Davos Alliance 2023

Today marks the launch of Pioneering Places, a new programme of the Davos Baukultur Alliance bringing together six leading cities and regions to advance quality, sustainability, and wellbeing in the built environment, developed in collaboration with KPMG alongside the collective commitments of the Alliance’s members across industry and civil society.    As the inaugural cohort, these pioneering places will, over the next 12 months, translate global principles into local and regional action, sharing insights and collaboration to shape more resilient and liveable communities.   🌍 The cohort’s focus: >> Kuala Lumpur – Advancing adaptive reuse and sustainable urban renewal. >> Medellín – Expanding smart water systems and inclusive infrastructure. >> Montréal – Accelerating circularity implementation to strengthen local character. >> Nairobi – Delivering large-scale, community-led affordable housing and services. >> San Francisco – Driving climate resilience and waterfront revitalisation. >> Utrecht – Embedding health-centred design and wellbeing into regional development. The programme reflects a shared commitment to connecting global ambition with local delivery. Special thanks to Lloyd Harriman, an Alliance Fellow this year, and to the leadership of Lisa Kelvey, Christy Mitchell, and KPMG’s Major Projects Advisory and Global Cities network for their partnership in helping design, launch, and build this inaugural cohort.   A defining moment for the Davos Baukultur Alliance - demonstrating how global ambition and local leadership can come together to deliver places of lasting quality and impact.

🌍 On the sidelines of the 2025 UN Forum of Mayors, the Global Cities Hub and the World Economic Forum convened leaders in Geneva for a high-level dialogue on “Driving Public-Private Collaboration for Future-Ready Cities.” 🏙️ Mayors play a pivotal role in making Baukultur - building culture -tangible, translating shared values into decisions that shape the character and resilience of their cities. As part of the dialogue, the Conditions for Quality session of the Davos Baukultur Alliance explored how governance, finance, and place-based practices create the foundations for high-quality urban transformation. >> Key takeaways >> • Governance and legal frameworks: Clear mandates and continuity are essential to safeguard quality throughout the project lifecycle. • Finance and investment: Funding models should reward long-term value, social benefit, and design integrity — while achieving differentiated investment returns. • Place-based practice: Quality gains meaning only when grounded in local culture, context, and community experience. A special thanks to KPMG's Janet Greenwood FICE FCIHT, our moderator, and to all who participated, including Deputy Governor of Nairobi H.E. Njoroge Muchiri, Mayor of Braga Ricardo Rio Mayor of Ramallah Issa Kassis, Rupesh Madlani, BwB, Charles Gschwind, Baker McKenzie, Federica Alberti, Technogym's Wellness Foundation, Fabienne Robert, Saint-Gobain, Olle Dierks Viable Cities, Joerg Vocke Siemens, Umberto Fugiglando MIT Senseable City Lab, Robert Lewis-Lettington UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme) and Zöe Fitzgerald C40 Cities amoungst others 💡 Insights from this dialogue have been mapped through the World Economic Forum’s Strategic Intelligence platform:[https://lnkd.in/eSFgJPft] Next steps>> The ideas surfaced are directly informing the Alliance’s work to equip built environment leaders across sectors to embed holistic quality early - unlocking transformative impact for people and places. 📸 Photos of the day: https://lnkd.in/eXuuKwY8

🌍 🎞️ New short: Bioregional design https://lnkd.in/eTS_f6tC By looking to the past, architecture can help shape a more sustainable future. Bioregional design and architecture works in harmony with the natural environment—using locally available materials, respecting the native landscape, and responding to climate. This approach is making a powerful comeback. Discover three inspiring projects from Mexico, Canada, and Rwanda, featuring two Alliance members, DIALOG and MASS Design Group, that show what’s possible. At the Davos Baukultur Alliance, we champion regenerative and bioregional design as a key tool for creating thriving, adaptive, and ecologically harmonious cities. 📖 Learn more in our latest publication From Principles to Practice: https://lnkd.in/e9EfHSXa

🎨💻 The rise of the “Culture Stack” marks a powerful evolution in how culture is created, funded, and experienced. At the Davos Baukultur Alliance, we believe that high-quality places are shaped not just by design and planning—but by the infrastructures behind culture itself. This new piece, by Marta Ferreira de Sá and Benedict Singleton, founders of RIVAL STRATEGY explores how artists and cultural practitioners - such as Refik Anadol Studio- are building their own tools, studios, and systems—reshaping the creative economy from the ground up: 🔗 The Rise of the Culture Stack From AI-powered art installations to decentralized studios and immersive cultural destinations, this movement challenges cities, policymakers, and developers to rethink how cultural ecosystems are financed, governed, and integrated into urban life. 🌍 How can public and private sector leaders support this next generation of cultural infrastructure? This is central to our work at the Davos Baukultur Alliance—and to advancing Baukultur principles in a rapidly changing creative landscape. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/erR3tS5G

🧱 Baukultur at the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale Last month, the Davos Baukultur Alliance and its members participated in the opening of the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale—the world’s foremost architectural exhibition. It served as a powerful platform to launch the next chapter of the Alliance’s mission to promote inclusive, sustainable, and impactful design. Here are a few highlights of how Baukultur is being brought to life at this year’s Biennale: 🔹 Space for Ideas The central exhibition underscores how the built environment must respond to a changing climate while restoring cultural identity, social cohesion, and long-term wellbeing. As Biennale curator Carlo Ratti emphasized: “The integration of cultural intelligence and collective values is not optional—it’s the foundation of liveable futures.” 🎞️ As part of the exhibition, the Alliance is showcasing a short animated film within the Arsenale, highlighting how built environments can foster resilience, identity, and wellbeing. 📢 Malaysia joins the Davos Alliance Malaysia becomes the first Asian country to join the Davos Baukultur Alliance—signaling its commitment to embedding high-quality Baukultur principles into urban development. The announcement was made by Dr. Zaliha Mustafa, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) during the Alliance’s Annual Meeting at the ATENEO VENETO Istituto culturale ONLUS—Venice’s oldest cultural institution members met to shape the Alliance’s strategic direction and expand its on-the-ground impact following an opening address by Swiss Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider. 📘 New publication: From Principles to Practice 🔗[https://lnkd.in/exTfxF4p] The publication provides actionable guidance grounded in over 45 global case studies focused on #circularity, #resilience, #affordability, and more. 📚 If you are in Vneice you can find a physical copy in the public archives within the Giardini della Biennale. 🗣️ Public session: Collective Baukultur The Alliance convened a vibrant roundtable moderated by Antonio Gomez-Palacio (DIALOG) featuring: Hon. Dr. Zaliha Mustafa (Gov. of Malaysia) Professor Priti Parikh CEng FICE (Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) & The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL), Claudia Acuña (New Story) and Rochelle Haynes (What Works Cities) Each speaker shared transformative strategies on shared governance, community-led design, and the use of data and storytelling to build equitable housing and infrastructure. 💬 As Claudia Acuña powerfully stated: “We must move beyond building homes to redesigning the systems that shape access, safety, and belonging.” 📺 A recording of the session will soon be available on the Biennale's website and youtube channel. 📍 If you're planning a trip to Venice, the Biennale runs from May–23 November 2025—there's plenty of time to visit, reflect, and engage.

🌍 Nominations Open: 2025 Public Private Collaboration Awards 🌍 The Global Partnership for Local Investments (GPLI) Awards—an initiative of the World Economic Forum’s Centre for Urban Transformation and UN-Habitat—are now accepting nominations for the 2025 Public Private Collaboration Awards. We are seeking outstanding public-private collaborations in cities that: - Demonstrate robust partnership models with shared risks and benefits - Deliver concrete, measurable outcomes - Show innovation and potential for replication in other urban contexts Projects in early stages with promising results are also encouraged to apply. Special consideration will be given to initiatives that enhance GPLI’s geographical diversity and meaningfully engage philanthropic and civil society partners. Award recipients will be recognized and their solutions showcased at the Urban Transformation Summit, taking place October 21–23, 2025, in San Francisco, California. This annual Summit convenes leaders from business, government, civil society, and philanthropy to foster new partnerships and accelerate sustainable, inclusive urban development. If you know of a project that fits these criteria, we invite you to submit a nomination and help spotlight impactful collaborations shaping the future of urban investment. 🗓️ Key Dates: - Nomination Deadline: 12:00 PM EST, Monday, June 30, 2025 - Semifinalists Announced: Week of July 21, 2025 - Finalists Selected: Friday, August 15, 2025 - Finalists Publicly Announced: Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at the World Economic Forum’s Urban Transformation Summit in San Francisco 🔗 Nomination Form: https://lnkd.in/enajbUd2 Let’s celebrate and help scale impactful public-private collaborations in cities worldwide. hashtag #UrbanTransformation hashtag #PublicPrivatePartnership

📢 JOB OPPORTUNITY 📢 We are looking for a Specialist to join our international team to help grow our global community and support building more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient communities. We’re seeking a collaborative individual with a passion for fostering positive change and experience driving cross-sector initiatives that deliver transformative impact for places. We welcome applications from anyone with place-based experience across #urbandevelopment #construction #architecture #spatialplanning #realestate #naturebaseddesign #strategicinvestment #placeshaping #planningpolicy #sustainable and #resilient development and any other related field 📍 Based in Geneva 🔗 Apply now 👇 https://lnkd.in/eRA6NkHS

🌍 From Principles to Practice – our new report is live. After convening in Venice today as part of the Biennale Architettura 2025, we’re proud to release our latest report on the power -- and real-word impact -- of holistic, high-quality design and delivery to drive affordability, circularity, resilience, and social value in our living environment. Because #PlaceTransformation starts before the first brick is laid. Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/e_6DKawX #Baukultur #BiennaleArchitettura2025

📢 Davos Baukultur Alliance at Biennale Architettura 2025   We are delighted to open the GENS Public Programme at Biennale Architettura 2025 with Collective Baukultur, exploring how improving Baukultur (building-culture) addresses the climate emergency and global challenges through collective intelligence and cross-sector collaboration.   📍 Teatro Piccolo Arsenale, Venice 🕔 May 10, 2025 | 5 PM - 7 PM   Speakers include: 🔹 Oliver Martin (Chair, Davos Baukultur Alliance, Swiss Federal Office of Culture) 🔹 Vivian Brady-Phillips (Head of Strategic Initiatives, Urban Transformation, WEF) 🔹 Antonio Gomez-Palacio (Chair, DIALOG) 🔹 Professor Priti Parikh CEng FICE (Director, School of Sustainable Construction & Professor of Infrastructure Engineering and International Development, UCL)  🔹Closing remarks from Carlo Ratti, Curator of Biennale Architettura 2025 Aligned with the Biennale Architettura 2025 theme "Intelligens," the discussion will highlight working methods and innovative, adaptable practices that shape sustainable, high-quality living environments across diverse communities and cultures.   🔗 Join us in Venice for this important conversation. #Baukultur #buildingculture #BiennaleArchitettura2025 #ClimateAction #CollectiveIntelligence #SustainableDesign Fondazione La Biennale di Venezia https://lnkd.in/eJRAjgBX

We are pleased to share two pieces from the Davos Baukultur Alliance community on how we can proactively improve the places we live. ☘️ In the first, Antonio Gomez-Palacio of Alliance member DIALOG, considers regenerative urbanism as a crucial pathway towards addressing the climate emergency. 🧠 The second piece explores how our living environments powerfully impact our mental and physical well-being and the role our #Baukultur (building-culture) plays. Please have a read using the links below 👇