Learning Processes

Heat in the City

Six cities – Lüdenscheid and Heidelberg (Germany), Aswan (Egypt), Nairobi and Mombasa (Kenya), and Lviv (Ukraine) – are collaborating from mid-2023 to 2025 as part of the "Heat in the City" learning process.

They are analyzing the effects of heatwaves and urban heat islands in their cities and developing tailored solutions for their local contexts. The goal is to promote urban adaptation to the challenges of climate change.

Heavy Rain Management, Evacuation, and Climate-Friendly Construction

In Germany, key topics on sustainable urban development have been addressed through various learning processes. In December 2022, in Cologne, the role of rainwater and heavy rainwater management in water-sensitive urban planning was discussed. In cooperation with the Cologne City Drainage Authority (StEB Köln), innovative solutions were presented on how heavy rainfall and stormwater can be better managed to make cities more resilient to the impacts of climate change.

In March 2023, an event in Cologne focused on the evacuation and emergency accommodation of people in urban areas. The focus was on sustainable and effective concepts for the long-term accommodation and care of evacuees, emphasizing that emergency shelters must offer more than just temporary solutions. In November 2023, the focus in Potsdam was on climate-friendly construction and the use of biobased and recyclable materials. In cooperation with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Bauhaus Earth, effective approaches were developed on how such materials can be used in construction to build more sustainably and reduce CO2 emissions.

In September 2024, questions regarding the reuse of modernist buildings from the 1960s and 1970s will be addressed in Berlin. This is a topic that considers both resource conservation and cultural preservation. The series will be concluded in December 2024 in Berlin with a learning process on sustainability reporting and voluntary local assessments to empower municipalities and local government agencies to measure their progress in sustainability and communicate it transparently.

Flood Risk Management for Risk-Informed Urban Development

As part of the learning process "Flood Risk Management for Risk-Informed Urban Development," 52 professionals from 26 cities in the SSA region collaborated to develop innovative solutions for risk management in urban systems. In cooperation with the Cologne City Drainage Department and the city of Cologne, the focus was on strengthening risk-conscious urban development and promoting a systemic, multi-hazard approach to disaster risk management.

The learning process was implemented in collaboration with the "Resilience Initiative Africa" project.

Measures for Cooler Cities

As part of the "Action for Cool Cities" learning process, municipalities participated in various modules to develop solutions for climate-friendly urban design. The first step was a virtual kickoff event where good practices for reducing CO2 emissions and improving outdoor comfort were presented. In a subsequent workshop in Amman, participants developed ideas and prototypes for creating climate-friendly public spaces, improving communication between urban departments, and optimizing building regulations.

The municipalities developed actionable concepts and tested them in an iteractive process.

Renewable Energy Options at the Municipal Level

The learning process on "Renewable Energy Options at the Municipal Level" in Southeastern Europe, which started in October 2023 in Tbilisi, continued in June 2024 with a workshop in Sarajevo. 19 municipalities from seven countries engaged in intensive peer-to-peer exchanges to refine their projects.

Through workshops and feedback sessions, concrete, actionable solutions were developed, including sustainable financing concepts and energy-efficient technologies for public buildings. The process will continue until March 2025.