esi thoughtlab
COVID-19 has served as a stress test for cities as businesses and services were shut down and medical facilities stretched to their limits. It has exposed weaknesses in digital infrastructure and resilience as disruptions have emerged unexpectedly with far-reaching aftershocks. Simultaneously, cities are facing mounting pressures to address vulnerabilities related to cybersecurity and climate change. […]
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An Exclusive Meeting of Global City Leaders The COVID-19 pandemic has been a watershed event for cities, with lasting impacts on how residents will live, travel, shop, and work. Our ground-breaking research into the post-pandemic plans of 167 cities worldwide—to be released at the summit—reveals that cities will need to morph into Cities 4.0 to […]
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Succeeding in a Transformed Post-Pandemic World With the end of the pandemic in sight, a new U.S. administration in place, and Brexit a reality, 2021 is quickly becoming a new dawn for business and government. Digital, social, and economic shifts will continue to gain momentum, propelling companies and cities into the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This […]
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Africa faces the most challenges of any region in meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) commitments, given its high levels of environmental degradation, poverty, and unemployment along with rapid population growth and weak state institutions. In ESI ThoughtLab’s survey of 167 cities across six regions designed to explore cities’ progress on the SDGs, African […]
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Urban mobility is a critical factor for the economic productivity of a city, and for the quality of life of its citizens and their access to basic services. In the wake of COVID-19, cities are reevaluating their urban mobility strategies and policies. According to ESI ThoughtLab’s survey of 167 cities globally, 55% of city leaders […]
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring a healthy, safe, and prosperous future for citizens has been a burning imperative for city leaders around the world. At the same time, the health crisis has raised the importance of the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which many cities have adopted as a framework for achieving their social, environmental, […]
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