The Global Mayors' Forum & 6th Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation (Guangzhou Award) will be held in Guangzhou from December 7 to 9. As of December 5, representatives of 65 cities from 37 countries as well as nine international organizations have confirmed their participation.
The 6th Guangzhou Award received a total of 274 initiatives from 193 cities and local governments in 54 countries and regions, and 15 cities stood out as the shortlisted cities after the selection by the Technical Committee.
Let's take a look at the 15 shortlisted cities and their urban innovation initiatives, among which five winners will be announced on Thursday night.
Kampala, Uganda 乌干达坎帕拉
An innovation for pit-emptying services using a GIS-enabled application
通过GIS应用程序创新公共卫生服务
Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, has a resident population of 1,738,000, but it fluctuates to over 4,000,000 during the day as people from surrounding areas commute for work, business, and various activities in the city. Over 60% of this population lives in informal housing, while only between 10% and 15% of the city is connected to the formal sewerage system. 90% of the population relies on the on-site sanitation model, making waste-emptying services unavoidable for many residents. Accessing emptying services was a challenge as many had to visit the offices physically to receive the service which was offered on first-come first-serve basis after proof of payment submission. Pit latrines and septic tanks are often emptied haphazardly into the environment by unregulated vendors providing these services.
乌干达首都坎帕拉的常住人口为173.8万人，但由于周边地区的人们前往坎帕拉工作、经商和从事其他各种活动，白天市内人口可超400万人。该市60%以上的人口居住在非正规住房中，其中只有10%至15%的区域与正规污水处理系统相连。因此，90%的人口只能就地解决卫生问题，这导致排污服务对许多居民来说必不可少。但获取排污服务并不容易：按照先到先得的原则，人们须亲自前往办事部门提交付款证明来订购服务。此外，提供排污服务的服务商经常随意地将生活污物排入周边环境中。
It is within this context that the Weyonje App was developed and introduced. Citizens can use the app on their mobile phones to order emptying services that are monitored until the sludge is successfully delivered to the regulated dumpsite. Citizens without smartphones, especially those living in poor informal settlements, have the option to contact the Village Health Team (VHT), which requests the service on their behalf using the Weyonje Village Health Team Application.
在这种情况下，应用程序“Weyonje”（即“自行清理”）应运而生。市民可以在手机上用该应用程序下单排污服务。该服务将会一直受到监测，直到生活污物被成功运送到指定的处理厂。没有智能手机的市民，尤其是那些生活在非正规居所的贫困市民，可以向村卫生队(VHT)求助，村卫生队将会用“Weyonje村卫生队”应用程序为他们订购服务。
The App ensures that the faecal sludge is safely transported and managed at the treatment plant. Data from the App feeds digitally into the city’s data management dashboard enabling the city to track progress and gaps in the emptying service.
该应用程序确保生活污物安全运输到处理厂，并得到合规的处理。此外，应用程序采集的相关数据也将被上传市政数据管理网站，让相关人员能够跟踪公共卫生服务的进展与不足。
Mannheim, Germany 德国曼海姆
Annual report on the achievement of the SDGs as a management tool and transformation of vacant land into a park
以可持续发展目标推动大面积增加城市公园
The City of Mannheim has been actively monitoring progress towards the SDGs since 2015. For example, it advanced its monitoring process by resolving to present the city's annual Voluntary Local Review report as one of the main municipal instruments in 2022 and enabled the administration, councillors, and the local community to gain a better understanding of how the city’s actions are responding to the SDGs.
自2015年以来，曼海姆市一直在积极监测可持续发展目标（SDGs）的实现进展，例如，在2022年将城市年度自愿地方审查报告作为主要市政管理工具，使各利益相关方更好地了解该市的行动如何响应可持续发展目标。
The conversion of the former military base by the city of Mannheim is a clear example of a city directly localizing the SDGs into the daily processes of governance. Citizens were consulted on what to do with the former military base. It was decided that the space be transformed into a community park. It was also decided to organize a major Gardening Show called BUGA (facilitated by the Federal Government) dedicated specifically to the SDGs.
对前军事基地的改造就是曼海姆市将可持续发展目标同步到日常治理过程中的鲜明例子。曼海姆市政府就如何处理前军事基地的问题咨询了市民意见，决定将其改造为社区公园，并举办致力于推动实现可持续发展目标的大型园艺展览BUGA（由联邦政府赞助）。
There are now plans to transform the 80-hectare site into a landscaped park and recreation area that will be a habitat for many different species, as well as a space for sports and other recreational activities. In addition, BUGA holds exhibitions on regional urban food production and clean and climate-friendly energy production in cities, serving as a stage for associations, the government and initiatives related to the SDGs.
项目计划将80公顷的场地改造成一个园景公园和休闲区，作为多种生物的栖息地以及市民运动和娱乐活动的空间。此外，项目还举办了关于城市不同区域食品生产和清洁、气候友好型能源生产的展览，作为展示协会、政府和与可持续发展目标相关举措的舞台。
Pimpri Chinchwad, India 印度宾布里金杰沃德
Navi Disha community toilet model
社区公共卫生创新模式
The Indian city of Pimpri Chinchwad being a prominent industrial hub, hosts a significant number of migratory industrial labourers who have established residence in low-income settlement areas. City has 160 Community Toilets that provide clean and hygienic sanitation facilities in these areas. Under the Navi Disha initiative, women from the targeted communities have formed groups that have taken responsibility for operating and maintaining the community toilets ensuring superior sanitation standards.
印度宾布里金杰沃德市是著名工业中心，拥有大量在低收入地区定居的工业移民。为了给这些地区提供干净的卫生设施，市内修建了 160 个社区厕所（Navi Disha项目）。在此项目框架下，来自目标社区的妇女组成工作小组，负责运营和维护社区厕所，确保其良好的卫生标准。
Round of discussions were conducted with the communities for conceiving the initiative. Women within these settlements came forwards to take up the operation and maintenance of the community toilet in their area.
这一项目诞生于与社区的讨论中。妇女们主动参与，承担起所在地区社区厕所的运营和维护工作。
Along with training in community toilet management, the municipality also makes a monthly payment to each women’s group to cover the cost of sanitation equipment and cleaning materials to generate revenue streams for the women's groups.
除了管理方面的培训外，市政府还每月向妇女团体支付卫生设备和清洁材料的费用，为妇女团体创造收入来源。
The initiative is a good example of gender mainstreaming in the sanitation value chain along with effective public-community partnerships and agile administration. Over 400 women are now engaged within the initiative managing 40 toilets with total of 862 toilet seats. Over 30,000+ beneficiaries are getting access to clean and safe toilets every day. With overwhelming interest from other women groups, municipality has planned to scale over 120 community toilets under Navi Disha, with engagement of over 1,200 women and increasing the beneficiaries by at least three folds by June 2024.
此项目是将性别平等纳入主流卫生价值链的一个典范，也建立了有效的公共社区伙伴关系。目前，超过400 名女性参与，管理着40个厕所共862个厕位。每天有超3万名使用者可以使用卫生、安全的厕所。项目外其他的妇女团体也对此展现出极大兴趣。因此，市政府计划在项目框架下扩建120多个社区厕所，吸引1200多名妇女参与进来，到 2024年6月，项目受益人数增加至少三倍。
The municipality aspires to introduce the women groups to alternative revenue streams, involving them in decision making for future initiatives such as women-led sustainable Solid Waste Management and establishing robust feedback and monitoring mechanisms.
该市政府希望让妇女团体了解项目带来的其他收入来源，并让她们参与到未来的政策决策中，例如妇女主导的可持续固体废物管理，包括借助妇女力量建立强有力的反馈和监测机制。
Ramallah, Palestine 巴勒斯坦拉姆安拉
Forum of Expertise, a community-led active aging initiative that empowers seniors to thrive through voluntarism and life-long learning
积极为老年人创造充满活力的晚年生活
"Forum of Expertise" is an innovative community center in Ramallah that is dedicated to enriching the lives of older people by providing a space for social activity, engagement and wellness. It provides four core programs: a cross-generational platform for the exchange of knowledge and expertise; a tailored process for voluntary engagement; a targeted capacity-development program; and comprehensive well-being programs that cater for every aspect of older people’s lives.
“知识论坛”是拉姆安拉发起的一个创新型社区中心，致力于为老年人提供进行社交、参与活动和增进福祉的空间，以此来丰富他们的生活。其中包括四个核心项目：跨代际知识经验交流平台、定制志愿活动、定向能力发展项目，以及能够满足老年人生活各个方面的综合福利项目。
The Forum creates a physical space that is accessible to all. This allows for formal and informal gatherings, thus fostering growth, with the overall aim of addressing social isolation among older people. A range of programs are created with the community. The Forum has adopted a decentralized structure that involves the community in decision-making, supervision, and evaluation, alongside regular feedback loops to enable ongoing and continuously evolving processes and sets of strategies.
论坛创造了一个对所有人开放的实体空间，可供举办正式和非正式的集会，从而促进社区发展，并最终解决老年人面临的社会孤立问题。在活动设置层面，该项目同社区合作推出了一系列相关活动。在项目实施层面，它采用了一种去中心化的运营结构，让整个社区参与到决策、监督和评估中来，并定期进行反馈，使得项目实施的流程和方法得以持续优化和发展。
The Forum's efforts exemplified the power of creativity and adaptability in times of crisis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Forum responded to the challenges of isolation with a series of innovative online initiatives. These included a documentary program of 35 episodes, each featuring a Palestinian musician exploring diverse musical styles and traditions. Additionally, the Forum conducted 18 in-depth interviews with experienced creative writers, providing insights into their journeys. These programs were made available on line and on YouTube, reaching a wide audience and fostering engagement among the elderly during the lockdown.
这一项目的创造力和适应性在危机时刻也得到凸显：在新冠肺炎疫情期间，论坛通过一系列创新举措应对隔离措施带来的种种问题。其中包括拍摄35集纪录片，每集邀请一位巴勒斯坦音乐家探索不同的音乐风格和传统。此外，论坛还对18位创作型作家进行了深度访谈，了解他们的创作历程。这些节目在YouTube等网络平台上发布，受众广泛，并在隔离期间促进了老年人的社会参与。
São Paulo, Brazil 巴西圣保罗
Programa Tô Legal
法律支持计划
The initiative has provided an opportunity for those who are unable to enter the formal employment market to work legally, and has fomented entrepreneurship. It has also improved transparency, efficiency, location monitoring (GIS), and reduced corruption through payment control.
该项目为那些无法进入正规就业市场的人提供了合法工作的机会，并激发了他们的创业精神，还提高了政府部门的办事透明度和工作效率，改善了位置监控系统（GIS），并通过“支付控制”措施减少了贪污腐败。
Tô Legal's main goal is to ease and expedite the issuance of authorization and permits to those who work and provide services informally in public areas and sidewalks. It was conceived as a gateway for those who need to work legally, but who lack qualification, education, or the experience needed to seek formal employment.
“法律支持计划”旨在通过简化和加快审核流程，帮助在公共区域和街边从事非正规工作或服务的人群获得商业和服务授权许可证，为那些需要合法工作但缺乏寻求正式就业所需的资格、教育或经验的人提供了一个门户。
Tô Legal is an electronic system funded by and used in the city of São Paulo in Brazil, which allows citizens who currently work illegally and insecurely on the streets to formalize themselves and their production over time. Via the system, citizens are now able to apply for documents, to change their registration or to pay municipal fees online. Civil servants can readily access permit and authorization information, which expedites inspection procedures.
项目主要通过一个由巴西圣保罗市投资开发并使用的电子信息系统来实现，旨让目前在街头非法务工和从事无保障工作的市民生产生活能够逐渐正规。市民可以通过该程序线上申请许可文件、更改注册信息或缴纳市政费用；政府工作人员则可以随时线上查阅许可和授权信息，加快审核程序。
Tehran, Iran 伊朗德黑兰
Substituting chemical pesticides with pruning waste in the production of herbal formulations
利用农业废料替代化学农药的创新
During the outbreak of mulberry whiteflies in the urban green space of Tehran between 2016 and 2018 in Atrat Park, the performance of the Caesalpinia gilliesii naturally attracting full-fledged insects (whiteflies) was the first spark of study as an investigation of the trap plant.
2016 年至 2018 年，位于德黑兰市的阿特拉特公园（Atrat Park）绿地爆发桑粉虱虫害。此次事件让人们发现，吉式苏木（Caesalpinia gilliesii）具有能够吸引桑粉虱成虫的特点。这一特性激发了人们将其作为捕虫植物来控制虫害的灵感。
The utilization of pruning plants and Caesalpinia gilliesii plants represents a transformative leap in replacing chemical pesticides within the herbal formulation production process. This initiative in Tehran serves as a catalyst for transitioning contemporary cities from their industrial past into more eco-friendly urban environments. To achieve this, the project leverages urban green spaces to combat urban pests, effectively replacing the need for harmful chemical pesticides while concurrently reducing expenditure on these costly toxic substances. Central to this initiative is the utilization of natural resources. Rigorous experimentation has been conducted to ascertain their effectiveness, resulting in the publication of five scientific papers.
利用剪枝废料和吉式苏木（Caesalpinia gilliesii）取代化学农药，是天然杀虫剂配方生产的一个革命性突破。德黑兰的案例促使当代城市从过去的工业环境转型成为更加环保的城市环境。德黑兰利用城市绿地来消灭城市中的害虫，成功减少了化学农药的使用，并大大削减了由此产生的高昂开销。该项目的核心是对自然资源的利用。为确定其有效性，德黑兰市有关部门组织开展了严谨的科学试验，并发表了五篇学术论文。
This project pioneers a natural, eco-conscious solution for herbal formulation production, contributing significantly to the transformation of modern cities into toxin-free, nature-friendly urban landscapes. The project aligns with ten SDGs, making it a vital contributor to the global effort for a more sustainable and environmentally responsible future.
通过创新性地使用自然、环保的植物源杀虫剂作为解决方案，该项目的一大目标是打造无毒、自然友好型的现代城市景观。此外，项目还符合多项可持续发展目标，为全球努力实现更加可持续和对环境负责的未来作出重要贡献。
Xianning, China 中国咸宁
Enhancing traffic safety near schools through a child-friendly collaborative construction and sharing approach
儿童友好共建共享提升学校周边交通安全
In the Chinese city of Xianning, inadequate municipal utilities used to cause problems such as the coexistence of people and vehicles in the same way, muddy roads on rainy days, and the lack of traffic lights. In order to address these problems that hinder children from getting to and from school safely, Xianning has put forward an effective and efficient "government + enterprise + community" cooperation program. It also represents a holistic approach that promotes not only the infrastructure construction, but also the participation and involvement of active stakeholders at the local level.
学校路口没有红绿灯、人车混行、下雨天满地泥泞…… 为了补齐当地校园周边的市政设施短板，消除不利于未成年人上下学的诸多痛点，咸宁市提出了一项有效且高效的“政+企+社区”联动的综合解决方案，在促进基础设施建设的同时，带动了地方层面的利益攸关方共同参与解决社会问题。
The project was spearheaded by the Xianning city government, and broke down departmental divisions by involving seven municipal departments, design institutes, schools, communities, and relevant companies. Through measures such as using franchise model, adjusting land use, separating pedestrian and vehicles, introducing walking-bus routes, and establishing various waiting areas, the initiative successfully transformed the streets around the school into safe and high-quality shared community spaces and co-built garden.In addition, a series of social practice activities intended for students have been organized for the improvement of the surrounding environment of school, so as to build the ideal campus and safe roads for children.
该项目由咸宁市政府主导，打破部门职责分工，由七个市政相关部门以及设计院、学校、社区、相关企业共同实施。通过出台特许经营、调整用地性质、人车分流、步行巴士、建立不同接送等候区等措施将学校附近的街道改造成安全和高品质的社区共享公共空间和“共建花园”。此外，项目还通过组织一系列共建实践活动让学生们参与到校园周边环境改造中来，建设出孩子心目中的理想校园和安全的上下学道路。
Since the initiative started, the proportion of students walking to school has increased from 30% to 95%. 100 parent volunteers operates four designated walking routes to school, resulting in a significant reduction in the number of nearby traffic accidents from over 50 to just one. This innovation has been rapidly extended to 20 schools, generating substantial social impact both domestically and internationally, with recognition and promotion by the UN Habitat and the UNICEF.
该项目实施后，步行上学的学生比例由30%提升到95%，100名家长志愿者运营4条步行上学线路，周边交通事故数量由50多起下降到1起。这一创新模式已快速推广到20座学校，在国内外产生社会影响力，得到联合国人居署和联合国儿童基金会的宣传推广。
Sources: guangzhouaward.org, Guangzohu Daily
Editor: Lyu Yun