New Cities Summit

Get ready for the New Cities Summit, a premier event for all major stakeholders in the new cities space, to be held in Nairobi, June 2025!

About this Event

The Charter Cities Institute is bringing you the 2nd edition of the New Cities Summit, a premier event for all major stakeholders in the new cities space, to be held in Nairobi, Kenya on 12th and 13th June 2025. The New Cities Summit is an essential gathering for anyone committed to reimagining the future of urban living across Africa and beyond. Set in the dynamic city of Nairobi, this summit will bring together over 400 leaders; entrepreneurs, urban planners, academics, builders, and visionaries who are driving innovative city developments worldwide.

Key discussions will focus on creating jobs, attracting investment, driving innovation, and fostering economic growth across Africa and beyond. Through panels, pitch competitions, and collaborative workshops, we aim to share best practices, address challenges, and build frameworks to de-risk urban investments and establish thriving, sustainable cities that advance human flourishing.

Come join us on this groundbreaking journey as we transform ideas into action with the world's leading economists, financiers, real estate developers, government ministries, SEZ operators, private sector business leaders, NGOs, and many others involved in new city projects around the continent.

Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to network, learn, pitch, invest, and collaborate!

Thursday June 12


🕑: 05:00 PM - 09:00 PM
Welcome Reception

🕑: 08:00 AM - 09:00 AM
Welcome Remarks

🕑: 09:10 AM - 09:30 AM
Keynote Address: Africa’s Flagship New City Builder, Rendeavour

🕑: 09:30 AM - 09:55 AM
Cities Catapult Project Introductions

🕑: 10:10 AM - 11:00 AM
Breakout session: Cities Catapult Pitch Session 1

🕑: 10:10 AM - 11:00 AM
Breakout Panel: Urban Design: Reviving Tradition, Pushing the Frontier

🕑: 10:10 AM - 11:00 AM
Panel: New Cities: Localizing Supply Chains and Critical Minerals Processing

🕑: 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Coffee Break

🕑: 11:30 AM - 12:10 PM
Breakout Session: Cities Catapult Pitch Session 2

🕑: 11:30 AM - 12:10 PM
Breakout Panel: A Global Tour of the New Cities Ecosystem

🕑: 11:30 AM - 12:10 PM
Panel: Modern Zones for a Modern Economy: The Future of SEZs

🕑: 01:20 PM - 02:00 PM
Fireside Chat: Prospera Africa: Advancing Economic Freedom

🕑: 01:20 PM - 02:00 PM
Breakout Session: Cities Catapult Pitch Session 3

🕑: 02:00 PM - 02:10 PM
Presentation: Art and the Importance of Placemaking

🕑: 02:25 PM - 03:00 PM
Breakout Session: Cities Catapult Pitch Session 4

🕑: 02:25 PM - 03:00 PM
Breakout Panel: Managing and Mitigating City Project Risks

🕑: 02:25 PM - 03:00 PM
Panel: Talent as an Anchor Tenant: New Cities to Support the Digital Economy

🕑: 03:00 PM - 03:30 PM
Panel: Talent as an Anchor Tenant: New Cities to Support the Digital Economy

🕑: 03:30 PM - 03:50 PM
Keynote Address

🕑: 03:30 PM - 04:35 PM
Panel: Cities as an Asset Class: Investing in New Cities

🕑: 04:45 PM - 04:55 PM
Closing Remarks and Logistics Announcements

🕑: 05:00 PM - 06:00 PM
NXT50 Cities Coalition Cocktail Hour

🕑: 07:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Gala Dinner

Friday June 13


🕑: 08:00 AM - 09:00 AM
Registration

🕑: 09:10 AM - 09:30 AM
Cities Catapult Project Introductions

🕑: 09:55 AM - 10:35 AM
Breakout Panel: Building Smart, Sustainable, and Climate-Resilient Cities

🕑: 09:55 AM - 10:35 AM
Panel: Silicon Zanzibar: Building and Urban Knowledge Economy

🕑: 09:55 AM - 10:55 AM
Closed Breakout Session: New Cities Roadmap White Paper Roundtable

🕑: 11:35 AM - 11:05 AM
Closed Breakout Session: New Cities Roadmap White Paper Roundtable

🕑: 11:05 AM - 11:50 AM
Breakout Session: Cities Catapult Pitch Session 5

🕑: 11:05 AM - 11:50 AM
Interview: Siaka Stevens on Sherbro Island City, Sierra Leone

🕑: 12:05 PM - 12:25 PM
Keynote: Geoengineering and the Future of Cities

🕑: 12:25 PM - 01:25 PM
Lunch

🕑: 01:25 PM - 02:05 PM
Ideas of India Live Podcast Recording: Charter Cities for India

🕑: 01:25 PM - 02:02 PM
Breakout Session: Cities Catapult Pitch Session 6

🕑: 01:25 PM - 02:02 PM
Academic Breakout Session: Urban Governance in African Cities

🕑: 02:20 PM - 03:00 PM
Breakout Session: Cities Catapult Pitch Session 7

🕑: 02:20 PM - 03:00 PM
Panel: The Business of Doing Good: Philanthropy to Drive Human Prosperity

🕑: 03:00 PM - 03:45 PM
Coffee Break

🕑: 03:45 PM - 03:55 PM
Urban Expansion Venture Announcement

🕑: 03:00 PM - 04:35 PM
Panel: Planning for Rapid Urban Expansion

🕑: 04:35 PM - 05:00 PM
Fireside Chat: What’s Next for New Cities?

🕑: 05:00 PM - 05:10 PM
Closing Remarks

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