What changed
Jingdezhen, Katowice, Istanbul, Santiago de Cali and Addis Ababa received the fourth Shanghai Award for sustainable urban development at the 2026 World Cities Day global event in Fuzhou on October 31. The award, established in 2022 by China and UN-Habitat, recognises cities whose development work supports the UN 2030 Agenda and the New Urban Agenda.
Why it matters
Jingdezhen’s example is less about sweeping redevelopment than careful reuse. The city says it is treating old lanes, kiln sites and factory buildings as urban assets, applying minimal intervention and small, precise upgrades while preserving the city’s historic character.
That approach links cultural continuity to practical renewal. It has also helped attract young entrepreneurs, giving old spaces a new role without clearing away the identity that made them valuable in the first place.
The award is best understood as recognition of a method, not proof of a measurable transformation. No investment, job, business, visitor or environmental figures were provided, and it is not yet clear whether the honour will bring funding or new policy commitments.
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