Category: Municipal and regional networks

Stronger Together: The New Partners of Connective Cities

Posted on by burkhard

Connective Cities – the International Community of Practice for Sustainable Municipal Development – is entering its next phase with an expanded group of partners. Alongside the German Association of Cities, the German County Association, the German Association of Towns and Municipalities, and the Association of Local Public Utilities are now key municipal partners. Together with SKEW at Engagement Global and GIZ, the international exchange of knowledge and expertise between municipalities will continue to grow.

Going forward, even more German cities, municipalities, and counties will be able to actively participate in dialogue processes. As a result, municipal challenges from Germany will feature more prominently in global peer-learning formats – and jointly developed, practice-oriented solutions will emerge that create impact both internationally and domestically.

Introducing the New Cooperation Partners

Logo of the German County AssociationThe German County Association (DLT) is the national association of all 294 German counties. Its direct members are the county associations of the 13 federal states, each representing local interests at the state level. The DLT represents three quarters of all municipal service providers, around 96% of Germany’s territory, and—with 57 million residents—68% of the country’s population. Key areas of work include public services, secondary education and vocational schools, economic development, local labor market policy, social welfare, youth and healthcare systems, as well as e-government and administrative modernization.

Logo of the German Association of Towns and MunicipalitiesThe German Association of Towns and Municipalities (DStGB) represents the interests of German towns and municipalities at the state, federal, and EU levels. Through its 17 member associations, it connects and represents 11,000 large, medium-sized, and small municipalities. Core activities include political advocacy with decision-makers at federal and EU level, raising awareness of municipal concerns through media outreach, ongoing exchange of experience and information among member associations, and representation in central organizations that promote municipal interests.

Logo of the Association of Local Public UtilitiesThe Association of Local Public Utilities (VKU) represents the interests of municipal utilities and waste management companies in Germany. Its more than 1,600 member companies operate in energy supply, water and wastewater management, waste management and public cleansing, as well as telecommunications. With their technical expertise, VKU members make substantial contributions to climate adaptation, renewable energy, and circular economy solutions. In 2023, these companies employed around 319,000 people, generated more than EUR 213 billion in revenue, and invested over EUR 19 billion.

All three organizations will now take an even more active role in Connective Cities and enrich its strategic direction and thematic work.

The thematic priorities for the coming year include nature-based solutions in urban development and water-related resilience, the development of strong regional economic hubs, the safeguarding of critical infrastructure, municipal biodiversity strategies, and the use of artificial intelligence in local administrations. In addition, we will address current topics emerging from the municipal associations and our networks – municipalities are explicitly invited to share their needs and proposals. Further information and numerous new opportunities for participation will follow in the new year.

Cities as pioneers for a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient future

Posted on by burkhard

From 12 to 14 September 2025, the Urban 20 (U20) Mayor Summit took place in Johannesburg as part of South Africa’s G20 presidency. The mayors of the C40 cities came together to strengthen the voice of cities at the global level. The U20 is a diplomatic initiative jointly supported by C40 Cities and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG). This year, the cities of Johannesburg and Tshwane took the chair.

Connective Cities and the City of Bonn participated in the panel discussion organised by SALGA (South African Local Government Association) on the topic ‘From Goals to Impact: Advancing Urban Sustainability and Resilience through the SDGs’. The discussion highlighted the central role of local governments in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): more than 65% of the SDG targets are directly linked to municipal and regional responsibilities, as SALGA Vice-President Flora Mabea-Baltman emphasised.

The panel participants provided a wide range of insights. Aaron Maluleka from the City of Tshwane presented energy programmes and partnerships in the field of sustainable energy. Dr Angela from São Paulo discussed the importance of philanthropic initiatives in achieving the SDG goals. Verena Schwarte from the City of Bonn emphasised the importance of data and international cooperation, and Sibylle Loyeau from Connective Cities stressed the significance of partnerships, professional exchanges, and peer learning.

The communiqué, the summit’s joint outcome document, recognises the importance of the local perspective in the G20 agenda. Four priority areas for action were defined: economic opportunities and financing; climate protection and urban resilience; social inclusion and justice; and digital transformation and innovation.

The Urban 20 Summit 2025 confirmed impressively that cities are at the forefront of solving global challenges locally, working towards a sustainable, inclusive and resilient future.

Building New Bridges: Integration of Syrian cities in Connective Cities regional network

Posted on by burkhard

This workshop contributed to strengthening the exchange of municipal experiences and paved the way for Syrian cities to be integrated in the network and become active members. Representatives from Damascus and Reef Damascus Governorates shared the current state of comprehensive planning, highlighting the challenges of pursuing a long-term vision for sustainable development while aiming to turn the complexities of post-war reconstruction into an opportunity to build back better.

The participants sit at two round tables and listen to the lecture on Damascus.
Participants during the lecture on planning in Damascus | Photo: Muna Shalan, Connective Cities
A colleague from Amman during the PowerPoint presentation on the digitisation process in his city.
Presentation of the digitisation process in Amman | Photo: Muna Shalan, Connective Cities

They also discussed their aspirations for digital transformation in their city administration. Their counterparts from Greater Amman municipality delved into practical experiences in these thematic fields, sharing a wealth of knowledge and lessons learned grounded in the local context of implementation.

Collage of three photos showing students discussing in small groups.
Peer consultation and presentation of good practices | Photo: Muna Shalan, Connective Cities

Through interactive peer learning activities, the participants showcased good practice examples and fleshed out success factors and impediments faced by municipal workers in the process of city planning, municipal service delivery, and digital transformation. The discussions created an open and honest exchange, allowing both sides to learn from each other’s successes and obstacles.

Two photographs showing the participants standing in a semicircle on the grounds of the Al-Zuhour Green Triangle while the project is being explained to them
Field visit to Al-Zuhour Green Triangle – a model for green infrastructure | Photo: Muna Shalan, Connective Cities

A site visit to a good practice example was also organized as part of the workshop namely to  Al-Zuhour Green Triangle – a model for green infrastructure. On an area of 2300 sq. m, this pilot project that was implemented by Greater Amman municipality and UN-Habitat Jordan demonstrates two concepts of green stormwater management; stormwater bioretention and stormwater detention.

The workshop resulted in a roadmap for future cooperation and institutionalization of knowledge exchange, which outlined priority action areas. Key focus areas include legislation and governance, with an emphasis on fast-tracking a fair reconstruction law in Syria, adopting standardized tendering and contracting procedures, and activating public-private partnership (PPP) frameworks where appropriate. In terms of decentralization, participants agreed on the need to delegate selected powers—particularly in transport and traffic management—to municipalities, supported by technical committees to ensure that master plans align with sectoral strategies. Strengthening resources and capacities was also identified as critical, including securing adequate human and financial resources, and investing in in-house expertise and ongoing training.

The participants, some standing and some seated in the conference room, with a screen displaying the Connective Cities logo in the background.
Group photo of participants | Photo: Muna Shalan, Connective Cities

Placing the community at the center of urban planning emerged as another key principle, with commitments to maintain public participation through Citizen Hubs and feedback mechanisms that reflect both the social and economic dimensions of urban life. Finally, under the banner of “Build Back Better,” participants called for addressing data gaps, improving cross-sectoral coordination, and using reconstruction as a platform for long-term, sustainable development.

Further information about the presentations can be found on Connective Cities platform.

Expert exchange on the Voluntary Subnational Review

Posted on by erik

During the Connective Cities Dialogue Event on “Sustainability reporting and Voluntary Local Review” that took place last December in Berlin, some participants decided to start a network for the acceleration and implementation of VLR/VSR. The group is composed by the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), the Council of Governors of Kenya, the City of Stuttgart, the City of Bonn, the Association of German Cities and Connective Cities.

In order to enrich and enlarge the network, the group organizes a peer-to-peer meeting on the topic Voluntary Subnational Review on May 7 at 3 p.m. (CET). The Voluntary Subnational Review is a reporting tool that allows a countrywide localization of the SDGs from the perspective of municipal administrations. By drawing up the Voluntary Local Review, municipalities provide the basic data for a detailed analysis of the local sustainable development. By aggregating these data, a country obtains a comprehensive and detailed overview of the implementation of the SDGs. Meanwhile, municipal administrations are more represented at a national level and can present a united front with regard to national development policies.

Through the support of Local Government Associations, the creation of the Voluntary Subnational Review can be quick and effective. During the peer-to-peer meeting, representatives from South Africa and Germany will present their recent efforts in the creation of their Voluntary Subnational Reviews. After the presentation, we will open the stage for a broader discussion about the Voluntary Local and Subnational Review.

To attend this meeting, please contact Francesco Schapira francesco.schapira@engagement-global.de

Celebrating Decentralized Cooperation and Heritage-Driven Tourism

Posted on by burkhard

On 20 March 2025, in honor of the International Day of Happiness, Connective Cities hosted an insightful session highlighting the transformative power of decentralized cooperation in advancing sustainable development. This session aligned with the global theme of happiness by fostering collaboration, cultural exchange, and community engagement—key pillars of thriving and cohesive societies.

The session explored how decentralized cooperation empowers municipalities to tackle shared challenges, drive innovation, and promote inclusive growth. Participants gained valuable insights from successful heritage-driven tourism strategies implemented in various municipalities, inspiring them to leverage partnerships for meaningful local and global impact.

The session opened with a heartfelt address by Ms. Barbara Baumbach (BMZ), who emphasized Connective Cities’ success in facilitating global exchanges of municipal expertise and supporting the development of locally-adapted solutions to urban challenges. This was followed by three engaging panel discussions featuring representatives from Battir and Brühl, Bethlehem and Madaba, and Nablus. These discussions showcased how municipalities and civil society effectively utilize local and international collaborations to create opportunities for societal, economic, and environmental progress.

 

Panel discussion of the partnership Brühl-Battir | Photo: Connective Cities

The panels addressed key topics such as:

  • Bridging communities through cooperation – success factors and challenges in decentralized cooperation
  • Revitalizing decentralized cooperation
  • Harnessing local stakeholder collaboration for sustainable tourism development

By drawing on international, regional, and local examples, the session demonstrated how municipalities can harness decentralized cooperation to foster sustainable tourism while balancing cultural preservation and economic growth. The discussions underscored the importance of engaging local communities and stakeholders, integrating academic contributions, and strengthening international partnerships to address global challenges effectively.

Master Presentation of the Insight Session on Connective Cities platform including the recording of the session for registered users (Arabic and German).

Author: Muna Shalan | Connective Cities

Impressions

Input from the Nablus Chamber of Commerce
nput from the Ministry of Tourism of Palestine
Input from media representatives from Nablus
Input from the academic community of Nablus
Twinning agreement between Bethlehem and Madaba
Commonalities between Bethlehem and Madaba

Strengthening Risk-Informed Urban Development in Sub-Saharan Africa

Posted on by erik

SADC Peer-to-Peer Learning Platform for Integrating Disaster Risk Management into Urban Planning and Development

The race against time to determine resilience-driven solutions to highly complex and existential urban disaster risk challenges is increasingly necessary more so in Africa. Projections point to the fact that by 2050, 90% of the global urbanization will be experienced in Africa and Asia. Despite Africa’s low contributions to Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, the continent remains the most vulnerable to hazards and risk drivers like such as, but not limited to, climate change and (climate) variability. Evidently, Africa’s cities face exponential growth, unplanned urbanization trends and unfolding vulnerabilities threatening thus, to undo urban development gains. By 2050, most of the countries in the region will have made an urban transition, meaning that more than 50% of their population will live in urban areas, which are in turn, the cornerstone of Africa’s socio-economic development (IFRI 2022). As hubs of infrastructure, services, trade and people, cities are faced with one of the major urban threats in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), namely floods, subsequently challenging the continent’s socio-economic development ambitions. Urbanization is arguably an inevitable, unstoppable yet positive trend which nevertheless has the potential to greatly increase risk.

To incorporate integrated Disaster Risk Management (DRM) and climate change adaptation measures into multilateral and bilateral development cooperation programs – within and across all sectors -, Connective Cities (CC) and the Resilience Initiative Africa (RIA) have called the joint initiative on risk-informed urban development (RIUD) to enable peer to peer exchanges through a hybrid modular learning processes (LP). The LP focuses on strengthening risk-informed urban development by creating innovative solutions for flood risk management in urban systems situated in Sub-Sahara Africa with a focus in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Region.

The LP enables the use of an agile, barrier-reduced learning and exchange platform for RIUD, which is used by regional, national, and local governmental and non-governmental actors. The modular and systemic approach of the LP for RIUD includes areas related to “Sustainable Urban Development” and “Good governance” facilitating the formation of new partnerships across vertical and horizontal scales for urban/regional resilience. Through the differentiated yet complementary political counterparts, between CC and RIA, the GIZ is able to ensure scalability and wide-spread transfer and communication of the results (i.e. RIUD SADC Publication).

To enhance resilience in southern African cities, CC and RIA developed a series of hybrid modular LPs (Live Events and virtual Insight Sessions) which focus on peer to peer exchange on integrated flood risk management in SADC as part of Sub-Sahara Africa.

The kick-off event in Windhoek, Namibia took place in April 2023 and marked the first round of the LEP by creating feedback loops to inform the development of context-specific, gender-equitable and climate-change-sensitive solution options directed at tackling urban flood risk challenges in both structural and non-structural terms. During the kick-off event, the peer-to-peer exchange was guided by initial thematic areas i.e: 1) Understanding and managing flood risk drivers, 2) Green infrastructure and nature-based approaches for risk-informed solutions, and 3) Risk communication flows and good governance.

Hosting a SDG Partnership Conference in 2024

Posted on by erik

Implementing the 2030 Agenda with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a global task, and one in which cities and municipalities worldwide have a vital role to play. Municipal partnerships provide an important network for sharing a wide range of lessons learned in localising the 2030 Agenda and for working together to achieve the SDGs.

In 2024, the Service Agency Communities in One World (SKEW) of Engagement Global will support up to three German municipalities to organise a “SDG Partnership Conference”, by providing financial and professional support. Different perspectives and experiences on the 2030 Agenda are discussed with partner municipalities from all over the world, ideas for further cooperation on the 2030 Agenda and activities for implementing the SDGs in partnership are jointly developed.

A SDG Partnership Conference is usually a two- to three-day event format that can be held both in person and digitally. It is also possible for several German municipalities to organize a joint event at a single venue.

Please note that exclusively German municipal authorities are eligible to apply. Proposals cannot be submitted by municipalities or organisations outside of Germany. If you are interested in this format, please contact your German partner municipality.

The Service Agency is looking forward to receiving your application by 31 January 2024!

Further information on the SKEW-website

Municipal Policy Award of the Carl and Anneliese Goerdeler Foundation 2023

Posted on by erik

Municipalities make an important contribution to climate protection – in Germany and worldwide. They not only work directly on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, but have often additionally committed themselves to further climate protection. Municipalities also face similar challenges worldwide and can therefore benefit from close cooperation and lively exchange. This is especially true for cross-border cooperation projects, which require particularly high motivation, courage and, last but not least, organisational and assertiveness skills during the ongoing pandemic.

In 2023, the Carl and Anneliese Goerdeler Foundation’s Municipal Policy Award will honour cross-border municipal cooperation projects on participatory municipal climate protection and adaptation measures with prize money of 2,000 euros. Outstanding cooperations of municipalities or municipal alliances with the participation of a German municipality or municipal alliance are sought.

All important information about the award and your application can be found in the competition announcement: pdf-Download  [in German]

Deadline extension: The deadline for applications is Monday, 31 October 2022.

The prize is awarded in memory of the communal political work of Carl Goerdeler as Mayor of the City of Leipzig and his resistance activities against Nazi rule. The award is intended to serve the peaceful cooperation of municipalities and municipal alliances that unites people and to promote mutual learning for the benefit of the residents.

Contact:

Ricarda Meissner
ricarda.meissner@giz.de 
Phone: +49 (0)228 4460 1138

Klaudia Sonntag
klaudia.Sonntag@giz.de 
Phone: +49 (0) 228 4460 1587

Space-blind strategies don’t work for COVID-19

Posted on by erik

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) recently analysed how cities have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. Soo-Jin Kim, Head of the OECD’s Urban Policies and Reviews Unit, calls for locally-adapted solutions now and for the post-COVID era.

Since March 2020, local health authorities have often dominated the headlines. Citizens’ trust in local politicians has significantly increased. Which role have municipalities played so far in responding to the COVID 19 crisis?

Soo-Jin Kim: Since the very beginning of the pandemic, municipalities have not waited for national governments to tell them what to do – they started to act immediately. They have deployed a range of measures to inform the public about necessary measures, ensure that people comply with social distancing and lockdown rules, support the shift to tele-working and take care of the most vulnerable such as the elderly and the poor. They have also worked to keep basic public services running, including the health system, and help the local economy survive the crisis. So I would describe municipalities as ‘essential workers’.

In addition, regardless of the crisis, we should not forget that municipalities are always key public actors. Subnational governments are responsible for an average of 40 per cent of all public spending across OECD countries. In federal states such as Germany or Switzerland, it’s even 50 to 60 per cent!

The Value of Sustainable Urbanization

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“The world we live in has been transformed in a manner not witnessed in recent times. In a rapidly urbanizing and globalized world, cities have been the epicentres of COVID-19. The virus has spread to virtually all parts of the world; first, among globally connected cities, and now, through community transmission and from the city to the countryside.
The World Cities Report 2020 shows that the intrinsic value of sustainable urbanization can and should be harnessed for the wellbeing of all. The report provides evidence and policy analysis of the value of urbanization from an economic, social and environmental perspective, including the unquantifiable value that gives cities their unique character; and also explores the role of innovation and technology, local governments, targeted investments and the effective implementation of the New Urban Agenda in fostering the value of sustainable urbanization.”