Call for Participation – Global Green Sports: Implementing Sustainability Strategies for Major Sports Events

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Major sports events inspire billions of people worldwide – while also standing at the centre of the global sustainability debate. How can cities design major sports events in ways that create ecological, social, and economic added value? Which solutions are already proving successful in practice – and what can cities learn from one another?

In Berlin, these questions are being explored intensively. Together with Connective Cities, the district of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf and the Berlin Senate Department for the Interior and Sport are inviting five additional German and six international municipalities to participate in a dialogue event on sustainability strategies for major sports events.

Who is the call for participation addressed to?

We look forward to welcoming two experts from your municipality, particularly from the fields of event management, sports, sustainability & climate action or Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

The event language is English. Travel costs will be covered by Connective Cities.

How can you participate?

If you would like to participate in the dialogue event, please send us the following information via email:

  • the name of your municipality / organisation (including universities or NGOs) and your role/function,
  • a short description of a project from your municipality that you would like to present to the other participants as a good practice. You are also welcome to describe a local challenge you are currently facing and would like to discuss with the other municipal experts.

 

Please get in touch about your participation until 5 July 2026.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us:
Nikola Krause, project coordinator Connective Cities
nikola.krause@engagement-global.de; +49 (0)228 20717 2922 and connective-cities@engagement-global.de

Further information can be found in the Call for Participation (download on the right).


Appel à candidatures – Global Green Sports : mise en œuvre de stratégies de durabilité pour les grands événements sportifs

Invitation adressée aux experts municipaux à participer à la rencontre de dialogue à Berlin, du 20 au 22 octobre 2026

Les grands événements sportifs enthousiasment des milliards de personnes – tout en étant au coeur du débat mondial sur la durabilité. Comment les communes peuvent-elles organiser les grands événements sportifs
de manière à créer une valeur ajoutée écologique, sociale et économique ? Quelles solutions fonctionnent déjà dans la pratique – et que peut-on apprendre les uns des autres ?

À Berlin, les responsables s’occupent déjà activement de ces questions. Aujourd’hui, l’arrondissement de Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf et l’administration sénatoriale chargée des affaires intérieures et des sports, en collaboration avec Connective Cities, invitent 5 autres communes allemandes et 6 communes internationales à échanger, lors d’une rencontre de dialogue, sur les stratégies de durabilité pour les grands événements sportifs.

À qui s’adresse cet appel à participation ?

Nous nous réjouissons de la participation de deux experts de votre commune, notamment issus des domaines de la gestion d’événements, du sport, de l’éducation au développement durable ou des services de l’ordre public.

La langue de l’événement est l’anglais. Les frais de déplacement seront pris en charge par Connective Cities.

Comment participer ?

Si vous souhaitez participer à cet événement de dialogue, veuillez nous envoyer les informations suivantes par e-mail :

le nom de votre municipalité / organisation (y compris les universités ou les ONG) et votre rôle/fonction, une brève description d’un projet de votre municipalité que vous souhaiteriez présenter aux autres participants en tant que bonne pratique. Vous pouvez également décrire un défi local auquel vous êtes actuellement confronté et dont vous aimeriez discuter avec les autres experts municipaux.

Merci de nous faire part de votre participation avant le 5 juillet 2026.

Vous trouverez toutes les informations complémentaires dans
l’appel à participation [pdf]

Si vous avez des questions, n’hésitez pas à nous contacter:

Nikola Krause, coordinatrice du projet Connective Cities
nikola.krause@engagement-global.de ; +49 (0)228 20717 2922 et connective-cities@engagement-global.de

Connective Cities at the 19th Federal Congress on German National Urban Development Policy

From 14 to 16 September 2026, the 19th Federal Congress on National Urban Development Policy will take place in Cologne. The theme is “Act together, act faster, think further: shaping cities for everyone”. This event will bring together stakeholders from local governments, politics, public administration, academia and civil society to discuss innovative approaches to sustainable, resilient and forward-looking urban development.

For the first time this year, Connective Cities will have a stand at the event run by the Service Agency Communities in One World (SKEW). The congress offers an excellent opportunity to raise the profile of the international city network and its services for facilitating professional exchanges between local authorities. We will be focusing on discussions with local authority experts from the fields of urban development, mobility, climate adaptation and sustainable transformation.

At the SKEW stand, we particularly want to show experts what Connective Cities has to offer and discuss potential opportunities for participation and cooperation. We will also present selected examples of good practice from the relevant specialist areas, as well as the Connective Cities Media Centre as a knowledge platform. We warmly invite network members attending the Federal Congress to take this opportunity to speak to the team at the stand. We look forward to exchanging ideas, making new contacts, and generating new impetus for municipal development cooperation.

Further information: 19th Federal Congress on National Urban Development Policy

Call for Applications: Goerdeler Award 2027

Connective Cities is pleased to once again support the call for applications for the Municipal Award 2027 of the Carl and Anneliese Goerdeler Foundation Fund (CAG), following its integration into the Leipzig Foundation. The award recognises outstanding achievements in local governance and administration.

The 2027 edition focuses on “Resilient Municipalities: Municipal Partnerships for Civil Protection, Critical Infrastructure and Crisis Preparedness.” It highlights innovative and transferable good practices developed through cooperation between municipalities—particularly in an international context.

A prerequisite for application is the involvement of a German municipality or a municipal alliance.

Across the world, municipalities are facing increasing challenges, from natural disasters and infrastructure disruptions to cyber risks and geopolitical tensions. Strengthening resilience at the local level requires not only technical solutions, but also strong collaboration between administrations, municipal services, civil society, and other local actors.

The award therefore seeks cross-border municipal partnerships that demonstrate practical and innovative approaches in areas such as:

  • civil protection and disaster preparedness
  • protection and development of critical infrastructure
  • digital security
  • crisis communication

 

Special attention is given to inclusive and participatory approaches that address the needs of different population groups, especially women, children, and other vulnerable groups.

The award includes a prize of EUR 2,000 and public recognition.

Application deadline: 31 August 2026

As part of its mission to foster international municipal exchange, Connective Cities encourages municipalities and municipal alliances within its network and beyond to apply and share their experiences.

Find out more about the call and application process here: CAG-Announcement [pdf, 3 pages, in German]

Applications and/or enquiries by email to:

Ricarda Meissner Ricarda.meissner@giz.de

Jelena Karamatijevic Jelena.karamatijevic@giz.de

How Can Municipalities Cope with the Heat?

Heat affects us all. It is one of the world’s fastest-growing and deadliest climate risks.

However, we are not powerless against it. Municipalities around the world are developing and sharing comprehensive strategies. These range from heat action plans and green and blue infrastructure planning to smart rainwater management, the use of AI, and the creation of digital twins for risk-informed crisis management.

Naturally, municipalities have also been tackling this crucial topic within the Connective Cities framework. We’ve put together a selection of examples from the Connective Cities context along with additional resources for you.

Heat in the City – The Connective Cities Deep Dive Learning Process
From 2023-2025, six municipalities joined forces to analyse the impact of heatwaves and heat islands, and developed solutions tailored to local conditions.
Detailed interim report: https://www.connective-cities.net/en/media-center/heat-in-the-city-2/


Cities Leading by Example

This guidebook on risk-informed planning and heat mitigation, developed by the Connective Cities’ Deep Dive, serves as a practical guide for municipal actors, urban planners, policymakers and community leaders who wish to adopt a risk-informed approach and integrate heat adaptation into their planning processes.
https://www.connective-cities.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/cities-leading_guidebook.pdf

The „Walkable Triangle“ in Kisumu, Kenya
The pedestrian-friendly redeveloped commercial district is now a lovely place to linger with its mature trees keeping it pleasantly cool and the air fresh
https://www.connective-cities.net/media-center/das-walkable-triangle-in-kisumu-kenia/

 

Greater climate protection and quality of life: Green corridors in the MENA region lower ambient temperatures in cities and their surroundings
An AI-based visualisation exercise focusing on green corridors and green neighbourhoods, designed to bring together different perspectives on urban planning from the fields of administration, politics and academia. https://www.connective-cities.net/en/media-center/greater-climate-protection-and-quality-of-life-green-corridors-in-the-mena-region/

The Digital Twin Platform of Bağcilar, Türkiye
Read about how a municipality in Istanbul combines citizen services with data-driven urban risk management also in terms of heat assessments.
https://www.connective-cities.net/en/media-center/the-digital-twin-platform-of-bagcilar-turkiye/

Recommended Papers:

Ibero-American Urban Climate Atlas
This project covers 11 cities in Spain and South America. The research aims to analyse the local context of each city with regard to the impact of heat islands. The objective is to assess changes in temperature patterns and their territorial effects within cities.
Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities (UCCI) and ICLEI South America
https://e-library.iclei.org/uploads/IBER_ATLAS_EN_2.pdf

Financing heat resilience
How governments can finance heat resilience through risk-informed investments, innovative financing mechanisms, and resilient infrastructure.
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), Centre for Disaster Protection, National Disaster Management Authority (India)
https://www.undrr.org/publication/documents-and-publications/financing-heat-resilience

Heat Action Plans in Local Government Practice (in German)
Implementation of the recommendations for drawing up heat action plans in local government practice (Plan°C)
German Institute for Urban Studies (Difu)
https://repository.difu.de/items/c805c6fb-c3c1-4288-b1c9-eff356fb04bd

Smart Sponge Cities and Modern Heavy Rainfall Management (in German)
Ideas on how cities can further strengthen their climate and risk resilience and protect themselves against both heavy rainfall events and droughts
German Association of Cities
https://www.staedtetag.de/positionen/positionspapiere/2026/diskussionspapier-smarte-schwammstadt-modernes-starkregenmanagement

From Challenge to Practice: How Municipalities Turn Local Plans into Public Services

Connective Cities participated in the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) World Congress 2026, held from 22–25 June in Tangier, Morocco. Under the overarching theme “A New Generation of Universal Local Public Services,” the Congress brought together more than 3,000 local and regional leaders, municipal practitioners, city networks and development partners from around the world.

As part of the Local4Action Track, Connective Cities, together with the Association of German Cities, organised the 90-minute Lab “From Challenge to Practice: How Municipalities Turn Local Plans into Public Services.”

From Planning to Implementation

The Lab addressed a challenge shared by municipalities worldwide: while local strategies and development plans are often well designed, translating them into effective, inclusive and sustainable public services remains a complex task. Rather than focusing solely on success stories, the session encouraged municipalities to share real implementation experiences, discuss practical challenges and learn from one another.

Gabi Schock from the City of Krefeld (Germany) opened the session with insights into strategic municipal waste management, demonstrating how citizen participation can become a key success factor in planning and implementing public services. Using Krefeld’s waste management strategy as an example, she illustrated how local government, political representatives, businesses and citizens were involved at an early stage of the planning process. The presentation showed that participation not only increases public acceptance of new measures but also helps integrate local knowledge into decision-making, identify potential conflicts early on and develop sustainable long-term solutions. Krefeld’s experience highlighted that successful municipal service delivery is built on transparent governance, continuous dialogue and trust-based cooperation with citizens.

The second case was presented by H.E. Governor Issa Timamy of Lamu County (Kenya), who introduced the Kiunga Solar-Powered Desalination Initiative. The project addresses the challenge of providing reliable access to clean drinking water in a remote border region. By using solar-powered desalination technology, Lamu County has not only improved water supply but also reduced dependence on fossil fuels and strengthened resilience to climate change. Governor Timamy emphasised that the initiative’s success was made possible through close cooperation between the County Government, local communities and development partners. The project demonstrates how integrated municipal planning can simultaneously contribute to improved public services, better health outcomes, social cohesion and local economic development. In recognition of these achievements, Lamu County received the UCLG Peace Prize, accompanied by prize money of €20,000.

The two presentations highlighted a common message: effective public service delivery is achieved where technical solutions are combined with good governance, active citizen participation and strong local partnerships.

Peer-to-Peer Consultation: Developing Solutions Together

The second half of the Lab shifted from presentations to collaborative problem-solving.

Ein Redner steht neben einem großen bildschirm und erklärt den an runden Tischen sitzenden Teilnehmenden die Methodik.
An Introduction to the Peer-to-Peer Consultation Methodology | Photo: Connective Cities

A representative of the Municipality of Pékine (Senegal) presented a real implementation challenge: complex procurement procedures, lengthy administrative processes and staff turnover were delaying infrastructure projects and slowing down municipal service delivery.

Participants jointly analysed the challenge during a facilitated Peer-to-Peer Consultation and developed a range of practical recommendations. Proposed solutions included:

  • strengthening knowledge management to preserve institutional memory;
  • developing clearer procurement roadmaps and process guidelines;
  • improving coordination across municipal departments;
  • establishing clear responsibilities and accountability mechanisms;
  • promoting knowledge exchange with neighbouring municipalities;
  • investing in continuous capacity development for municipal staff;
  • creating databases of qualified service providers;
  • introducing minimum quality standards for contractors and service providers; and
  • assessing the political and institutional context at an early stage to identify opportunities for implementation.

 

The discussion demonstrated that municipalities across different regions often face remarkably similar implementation challenges. This is precisely where the Connective Cities approach creates value: structured municipal exchange enables practitioners to jointly develop practical solutions that can be adapted to their respective local contexts.

The Lab also illustrated how international municipal exchange can move beyond traditional good practice presentations. By openly discussing implementation challenges and working together to identify solutions, peer learning becomes a practical instrument for strengthening local public service delivery.

 

The Connective Cities team and participants in the Lab | Photo: Connective Cities

See also: Highlights of the UCLG World Congress

Highlights of the 2026 UCLG World Congress

From 22 to 25 June 2026, the World Organisation of Local Authorities (UCLG) held its World Congress in Tangier, Morocco. With the theme of ‘A New Generation of Universal Local Public Services’, over 3,000 delegates from around the world gathered.

The organisation brings together national associations of local authorities, as well as over 1,000 local authorities from seven regions of the world: Africa, the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, Eurasia, the Middle East and West Asia, and Latin America and North America. The UCLG therefore represents around five billion people, accounting for 70 per cent of the world’s population.

The UCLG World Congress is held every three years. Alongside the technical discussions held in numerous Barcamps and side events, and the many networking opportunities, the Congress marked the start of a new governance cycle for the international local government movement. The Presidium, which consists of a President and six Co-Presidents representing different regions, was re-elected. The delegates elected Uğur İbrahim Altay, Mayor of Konya, Turkey, as the new UCLG President for the 2026–2029 term.

Andreas Wolter is standing behind a podium, ready to speak.
Andreas Wolter, a Cologne city councillor, represents the German side on human rights issues | Photo: Connective Cities

The Congress also renewed UCLG’s governing bodies, including the World Council and the Executive Bureau. Representing Germany on the new World Council are Dr Ursula Sautter (Mayor of Bonn), Jörk Cardeneo (City Councillor, Düsseldorf) and Andreas Wolter (City Councillor, Cologne). The election process reflects UCLG’s commitment to balanced regional representation and shared political leadership within the global municipal movement.

Another milestone was the first-ever UCLG Women’s Assembly, which brought together women mayors, governors and local leaders from around the world. Discussions focused on advancing gender equality in local governance, strengthening women’s political leadership and further developing the Feminist Municipal Movement within UCLG. The Assembly reaffirmed that gender equality is a fundamental component of resilient, inclusive and future-oriented local governance. During the Assembly, Mayor Dr Ursula Sautter also proposed introducing a gender-balanced co-presidency model for the next UCLG mandate.

UCLG Women Assembly | Photo: Connective Cities

In the ‘Tangier Outcome Document – A New Generation of Universal Local Public Services’, the delegates also reaffirmed the central role of local and regional governments in providing inclusive, accessible and resilient public services. The focus was on issues such as affordable housing, climate resilience, digital transformation, social inclusion and international municipal cooperation.

In this context, the Connective Cities Lab ‘From Challenge to Practice: How Municipalities Turn Local Plans into Public Services’ demonstrated how how structured peer learning can support municipalities in bridging the gap between planning and implementation and in developing practical solutions to shared urban challenges.

 

Insight Session – Municipalities Advancing Nature-Based Solutions

We are pleased to invite you to our upcoming virtual Insight Session on ‘nature-based solutions for urban resilience’, which will take place on July 15, 2026 from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM CET.

Cities in sub-Saharan Africa, Germany, and other regions are increasingly relying on nature-based solutions to address flooding, climate risks, biodiversity loss, and the associated urban development challenges. However, integrating these approaches into municipal planning, management, and implementation remains a complex task.

This Insight Session brings together research, policy and community network perspectives to present practical approaches for planning, integrating and implementing nature-based solutions.

We invite the following discussion partners:

Andreas Wolter, President of Climate Alliance
Presentation: From Local Action to Collective Impact: How Municipal Networks Advance Climate Resilience

Andreas Wolter will present the Climate Alliance network and highlight its role in supporting municipalities to strengthen local climate action. His presentation will provide important insights into how city networks learn from each other, promote knowledge exchange, advocacy, and collaboration, while simultaneously helping municipalities translate climate commitments into practical measures – such as nature-based solutions to strengthen municipal resilience.

McKenna Davis Senior Fellow and Coordinator for Nature-Based Solutions at Ecologic Institute, Berlin
Presentation: Mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions: Insights and Practical Examples from the Urban Governance Atlas

McKenna Davis will share insights and practical examples from the Urban Governance Atlas and the Climate Adaptation Naturally project, highlighting how nature-based solutions can be integrated into municipal policy and planning.

Dr. Kirk B. Neu,Researcher in the fields of landscape architecture, landscape planning and urban resilience
Presentation: Evidence-based Lessons on Planning Nature-based Solutions for Flood Resilience in Sub-Saharan African Cities

Drawing on research from Ghana and the wider Sub-Saharan African region, Kirk Enu will present practical lessons on how municipalities can use research evidence to plan and implement nature-based solutions for inclusive flood resilience.

 

The event offers participants the following:

  • practical examples of nature-based solutions for strengthening the resilience of urban flood zones;
  • Insights into the framework conditions for governance, policy and planning required for implementation;
  • Insights from the compatibility of research results with municipal decision-making processes;
  • Perspectives on the role of municipal networks in promoting climate protection measures; and
  • an opportunity to exchange experiences with practitioners and experts from different cities and regions.

 

The event will be held in English, with French translation provided.

Date:Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Time:13:00 – 14:30 CET
Format:On-line
Registration: https://community.connective-cities.net/en/node/1607

We cordially invite municipal practitioners, urban planners, climate and resilience experts, researchers, development partners and other interested members of the Connective Cities network to participate.

We look forward to welcoming you to the event.

If you have any questions or require support, please contact: moses.munuve@giz.de

Insight Session Urban Tiny Forests in drought-affected Regions

On July 8th, 2026, Connective Cities hold an online Insight Session to explore ways, by which urban forests can be cultivated under difficult climate conditions. Attempts to do so are notoriously difficult in dry regions with high temperatures and low precipitation, where the usage of scarce water resources has to be distributed between (urban) populations, local businesses, agriculture and industry. Planting and watering urban trees is regularly considered secondary under such circumstances, leading to unsuccessful attempts of urban afforestation due to a lack of financial support and maintenance work. The Insight Session was joined by 34 participants from 13 countries, representing a broad range of municipalities from Africa and the Middle East.

Over the past decades, the Miyawaki-method of planting tiny forests has become an outstanding success story around the globe. In this technique developed by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, a small dense forest is made from native trees and plants. The specifically dense way of planting a miscellany of indigenous plants accelerate the growth of flora and fauna, so that after around five years, micro forests may already be entirely self-sustaining. The forests improve air quality, reduce heat and bring back lost biodiversity, thereby stabilizing ecosystems and countering the environmental degradation as a result of the climate crisis. A videographic overview of the Miyawaki-Method can be found here.

Stefan Scharfe, speaking on behalf of Miya-Forest, a forest-planting/educating/researching NGO based in Eberswalde, Germany explained the success of the Miyawaki method through the instance, that planting trees is usually broadly accepted among a range of actors such as urban populations, housing providers and local administrations. However, the participatory approach of planting urban micro forests must be facilitated through a small group of core actors who take ownership of the project. Especially a thorough soil study can significantly increase the chances of the micro forests to become self-sustainable after an initial, intense phase of watering and caring.

Coming from the highly urbanized and biodiversically degraded context of Amman, Jordan’s Capital, Deema Assaf from the ecological research studio TAYYŪN joined the Insight Session as a second speaker, providing the participants with valuable hands-on insights from the MENA region. Mrs. Assaf elaborated on the tedious work with paleobotanists to collect evidence of indigenous species from the region, proven evolutionary resilient towards the local climate conditions. The seeds of these plants known to the soil form the base for a multi-layered ecosystem featuring canopy, sub-canopy, shrubs and ground cover tiers. Over the course of its growth, the micro forest attracts insects, mushrooms and birds. Also edible plants may be included, turning micro forests into sites of (urban) gardening.

In result, the Insight Session provided the participants with new inspiration for their own project development within the scope of the currently running Connective Cities learning processes on ‘Nature at the Heart of Municipal Resilience’ and ‘Green Corridors in the City and its Surroundings’. The potential of the Miyawaki Method to produce fast and self-reinforcing benefits through various ecosystem services and according to the local circumstances makes urban micro forests a tangible and fitting intervention in the current situation of intensifying climate crisis. However, forestry-related preparation – i.e. soil data and seedlings –, as well as institutional backing, secured funding and maintenance of the planting project are key elements for micro forests to thrive.

Connective Cities provides the network for future engagement on the topic and looks forward to share expertise among urban practitioners

Driver of Green Transformation: Connective Cities Expert Mission in Waterberg

From 8 to 12 June 2026, Connective Cities, in partnership with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and the Waterberg District Municipality, organised an international expert mission on economic transition and green industrial development at the municipal level. The mission brought together municipal representatives, researchers, and experts from industry and practice from South Africa (SALGA, Waterberg District Municipality, and the local municipalities of Lephalale and Mogalakwena), Germany (the Economic Development Agencies of the Cities of Karlsruhe and Heilbronn, as well as the Baden-Württemberg RegioClusterAgency), Namibia (Lüderitz Town Council), and Kenya (the County Government of Nakuru). Participants exchanged experiences, discussed shared challenges, and explored the opportunities that the emerging green hydrogen economy—based on the production of hydrogen using renewable energy sources—offers for local and regional development.

Visit at SALGA | Photo; Grace Karanja

The mission formed part of broader efforts for the Just Energy Transition and complemented the work of South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Municipal Council (JETMC), which is strengthening municipal readiness for a shift toward cleaner and more sustainable energy systems. Through policy discussions, technical presentations, and site visits to strategic infrastructure such as the Eskom Matimba Power Station and Exxaro Solar Power Station, participants gained valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing regions transitioning from coal-dependent industries.

Central themes of the mission were the role of green hydrogen in driving local economic development, industrial diversification, and job creation. Waterberg District Municipality highlighted the importance of ensuring that the transition is both environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive. Participants learned about progress made in Waterberg District municipality in cooperation with both Lephalale and Mogalakwena Local Municipalities, including municipal skills development initiatives, governance structures, funding mobilization efforts, and partnerships supporting green hydrogen capacity building.

The Waterberg Development Initiative (WDI) presented its vision for a coordinated regional development model that aligns municipalities, industry, and communities around shared economic and sustainability goals. Discussions also featured contributions from national government representatives, development partners, and municipalities already advancing hydrogen-related projects, demonstrating growing momentum behind South Africa’s hydrogen economy.

Final workshop with stakeholders in Waterberg | Photo: Elwin Gaoseb

The mission concluded with a strategy workshop, where participants jointly developed a 36-month roadmap for regional development. The roadmap identified priority actions in infrastructure development, skills readiness, investment attraction, and partnership building to support the creation of a future “Waterberg Hydrogen Corridor.” These outcomes complemented Hydrogen Cities Working group discussions on municipal capability development, finance mobilization, and energy access, while addressing challenges such as financing constraints and uneven municipal preparedness.

The expert mission reinforced the critical role municipalities play in South Africa’s energy transition. Through international collaboration, knowledge exchange, and practical planning, the initiative demonstrated how green industrialization can drive sustainable economic growth while ensuring communities remain at the center of the transition to a cleaner, more resilient future.

Meeting with Mayor and Employees at Lephalale Municipality | Photo: Elwin Gaoseb