Kisumu, a port city on the shores of Lake Victoria and one of Kenya’s largest cities, is becoming increasingly important for the movement of goods and trade between Kenya and its neighbouring countries, Tanzania and Uganda. With an annual population growth rate of just under 4 per cent, the population has more than doubled in 15 years, rising from around 205,000 in 2001 to at least 422,000 in 2025. This has led to a series of major infrastructure projects, which, however, have primarily focused on motorised transport, even though 53 per cent of residents’ daily journeys are made on foot.
One project under the ‘Kisumu Sustainable Mobility Plan’ is the ‘Walkable Triangle’: the pedestrian-friendly redesign of the three main streets—Oginga Odinga, Ang’awa Ave and Jomo Kenyatta Ave—in a commercial district in the city centre. These streets form a triangle around a sports and park area and are used by over 2,200 pedestrians every day. The aim is to promote non-motorised transport along the 1.5-kilometre stretch, making it safer, more pleasant and accessible, whilst preserving and integrating the existing tree population.
In addition, the city is promoting e-mobility in public transport through a battery-swapping system for motorcycle taxis, known as ‘boda-bodas’, and three-wheeled taxis, known as ‘tuk-tuks’.
The documentation describes the approach as well as the outcomes achieved by this good practice.
International Community of Practice for Sustainable Municipal Development
NEWSLETTER – ISSUE NO. 94, May 2026
Dear Readers,
‘Resilience’ lies at the heart of our current learning processes and discussion forums. In materials science, it refers to materials that return to their original state even after being subjected to extreme stress. Just as trees bend supple in the wind and, after the storm has passed, resume their natural form as if untouched.
What does building climate-resilient infrastructure mean for municipalities? We discussed this question with experts, financial institutions and local authorities at the Africa Urban Forum, and it yielded interesting insights into coordinated approaches from technical, financial and participatory perspectives.
Nature-based solutions – as a possible answer – are at the heart of our new learning process in Sub-Saharan Africa, which began in April with 20 municipalities.
What role can AI play in this context? At the World Urban Forum on 21 May 2026 in Baku, AI-based visualisations will form the basis for critical discussions on affordable and climate-resilient housing.
And during a virtual insight session on 9 June, we will explore how digital twins can be used as a tool both for rapid responses in crisis situations and for long-term, risk-informed planning and resilient governance
Strengthening the resilience of municipalities to extreme weather events, urbanisation pressures, and technological and hybrid threats is also a central theme of our new learning process in South-Eastern Europe. This will launch in mid-June with a diverse range of local authorities from ten countries.
We would also like to invite you to apply for the 2027 Goerdeler Prize. Here too, outstanding examples of resilience in the context of cross-border local authority cooperation will be recognised.
We hope you find this an inspiring read and look forward to your participation!
Your Connective Cities Team
REVIEW
Technical Support for Climate Resilient Infrastructure
Connective Cities at GIZ Side-Event at the Africa Urban Forum
Climate-proofing the built environment: what does it take? At the African Urban Forum (AUF), Connective Cities organised a side event in collaboration with two GIZ partner projects: the Covenant of Mayors Sub-Saharan Africa (CoMSSA) and the Resilience Initiative Africa (RIA). Bringing together experts, financial institutions and local authorities, the event highlighted practical experiences from Embu (Kenya) and eThekwini (South Africa). The discussions focused on how collaborative governance, technical expertise, and innovative financing models can work together to promote climate-resilient infrastructure.
From Challenges to Pathways: Advancing Nature-Based Solutions in Urban Contexts
Recap of the Connective Cities Learning Process Kick-off Workshop in Naivasha, Kenya
The Connective Cities learning process on “Nature at the Heart of Urban Resilience” was officially launched through a three-day kick-off workshop held in Naivasha, Kenya from 21 to 23 April 2026, bringing together 20 municipalities and cities from across Sub-Saharan Africa and Germany, alongside over 40 urban practitioners, technical experts, and institutional partners. The workshop marked the starting point of a long-term commitment aimed at supporting local authorities in developing nature-based solutions to their municipal challenges through structured exchange and technical assistance.
AI-based Visualisation for Affordable Housing and Informal Settlement Upgrading
World Urban Forum 13 | Connective Cities Academy Event on 21 May 2026, from 09:30 to 11:30 Baku time (UTC+4)
At the World Urban Forum 13 (WUF13) in Baku, Connective Cities will contribute to the official WUF Academy programme with the interactive event “AI-based Visualisation for Affordable Housing and Informal Settlement Upgrading” on 21 May 2026, from 09:30 to 11:30 Baku time (UTC+4). The event is organised by the German Association of Cities in cooperation with Connective Cities and participating cities. Building on the recent Connective Cities working group exchange on affordable housing, the event works with real city cases from Nairobi, Huye, Mariental, Cairo, Hebron and Berlin. AI-generated visual scenarios will serve as a starting point for peer exchange and critical discussion on affordable housing, informal settlement upgrading, land use, density, public space, infrastructure, climate resilience, inclusion, financing, and implementation responsibilities.
Insight Session – Digital Twins for Risk-Informed Municipal Development
Call for participation to the online exchange on AI-driven urban innovation on 9 June 2026, 14:00 – 15:00 CEST (tbc)
How can digital and AI applications help municipalities become more resilient and prepared for future risks? As urban areas face growing climate and infrastructure-related risks, municipalities require digital tools that support rapid emergency response, long-term risk planning, and resilient urban governance. This Insight Session will present the concept of ‘digital twins for risk-informed urban development’ using practical applications and international best practices, including those from the Turkish municipality of Bağcılar.
Kick-off in Tirana: Strengthening Municipal Resilience Together
Dialogue Event launching the regional learning process in Southeast Europe/ South Caucasus from 16 to 18 June 2026
This dialogue event brings together municipalities of different sizes and structures, as well as representatives from various local public service sectors. Participants include local authorities from Albania, Armenia, Georgia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine, as well as Germany. This diversity enables practical discussions about different framework conditions, institutional structures, and the challenges of local development in the context of growing risks from extreme weather events, urbanisation pressures, and technological and hybrid threats. The kick-off event marks the beginning of a multi-stage learning process and lays the groundwork for future collaboration. It also serves to identify key areas of action and initial concrete steps. Join the discussion – online too!
Resilient Municipalities: Municipal Partnerships for Civil Protection, Critical Infrastructure and Crisis Preparedness
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. It highlights innovative and transferable good practices
on the theme of ‘Resilient Communities’ developed through cooperation between municipalities — particularly in an international context. The award therefore seeks cross-border municipal partnerships. A prerequisite for application is the involvement of a German municipality or a municipal alliance.The prize includes a high-profile award and is endowed with 2,000 euros. The deadline for applications is 31 August 2026.
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
Connective Cities invites municipal and regional authorities from Sub-Saharan Africa and Germany to participate in a new international Learning Process on Nature-Based Solutions (NbS).
Local and regional governments are increasingly at the forefront of addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation. Intensifying floods, droughts, heatwaves, and land sealing are placing growing pressure on urban systems and governance capacities. Against this backdrop, Nature-Based Solutions offer a cost-effective, multi-benefit pathway to strengthen climate adaptation while also delivering mitigation co-benefits such as carbon sequestration, stormwater management, and urban heating and cooling regulation.
About the Learning Process
The one-year Learning Process will convene municipal practitioners, technical experts, and policymakers through three in-person workshops and continuous virtual collaboration. Participants will progress from problem identification to solution co-development and implementation readiness, supported by peer learning, technical input, and targeted coaching.
The process aims to:
Strengthen municipal and regional capacities to plan and implement NbS
Facilitate structured peer-to-peer learning between Sub-Saharan African and German authorities
Co-create actionable NbS project concepts ready for piloting, financing, or integration into planning frameworks
Generate knowledge products to support replication and scaling across city networks
Thematic Focus Areas
Participants will collaborate within demand-driven thematic working groups, including:
On April 7, 2026, the new Connective Cities learning process on “Green Corridors in the city and its surroundings” was officially launched. The event was organised by Connective Cities in cooperation with the GIZ project Capacity Building through Urban Infrastructure Development (CBUID II) and was offered simultaneously in Arabic, French and English
The workshop was attended by around 70 representatives from eight countries: Algeria, Egypt, Germany, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia. Municipalities and partner institutions from the MENA region as well as the German city of Erlangen were represented. In addition to the official participants of the learning process, an extended circle of municipal representatives was further involved in the virtual exchange.
The kick-off served as technical and methodological introduction to the learning process. The aim was to set initial thematic priorities, to make municipal challenges visible and to create a common basis for further cooperation. At the same time, the event served to prepare the next steps in the process, in particular the in-depth phase and the planned face-to-face conference in Egypt.
AI-supported Visualization as Innovative Tool for Urban Planning
A central element of the kick-off was the joint AI visualization exercise on green corridors and green neighborhoods, implemented via the CoPlan AI platform. Based on images from urban contexts in the participating cities, spatial development future scenarios for climate-resilient, greener and more usable urban spaces were developed.
Around 550 images were produced as part of the exercise. The visualisation served not only to illustrate spatial changes, but also as a methodological tool to stimulate discussion about the feasibility of green corridors. In this sense, the exercise proved to be a suitable introduction for bringing together perspectives from administration, planning and local government practice.
Key Workshop Findings
The kick-off showed that green corridors and green neighborhoods in the participating cities are envisioned predominantly in urban districts and less in the cities’ surroundings. The focus is accordingly not on planning in undeveloped areas, but on the gradual further development of existing urban spaces in which housing, mobility, public use and social functions are already closely intertwined.
In that sense, it also became clear that green corridors have to fulfil several functions at the same time. They contribute to climate adaptation, for example through shading, cooling, better air circulation and water absorption. But they also contribute to the upgrading of public spaces by improving the quality of life and encounters within the city. Especially in dense neighborhoods, green corridors must therefore always be considered as social spaces of mobility and connection.
Another central aspect was the importance of participation and local acceptance. Since identified spaces are usually already intensively used, the involvement of the population is an essential prerequisite for successful implementation. This applies to the usability for distinct groups such as children, families and residents as well as the question of how green measures can be integrated into the everyday urban life.
Contribution from the Urban Development Fund (UDF)
The Urban Development Fund (UDF) underlined the importance of institutional approaches for integrated and climate-resilient urban development in Egypt. The examples presented showed how strategic urban development, upgrading of existing districts, heat reduction and public space can be more closely linked. The UDF thus not only contributed concrete experience from Egyptian practice, but also an important perspective on scaling, institutional anchoring and long-term implementation capability.
Contribution of the City of Erlangen
The city of Erlangen’s contribution illustrated that green corridors must be implemented in conjunction with traffic, accessibility and conflicts over the use of urban space. In their presentation of the local project ‘From two quarters to one campus’, Erlangen representatives demonstrated how a green boulevard, tram, bicycle, pedestrian and motorised traffic, and an existing pedestrian bridge could be brought together within one coherent planning task. Thus, the contribution from Erlangen provided important impetus for an integrated planning approach to green corridors.
Example Cities and Good Practices
During the kick-off, several municipal and institutional examples were presented that are of particular relevance for the further learning process:
Erlangen (Germany): integrated planning approach to green corridors in existing urban space, with a focus on Green Boulevard, multimodal mobility, land use and conflicts of use.
Aswan (Egypt): Development of the Heat Action Plan for El-Sail Elgadid, including cooling stations, shaded recreation areas and specific offers for children and women.
Port Said (Egypt): Approaches to climate-adapted urban development and the upgrading of urban spaces under the specific climatic conditions of a Mediterranean city.
Telal Al-Fustat Park, Cairo (Egypt): large-scale greening approach in historic Cairo with positive effects on cooling, air quality and biodiversity.
Reviving Historical Cairo (Egypt): Upgrading historic urban areas as a combination of urban renewal, public space and historical identity.
Al-Asmarat (Egypt): Participatory upgrading of public spaces in the residential environment as an example of the linking of green and social functions in existing neighbourhoods.
Outlook
Some of the participants at the launch event
The digital kick-off has created a reliable technical basis for the next steps of the MENA learning process. It became clear that the added value of the format lies particularly in synergy effects betweenconcrete municipal examples, institutional perspectives, inter-municipal exchange and visual methods. In the coming phases, the identified topics will be further deepened, approaches between the cities will be further developed and jointly concretized during both online and face-to-face exchanges.
24 March 2026 was the big day! The in-depth learning process “Water Resilience: Strengthening Municipalities against Drought and Heavy Rainfall Events” kicked off shortly after the World Water Day. Droughts, heatwaves, heavy rainfall and flooding are on the rise, putting a strain on infrastructure, public health and municipal budgets. At the same time, urbanisation is intensifying competition for water.
Many major cities are already experiencing severe water stress, and the global demand for water could significantly exceed the available supply by 2030.
Water scarcity has long been an obstacle to development for countries in the Global South, but in the future, all regions worldwide will have to adapt to fluctuating water availability and growing conflicts over its use. Water is set to become the defining strategic resource of the 21st century.
Key solutions are emerging at a local level. Although the broader circumstances vary greatly, local authorities face similar structural challenges, making exchange and collaborative learning particularly valuable.
As part of our ‘Deep Dive’ on the topic of ‘Water-Resilient Municipalities’, we are bringing together experts from eight municipalities in Benin, Germany, Kenya, India, Serbia and Sri Lanka. Over a two-year period, they will discuss innovative approaches, such as sponge city concepts, blue corridors and integrated blue-green-red infrastructure, and develop and implement locally tailored solutions to their respective challenges.
During the initial virtual meeting, the municipalities presented their local challenges, identified initial similarities, and prepared for the first in-person working meeting in Wuppertal in early May. Further updates from our ‘Deep Dive’ project will follow from May 2026.
The participating cities are: Natitingou (Benin), Dresden, Wunstorf and Wuppertal (Germany), Homa Bay (Kenya), Hyderabad (India), Niš (Serbia) and Akkaraipattu (Sri Lanka).
Kick-off Event: 7th – 9th April 2026 (TBC) in Egypt
Local authorities in Germany, North Africa, and the Middle East face similar challenges in the face of climate change. They are called upon to translate general strategies for climate change adaptation and climate protection into concrete local measures. One option is to develop green corridors – e.g., as green walkways in city centers or as green corridors in the surrounding areas and new neighborhoods. These enable improved fresh air supply, quality of life, and more efficient water management. Green corridors can also be used for local recreation and heat protection in municipalities.
Against this backdrop, Connective Cities offers experts from local governments in Gemany, North Africa and Middle East the opportunity to develop concrete solutions for their own contexts and exchange ideas with each other as part of a one-year learning process.
Main areas of Work
The structured learning process will focus on:
Green corridors as fresh air corridors between cities and their surrounding areas
Green paths in cities and old city centers
Green new and existing neighborhoods
The methodology
The learning process follows a modular approach with the following objectives:
Supporting participating municipalities in developing solutions through peer learning and tailored technical advice to promote green corridor solutions.
Developing the participants’ skills so that they are better able to implement organizational changes and improve procedures and methods in their own municipalities.
Supporting participating municipalities in their methodological approach and the development of financially viable solutions.
As part of the learning process, best practices for green corridors and climate-friendly urban planning will be presented. Participating municipalities will engage in peer learning with others to develop concrete solutions for their individual contexts. These solutions can bring about organizational changes to improve procedures, methods, and data availability, as well as the concrete implementation of pilot measures.
Using a co-creative approach, participants will be involved in a structured creative problem-solving process. This includes
observing and understanding current municipal practices to identify challenges and gaps,
brainstorming and developing concrete solutions, and
testing the solutions with a group of stakeholders, including citizens and experts, to obtain feedback.
Duration
The learning process will span a period of one year, beginning with a kick-off workshop in Egypt in April 2026. A total of two German and approximately 10 municipalities from the MENA region will participate in the learning process.
Participation and contact
We are looking for experts from local governments in Gemany, North Africa and Middle East (district offices, city administrations, municipal companies, etc.) who can contribute a project or idea for a solution for green corridors to the learning process. Ideally, two experts from one municipality will apply and be able to anchor the change process in the administration in the long term. The participation costs (accommodation and board) are covered. The conference language is English and French.
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.
Affordable housing in a traffic-calmed neighbourhood | Photo: Connective Cities
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)
Model for Huye | Photo: Connective Cities
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.
Another model for Huye | Photo: Connective Cities
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.
Model for Berlin | Photo: Connective Cities
Nairobi (Kenya)
Visions for Nairobi
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.
Photos: Conective Cities
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.
Model for the park on the outskirts of the city | Photo: Connective Cities
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:
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)
Model for a shaded market | Photo: Connective Cities
Connective Cities Newsletter – Issue No. 91, January 2026
International Community of Practice for Sustainable Municipal Development
NEWSLETTER – ISSUE NO. 91, January 2026
Dear readers,
'If you stand with both feet firmly on the ground you won’t be able to move forward.'
That is why, in this issue, we would like to inspire you to embark on a slightly visionary journey – without fully leaving the ground of practice. We present innovative project ideas and sustainable approaches that were developed in our exchange formats together with municipal experts. Above all, we would like to invite you to participate in the learning processes we are planning for this year.
Our Insight Session “AI for Municipalities” with examples from Jakarta and Hamburg received strong resonance. Our one-year learning process “2nd Hands on Public Buildings” also impressively demonstrated the potential of the paradigm shift: away from rapid demolition and toward sustainable reuse and conversion of buildings.
Last year ended with our annual network meeting, where we not only looked back on what we had achieved, but also introduced new topic suggestions for 2026.
A new one-year learning process on the topic of “Sustainable Mobility – Interaction of Future-Proof Forms of Mobility” has already been launched with 20 municipalities from eleven countries and has highlighted many transferable approaches and projects.
More will follow shortly: In the regional learning process in Sub-Saharan Africa entitled “Nature at the heart of municipal resilience,” we invite you to further develop nature-based solutions to combat the effects of climate change. In addition, there is the opportunity to participate in the regional learning process in Southeast Europe/Caucasus on the topic of “Protecting critical infrastructure through risk-informed development.”
Together we can move forward! Your Connective Cities Team
REVIEW
Connective Cities Network Meeting 2025
Get-together of active German stakeholders on 9 and 10 December 2025 sets the course for the new year
Getting updated, sharing insights into the topics that are relevant on the local level, and fostering exchange—that is what the annual Connective Cities network meeting for active German stakeholders is all about. This year, around 30 participants made their way to Bonn to discuss achievements and visions for the future.
Virtual Ad-Hoc-Session on 2 December 2025 including good practices from Jakarta and Hamburg points out the opportunities and challenges
Improving citizen services, speeding up routine tasks, and freeing up human resources for other tasks – this is what local authorities hope to achieve with artificial intelligence in administration. The topic is an important one and interest was high: The event recorded over 100 registrations, with nearly 60 participants joining online – from cities such as Lusaka (Zambia), Stuttgart, Mombasa (Kenya), Berlin, and Iserlohn. Concrete examples were used to demonstrate how AI can perform simple tasks and reduce the administrative burden. However, data protection and ethical issues must not be disregarded.
Reuse Instead of Demolition: 2nd Hands on Public Buildings
The learning process ‘Reuse of modern public buildings from the 1960s and 1970s’
For over a year, more than 30 experts from six countries worked as part of Connective Cities‘ learning process ‘2nd Hands on Public Buildings. Repurposing Modernist Public Buildings from the 1960s and 1970s ’ on solutions for aging public buildings from the 1960s and 1970s. They deepened their knowledge, learned about potential solutions from external experts and shared their experiences, approaches and ideas to inspire each other. The innovative projects demonstrate the impressive potential of the paradigm shift away from rapid demolition and towards well-considered reuse and conversion.
Sustainable mobility – Combining future-proof mobility forms
Connective Cities dialogue event and the start of a new learning process
38 experts from 20 municipalities in 11 countries accepted Connective Cities‘ invitation to Bonn, where they discussed their innovative project approaches with colleagues and collaborated on new implementation ideas. Represented were small municipalities such as Lahntal with around 7,200 inhabitants, rural districts, and metropolises with millions of inhabitants, such as Rio de Janeiro and Munich. The innovative approaches were equally diverse. The international exchange of experiences provides motivation at a time when sustainability issues are under increasing political pressure. The challenges are surprisingly similar, and solutions are often transferable.
Invitation to the learning process on Nature-based Solutions
Intensifying floods, droughts, heatwaves, and land sealing are placing growing pressure on urban systems and governance capacities. Against this backdrop, Nature-Based Solutions offer a cost-effective, multi-benefit pathway to strengthen climate adaptation while also delivering mitigation co-benefits such as carbon sequestration, stormwater management, and urban heating and cooling regulation.The one-year Learning Process will convene municipal practitioners, technical experts, and policymakers through three in-person workshops and continuous virtual collaboration. The application deadline is 7 February 2026. Become part of the process!
Safeguarding Critical Infrastructure through Risk-Informed Urban Development
Call for participation in the learning process on planning for urban resilience in Southeastern Europe/South Caucasus
Climate-related extreme events, technical disruptions, growing inter-dependencies between infrastructure systems and new security challenges threaten the functioning of urban areas. Protecting critical infrastructure – energy, water, transport, communication and health – has therefore become a central task of modern local governance. The focus lies on integrated planning, multi-risk governance and the development of implementable project approaches to protect and strengthen critical infrastructure. The application deadline is 28 February 2026. Become part of the process!
Engagement Global gGmbH Service Agency Communities in One World Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 40, 53113 Bonn | Deutschland Kontakt: Sibylle Loyeau Email: sibylle.loyeau@engagement-global.de
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 32 + 36, 53113 Bonn | Deutschland Kontakt: Ricarda Meissner Email: ricarda.meissner@giz.de
International Community of Practice for Sustainable Municipal Development
NEWSLETTER – ISSUE NO. 90, December 2025
Dear readers,
‘Only nature can teach us creation, can teach us creativity. Our true illiteracy is the inability to be creative,’ wrote artist, painter and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser in 1983 in his manuscript ‘Concrete Utopias for the Green City’.
Inspired by this quote, in this issue we look back at a dialogue event in Bonn, where creative minds came together to innovatively combine various forms of CO₂-free mobility. It also marks the start of a new learning process on the topic, which we will continue in 2026.
We provide insights into how cities in Germany and sub-Saharan Africa are converting and expanding their infrastructure for green hydrogen, thereby boosting the local economy.
Taking nature as our model, we invite your municipality to participate in our two-year learning process, exploring the most creative options for protection against drought and heavy rainfall. We would also like to cordially invite you to join our learning process on ‘Green Corridors in Germany and the MENA Region’.
Connective Cities is also starting the new year with three additional strong partners. We will briefly introduce them and outline the topics that we would like to explore in greater depth together with you.
We wish you happy holidays and a good start to the new year.
Sincerely Your Connective Cities Team
REVIEW
Combination of future-proof mobility forms
Kick-Off of the New Learning Process on Sustainable Mobility in Bonn
From 25 to 27 November, Connective Cities hosted a dialogue event in Bonn. 38 experts from 20 municipalities in 11 countries followed the invitation to share their innovative project approaches with colleagues and collaborate on new implementation ideas. Small municipalities such as Schlangen in the Teutoburg Forest, with a population of around 9,000, were represented, as well as metropolises with millions of inhabitants, such as Rio de Janeiro and Munich. The innovative approaches were equally diverse.
Unlocking the potential of new technologies at the local level
Green hydrogen is rapidly gaining global prominence as a crucial energy carrier for the future. For many African countries, abundant solar and wind resources give cities a unique advantage, positioning them not only as innovation hubs but also as centers for technology transfer, workforce training, and industrial diversification. By integrating sustainable use of green hydrogen into urban planning, municipalities can enhance energy security, attract long-term investment, and build more resilient, climate-friendly local economies—ultimately becoming key drivers in the global clean-energy transition.
Water resilience – Municipalities strengthen themselves against drought and heavy rainfall events
Call for participants: Connective Cities Deep Dive – a two-year learning process with a kick-off event in Germany in March 2026
Local authorities are facing challenges due to climate change and soil sealing, with more frequent droughts, heavy rainfall and flooding. In Germany and the Global South, innovative solutions are currently being promoted and rapidly tested. Connective Cities is therefore offering an in-depth learning process on this topical and highly relevant issue, and we warmly invite interested local authorities to participate.
Invitation to the Kickoff Workshop, 7–9 April 2026 (TBC), Egypt
Green corridors improve urban microclimates, enhance public spaces, and support municipalities in adapting to climate change. In the new one-year Connective Cities Learning Process MENA, professionals from Germany and the MENA region will jointly develop practical, co-creative and actionable solutions for green corridors in their local contexts. We warmly invite you to join the kickoff workshop and contribute your project idea or challenge to the learning process.
Stronger Together: The New Partners of Connective Cities
The German County Association, the German Association of Towns and Municipalities and the Association of Public Utilities are now part of the Steering Committee
More municipal voices, more exchange, more joint creative power – Connective Cities is entering the next phase with an expanded group of partners. We introduce our partners and outline the thematic priorities for the coming year. Take a look!
Engagement Global gGmbH
Service Agency Communities in One World
Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 40, 53113 Bonn | Deutschland
Kontakt: Sibylle Loyeau
Email: sibylle.loyeau@engagement-global.de
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 32 + 36, 53113 Bonn | Deutschland
Kontakt: Ricarda Meissner
Email: ricarda.meissner@giz.de
Local governance plays a critical role in advancing climate action across the MENA region, where cities and municipalities are increasingly at the frontline of responding to climate-related challenges such as water scarcity, extreme heat, and urban vulnerability. Despite national climate strategies, local authorities often face limited financial and technical capacities to implement sustainable solutions. However, there is growing recognition of the need to decentralize climate governance by empowering municipalities with the tools, knowledge, and resources to plan and implement locally tailored climate initiatives. Collaborative efforts—such as regional networks, peer-learning platforms, and partnerships with civil society and the private sector—are helping to strengthen local capacities and foster more inclusive, participatory approaches to climate resilience in urban and rural settings alike. Against this background, Connective Cities has organized on the 13th October 2025 an insight session to showcase good practices and achievements from municipalities in the MENA region in this field.
Planning framework for municipal heat adaptation in Aswan| Photo: Connective Cities
Dr. Marwa Ahmed (General Manager of International Cooperation and Community Participation at the Urban Development Fund in Egypt), presented the good practice ‘Integrated Heat Action Framework Development in Aswan, Egypt’, where the Urban Development Fund partnered up with Aswan governorate to channel its institutional knowledge while putting together fragmented parts that will form the base for an Integrated Heat Action Framework in Aswan. The aim was to 1) establish a core working group with the most relevant departments to be involved in the process of developing a heat action plan, and 2) develop the general framework and select a zone for piloting. International experiences showcased and discussed as part of the deep dive were adapted to serve in the local context. Capitalizing on the local native knowledge in Aswan on climate-responsive design and construction methods, the local building codes will be reviewed and modified. The general framework includes measures for 1) adaptation planning and implementation, 2) preparedness, communication, and workers’ safety, 3) built environment, infrastructure, and managed spaces, and 4) ecosystem-based adaptation.
Voting for area prioritization and selection was conducted and resulted in choosing “Elsail Elgadida” as a pilot area. Initial needs assessment meetings with local residents revealed a myriad of urban challenges, among which is the lack of safe public spaces. Accordingly, it was suggested to designate one of the districts numerous wide streets to this purpose by converting it into a pedestrian-only area and rehabilitating it with tree planting, shading elements and urban furniture. Local residents expressed their willingness to collaborate by watering the planted trees.
Assessment of pedestrian-friendliness in Constantine | Photo: Connective Cities
Mr. Al-Hani Maghzi (representative of Constantine municipality-Algeria) presented the initial results and roadmap for improving walkability and transitioning into transit-oriented development in Constantine. He showcased the multi-stage roadmap that incorporates a wide range of procedures that are categorized as structural (e.g. review of mobility plan), comprehensive (e.g. reducing car use, widening sidewalks, reorganizing parking spaces) and priority actions (transforming the city center into a pedestrian-friendly area). He concluded his presentation with the statement that green and liveable cities prioritize pedestrians over vehicles.
In conclusion, the examples showcased how decentralized cooperation supports knowledge exchange, strengthens global partnerships, and drives innovation in local climate adaptation and climate protection efforts. Through the resulting lively discussion, the participants were provided with actionable insights and tools for municipalities to integrate climate resilience into local planning, infrastructure, and service delivery while ensuring social equity and long-term environmental sustainability.
