Pimpri-Chinchwad earns spot amongst 15 urban innovation finalists

Their selection process was guided by criteria such as innovation, effectiveness, context, and replicability

The prestigious sixth Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation (Guangzhou Award) announced its selection of 15 shortlisted cities on Thursday, with Pimpri-Chinchwad being the only Indian city making the cut.

Pimpri-Chinchwad being the only Indian city making the cut the prestigious sixth Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation nomination (HT FILE PHOTO)

The other cities include Antalya (Turkey), Bogota (Colombia), Cape Town (South Africa), Gwangju (Korea), Halandri (Greece), Iztapalapa (Mexico), Jakarta (Indonesia), Kampala (Uganda), Kazan (Russia), Mannheim (Germany), Ramallah (Palestine), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Tehran (Iran), and Xianning (China).

All these cities represent urban innovation worldwide. The selection of Pimpri Chinchwad city is quite important for the fact that as many as 274 initiatives from 193 cities and regions across 54 countries submitted applications for the award.

A technical committee comprising international experts, convened at the Guangzhou Library from September 11 to 14 to rigorously evaluate submissions. Their selection process was guided by criteria such as innovation, effectiveness, context, and replicability, all closely tied to the pursuit of local implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda (NUA).

The Guangzhou International Award has emerged as a global platform for fostering knowledge creation and facilitating city-to-city learning in urban innovation. With more than 1,300 initiatives worldwide submitted over the past five cycles, it continues to inspire and promote transformative urban development practices.