Empower cities to act, raise ambition, and scale implementation
Knowledge-sharing on a specific topic, method, and/or output
Policy Analyst
This OECD–Bloomberg Philanthropies initiative examines how cities learn from one another and how external ideas are adopted in practice. Drawing on a survey of 76 cities across 43 countries, 16 case studies (total of 79 cities), and practitioner exchanges, the project analyses how and why cities adopt policy ideas developed elsewhere.
The findings show that inter-city learning is widespread: 79% of surveyed cities have adopted or attempted to adopt at least one external idea, particularly in environment, urban planning and infrastructure. However, ideas are rarely transferred wholesale. They are selectively adapted in response to local institutional, political and socio-economic conditions, as well as constraints related to administrative capacity, finance and implementation.
Reframing cross-city learning as a process of idea adoption, the project developed an actionable toolkit to support cities in approaching peer learning more strategically. Grounded in practices shared by participating cities, the session will present a structured set of actions to assess contextual fit, co-design adaptations, mobilise stakeholders and embed learning within local governance systems.
Marion Lagadic
Camille Viros
