| |  | 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. | | INSIGHTS |  | | | The “Walkable Triangle” in Kisumu, Kenya |
| 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
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| 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. | | OUTLOOK |  | | | 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.
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| |  | | 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 |
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