The World Cities Culture Report 2022 documents over 200 pioneering initiatives from across 40 global cities in six continents. It is an account of how cities have responded to crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic to display resilience with creative solutions. 

The report highlights the devastating impact of the pandemic on creative industries that saw a 95 percent decline in attendance at main festivals, an average fall of 72 percent in international tourism, while music performances declined by half per year. The report focuses on the line-up of new cultural initiatives carried out by cities for recovery across the globe. 

The report summarises the interventions that worked according to their approach, highlighting the need for people to collaborate across teams and departments as “the only way to address the complex challenge we face” with a focus on decentralised cities that recognise the diversity of voices in them. The report also addresses the planet by pointing out the need to embed environmental action across work. “Culture is a powerful tool to communicate and change behaviours – use it,” implores this report.