Now in its third session, the Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation, co-hosted by UCLG, Metropolis and the city of Guangzhou, recognizes innovative projects from cities around the world. The first and second cycles of the Guangzhou Award received initiatives from over 150 cities but this year, thanks to the active promotion of the Guangzhou Award by our partners at conferences around the world, the Guangzhou Award has received 389 applications from over 217 cities of over 60 countries.

As well as organizing the biennial innovation competition, the Guangzhou Award has established a platform for sharing innovative ideas and experiences, allowing cities around the world to learn from, and engage with, each other. The Guangzhou Institute for Urban Innovation, alongside workshops at conferences around the world, has created an arena where innovators can meet, learn, and exchange ideas.

This year, the Guangzhou Award will hold events at three international conventions. First, on September 6, UCLG ASPAC and Guangzhou will be holding an Urban Innovation Panel Discussion at the Jellabuk-do UCLG ASPAC Congress. Second, during the UCLG World Conference in Bogota this October, the Technical Committee will meet to analyze the initiatives and choose 15 “outstanding” projects, which will then be announced at our Urban Innovation Workshop on October 14. Representatives of these initiatives will then attend the Guangzhou International Urban Innovation Conference and Guangzhou International Innovation Festival, held in Guangzhou, December 6-8, so attendees can learn more about the projects.

We would like to extend our invitation to you, and welcome you to attend the conference held in December, meet other innovators, tell us your experiences, learn from the experiences of others, and discover who will be awarded 2016 Guangzhou Award Winners.