New York City is playing host to mayors from around the world this weekend, with Mayor Zohran Mamdani welcoming global city leaders for the 2026 Urban 20 (U20) Mayors Summit.
The three-day summit, running September 19 through 21, brings together roughly 25 mayors and senior city officials representing 34 cities across G20 countries. New York and Los Angeles are serving as this year’s co-chairs.
The agenda is decidedly urban—and potentially very consequential for cities dealing with some very familiar problems.
Among the major topics are affordable housing and homelessness, climate action and resilience, immigration and human mobility, energy costs and economic opportunity. The goal is for participating cities to develop a shared agenda that can be presented to national governments through the broader G20 process.
The gathering has also attracted political attention. The New York Post characterized the participating leaders as “lefty” and reported that portions of the summit were closed to the press. The city’s official description, however, frames U20 as an international forum for mayors to collaborate on urban policy rather than as a partisan political gathering.
Among the international participants is Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung, who is scheduled to meet with Mamdani to discuss potential cooperation between New York and Jakarta on public transportation, clean air, water and coastal resilience, waste management and food affordability.
The summit will conclude with participating cities expected to ratify a U20 communiqué outlining a shared agenda for city action. Representatives from national governments, the United Nations and international organizations will then be invited to respond.
The timing is no accident: the summit opens just as Climate Week NYC gets underway and ahead of the United Nations General Assembly.
So while the world may know New York for Broadway, pizza and impossible rent, this weekend the city is also serving as a global meeting room.
No reservation required.
