Elevate the local narrative to the global discussions

GCH’s “Davos 2026 Debrief” shared the most relevant outcomes of World Economic Forum Annual Meeting and explained how they translate into place-based policy and action all year-round. WEF brings together diverse stakeholders and Davos enables the global audience to hear directly from world leaders.

#WEF26 under the theme “A Spirit of Dialogue,” convened nearly 3,000 leaders from governments, business, civil society and academia. The different related events in Davos gathered more than 10,000 participants. At a time of heightened geopolitical uncertainty, rapid technological change and mounting climate and social pressures, the meeting focused on rebuilding trust, fostering cooperation and dialogue – without hiding sometimes antagonistic views.

Jeff Merritt, Head of WEF’s Centre for Urban Transformation explained how setting the very agenda drives positive action and global collaboration becomes a force for good. While Davos is without doubt the most followed event, WEF is going to numerous places where transformation happens – from implementing CO2 reduction policies to advancing local economic revival. Trust-based public–private collaboration is a prerequisite for meaningful impact and durable legitimacy at the local level.

#WEF26 highlighted the importance of dialogue across geopolitical, sectoral and institutional divides. Complex challenges, whether economic inclusion, climate resilience, or digital public service delivery, require the combined capabilities of government, business, and civil society, working not in parallel, but together. Davos provided space for dialogue on the localization of global challenges and on local economic issues. Urbanization as a megatrend is at the same time a socio-economic process and a governance issue echoing the increasing role of urban actors, including LRGs. The public trust barometer clearly shows that trust in governance is highest at the local level.

Cristina Gomez Garcia-Reyes, Lead of Urban Innovation and Business Development at WEF explained what the strategic question Yes/Cities is supposed to answer and how does this idea fit into the global discussion at Davos. Cities are recognized as innovation platforms, where digital infrastructure, skills development, and public-private collaboration converge. They are the places where rapid technological transformation happens – i.e. AI deployment in businesses and public service delivery. Still investments often struggle to reach the local level.

Yes/Cities is a world-leading platform channelling global investment into local innovation ecosystems. Cities offer opportunities for place-based innovation that brings together policy, investment, and local ecosystems to achieve tangible outcomes. The collaboration within and among the Yes/Cities goes beyond Davos. It is an all-year-round networking effort to support LRGs through a 4-steps process: (1) Recognizing and making visible innovation for public good; (2) Connecting the 20 hubs to share knowledge; (3) Deepen local coalitions to solve challenges; (4) Expend the cooperation involving new partners.

Vivian Brady-Phillips, Head of Strategic Initiatives on Urban Transformation at WEF led the discussion on the Davos Baukultur Alliance which brings together government, the private sector and civil society around shared principles to improve the quality and culture of the built environment. Cities are investing heavily in infrastructure and public services. They face the twin challenge of building more and building better in ways that strengthen liveability, social connection and community resilience over the long term.

Launched by Switzerland in collaboration with the WEF, the Davos Baukultur Alliance aims to develop a new approach on how we design and deliver our built environment to enhance residents’ experience. Local and regional leaders are at the forefront of delivering on a daily basis. Through collaboration and sharing best practices they can face more effectively global pressures of fragmentation, fiscal strain, climate risk, and rapid technological change.

Lloyd Harriman, Associate Director in KPMG UK’s Major Projects Advisory and a key member of KPMG’s Global Cities Centre of Excellence explained the rise of Pioneering Places, a program working currently with six cities globally: Nairobi and Utrecht; Kuala Lumpur and Montreal; San Francisco and Medellín. They apply holistic design principles in real projects and bring in different areas of expertise respecting long term values. The collaborative effort also helps to change every day decision making processes at the local level.

All speakers agreed that dialogue and collaboration enable sharing best practices and help LRGs and other stakeholders to see challenges through different lenses. It is of high importance to elevate the local narrative to the global discussions. WEF – in Davos and beyond – helps keep focus in a world full of noise. It simplifies and aligns messages from the different stakeholders and levels of governments, while keeping their diversity that matters most to feed real discussions.

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