Introduction

9:00am – 9:10am     

The preparatory meeting of the Fourth Urban Economy Forum, UEF4, to be held virtually, is to advance discussions on the themes related to the main theme of the Forum in October 2022, Sustainable Urban Finance, three themes will be expounded upon by experts in the and specialists, The themes are: Cities, Financial Institutions, and Sustainable Urban Finance, Cities and Climate Financing & Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Urban Development and Emerging Financial Models and Technologies

Session 1: Sustainable Urban Finance for Sustainable Urban Development

9:10am – 10:00am   

As an introductory session to one of UEF4’s main themes, this session will explore the relationship between financial institutions and issue of sustainable urban resources, as well as interactions between municipalities and urban organizations with the financial institutions.

The session will analyze how financial and investment institutions, banks, and other urban economic organizations view urban resources as part of a capital market and examine their challenges and potentials. Furthermore, the session will discuss practical examples of initiatives and projects that have been the result of cooperation between economic and urban organizations. Finally, the role of Community Development Financial Institutions in generating economic growth and opportunity in some of Canada’s most distressed communities will also be discussed.

Session 2: Cities and Climate Financing

10:10am – 11:00am 

This session will introduce another main theme of UEF4 which is the current state of climate financing pertaining to cities and municipalities. The session will explore the role of climate finance in facilitating the development of inclusive, participatory, gender and age responsive cities. The sessions will identify the challenges and barriers faced by cities and municipalities in gaining access to climate financing, particularly in the developing countries. Furthermore, innovative, and practical technologies that have the capacity to lower construction costs and lower carbon emissions will be explored. 

The circular economy aims to replace existing take-make-waste systems that extract and throw away resources with a circular system that designs out waste and pollution, reduce embodied carbon, keeps products and materials in use, and regenerates natural systems. This session will delve into some key subjects relating to circular economy such as policies, role of cities and industries, technologies and how to make financing more accessible. 

Session 3: Emerging Financial Models, Technologies, & Tools for Sustainable Urban Development

11:10am – 12:00pm

This session will identify new financial exchange models, such as digital and cryptocurrencies that are being used to create a unique economy. The impact on such technologies on the environment will also be explored. The use of block chain to promote a decentralized digital economy that provides citizens an alternative means of generating wealth, and how this could challenge the current financial systems will be explored. The implications of such open financial infrastructure on cities will be discussed. There will also be discussions about the applications of metaverse in cities and the implications of this technology on how cities will function in the future.