erik - Connective Cities

Action planning for sustainability reporting

Posted on December 12, 2024 by erik

When adopting the 2030 Agenda, the member states of the United Nations (UN) committed to working closely with local and regional governments to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Since 2015, cities, regions and their associations have been increasingly committed to tackling global social and environmental challenges in order to localise the SDGs on the ground.

On a voluntary basis, more and more municipalities are reporting on the implementation status in Voluntary Local Reviews (VLR) or Voluntary Sub-National Reviews (VSR) at regional level. These supplement the national reports (VNR) of the governments and are presented each year at the UN High Level Political Forum (HLPF).

From 2 to 4 December 2024, 37 practitioners from 25 institutions and 15 countries met at the German Association of Cities in Berlin to share their experiences in reporting. For the first time, representatives of municipal associations met with their colleagues from city administrations at a Connective Cites dialogue event.

In addition to exchanging experiences on good practices and different approaches to reporting, the aim was also to harmonise VLRs and VSRs with each other and, in a further step, to use the reports to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs at local and regional level.

Manizales: Foundation stone laid for the localization of the SDGs

Posted on December 10, 2024 by erik

For the Colombian city of Manizales, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2020 were more than just a list of targets for a better future. The city had just adopted its urban development plan “Manizales + Grande” and the administration now wanted to bring the SDGs into society and bring them to life in the everyday lives of the population. The SDGs are being implemented as global goals in municipalities around the world. So what could be more obvious than exchanging ideas with committed municipalities and giving each other tips and suggestions?

The virtual dialogue event “Strengthening local implementation of the SDGs through reporting and monitoring” in April 2021 – organized by Connective Cities in cooperation with the City of Bonn, among others – came at just the right time for Manizales. Almost 60 municipal practitioners from 19 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and North and South America shared their approaches and experiences in localizing the SDGs – an important milestone for Manizales.

Transforming primary school “Lovćenski Partizanski Odred”

Posted on November 19, 2024 by erik

Revitalizing an essential community hub

The Primary School “Lovćenski Partizanski Odred” in Cetinje, Montenegro, has been a cornerstone of education in the community since 2004. Serving 600 students, the school building was constructed as part of a larger plan, which, due to budget limitations, was only partially completed. While the main building was in use, the absence of a sports hall and outdoor facilities, combined with outdated infrastructure, hindered the learning experience.

In 2018, a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Education, Science, and Innovation and the Old Royal Capital Cetinje set out to change this. The joint venture aimed to upgrade the school with a new sports hall, enhanced outdoor spaces, and significant energy efficiency improvements, ensuring a safer, more sustainable environment. This transformation, strengthened by Connective Cities’ knowledge-sharing platform, showcases the power of international collaboration in advancing sustainable urban development.

Connective Cities learning process and knowledge exchange

The Connective Cities network, which fosters sustainable urban practices through peer learning and collaboration, has been an invaluable resource in the transformation of Cetinje’s schools. In October 2023, representatives from Cetinje—Marija Mrvaljević, the City Chief Architect, and Marija Proročić, Secretary for Spatial Planning and Environmental Protection—participated in the Connective Cities Learning Process on Renewable Energy Options at the Municipal Level, in Tbilisi, Georgia. During this event, they presented the school renovation project, gaining valuable insights and technical expertise from other European and German cities facing similar urban challenges. This exchange has been essential in adapting the project to international standards of energy efficiency and sustainable design.

Through the Connective Cities platform, Cetinje has successfully integrated key renewable energy solutions into the renovation of local schools. The municipality installed solar energy systems on school buildings, significantly improving energy efficiency and reducing electricity costs. Additionally, energy-efficient lighting and enhanced insulation were implemented to further decrease energy consumption. These initiatives not only advance Cetinje’s sustainability objectives but also serve as a model for other municipalities seeking to implement similar solutions.

Turning polluted streams into green-blue corridors

Posted on November 15, 2024July 22, 2025 by erik

For the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia, the world looked very different when it was participating in the Connective Cities learning process on urban development adapted to climate change between 2019 and 2021. The war in Ukraine began in 2022 and has forced a fundamental shift in priorities for municipal administrations. However, the renaturation of small rivers, which Vinnytsia began as part of the learning process, remains an important project for the city as it forms a key element of its sustainable future.

Recognition of environmental, urban planning and social potential

The city, with its population of around 370,000, is located 260 kilometres to the south-west of Kyiv with 64 small rivers and streams flowing through it. Their potential has long been underestimated. The locals referred to them simply as “stinking streams”, they were frequently full of rubbish or routed underground and the water quality was dreadful. Today, the municipality understands the environmental, urban planning and social potential these watercourses and their banks provide – as blue-green corridors, local areas for recreation and for protecting and promoting biodiversity. “To begin with we really had no idea what renaturation of a water course involved. We thought removing all the rubbish from the streams would be enough,” recalls Yanna Chaikovska, director of the municipal Institute of Urban Development in Vinnytsia.

Connective Cities at WUF12

Posted on November 13, 2024June 11, 2025 by erik

Under the notion ‘initiate change from home: locally, together, and now’, WUF12 was convened in Cairo- Egypt on 4 – 8 November 2024. Connective Cities and its network members have organized and participated in several activities with various thematic focus areas.

As a thriving knowledge-sharing network, Connective Cities was showcased during an intellectual panel that included representatives of the Guangzhou Institute for Urban Innovation, VNG International, the Arab Urban Development Institute, and Metropolis. The discussion delved into examples of utilizing digital tools and innovative approaches for growth and collaborative knowledge-sharing to advance inclusive and resilient urban development on a global scale.

Handing Over Ceremony for the Climate-Sensitive City Development Strategy for Garowe

Posted on October 22, 2024August 4, 2025 by erik

On September 25, 2024, the Garowe Municipality officially received the Climate-Sensitive City Development Strategy (CSCD), developed in collaboration with GIZ and the RACCA Working Group. This strategy offers practical solutions to pressing climate challenges in areas such as mobility, waste management, water resources, and green spaces.

Event Highlights:

Presentation of key sectors for climate-friendly urban development in Garowe.
Discussion on sustainable measures to improve urban infrastructure.
Formal handover of the strategy plan to the municipality, promoting the implementation of climate-friendly projects in Garowe.
Expert exchanges and collaborative discussions aimed at ensuring a resilient future for the city.

The ceremony marked the transition from planning to implementation, empowering Garowe in its efforts to become a sustainable and climate-resilient city.

We invite you to read the full publication and documentation of the event to explore the insights and strategies discussed in detail.

Jerash in Jordan: Incremental steps towards success

Posted on October 21, 2024 by erik

Known as “Pompeii of the Middle East”, Jerash in Jordan is a tourist destination due to its well-preserved Greco-Roman ruins. It is a rapidly urbanizing city that is experiencing population growth, accompanied by challenges such as housing shortages, traffic congestion, environmental degradation, and the integration of refugee population. As the city struggles with these complex issues, the municipality has been pursuing innovative and sustainable solutions that prioritize the well-being of its residents while fostering environmental stewardship and economic prosperity. Represented by the local development unit, the municipality has actively participated in many of Connective Cities regional and global activities, enabling it to take away ideas for local projects in the areas of gender-sensitive local economic development, waste management and plastic recycling, paving the way towards becoming a zero-waste municipality. In 2021, the municipality established a sorting station with financial and technical support from the GIZ to construct a waste sorting facility. The municipal waste management team has successfully managed the segregated waste operation during the past years. The operation is sustainable and the revenue from selling the segregated products is covering the operational costs.

More sustainable than demolition

Posted on October 21, 2024 by erik

Public buildings from the 1960s and 70s are a common feature of many cityscapes around the world. Today, they no longer meet the 21st century’s technical, energy and aesthetic requirements, and are frequently demolished and replaced with new buildings. However, they have great potential for reducing emissions in the construction sector, thereby contributing to climate change mitigation. Thanks to their flexible floor plans, buildings from the 1960s and 70s – the modernist period – can be adapted to today’s requirements, often with additional benefits for cities and their inhabitants. It is high time we preserved these buildings, and used the grey energy embodied within their concrete and steel in a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable way.

This paradigm shift was the focus of the ‘2nd Hands on Public Buildings’ discussion event held on 24-27 September 2024, hosted by Connective Cities, in cooperation with the Berlin Senate Department. Around 30 municipal practitioners from Germany, Kenya, Montenegro, the Palestinian territories, Zambia and Ukraine, came together to discuss approaches to, and challenges inherent in, sustainably repurposing public buildings from the 1960s and 70s, and to develop some project ideas.

Urban Thinkers Campus in Amman, Jordan

Posted on October 16, 2024 by erik

Connective Cities co-organized the Urban Thinkers Campus (UTC) that was held for the first time in Amman-Jordan. It aimed at generating insights and discussions to inform urban policies and strategies, fostering sustainable and inclusive urban development. Topics under focus were affordable/adequate housing, green infrastructure, and sustainable mobility. With representation from Jordanian and German municipalities, the Ministry of Transportation, NGOs, and academia, the UTC served as an inclusive forum for meaningful dialogue among urban researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, aimed at fostering constructive urban change.