Themed ‘TRANSFORMING CITIES: DESIGN, NATURE & HUMAN LIVES’, this year’s theme will address and reflect on the current and future urban challenges faced in meeting the demands of an ever-increasing populous nation and achieving high-income economy status. The 21st Century is a century of cities – Cities across the globe are swelling, compounding social and environmental sustainability challenges. Hence, cities have to transform, reinvent themselves and rethink policies that leads to solutions towards millennial challenges. Cities have become laboratories for innovation where innovative ideas, entrepreneurship and social dynamism are incubated, implemented and elevated to the broader national consciousness. The unprecedented growth in urban population will mean that the right strategies and actions need to be in place in order to have cities and towns that cater to the needs of the people towards providing a better and sustainable quality of life for all citizens.