Seoul's policy think tank guides global megacities on AI, sustainable urban policy
Summary
The Seoul Institute and 19 other urban research bodies adopted the Beijing Initiative at the Megacity Think Tank Alliance’s 10th general assembly in Beijing on Oct. 22–23. The framework sets six priorities, including climate resilience, people-centered cities and using data and AI for the public good. Participants also admitted two new members and confirmed Incheon as host of the 2027 assembly. The Seoul Institute and Beijing Municipal Institute of City Planning and Design signed a five-year agreement to deepen their partnership.
Key Facts
- The assembly featured 20 policy and research case studies across sessions on climate change response, AI-driven urban space reshaping and urban regeneration governance.
- The alliance comprises 16 full members and two observer organizations representing Korea, China, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, France, Japan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
- Riyadh and Paris are under consideration as hosts for the alliance’s 2028 and 2029 assemblies, respectively.
- The Seoul Institute and the Beijing Municipal Institute of City Planning and Design plan to share research materials, hold joint academic events and exchange researchers under their agreement.
- MeTTA was launched in Seoul in July 2014, and the Seoul Institute serves as its permanent secretariat.
A promotional poster for the Megacity Think Tank Alliance event in Beijing / Courtesy of Seoul Institute
The Seoul Institute — the official municipal policy think tank affiliated with the Seoul Metropolitan Government — and 19 other major urban research bodies from around the world adopted a joint initiative to address pressing global city challenges.
The initiative was finalized during the 10th general assembly of the Megacity Think Tank Alliance (MeTTA), held Oct. 22–23 in Beijing. The Seoul Institute, which serves as the permanent secretariat for MeTTA, co-organized the assembly alongside the Beijing Municipal Institute of City Planning and Design (BMICPD).
The meeting culminated in the adoption of the Beijing Initiative, a framework defining the alliance’s future role and vision across six strategic priorities: preparing for future urban challenges through joint research, building climate resilience and a just transition, creating people-centered cities, leveraging data and artificial intelligence (AI) for the public good, bridging science with policy and strengthening alliance ties.
Following the assembly, participants presented 20 policy and research case studies across three key sessions focusing on climate change response, AI-driven urban space reshaping and urban regeneration governance.
Demonstrating MeTTA's expanding international footprint, members voted to admit two new organizations: the Urban Planning and Design Institute of Shenzhen and the Istanbul Planning Agency. Chaired by Seoul Institute President Oh Kyun, the assembly brought together 20 urban research organizations representing 16 full members and two observer organizations across Korea, China, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, France, Japan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
Members also mapped out the alliance's future road map, confirming Korea's Incheon Institute as the host for the 11th general assembly in 2027, with Riyadh and Paris under consideration for 2028 and 2029, respectively.
On the sidelines of the event, the Seoul Institute and BMICPD signed a five-year bilateral agreement to deepen their 26-year partnership through shared research materials, joint academic events and researcher exchange programs.
Launched in Seoul in July 2014, MeTTA continues to serve as a platform for global municipal policy exchange.
“Sharing Seoul’s urban policy experience with cities around the world is a key mission for the Seoul Institute,” Oh said, pledging to further expand policy collaboration among Asian megacities and global partners.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
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