Putting Quality, Sustainability, and People at the Heart of Urban Finance

BwB is proud to be part of the Pioneering Places Community of Practice led by the Davos Baukultur Alliance. Involving six cities across five continents, this global initiative brings together leaders from government, finance, design, culture, and civil society to tackle a critical challenge for cities: the development and delivery of built environment solutions that improve all aspects of urban life while ensuring sustainability, inclusion, and long-term value. BwB's contribution sits at the intersection of finance, innovation, and place-based delivery, supporting cities to translate ambition into bankable projects and new investment pathways. “Too often, urban finance focuses on assets rather than outcomes,” says Christine Zhou, BwB Executive Director and Global Head of Built Environment Finance. “By embedding Baukultur concepts into investment pathways, we can shape cities that are not only climate-resilient and investable, but highly liveable, inclusive, and rooted in local culture.” “We’re delighted to be part of the Davos Baukultur Alliance and a global community of collaborative partners who are helping to reframe investment around quality, culture, and people in the development of projects,” comments BwB CEO, Rupesh Madlani. “Through initiatives such as BwB’s Africa Capital Hub, we understand that unlocking investment in cities is not only a financing challenge, but a systems challenge. Creating long-term value requires aligning capital with local institutions, delivery capacity, and Baukultur principles.” The Africa Capital Hub supports national partners and cities across Africa in mobilising capital for climate-resilient, socially transformative initiatives, aligning financial innovation with local priorities, institutional capacity, and long-term impact. You can learn more about the Pioneering Places Community of Practice and the Africa Capital Hub via the links in the comments below.