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Networking Event on 10 April 2018 in Cologne, Germany
With the networking event for urban practitioners on April 10th 2018, which gathered 15 experts at the venue of the German Association of Cities in Cologne, Connective Cities implemented a new format for the international community of practice: The workshop was not primarily focused on the exchange on technical questions of sustainable urban development, but on the perspective that German cities and municipal companies have on Connective Cities and on the question of how to include it in the further development of the platform. Which are the conditions and hurdles for a participation in international exchange on urban issues between cities and municipal companies? Which instruments and methods work? How can the added value both for the international and the German participants be maximised?
Connective Cities’ goal is to facilitate the multilateral sharing of expertise on eye level between urban practitioners and independently from existing city twinnings. In order to achieve this, Connective Cities provides a <link en about-us approach>methodological approach which has been tested and refined in over 70 events since 2014.
The participants in the networking event came from the cities’ administration (7), municipal companies (7) and the private sector (1) and had all participated in Connective Cities activities previously. As the event was interdisciplinary, so were the backgrounds of the experts: solid waste management, mobility, waste water, urban development, climate protection, etc.
During the workshop, the participants shared their experiences of their participations in Connective Cities activities, especially dialogue events in Germany, international practitioner workshops, local project workshops and expert assignments. In working groups, they analysed results, methods and conditions and formulated recommendations.
One of the central challenges for the mobilization of municipal expertise is the lack of resources and time on the local level. Success factors are for example an early planning of the activities, a clear communication of the benefits for the municipality and a general international commitment and a specific political mandate, which also should refer to global challenges and agendas.
Although the added value of the exchange of experience is mostly bigger for the municipalities from developing and emerging countries, the approach of exchange on eye-level and peer-to-peer advice stands the test. Especially in sectors like urban mobility, German cities can learn a lot from the experiences of big and mega cities in the Global South. “Connective Cities is not a development policy – It is exchange of development” said one of the participants. The exchange of know-how works in both directions and the South-South-exchange, too, is highly relevant.
The Connective Cities team would like to thank the participants for their commitment and the active participation in the discussions. We will use the results of the working groups and the recommendations in the current and future planning of our activities to further adapt it to the needs of municipal governments and companies.
Programme and input
Presentation (German)
Benjamin Jeromin, Connective Cities