Innovators to showcase urban development projects at New Cities Summit 2025

Washington DC | Nairobi: The New Cities Summit, to be held in Nairobi, Kenya, on June 12-13, 2025, will feature an exciting, entertaining, and impactful “Cities Catapult” pitch competition, showcasing pioneering urban development projects and connecting developers with top financiers, policymakers, and experts for strategic guidance and potential investment avenues.

The Charter Cities Institute (CCI), in partnership with the Africa Infrastructure Development Association (AfIDA), will host the groundbreaking initiative aimed at accelerating development of new cities, mixed-use Industrial Development Zones (IDZs), Special Economic Zones (SEZs), and core urban projects across Africa.

“While the demand for well-planned, economically vibrant, and scalable cities has never been greater, many promising projects struggle to transition from vision to reality” noted Summit organizer and Head of Communications for CCI, Michael Holstein, “the Catapult is designed to help bridge this gap. It is structured as a mentorship initiative culminating in a high-stakes pitch competition at the New Cities Summit, with the winning project receiving exclusive mentorship and capital raising opportunities”.

The criteria for projects qualified to participate in the Catapult include: New city developments and mixed-use SEZs/IDZs (with populations under 300,000); Core urban projects, including affordable housing, transport, and climate resilience initiatives; and Investment funds dedicated to large-scale urban development (500+ hectares with a projected population of at least 50,000). More information is available on https://ncs2025.city/catapult/.

The Projects pitched during the New Cities Summit 2023 held in Kigali, Rwanda, included: Kigali Innovation City, Rwanda; Enyimba Economic City, Nigeria; Fumba Town, Zanzibar; Maluku Preserve City, DR Congo; Itana, Nigeria; Small Farm Cities, Malawi; and Gabriel King City, Zambia.

Nairobi to host New Cities Summit 2025

The New Cities Summit 2025, hosted in partnership with the Smart Cities Council, KenInvest, and Kenya Development Corporation, will convene over 400 global leaders—including policymakers, investors, city developers, entrepreneurs, and infrastructure specialists—to create and launch solutions for sustainable urban growth.

This year’s summit is supported by leading organizations, including Kenya Airways, Emara Ole-Sereni, Rendeavour, Tatu City, Lesus Executive, the Africa Infrastructure Development Association (AfIDA), Students for Liberty Africa, Waterfall City, Africa Urban Lab, the African School of Economics. Kenya Airways has announced up to 12% discount to New Cities Summit attendees on return trips to Nairobi in both business and economy classes.

In addition to the Cities Catapult, the summit will feature key sessions on:

• Planning for Rapid Urban Expansion – Strategies for managing the world’s fastest-growing cities
• Risk Management & Mitigation for City Projects – Addressing policy, economic, and political risks
• Building a Critical Minerals Supply Chain for Africa – Leveraging mineral wealth for local development
• Tech & Education Clusters as Economic Drivers – Harnessing innovation for urban growth
• Re-thinking Special Economic Zones – Adapting SEZs for the modern global economy
• Lessons from the Middle East & North Africa – Insights from successful urban projects worldwide

A stellar lineup of experts on these topics and more has been drawn from the private sector, development finance institutions, and government agencies. There are over 50 confirmed speakers so far, including: Patrick Lamson-Hall (Founder & CEO, Fitted Projects); Linda Kavuka (Students for Liberty Africa); Willie Vos, (CEO, Waterfall City) ;Preston Mendenhall (Group COO and Kenya Head, Rendeavour); Leslie Ohomele (Associate Director of International Projects, King’s Foundation); Adrian Blomfield, (Correspondent, The Economist); Michael Strong (Founder, Socratic Experience); Leonard Wantchekon (Founder, Africa School of Economics); Vivek Mittal (CEO, African Infrastructure Development Association); Kurtis Lockhart (Director, Africa Urban Lab); Mark Lutter (Founder & Executive Director, Charter Cities Institute); Siaka Stephens (for Idris Elba) (Sherbro Island); Corey Gray (Smart Cities Council); and more, with new speakers and panels still to be announced.