agencies, international development organizations, and national governments, and has become a key bridge for advancing international cooperation in local governance.

GOLD VII: Economies of Equality and Care

They emphasize the multidimensional nature of care and its connection to a number of local governance dimensions such as urban planning, public services, crisis response, social and cultural policies, safety, participatory democracy, resilience, time-use policies, feminist perspectives, and universal health coverage.

Towards “Caring Cities”

Caring cities are enablers of transformation and reparatory processes that put people and planet at the center. Local and regional governments that are promoting caring cities, are also enabling more just and equitable, more democratic and more sustainable societies.

Why do we need caring cities?

Today, cities around the world are facing multiple challenges, which has revealed several structural weaknesses in urban environments, highlighting systemic issues across various dimensions of city life:

• The public health system remains fragile. Medical resources are unevenly distributed, with even well-equipped areas facing overwhelming demand, while impoverished regions lack basic simple testing capabilities.

• Housing and residential crisis. Low-income communities grapple with overcrowded living conditions that hinder effective social distancing, while slums and informal settlements lack safe spaces for quarantine or access basic hygiene.

• The digital divide exacerbates educational and social inequality. Children from vulnerable groups are unable to access remote education due to a lack of devices or internet, further marginalizing the poor.

• Infrastructure and Public Service Disruption. Some communities (including in developed countries) struggle to access fresh food, green spaces, and social areas, leading to an increase in residents’ mental health issues.

To this end, we need to move towards “Caring Cities”

• “Caring Cities” go beyond the traditional scope of interpersonal care and extend to the integrated development of social, economic, and environmental factors.

• Integrate caring labor, such as individual/community well-being and ecological protection, into the economic value system, making it a core dimension of development.

• People-centered urban governance model: Ensuring the comprehensive development of residents through equitable resource allocation and the creation of a healthy environment.

• Governments, markets, and communities need to collaborate across sectors to promote transparent governance and flexible policy responses to diverse needs, fostering an urban ecosystem where economic growth and social welfare coexist.

Read the GOLD VII