From 14 to 16 September 2026, the 19th Federal Congress on National Urban Development Policy will take place in Cologne. The theme is “Act together, act faster, think further: shaping cities for everyone”. This event will bring together stakeholders from local governments, politics, public administration, academia and civil society to discuss innovative approaches to sustainable, resilient and forward-looking urban development.
For the first time this year, Connective Cities will have a stand at the event run by the Service Agency Communities in One World (SKEW). The congress offers an excellent opportunity to raise the profile of the international city network and its services for facilitating professional exchanges between local authorities. We will be focusing on discussions with local authority experts from the fields of urban development, mobility, climate adaptation and sustainable transformation.
At the SKEW stand, we particularly want to show experts what Connective Cities has to offer and discuss potential opportunities for participation and cooperation. We will also present selected examples of good practice from the relevant specialist areas, as well as the Connective Cities Media Centre as a knowledge platform. We warmly invite network members attending the Federal Congress to take this opportunity to speak to the team at the stand. We look forward to exchanging ideas, making new contacts, and generating new impetus for municipal development cooperation.
Heat affects us all. It is one of the world’s fastest-growing and deadliest climate risks.
However, we are not powerless against it. Municipalities around the world are developing and sharing comprehensive strategies. These range from heat action plans and green and blue infrastructure planning to smart rainwater management, the use of AI, and the creation of digital twins for risk-informed crisis management.
Naturally, municipalities have also been tackling this crucial topic within the Connective Cities framework. We’ve put together a selection of examples from the Connective Cities context along with additional resources for you.
Heat in the City – The Connective Cities Deep Dive Learning Process From 2023-2025, six municipalities joined forces to analyse the impact of heatwaves and heat islands, and developed solutions tailored to local conditions.
Detailed interim report: https://www.connective-cities.net/en/media-center/heat-in-the-city-2/
Cities Leading by Example
This guidebook on risk-informed planning and heat mitigation, developed by the Connective Cities’ Deep Dive, serves as a practical guide for municipal actors, urban planners, policymakers and community leaders who wish to adopt a risk-informed approach and integrate heat adaptation into their planning processes. https://www.connective-cities.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/cities-leading_guidebook.pdf
Ibero-American Urban Climate Atlas
This project covers 11 cities in Spain and South America. The research aims to analyse the local context of each city with regard to the impact of heat islands. The objective is to assess changes in temperature patterns and their territorial effects within cities.
Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities (UCCI) and ICLEI South America https://e-library.iclei.org/uploads/IBER_ATLAS_EN_2.pdf
Financing heat resilience How governments can finance heat resilience through risk-informed investments, innovative financing mechanisms, and resilient infrastructure.
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), Centre for Disaster Protection, National Disaster Management Authority (India) https://www.undrr.org/publication/documents-and-publications/financing-heat-resilience
Heat Action Plans in Local Government Practice (in German)
Implementation of the recommendations for drawing up heat action plans in local government practice (Plan°C)
German Institute for Urban Studies (Difu) https://repository.difu.de/items/c805c6fb-c3c1-4288-b1c9-eff356fb04bd
On July 8th, 2026, Connective Cities hold an online Insight Session to explore ways, by which urban forests can be cultivated under difficult climate conditions. Attempts to do so are notoriously difficult in dry regions with high temperatures and low precipitation, where the usage of scarce water resources has to be distributed between (urban) populations, local businesses, agriculture and industry. Planting and watering urban trees is regularly considered secondary under such circumstances, leading to unsuccessful attempts of urban afforestation due to a lack of financial support and maintenance work. The Insight Session was joined by 34 participants from 13 countries, representing a broad range of municipalities from Africa and the Middle East.
Over the past decades, the Miyawaki-method of planting tiny forests has become an outstanding success story around the globe. In this technique developed by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, a small dense forest is made from native trees and plants. The specifically dense way of planting a miscellany of indigenous plants accelerate the growth of flora and fauna, so that after around five years, micro forests may already be entirely self-sustaining. The forests improve air quality, reduce heat and bring back lost biodiversity, thereby stabilizing ecosystems and countering the environmental degradation as a result of the climate crisis. A videographic overview of the Miyawaki-Method can be found here.
Stefan Scharfe, speaking on behalf of Miya-Forest, a forest-planting/educating/researching NGO based in Eberswalde, Germany explained the success of the Miyawaki method through the instance, that planting trees is usually broadly accepted among a range of actors such as urban populations, housing providers and local administrations. However, the participatory approach of planting urban micro forests must be facilitated through a small group of core actors who take ownership of the project. Especially a thorough soil study can significantly increase the chances of the micro forests to become self-sustainable after an initial, intense phase of watering and caring.
Coming from the highly urbanized and biodiversically degraded context of Amman, Jordan’s Capital, Deema Assaf from the ecological research studio TAYYŪN joined the Insight Session as a second speaker, providing the participants with valuable hands-on insights from the MENA region. Mrs. Assaf elaborated on the tedious work with paleobotanists to collect evidence of indigenous species from the region, proven evolutionary resilient towards the local climate conditions. The seeds of these plants known to the soil form the base for a multi-layered ecosystem featuring canopy, sub-canopy, shrubs and ground cover tiers. Over the course of its growth, the micro forest attracts insects, mushrooms and birds. Also edible plants may be included, turning micro forests into sites of (urban) gardening.
In result, the Insight Session provided the participants with new inspiration for their own project development within the scope of the currently running Connective Cities learning processes on ‘Nature at the Heart of Municipal Resilience’ and ‘Green Corridors in the City and its Surroundings’. The potential of the Miyawaki Method to produce fast and self-reinforcing benefits through various ecosystem services and according to the local circumstances makes urban micro forests a tangible and fitting intervention in the current situation of intensifying climate crisis. However, forestry-related preparation – i.e. soil data and seedlings –, as well as institutional backing, secured funding and maintenance of the planting project are key elements for micro forests to thrive.
Connective Cities provides the network for future engagement on the topic and looks forward to share expertise among urban practitioners
International Community of Practice for Sustainable Municipal Development
NEWSLETTER – ISSUE NO. 95, June 2026
Dear Readers,
Water is not only a driver of development; it is increasingly becoming a strategic resource. Falling groundwater levels, more frequent and prolonged heatwaves and droughts, as well as heavy rainfall events, are creating major challenges for municipalities around the world. At the same time, relatively modest investments in nature-based and technological solutions can help balance local water systems, protect lives, and prevent far more costly damage to urban infrastructure.
With this in mind, 16 practitioners from six countries have embarked on a two-year Deep Dive on Water Resilience, working together to develop and implement innovative, locally adapted solutions to their specific challenges. Following a three-day in-person meeting in Wuppertal, we take stock of the progress achieved so far.
Can AI-generated visualizations help make housing projects more transparent and accessible for all stakeholders, or do they risk oversimplifying complex planning realities? This question sparked an insightful discussion during a professional conference organized by Connective Cities and the German Association of Cities at the World Urban Forum 13 in Baku, Azerbaijan. In this issue, we look back at the key insights and debates that emerged from the event.
The Kenyan city of Kisumu offers a practical example of how public spaces can be made more livable: pedestrian-friendly, nature-based, and climate-conscious through the promotion of e-mobility. The initiative serves as an inspiring pilot project and a model for future urban space improvements.
We would also like to draw your attention to several upcoming events.
At the UCLG World Congress 2026 on 25 June in Tangier, Morocco, we will explore how municipalities can successfully translate strategies and development plans into concrete public services. Through practical examples, participants will discuss challenges and solutions related to implementing local sustainability and development strategies.
Sustainability will also be the focus of our next dialogue event, taking place from 20–22 October 2026 in Berlin. The event will examine the implementation of sustainability strategies in the context of major sporting events. Municipal practitioners, particularly those working in event management, sports, and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), are warmly invited to participate.
We hope you enjoy this issue and find inspiration in the experiences and ideas shared within it. We look forward to welcoming you to our upcoming events.
Yours sincerely,
The Connective Cities Team
REVIEW
Connective Cities at the World Urban Forum 13 in Baku
AI-Powered Visualisation for Affordable Housing and the Upgrading of Informal Settlements
At the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF) in Baku, the German Association of Cities, in collaboration with Connective Cities, organised an interactive academy session on how AI-powered visual tools can help local urban planners discuss housing challenges, the upgrading of informal settlements and neighbourhood development in a more concrete and accessible way. On the one hand, the AI visualisations proved very useful for making decision-making transparent, particularly in dialogue with the public. At the same time, however, they also carry the risk of oversimplifying complex planning realities or suggesting solutions before key issues have been clarified. This tension gave rise to an insightful discussion, which could well continue beyond WUF13.
The Pedestrian-friendly Redevelopment of a Commercial District
Making Kisumu a better place to live: In the city centre, the three main roads – Oginga Odinga, Ang’awa Avenue and Jomo Kenyatta Avenue – form a triangle around a sports and park area. These roads are used by over 2,200 pedestrians every day. The redesign of the so-called ‘Walkable Triangle’ into a more pedestrian-friendly space has made it safer, more pleasant and more accessible, whilst preserving and integrating the existing tree population. Furthermore, the city is promoting e-mobility in public transport through the introduction of a battery-swapping system for motorbike taxis, known as ‘boda-bodas’, and three-wheeled taxis, known as ‘tuk-tuks’.
Water Resilience – Municipalities Prepare for Drought and Heavy Rainfall
Documentation of the Connective Cities Deep Dive event held from 5 to 7 May 2026 in Wuppertal
Examining their own challenges in water resilience, learning from experiences on other continents, and finding the courage to put innovative ideas into practice – these were the key elements of the first in-person meeting as part of the Connective Cities Deep Dive, held in Wuppertal from 5 to 7 May 2026.
In early 2026, a total of 16 experts from the German municipalities of Dresden, Wunstorf and Wuppertal, as well as from Akkaraipattu (Sri Lanka), Homa Bay (Kenya), Hyderabad (India), Natitingou (Benin) and Niš (Serbia), have started a two-year long working together to analyse innovative approaches and how they might be implemented. On this basis, they are developing and implementing locally adapted solutions to their respective challenges. The meeting in Wuppertal is a first interim step.
From Challenge to Practice – How Municipalities Turn Local Plans into Public Services
Local4Action Track – Lab as part of the UCLG World Congress 2026 in Tanger, Morocco
How do municipalities succeed in translating strategies and development plans into concrete public services? The Connective Cities Lab, organised in collaboration with the German Association of Cities, will address this question as part of the UCLG World Congress 2026. Municipalities worldwide face similar challenges when it comes to implementing local development plans. In the Lab, international municipalities will share concrete practical experiences: What obstacles had to be overcome? Which approaches have proven successful? And what can be applied to other contexts?
Call for Participation – Global Green Sports: Implementing Sustainability Strategies for Major Sports Events
Invitation for Municipal Experts to the Dialogue Event in Berlin, 20–22 October 2026
How can sustainability strategies for major sporting events be embedded in policy? How are these strategies implemented within city administrations and event management? How can the public be engaged and informed about sustainable development during major sporting events? Organised by Connective Cities in collaboration with the Education for Sustainable Development Unit and the Berlin Senate Department for the Interior and Sport (SIUS), the event invites cities from around the world to exchange experiences, showcase best practices and jointly develop innovative solutions for sustainable sporting events.
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
Water is becoming a key challenge for an growing number of local authorities worldwide. On the one hand, they are increasingly exposed to heatwaves and drought. But on the other hand, heavy rain and high water levels are leading to more frequent flooding. These risks come together to not only impact public health, but jeopradize private property and public infrastructure. Global water demand could significantly exceed available supplies by 2030. Water is thus becoming a strategic resource. It is therefore critical for municipalities to strengthen their water resilience.
Examining their own challenges regarding water resilience, learning from experiences on other continents and developing the courage to implement innovative ideas – all these were the ingredients of the first in-person meeting as part of the Connective Cities Deep Dive, held from 5 to 7 May 2026 in Wuppertal. The group had already met for a virtual kick-off in March 2026. In early 2026, a total of 16 experts from the German municipalities of Dresden, Wunstorf and Wuppertal, as well as from Akkaraipattu (Sri Lanka), Homa Bay (Kenya), Hyderabad (India), Natitingou (Benin) and Niš (Serbia) have started a two-year long working together to explore and analyse innovative approaches such as sponge city concepts, blue corridors and integrated blue-green-red infrastructure, and the possibilities for their implementation. On this basis, they develop and implement locally adapted solutions to address their specific challenges.
The report describes practical examples from Wuppertal and Leipzig, outlines the planned pilot projects of the six municipalities and summarises the key takeaways from the process so far.
At the 13th World Urban Forum in Baku, the German Association of Cities and Connective Cities hosted an interactive Academy Session on “AI-supported Visualisation for Affordable Housing and Informal Settlement Upgrading”. The session explored how AI-supported visual tools can help municipalities discuss challenges related to affordable housing, neighbourhood development and informal settlement upgrading in a more concrete and accessible way.
The session built on the work of the Connective Cities Working Group on Sustainable and Affordable Housing. It was deliberately designed not as a technology demonstration, but as a practice-oriented municipal learning format based on real municipal cases. The aim was to explore how visualisation can make complex planning questions more understandable and open new spaces for dialogue between municipalities, technical departments, decision-makers and local stakeholders.
The process started from real images provided from municipal contexts. With the support of CoPlan AI, these images were translated into possible development scenarios. The AI-generated visuals were not intended as final plans. Instead, they served as discussion inputs. They allowed participants to discuss housing quality, density, public space, greenery, climate adaptation, mobility, social infrastructure and possible implementation steps in a more tangible way.
A central added value of the format was the joint work around the images. The visualisations made abstract planning questions visible and enabled a creative, yet critical discussion: What future images are being created? Which assumptions lie behind them? Which opportunities and risks become visible? Which social, spatial, environmental, institutional and financial conditions would need to be assessed before an image can become a realistic planning step?
The session was moderated by Prof. Hilmar von Lojewski, German Association of Cities. Jelena Karamatijevic, Connective Cities / GIZ, provided the conceptual framing and introduced the Connective Cities perspective on municipal practice and peer learning. CoPlan AI, represented by Damiano Cerrone and Sampo Ruoppila, supported the participatory AI-based visualisation process.
Municipal case contributions and reflections came from Nairobi, Huye, Mariental, Hebron, Berlin and the Urban Development Fund in Egypt. Contributors included Godfrey Ngugi, Richard Ndicunguye, Sunday Haimbodi, Husam Shweiki, Lars Loebner and Dr. Marwa Ahmed. They reflected on the visual scenarios from the perspective of local planning realities, implementation constraints and possible next steps.
From Berlin, Lars Loebner from the Senate Department for Urban Development, Building and Housing contributed an important perspective on the role of images in public debates on housing and neighbourhood development. Visual representations can strongly influence how new housing is perceived. Used responsibly, they can help communicate not only abstract plans, but also positive and realistic images of liveable, socially mixed and green neighbourhoods.
A methodological input was provided by Ruvi Y. Suárez Subirana, GIZ / ProUrbano, Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Under the title “From AI Visualisation to Scenario Assessment”, she showed how AI-supported visualisation can be linked to scenario thinking and impact reflection. Her contribution complemented the discussion by underlining that AI images are not plans. Their value emerges when they are used to reflect jointly on impacts, trade-offs and possible implementation pathways.
The discussion showed that AI-supported visualisation can be a useful tool for making planning options more accessible and supporting joint learning. At the same time, participants underlined that visualisations must be used responsibly. They can create expectations and therefore cannot replace planning, participation, feasibility assessments, cost estimation or political decision-making.
From a Connective Cities perspective, the Academy Session provides an important starting point for a deeper exchange on affordable housing, informal settlement upgrading and implementation-oriented municipal project ideas. The added value lies not in the technology itself, but in its potential to strengthen municipal learning processes and help translate visualisation and mapping into realistic, inclusive and financeable urban development pathways.
Visual documentation: Current state / after AI-assisted visualisation
The following visualisations were developed as discussion inputs during the WUF13 Academy Session. They use real municipal images as starting points and AI-generated scenarios to support dialogue on affordable housing, informal settlement upgrading, public space, climate resilience and implementation pathways. The images are not final plans. Source: Connective Cities, generiert mit CoPlan AI.
Ruanda, Huye — suburban affordable housing area
From serviced land to a liveable affordable housing neighbourhood with public space, shade and community facilities.
Initial scenario (left) and AI-generated discussion scenario (right)
Kenia, Nairobi County — Mji wa Huruma
From an informal settlement to upgrading, safer public space and climate-sensitive housing.
Initial scenario (left) and AI-generated discussion scenario (right)
Namibia, Mariental — incremental housing approach
From incremental housing conditions to a safer street environment with basic services, shade and walkability.
Initial scenario (left) and AI-generated discussion scenario (right)
Palestine, Hebron — affordable housing in context
From an existing street section to a scenario with mixed-use edges, greenery and pedestrian-oriented housing.
Initial scenario (left) and AI-generated discussion scenario (right)
Germany, Berlin — new neighbourhood development
From open land along a road to a dense, green and mixed-use housing scenario
Initial scenario (left) and AI-generated discussion scenario (right)
Egypt, Sharqia — urban infill and affordable housing
From underused urban land to a compact housing scenario with shaded courtyards and public space.
Initial scenario (left) and AI-generated discussion scenario (right)
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. 93, April 2026
Dear Readers,
“The future is not something to be foreseen, but something to be made possible,” wrote Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in 1951 in his book The City in the Desert.
Seventy-five years later, this statement has lost none of its relevance. Future viability remains a central objective of our learning processes and professional exchanges in recent weeks. We have engaged in in-depth discussions on how data can be efficiently collected and managed to support well-informed decisions in the transformation of urban mobility.
In light of increasing floods and droughts, we have also launched a two-year Deep Dive on “water-resilient municipalities.” At the same time, in the MENA region, we are advancing urban climate action and improving quality of life through the development of green corridors as part of another learning process. During the kick-off workshop, initial shared priorities were defined, and innovative methods—such as AI-supported visualization—were used to develop concrete future scenarios for climate-resilient and more livable urban spaces.
Sustainable local economic development is also placing a stronger focus on the economic resilience of municipalities. The potential of migrant skilled workers is significant—this became evident through the strong participation and lively discussions during our Insight Session. At the same time, it was clear that this potential can only be unlocked if migrant communities are recognized holistically, with all their needs taken seriously.
A holistic understanding of personal potential will also be a key aspect of our next dialogue event, taking place from 30 June to 2 July 2026 in Bremen, Germany.
Under the title “Start-ups and Innovation: Labour Market Opportunities and Perspectives for Young People,” we warmly invite municipal experts, particularly from the fields of economic development, labour and social affairs, and youth work.
We wish you an inspiring read! Your Connective Cities Team
REVIEW
Shaping Mobility on a Sound Basis: Decisions Based on Reliable Information
Inspiration from the Professional Exchange on Mobility Data Management
What does it take to make mobility in our municipalities more sustainable? New technologies? More funding? The will of the citizens? One answer: We need reliable information to make informed decisions that can bring about targeted changes.
At the end of March, the participants of the learning process “Sustainable mobility
– Combination of future-proof mobility forms” took the opportunity to discuss the topic of mobility data management. During the online exchange, a total of 5 municipalities presented concrete aspects of their mobility data management as a basis for transportation planning decisions.
Launch of our two-year international learning process “Deep Dive”
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. 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 and develop and implement locally tailored solutions to their respective challenges.
Greater Climate Protection and Quality of Life: Green Corridors in the MENA Region
Launch of the learning process “Green corridors in the city and its surroundings”
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. A central element of the kick-off was the joint AI visualization exercise on green corridors and green neighborhoods. 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 – also serving as a methodological tool to stimulate discussions on the feasibility of green corridors. The discussions were enriched by practical examples from German and Egyptian cities.
Skilled Immigration and Migrant Entrepreneurship for Local Economic Development
Connective Cities Insight Session: The Role of Municipalities at the Intersection of Migration and Urban Economic Promotion
Migration policy may be a national matter – however, its success or failure is also determined at the local level. Driven by this conviction, around 50 local government professionals came together for a virtual Insight Session organised by Connective Cities. Skilled immigration offers great potential for all parties – provided the conditions are fair. Migrant entrepreneurship is also of interest, since it in turn creates jobs. Practical approaches and lively discussion during the Insight Session clearly demonstrated that local governments can play a crucial role in helping the economic potential of migration to be realized at the local level.
Startups and Innovation: Labour Market Opportunities and Prospects for Young People
Call for Participation for Municipal Experts to a Dialogue Event from 30 June to 2 July 2026 in Bremen
Do you support the startup scene in your municipality? What opportunities do you offer young people in the job market? What challenges do you face in your work? The city of Bremen is already well-connected on this topic—including internationally. Now, in cooperation with Connective Cities, the city invites you to join five other German and six international municipalities in Bremen to exchange expertise on startup initiatives and incubators, as well as municipal incentives and support programs for startups and new businesses.
We look forward to the participation of two experts from your municipality, particularly from the fields of economic development, labour and social affairs, or youth work.
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
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.
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
