Leading Global Institutions launch alliance to advance human-centric urban research

The founding members of the Global Alliance on Sustainable Urban Societies are (R-L) Prof Orlando Woods, Director, Urban Institute, Singapore Management University, Prof Karen Chapple, Director, The School of Cities, University of Toronto, Prof Cathy Oke, Director, Melbourne Centre for Cities, Prof Loretta Lees, Director, The Initiative on Cities, Boston University, Prof Hyun Bang Shin, Head of Department, Department of Geography and Environment, The London School of Economics and Political Science. Five globally respected academic institutions have come together to launch the Global Alliance on Sustainable Urban Societies – a pioneering initiative that places people at the heart of urban research and policymaking. The partnership was announced on 1st July 2025 at the Singapore Management University (SMU) City Dialogues held in Vienna, taking place as part of the Mayors Forum of the World Cities Summit 2025. The alliance aims to deepen understanding of how city dwellers sense, navigate and shape the urban environments they inhabit. This includes examination of the social and cultural norms, social networks and economic linkages – the “soft infrastructures” – that underpin resilient and sustainable cities.