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Press release

06 October 2020

Norman Foster addresses the first United Nations Forum of in Geneva

Norman Foster has given the opening keynote to the first UN Forum of Mayors, a platform where mayors presented their experience dealing with the COVID-19 health emergency and other challenges their cities are facing. Marking the start of this year’s Session of the Committee on Urban Development, Housing and Land Management, mayors from 41 cities as diverse as Belgrade, Glasgow, Kazan, Milan, Pittsburgh and Reykjavík, sent a clear message that healthy populations require more resilient and sustainable cities.

From introducing temporary public spaces where people can walk or cycle while practicing social distancing, experimenting with new means of public transport, to decarbonizing heating systems, Norman Foster’s speech to the forum outlined how the current pandemic can be seen as an opportunity for mayors and other civic leaders across world.

Norman Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman, Foster + Partners, said: “Many have questioned the impact that the pandemic will have on cities. Significant issues have been raised about their future and as an architect and urbanist I am honoured to have had this opportunity to address Mayors and civic leaders from around the world as part of this important initiative by the United Nations.”

Speaking about how it is ‘vital that Mayors lead public debate on how cities can be remoulded into greener, healthier, and more liveable places’, he lauded the initiative, urging civic leaders to be ‘at the forefront of change.’ His address illustrated the challenges and opportunities at both the urban scale and at the level of individual buildings with ‘sustainable principles hardwired into them’. He went on to showcase how these are not novel ‘trends’ but moves that have already taken place in cities around the world, from to Seoul.

“Cities are the future, statistically more so today than ever before. City centres will have the potential to be quieter, cleaner, safer, healthier and vitally, if the opportunity is grasped, to be greener,” added Foster.

Click to read Norman Foster's keynote speech.

Notes to Editors:

Mayors of 41 cities participated in the forum including:

● Giuseppe Sala, of Milan, Italy

● Abdulah Skaka, Mayor of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

● , Mayor of ,

● Remigijus imaius, Mayor of , Lithuania

● Gergely Karácsony, Mayor of ,

● Jnis Vilntis, Chairman of the Liepja City Council, Latvia

● Viktoria Mozgacheva, Deputy Mayor of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

● Konstantin Georgieski, Mayor of Ohrid, Republic North Macedonia

● Conxita Marsol Riart, Mayor of Andorra la Vella, Andorra ● Peter Danielsson, Mayor of Helsingborg,

● Hazel Chu, Lord Mayor of , Ireland

● Erion Veliaj, Mayor of Tirana, Albania

● , Mayor of ,

● Hayk Marutyan, Mayor of Yerevan, Armenia

● Maia Bitadze, Deputy Mayor of Tbilisi, Georgia

● Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, Israel

● Vitali Klitschko, Mayor of Kyiv, Ukraine

● Jahongir Ortiqkhojaev, Mayor of Tashkent, Uzbekistan

● Zdenk Hib, Mayor of ,

● Nina Abrahamczik, City Council, Austria

● Martin Horn, Mayor of Freiburg,

● Morten Wolden, Chief Executive of Trondheim, Norway

● Marcin Krupa, Mayor of Katowice, Poland

● Kishwar Shamirov, Mayor of Khorog, Tajikistan

● Carlos Carreiras, Mayor of Cascais, Portugal

● Tomaso Rossini, Captain of the Castle, San Marino

● Zoran Radojii, Mayor of Belgrade, Serbia

● Lucia tasselová, Deputy Mayor of , Slovakia

● Gregor Macedoni, Mayor of Novo mesto, Slovenia

● Alec von Graffenried, Mayor of Berne, Switzerland

● Dagur B. Eggertsson, Mayor of Reykjavík, Iceland

● Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council, ● Ilsur Metshin, Mayor of Kazan, Russian Federation

● Ion Ceban, Mayor of Chiinu,

● Andres Jaadla, Vice Mayor of Rakvere,

● Pierre Hurmic, Mayor of Bordeaux, France

● Bill Peduto, Mayor of Pittsburgh, USA

● Lisa Helps, Mayor of Victoria,