Turin Mayor Calls for Cross-City Dialogue to Tackle Shared Challenges

Shared Urban Challenges

Turin, the capital of the Piedmont region in northwestern Italy, was the first capital of a united Italy. This historical city developed around the automotive industry and is now one of the country's major economic and industrial centers. Bordering France, Turin is also a major transportation hub.

Since taking office in 2021, Mayor Lo Russo has worked energetically to revitalize Turin. In 2022, the city hosted the Eurovision Song Contest—Europe's largest music festival—helping the rapid restoration of tourism in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Turin was also named the 2024-25 European Capital of Innovation, in recognition of its efforts to become a smart city that integrates technology and social welfare.

Mayor Lo Russo is currently vice-chair of the OECD Champion Mayors for Inclusive Growth Initiative. Together with Governor of Tokyo Koike Yuriko, who chairs the initiative, he leads discussions among city leaders on policies and measures to reduce inequality and promote inclusive economic growth.

One of the key challenges facing cities today, he noted, is demographic change. The mayor stressed the importance of creating attractive cities for younger generations by offering not only job opportunities but also spaces for social interaction and learning—while at the same time building inclusive societies that do not marginalize elderly people. "This combination is a very important value," he added.

Working closely with Governor of Tokyo Koike, Mayor Lo Russo hopes to address demographic issues under the OECD initiative. "We are really expecting her very strong leadership. She has transformed social services in Tokyo in many, many sectors," he said, praising her track record in the field.

While acknowledging that solutions vary by region within the OECD, he noted that "the general scheme we follow together uses (common) tracks."

Tackling Climate Change

Another major challenge Mayor Lo Russo highlighted is global warming. Drawing on his background as a geology professor, he has joined the "100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities" project, which aims to decarbonize cities by 2030 under the initiative of the European Union. Turin is exploring geothermal energy and improving the energy efficiency of buildings, including public housing.

Although climate change and natural disasters are global issues, Mayor Lo Russo argues that efforts at the city level are the first step toward solutions. "Cities are not only places of opportunity but can play a strong political role worldwide to strengthen the necessity to work together against climate change," he said.

For Turin, climate action is a top priority. According to the mayor, the city aims at a 10-year master plan with regulations to reduce CO2 emissions in areas such as transportation and construction.

Cities as Bridges Between Citizens and the State

Mayor Lo Russo underscored the vital role cities play in addressing social challenges, saying cities are much closer to citizens. "Cities are places where we can provide very quick and very effective solutions, rather than what is happening at regional or national levels," he said. "There is a big bridge between the necessity of our community and solution of the community. Mayors are the first political figures who citizens ask to solve problems," he explained.

While many solutions lie at the national level, residents often find it difficult to engage directly with central governments. As a result, they look to mayors for answers. In this sense, local governments serve as a bridge between citizens and national politics through dialogue, he stressed.

Role of International Networks

Mayor Lo Russo also highlighted the importance of international networks among cities such as G-NETS (Global City Network for Sustainability), launched by the TMG, in discussing and resolving shared challenges.

G-NETS is "really, really important for many reasons," he said. "We have the necessity to take into account how the same problems are solved in different places around the world."

He believes that, in addition to online exchanges, face-to-face discussions among community leaders—such as those held at SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 G-NETS Leaders Summit —enable the sharing of more concrete solutions.

"We want to share our experiences, both positive and negative, with other cities. We can learn from best practices and learn from our mistakes. It is the key to making general improvements in what we want to do in the next," he said.

Strengthening Ties Between Turin and Tokyo

During the interview, Mayor Lo Russo voiced strong interest in deepening cooperation between Turin and Tokyo. "Turin has a long list of potentials to work with Tokyo. We can construct many bridges between Turin and Tokyo related to culture, innovation, environmental sustainability and social collision," he said.

The mayor also stressed his desire to learn from Tokyo. "Tokyo is a model for us in terms of its management of many things for public services," he added.

This was Mayor Lo Russo's third visit to Tokyo, including a private trip. He spoke warmly of his personal affinity for the city. He even recommends that his family visit Tokyo. "To be honest, Tokyo is one of my favorite cities in the world. First, I really appreciate the people. They are all polite. And the city transmits history and modernity. I have travelled a lot but there is no place comparable to Tokyo," he said.

Learning from the Legacy of Tokyo 2020

Turin is currently working with Milan and Genoa, both in northern Italy, on a bid to host the Summer Olympic Games. During his meeting with Governor of Tokyo Koike, Mayor Lo Russo heard first-hand about the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, which he said provided valuable insights for Turin's bid.

One particularly striking example was how hosting the Paralympics helped shift public attitudes toward sports and inclusion among Tokyo residents. Looking ahead, Mayor Lo Russo expressed his eagerness to learn more about the "legacy of Tokyo 2020," adding: "I want to come back here as soon as possible."

Stefano Lo Russo

He started his political career in 2006 and was elected mayor in 2021 after serving as deputy mayor. He is vice chair of the OECD Champion Mayors Forum, vice president of the Associazione Nazionale Comuni Italiani, and a member of the Advisory Board of the OECD Global Forum on Local Development. An engineering professor at Politecnico di Torino, he also oversees major cultural institutions such as the Fondazione Teatro Regio. He was born in Turin in 1975.

In 2022, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government launched the Global City Network for Sustainability (G-NETS) as a network of cities, by cities, for cities. The network serves as a forum for cities to meet and discuss how to solve universal urban challenges from various angles, as well as from the various levels of mayors and governors, senior officials, and working-level staff. G-NETS meetings focus on two main themes: "Urban Climate and Disaster Resilience" and "Well-being in Cities."
https://www.g-nets.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/

SusHi Tech Tokyo, short for Sustainable High City Tech Tokyo, is a global innovation conference where startups, investors, large corporations, cities, and universities from around the world gather in Tokyo to envision and implement the future of cities, with the shared goal of realizing sustainable cities through cutting-edge technologies.
SusHi Tech Tokyo | Sustainable High City Tech Tokyo