Author: burkhard

Call for Participation – Global Green Sports: Implementing Sustainability Strategies for Major Sports Events

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Major sports events inspire billions of people worldwide – while also standing at the centre of the global sustainability debate. How can cities design major sports events in ways that create ecological, social, and economic added value? Which solutions are already proving successful in practice – and what can cities learn from one another?

In Berlin, these questions are being explored intensively. Together with Connective Cities, the district of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf and the Berlin Senate Department for the Interior and Sport are inviting five additional German and six international municipalities to participate in a dialogue event on sustainability strategies for major sports events.

Who is the call for participation addressed to?

We look forward to welcoming two experts from your municipality, particularly from the fields of event management, sports, sustainability & climate action or Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

The event language is English. Travel costs will be covered by Connective Cities.

How can you participate?

If you would like to participate in the dialogue event, please send us the following information via email:

  • the name of your municipality / organisation (including universities or NGOs) and your role/function,
  • a short description of a project from your municipality that you would like to present to the other participants as a good practice. You are also welcome to describe a local challenge you are currently facing and would like to discuss with the other municipal experts.

 

Please get in touch about your participation until 5 July 2026.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us:
Nikola Krause, project coordinator Connective Cities
nikola.krause@engagement-global.de; +49 (0)228 20717 2922 and connective-cities@engagement-global.de

Further information can be found in the Call for Participation (download on the right).

Appel à candidatures – Global Green Sports : mise en œuvre de stratégies de durabilité pour les grands événements sportifs

Invitation adressée aux experts municipaux à participer à la rencontre de dialogue à Berlin, du 20 au 22 octobre 2026

Les grands événements sportifs enthousiasment des milliards de personnes – tout en étant au coeur du débat mondial sur la durabilité. Comment les communes peuvent-elles organiser les grands événements sportifs
de manière à créer une valeur ajoutée écologique, sociale et économique ? Quelles solutions fonctionnent déjà dans la pratique – et que peut-on apprendre les uns des autres ?

À Berlin, les responsables s’occupent déjà activement de ces questions. Aujourd’hui, l’arrondissement de Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf et l’administration sénatoriale chargée des affaires intérieures et des sports, en collaboration avec Connective Cities, invitent 5 autres communes allemandes et 6 communes internationales à échanger, lors d’une rencontre de dialogue, sur les stratégies de durabilité pour les grands événements sportifs.

À qui s’adresse cet appel à participation ?

Nous nous réjouissons de la participation de deux experts de votre commune, notamment issus des domaines de la gestion d’événements, du sport, de l’éducation au développement durable ou des services de l’ordre public.

La langue de l’événement est l’anglais. Les frais de déplacement seront pris en charge par Connective Cities.

Comment participer ?

Si vous souhaitez participer à cet événement de dialogue, veuillez nous envoyer les informations suivantes par e-mail :

le nom de votre municipalité / organisation (y compris les universités ou les ONG) et votre rôle/fonction, une brève description d’un projet de votre municipalité que vous souhaiteriez présenter aux autres participants en tant que bonne pratique. Vous pouvez également décrire un défi local auquel vous êtes actuellement confronté et dont vous aimeriez discuter avec les autres experts municipaux.

Merci de nous faire part de votre participation avant le 5 juillet 2026.

Vous trouverez toutes les informations complémentaires dans
l’appel à participation [pdf]

Si vous avez des questions, n’hésitez pas à nous contacter:

Nikola Krause, coordinatrice du projet Connective Cities
nikola.krause@engagement-global.de ; +49 (0)228 20717 2922 et connective-cities@engagement-global.de

Connective Cities at the 19th Federal Congress on German National Urban Development Policy

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From 14 to 16 September 2026, the 19th Federal Congress on National Urban Development Policy will take place in Cologne. The theme is “Act together, act faster, think further: shaping cities for everyone”. This event will bring together stakeholders from local governments, politics, public administration, academia and civil society to discuss innovative approaches to sustainable, resilient and forward-looking urban development.

For the first time this year, Connective Cities will have a stand at the event run by the Service Agency Communities in One World (SKEW). The congress offers an excellent opportunity to raise the profile of the international city network and its services for facilitating professional exchanges between local authorities. We will be focusing on discussions with local authority experts from the fields of urban development, mobility, climate adaptation and sustainable transformation.

At the SKEW stand, we particularly want to show experts what Connective Cities has to offer and discuss potential opportunities for participation and cooperation. We will also present selected examples of good practice from the relevant specialist areas, as well as the Connective Cities Media Centre as a knowledge platform. We warmly invite network members attending the Federal Congress to take this opportunity to speak to the team at the stand. We look forward to exchanging ideas, making new contacts, and generating new impetus for municipal development cooperation.

Further information: 19th Federal Congress on National Urban Development Policy

Call for Applications: Goerdeler Award 2027

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Connective Cities is pleased to once again support the call for applications for the Municipal Award 2027 of the Carl and Anneliese Goerdeler Foundation Fund (CAG), following its integration into the Leipzig Foundation. The award recognises outstanding achievements in local governance and administration.

The 2027 edition focuses on “Resilient Municipalities: Municipal Partnerships for Civil Protection, Critical Infrastructure and Crisis Preparedness.” It highlights innovative and transferable good practices developed through cooperation between municipalities—particularly in an international context.

A prerequisite for application is the involvement of a German municipality or a municipal alliance.

Across the world, municipalities are facing increasing challenges, from natural disasters and infrastructure disruptions to cyber risks and geopolitical tensions. Strengthening resilience at the local level requires not only technical solutions, but also strong collaboration between administrations, municipal services, civil society, and other local actors.

The award therefore seeks cross-border municipal partnerships that demonstrate practical and innovative approaches in areas such as:

  • civil protection and disaster preparedness
  • protection and development of critical infrastructure
  • digital security
  • crisis communication

 

Special attention is given to inclusive and participatory approaches that address the needs of different population groups, especially women, children, and other vulnerable groups.

The award includes a prize of EUR 2,000 and public recognition.

Application deadline: 31 August 2026

As part of its mission to foster international municipal exchange, Connective Cities encourages municipalities and municipal alliances within its network and beyond to apply and share their experiences.

Find out more about the call and application process here: CAG-Announcement [pdf, 3 pages, in German]

Applications and/or enquiries by email to:

Ricarda Meissner Ricarda.meissner@giz.de

Jelena Karamatijevic Jelena.karamatijevic@giz.de

Municipal Resilience: Safeguarding Critical Infrastructure

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When electricity fails, water pumps stop working. When communication networks are disrupted, emergency response slows down. Critical infrastructure is interconnected—and so are the risks municipalities face.

Across South Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus, municipalities are increasingly confronted with complex and interconnected risks. Climate change, ageing infrastructure, cyber threats and geopolitical instability are placing growing pressure on the systems that provide essential public services.

To support municipalities in addressing these challenges, Connective Cities launched the regional learning process Planning for Municipal Resilience: Safeguarding Critical Infrastructure through Risk-Informed Development.

At the kick-off of the regional Connective Cities Learning Process in Tirana, 30 experts from 13 municipalities and nine countries worked together to identify local vulnerabilities and develop practical solutions. The result: eleven municipal action plans – ranging from backup power and digital infrastructure monitoring to flood prevention, crisis communication and new approaches to municipal coordination.

What challenges do municipalities share, what solutions are they developing – and what can other local governments learn from them? Read more in this full documentation.

 

How Can Municipalities Cope with the Heat?

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Heat affects us all. It is one of the world’s fastest-growing and deadliest climate risks.

However, we are not powerless against it. Municipalities around the world are developing and sharing comprehensive strategies. These range from heat action plans and green and blue infrastructure planning to smart rainwater management, the use of AI, and the creation of digital twins for risk-informed crisis management.

Naturally, municipalities have also been tackling this crucial topic within the Connective Cities framework. We’ve put together a selection of examples from the Connective Cities context along with additional resources for you.

Heat in the City – The Connective Cities Deep Dive Learning Process
From 2023-2025, six municipalities joined forces to analyse the impact of heatwaves and heat islands, and developed solutions tailored to local conditions.
Detailed interim report: https://www.connective-cities.net/en/media-center/heat-in-the-city-2/


Cities Leading by Example
This guidebook on risk-informed planning and heat mitigation, developed by the Connective Cities’ Deep Dive, serves as a practical guide for municipal actors, urban planners, policymakers and community leaders who wish to adopt a risk-informed approach and integrate heat adaptation into their planning processes.
https://www.connective-cities.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/cities-leading_guidebook.pdf

The „Walkable Triangle“ in Kisumu, Kenya
The pedestrian-friendly redeveloped commercial district is now a lovely place to linger with its mature trees keeping it pleasantly cool and the air fresh
https://www.connective-cities.net/media-center/das-walkable-triangle-in-kisumu-kenia/

 

Greater climate protection and quality of life: Green corridors in the MENA region lower ambient temperatures in cities and their surroundings
An AI-based visualisation exercise focusing on green corridors and green neighbourhoods, designed to bring together different perspectives on urban planning from the fields of administration, politics and academia. https://www.connective-cities.net/en/media-center/greater-climate-protection-and-quality-of-life-green-corridors-in-the-mena-region/

The Digital Twin Platform of Bağcilar, Türkiye
Read about how a municipality in Istanbul combines citizen services with data-driven urban risk management also in terms of heat assessments.
https://www.connective-cities.net/en/media-center/the-digital-twin-platform-of-bagcilar-turkiye/

Recommended Papers:

Ibero-American Urban Climate Atlas
This project covers 11 cities in Spain and South America. The research aims to analyse the local context of each city with regard to the impact of heat islands. The objective is to assess changes in temperature patterns and their territorial effects within cities.
Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities (UCCI) and ICLEI South America
https://e-library.iclei.org/uploads/IBER_ATLAS_EN_2.pdf

Financing heat resilience
How governments can finance heat resilience through risk-informed investments, innovative financing mechanisms, and resilient infrastructure.
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), Centre for Disaster Protection, National Disaster Management Authority (India)
https://www.undrr.org/publication/documents-and-publications/financing-heat-resilience

Heat Action Plans in Local Government Practice (in German)
Implementation of the recommendations for drawing up heat action plans in local government practice (Plan°C)
German Institute for Urban Studies (Difu)
https://repository.difu.de/items/c805c6fb-c3c1-4288-b1c9-eff356fb04bd

Smart Sponge Cities and Modern Heavy Rainfall Management (in German)
Ideas on how cities can further strengthen their climate and risk resilience and protect themselves against both heavy rainfall events and droughts
German Association of Cities
https://www.staedtetag.de/positionen/positionspapiere/2026/diskussionspapier-smarte-schwammstadt-modernes-starkregenmanagement

The Digital Twin Platform of Bağcilar, Türkiye

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Bağcılar is one of Istanbul’s most densely populated districts, with approximately 710,000 inhabitants. Located on the coast of the Sea of Marmara, it covers an area of about 22 square kilometers. As a municipality in a region with a high risk of earthquakes, Bağcılar faces the urgent task of taking precautions to protect its population and urban systems in the event of a crisis. To this end, the municipal administration has been driving digital transformation since the 2000s and has conducted a comprehensive inventory of existing building structures – information that has been incorporated as data into a digital 3D model of the municipality.

With this ‘Digital Urban Twin Platform’, the administration aims to enable faster assessment of situations in emergencies and disasters. Digital simulation of risk scenarios – such as tsunamis following earthquakes – allows for improved civil protection measures and necessary adjustments to urban systems. Furthermore, continuous digital monitoring of the building stock enables targeted on-site inspections of building regulations, thereby increasing administrative efficiency. Citizens can access the platform via an app to book various municipal services.

According to Cüneyt Yilmaz, head of the IT Department at Bağcılar, the central criterion for the applicability of the platform is the creation of a sustainable data foundation.

The documentation describes in detail the development process, activities and future application areas of the continuously evolving digital twin platform.

Author: Lennart Kreuzfeld

Copyright: Connective Cities

Start-ups and Innovation: Labour Market Opportunities and Prospects for Young People

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How can municipalities help young people successfully start businesses while also driving local development? This question was at the heart of the international Connective Cities dialogue event “Start-ups and Innovation: Labour Market Opportunities and Prospects for Young People”, held in Bremen from 30 June to 2 July 2026. Around 35 experts from 11 municipalities and seven countries came together to exchange experiences, learn from one another, and jointly develop new solutions.

The event focused on the opportunities that start-ups and entrepreneurship create for employment, economic development, and social participation among young people. A key finding was that, despite differing local conditions, municipalities around the world face many similar challenges. Young entrepreneurs need access to advisory services, networks, financing, suitable infrastructure, and practical education. Municipalities play a crucial role as facilitators, supporters, and enablers of thriving local entrepreneurial ecosystems.

The participants are discussing in a historic hall
Reception for participants at Bremen City Hall | Photo: Connective Cities

Participants gained insights into successful municipal approaches from Germany, Namibia, North Macedonia, Rwanda, Serbia, South Africa, and Zambia. Examples included business incubators, one-stop shops for advisory services, digital platforms, mentoring programmes, and initiatives supporting women, migrants, and young people in rural areas. Particularly impressive was the diversity of solutions tailored to local challenges.

“We use storytelling and share the stories of start-ups so that others can see: this could be my story as well.”
Oliver Götz, Gründungswerft e.V., Germany

One example from the Global South came from Windhoek, Namibia. The Bokamoso Entrepreneurial Centre supports young businesses with affordable infrastructure and training opportunities to help them enter national and international markets. The centre has successfully assisted companies in sectors such as crafts, the creative industries, and food production. It also specifically promotes business concepts focused on resource efficiency and recycling, thereby strengthening the circular economy in Windhoek.

From Germany, Bremen presented its closely connected start-up ecosystem, which brings together stakeholders from business, academia, and public administration. Through Starthaus Bremen & Bremerhaven, the city offers a central point of contact supporting aspiring entrepreneurs with advice, networking, financing, and funding opportunities. Bremen also promotes entrepreneurship awareness among young people through partnerships with schools and universities.

 

Eine Frau aus Sambia steht vor einem Pinboard und erklärt mit viel Gestik ihr Projekt,
Project presentation from Choma, Zambia | Photo: Connective Cities

The connection between education and entrepreneurship was a central theme throughout the event. Professor Dr. Jörg Freiling of the University of Bremen emphasized that young people today need skills such as creativity, initiative, problem-solving abilities, and entrepreneurial thinking to succeed in an increasingly complex world. Universities, schools, and companies must therefore work more closely together and expose young people to real-world challenges and innovation processes at an early stage.

“I often tell my students: you are the innovators in our society.”
Professor Dr. Jörg Freiling, University of Bremen

During the working groups and peer-to-peer consultations, participants developed numerous practical solutions. Topics included strengthening the links between education and business, creating new training and mentoring formats, introducing mobile advisory services for remote regions, and reducing bureaucratic barriers for entrepreneurs.

Drei junge Leute stehen vor einer Tafel. Die Frau in der Mitte hält eine Karte hoch mit der Aufschrift: Bureaucratic barriers".
Presentation of the group work | Photo: Connective Cities

Representatives from Munich contributed ideas on how to better support entrepreneurs with migration backgrounds. Proposed measures included multilingual information services, mentoring programmes to help navigate administrative procedures, and closer cooperation with Welcome Centres and other advisory institutions.

Another widely discussed solution came from eThekwini, South Africa, addressing the challenges faced by remote and rural communities. Participants explored the concept of mobile hubs—vehicles that regularly deliver advisory services, training, digital infrastructure, and information on funding opportunities directly to hard-to-reach communities. This approach would allow young people outside major urban centres to access essential support services.

We need to encourage young people to not just work for self-sustenance, but to create jobs to the local communities as well.“
Dumisani Nhlengethwa, eThekwini Municipality, South Africa

The dialogue programme was complemented by study visits to Bremen and Bremerhaven’s start-up ecosystem. Visits to Starthaus Bremen & Bremerhaven, the hoi startup factory, and other local initiatives demonstrated how a well-connected innovation ecosystem can support entrepreneurs throughout their journey.

The event marked the beginning of a new Connective Cities learning process. Additional online formats, expert exchange visits, and a closing online event will continue the collaboration among municipalities in the coming months. The strong interest and vibrant discussions highlighted that supporting youth entrepreneurship is increasingly seen worldwide as a key driver of sustainable economic and social development.

“This event gave me a bird’s-eye view. It is often difficult to see what is truly important when you are deeply involved in projects.”
Era Bektashi, Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, Germany

 

Further Impressions:

Photos: Connective Cities

Author: Katrin Riß, text+welt

From Challenge to Practice: How Municipalities Turn Local Plans into Public Services

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Connective Cities participated in the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) World Congress 2026, held from 22–25 June in Tangier, Morocco. Under the overarching theme “A New Generation of Universal Local Public Services,” the Congress brought together more than 3,000 local and regional leaders, municipal practitioners, city networks and development partners from around the world.

As part of the Local4Action Track, Connective Cities, together with the Association of German Cities, organised the 90-minute Lab “From Challenge to Practice: How Municipalities Turn Local Plans into Public Services.”

From Planning to Implementation

The Lab addressed a challenge shared by municipalities worldwide: while local strategies and development plans are often well designed, translating them into effective, inclusive and sustainable public services remains a complex task. Rather than focusing solely on success stories, the session encouraged municipalities to share real implementation experiences, discuss practical challenges and learn from one another.

Gabi Schock from the City of Krefeld (Germany) opened the session with insights into strategic municipal waste management, demonstrating how citizen participation can become a key success factor in planning and implementing public services. Using Krefeld’s waste management strategy as an example, she illustrated how local government, political representatives, businesses and citizens were involved at an early stage of the planning process. The presentation showed that participation not only increases public acceptance of new measures but also helps integrate local knowledge into decision-making, identify potential conflicts early on and develop sustainable long-term solutions. Krefeld’s experience highlighted that successful municipal service delivery is built on transparent governance, continuous dialogue and trust-based cooperation with citizens.

The second case was presented by H.E. Governor Issa Timamy of Lamu County (Kenya), who introduced the Kiunga Solar-Powered Desalination Initiative. The project addresses the challenge of providing reliable access to clean drinking water in a remote border region. By using solar-powered desalination technology, Lamu County has not only improved water supply but also reduced dependence on fossil fuels and strengthened resilience to climate change. Governor Timamy emphasised that the initiative’s success was made possible through close cooperation between the County Government, local communities and development partners. The project demonstrates how integrated municipal planning can simultaneously contribute to improved public services, better health outcomes, social cohesion and local economic development. In recognition of these achievements, Lamu County received the UCLG Peace Prize, accompanied by prize money of €20,000.

The two presentations highlighted a common message: effective public service delivery is achieved where technical solutions are combined with good governance, active citizen participation and strong local partnerships.

Peer-to-Peer Consultation: Developing Solutions Together

The second half of the Lab shifted from presentations to collaborative problem-solving.

Ein Redner steht neben einem großen bildschirm und erklärt den an runden Tischen sitzenden Teilnehmenden die Methodik.
An Introduction to the Peer-to-Peer Consultation Methodology | Photo: Connective Cities

A representative of the Municipality of Pékine (Senegal) presented a real implementation challenge: complex procurement procedures, lengthy administrative processes and staff turnover were delaying infrastructure projects and slowing down municipal service delivery.

Participants jointly analysed the challenge during a facilitated Peer-to-Peer Consultation and developed a range of practical recommendations. Proposed solutions included:

  • strengthening knowledge management to preserve institutional memory;
  • developing clearer procurement roadmaps and process guidelines;
  • improving coordination across municipal departments;
  • establishing clear responsibilities and accountability mechanisms;
  • promoting knowledge exchange with neighbouring municipalities;
  • investing in continuous capacity development for municipal staff;
  • creating databases of qualified service providers;
  • introducing minimum quality standards for contractors and service providers; and
  • assessing the political and institutional context at an early stage to identify opportunities for implementation.

 

The discussion demonstrated that municipalities across different regions often face remarkably similar implementation challenges. This is precisely where the Connective Cities approach creates value: structured municipal exchange enables practitioners to jointly develop practical solutions that can be adapted to their respective local contexts.

The Lab also illustrated how international municipal exchange can move beyond traditional good practice presentations. By openly discussing implementation challenges and working together to identify solutions, peer learning becomes a practical instrument for strengthening local public service delivery.

 

The Connective Cities team and participants in the Lab | Photo: Connective Cities

See also: Highlights of the UCLG World Congress

Highlights of the 2026 UCLG World Congress

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From 22 to 25 June 2026, the World Organisation of Local Authorities (UCLG) held its World Congress in Tangier, Morocco. With the theme of ‘A New Generation of Universal Local Public Services’, over 3,000 delegates from around the world gathered.

The organisation brings together national associations of local authorities, as well as over 1,000 local authorities from seven regions of the world: Africa, the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, Eurasia, the Middle East and West Asia, and Latin America and North America. The UCLG therefore represents around five billion people, accounting for 70 per cent of the world’s population.

The UCLG World Congress is held every three years. Alongside the technical discussions held in numerous Barcamps and side events, and the many networking opportunities, the Congress marked the start of a new governance cycle for the international local government movement. The Presidium, which consists of a President and six Co-Presidents representing different regions, was re-elected. The delegates elected Uğur İbrahim Altay, Mayor of Konya, Turkey, as the new UCLG President for the 2026–2029 term.

Andreas Wolter is standing behind a podium, ready to speak.
Andreas Wolter, a Cologne city councillor, represents the German side on human rights issues | Photo: Connective Cities

The Congress also renewed UCLG’s governing bodies, including the World Council and the Executive Bureau. Representing Germany on the new World Council are Dr Ursula Sautter (Mayor of Bonn), Jörk Cardeneo (City Councillor, Düsseldorf) and Andreas Wolter (City Councillor, Cologne). The election process reflects UCLG’s commitment to balanced regional representation and shared political leadership within the global municipal movement.

Another milestone was the first-ever UCLG Women’s Assembly, which brought together women mayors, governors and local leaders from around the world. Discussions focused on advancing gender equality in local governance, strengthening women’s political leadership and further developing the Feminist Municipal Movement within UCLG. The Assembly reaffirmed that gender equality is a fundamental component of resilient, inclusive and future-oriented local governance. During the Assembly, Mayor Dr Ursula Sautter also proposed introducing a gender-balanced co-presidency model for the next UCLG mandate.

UCLG Women Assembly | Photo: Connective Cities

In the ‘Tangier Outcome Document – A New Generation of Universal Local Public Services’, the delegates also reaffirmed the central role of local and regional governments in providing inclusive, accessible and resilient public services. The focus was on issues such as affordable housing, climate resilience, digital transformation, social inclusion and international municipal cooperation.

In this context, the Connective Cities Lab ‘From Challenge to Practice: How Municipalities Turn Local Plans into Public Services’ demonstrated how how structured peer learning can support municipalities in bridging the gap between planning and implementation and in developing practical solutions to shared urban challenges.