New York City and Los Angeles co-chair three-day summit on housing, climate and migration, kicking off Climate Week NYC
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today welcomed mayors from across the United States and around the world to New York City for the 2026 Urban 20 (U20) Mayors Summit, where city leaders will work together on practical solutions to rising housing costs, the climate crisis and migration.
New York City and Los Angeles, led by Mayor Mamdani and Mayor Karen Bass, are co-chairs of this year’s U20. Convened by C40 Cities and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the summit runs from September 19 through 21 and is expected to bring together 25 mayors, along with deputy mayors and senior city leaders representing 34 cities across the G20 countries.
Leaders from Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Miami, Phoenix, San Diego and Seattle will join counterparts from cities across Canada, Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia. Over three days, mayors will share the steps their cities are taking to build more affordable housing, protect tenants, lower energy costs, support immigrants, create good jobs and protect residents from extreme heat, flooding and other climate change impacts.
“New York City was built by people who came here from every corner of the world, so there is no better place for the world’s mayors to meet,” said Mayor Mamdani. “This weekend, we are bringing over 25 mayors together to confront the challenges and opportunities before all of us. Working families across the globe are being squeezed by rents that rise faster than paychecks, energy bills that spike every summer and heat waves that can turn an uncomfortable apartment into a dangerous one. New York City is proud to co-chair the Urban 20 and stand with mayors who will not leave those families on their own, no matter where they were born. At a time of division and retreat, our cities are choosing cooperation.”
“From accelerating the building of affordable housing to bold climate action to standing strong with immigrant communities in the face of attacks from the federal government, cities are on the frontlines—and where solutions are put into action,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. “Los Angeles is proud to co-chair the 2026 Urban 20 with New York City and bring mayors from around the world together to tackle the challenges our communities face every day. By sharing what works and learning from one another, we can move faster and deliver more for the people we serve. Together, Los Angeles and New York City are making sure the voices of cities are heard—not only in our communities, but at the global table where decisions that shape our collective future are made.”
The summit will close on Sunday with the ratification of a communique outlining a shared agenda for city action. Representatives from national governments, the United Nations and other international organizations will then be invited to respond.
“Whether we lead a city in Africa, Europe, Asia or the Americas, mayors from around the world see many of the same pressures on our residents: rising costs, extreme heat, housing insecurity and displacement,” said Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr of Freetown, Co-Chair of C40 Cities, and MMC Founding Leadership Board Member. “But cities are also where solutions are being delivered. We want young people to have real opportunities at home, and we want climate change to never be the reason they have to leave. By working together, sharing what works and investing in a just transition, we can tackle the climate crisis while creating jobs, improving lives and making our communities more resilient. The message from mayors in New York will be clear: give cities the tools and resources to act, and we will deliver.”
“The spirit we need to carry forward is one of cooperation over division, solidarity over isolation and shared responsibility for protecting our communities,” said Mayor Ugur Ibrahim Altay of Konya, President of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG). “A stronger multilateral system is needed. It will need to trust cities, work with them and design solutions that can be delivered through them. That is the present we are shaping every day and the future we are committed to delivering.”
The U20 Summit opens a week of city climate leadership in New York, as mayors join leaders from government, business and civil society at Climate Week NYC, which runs from September 20 through 27. Throughout the week, C40 mayors will advance work on extreme heat and weather resilience, clean air, sustainable housing and other climate-related issues. The week will also set the stage for COP31, where mayors will continue pressing national governments to match the ambition of their cities.
More information about the U20 is available at urban20.org.
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