On Monday 8 December The Conduit welcomed more than 50 city leaders from five continents to our Resilient Cities Forum, a day of focused discussion on the future of urban life. Conversations explored how climate and health are deeply intertwined, and how creative industries support not only cultural vibrancy but also the mental wellbeing of residents. Participants shared examples of bold, practical action already underway, reminding us that cities hold enormous power to drive change even as some national governments attempt to slow progress on climate resilience. The energy in the room made clear that urban leaders are not waiting for permission.

1. Singapore is building 1,300 km of bike lanes by 2030

Listening to Elaine Tan, Singapore Representative and Director of Centre for Liveable Cities, it was easy to understand how the small nation–state has acquired a reputation for greenery. Speaking on the panel “From Data to Action: Solutions to Address Climate, Health and Equity”, Tan pointed to an ambitious plan to build 1,300 km of bike lanes by 2030 in Singapore.

This is a major expansion to the country’s already dense network of cycle lanes. Singapore currently has over 730 km of cycling paths and park connectors. For context, the cycling-route network in London has grown from 90 km in 2016 to more than 431 km by 2025. Singapore is aiming to nearly triple London’s entire cycle-network length within a few years.

Singapore’s plan is especially significant given its compact size and urban density. Expanding cycling infrastructure from under 1,000 km today to 1,300 km could substantially transform commuting, recreation and connectivity across the island, perhaps putting it on a more equal footing with megacities like New York and offering even greater per-capita accessibility than London.

2. London’s East Bank shows how to turn Olympic parks into culture hubs

London’s East Bank has rapidly evolved into a vibrant cultural hub, showing how Olympic sites can be transformed into lasting public assets rather than post-event relics. Speaking on the panel, “Artistic Methodology and Public Policy”, Tamsin Ace described how the East Bank provides a compelling blueprint for other cities in its deliberate integration of culture with community need. Instead of preserving the Olympic Park as a static monument, London has turned it into a living neighbourhood where world-class institutions share space with local schools, youth groups and start-ups.

The East Bank brings together several notable cultural institutions including Sadler’s Wells East, the London College of Fashion, and the V&A Storehouse which includes a David Bowie centre. Next year it will welcome BBC Music Studios. Investing in the arts is not only good for the cultural enhancement of city residents, but also for the economy. The Greater London Authority estimates that the creative industries contributes £52bn per year to the economy and creates nearly 800,000 jobs.

3. Montreal built 450 “Green Alleys”

Louise Hénaut-Ethier, Division Chief for Adaptation, Biodiversity and Resilience in Montréal’s Office of Ecological Transition and Resilience, described the city’s network of 450 green alleys “ruelles vertes” as one of the city’s community driven climate projects. She explained that residents have transformed once neglected back lanes into shared gardens filled with native plants, shade trees and permeable surfaces. Not only do these spaces cool surrounding streets, support pollinators, and store ploughed snow, but they also create small pockets of nature that city dwellers encounter in their day to day lives.

Hénaut-Ethier emphasised that the alleys have become places where neighbours meet, walk, play and relax. The presence of greenery has been shown to reduce stress, encourage physical activity and strengthen feelings of safety and belonging. In many neighbourhoods the alleys offer children safe routes to school and give older adults accessible outdoor environments.

4. Preventative climate action can save over 700,000 lives

Glyn Richards, Group Director of Sustainability at Bupa, drew directly on the findings of the Resilient Cities, Reimagining Health report to underline the scale of the opportunity cities have to protect health in a changing climate. He highlighted that even modest shifts toward climate conscious and preventative action could save more than 725,000 lives every year. This figure comes from modelling that shows how interventions such as cleaner air, cooler neighbourhoods, improved hygiene systems and stronger early warning mechanisms can significantly reduce deaths linked to heat, air pollution and climate sensitive diseases.

Richards also emphasised the economic impact of inaction. By reducing exposure to environmental risks and lowering the underlying burden of chronic disease, the report estimates that cities could avoid around $70bn in annual healthcare costs. He argued that preventative, place-based approaches create a triple benefit because they improve population health, lower pressure on overstretched health systems and reduce emissions generated by healthcare delivery.

5. A record number of cities have climate-resilience plans

During his keynote address, Mete Coban, Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy, dropped a statistic that in 2017 only one city had a climate action plan that conformed to the Paris Agreement. Today there are over 100. This shift matters because cities face the biggest climate challenges but also have agency to bring about the most change. With more than half of the world’s population living in urban areas and around 70% of global GDP generated in cities, mayors hold extraordinary influence over energy use, transport, buildings, planning and local industry.

A robust climate action plan gives cities a roadmap to cut emissions, adapt to rising risks and protect public health. It also helps coordinate action across sectors such as housing, mobility and green infrastructure, ensuring that efforts are aligned rather than piecemeal. Coban emphasised that city leaders can often move faster than national governments. They can redesign streets to support active travel, expand clean energy, retrofit homes and introduce green spaces that cool neighbourhoods and improve air quality. He cited the example of how thanks to the political will to create Ultra-Low-Emission Zones, London now meets legal levels of air pollution.