Distinguished Professor Xuemei Bai joins the Mayor of Kitakyushu to launch their “Next Horizon Sustainable City” initiative
- Chenyi Du
- Jan 16
- 2 min read
Updated: 5 hours ago
What does it look like when cutting-edge sustainability theory meets the concrete reality of a city? For ARC Laureate Fellow Distinguished Professor Xuemei Bai and the Transformative Cities Lab, one answer is the initiative now unfolding in Kitakyushu, Japan, called “Next Horizon Sustainable City”.
Following a meeting with Mayor Kazuhisa Takeuchi last year, Distinguished Professor Xuemei Bai returned to Kitakyushu in January 2026 to co-launch of the city’s new vision “Next Horizon Sustainable City”. The initiative represents a close collaboration between the city government and Professor Bai, translating ideas from urban sustainability research into real-world policy and practice. The launch attracted a broad media coverage in Japan (see links below).
“Next Horizon Sustainable City” draws on Professor Bai’s long-standing research on sustainable urban systems, in particular some the cutting-edge concepts she proposed and actively advancing such as altruistic cities, proactive influencing, networked urban resilience, and cities as transformative agents for global sustainability. Rather than viewing cities solely as sources of environmental problems, this perspective highlights their potential to drive systemic change through innovation, cooperation, and leadership.
“Responsible for more than 70% of global consumption-based CO₂ emissions, cities are often seen as the culprits of climate change”, Bai said in her address. “But they are also where the most innovative solutions emerge—from renewable energy and next-generation mobility to green infrastructure.”
Professor Bai stressed the importance of for front runner cities to look beyond their boundaries, and bring other cities along the journey. While individual cities can pioneer new approaches, broader transformation requires networks where cities learn from one another and act together. Even a small number of such frontrunner cities, she noted, can create ripple effects that shift global sustainability pathways.
Kitakyushu itself provides a powerful example. Once known as a heavily polluted industrial city, it has transformed into an internationally recognised environmental leader through cooperation between citizens, industry, and government. Today, the city shares its experience with other cities in Japan and around the world.
The Next Horizon Sustainable City vision builds on this legacy and is structured around four key ideas: mandala-like networks that connect diverse actors, altruistic cities that support others and future generations, regenerative cities focused on renewal, and cities as transformative agents shaping global sustainability transitions.
This vision demonstrates how urban theories and concepts can inform practical actions in cities. As the world first, the vision offers a potential model for other cities seeking transformative approaches to sustainability.
Selected Media Coverage:
NIKKEI
Mainichi Shimbun
Nippon Television Network Corporation (Fuji TV)
Nippon TV (FBS)
TV Asahi (KBC)
Tokyo Broadcasting System Television(RKB)
References:
Bai, X. (2025). Cities as transformative agents for global sustainability. Science, 389(6756), eadz3642. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adz3642
Bai, X. (2024). A case for altruistic cities. Science, 386(6722), eadt4139. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adt4139
Bai, X. (2024). Build networked resilience across cities. Science, Science, 383(6687), eado5304. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ado5304
Irvine, S., & Bai, X. (2019). Positive inertia and proactive influencing towards sustainability: Systems analysis of a frontrunner city. Urban Transformations, 1(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42854-019-0001-7
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