The global transition towards sustainable transportation is essential for a sustainable future. Experts agree: there is no one-size-fits-all solution for sustainable mobility. Instead, we must create public transport services that include a range of mobility solutions and combine them in the best possible way – in a smart, accessible, and time- and resource-efficient manner. In addition, measures must be tailored very individually to the needs of citizens in individual regions, cities, counties, or municipalities. For strategic planning, German municipalities often develop concepts across regions in collaboration with transport and special-purpose associations. Innovative solutions and considerations for connecting transport are particularly reflected in concepts for mobility, tourism, or strategic regional development. In the Global South, municipalities are often challenged by urbanization and increasing traffic volumes to formulate solutions for developing their communities, and are increasingly relying on digital solutions and private providers.
The dialogue event marks the start of a one-year learning process in which participating municipalities are also invited to take part in further optional activities.
Objectives of the event
The event brings together experts from cities, counties, and municipalities and supports international expert exchange on the interaction of sustainable forms of mobility.
Goals for participants
Learn about innovative mobility solutions and how to combine them in a smart way
Compare strategic approaches and instruments for sustainable mobility in cities and surrounding areas
Acquire skills to solve challenges in the implementation of planned measures, drawing on an extended network and the method of peer consultation
In addition: getting to know each other as a basis for expanded peer exchange, e.g., through professional exchange trips
Participation and contact
If you would like to participate in the learning process, please send us an email by 15 October 2025, with details about your municipality or organization, your role, and a brief description of the project or challenge you would like to present to the other participants.For further information, please download the Call for particpation [pdf, 2 pages].
If you have any questions about the Connective Cities learning process, the event and your participation, please feel free to contact us:
African and German Cities Power a Shared Vision for a Just, Climate-Smart Hydrogen Future
Cities across Africa and Europe are accelerating their role as frontline actors in the global green transition, driving innovation, investment, and climate resilience from the ground up. Following the successful launch of the Hydrogen Cities Working Group earlier this year in Naivasha, Kenya, Connective Cities will convene the second peer-learning workshop on 24–27 November 2025 in Mombasa, Kenya.
This flagship event will bring together city leaders, practitioners, industry innovators, researchers, and development partners to scale up municipal hydrogen strategies and unlock new pathways for green industrialization, inclusive growth, and just transition at the local level.
From Naivasha to Mombasa: Turning Ideas into Impact
The inaugural workshop in Naivasha brought together over 30 municipal representatives and technical experts to explore how cities can anchor the emerging green hydrogen economy in local value creation and job generation. It underscored hydrogen’s role not only as a clean-energy vector but as a catalyst for climate-neutral industrial ecosystems, skills development, and innovation-driven urban transformation.
Case studies showcased how municipalities are positioning themselves along the hydrogen value chain — from production and storage to end-use applications in mobility, manufacturing, and port logistics. Examples ranged from Namibia’s evolving hydrogen hubs to Germany’s Heilbronn and Karlsruhe regions, where local governments are building innovation clusters, R&D partnerships, and market linkages for hydrogen deployment.
Specialist presentation during the meeting in Naivasha | Photo: Connective Cities
Participants also highlighted the importance of integrated urban governance — combining spatial planning, transparent land management, and strong stakeholder engagement — to ensure hydrogen projects deliver tangible community benefits.
Key takeaways from Naivasha included:
Municipal leadership as a driving force for innovation, investment, and policy alignment.
Local value creation through SME participation, skills training, and green entrepreneurship.
Institutional capacity and human capital as preconditions for hydrogen readiness.
Peer-to-peer collaboration as a catalyst for scaling solutions and knowledge transfer.
Since Naivasha, cities have been actively refining their project concepts, forging cross-regional partnerships, and identifying bankable entry points to accelerate their green transition agendas.
Green Hydrogen: Powering Sustainable, Inclusive Urban Futures
Africa’s vast solar and wind potential places its cities at the heart of the global clean-energy transformation. Green hydrogen — and its derivatives such as green ammonia and e-methanol — offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity for low-carbon industrialisation, climate resilience, and circular economy development.
For municipalities, this transition means:
Developing innovation clusters and hydrogen corridors that attract private investment.
Expanding renewable energy infrastructure and smart urban grids.
Enhancing water security and resource-efficient technologies such as desalination and wastewater reuse.
Creating green jobs across engineering, construction, logistics, and research sectors.
Catalysing start-ups, incubators, and technology partnerships.
Building skills pipelines aligned with future hydrogen markets.
Yet, challenges persist — from infrastructure gaps and regulatory complexity to financing bottlenecks and local ownership. The Hydrogen Cities Working Group provides a collaborative platform where cities can co-create solutions, de-risk investment, and ensure the green transition remains inclusive, equitable, and locally anchored.
What to Expect in Mombasa: Scaling Up and Going Deeper
The upcoming workshop in Mombasa will mark a critical shift from strategic visioning to operationalisation and project implementation. Over three days, participants will:
Present project updates and refine concepts through structured peer-review and coaching.
Engage in interactive sessions on land use, water-energy nexus, and industrial cluster design.
Explore innovative financing instruments, including blended finance and PPP models.
Participate in hands-on peer-coaching clinics to advance project maturity.
Exchange with international experts on policy frameworks, investment pipelines, and market integration.
Join a site visit to the Mombasa Port and Special Economic Zone to identify real-world opportunities for green hydrogen applications.
The event will feature keynotes from government and private-sector leaders, expert panels, and networking sessions to strengthen partnerships between African and German municipalities.
Confirmed participants include cities such as Mombasa, Naivasha, Lüderitz, Arandis, Nouakchott, Waterberg District, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Heilbronn, and Freudenstadt — forming a growing alliance of municipalities championing decentralized, climate-smart hydrogen ecosystems.
Looking Ahead: Cities as Catalysts of a Just Green Economy
As the global energy landscape transforms, cities that act decisively today will become the engines of tomorrow’s green prosperity. The Mombasa workshop represents another milestone in empowering municipalities to lead the hydrogen-powered urban transformation — advancing climate action, economic resilience, and social inclusion in equal measure.
Through the Hydrogen Cities Working Group, Connective Cities continues to bridge continents, connect expertise, and translate ambition into action — ensuring that the hydrogen revolution drives sustainable, locally embedded, and future-ready urban economies.
From Naivasha to Mombasa, cities are demonstrating that the green transition starts locally — and scales globally.
The Final Event of the Connective Cities Learning Process in Southeast Europe brought together municipalities, donors, and technical experts in Podgorica to accelerate the region’s transition toward sustainable, renewable energy solutions. Over three dynamic days, participants exchanged practical insights, pitched municipal project concepts, engaged directly with financing institutions, and visited a completed energy-efficiency project in Cetinje. The workshop marked the culmination of nearly two years of collaboration, equipping cities with clearer financing pathways, stronger partnerships, and concrete next steps for turning their renewable energy ambitions into implementable, fundable projects.
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE FOR SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT
NEWSLETTER – ISSUE NO. 89, November 2025
Dear readers,
“Problems can never be solved with the same mindset that created them,” Albert Einstein once said. In this spirit, we actively promote the exchange of innovative ideas.
In this edition, we are pleased to report on the successful conclusion of our learning process on the use of renewable energy in municipalities across Southeast Europe and the Caucasus. We also look forward to the upcoming meeting of our Hydrogen Cities working group, which will continue to explore the potential of the green transition for local economic development – both in German municipalities and in cities across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Furthermore, we warmly invite you to our virtual expert exchange on 2 December, focusing on “Opportunities and Challenges of Artificial Intelligence in Municipal Administration.”
We hope you enjoy an inspiring read.
Warm regards,
Your Connective Cities Team
INSIGHTS
Strengthening cities for a renewable future
Documentation of the Connective Cities learning process in Southeast Europe
Following the conclusion of the Connective Cities learning process in Southeast Europe, municipalities, donors and experts gathered in Podgorica to finalise concrete project proposals and implementation concepts for renewable energies. Following almost two years of collaboration, the workshop paved the way for stronger partnerships and financially viable, implementable energy projects in the region.
Exploring the Potential of Green Transition for Local Economic Development
Further workshop from 24 to 27 November 2025 in Mombasa, Kenya
Cities across Africa and Europe are accelerating their role as frontline actors in the global green transition, driving innovation, investment, and climate resilience from the ground up. Following the successful launch of the Hydrogen Cities Working Group earlier this year in Naivasha, Kenya, Connective Cities will convene the second peer-learning workshop from 24 to 27 November 2025 in Mombasa, Kenya.
Artificial intelligence in local governments: opportunities and challenges in an international comparison
Virtual expert exchange on 02 December 2025 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 CET
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly important for local governments. AI opens up new possibilities for action, from making administrative processes more efficient to enabling data-driven decisions in urban development, resource use and citizen participation. However, questions also arise about ethical standards, transparency, and social inclusion. Join the discussion in our international exchange of experiences!
Association of German Cities
Gereonstraße 18 – 32, 50670 Köln | Deutschland
Kontakt: Sabine Drees
Email: sabine.drees@staedtetag.de
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 URBAN DEVELOPMENT
NEWSLETTER – ISSUE NO. 88, October 2025
Dear readers,
‘The illness of our cities and settlements today is the sad result of our failure to prioritise basic human needs over economic and industrial demands.’ This statement was made by Walter Gropius, the founder of the German art, design and architecture school, ‘Bauhaus’.
However, this does not have to remain the case. This issue is all about sustainable urban development. In this article, we report on our support for Syrian urban planners within our MENA network following the end of the civil war. Good practices from Aswan in Egypt and Constantine in Algeria show how climate protection measures have been implemented step by step.
We also explore how local authorities and their associations worldwide are accelerating the implementation of Agenda 2030 in their communities through sustainability reporting, known as Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs), while raising their voices on this issue at the national and international levels. Additionally, we have compiled our practical experience from further learning processes into two guidelines at the end of this project phase: (1) How decision-makers can take a risk-aware approach in times of climate change and incorporate heat adaptation into their planning processes; and (2) how to integrate a gender perspective into planning processes and all municipal services.
In November, we will summarise the learning experiences, innovative approaches and successful project work from the ‘Reuse of Modernist Public Buildings’ learning process for you.
From 25 to 27 November, the dialogue event ‘Sustainable Mobility: The Interaction of Future-Oriented Forms of Mobility’ will mark the beginning of a new learning process, providing experts in this field with the opportunity to engage in intensive experience-sharing.
We would also like to cordially invite you to our Connective Cities network meeting, which will take place in Bonn from 9 to 10 December 2025, as well as to the virtual ad hoc event on 2 December 2025: ‘Artificial Intelligence in Local Government: Opportunities and Challenges in an International Comparison’. If you are interested, please keep these dates free in December. Further information will be available shortly on our website and in the next issue of our newsletter.
We hope you find this an inspiring read. Your Connective Cities Team
REVIEW
Cities as pioneers for a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient future
U20 Mayor Summit in Johannesburg from 12 to 15 September 2025
The cities of Johannesburg and Tshwane hosted this year’s Urban 20. At the invitation of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), representatives from the city of Bonn and Connective Cities participated in a panel discussion. The discussion emphasised the importance of accessible data, partnerships, and professional exchange.
Enhancing Local Governance for Climate Action in the MENA region
Review of the Insight Session held on 13 October 2025,
The Insight Session focused on framework planning and multi-stage implementation steps, highlighting best practice in ‘Developing an Integrated Framework of Measures Against Heat in Aswan, Egypt’ and ‘Improving Pedestrian-Friendliness and Transit-Oriented Development in Constantine, Algeria’. The project’s success was driven by decentralised cooperation and knowledge exchange within the framework of global partnerships.
Building New Bridges: Integration of Syrian cities in Connective Cities regional network
Connective Cities organized a workshop in Amman on the 18-19 August 2025
With the overarching theme of ‘Municipal knowledge exchange on integrated urban planning, sustainable infrastructure and digital municipal services’ in mind, representatives from the provinces of Damascus and Rif Damascus presented updates on their current urban planning projects. They also discussed the challenges involved in pursuing a long-term vision for sustainable development.
Strengthening the voice of cities and accelerating the implementation of the SDGs
Documentation of the Connective Cities learning process on local and regional sustainability reporting from 2 December 2024 to 25 September 2025
The learning process aimed to improve the preparation of VLRs and VSRs, accelerate the implementation of the SDGs, and ultimately promote dialogue between the local, regional, and national levels by facilitating an international exchange of experiences. The regional diversity of the participants, who contributed perspectives and practical examples from South America, sub-Saharan Africa, Germany, Southeastern Europe, and Asia, enriched the discussion and contributed to the success of the process.
A Guidebook on Risk-Informed Planning and Heat Mitigation
Cities play a dual role in climate change. On the one hand, they contribute significantly to it. On the other hand, they are particularly vulnerable to its effects. This guide showcases best practice and is intended for local authorities, urban planners, and policymakers seeking to adopt a risk-aware approach and incorporate heat adaptation into their planning processes.
Based on a model developed by the National Federation of Tunisian Municipalities and its partners, this guide offers a consistent and practical approach to promoting gender equality, integrating a gender perspective into all municipal services. As well as policy measures and projects, the aim is to initiate a cultural shift in which gender mainstreaming is seen as a fundamental pillar of equitable and effective local governance, rather than an additional service.
Sustainable mobility – combination of future-proof mobility forms
Call for participants: Connective Cities dialogue event from 25 to 27 November 2025 in Bonn, Germany
The global transport transition is essential for a sustainable future. The event brings together experts from cities, counties and municipalities and supports them in the international exchange of expertise on the interaction of sustainable forms of mobility. It marks the start of a year-long learning process, during which participating municipalities are also invited to take part in further optional activities.
A paradigm shift in the construction sector: reuse instead of demolition
What has become of the former Hilton Hotel in Nairobi, which has been left vacant?
The renovation of public buildings from the 1960s and 1970s, or their conversion for a new purpose, instead of demolition, holds great potential. It is one of the outcomes of the year-long learning process ‘Reuse of Modernist Public Buildings’ run by Connective Cities. Read our summary in November to find out more about innovative approaches and successful project work in five countries for a sustainable, circular construction sector.
Artificial intelligence in local governments: opportunities and challenges in an international comparison
Virtual expert exchange on 02 December 2025
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly important for local governments. AI opens up new possibilities for action, from making administrative processes more efficient to enabling data-driven decisions in urban development, resource use and citizen participation. However, questions also arise about ethical standards, transparency, and social inclusion. Join the discussion in our international exchange of experiences!
Association of German Cities
Gereonstraße 18 – 32, 50670 Köln | Deutschland
Kontakt: Sabine Drees
Email: sabine.drees@staedtetag.de
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
As urban populations grow and climate risks intensify, cities across regions face increasing pressure to provide housing that is both affordable and sustainable. In response to these intersecting challenges, Connective Cities launched a thematic dialogue on 28 May 2025, bringing together city officials, technical experts and urban practitioners from Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe.
Participants from Windhoek, Kitengela, Kisumu, Nairobi, Lusaka, Mazabuka, Huye, Bloemfontein, Zanzibar, Nelson Mandela Bay, Hebron, Tbilisi and Berlin engaged in a structured exchange of ideas and approaches, exploring practical solutions for inclusive and resilient urban housing systems. The event marked the beginning of a broader exchange process, which will continue with topic-specific deep-dive sessions beginning on 17 July 2025.
Shared Challenges, Context-Specific Solutions
The discussion underscored that while urban housing challenges are shared across many cities, solutions must be context-sensitive. High construction costs, limited access to finance, and land scarcity were common constraints. However, cities are responding with innovative strategies:
Huye presented its experience with a revolving housing fund, which supports incremental housing development and actively involves local communities.
Nairobi stressed the importance of improving the quality and availability of housing data to support evidence-based planning and investment decisions.
Berlin offered insights on the role of public land management and social rental models to maintain long-term housing affordability.
These inputs highlighted the importance of designing housing policies that reflect both local governance realities and broader social priorities.
Circular Materials and Building Reuse as Cost-Saving and Climate Strategies
The reuse of existing buildings and the application of circular construction principles were central to the discussion. Participants shared examples of how:
Traditional building materials such as mud and straw can offer significant cost and environmental advantages when combined with engineering improvements and clear construction standards
Adaptive reuse of buildings contributes to both resource efficiency and urban revitalisation
Circular strategies also open new opportunities for local employment and innovation in the housing sector
The discussion emphasised that promoting material reuse requires an enabling policy environment and technical support at city level. Circularity is not only a technical approach but also a governance challenge, tied to regulation, planning practices, and land use policies.
Making Housing Finance More Inclusive
Financing remains a significant barrier to the delivery of affordable housing. Participants explored how to improve access to housing finance through:
Microcredit schemes and community savings models, adapted to informal or low-income contexts
More inclusive rent-to-own mechanisms and cooperatives
Capacity building for local governments to structure and manage housing finance, including pre-feasibility support and institutional partnerships
Throughout the discussion, participants underlined the need for financing models that are inclusive and flexible, particularly for groups who are often excluded from formal housing markets—such as women, tenants, and people in informal settlements.
Next Steps: Deep-Dive Tracks Starting 17 July 2025
To build on the outcomes of the initial exchange, Connective Cities will facilitate a series of thematic deep-dive sessions launching on 17 July 2025, offering a space for collaborative learning, peer support and project development. These tracks will focus on:
Finance & Microcredit for Housing
Reuse & Circular Materials
City Partnerships & Pilot Platforms
Participants will be invited to work in smaller groups, explore tailored solutions, and develop practical ideas for implementation, replication, or upscaling.
Moving from Dialogue to Action
The exchange clearly demonstrated that affordable housing is not just a construction issue. It is a multidimensional challenge that touches on urban resilience, social equity, and environmental sustainability. While no one-size-fits-all solution exists, platforms like Connective Cities can help accelerate progress by connecting cities, facilitating technical exchange, and supporting municipal capacity.
The discussion also reaffirmed that locally grounded innovation—backed by peer learning and international cooperation—can unlock new pathways for action. By drawing on shared experiences and contextual knowledge, cities can co-develop housing models that are inclusive, financially viable, and climate-responsive.
From16 to 18 June 2025, Connective Cities is inviting municipal experts, specialists from administration, science and business to Podgorica, Montenegro. Together, we will take a practical look at specific project ideas from the Southeast Europe/Caucasus region, discuss success factors for their implementation and promote the international exchange of experience.
Experts with expertise in the following areas in particular are invited to attend:
Renewable energies and municipal energy planning
Energy-efficient refurbishment and building management
Financing municipal infrastructure
Development and implementation of sustainable urban projects
The aim of the event is to strengthen the dialogue between municipalities, financial institutions and experts, to make good practice visible and to further develop concrete, implementable project ideas.
You can find more information in the Call for Participation. If you are interested in participating, please send a brief expression of interest by e-mail to the relevant contact person by 26 May 2025:
Naivasha, Kenya | 14–17 April 2025 – Green hydrogen is gaining global attention as a key energy carrier for the future. While much of the discussion centres on export potential, green hydrogen production also holds significant potential for local development—boosting municipal infrastructure and stimulating local economies, especially in Africa, where the continent’s high potential for solar and wind energy brings African cities in a unique position to become innovation hubs and key drivers in the global energy transition.
To foster exchange of experiences and best practices between African and German cities, Connective Cities organised the workshop “Exploring the Potential of Green Transition for Local Economic Development”, bringing together over 30 municipal professionals from both regions.
The role of cities in promoting green hydrogen
The workshop, which focused on the role of cities in advancing green hydrogen as a lever for sustainable economic growth, facilitated a peer-to-peer learning space for municipal actors to exchange experiences, address challenges, and explore pathways for green hydrogen adoption at the local level.
Municipal strategies and shared challenges
Photo: Connective Cities
A central focus of the exchange was how technological innovation can align with local development needs. Discussions ranged from decentralised hydrogen production systems and seawater electrolysis to the use of organic waste as a renewable source. Especially for coastal or water-scarce cities in Africa, such technologies were seen as promising solutions to local resource constraints.
However, participants agreed that technology alone is not enough. Effective local hydrogen strategies require strategic urban planning, transparent land management, and strong community engagement. Several municipalities shared examples of inclusive planning processes, involving traditional authorities and local universities in shaping future-oriented land use plans and infrastructure projects.
Peer Learning Session | Photo: Connective Cities
Participants from countries including Namibia, South Africa, Mauritania, Kenya, and Germany presented concrete initiatives demonstrating how hydrogen projects can generate local value. The example of Arandis (Namibia) illustrated how targeted investment and strategic partnerships are enabling the town to position itself as a production hub for green hydrogen. In contrast, the Heilbronn region (Germany) focuses on the application and industrial use of hydrogen, building a regional value chain by attracting user industries and technology providers.
Furthermore, Karlsruhe (Germany) showcased a successful ecosystem for start-ups working in hydrogen technologies, supported by research institutions and public-private partnerships. Across all cases, one message became clear: municipal masterplans and coordinated strategic planning are essential for cities to fully benefit from the emerging hydrogen economy.
The discussions underscored the growing role of cities not only as implementers of national energy goals, but as active shapers of the green transition. The workshop aimed to empower municipalities to position themselves as testing grounds, innovation platforms, and investment destinations within a future green hydrogen economy.
Outlook and next steps
The workshop concluded with a strong call for municipal leadership in developing local hydrogen strategies that reflect both environmental ambitions and socio-economic priorities. Participants identified three key areas for action:
Local value creation: Prioritising domestic use of hydrogen for local industries – such as fertiliser or building materials – rather than relying solely on export models.
Education and skills development: Aligning vocational training and higher education programmes with future labour market needs in the hydrogen sector.
Partnerships and knowledge exchange: Strengthening peer-to-peer learning and cooperation among municipalities through platforms such as Connective Cities.
Participants also highlighted that green hydrogen offers more than energy solutions – it can help create future-oriented jobs, stimulate innovation, and improve urban living conditions. By linking clean energy production with economic development, municipalities can promote both resilience and inclusivity.
The workshop in Naivasha confirmed that green hydrogen can become a key pillar of sustainable urban development – provided that cities take a proactive role. Where political commitment, technical capacity and community participation come together, green hydrogen has the potential to drive long-term prosperity and shared growth.
Photo: Export-Akademie Baden-Württemberg
“Whether peer learning sessions, inspiring impulses or practical insights into hydrogen strategies, sustainable mobility and local project development – the variety of formats impressively demonstrated how much potential there is in partnership-based cooperation.“
– Felix Sossalla, Wirtschaftsförderung Raum Heilbronn GmbH (LinkedIn, translated)
“We’re looking forward to partnering with more cities, industries, and changemakers who share our vision for a greener, more inclusive future. Let’s create the green cities of tomorrow — together.”
With four million inhabitants, the Jordanian capital is home to around 40 per cent of the country’s total population. In 2021, Amman’s city administration, the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM), decided to create a VLR – the first in the Arab region. In the summer of 2022, the VLR was finalised and presented together with the Voluntary National Review (VNR) at the UN High-Level Political Forum in New York.
The VLR has proven to be a complete success – both as an analytical tool and as a process:
An ‘ecosystem’ for collecting validated data has been developed.
Sustainability goals (SDGs) were integrated into various areas of policy, strategy development and administrative action.
New formats for citizen participation were trialled.
New projects and partnerships were initiated and ongoing ones strategically interlinked;
The digitalisation of the administration is very advanced.
The simultaneous creation of VNR and VLR ensured policy coherence and mutual support between the two levels.
Are you an expert in the interim use of buildings? If so, we would be delighted to welcome you to a Connective Cities expert meeting, where participants in the Connective Cities learning process ‘2nd Hands on Public Buildings’ will learn about the work of ZwischenZeitZentrale Bremen and Transiträume Berlin e.V. and discuss examples of their projects with experts in this field. The exchange of expertise will take place online on March 12, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. via WebEx (alternative date as the meeting in February was cancelled).
For ecological and, increasingly, economic reasons, the reuse or conversion of buildings from the 1960s and 1970s is of interest to municipalities and their building stock. The Connective Cities dialogue event in cooperation with the Berlin Senate Department for Urban Development, Building and Housing from 24 to 27 September 2024 was dedicated to this paradigm shift. Around 30 municipal experts from Germany, Kenya, Montenegro, the Palestinian Territories, Zambia and Ukraine exchanged views on solutions and challenges for the sustainable reuse of public buildings and jointly developed project ideas. The ongoing one-year learning process of Connective Cities on the reuse and repurposing of modernist buildings offers further insights into the topics discussed in Berlin and the opportunity to develop concrete solutions through exchange and study tours. On March 12, 2025, we will focus on the topic of ‘interim use’, which arose during the event, particularly for participants from Nairobi. All objects and project examples provided by the participants can be found in this publication.
