The Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation has been dedicated to promoting inspirational solutions to sustainable development, in line with the global vision set by the United Nations General Assembly. In previous editions of the Guangzhou Award, the judging panel also considered the extent to which a city's innovative practices are aligned with sustainable development goals. Today, we will take a look at five cases of urban governance that have made a huge difference by improving the details of people's daily lives.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Revitalising the Kuala Lumpur Klang River Waterfront into Resilient Sustainable Pedestrian Areas 

Within the heart of the historical Kuala Lumpur area, the city council has focused on transforming the district surrounding the confluence of the Klang and Gombak Rivers into a vibrant and liveable waterfront with high economic value. Through the ROL project, the government of Kuala Lumpur is set to revitalize the Klang River waterfront into resilient sustainable pedestrian Areas…

(https://www.c40.org/case_studies/revitalising-the-kuala-lumpur-klang-river-waterfront-into-resilient-sustainable-pedestrian-areas)

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Shegole and Kality Climate-Smart Bus Depots

Addis Ababa launched the construction of two bus depots (“Shegole” and “Kality”) in 2016. Both depots host multiple services, which include washing bays, fueling stations, maintenance services and parking (both underground and ground level). The depots are climate-smart, as waste and wastewater treatment systems, green roofing, charging points for electric buses and solar panels are incorporated into the depots’ design…

 (https://www.c40.org/case_studies/addis-ababa-bus-depots)

Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok’s city hall make the switch to better energy efficiency

Due to having been in use for more than 30 years, the electrical and air conditioning systems of the buildings of two major city departments in Bangkok have become less energy efficient and now cause high monthly electricity charges as well as incomplete usability. Consequently, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has allocated the budget of the 2017 fiscal year in order to renovate the buildings. The scope of renovation includes improving the capacity of the sanitary system, the electrical system and the air conditioning system…

(https://www.c40.org/case_studies/bangkok-s-city-hall-make-the-switch-to-better-energy-efficiency)

Yokohama, Japan

Zero Carbon Yokohama – Renewable Energy Partnership

Based on the global trend of decarbonization, City of Yokohama is channeling efforts towards reduction of energy consumption through energy savings, and shifting towards renewable energy resources, under the ‘Zero Carbon Yokohama’ framework which targets zero carbon by 2050…

 (https://www.c40.org/case_studies/yokohama-zero-carbon-energy)

Madrid, Spain

The Madrid Recupera Plan

Madrid City Council is carrying out a plan to implement changes to residential buildings which include energy efficiency improvements and CO2 emissions reduction. The plan, called Mad-Re (Madrid Recupera), provides economic support for works like façade retention, improving lighting, heating and cooling facilities, or putting in place renewable energy systems or green roofs. These interventions help to mitigate and adapt to climate change…

 (https://www.c40.org/case_studies/madrid-recupera)

(Editor: Adam Xie)