Category: Integrated urban development

10 Years Connective Cities

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“And there is a magic in every beginning…” these Hermann Hesse’s words can be used to describe the atmosphere when almost 70 experts from local politics, local administration and academia came together for their first exchange of ideas exactly ten years ago in Leipzig’s former stylishly renovated town bath. (Some impressions: https://youtu.be/CA7naV3BFco )

The motto of the kick-off event was “Sustainable urban development between resource efficiency and sufficiency”. The key concepts of “efficiency” and “sufficiency” were presented as two complementary strategies for sustainable urban development. The discussion ranged from technological innovations for resource-efficient development paths, to social innovations that focused on the transformation of social and individual lifestyles. The approaches and topics discussed then, have lost none of their importance for sustainable urban development. Such topics under the umbrella of Connective Cities today include “flood management”, “energy-efficient urban redevelopment and energy-efficient construction”, “revitalisation of contaminated inner-city areas”, “citizen participation”, “participatory, integrated urban renewal”, “neighbourhood development” or “urban gardening and urban agriculture”.

The very first kick-off event was attended by a large number of international participants, including experts from South Africa, Kenya, Morocco, Indonesia, China, Colombia, Hungary, and Serbia.

Local Economic Development Forum in Tbilisi

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Tbilisi, June 7th – Connective Cities Southeast Europe convened a parallel session during the Local Economic Development (LED) Forum in Tbilisi, focusing on “Renewable Energy Options at the Municipal Level.” This session provided a platform for mayors from Georgian municipalities, including Senaki, Eredvi, and Khoni, to exchange insights, challenges, and innovative approaches in advancing renewable energy initiatives within their jurisdictions. Furthermore, Dr. Irakli Samkharadze, Energy Advisor of Omnia, provided insights into the European Green Deal and its implications for municipalities, enriching the discussion with a broader perspective on sustainable energy transitions.

The Mayor of Senaki Municipality shared notable advancements, including the integration of renewable energy sources into municipal buildings and the installation of solar panels across various locations to raise awareness and support action plans aligned with the Covenant of Mayors.

Showcasing the Amman Urban Observatory

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The insight session on “Showcasing the Amman Urban Observatory” was held on 24 April 2024, delivered by Mr. Akram Khreisat from the Greater Amman Municipality. The session was organized by Connective Cities and presented to the global community of urban practitioners, as part of the Connective Cities network. Among the participants were urban practitioners, local and national government actors, academic researchers, non-governmental organizations, and local community members.

Mr. Akram Khreisat, director of the Amman Urban Observatory, introduced the participants into the working mechanisms and the fields of action of the Amman Urban Observatory and its role in tackling planning challenges in the capital city of Jordan.

The Amman Urban Observatory generates ‘urban indicators’ to monitor various aspects of the city that are important for urban development. Based on real-time monitoring of these urban indicators, planning processes in urban development are improved, as planners and developers are empowered to make informed decisions. In doing so, the observatory works together with ministries, government departments, national organizations, NGOs and companies from the private sector. The observatory works together with over 40 partners and stakeholders. Such urban indicators include vital characteristics for measuring sustainable urban development such as unemployment rate, land cover or the percentage of people living in poverty.

The Amman Urban Observatory has proved itself to be an effective tool for strategic and urban planning. Mr. Akram Khreisat described the observatory as not being a tool, but as a “process to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals”. In the case of the Amman Urban Observatory, the indicators created focus on the thematic areas of the following SDGs: Good Health and Well-Being (3); Affordable and Clean Energy (7); Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (9); Sustainable Cities and Communities (11); Climate Action (13) and Partnerships for the Goals (17).  

After the presentation by Dr. Akram Khreisat, the attendees asked questions about the Amman Urban Observatory. When asked about the challenges and difficulties the observatory faces, he elaborated on the large influx of refugees that Amman receives and the associated challenges for the measurement of urban indicators. As the city recently receives many refugees, indicators need a certain flexibility to account for the inconstant change of inhabitant numbers. Furthermore, Mr. Khreisat was asked whether the observatory uses the gathered data for spatial analysis or 3D cadaster purposes. In answering this, he elaborates that they work together with the city’s GIS Department in order to deliver scenario plans for spatial growth.

The Connective Cities Network intends to create a working group to identify different best practices for the observation of urban parameters. Furthermore, interested cities are intended to be assisted through the development of templates that can be used to implement in a similar process to the one in Amman. Any city representatives interested in joining the working group are very welcome to contact Dr. Muna Shalan (muna.shalan@giz.de) and Mr. Jimmy Yoedsel (jimmy.yoedsel@giz.de) for further information and the possibility to take part.

Connective Cities would like to thank Dr. Akram Khreisat and all the participants for the presentation of the Amman Urban Observatory and for the fruitful exchange and discussion.

Dar es Salaam Metropolitan Development Project (DMDP) – Phase 1

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The Dar es Salaam Metropolitan Development Project (DMDP) aims to improve connectivity and mobility within the city while reducing flooding through structural and non-structural measures. As part of the project, 67 kilometres of rainwater channels were built. The focus was on training local government experts, solid waste management and urban greening initiatives.

However, the DMDP also became aware of various issues and challenges that the city faces in drainage management. These include the effects of climate change, such as flooding, storms, heat, drought and sea level rise, as well as an inadequate stormwater drainage system due to a lack of suitable corridors and space for retention basins. Unrestricted access to stormwater drains has led to misuse for sewage and waste disposal.

The effects of rapid urbanisation also had to be taken into account: Around 70 per cent of Dar es Salaam’s population lives in unplanned settlements, mostly in very exposed locations. Community involvement is crucial here: it can help build trust, ensure sustainability and promote ownership of flooding control projects. Cooperation and coordination between different stakeholders, including authorities, municipalities and other organisations involved in the project, as well as effective communication and coordination are essential.

Six municipalities join forces to combat increasing heat in cities

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From 3 to 6 June 2024, the group came together in Heidelberg as part of the “Connective Cities Deep Dive” to substantiate their pilot projects and learn from the experiences of other cities.

Although the six cities have to adapt to increasing heat in different ways, they have two principles in common, as became clear during their exchange in Heidelberg. If you want to do something strategically and in the long term to combat heat in cities, you need a plan. This is just as true for Aswan in Egypt, where temperatures can reach 50 degrees Celsius in summer, as it is for Lüdenscheid, which is located in the cooler, densely wooded Sauerland region of Germany. They also strongly believe in the approach of initially testing innovative heat solutions in small pilot projects before implementing them on a larger scale.

There are many ways for cities to reduce the negative heat effects on the population: creating more green spaces, planting shade-providing trees, greening building facades, creating cooling corridors, for example through watercourses, raising public awareness and much more. To do this, it is first important to know where the heat builds up in a city.

Working group Kickoff: Women’s leadership in municipalities

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With this statement, participants of the working group ‘Women’s leadership in municipalities’ have begun their activities. The virtual kickoff took place on the 16th May 2024 and included an input from the former deputy mayor of Bonn (Ms. Melanie Grabowy), and the showcasing of the GIZ manual ‘Duos for Empowerment’ on a Mentoring Programme for Women in the Middle East and North Africa focusing on practical experience from Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon (presented by Hiba Tijani, WOMENA-GIZ).

The participants who represent 14 municipalities and civil society from Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Tunisia, Morocco and Germany have expressed their enthusiasm and team spirit to engage with their peers on this topic and to exchange experience in order to design localised solutions.

Related publication:

Municipal Observatory for Gender Mainstreaming
A guide for municipalities in the MENA region

Strategic planning in municipalities– Impediments, framework and benefits

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Managing municipalities effectively and achieving sustainable development for residents are priorities for local authorities. As the link between the central authority and the local population, municipalities need to develop mid-term and long-term strategies to fulfill their developmental role in basic service provision, managing resources, infrastructure development, as well as achieving economic growth and sustainability. Strategic planning is key to shaping a vibrant community and economically competitive environment. It focuses on leveraging assets and strengths rather than overcoming challenges and are characterized by a sharp focus on the competitive advantage, key clusters of opportunity, workforce characteristics, quality of life standards and other economic and demographic differentiators.

However, long-term strategic planning is weak if not non-existent in the majority of municipalities in the MENA region. While some municipalities have made significant progress in adopting strategic planning, many face greater challenges related to urbanisation, service delivery, economic development, natural resources, environmental issues, social disparities, changing demographics, and response to crises. To overcome these challenges effectively, municipalities must have up-to-date local strategies that guide them in setting development scenarios, priorities, and making informed decisions to meet the diverse needs and challenges of the local population. In essence, local development strategies are the foundation upon which successful local governance is built.

Promoting Sustainable Mining Industries

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The online event took place on 23 April and explored the challenges and opportunities in promoting sustainable mining industries and the critical role of cities in driving positive change in the sector. Key discussion points included:

  • The role of cities in promoting sustainable mining industries: How can cities actively contribute to the promotion of sustainable mining practices, taking into account environmental and social impacts?
  • Maximising benefits for local communities: What strategies are in place to ensure that mining activities best benefit local communities, both economically and socially?
  • Repurposing closed mining sites: What innovative approaches exist to transform them into new assets for communities and promote sustainable development?

The event featured insightful inputs from various sources:

A Strategy for Climate-Sensitive Urban Development in Garowe, Somalia

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Connective Cities has supported the development of a bottom-up strategy for climate-resilient urban development, known as the Climate-Sensitive City Development Strategy (CSCD). This involved a participatory methodology for identifying and analyzing key entry points for municipal action. Garowe was the first pilot project where this methodology and the design of the CSCD strategy were tested. We are pleased to present this strategy to you here.

Connective Cities was commissioned by the GIZ project “Promotion of social and economic inclusion of extreme poor IDPs and residents of host communities in Puntland, Somalia” (SEIPP) to support the development of an integrated climate protection concept (adaptation and partial mitigation) for the city of Garowe, Puntland, Somalia. SEIPP is dedicated to promoting the socio-economic integration of extremely poor internally displaced persons and residents of host communities in Puntland, Somalia.

If you have any questions about the methodology or are interested in discussing it, please contact Paulina Koschmieder: paulina.koschmieder@giz.de

Enhancing Renewable Energy Solutions

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As the world moves towards a more sustainable future, municipalities across Southeast Europe and the Caucasus are actively seeking innovative solutions to address their energy needs. In this context, Connective Cities facilitated two peer-to-peer exchange activities as part of a regional learning process on renewable energy options at the municipal level. These exchanges not only fostered collaboration but also provided valuable insights and inspiration for future projects. Let’s delve into these transformative experiences: