Publication Launch: A Practical Guide for Challenge-Driven Innovation in Cities

We are thrilled to announce the launch of Accelerating Sustainable Urban Futures: A Practical Guide for Challenge-Driven Innovation in Cities.

A new resource co-written with UN-Habitat to support cities tackle their biggest challenges through innovation.

By 2050, 68% of the world’s population is expected to live in cities, adding 2.5 billion people to our current population. Without effective policies and local action, rapid urbanisation could deepen inequalities in access to infrastructure, put immense pressure on the environment, and reduce green spaces, among a plethora of other consequences. Recent crises – from wildfires in California and flooding in Spain and crowd-related casualties during Kumbh Mela in Varanasi – highlighted the urgent need for cities to build resilience and take local action.

The UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 11 calls for cities and human settlements to be safe, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable. Cities have the opportunity to take the lead – driving innovation, forging partnerships, and shaping technology to address these complex problems head-on.  

Collaborating with cities from Makindye Ssabagabo to Varanasi, Venice to Curitiba, we’ve witnessed firsthand that challenge-driven innovation can be an effective method to accelerate problem-solving. By setting clear goals and collaborating with diverse stakeholders, cities and local and regional governments can leverage innovation to tackle some of the most pressing challenges of our time. As hubs of creativity and economic growth, cities bring together universities, R&D centers, businesses, and civil society that make them uniquely positioned to tackle complex challenges. 

Who is this guide for?

This step-by-step guide is designed for city leaders, local government officials, funders, and innovators looking to harness challenge-driven innovation to solve urban challenges. Whether you’re designing your first innovation challenge or refining an existing approach, this guide provides the tools and examples you need to drive impact.

What’s Inside the Guide?

Building on the work of Challenge Works and UN-Habitat, the guide offers…

• An introduction to challenge-driven innovation
• Five practical steps to design and run an innovation challenge in a city 
• Real-world examples and resources for inspiration

Read the guide here and get in touch with us if you’d like to share your experiences, or talk about how we could work together!