This matrix outlines the key challenges and policies that cities are addressing in 2025 and beyond, based on research from World Cities Culture Forum. Our city projects pages include over 250 case studies which show how cities are putting policy into action and our regional overviews provide a look at trends in specific areas of the world.
PEOPLE Equity, skills, opportunity
PLACE Space, planning, infrastructure
PLANET Climate, tourism, sustainability
The Challenges
– Unequal access to opportunities – Limited youth engagement – Precarious working conditions – Skills and digital gap – AI and future jobs
– Cultural infrastructure at risk – Lack of urban planning for culture – Displacement and affordability – Limited policy for night time economy – Public realm does not reflect citizens
Limited culture in climate strategies. Sustainability of culture and creative industries Limited scale of successful pilots Lack of Indigenous and grassroots recognition Negative impacts from tourism
The Policies
– Widen participation – Amplify youth voice – Integrate culture and education – Inclusive growth of talent – Support freelancers – Improve digital access – Scale culture in health – Develop AI policies – Co-design policy with citizens
– Map cultural assets – Improve planning to support culture – Address affordability – Develop land ownership and community stewardship – Create inclusive night time policies – Diversify representation in the public realm – Ensure quality design in urban planning
– Establish dedicated culture climate roles – Invest in data and evidence on impact – Support grassroots and indigenous initiatives – Support circular economy and networks – Create policy for sustainable tourism – Incentivise low-impact tourism experiences
The Goals
More citizens experience, create and work in culture across the city.
Creative and cultural spaces are protected, visible, and rooted in communities.
Since 2016, Sydney’s Creative Hoardings program has transformed over 320 construction sites into outdoor galleries, showcasing the work of contemporary Australian artists. Introduced as part of the Creative City.
Oslo’s cultural institutions offer its citizens a wide array of events and experiences, but some audience demographics rarely take advantage of them. The Keys to the City project targets.
For 25 years, Melbourne’s Aboriginal Arts Grants have supported First Nations artists through flexible, culturally responsive funding. Led by Aboriginal creatives and grounded in long-term investment, the programme has.
Beijing is home to 447 intangible cultural heritage projects. Thirteen – including silk weaving, tea etiquette and shadow puppetry – are on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the.
Launched in 2014, Brussels' collaborative, free and participatory art exhibition Carte de Visite | ArtOpenkunst has been showcasing hundreds of amateur and established artists every year. It has made.
In early 2025, Barcelona City Council appointed its first Alcaldessa de Nit (Night Commissioner), aligning the city with international best practice in night-time governance and positioning it as the.
Launched in 2022, Brussels By Night demonstrates how city governments can transform nightlife safety through strategic partnerships with venue operators and city partners. Deploying incident response care teams at.
Civic Creative Base Tokyo (CCBT), opened in October 2022, is a dynamic hub where art, technology, and society intersect to foster “civic creativity,” engaging citizens, artists, researchers, and businesses.
Dubai’s Al Quoz Creative Zone is transforming a former industrial area into a dynamic cultural district that fosters creative enterprises, community engagement, and sustainable urban regeneration while advancing the.
In 2024, Hamburg launched 'Decolonise Hamburg!', a citywide decolonisation strategy involving civil society, institutions, and government. It reappraises colonial history through research, education, and cultural participation, empowering BIPoC communities.
Projects: Preserving cultural heritage, monuments and supporting storytelling as a form of resistance
Kyiv joined the World Cities Culture Forum in 2023, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, and the cities of.
