Global Designing Cities Initiative

What Global Designing Cities Initiative does

Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2014 by Janette Sadik-Khan, originally as a program of the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), that became an independent initiative in 2022 operating under the fiscal sponsorship of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. Headquartered at 120 Park Avenue, New York, GDCI employs approximately 40 designers, planners, and urban strategists distributed across the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Its core mission is to transform urban streets from vehicle-centric infrastructure into safe, healthy, and sustainable public spaces prioritizing pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, and children.

GDCI's product portfolio consists of authoritative design publications and three major funded programs. The flagship Global Street Design Guide (GSDG), created with input from experts in 72 cities across 42 countries, has been downloaded over 110,000 times, translated into 9+ languages, and endorsed by 130+ cities and organizations. Supplementary publications include Designing Streets for Kids (Prince Michael International Road Safety Award, 2021), Designing for Safe Speeds, and a series of How-to Handbooks covering implementation, evaluation, cycling infrastructure, and child engagement in street design. All publications are distributed free of charge via the GDCI website. The program portfolio comprises the Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS, 16 cities in 10 countries), Streets for Kids (60+ cities), and the Bloomberg Initiative for Cycling Infrastructure (BICI, 10 cities in its first phase, expanding to 25 cities in 2026). Programs deliver capacity-building workshops, design reviews, technical assistance, on-site implementation support, and competitive grants to selected municipalities.

GDCI's revenue model is philanthropic, not commercial. The organization is funded primarily through grants from Bloomberg Philanthropies (BIGRS, BICI), FIA Foundation, Fondation Botnar, Van Leer Foundation, and Clean Air Fund, with no paid products or services. Customers are municipal governments and city transportation agencies that engage GDCI through competitive application processes for program participation, with embedded technical staff and hands-on delivery. The GTM motion combines free digital publication distribution (top-of-funnel demand generation), competitive program applications (mid-funnel), and event-driven outreach at international conferences including Velo-city, the World Urban Forum, and Bloomberg CityLab.

Name

Global Designing Cities Initiative

Legal name

Global Designing Cities Initiative

Website

https://globaldesigningcities.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Global Designing Cities Initiative is a nonprofit founded in 2014 that publishes authoritative urban street design guides and delivers technical assistance programs to municipal governments worldwide, funded primarily by philanthropic grants from Bloomberg Philanthropies and other foundations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Grants and Program Funding: GDCI is a nonprofit organization funded primarily through philanthropic grants and program funding from major donors including Bloomberg Philanthropies (Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety, Bloomberg Initiative for Cycling Infrastructure), FIA Foundation, Fondation Botnar, Van Leer Foundation, and Clean Air Fund. In 2022, GDCI became an independent project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, which serves as its fiscal sponsor.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

GDCI is a nonprofit organization that develops evidence-based urban street design publications and delivers technical assistance programs to city governments and municipal agencies worldwide. Its core offerings include the Global Street Design Guide and Designing Streets for Kids Guide, supplemented by How-to Handbooks, plus three flagship programs (BIGRS, BICI, Streets for Kids) providing design reviews, capacity-building workshops, policy guidance, and on-site implementation support for street transformations.

Product overview

Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI) offers a portfolio of urban design publications and programs focused on transforming streets for people. The core offerings include the Global Street Design Guide (the flagship publication downloaded 110,000+ times in 9 languages), the Designing Streets for Kids Guide (winner of Prince Michael International Road Safety Award), and multiple supplement handbooks (How to Implement/Evaluate Street Transformations, Designing for Safe Speeds, How to Implement Cycling Infrastructure). GDCI operates three major programs: BIGRS (Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety), Streets for Kids, and BICI (Bloomberg Initiative for Cycling Infrastructure). These publications and programs work together—the guides provide evidence-based best practices while the programs deliver technical assistance, capacity-building workshops, and implementation support to cities worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Global Street Design Guide (GSDG) The flagship publication offering technical details to inform street design that prioritizes pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders in cities worldwide. Created with input from experts in 72 cities across 42 countries, with 110,000+ downloads and translations into nine languages.
• Designing Streets for Kids Guide Guide capturing international best practices, strategies, programs, and policies for designing spaces that enable children of all ages and abilities to utilize streets safely. Winner of the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award in 2021.
• Designing for Safe Speeds Supplement to the Global Street Design Guide providing direction on managing speeds in cities, outlining key design parameters and strategies to achieve safe speeds, with case studies and tools for safer, more livable streets.
• How to Implement Street Transformations Handbook outlining steps from initial site selection to planning, implementing, and maintaining pop-up or interim street transformations with a focus on community-driven street designs.
• How to Evaluate Street Transformations Handbook offering cities a way to measure, evaluate, and communicate the impact of pop-up and interim road safety projects and their co-benefits.
• How to Engage Kids in Street Design Booklet offering strategies and tools for cities to engage children in the street design process, demonstrating how their perspectives can create safer, more inclusive streets for all ages.
• How to Evaluate Street Transformations Near Schools Specialized guidance on evaluating street transformations near schools to measure impact, gather stories, and champion safer, healthier streets for children.
• How to Implement Cycling Infrastructure Handbook outlining steps from initial site selection to designing, planning, and implementing cycling infrastructure with community-driven designs. Features case studies from BICI cities.
• Streets for Pandemic Response and Recovery Resource compiling emerging practices from cities worldwide with adaptable information on implementing COVID-19 rapid-response and recovery street design treatments.
• Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) A comprehensive program providing cities worldwide with activities to save lives including strengthening legislation, enhancing data collection, changing road user behavior, improving road infrastructure, and upgrading vehicle safety. GDCI partners with 16 cities in 10 countries.
• Streets for Kids Program focused on inspiring leaders, informing practitioners, and empowering communities to enable child-centric street design. Has worked with over 60 cities to apply child-focused strategies through streetscape transformations, policy development, and capacity building.
• Bloomberg Initiative for Cycling Infrastructure (BICI) Program supporting cities to build protected, connected cycling networks that reduce injuries and deaths, improve air quality, and enable more people to incorporate physical activity into daily lives. First round helped 10 cities deliver 200+ miles of protected cycling infrastructure.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ miles of protected cycling infrastructure delivered in 10 cities through BICI, preventing an estimated 8,000 road crashes
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022GDCI became an independent project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors in 2022 after seven years as a program of NACTO. RPA serves as GDCI's fiscal sponsor, providing administrative, financial, and operational support, enabling GDCI to maintain its focus on transforming streets globally while benefiting from RPA's expertise in managing high-impact global projects and strategic philanthropic initiatives.
• Vital StrategiesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Carlos Urrego worked as an international consultant for Vital Strategies (a leading global public health organization) prior to joining GDCI. Vital Strategies is listed as an endorser of the Global Street Design Guide and partners on road safety initiatives.
• World Health Organization (WHO)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016GDCI provides strategic expertise to WHO's Global Technical Advisory Group on Motorcycle Safety, helping inform international standards for safer streets. WHO is also listed as an endorser of the Global Street Design Guide.
• Bloomberg AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Bloomberg Associates is the pro bono consultancy for cities at Bloomberg Philanthropies. Janette Sadik-Khan serves as Principal at Bloomberg Associates and is GDCI's Board Chair. Bloomberg Associates collaborates with GDCI on city programs including Piazze Aperte in Milan and Streets for Kids initiatives.
• iRAP (International Road Assessment Programme)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016GDCI partnered with iRAP to develop Star Ratings of the Global Street Design Guide, outlining safety benefits of improved designs using iRAP's Star Rating methodology. iRAP also assessed streets covering around 450 kilometers in Addis Ababa with GDCI's support.
• Curtin UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016GDCI partnered with Curtin University to help develop a new methodology to quantify how infrastructure improvements directly save lives — groundbreaking research advancing the field of road safety.
• Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016ITDP is an endorser of the Global Street Design Guide. Multiple GDCI staff members (including Naveenaa Munuswamy, Regatu Solomon, Renata Carvalho) previously worked at ITDP, and ITDP's global campaign for better cycling infrastructure aligns with GDCI's mission.
• World Bank GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016World Bank Group officially endorsed the Global Street Design Guide. World Bank President Ajay Banga called it 'an indispensable tool for planning a more equitable future.' GDCI has also collaborated with World Bank consultants on cycling mobility projects in Latin America.
• Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016IDB officially endorsed the Global Street Design Guide and is listed as a supporter of GDCI's work in Latin American cities.
• C40 CitiesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016C40 Cities officially endorsed the Global Street Design Guide, recognizing its value for climate-focused urban design across C40's network of megacities.
• Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016GRSP endorsed the Global Street Design Guide and is part of the global ecosystem of road safety organizations that GDCI collaborates with.
• National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014GDCI was originally founded as a program of NACTO in 2014 by Janette Sadik-Khan. NACTO provides ongoing partnership, bringing street innovations and ideas from around the globe to its network of 90 cities in North America. GDCI continues to collaborate with NACTO as an independent initiative.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ): GIZ is Germany's federal development agency implementing sustainable urban transport and street design programs in low- and middle-income countries. It is comparable to GDCI's BIGRS/BICI program model but operates as a bilateral development agency with a different funding base and geographic focus.

Direct peers

• Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP): ITDP is a global nonprofit promoting sustainable and equitable urban transport, with multiple former staff now at GDCI. It runs the BRT Standard, mobility consulting, and city-level programs that closely overlap GDCI's cycling and street design work.
• National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO): NACTO is the most direct comparable to GDCI — it was GDCI's parent organization from 2014 to 2022 and publishes the closely related Urban Street Design Guide and Urban Bikeway Design Guide for a network of 90+ North American cities. It operates as a peer association in the same mission space of urban street design guidance.

Emerging players

• Street Plans Collaborative: Street Plans is a Miami- and New York-based urban planning, communications, and design firm that originated the 'tactical urbanism' movement. It produces practical street design guidance and works directly with cities in a comparable consulting capacity to GDCI.
• BYCS: BYCS is an Amsterdam-based global nonprofit focused on cycling culture and infrastructure, with the 2030 Challenge and city accelerator programs. It overlaps directly with GDCI's BICI cycling program and shares staff pedigree (e.g., Daniela Abril Gutierrez previously at BYCS).

Broad incumbents

• World Bank Urban Development Global Practice: The World Bank's Urban Development practice lends billions annually to city infrastructure and street projects and has formally endorsed GDCI's GSDG. It is both a partner and a competing funder/technical advisor in the same urban street transformation space.
• WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities: WRI Ross Center is a much larger, well-funded sustainable cities program of the World Resources Institute working on urban mobility, active transport, and street design across more than 100 cities globally. It competes for similar donor funding and city-level mandates as GDCI.
• C40 Cities: C40 Cities is a global network of nearly 100 megacities focused on climate action, including transport decarbonization and active mobility. It is a current endorser of GDCI's Global Street Design Guide and competes for city-level climate-transport funding.

Others

• International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP): iRAP is a UK-registered charity that developed the Star Rating methodology for road safety. It is a current GDCI partner (joint publication of iRAP Star Ratings of the GSDG) and a complementary capability provider in the road safety value chain.
• ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability: ICLEI is a global network of 2,500+ local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. It provides capacity building, tools, and programs for city climate and mobility work that intersect with GDCI's mandate but at a broader sustainability scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/globaldesigningcities
• Xx.com/globalstreets

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Global Designing Cities Initiative