Just four weeks after the dialogue event, some of the actors involved in the learning process had already begun to concretize the project ideas they had presented in Berlin. On October 30, they together with other interested parties came together virtually to learn more about and discuss the first steps for planning new uses.

The city administration of Lusaka in Zambia, for example, wants to carry out an inventory of the numerous community centers in the city. Many are housed in decades-old buildings that are in poor structural condition. An analysis now planned will show what structural advantages and disadvantages, as well as defects, the buildings have and how they are currently used. The results will serve as the basis for a strategy for future use. The idea is to house centers for early childhood development there in the long term.

The twin towns of Greifswald and Drohobych in Ukraine have also already taken a step forward: The Ukrainian town is planning to renovate 20 apartment buildings to make them more energy efficient and has already acquired external financial support for this project. The Greifswald city administration wants to support its twin town with technical expertise in making the buildings sustainable and usable in the long term.

The agile format "Renewable energy options at the municipal level" serves as a professional exchange between 32 municipalities from sub-Saharan Africa on the increased use of renewable energies. Tunisia, Senegal, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Romania and Germany are currently involved. Municipal solutions are being discussed, such as how photovoltaics can be used to heat and cool buildings. There is also an intensive exchange on local power grids, e-mobility and the use of solar energy for street lighting. "Sustainable energy concepts are an important factor when planning the subsequent use of public buildings. After all, they should be as climate-friendly as possible," said Moses Manuve, regional coordinator at Connective Cities for sub-Saharan Africa.

Virtual cloud offers forum for exchange and information

For the learning process, Connective Cities has set up an virtual cloud where the actors involved present, among other things, good practice examples and project ideas. There is also a board on which interested parties can note which topics they need tips or support on and, above all, what they can offer support for themselves. "We are making this space available so that a lively and, above all, productive international experts networks can emerge in the coming months," says Marcella Sobisch, project coordinator at Connective Cities. The virtual space is password-protected, but access can be requested at any time.

Key Takeaways

The participants took away these lessons from the event, which they intend to use in their projects for the reuse of public buildings from the 1960s and 1970s:

• Planning for the subsequent use of a building should always begin with a review of the building structure, an investigation of the building's "grey energy", an analysis of possible uses and a cost-effectiveness assessment. Building regulations must also be taken into account from the outset.

• Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are often entered into for the subsequent use of public buildings. It is helpful to develop guidelines for such cooperations.

• For sustainable reuse, high energy efficiency standards are a must.

• The planning and implementation of subsequent use requires technical expertise, also with regard to the use of sustainable materials and cooling options.