At the 2018 Chicago Forum on Global Cities, more than 80 speakers from 27 countries took the stage to discuss the power of global cities to solve pressing global challenges. Our #GlobalCities2018 hashtag was trending in Chicago, with more than 1,400 social posts from 35 countries. In case you want to revisit Forum panels or flash talks, live stream videos are available.
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Global cities increasingly shape our world – not only the global economy but its ideas, culture, and policies. On the front lines of the world’s greatest challenges, cities are driving the most innovative solutions. Their influence transcends national borders.
The Chicago Council on Global Affairs is a leading center for studying the influence of cities in solving global challenges and shaping the world’s future. With over a decade of research and programming on global cities, the Council examines the policies needed to be successful, identifies global best practices, connects leaders, and provides concrete recommendations to decision-makers.
The Council publishes original research and produces digital interactives on topics such as the foreign policy of cities, the role of cities in global governance, inclusive societies, climate change and the environment, security and safety, migrant integration, and economic competitiveness.
Resident and nonresident fellows contribute to the Council’s expertise by authoring blogs and commentaries, peer reviewing reports, developing podcasts and interactives, and presenting Council research on critical platforms.
Hosted in partnership with the Financial Times, this three-day international conference brings together leaders in business, civics, education, and the arts for a cross-sector dialogue on the influential role cities play in solving critical global challenges.
The Council regularly hosts speakers, workshops, public programs, and private dinners to inform audiences of pressing issues affecting cities and to share the findings of Council research.
The Council's global cities work is made possible by:
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Ahmed Aboutaleb, Mayor, City of Rotterdam
Larry C. Price, Photographer, Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting; Jon Sawyer, Founding Director, Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting; George Steinmetz, Photographer; Karen Weigert, Senior Fellow, Global Cities
Chan Heng Chee, Ambassador-at-Large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Singapore; 2018 Marshall M. Bouton Asia Fellow
Evelyn Diaz, President, Heartland Alliance; Verónica González , Chief Resilience Officer, City of Juárez; Alberto Kopittke, Executive Director, Instituto Cidade Segura; Michael Nutter, Former Mayor, City of Philadelphia; Santiago Uribe, Chief Resilience Officer, City of Medellín
Ghian Foreman, Executive Director, Greater Southwest Development Corporation; Karl Friedhoff, Fellow, Public Opinion and Asia Policy; Marisa Novara, Vice President, Metropolitan Planning Council; Tim Swanson, Chief Design Officer, Skender
Karen Weigert, Senior Fellow, Global Cities; Ivo H. Daalder, President, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Anand Shah, Senior Advisor, Albright Stonebridge Group; Senior Vice President, Ola; Varun Sivaram, Philip D. Reed Fellow for Science and Technology, Council on Foreign Relations; Karen Weigert, Senior Fellow, Global Cities
Bruce Katz, Author; Jeremy Nowak, Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation, Drexel University; Juliana Kerr, Director, Global Cities and Immigration
Ivo H. Daalder, President, Chicago Council on Global Affairs; Michele Acuto, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Global Cities; Beyza Unal, Research Fellow, Nuclear Weapons Policy, International Security Department, Chatham House
Muriel Bowser, Mayor, Washington, DC; Héctor Insúa García, Mayor, Colima City, Mexico; Gregor Robertson, Mayor, Vancouver; Valérie Plante, Mayor, Montreal
