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International Community of Practice for Sustainable Municipal Development |
NEWSLETTER – ISSUE NO. 91, January 2026 |
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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 | | |
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REVIEW |
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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. |
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Virtual Ad-Hoc-Session on 2 December 2025 including good practices from Jakarta and Hamburg points out the opportunities and challenges |
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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. |
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INSIGHTS |
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| | Reuse Instead of Demolition: 2nd Hands on Public Buildings |
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The learning process ‘Reuse of modern public buildings from the 1960s and 1970s’ |
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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. |
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| | Sustainable mobility – Combining future-proof mobility forms |
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Connective Cities dialogue event and the start of a new learning process |
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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. |
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OUTLOOK |
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| | A Nature at the Heart of Municipal Resilience |
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Invitation to the learning process on Nature-based Solutions |
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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! |
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| | Safeguarding Critical Infrastructure through
Risk-Informed Urban Development |
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Call for participation in the learning process on planning for urban resilience
in Southeastern Europe/South Caucasus |
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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! |
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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 |
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