Uğur İbrahim Altay on Cities Countdown to 2030 and the road to COP31
YOU HAVE LED THE CITIES COUNTDOWN TO 2030 INITIATIVE SINCE ITS INCEPTION. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Cities Countdown to 2030 is much more than a monitoring mechanism. It is a platform that showcases transformative projects led by cities and regions, and demonstrates that localisation is one of the main engines of sustainable development.
As we move closer to 2030, the initiative is helping to accelerate SDG localisation, promote concrete and scalable solutions, and connect local political leadership with global ambition.
Cities and regions are on the front lines of many of today’s challenges — from climate change and urban resilience to social inclusion and economic transformation. Through Cities Countdown to 2030, local and regional governments can share experiences, demonstrate progress, mobilise partnerships and inspire replication across regions.
HOW DOES THIS INITIATIVE CONNECT WITH THE ROAD TO COP31?
The Cities Countdown process is directly linked to the implementation of the SDG transitions at local level. Local and regional governments are already leading efforts on climate adaptation, resilience, sustainable mobility and inclusive urban development.
But to close the implementation gap, they need adequate access to finance, stronger multilevel governance and formal recognition within international decision-making processes.
The road to COP31 is an opportunity to strengthen the role of local governments in global climate action. Through Cities Countdown to 2030, we are highlighting practical solutions that are already delivering results on the ground and showing that climate and development goals require empowered local leadership and effective partnerships across all levels of government.
WHAT MESSAGE WILL YOU BRING TO TANGIER?
My message is clear: local and regional governments are where societal needs are first felt, crises are first observed and solutions are first developed.
Global challenges such as climate change, inequality, migration, social cohesion and infrastructure needs become visible first in our cities. That is why global goals can only be achieved locally, through strong commitment, effective capacity and close engagement with communities.
A one-size-fits-all development model is no longer sufficient. Each society has its own priorities, each region its own needs and each city its own realities. The post-2030 agenda must therefore be more flexible, inclusive and responsive to local contexts, while maintaining a shared commitment to global objectives.
In Tangier, we will emphasise the need to strengthen the role of local and regional governments within global governance architectures, so that local realities are systematically reflected in the international decisions shaping our shared future.
Clara Brugada on caring cities and the Local Social Covenant
YOU HAVE SAID THAT CITIES MUST BECOME “CARING CITIES”. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN PRACTICE?
A caring city is a city that recognises that all of us need care at some point in our lives — and that this responsibility can no longer fall only on families, and even less on women.
It is a city that places the wellbeing of people and communities at the centre. It cares for those who need care, and also for those who provide it.
In Mexico City, we are turning that vision into reality. In 2025, we launched the country’s first Public Care System. Its main expression is the UTOPIAS: large public spaces that bring free care, wellbeing, culture, sport, education, health and recreation services closer to communities.
These are spaces designed for people and families. They allow residents to exercise the right to care, to be cared for and to practise self-care close to home. They include laundry services, dining rooms, childcare, day centres for older people, rehabilitation, hydrotherapy and spa facilities, full health services and spaces for carers to rest.
Today, Mexico City has 20 UTOPIAS, representing more than 750,000 square metres of recovered public space transformed for people’s wellbeing. Our goal is to build 100 UTOPIAS by 2030, bringing care services to more and more communities.
This effort is complemented by the Casas de las Tres R — Revalue, Redistribute and Reduce care work — specialised spaces that support carers, promote shared responsibility between women and men, and help transform the way care is organised in society.
WHY IS THIS AGENDA SO IMPORTANT GLOBALLY?
Many revolutions have taken place in the world, but one thing has remained almost intact: the social organisation of care.
Throughout history, cities have built avenues, airports, economic centres, financial districts and major infrastructure. But they left pending a fundamental transformation: building the public care infrastructure needed to sustain life and guarantee people’s wellbeing.
Care was treated as a private responsibility of families, and above all of women. We think differently. We believe care must become a collective responsibility and a central focus of public policy.
We need cities that care for women, children, older people, persons with disabilities and all groups that have historically experienced exclusion and inequality. Care work sustains life, communities and cities, but it remains one of the most invisible activities in our societies — outside economic indicators and outside public priorities.
That is why we are advocating for care to occupy the same place in public priorities as mobility, the environment or education. Care is not a private matter. It is a collective responsibility. A city that cares is a more equal city. It acts for social, territorial and gender justice.
This is one of the great transformations we are advancing in Mexico City, and one we want to share with the world in spaces of dialogue and exchange, including the World Urban Forum, which we will have the honour of hosting in 2028.
HOW DOES THIS VISION CONNECT WITH THE LOCAL SOCIAL COVENANT PROMOTED BY UCLG?
I see a very clear connection. The Local Social Covenant seeks to rebuild the social contract from proximity, by strengthening public services and rights. Care as infrastructure, budget and public service are powerful tools to achieve that. To speak about care is to speak about equality, social cohesion and local democracy.
HOW DO YOU HOPE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE WORLD CONGRESS IN TANGIER?
The experience of Mexico City shows that it is possible to move towards an urban transformation based on care, social justice and full rights. Cities can lead a new global agenda that is more human, more inclusive and more rooted in people’s everyday
lives.