Connective Cities, in cooperation with GIZ projects in the region, will bring together representatives from Constantine (Algeria), Hebron and Gaza (Palestine), drawing on experiences from other cities in the MENA region.
The workshop will focus on accessibility and inclusion in urban development. How can cities ensure that streets, parks and green public spaces are safe, welcoming and usable for everyone – including children, older people and people with different mobility needs?
Through peer exchange and AI-supported visualisations, participating cities will explore practical solutions for greener, more inclusive and climate-resilient urban spaces.
The exchange forms part of the ongoing Green Corridors learning process, fostering municipal cooperation and knowledge sharing across the region.
As Bhutan’s towns and municipalities continue to grow, they face the challenge of accommodating urban development while preserving the country’s strong environmental legacy. Urban heat, flooding, habitat loss and changing relationships between people and nature are making new approaches to urban development increasingly important.
In this virtual Connective Cities Insight Session, the Bhutan Ecological Society (BES) will share how Nature-based Solutions and eco-regenerative development can help create greener, healthier and more climate-resilient urban areas.
Drawing on practical and emerging initiatives from across Bhutan, the session will explore how biodiversity conservation, ecological restoration, green-blue infrastructure, recreation and community development can be integrated into urban development.
A particular focus will be the planned Eco-Regenerative Park at Rinchending, Phuentsholing, where biodiversity conservation, green space, nature interpretation, sustainable recreation, wellness, regenerative tourism and benefits for local communities are being brought together. Further examples from Samdrup Jongkhar and the Gelephu Mindfulness City landscape will illustrate how ecological restoration and nature-based experiences can contribute to more resilient and liveable urban areas.
The session will feature
Nawang Norbu, Executive Director, Bhutan Ecological Society Setting the Scene: Nature, Climate Resilience and Bhutan’s Urban Future
Namgay Dendup, Nature-based Solutions Specialist, Bhutan Ecological Society Bringing Nature Back into Bhutan’s Urban Future: Nature-Based Solutions in Practice
The presentations will be followed by an open discussion and exchange with participants, offering municipalities and practitioners from different regions an opportunity to reflect on Bhutan’s experiences and share how Nature-based Solutions are being translated into practical and locally appropriate urban interventions in their own contexts.
Date: Thursday, 22 October 2026 Time: 10:00–11:00 CEST Format: Online Language: English
Connective Cities brings together Egyptian municipalities and international experts to explore innovative approaches to greener, more resilient urban spaces.
On 28–29 September 2026, Connective Cities organised a two-day hybrid peer-learning workshop in cooperation with the Urban Development Fund (UDF) and GIZ Egypt. Representatives from Aswan, Port Said and Alexandria worked with international experts to develop practical solutions for urban greening and climate-resilient public spaces.
The workshop focused on a central question: How can cities transform existing streets and underused urban spaces into green corridors that improve urban liveability and strengthen climate resilience?
Three cities, three urban challenges
Aswan explored opportunities to introduce shade, greenery and pedestrian-friendly spaces in a residential area affected by high temperatures and limited vegetation.
Residential neighborhood as it currently stands. Green and orange brushstrokes indicate areas slated for redevelopment.An AI visualization for the redesign of the residential neighborhood. Advantages: Residents and children benefit from shaded, greener community and play areas. Disadvantages: Drivers must expect the street to be narrower and will only be able to drive through it slowly.
Port Said focused on greening public spaces despite saline soils, water scarcity and limited financial resources.
Unused open space in Port SaidAI visualization of the previously barren vacant lot as a city park. Advantages: Residents and pedestrians benefit from shade, recreational opportunities, and safer, step-free paths. Disadvantages: Drivers lose through traffic capacity and faster access.
Alexandria examined ways to improve streetscapes and introduce appropriate vegetation while addressing poor soil conditions, water availability and maintenance challenges.
Sealed surfaces worsen the urban climate in Alexandria.AI visualisation of the previously empty street as a green communal space. Advantages: Local residents gain shaded seating areas, play areas and vegetable patches for growing food. Disadvantages: Local residents lose parking spaces and have fewer opportunities to drop off passengers quickly.
Through structured Peer Advice, municipal representatives and experts jointly identified feasible interventions adapted to local conditions. Proposed solutions ranged from shaded pedestrian routes and small green pockets to soil improvement, locally adapted tree species and partnerships with schools, communities and local organisations.
Combining peer learning with AI-supported visualisation
A distinctive feature of the workshop was the integration of AI-supported visualisations into the peer-learning process. Based on photographs of existing urban spaces, alternative future scenarios were developed to illustrate how proposed interventions could transform the selected sites.
These visualisations helped translate technical recommendations into tangible spatial concepts, supporting discussion, comparison and refinement of different options. Rather than presenting predetermined designs, the AI-generated images served as a collaborative tool, enabling participants to explore possibilities and assess their feasibility against local realities.
From ideas to action: Backcasting—back from the future
The workshop also introduced Backcasting, a planning approach that starts with a desired future and works backwards to identify the steps needed to achieve it. Building on the Peer Advice and AI-supported scenarios, participants explored how long-term visions for greener urban spaces could be translated into practical priorities, partnerships and implementation steps. The backcasting method thus enriched the planning activities.
The combination of Peer Advice, AI-supported visualisation and Backcasting demonstrated how digital tools and structured international exchange can complement one another, helping cities move from shared challenges towards locally adapted solutions.
International expertise and regional exchange
The learning process benefited from contributions by Prof. Dr. Heba Khalil and Stefan Scharfe, who shared international experiences and technical perspectives on sustainable urban development, green infrastructure and climate resilience.
The workshop was conceived and led by Jelena Karamatijevic (Connective Cities) and facilitated by Aida Tarhouni. It was organised in close cooperation with Dr Marwa Ahmed of the Urban Development Fund (UDF) and GIZ Egypt. Special thanks go to Dr Marwa Ahmed for her collaboration with the Egyptian partners and to colleagues from the Connective Cities project (CBUID) for their valuable support in preparing and delivering the workshop. Positive feedback from the participating institutions highlighted the value of combining municipal experience, international expertise and innovative digital approaches.
What’s next?
The workshop in Egypt forms part of the broader Connective Cities regional learning process on Green Corridors in the MENA region. Further exchanges with municipalities across the region will build on the results, promote cross-border knowledge sharing and support the development of practical approaches to climate-resilient urban development.
The experience from Egypt illustrates how peer learning can evolve: from exchanging ideas to jointly visualising solutions and identifying pathways towards implementation.
Further Information:
Jelena Karamatijevic | Advisor on Sustainable Urban Development
Connective Cities · GIZ | jelena.karamatijevic@giz.de
The Green Corridors Learning Process is entering its next phase, strengthening practice-oriented knowledge exchange among municipalities and urban practitioners across the MENA region.
Today, green corridors are increasingly relevant as an integrated response to multiple urban challenges. They can help mitigate urban heat, improve the urban climate and biodiversity, support stormwater management, and reduce exposure to traffic and noise. At the same time, they can create attractive walking and cycling connections between neighbourhoods, public spaces and everyday destinations, strengthening sustainable mobility, accessibility and quality of life. In this way, green corridors link climate resilience and environmental sustainability with healthier, better connected and more liveable municipalities.
On 28–29 September, the Learning Process will place a particular focus on Egyptian municipalities, which will meet in person in Cairo, while peers and experts from across the region contribute online. Together with Port Said, Aswan, Alexandria, and UDF Egypt, the exchange will build on local and regional expertise and provide space to jointly address concrete municipal challenges related to green corridors, climate resilience, public space and integrated urban development.
A key element will be peer consultation on concrete municipal cases. Participating municipalities will benefit from experiences and expertise from across the region, jointly explore possible solutions and identify approaches that can be adapted to their local context. AI-supported visualisation will complement the peer exchange, helping municipalities translate ideas into tangible spatial scenarios and visualise possible pathways for future development.
The Cairo gathering forms part of the wider regional Learning Process. Further regional gatherings will follow shortly, providing opportunities for other participating municipalities to bring their cases into focus and benefit from cross-border peer learning and expert support.
More information on the 28–29 September gathering and the upcoming regional activities will be published soon.
International Community of Practice for Sustainable Municipal Development
NEWSLETTER – ISSUE NO. 98, September 2026
Dear Readers,
“It’s the economy, stupid!” is a somewhat blunt and much-quoted statement by James Carville, which he himself now regrets having made in such a simplified form. This statement can be expanded to cover many aspects of sustainability, for example: “It’s nature and the economy, stupid!”.
Climate-resilient and liveable communities attract investment, and a thriving economy creates the financial scope for climate adaptation measures. In this issue of our newsletter, we explore the interplay between the local economy and nature through concrete examples and discussions with experts.
We take a look at how the Bukamoso Business Centre in Windhoek, Namibia, has evolved from a business incubator into a local hub for young people to start their own businesses.
We also demonstrate how local authorities are developing and implementing innovative solutions to strengthen their climate resilience as part of the ‘Nature at the Heart of Municipal Resilience’ learning process.
Also, we would like to cordially invite you to our upcoming “Deep Dive”, where for the next one and a half years, we will be looking at how the economies of municipalities can be strengthened to be globally competitive. Through this extended learning process, municipalities around the world will be put together to pilot concrete project ideas.
We will keep you updated on how our colleagues in the MENA region, particularly in Egypt, are making their local communities more resilient and liveable by creating green corridors. We would also like to invite you to take part in our Inside Session, ‘Bringing Nature Back into Bhutan’s Urban Future’, which explores Bhutan’s innovative approach to combining biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, well-being, and sustainable tourism.
If you are able to attend the German-Ukrainian Municipal Partnership Conference, we would be delighted to welcome you to our panel discussion, ‘When Facts Come Under Pressure: Strengthening Municipalities Against Disinformation’.
We wish you an inspiring read.
Your Connective Cities Team
INSIGHTS
The Bokamoso Entrepreneurial Centre in Windhoek
A Hub for Entrepreuners, Local Economic Development and Community Empowerment
The Bokamoso Entrepreneurial Centre supports small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly start-ups founded by young people. Over the past 16 years, it has supported an estimated 1,200 young people aged 18–35 in their entrepreneurial activities. Originally functioning as a business incubator, it provided SMEs with basic infrastructure. It then added training, business development support and other capacity-building measures to promote sustainable business growth. The centre is currently exploring its future strategic direction and undergoing an organisational development process, which is being supported by its twin city in Germany, Bremen.
Nature at the Heart of Municipal Resilience: Paving the Way Forward
From urban parks and street trees to mangrove restoration and nature-based enterprises
The Connective Cities learning process “Nature at the Heart of Municipal Resilience” continues to bring municipalities from across Sub-Saharan Africa together to exchange experiences and develop locally adapted solutions. Following previous exchanges, participating municipalities are now refining their reform measures through online sessions and expert support, preparing them for the next stage of the learning process. The next milestone will bring participants together in Kigali, where municipalities will share their progress and further develop their measures towards implementation.
Call for Participation: Strengthening Local Economies – Globally Competitive, Profitable and Fit for the Future
How can municipalities strengthen their local economies in times of global uncertainty, structural change and rapid technological transformation?
Rising energy costs, changing supply chains, climate impacts and new technologies are reshaping local economies worldwide. At the same time, new markets, innovative technologies and new forms of cooperation offer municipalities significant opportunities to strengthen their economic base, attract investment and create new prospects for businesses and employment. Connective Cities invites municipalities and other local economic development actors to join the new international Deep Dive. Over approximately 1.5 years, participating municipalities will exchange experiences internationally, analyse their local economic structures, challenges and opportunities, and develop concrete strategies, partnerships and local projects for more resilient, innovative and future-oriented local economies. Join in!
The deadline for submitting expressions of interest is 31 October 2026.
Green Corridors Learning Process: From Exchange to Implementation
How can municipalities translate the concept of green corridors into practical and locally adapted solutions?
Green corridors can help to mitigate heat, improve the urban climate and biodiversity, and optimise rainwater management. Furthermore, they can reduce traffic and noise pollution. At the same time, they create attractive walking and cycling routes between neighbourhoods, public spaces and key everyday destinations. In this way, they promote sustainable mobility, accessibility and quality of life. In this way, green corridors combine climate resilience and environmental sustainability with healthier, better-connected and more liveable communities. On 28 and 29 September, the focus will be on local authorities in Egypt, who will meet in person in Cairo, while their peers and experts from the region will participate online.
When Facts Come Under Pressure: Strengthening Municipalities Against Disinformation
How can municipalities effectively counter disinformation, build trust and communicate reliably, even in times of crisis?
Disinformation and polarising narratives are posing increasing challenges for municipalities. False information can undermine trust in local institutions, intensify social tensions and spread rapidly, particularly in times of crisis. It is therefore all the more important for municipalities to be prepared and able to communicate quickly, credibly and effectively.
These questions will be the focus of the Connective Cities expert forum on 8 October 2026, from 2.00 to 4.30 pm in Berlin, as part of the 8th German-Ukrainian Municipal Partnership Conference. Come and join the discussion!
Insight Session: Bringing Nature Back into Bhutan’s Urban Future
How can municipalities grow while not only protecting nature, but actively helping to regenerate it?
In this virtual Insight Session, the Bhutan Ecological Society (BES) will demonstrate how nature-based solutions and eco-regenerative development can create greener, healthier, more climate-resilient urban spaces. The event will showcase concrete, innovative approaches from Bhutan and demonstrate how biodiversity conservation, ecological restoration, green-blue infrastructure, recreation and local development can be integrated into urban planning. Particular focus will be placed on the planned Eco-Regenerative Park in Rinchending, Phuentsholing. The park aims to combine biodiversity conservation, green spaces, nature education, sustainable recreational activities, wellness, regenerative tourism, and benefits for the local population. The event will take place on 22 October 2026 from 10:00 to 11:00 (CEST). Be inspired!
Engagement Global gGmbH
Service Agency Communities in One World
Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 40, 53113 Bonn | Deutschland
Contact: Sibylle Loyeau
Email: sibylle.loyeau@engagement-global.de
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 32 + 36, 53113 Bonn | Deutschland
Contact: Ricarda Meissner
Email: ricarda.meissner@giz.de
The Connective Cities learning process “Nature at the Heart of Municipal Resilience” continues to bring municipalities from across Sub-Saharan Africa together to exchange experiences and develop locally adapted solutions. Following previous exchanges, participating municipalities are now refining their reform measures through online sessions and expert support, preparing them for the next stage of the learning process.
Examples from some of the participating municipalities, Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are taking increasingly concrete forms.
In Bosaso, Somalia, the municipality is developing guidelines for street tree planting to support the long-term sustainability of urban greenery. Sinda Town, Zambia, has identified community-owned land for an urban park that will provide recreational space and encourage community engagement.
In Méagui, Côte d’Ivoire, the municipality is developing small urban parks in the city centre while exploring suitable tree species for the local environment. Babadjou, Cameroon, is working on awareness and communication measures around the protection of indigenous trees and replanting in deforested areas.
Nanga-Eboko, Cameroon, is combining community engagement to address deforestation with opportunities for nature-based local economic development, including honey production and diversified fruit-tree cultivation.
In Cape Coast, Ghana, the municipality is exploring public-private partnerships for mangrove restoration to address coastal flooding while also considering opportunities related to carbon finance. In Nakuru, Kenya, a pilot tree-planting initiative along the River Njoro aims to reduce soil erosion associated with flooding.
Together, these examples show how participating municipalities are moving from the exchange of experiences towards locally adapted and implementable measures. The ongoing online exchanges provide an opportunity to further develop these approaches, address open questions and benefit from peer and expert feedback.
The next milestone will bring participants together in Kigali, where municipalities will share their progress and further develop their measures towards implementation.
Through the learning process, Connective Cities supports municipalities in translating Nature-based Solutions into practical responses to local challenges – shaped by local conditions, strengthened through international exchange and oriented towards implementation.
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.
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.
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
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
Language: English – French simultaneous translation
How can forests be planted sustainably in urban areas with chronically low precipitation and/or heat waves?
The Miyawaki-Method is a reforestation technique which has become popular in recent years due to its efficiency in growing vegetation in small urban spaces within a very short time period. In order to accelerate growth, the method builds on three key principles: The exclusive use of native plant species that are used to the soil; which are planted in extreme density; and form a multi-layered ecosystem featuring canopy, sub-canopy, shrubs and ground cover tiers. A videographic overview of the Miyawaki-Method can be found here.
Not only can micro forests serve as cooling green corridors in urban geographies; they may also be classified as nature-based solutions, which are essential for various ecosystem services, not least disaster prevention. According to the method’s founder Dr. Akira Miyawaki, native forests are nearly thirty times more resilient and offer protection against natural disasters compared to non-native species.
While the Miyawaki-Method has been developed in Japan in the 1970s, it only recently has become to spread globally, with many applications in India but also growing popularity in Europe, North America and other parts of the world. However, as droughts become more frequent around the globe, watering-intensive Miyawaki afforestation may also face increasing difficulties in implementation. Can Urban Micro Forests therefore be considered a suitable intervention and nature-based solution in municipalities affected by frequent drought – for instance across Africa and the Middle East?
The MIYA-forest network from Eberswalde, Germany is one recent example of civil society-led practices to spread tiny forests according to the Miyawaki-method, both in Germany and the MENA region. In this ConnectiveCities Insight session, Board Member Stefan Scharfe will present the association’s best practices, which—in addition to planting more than 40 micro-forests since 2021—also include educational and scientific work.
As our second speaker, Deema Assaf from TAYYŪN, an Amman-based research and ecological design studio, will share her experience planting Miyawaki forests. The architect pioneered the Miyawaki method in the Middle East, planting the region’s first such forest in Amman in 2018 and going on to lead multiple native forest plantings across the city. Her work spans native seed harvesting and propagation, community planting workshops, and regenerative, permaculture-based design.
