The industrial city of Pimpri-Chinchwad is vying for the prestigious 6th Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation (Guangzhou Award). Pimpri-Chinchwad is currently among the 15 shortlisted cities of the world and the only Indian city to be among the finalists.
“Currently, Pimpri Chinchwad is at the second rank with 8.55 lakh votes. China’s Xianning city is leading with 14.82 lakh votes. The last day to vote is November 30,” the civic administration said.
The other cities in the race for the award include Antalya, Türkiye; Bogotá, Colombia; Cape Town, South Africa; Gwangju, Korea; Halandri, Greece; Iztapalapa, Mexico; Jakarta, Indonesia; Kampala, Uganda; Kazan, Russia; Mannheim, Germany; Ramallah, Palestine; São Paulo, Brazil; Tehran, Iran; and Xianning, China. All these cities represent urban innovation worldwide.
Civic officials said there were as many as 193 cities from 54 countries vying for the award. “Of these, 15 were short-listed. Pimpri-Chinchwad is the only Indian city which has made it to the list,” officials said.
Officials said selection of Pimpri-Chinchwad city holds great importance for the fact that as many as 274 initiatives from 193 cities and regions across 54 countries submitted valid applications for the 6th cycle of the Guangzhou Award, marking growing global interest in urban innovation. Notably, this cycle saw the participation of five countries submitting for the first time, underscoring the award’s increasing international appeal.
A distinguished Technical Committee, comprising international experts, gathered at the Guangzhou Library from September 11 to 14 to rigorously evaluate the submissions.
Their meticulous selection process was guided by criteria such as innovation, effectiveness, context and replicability, all closely tied to the pursuit of local implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda (NUA).
“Out of 45 deserving initiatives identified, Pimpri Chinchwad’s inclusion in the final 15 shortlisted cities indicates its pioneering urban development efforts,” civic officials said.
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Expressing his pride over the achievement, Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Singh said, “Pimpri-Chinchwad’s presence among the elite reflects our dedication to innovative urban solutions and we are honoured to share our experiences with the world. We remain committed to furthering our city’s progress. Pimpri-Chinchwad has been short-listed for its novel initiatives, including citizen’s participation in the city’s development and environment-friendly steps. If more and more citizens vote, Pimpri-Chinchwad will emerge on the top.”
The Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation (Guangzhou Award), co-sponsored by the City of Guangzhou, UCLG, and Metropolis since 2012, has emerged as a global platform for fostering knowledge creation and facilitating city-to-city learning in urban innovation. With more than 1,300 initiatives worldwide submitted over the past five cycles, it continues to inspire and promote transformative urban development practices.
The civic administration appealed to the citizens to scan the QR code by visiting the PCMC website and vote for Pimpri-Chinchwad. “This will help us get global honour for our initiatives,” the administration said.
