Today OpenDemocracy have published my article ‘It´s time for cities to lead’ . In it, I argue that increased ‘City Sovereignty’  is the solution to many of the world’s most pressing threats.

Poor leadership shown by Donald Trump as he disregards the Paris agreement, and the dysfunctional and rigidly constrained national party politics have to be challenged.

I develop my thinking with the help of Robert Muggah, of the Igarapé Institute in Brazil and co-chair of the consultative committee to the Global Parliament of Mayors (GPoM). This demonstrates the fact that just like people, cities need networks to strengthen their voices and influence. The ability to learn from each other, despite some of the impressive geographic and cultural distances, just shows how cities face shared problems.

I also argue that multilateral organizations need to re-orientate themselves to better accommodate cities. Their voice must be heard and respected so that they can bring meaningful and workable solutions to the table.

Read the full article here.