Cities around the world are increasingly looking beyond their borders for solutions to some of their most pressing challenges, according to a new OECD study that examines how local governments adopt and adapt successful policies developed elsewhere.
The report, A Toolkit for Adopting Ideas from Other Cities, highlights a growing trend among municipalities to draw on proven approaches from peer cities when addressing issues such as housing affordability, climate resilience, mobility, infrastructure development and social inclusion. Rather than designing programmes entirely from scratch, city leaders are increasingly seeking inspiration from initiatives that have already demonstrated results in other locations.
The OECD notes that urban authorities are operating under mounting pressure. Housing shortages, ageing infrastructure, environmental risks and widening social inequalities are placing increasing demands on local governments at a time when many face financial and administrative constraints. As a result, city administrations are becoming more focused on identifying solutions that can be implemented more quickly and with lower levels of uncertainty.
Research conducted for the study found that nearly four out of five surveyed cities had either adopted or attempted to adopt at least one idea originating elsewhere during the past five years. Environmental programmes, urban planning initiatives, infrastructure projects and transport solutions were among the most commonly replicated policy areas.
The findings suggest that borrowing ideas has become a mainstream component of urban policymaking. However, the report also reveals that transferring successful initiatives from one city to another is rarely straightforward. Only 42 percent of surveyed municipalities reported fully implementing borrowed ideas, while many others introduced only selected elements or remained at pilot-project stage.
According to the OECD, this reflects the reality that policies rarely function as simple templates. Cities must adapt initiatives to local legal frameworks, governance structures, budgets, demographics and political priorities. Successful implementation often requires substantial modification rather than direct replication.
The report highlights examples from cities across Europe, North America, Latin America, Africa and Asia that have adapted external concepts to local circumstances. In Greece, local authorities explored international approaches to social housing while responding to affordability pressures. In Tanzania, municipal leaders drew inspiration from waste-management practices developed elsewhere in Africa. In the United States, cities adapted housing and social-service programmes first pioneered in other jurisdictions.
One of the study’s central conclusions is that political leadership remains the most important factor determining whether an external idea can be successfully implemented. Strong support from elected officials helps secure resources, mobilise administrative teams and maintain momentum throughout implementation. Cities that treat knowledge-sharing as a structured process rather than an occasional exercise were found to be more successful in adapting ideas to local needs.
The OECD also found that city networks play an increasingly important role in facilitating policy exchange. Digital platforms and international urban partnerships have significantly expanded opportunities for municipalities to learn from one another, regardless of geographic location. These networks allow city officials to share experiences, evaluate outcomes and avoid repeating costly mistakes already encountered elsewhere.
The report argues that effective policy adoption requires three key stages. First, cities must build internal capacity to identify and evaluate external ideas. Second, they need robust mechanisms to assess whether those ideas are compatible with local conditions. Finally, they must adapt and implement selected initiatives while engaging residents, stakeholders and public institutions throughout the process.
For urban policymakers, the OECD’s message is clear: the future of city innovation will increasingly depend not only on creating new ideas, but also on identifying, adapting and improving solutions that have already proven effective elsewhere. As urban challenges become more complex and interconnected, international collaboration among cities is emerging as an important tool for accelerating progress and improving public outcomes.
Source: OECD, A Toolkit for Adopting Ideas from Other Cities (2026)
