SINGAPORE - Mexico City has been named the winner of the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize 2024.
The biennial award, which recognises outstanding contributions towards the creation of vibrant, liveable and sustainable urban communities, is organised by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and the Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC).
In a statement on May 7, URA and CLC said Mexico City stood out for its ability to address many complex urban challenges and achieve transformational progress within a relatively short time of five years.
The jury citation for the prize said the Mexican capital’s successful implementation of initiatives within a short period reflects not only the city’s capability to kick-start new policies, but also the commitment to see through their completion quickly.
For example, the city implemented a range of inclusive social policies and programmes, such as free education for children and youth, and encouraged dignified ageing for the elderly as a way of building stronger and more resilient communities.
In five years, 294 community centres were set up citywide to offer social programmes to foster community bonding, organise courses for continuing education, support youth rehabilitation efforts, and help vulnerable groups obtain useful life skills for employment.
To make the commuting experience more seamless, the city has integrated eight transit payment systems from multiple transport providers via a single transport card.
“The world’s longest cable car line in Iztapalapa is particularly impactful, by reducing travel time significantly at a low cost for the low-income neighbourhood it serves,” the citation said.
Mexico City has also developed a centralised secure digital identity system, “Llave”, to enable residents to access a majority of the city’s services, from registering vehicles to retrieving birth certificates.
The city also involves its residents in environmental strategies, for instance, by training them to use the city’s rain-harvesting system as a free alternative water source in water-scarce areas.
Dr Cheong Koon Hean, who chairs the nominating committee, said: “Mexico City has demonstrated how its citizen-centric city programmes, supported by strong leadership and new digital initiatives to simplify and improve access to public services, can benefit its residents, regardless of their socio-economic status.”
Mexico City’s Mayor Marti Batres Guadarrama said the prize “drives us further to continue the transformation that we started nearly six years ago to build a more just, inclusive and sustainable city”.
In addition to the award certificate, Mexico City will receive a cash prize of $300,000 and a gold medallion worth $50,000, sponsored by Keppel Limited.
The award ceremony and banquet will be held at the upcoming World Cities Summit from June 2 to 4.
Apart from Mexico City, four other cities received special mentions for their practices in city management: Cape Town in South Africa, Melbourne in Australia, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and Wellington in New Zealand.
