NewCities
NewCities Foundation is a global nonprofit that convenes city governments, urban experts, and technology companies to advance urban wellbeing, housing, mobility, and environmental resilience through events, awards, research, and the NOGAS parametric modeling tool.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What NewCities does
NewCities Foundation is a global nonprofit organization, established in 2012 and headquartered in Montreal, Canada, that convenes city governments, urban researchers, practitioners, and technology companies to advance urban innovation across four focus areas: wellbeing, housing, mobility, and environment. The organization operates as a membership- and partnership-supported convener rather than a commercial vendor, with revenue sourced from institutional partners including the Toyota Mobility Foundation, McKinsey Global Institute, UNDP, Government of Quebec, and City of Montreal. Its core programmatic assets include the annual Wellbeing Cities Award (recognizing 40+ cities across all five continents since 2018 and engaging 1,500+ urban leaders), the threesixtyCITY weekly podcast, editorial series including The Big Picture and The Big Rethink, and convenings such as Higher Ground and the Virtual Learning Series.
Its most substantive technical output is the NOGAS (Next Optimized Generation Autonomous Suburbs) scenario-based parametric modeling tool, co-developed with MIT's Norman B. Leventhal Center for Advanced Urbanism and P-REXlab, and funded by the Toyota Mobility Foundation. NOGAS enables spatial planners, urban designers, land developers, and municipalities to integrate emerging mobility technologies into new urban forms via more than 20 distinct parameters. The organization also spawned CoMotion Global as an independent sister entity in 2017 focused on mobility innovation events.
The go-to-market is event-driven and community-led, reaching audiences through global convenings, the Wellbeing Cities Award, virtual learning series, editorial content, and the podcast. Customer segments are organized horizontally across city governments and municipal authorities, urban experts and researchers, and urban technology/mobility companies. Distribution relies on direct engagement with city governments, the digital platform (newcities.org), the podcast distributed via major streaming services, a bi-monthly newsletter, and social channels.
NewCities firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NewCities
- Legal name
- NewCities Foundation
- Website
- https://newcities.org/
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- NewCities Foundation is a global nonprofit that convenes city governments, urban experts, and technology companies to advance urban wellbeing, housing, mobility, and environmental resilience through events, awards, research, and the NOGAS parametric modeling tool.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NewCities industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Urban Policy and Innovation Research
- NAICS
- Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement (BPADALAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD)
Keywords
Where NewCities is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
NewCities business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership and Institutional Partnerships: NewCities operates as a nonprofit organization supported by member organizations, institutional partnerships, and collaborative funding arrangements with city governments, foundations, and international organizations to sustain its programs and research.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
NewCities product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NewCities Foundation is a global nonprofit organization that convenes city governments, urban researchers, and practitioners through events, research programs, and editorial content focused on urban wellbeing, housing equity, mobility, and environmental sustainability. It operates the annual Wellbeing Cities Award, the threesixtyCITY podcast, and produces research collaborations such as the NOGAS parametric modeling tool developed with MIT and Toyota Mobility Foundation. The organization does not sell commercial products; its offerings are programs, publications, and convening platforms supported by member organizations, foundation grants, and corporate partnerships.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- threesixtyCITY: Weekly podcast featuring international urban experts and thought leaders discussing emerging trends that influence and impact cities.
- Wellbeing Cities Award
- NOGAS
- The Big Picture
- The Big Rethink
- Higher Ground
- Connected Communities
- Greenfield Cities Alliance Dialogues
Products and services
- Wellbeing Cities Award Annual award initiative celebrating cities worldwide that are transforming urban life by placing wellbeing at the heart of policy and planning; for city governments and municipal authorities.
- threesixtyCITY Podcast Weekly podcast featuring international urban experts and thought leaders discussing emerging trends that influence and impact cities; for the general public and urban professionals.
- NOGAS (Next Optimized Generation Autonomous Suburbs) Modeling Tool Scenario-based parametric modeling tool developed with MIT's Norman B. Leventhal Center for Advanced Urbanism, P-REXlab at MIT, and Toyota Mobility Foundation, enabling spatial planners, urban designers, land developers, and municipalities to integrate emerging mobility technologies into new urban forms using more than 20 distinct parameters.
- Higher Ground Event Series Event series focused on climate resilience and climate migration, featuring fireside chats, keynotes, and workshops with climate experts and city leaders; for urban leaders and climate stakeholders.
- The Big Rethink Climate Action Series Event series exploring major urban challenges and climate action including decarbonization, behavioral change, and zero-carbon transition opportunities; for urban leaders, researchers, and practitioners.
- Connected Communities Initiative Initiative exploring local and community solutions for urban wellbeing in the Greater Montréal region, addressing urban health, housing, mobility, and food security challenges.
- The Big Picture Editorial Series In-depth editorial features exploring complex challenges facing cities in the 21st century, with editions covering urban farming, food systems, and rights-based housing for refugees; for urban professionals and the public.
- Greenfield Cities Alliance Dialogues Dialogue series convened with Cornell Tech Urban Tech Hub exploring sustainable urban mobility systems of the future and how greenfield city projects can serve as proving grounds for new transportation policies and technologies.
Quantifiable outcome
- Wellbeing Cities Award recognized over 40 cities on all five continents since 2018
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use NewCities
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
NewCities technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
NewCities partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- Toyota Mobility FoundationcoreToyota Mobility Foundation partnered with NewCities on the Next Optimized Generation Autonomous Suburbs (NOGAS) virtual learning series. The three-part series explores novel landscape configurations for suburban areas guided by advances in autonomous transportation technology, micro-mobility, and on-demand services, with the NOGAS modeling tool developed in collaboration with MIT.
- United Nations Development Program (UNDP)coreUNDP and NewCities signed a Memorandum of Understanding exploring informal transportation systems in cities worldwide, with a focus on how indigenous innovation can be harnessed to empower communities to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. The partnership includes UNDP Accelerator Labs collaboration.
- CoMotion GlobalcoreCoMotion Global was established as NewCities' sister organization in 2017, based in Los Angeles. It organizes annual events showcasing bold new ideas transforming urban mobility and has been an independent entity since its creation.
- McKinsey Global InstituteflagshipMcKinsey Global Institute collaborated with NewCities on the Transitioning Cities: Achieving a Net-Zero Future for All report and discussion exploring the net-zero transition in cities, the role of research, policy, and private sector innovation.
- Cornell Tech Urban Tech HubcoreNewCities partnered with Cornell Tech's Urban Tech Hub to convene the Greenfield Cities Alliance Dialogues 2021 in New York City, exploring sustainable urban mobility systems of the future and how greenfield city projects can serve as proving grounds for new transportation policies and technologies.
- Greenfield Cities AlliancecoreNewCities co-convened the Greenfield Cities Alliance Dialogues 2021, bringing together urban mobility experts, greenfield city developers, and policymakers to explore the future of sustainable urban mobility systems.
- MIT Norman B. Leventhal Center for Advanced UrbanismcoreMIT Norman B. Leventhal Center for Advanced Urbanism collaborated with P-REXlab at MIT and Toyota Mobility Foundation on the NOGAS (Next Optimized Generation Autonomous Suburbs) modeling tool research project.
- Government of QuebeccoreThe Government of Quebec supported the Wellbeing Cities 2021 initiative as a key partner, contributing to the advancement and celebration of urban wellbeing in Montreal.
- City of MontrealflagshipThe City of Montreal served as the host city for the Wellbeing Cities 2021 initiative, partnering with NewCities as the main host city partner (Mieux vivre en ville 2021) for the urban wellbeing program.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
NewCities competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Urban Land Institute (ULI): Global nonprofit membership organization conducting research and convening events on land use, real estate, and urban development. Closely comparable in nonprofit membership, research output, and city-focused programming.
- Smart Cities Council: Coalition of companies, governments, and researchers advancing smart city adoption. Comparable as a cross-sector urban technology convener with member and partner-based revenue model.
- C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group: A global network of mayors and city leaders focused on climate action and urban sustainability. Directly comparable to NewCities because it convenes city governments around shared urban challenges and produces research and toolkits.
- Lincoln Institute of Land Policy: Nonprofit that produces research and convenes practitioners on land policy, housing affordability, and urban planning. Directly comparable to NewCities' research and convening model with thematic overlap in housing and urban development.
- Project for Public Spaces (PPS): Nonprofit focused on placemaking and public spaces in cities. Comparable as a mission-driven nonprofit that works directly with cities and communities to improve urban environments.
- The Nature of Cities: Global platform of writers, thinkers, and practitioners discussing sustainable urban futures. Comparable in digital-first thought leadership and convening model around urban sustainability themes.
Broad incumbents
- UN-Habitat: United Nations agency for sustainable urban development. Comparable in mandate around inclusive, safe, resilient cities but operates as a multilateral body with significantly larger scale and broader scope.
- World Economic Forum (Urban Transformation): Global convening body whose urban initiatives (e.g., G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance) address many of the same urban innovation and governance themes. Much broader mandate but overlapping convening audience and partners.
- OECD Cities, Housing and Urban Policy: OECD's urban policy work produces research and frameworks for city governments on housing, mobility, and sustainability. Comparable as a thought-leadership convener for urban policy, but as a governmental body it is much larger and more established.
Others
- CoMotion Global: NewCities' own sister organization spun off in 2017 to focus on urban mobility innovation events. Listed because of direct organizational lineage and overlap in mission and audience, though it is no longer part of NewCities.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
NewCities social profiles
Digital presenceNewCities financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NewCities leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
NewCities funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NewCities M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about NewCities
What does NewCities do?
NewCities Foundation is a global nonprofit organization that convenes city governments, urban researchers, and practitioners through events, research programs, and editorial content focused on urban wellbeing, housing equity, mobility, and environmental sustainability. It operates the annual Wellbeing Cities Award, the threesixtyCITY podcast, and produces research collaborations such as the NOGAS parametric modeling tool developed with MIT and Toyota Mobility Foundation. The organization does not sell commercial products; its offerings are programs, publications, and convening platforms supported by member organizations, foundation grants, and corporate partnerships.
Is NewCities a public or private company?
NewCities is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was NewCities founded?
NewCities was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is NewCities based?
NewCities is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does NewCities make money?
One revenue line is on record: membership and Institutional Partnerships.
Who are NewCities's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Urban Land Institute (ULI), Smart Cities Council, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Project for Public Spaces (PPS) and The Nature of Cities. Broad incumbents are UN-Habitat, World Economic Forum (Urban Transformation) and OECD Cities, Housing and Urban Policy. CoMotion Global is listed as an others.
Does NewCities have an API?
No public API is recorded for NewCities.
What industry is NewCities in?
NewCities's product category is Urban Policy and Innovation Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADALAO, Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAE, Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries. Its NAICS code is 813410 and its SIC code is 8600.