To mark the inaugural World Cities Day proposed by China at the Shanghai World Expo in 2010, the China-International Urban Development Forum: Towards a Sustainable Future was held at the Great Hall of the People, Beijing, Oct. 31st, 2014. Mayors from various cities, officers of the United Nations, industry leaders, and international ambassadors all attended the forum, which was jointly organized by the United Nationas Development Program and the Oriental Outlook Magazine of Xinhua News Agency.

The idea of World Cities Day was proposed by the Shanghai Declaration issued at the Shanghai World Expo on 2010, to promote the idea of better city, better life. The Day will be celebrated annually on Oct. 31.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a video at the forum that humanity's future will be an urban one as the world's population will increasingly become city-dwellers. "Livable cities are crucial not only for city-dwellers but also for providing solutions to some of the key aspects of sustainable development," he said in the address.

The proposal of World Cities Day advocates the idea of better city, better life. Focusing on this idea, the theme of this years' World Cities Day is "Leading Urban Transformations." One of the keynote speakers Li Tie, who is the director of the China Center for Urban Development, National Development and Reform Commission of China, said that the urbanization rate in China is unprecedented. With no previous reference, population problems play a key role in the future urban transformation of this unique case.

After the three keynote speeches there were two panel discussions,themed "Sustainable City Development" and "Happiness Index". Mayors, experts, industry leaders and foreign officers attended and exchanged their ideas.