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The Cities on the Frontline Speaker Series began in 2020 as a rapid response to the pandemic and its devastating effects on cities worldwide. Since then, it has grown into a leading platform for urban resilience, convening more than 13,000 participants across 90+ sessions.
In 2025, as climate change, rapid urbanization, and growing cascading risks increase pressure on cities, the series will take a deeper dive into critical challenges, including extreme heat, water resilience, energy resilience, and biodiversity loss. Discussions will also explore the role of nature-based solutions, participatory design, and digital tools in building resilience, alongside the urgent need for sustainable funding models to scale these efforts.
By bringing together experts, city representatives, and practitioners, the series will spotlight thought leaders shaping the most urgent urban resilience debates today.
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All Cities on the Frontline Global Articles
Speaker Series 2025 #02 | Digital Public Goods for Urban Resilience
Global digital public goods (DPGs)—such as open-source methodologies, standardized resilience assessments, and...
Speaker Series 2025 #03| Circular Economies – Growth & Resilience for SMEs
As global climate challenges intensify and the cost of living rises, what we consume—and the systems that support that...
Speaker Series 2025 #01 | The Future of Infrastructure for Coastal Cities
Sea level rise is a growing risk for coastal cities around the world. By 2050, 800 million people and 570 coastal...
Speaker Series 2024 #10 | Bridging Sectors: Mobilizing Corporate and Philanthropic Funding for Community Resilience
As we confront the complex climate challenges of our era, collaborative and innovative action is essential. These...
Speaker Series 2024 #9 | Resilience for Communities, with Communities
A city is only as resilient as its most vulnerable communities. By meaningfully incorporating community voices...
Speaker Series 2024 #8 | Breaking Down Risk in a Changing Climate
Cities around the world are battling more frequent and intense weather events. Extreme heat, flooding, and tropical...
Speaker Series 2024 #11 | De-risking the Future: Climate Risk, Public-Private Collaboration, and the Value of Insurance
Strengthening urban resilience has immense potential to increase equity and prosperity in cities, but it requires...
Speaker Series 2024 #7 | Urban Flood Resilience: Tackling flood risk and inequality in cities
Urban flooding represents a critical development challenge worldwide. Currently, hundreds of millions of people,...