Dynamic Capabilities for Transformative Change in City Governments

City governments face growing challenges in driving transformative change amidst complex socio-economic and environmental pressures. This paper examines how dynamic capabilities—the ability to adapt, reconfigure, and transform within existing structures—can enable cities to address such challenges effectively. Drawing on case studies from Barcelona, Bogotá, Freetown, and Seattle, we propose a novel framework that integrates structural capacities, organisational routines, and dynamic capabilities to illuminate how these elements interact to foster transformation. Our findings highlight the role of cultivating strategic awareness, adopting focus areas, coalition-building, transforming existing teams and embedding experimentation in addressing institutional and resource constraints, offering actionable insights for policymakers and researchers on advancing transformative urban governance.