Category: City and biodiversity

AI-based Visualisation for Sustainable & Affordable Housing

Posted on by burkhard

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:

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

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Next Steps

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

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

Model for a shaded market | Photo: Connective Cities

Enhancing Local Governance for Climate Action in the MENA region

Posted on by burkhard

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.

Planungsrahmen für die kommunale Hitzeanpassung in Assuan
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.

 

Sechs Straßenbilder zur Einschätzung der Fussgängerfreundlickeit in Constantine
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.

 

The recording and presentations are accessible via Connective Cities platform .

Author: Shalan Muna, Connective Cities

Cities Leading by Example

Posted on by burkhard

Cities play a dual role in climate change—they are both major contributors to it and highly vulnerable to its impacts. This dynamic creates a feedback loop that exacerbates urban challenges, where urban contributions to climate change worsen the very risks that urban centers face. As cities worldwide experience the impacts of climate change including rising temperatures and more frequent heatwaves, the need for proactive, risk-informed planning has never been more urgent.

Cities Leading by Example: A Guidebook on Risk-Informed Planning and Heat Mitigation serves as a practical guide for municipal actors, urban planners, policymakers, and community leaders seeking to adopt risk-informed approach and to integrate heat adaptation into their planning processes. Drawing on practice-oriented examples, this guidebook delves into city experiences in devising policies and strategies, optimizing the institutional set-up and steering structures, pursuing effective communication and public engagement as well as utilising evidence-based planning using climate data.

Turning polluted streams into green-blue corridors

Posted on by erik

For the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia, the world looked very different when it was participating in the Connective Cities learning process on urban development adapted to climate change between 2019 and 2021. The war in Ukraine began in 2022 and has forced a fundamental shift in priorities for municipal administrations. However, the renaturation of small rivers, which Vinnytsia began as part of the learning process, remains an important project for the city as it forms a key element of its sustainable future.

Recognition of environmental, urban planning and social potential

The city, with its population of around 370,000, is located 260 kilometres to the south-west of Kyiv with 64 small rivers and streams flowing through it. Their potential has long been underestimated. The locals referred to them simply as “stinking streams”, they were frequently full of rubbish or routed underground and the water quality was dreadful. Today, the municipality understands the environmental, urban planning and social potential these watercourses and their banks provide – as blue-green corridors, local areas for recreation and for protecting and promoting biodiversity. “To begin with we really had no idea what renaturation of a water course involved. We thought removing all the rubbish from the streams would be enough,” recalls Yanna Chaikovska, director of the municipal Institute of Urban Development in Vinnytsia.

Handing Over Ceremony for the Climate-Sensitive City Development Strategy for Garowe

Posted on by erik

On September 25, 2024, the Garowe Municipality officially received the Climate-Sensitive City Development Strategy (CSCD), developed in collaboration with GIZ and the RACCA Working Group. This strategy offers practical solutions to pressing climate challenges in areas such as mobility, waste management, water resources, and green spaces.

Event Highlights:

  • Presentation of key sectors for climate-friendly urban development in Garowe.
  • Discussion on sustainable measures to improve urban infrastructure.
  • Formal handover of the strategy plan to the municipality, promoting the implementation of climate-friendly projects in Garowe.
  • Expert exchanges and collaborative discussions aimed at ensuring a resilient future for the city.

The ceremony marked the transition from planning to implementation, empowering Garowe in its efforts to become a sustainable and climate-resilient city.

We invite you to read the full publication and documentation of the event to explore the insights and strategies discussed in detail.

Urban Thinkers Campus in Amman, Jordan

Posted on by erik

Connective Cities co-organized the Urban Thinkers Campus (UTC) that was held for the first time in Amman-Jordan. It aimed at generating insights and discussions to inform urban policies and strategies, fostering sustainable and inclusive urban development. Topics under focus were affordable/adequate housing, green infrastructure, and sustainable mobility. With representation from Jordanian and German municipalities, the Ministry of Transportation, NGOs, and academia, the UTC served as an inclusive forum for meaningful dialogue among urban researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, aimed at fostering constructive urban change.
 

Kufranja municipality – city of oxygen in Jordan

Posted on by erik

This is the first video in the second edition of ‘Voices from Connective Cities’. Dr. Anwaar Bani Salman, Head of Planning and studies at Kufranja municipality in Jordan talks about the competitive advantage of the municipality in agri- and eco-tourism due to its unique nature and high percentage of green cover. She highlights the benefits of peer learning particularly from Madaba municipality on the topics of local development strategies, proposal writing, and forging partnerships with stakeholders from different sectors. She noted that the moral support that she received from Connective Cities network helped her overcome various challenges such as fear of failure.

Watch video at YouTube: https://youtu.be/q6TZawYNglY

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Further information: Municipal Business Incubators in Madaba

Climate-positive cities: circular economy and carbon accounting

Posted on by erik

Background

The construction industry is one of the most energy-intensive sectors of the economy and a major contributor to global climate change. It is responsible for up to 40 per cent of global CO2 emissions. However, there are ways to make construction more sustainable and hence more climate-friendly. Municipalities play a key role in initiating and supporting these processes locally.

Two examples of such municipal engagement were in the spotlight of a virtual exchange organised by Connective Cities on 27 February 2024 and were discussed by 18 (municipal) experts from six countries. The event was part of a one-year learning process that began in November 2023 with the international dialogue event “Climate-friendly construction with organic and recycled materials” in Potsdam, Germany.