The second edition of the World Forum on Intermediary Cities organized by the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) was held under the auspices of Kütahya Municipality in Kütahya, Turkey on 5-8 October 2021.
According to the 4th Report of the Global Observatory on Local Democracy and Decentralization (GOLD IV), Intermediary Cities, which currently host 30% of the world’s urban population, make their importance in urban development felt more day by day. In fact, the growing structural inequalities in cities and the gaps in capacity and financing faced by local governments during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in developing countries, have once again revealed the necessity of adopting a new perspective in the building of resilient cities.
In this regard, this global Forum that we hosted as the Middle East and West Asia Region aims to make Intermediary Cities the focus of sustainable development efforts and ensure that these cities have a greater place in both national and global development strategies.
Given the still challenging health situation, the Forum was held both in a virtual and hybrid format, as follows:
. Fully virtual sessions on 5 & 6 October;
. The plenaries and closing ceremony on 8 October was hybrid, allowing both online and in-person attendance in Kütahya.
You will find the presentation note, the programme and