Localizing Sustainability: Our Best Hope

CitiIQ Honors Urban Leaders on World Cities Day

Toronto/Cairo, October 31, 2024 – On World Cities Day 2024, the recognition of the critical role of cities in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has never been greater. There is a strong growing consensus that global sustainability hinges on local action, and cities are at the forefront of this vital work.

The challenge of leading and operating a city is formidable given the immediate demands of people’s needs, overseeing the provision of services, planning and building infrastructure, and the realities of political office. The world is now requiring these hardworking leaders to be the front line of global sustainability, through effective localized advances.

In recognition of World Cities Day, CitiIQ proudly celebrates the critical role of urban leadership in achieving sustainable development. To the Mayors, councillors, municipal leaders and staff of all cities and towns around the world-- thank you!

It is also appropriate to acknowledge the incredible work of the diligent, hardworking staff of UN-Habitat at the start of the 12th World Urban Forum on November 4 in Cairo, Egypt.


 
 

Notably the world welcomes the recent appointment of Anacláudia Rossbach as the new Executive Director of UN-Habitat. As urban challenges intensify—ranging from rapid urbanization to climate change and social inequality—the leadership of UN-Habitat has never been more vital. We are excited about Ms. Rossbach's innovative vision and dedication to fostering resilient, inclusive urban spaces that enhance the quality of life for all residents.

Following her new appointment in New York City, Anacláudia Rossbach, the new UN-Habitat Executive Director  from Brazil meets CitiIQ Brazilian representative Marceli Camargo  from Curitiba!


Dr. Sharif visiting Ottawa, Canada in December 2022 welcomed by CitiIQ CEO Don Simmonds and Mackenzie Di Fonzo, Global Development Manager.

 

We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to former Executive Director, Dr. Maimunah Mohd Sharif, for her remarkable contributions to sustainable urban development. Since completing her term Dr. Sharif has become the 15th Mayor of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

CitiIQ partners with UN-Habitat using the transformative potential of data in urban development. Our collaboration aims to leverage comprehensive data to inform policy decisions and track progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With the 2030 SDG deadline approaching, cities need robust tools to monitor their progress effectively, and the CitiIQ data service provides quarterly measurements for cities and towns around the world.


About CitiIQ

CitiIQ provides a quarterly service capable of scoring 10,000 cities and towns around the world. The CitiIQ framework employs evidence-based methodology to objectively measure the health and wellbeing of a city through its most essential elements. A customized algorithm normalizes data into scores out of 100 for 107 indicators, 35 considerations, 5 dimensions and the overall city score. Licensed clients access the full array of collected data and visualizations 24/7 with an intuitive online dashboard that is easy to use, economical and effective.

Global sustainability depends on localized progress for which measurement is critical. CitiIQ harnesses the power of data science and technology to drive positive change in urban environments around the world. In April 2020 as the pandemic was expanding globally, UN-Habitat commissioned the CitiIQ platform to measure and display COVID-19 data daily for 2600 global cities.

Contact: Mackenzie Di Fonzo, Global Development Manager

mdifonzo@citiiq.com

Don Simmonds