SINGAPORE \u2013 For transforming a derelict 27ha former rail site into a vibrant mixed-use district and creating the world\u2019s largest clean air zone of its kind, among other efforts, London has bagged the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize 2026.<\/p>\n
The award, presented biennially since 2010, recognises cities that have demonstrated good governance and foresight in tackling urban challenges, and brought benefits to their communities in the process.<\/p>\n
London Mayor Sadiq Khan on June 15 received the award, which is organised by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and the Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC), at a ceremony held at the Capitol Theatre.<\/p>\n
In a statement, URA and CLC said London was awarded the eighth edition of the prize for its \u201cexceptional capacity to reinvent itself and deliver transformational change for the densely built-up metropolis\u201d.<\/p>\n
The prize jury said in a citation at the awards ceremony that the city achieved positive change through resilient and innovative governance, transformative infrastructure, and creative public-private partnerships, citing the King\u2019s Cross project as an example of successful urban rejuvenation.<\/p>\n
The jury noted, for instance, London\u2019s Ultra Low Emission Zone<\/span><\/a> \u2013 which covers 1,500 sq km \u2013 and a programme that provides free school meals to up to 270,000 students daily.<\/p>\n These initiatives \u201creflect a governance culture that aligns social, environmental and economic objectives within a coherent and future-oriented policy framework\u201d, said the jury, which comprises a nominating committee and a prize council.<\/p>\n The committee reviews and examines submissions for the prize, and then recommends potential laureates to the prize council, which selects the laureate.<\/p>\n At a lecture where representatives from the laureate city and cities that received special mentions shared about their work, Khan said free school meals were a lifeline for him and his family.<\/p>\n \u201cThey allowed us to believe in a world where anything was possible, even the children who grew up in council housing like me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cBy making London the best city in the world to grow up, I will extend the helping hand it gave me to the next generation.\u201d<\/p>\n On infrastructure planning, the jury said London has shown how cities can use infrastructural upgrades and long-term planning to improve residents\u2019 lives.<\/p>\n It gave the example of the Elizabeth Line \u2013 a 118km cross-city rail network that opened in 2022.<\/p>\n Between 2015 and 2024, 71,000 new homes were built within 1km of an Elizabeth Line station, while 125,000 new jobs were registered in the same area between 2022 and 2023.<\/p>\n The line is also the single busiest railway service in Britain, handling up to 800,000 journeys per day.<\/p>\n In total, the line is estimated to have generated about \u00a342 billion (S$72 billion) for the British economy.<\/p>\n The jury said that London\u2019s Elizabeth Line project shows how developing key transport infrastructure alongside new homes, as well as coordination between boroughs, has multiplied the impact of the project, and burnished London\u2019s status as a highly connected and globally competitive city.<\/p>\n It also cited the King\u2019s Cross project as another successful example of urban rejuvenation and how \u201cquality public space design and public-private partnership can transform former industrial areas into vibrant mixed-use districts\u201d.<\/p>\n The King\u2019s Cross project is a successful example of urban rejuvenation and how \u201cquality public space design and public-private partnership can transform former industrial areas into vibrant mixed-use districts\u201d.<\/p>\n PHOTO: LONDON & PARTNERS<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The masterplan for the 27ha former rail site was developed over five years of engagement that involved 30,000 people.<\/p>\n What resulted was a district that blends offices, shops and restaurants, with 20 new streets and 10 public spaces \u2013 each with its own distinct character.<\/p>\n For example, Lewis Cubitt Square features water jets that are popular with children, while Pancras Square serves as the area\u2019s town square and has become a popular spot to pause and relax.<\/p>\n Khan, who was elected London\u2019s mayor in 2016 and has held the post since then, said: \u201cAs mayor, it has been the honour of my life to see the city I love recognised in this way.<\/p>\n \u201cBut it is Londoners I must thank, in addition to all the extraordinary people who have worked with my team and me over the last 10 years,\u201d he added, citing various institutions and communities that he has worked with.<\/p>\n The winning city receives an award certificate, a cash prize of an undisclosed amount sponsored by Keppel, and a prize medallion.<\/p>\n Besides London, five cities \u2013 Antwerp, Budapest, Guangzhou, Taipei and Tianjin \u2013 received special mentions in the latest cycle of the award for outstanding best practices and innovative approaches to city transformation.<\/p>\n Previous Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize laureates are Bilbao, Medellin, Mexico City, New York City, Seoul, Suzhou and Vienna.<\/p>\n City leaders from the prize laureate and special mention recipients are also invited to join the City Network for the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize, where they can exchange best practices.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n SINGAPORE \u2013 For transforming a derelict 27ha former rail site into a vibrant mixed-use district and creating the world\u2019s largest clean air zone of its…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":61071,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2611],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-61070","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buzz-headlines","wpcat-2611-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61070","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=61070"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61070\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/61071"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=61070"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=61070"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=61070"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/picture><\/div>
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