The Century of Cities welcomes Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui of Cambridge, Massachusetts, as part of our special series recorded in Singapore in association with the World Cities Summit Mayors Forum and the Centre for Liveable Cities. A city once shaped by manufacturing and industrial decline, Cambridge has reinvented itself as a global centre for research and innovation. But that success has brought a new challenge: how can a city remain prosperous without becoming inaccessible to the people who call it home?

Sumbul explores the next chapter for Cambridge, where housing affordability, climate adaptation, emerging technology, and economic inclusion are becoming inseparable from the city’s future. She makes the case for long-term, collaborative leadership that brings universities, businesses, community organizations, and residents into the same conversation. For a city built on knowledge and innovation, the next great challenge may be making sure that opportunity remains open to everyone.