Author: erik

Results of the Connective Cities Deep Dive process ‘Heat in the city’

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How does your city deal with increasing heat? What can you do to protect the urban population from the impacts of heat burden in cities?

We would like to invite you to learn from the intensive exchange of expertise between the cities of Aswan in Egypt, Heidelberg and Lüdenscheid in Germany, Mombasa and Nairobi in Kenya and Lviv in Ukraine. The experts jointly identified and analysed challenges and developed locally-adapted solutions in the form of pilots that were implemented in their respective cities. We would like to present and discuss the results of the two-year deep dive process ‘Heat in the city’ on 12 June 2025, from 9:00 – 12:00 am:

You will have the opportunity to ‘dive’ into the projects and understand which key elements are important for successful implementation and upscaling in the future. In Lüdenscheid, efforts began with forming a multi-departmental core team to guide the development of a comprehensive heat action plan tailored to the city’s needs. Meanwhile, in Aswan, an integrated heat action framework was developed to address the unique challenges of the region’s hot climate. In Mombasa, initiatives focused on raising awareness and mapping urban heat island hotspots to inform better both stakeholders and citizens. Similarly, in Nairobi, schools became the focus of heat mitigation efforts, using temperature data to guide the strategic planting of shade-providing fruit trees, complemented by awareness programs aimed at students and educators. Meanwhile in Lviv, the participatory initiative of pocket parks was successfully launched in three different sites. Heidelberg is planning both to create a climatological database for all public spaces and outdoor areas and to develop up to three best practice examples for urban heat mitigation in public spaces.

The event is aimed at municipal experts from Germany and around the world as well as at potential donors and financial institutions who may be interested in supporting the projects. We look forward to welcoming you!

The working language of the event is English. In order to attend the meeting, subscribe here.

For more information, please contact Sibylle Loyeau sibylle.loyeau@engagement-global.de

Empowering Communities: The Ripple Effect of Women’s Leadership

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The initiative “Making My School More Beautiful,” led by five women elected for the municipal council of Yarmouk al-Jadida municipality in Jordan, showcases a successful model for promoting democracy and empowering girls through school parliaments. By collaborating closely with local communities, schools, and mothers, the project not only enhanced school environments but also fostered civic awareness and active participation among young women. Its structured approach offers a replicable framework for similar initiatives in other communities.

Green Hydrogen for Local Development

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Naivasha, Kenya | 14–17 April 2025 – Green hydrogen is gaining global attention as a key energy carrier for the future. While much of the discussion centres on export potential, green hydrogen production also holds significant potential for local development—boosting municipal infrastructure and stimulating local economies, especially in Africa, where the continent’s high potential for solar and wind energy brings African cities in a unique position to become innovation hubs and key drivers in the global energy transition.

To foster exchange of experiences and best practices between African and German cities, Connective Cities organised the workshop “Exploring the Potential of Green Transition for Local Economic Development”, bringing together over 30 municipal professionals from both regions.

The role of cities in promoting green hydrogen

The workshop, which focused on the role of cities in advancing green hydrogen as a lever for sustainable economic growth, facilitated a peer-to-peer learning space for municipal actors to exchange experiences, address challenges, and explore pathways for green hydrogen adoption at the local level.

Municipal strategies and shared challenges

Konferenzraum: Teilnehmende sitzen gruppiert an runden Tischen. Auf dem Plenum sitzen fünf Personen und diskutieren.
Photo: Connective Cities

A central focus of the exchange was how technological innovation can align with local development needs. Discussions ranged from decentralised hydrogen production systems and seawater electrolysis to the use of organic waste as a renewable source. Especially for coastal or water-scarce cities in Africa, such technologies were seen as promising solutions to local resource constraints.

However, participants agreed that technology alone is not enough. Effective local hydrogen strategies require strategic urban planning, transparent land management, and strong community engagement. Several municipalities shared examples of inclusive planning processes, involving traditional authorities and local universities in shaping future-oriented land use plans and infrastructure projects.

Eine Gruppe von zehn Personen sitzen um einen runden tisch und diskutieren intensiv. Im Hintergrund steht eine Metaplan-Tafel.
Peer Learning Session | Photo: Connective Cities

Participants from countries including Namibia, South Africa, Mauritania, Kenya, and Germany presented concrete initiatives demonstrating how hydrogen projects can generate local value. The example of Arandis (Namibia) illustrated how targeted investment and strategic partnerships are enabling the town to position itself as a production hub for green hydrogen. In contrast, the Heilbronn region (Germany) focuses on the application and industrial use of hydrogen, building a regional value chain by attracting user industries and technology providers.

Furthermore, Karlsruhe (Germany) showcased a successful ecosystem for start-ups working in hydrogen technologies, supported by research institutions and public-private partnerships. Across all cases, one message became clear: municipal masterplans and coordinated strategic planning are essential for cities to fully benefit from the emerging hydrogen economy.
The discussions underscored the growing role of cities not only as implementers of national energy goals, but as active shapers of the green transition. The workshop aimed to empower municipalities to position themselves as testing grounds, innovation platforms, and investment destinations within a future green hydrogen economy.

Outlook and next steps

The workshop concluded with a strong call for municipal leadership in developing local hydrogen strategies that reflect both environmental ambitions and socio-economic priorities. Participants identified three key areas for action:

  1. Local value creation: Prioritising domestic use of hydrogen for local industries – such as fertiliser or building materials – rather than relying solely on export models.
  2. Education and skills development: Aligning vocational training and higher education programmes with future labour market needs in the hydrogen sector.
  3. Partnerships and knowledge exchange: Strengthening peer-to-peer learning and cooperation among municipalities through platforms such as Connective Cities.

Participants also highlighted that green hydrogen offers more than energy solutions – it can help create future-oriented jobs, stimulate innovation, and improve urban living conditions. By linking clean energy production with economic development, municipalities can promote both resilience and inclusivity.
The workshop in Naivasha confirmed that green hydrogen can become a key pillar of sustainable urban development – provided that cities take a proactive role. Where political commitment, technical capacity and community participation come together, green hydrogen has the potential to drive long-term prosperity and shared growth.

Gruppenbild mit sechs Teilnehmenden aus Deutschland und Kenia
Photo: Export-Akademie Baden-Württemberg

 

“Whether peer learning sessions, inspiring impulses or practical insights into hydrogen strategies, sustainable mobility and local project development – the variety of formats impressively demonstrated how much potential there is in partnership-based cooperation.“

– Felix Sossalla, Wirtschaftsförderung Raum Heilbronn GmbH (LinkedIn, translated)

 

“We’re looking forward to partnering with more cities, industries, and changemakers who share our vision for a greener, more inclusive future. Let’s create the green cities of tomorrow — together.”

– Export-Akademie Baden-Württemberg (LinkedIn)

The countrywide localization of the SDGs from the perspective of local municipalities

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On 7 May 2025 at 3 p.m., an international expert exchange on the topic “Voluntary Subnational Review (VSR)” took place online. Representatives from South Africa and Germany presented their respective efforts to localize the SDGs. The aim of a VSR is to provide a countrywide overview of the Sustainable Development Goals, taking into account the differences and strengths of each municipality.

The German Voluntary Local Government Review was presented by Dr. Bettina Bunk from the Department of External Relations of the State Capital Stuttgart, Ms. Verena Schwarte from the Office for International Affairs and Global Sustainability of the City of Bonn and Mr. Oliver Peters from the German Institute for Urban Affairs. The experts have shown that the Voluntary Subnational Review can be prepared in an agile and efficient manner, if the data is available. It is particularly important to have a set of national indicators to compare with the set of local indicators. This makes it possible to highlight the unique characteristics of each municipality while providing an overall picture.

Tebogo Matlou, International Project Manager at the South African Local Government Association, also showed how the VSR can be drafted in an agile and effective manner, provided that there is proper coordination and engagement of all actors. In South Africa, the VSR was drafted during the process of drafting ten Voluntary Local Reviews. This localization of the SDGs at multiple levels also allowed for the alignment of sustainable development policies at the national level, including with a view to the national Agenda 2063. The key to success in South Africa was the provision of a digital hub for monitoring the SDGs. With a standardized structure, it was possible to draft the various reports simultaneously.

Through this meeting, participants gained further inspiration on the localization of the SDGs. In particular, the dialogue made it clear that agile drafting of the VSR is possible if there is

  • a set of common data to guide local administrations;
  • a supra-municipal organization to coordinate the process;
  • a digital platform to standardize data processing;
  • the political will to represent one’s municipality at the international level.

The meeting was made possible thanks to the willingness of a number of municipalities and associations, which joined forces with the aim of accelerating the implementation of the Voluntary and Subnational Review. By providing access to working models and presentations of results, the intention is to facilitate the process for all those who wish to draw up these sustainability reports.

For further information, please contact Francesco Schapira at francesco.schapira@engagment-global.de.

Deep Dive: Heat in the city

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The three-part learning capsule series on urban heat resilience, organised in collaboration with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), offered a compelling and timely deep dive into pressing challenges facing city planners engaged in devising heat mitigation initiatives. The sessions were structured around thematic focus topics selected by the Deep Dive group members, thus providing a well-rounded exploration of how cities can better monitor, mitigate, and manage the impacts of rising temperatures. Participants included representatives of municipalities, urban practitioners, as well as representatives of development programs active in this field. Prof. Dr. Jürgen Kropp, seputy chair on the Department of Climate Resilience at PIK and head of the Urban Transformation Research, shared his knowledge as a guest speaker and expert at all three events.

The Haus der Statistik

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Author: Dr. Susanne Reiff

Publisher: Connective Cities

A new district for administration, housing, social affairs and culture is being built on the large site of the former administrative building for the Federal Statistical Office – Haus der Statistik – in the center of Berlin. A civil society initiative had prevented the demolition of the existing building from the 1960s and, together with the administration and other stakeholders, developed the concept for the conversion – a beacon for alternative approaches to urban development.

4 pages

Year of publishing: 2025

Driving urban resilience forward

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Version française [pdf]

From 18 to 20 March 2025, twelve cities from the ECOWAS region gathered in Lomé, Togo, for a groundbreaking workshop series titled “Risk-Informed Urban Development in West Africa and the ECOWAS Region.” The event, organized by the GIZ Resilience Initiative Africa (RIA) and Connective Cities, in collaboration with the Good Governance Programme of GIZ Togo, took place with the support of the African Union Commission (AUC), the ECOWAS Commission, the German Association of Cities, and SKEW – the Service Agency Communities in One World. This workshop marked a significant step in strengthening urban resilience across the region by connecting local governments, technical experts, financing institutions, and, most importantly, fostering peer-to-peer learning across borders.

The urgency of addressing urban resilience in the face of climate change is evident. Climate-related disasters in West Africa are projected to cost up to three percent of the regional GDP annually by 2030. Combined with rapid urban growth, mounting pressure on infrastructure, and increasing social vulnerability, cities in the region are on the front lines of the climate crisis. In response, the workshop focused on a fundamental principle: cities learn best from other cities.

Building Knowledge Together: Peer Learning as a Catalyst

The workshop was designed around thematic peer learning groups, where participants tackled specific urban resilience challenges in collaborative settings. This approach allowed municipalities facing similar issues to exchange strategies, identify transferable solutions, and build solidarity across borders.

One group brought together coastal cities such as Rufisque (Senegal), Ouidah (Benin), and Lacs 1 / Aného (Togo), which are grappling with erosion, sea-level rise, and frequent flooding. Their discussions emphasized the importance of combining infrastructure measures with nature-based solutions, community awareness, and regional programs like WACA. Despite differing local contexts, the cities found common ground in how they engage citizens and integrate traditional knowledge into climate adaptation strategies.

Another group focused on urban flooding and infrastructure gaps, with participants from Golfe 1 (Togo), Mopti (Mali), and Kongoussi (Burkina Faso). These fast-growing cities explored how data-driven planning, inter-departmental coordination, and decentralized infrastructure could help mitigate flood risks. The group was particularly inspired by insights shared by the City of Berlin, which discussed managing stormwater through long-term planning and innovative urban design.

Expert exchange on the Voluntary Subnational Review

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During the Connective Cities Dialogue Event on “Sustainability reporting and Voluntary Local Review” that took place last December in Berlin, some participants decided to start a network for the acceleration and implementation of VLR/VSR. The group is composed by the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), the Council of Governors of Kenya, the City of Stuttgart, the City of Bonn, the Association of German Cities and Connective Cities.

In order to enrich and enlarge the network, the group organizes a peer-to-peer meeting on the topic Voluntary Subnational Review on May 7 at 3 p.m. (CET). The Voluntary Subnational Review is a reporting tool that allows a countrywide localization of the SDGs from the perspective of municipal administrations. By drawing up the Voluntary Local Review, municipalities provide the basic data for a detailed analysis of the local sustainable development. By aggregating these data, a country obtains a comprehensive and detailed overview of the implementation of the SDGs. Meanwhile, municipal administrations are more represented at a national level and can present a united front with regard to national development policies.

Through the support of Local Government Associations, the creation of the Voluntary Subnational Review can be quick and effective. During the peer-to-peer meeting, representatives from South Africa and Germany will present their recent efforts in the creation of their Voluntary Subnational Reviews. After the presentation, we will open the stage for a broader discussion about the Voluntary Local and Subnational Review.

To attend this meeting, please contact Francesco Schapira francesco.schapira@engagement-global.de