AI-based Visualisation for Sustainable & Affordable Housing

Cities worldwide face growing challenges in delivering affordable housing, upgrading informal settlements and creating inclusive public and social spaces. Addressing these challenges requires participatory planning, clear communication and tools that make spatial options tangible for citizens and decision-makers.

The Connective Cities Sustainable & Affordable Housing Working Group provides a global peer-to-peer learning platform supporting municipal innovation through the exchange of project ideas, planning approaches and practical solutions. Building on earlier exchanges (2024–2025), the working group has entered a new phase (2026–2028) focusing on visualisation methods to support reverse planning and implementation-oriented project preparation.

On 22 January 2026, Connective Cities convened an online peer-learning workshop on AI-based visualisation for sustainable and affordable housing. Cities from Sub-Saharan Africa. Europe and the MENA-region worked hands-on with the AI-based visualisation platform CoPlan AI, jointly generating and refining visual concepts while explaining their local planning contexts, constraints and priorities. The session followed a peer-learning format and focused on learning and exchange, not on final design solutions.

Participating Cities

Participating cities included Kisumu, Nairobi, Turkana County, Kitengela Municipality, Windhoek, Mariental, Huye, Rwamagana, Lusaka, Mazabuka, Mangaung (Bloemfontein), Mwanza, Hebron and Berlin.
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Selected City Examples

Huye (Ruanda)

Huye explored the upgrading of a dense informal settlement along a main street. Visualisations focused on combining higher density with neighbourhood-scale principles, introducing a central public plaza, integrating solar rooftops and green façades, and creating small-scale social infrastructure such as playgrounds, community spaces and local shops.

Berlin (Germany)

Berlin tested a timber-based affordable housing complex in a new development area with tram access. The concept included multi-layered block perimeter development, commercial uses on the ground floor, affordable housing for approximately 1,000 residents in upper floors, and integration of cycling infrastructure, green façades and solar lighting. The city input was jointly contributed by Lars Löbner and Larissa Häeschel from the Berlin Senate Department for Urban Development, Building and Housing.

Nairobi (Kenya)

Nairobi focused on low-rise housing along a busy urban street. The scenario combined affordable brick housing with space for local public and semi-public transport, including boda boda stations. Rear-staggered buildings, active ground floors, shops and green façades were used to improve public space quality and local accessibility.

Hebron (Palästina)

Hebron explored a park-centred development at the urban fringe, combined with affordable housing. The park served as the main structuring element, complemented by housing forms derived from traditional models, shaded seating areas, climate-adapted vegetation and pathways following the natural terrain.

Methodological Example: Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia)

Santa Cruz de la Sierra was presented as a methodological example by Ruvi Suárez (GIZ Bolivia). Based on her work with a student group, she introduced backcasting approaches and a model for assessing the impacts of different urban development scenarios. The example illustrated how AI-supported visualisation can be combined with impact-oriented planning to support the transition from vision to implementation, particularly in the context of affordable housing and public and social spaces
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Recording of the online peer learning workshop on the Connective Cities platform:

From Vision to Reality: Introducing Visualisation Methods for Affordable & Sustainable Housing

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Next Steps

The workshop marked the start of an intensified collaboration phase within the Sustainable & Affordable Housing Working Group. Building on this experience, Connective Cities will further strengthen peer consultation formats and link visualisation methods more closely to reverse planning and implementation-oriented processes.

Concept and facilitation: Jelena Karamatijević, GIZ – Connective Cities (Bonn)
Regional coordination (SSA): Moses Munuve, GIZ – Connective Cities (Nairobi)