17 GOALS TO TRANSFORM OUR WORLD
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
We know very well that balance is essential for development. This applies to us, humans, and the unique organism a city is. It is, after all, a collection of diverse and interdependent facets that form one unique whole. Several elements contribute to why Katowice are unique. Certainly there are the green spaces, which cover almost half of the city. Forests, parks, squares and ponds are essential locations for rest and relaxation, which residents are keen to use.
Of no small importance for Katowice’s modern development are also the major events, which are increasing in number every year. The recognition for our city is getting bigger, paying off with greater interest from organisers of conferences, concerts, business meetings and sports events. Katowice have hosted international events of global importance, often under the auspices of the UN, like the COP24 Climate Summit or the WUF11 World Urban Forum.
Katowice is a thriving hub for new technologies and modern business services. It is also the capital of a metropolis with a population of 2.1 million. The vibrant energy of redeveloped brownfield sites, the abundance of greenery, the wide range of ecological means of transport or the many social programs are just some examples of measures designed to support the sustainable development of our city.
It is defined by 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) established in 2015 by the United Nations. The SDGs are extremely ambitious and bring us to face serious challenges. They were developed from the results of an earlier public consultation, involving a wide range of global actors whose feedback focused on the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable individuals. Equally importantly, the SDGs are based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international human rights treaties, as well as other policies.
On this page, we present the initiatives undertaken by the City of Katowice that align with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals identified by the United Nations as global priorities. We hope that the examples provided demonstrate our commitment to securing “rights for people and the planet in the 21st century” within the sphere of responsibility entrusted to our local community.
Katowice awarded for sustainable development
Katowice has been awarded the Gold Prize in the category of cities with a daytime population exceeding 400,000 (including both permanent residents and people present in the city during the day) as part of the The International Awards for Liveable Communities (LivCom Awards) 2025. The competition finals were held in Istanbul.
“Promoting the Sustainable Development Goals was one of our key priorities during the organization of the World Urban Forum in Katowice. We addressed these goals not only during debates and discussions, but also through exhibitions and activities hosted at the Kato Urban Corner and other dedicated spaces across the city throughout the forum. These goals also form the foundation of the city's policies aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change and combating poverty. Our efforts have been recognized internationally, resulting in the award of the Gold Prize at the LivCom Awards 2025. However, we do not intend to rest on our laurels. We are fully aware that the future of coming generations depends on the actions we take today, which is why we remain committed to further implementing the objectives set out by the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Marcin Krupa, Mayor of Katowice.
The LivCom Awards is a prestigious international competition dedicated to promoting best practices and innovative solutions in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. The competition is organized by the LivCom Committee in cooperation with the United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD) and the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP). A key aspect of the initiative is fostering knowledge exchange among cities and building international networks of cooperation. Each year, communities participating in the LivCom Awards finals share their experiences and best practices while working together to address common challenges.
Katowice’s qualification for the competition finals represents yet another recognition from international experts of the city’s sustainable development policies and confirms its continued commitment to advancing and expanding the initiatives already undertaken.
The jury evaluated cities in the Whole City Award category according to the following criteria: enhancement of landscape quality and public spaces; management of arts, culture, and heritage; climate change mitigation and green economy initiatives; community engagement and empowerment; healthy lifestyles; and sustainable planning and governance policies.
Other cities and regions recognized during this year’s competition included Poti (Georgia), Kuching (Malaysia), Dali Prefecture (China), and Recife (Brazil).
“Our participation began with the preparation of a comprehensive application, in which, in accordance with the organizers’ guidelines, we provided a detailed overview of the solutions implemented in Katowice in recent years,” said Łukasz Gawroński, Head of the City Promotion Department. “The application covered areas such as environmental protection and the green economy, landscape and public space revitalization, community participation, and the management of culture, arts, and heritage. During the finals, we were also required to deliver a presentation about Katowice, showcasing how the city is implementing the Sustainable Development Goals in practice.”
The World Urban Forum
The World Urban Forum (WUF) is a prestigious international conference, organized by UN-Habitat for urban growth and human settlements. This is the most important global event concerning municipal policies, transformation and development. It is held every two years and hosts over 20 thousand participants representing governments, regions, cities, non-governmental organizations and financial institutions.
- “WUF11 was an excellent opportunity for Poland to demonstrate to the world community its own commitment to achieving a sustainable urban future. Katowice is a wonderful example of urban regeneration, and I hope we can build on these examples and leadership to share a wide range of global experience” - Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), said at a press conference.
The Katowice conference on 28 June 2022 saw the signing of the document entitled ''Action Plan for Cities. Model Locality.'' The sealing of a common vision for the sustainable development of 104 Polish cities took place through the symbolic signing of the document by local government representatives.
The long-term goal of the ''Action Plan for Cities'' (Polish: PDM – Plan Działań dla Miast) is to educate on how to conduct a sustainable urban policy and to initiate actions that transform cities into green, accessible and productive places.
About Katowice
CITY TRANSFORMATION
Revitalization of the former coal mining area enabled the establishment of the Culture Zone – a unique space on the national scale. The new headquarters of the Silesian Museum, NOSPR (Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra) and the International Congress Centre in the vicinity of the legendary "Saucer" bring prestige to the city, attracting both locals and tourists to its center.
METROPOLIS
Katowice is not only a city inhabited by approximately 300 thousand people but also the heart of Upper-Silesia and Zagłębie Metropolis, integrating 41 cities and municipalities, populated by more than 2 million people. The urban body created in July 2017 is an expression of joint commitment and concern for the welfare of the region, which offers a real opportunity for accelerated, dynamic development.
ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION
The region which is traditionally associated with coal mining and heavy industry gradually strives to become a leader in innovation and new technologies. These ambitions are reflected in the development of modern business sectors and sustainable investments.
CITY OF EVENTS
Katowice, as the host of many international events, is perfectly prepared to host large conferences. The state-of-the-art congress centre, well-developed hotel facilities and transport network are the characteristics that make the capital of the conurbation the city of business tourism.
ECO-RESPONSIBILITY
The city with extensive experience in levelling the effects of long-term environmental degradation. Thanks to the efforts made, the quality of air, the condition of the environment as well as the standard of inhabitants’ life are clearly improving.
TRANSPORT
Three international airports (KTW and KRK, OSR), two motorways, national and regional roads, modern rail and public transportation make up an extensive transport network that provides the possibility to easily reach the city from almost every part of the country and the world.
About Katowice
Today’s Katowice, as the capital of a voivodeship with almost 5 million inhabitants and the first metropolis in Poland, is a dynamically developing city. The best evidence of this is the economic success achieved thanks to the skillful combination of the city rich heritage and modernity, becoming in the same time a creative and innovative centre built on the solid foundations of its industrial past.
WUF11 IN KATOWICE
Over half of the world's population lives in cities. While each city is unique, they face similar challenges, including pollution and the climate crisis.The exchange of ideas to address urban challenges such as improved housing basic services and green spaces is critical. The World Urban Forum, known as WUF, is the largest global gathering on sustainable urbanization.
World Urban Forum WUF11 took place in Katowice on 26-30.06.2022.
