WASHINGTON: The Charter Cities Institute (CCI) has announced the New Cities Summit, the premier event for all major stakeholders in the new cities space, will be held in Nairobi, Kenya on June 12-13, 2025.
Following the success of CCI’s 2023 Africa’s New Cities Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, this event will serve as the key platform for global leaders to
advance the future of urban development, bringing together governments, new technology founders, private financiers, city developers, entrepreneurs, infrastructure suppliers, and professional service providers to tackle the challenges and opportunities of building new cities.
The Summit, held in partnership with the Smart Cities Council (SCC) and in collaboration with Kenya Development Corporation, among others, is an essential gathering for anyone committed to reimagining the future of urban living.
Set in the dynamic city of Nairobi, this summit will bring together over 500 leaders – entrepreneurs, urban planners, academics, builders, and
visionaries – who are driving innovative city developments worldwide.
Attendees will gain firsthand insights into transformative projects that exemplify the summit’s theme: Transforming Ideas into Action, Across Africa & Beyond.
Key discussions will focus on creating jobs, attracting investment, driving innovation, and fostering economic growth across Africa and beyond. Through strategic panels, pitch competitions, and collaborative workshops, the Summit will build frameworks to de-risk urban investments and establish thriving, sustainable cities that advance human flourishing.
Summit organizer and Head of Communications for CCI, Michael Holstein affirmed: “Whether you’re looking to invest, partner, pitch, or understand how new cities are reshaping economic and social landscapes globally, the Summit offers an unparalleled opportunity for networking, learning, and collaboration”.
Summit panels include Planning for Rapid Urban Expansion, Risk Management and Mitigation Strategies for New City Projects, building a Creative Community to Grow Cities, Tech and Education Clusters as Drivers of Progress, Lessons for Global City Builders from the Middle East and North Africa, and many more to be announced.
The Summit will also present business opportunities with dedicated “deal rooms” and high-level networking events, as well as cultural and tourism experiences, including safaris and more.
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Notable speakers are already confirmed with more signing on every day, including Magatte Wade (Prospera Africa), who’ll lead a fireside chat on “Economic Freedom in Africa” and American entrepreneur, Keith Weaver (Nashwood Entertainment and Uncle Nearest Whiskey), who will talk about using the entertainment and hospitality sectors as tools for African economic growth.
Others include Leslie Ohomele (Associate Director of International Projects, King’s Foundation), Stephen Jennings (Founder and CEO, Rendeavour), Corey Gray (President, Smart Cities Council), Leonard Wantchekon (Founder, African School of Economics), and Kingsley Mbah (Senior Manager Advisory and Capital Market, Afreximbank). Invitations have been extended to luminaries including Kenyan President William Ruto, US Secretary of
State Marco Rubio, actor and city-builder Idris Elba, and more.
Partnering with Smart Cities Council on this Summit and Smart Cities Week North America (to be held in San Francisco in May) provides a logical connectivity between project owners, policymakers, financiers, and technology partners to accelerate and de-risk the delivery of the
world’s next generation of urban mega-projects.
SCC President Corey Gray remarked “The biggest social and economic transformation of the next 50 years will take place in Africa. As a global organization committed to fostering positive social environmental and economic impact, Smart Cities Council is pleased to be strengthening our partnership with Charter Cities Institute who are so active in these areas. Our activities around capital marketing, technology, research, and policy complement perfectly CCI’s role in
governance reform, allowing transformational projects to move beyond conception and into implementation.”
The New Cities Summit follows the phenomenal success of the inaugural Africa’s New Cities Summit, hosted in 2023 by CCI in Kigali, Rwanda, in partnership with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and Africa Infrastructure Development Association (AfIDA).
The event brought together for the first time; developers, builders, governments, academics, and other stakeholders playing a key role in meeting the challenges posed by rapid urbanization in Africa and included: 250+ delegates from 50+ countries, 45 speakers, 10 panel sessions and 18 sponsors.
The event saw six memoranda of understanding (MoUs) signed.
The 2025 Summit is expected to bring together prominent African and global leaders involved in the design, financing, construction, governance, and operation of new city developments across the continent and beyond to create a dynamic platform for exchanging ideas and fostering dialogue around the transformative potential of new cities.
Various opportunities to sponsor the summit remain, including bespoke opportunities that align brands with the future of urban development.
The Charter Cities Institute is a nonprofit dedicated to creating the ecosystem for charter cities, founded on the idea that a fresh approach was necessary to tackle humanity’s most pressing challenges, such as global poverty, climate change, and rapid urbanization.
CCI’s mission is to empower new cities with better governance to lift tens of millions of people out of poverty.
