For a moment, we brought the world together to talk about the future of our cities. 

The fifth edition of Resonance’s WRLDCTY Forum for Urban Innovation was of course just one of the many conferences and gatherings that brought urban policy makers, practitioners and placemakers together this year.

But with attendees from 57 countries and 184 different cities participating either in person or online, it was truly unique in both the diversity of topics covered and the far reaching geography of its participants.  

We started WRLDCTY as an audacious experiment at the onset of the pandemic to bring the world together on a virtual platform to share ideas and insights at a time when our cities were confronting a shared global crisis unlike anything we had ever experienced before. We wanted to share the best ideas about cities from the best cities around the world. 

WRLDCTY’s mission and purpose is simple: To foster more inclusive, equitable and sustainable approaches to urban development. To do this, we must break down the silos between policy, planning and development. And if the pandemic taught us one thing, it is that we must work together and act not just locally, but globally together if our goals are to be realized.

Held in Bilbao this year in partnership with Bilbao Metropoli 30, the city proved to be not only an excellent gathering place to discuss urban innovation, but a living lab that demonstrates both the power and potential of urban transformation. With more than 50 speakers participating from around the world, there was no shortage of inspiration, insights and ideas to be had. While it’s impossible to boil more than 12 hours of content down into just a few insights, here are five highlights from this year’s WRLDCTY Forum for Urban Innovation that will inform Resonance’s approach to shaping the destinations, cities and communities we’re working with.

Watch these and dozens of other sessions from this year’s WRLDCTY for a limited time by registering for free here.

1. Expect controversy

Former Vienna Deputy Mayor Maria Vassilakou offered an unflinching look at the realities of urban transformation in the face of global challenges. In her keynote, she emphasized that avoiding controversy in urban planning is unrealistic—and perhaps even irresponsible. With major disruptors like demographic shifts, the housing crisis, climate change, and mass migration, she argued that the bold action required must expect resistance. As she noted, “If there isn’t resistance, you either aren’t being bold enough, or you don’t have the right people in the room.” Vassilakou’s session urged planners to confront and manage controversy as part of shaping truly sustainable and resilient cities. 

2. Embrace uncertainty

In her keynote “Uncertainty is a Feature not a Bug”, Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies CEO Dasha Krivonos discussed how uncertainty can lead to inaction when in fact uncertain times are when action is most required. Rather than succumbing to inaction, she encouraged leaders to embrace uncertain times as moments ripe for transformative action. Krivonos urged the audience to challenge entrenched assumptions about the future and take calculated risks that could lead to groundbreaking urban solutions. “Failure of imagination is a crisis,” she warned, highlighting the importance of rethinking the future in a way that aligns with the dynamic, interconnected world of the 21st century.

3. Design for wellbeing

DIALOG Partner & Chair Antonio Gómez-Palacio addressed the urgent need to rethink urban planning through the lens of community health and wellbeing. His presentation was a call to shift away from reactive, outdated metrics of success like units built or passengers moved. Instead, Antonio shared insights from the Community Wellbeing Framework—a research-driven model for designing cities that foster holistic health, public wellness, and environmental resilience. With 96% of urban planning being reactive, he made a compelling case for integrating preventative design into city-building strategies to combat the social, economic, and environmental crises plaguing our cities.

4. Welcome friction

Finnish social scientist Tommi Laitio delivered a thought-provoking session on the value of friction in public spaces. Drawing on examples from Finland and Canada, Laitio introduced the concept of “convivencia”—the productive space between harmony and conflict where differences are embraced, not erased. He warned that efforts to eliminate friction in public places risk making cities exclusive rather than inclusive. Instead, Laitio called for urban leaders to accept that public life is inherently messy and that this “messiness” is key to fostering vibrant, inclusive urban environments.

5. Be the center of the action

Lana Abdelhameed from Expo City Dubai shared Dubai’s bold vision for the future. With 70% of the world’s population expected to live in cities by 2050 and rapid urbanization concentrated in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia, Lana highlighted how Dubai is positioning itself as a “center of action.” As a center for rapid urbanization, Dubai is convening global leaders to solve critical challenges while continuing to innovate and build resilience. Her insights on how Dubai sees itself not just as a city in the world, but as a world within a city, offered a glimpse into what’s next for global urban leadership and collaboration.

All of these talks and the rest of the WRLDCTY sessions are still available to play on demand for a limited time. Simply register for free here.

These, of course, are just a few highlights from what proved to be not only an inspiring and informative few days, but an emotional one as well, with stirring stories shared by the finalists for The Bay Urban Visioning Awards who were also celebrated during WRLDCTY.

The very real and practical work done by these urbanists ranged from empowering women in the Philippines to build solar lights for corporately funded art installations that were then donated to refugee camps, to engaging seniors in Ramallah.

The fact that the actions of a few people can improve the lives of so many in our cities may be the most important takeaway of all from this year’s edition of WRLDCTY. As cultural anthropologist and author Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Watch these and dozens of other sessions from this year’s WRLDCTY for a limited time by registering for free here.